By Matthew Rosenberg, Salvador Larroca and GURU-eFX
When you pick up an issue of Matthew Rosenberg’s Uncanny X-Men, it feels like you’re reading something classic. There is more violence and harsher language, but the story feels fun and dire at the same time; feels like how the X-Men used to be. As we enter issue 14, the stakes are high, and Cyclops needs to get more information to defeat the slew of terrorist groups against mutants. As he continues to put together his team and his mission, he has to find help in some unlikely places.
Matthew Rosenberg has really done a nice job on his stint as a writer for Uncanny X-Men. His characterization of Cyclops sets the tone for the series. Cyclops has a clear vision of what he needs to do, and he plans to accomplish it. What works in this issue is that Rosenberg has built a team that has great straight characters, like Wolverine and Cyclops, but it also has goofy characters, like Multiple Man. The interaction between Cyclops and Multiple Man as they question Reaper is great. The two characters play well off of each other. Rosenberg also shows Scott being a good tactician as he works out a shady deal with Val Cooper. These are moves we wouldn’t see Jean Grey or Kitty Pryde make, but Scot would. Rosenberg also has the cast interact with some more seldom used mutants, like Callisto and Chamber. While they have appeared in issues on this run before, it’s just nice to see that Rosenberg is willing to use some forgotten characters. The issue ends with a cliffhanger that needed to happen. Rosenberg has put together an exciting run so far, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
The pencils this issue are handled by Salvador Larocca with colors by GURU-eFX. Larocca has been on a hot streak on this book, as this is another fine example of some of his best pencils. You’d be hard pressed to find a bad panel in this book; even when characters are at a distance, the quality of their faces doesn’t decline. Action sequences look great, as the team crashes an abandoned warehouse in the Bronx, Larocca’s pencils of Wolverine with his claws popped looks good enough to be a poster. Larocca really did a fabulous job with the pencils this issue. The colors by GURU-eFX are the ultimate compliment to Larocca’s pencils. The vibrant blues and yellows leap off the page. Artistically, pencils and colors, this was an amazingly well done issue. Larocca and GURU-eFX’s work just draws you in. A great job all around in the art department.
Unacnny X-Men is another step in the right direction for the X-books. Matthew Rosenberg is clearly doing something he loves. We can see with how delicately he treats these characters that there is great affection for them. The art this week was amazing. Larocca continues to turn in some of his best work to date, and the colors couldn’t be better from GURU-eFX. All in all, this will be the best book you read this week.
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