By Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger
The All-New X-Men have not been in this timeline for very long, but they have mingled with some of Marvels greatest super heroes already. From the Indestructible Hulk to Superior Spiderman, they’ve had some top shelf run-ins, and now they go intergalactic with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
This was supposed to be an uneventful day for the teen heroes. Bobby is making snow angels, Hank is working in the lab, and Scott and Jean are arguing. All is right and good, until Shi’ar warriors show up and attack the school. I guess there is no such thing as an easy day.
This issue was essentially a set up for the crossover between the two books. Bendis does a nice job of establishing that the school is relaxing and enjoying their down time before the attack happens. While it is necessary, the Shi’ar talk can be annoying to a reader because you have no idea what is being said, which is the point. Bobby as usual is the comic relief, and he even comments on the fact that the Shi’ar speak in their own language. Bendis does a solid job of making sure every character gets a little bit of spotlight in the battle, which is nice because a character like Angel can be easily forgotten since his mutation isn’t flashy or physical. The newest addition to the team, X-23 doesn’t get much panel time this issue, but will surely get some more action next issue. This is definitely a decent start to the crossover from Bendis.
Stuart Immonen is back doing the pencils for this issue, which is a good thing. One of the things Immonen has a knack for, is conveying excellent emotion on character faces. The argument between Jean and Scott is a perfect example of this. His battle scenes are really well done too, and are not difficult to follow, which is great for any reader. There is a certain type of mystique (no pun intended) to Stuart’s art. It completely compliments Bendis’ writing style and makes the visual element of the book exciting. This is his first issue back after a short hiatus and he draws the characters with such ease and effortlessness—a wonderful co-pilot for this series.
While this was the set up issue, it was still successful in getting readers excited for the things to come. While Brandon Peterson filled in admirably while Immonen was off the title, it is good to have him back. Bendis and Immonen understand what needs to be done to make this book great, and continue to deliver twice a month.
