Uncanny X-Men #509 Review

Uncanny X-Men has been a mixed bag as far as I am concerned. A couple of the stories were okay, sometimes the art is good, Mostly, the current version of Uncanny X-Men simply serves as a  good reminder how well done the older issues were.

Creative Team
Writer: Matt Fraction
Pencils: Greg Land
Inks: Jay Leisten

Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Fraction touches base with each of the X-Men. Most of the time, it is a panel showing what each of them is doing. It now appears that the X-Men are Raiders fans.

Northstar is interviewed on television. He explains why he joined the team. His interview is interrupted by a rally being held by Trask. His coalition is trying to pass a law for mandatory birth control for everyone possessing the X-gene.

The team of scientists gathered by Hank McCoy has developed a time machine. They want to travel back in time to study the parents of a first generation mutant. Hopefully that will provide the information they need to restart the mutant race. Hank reveals that Dr. Nemesis is a first generation mutant. They agree to go study his parents.

Madelyne Pryor explains to her team how she brought back Psylocke. Due to the magic involved they were able to restore the body and power without the personality. She is theirs to control. Now Pryor wants to re-animate the only other body capable of holding her power. Pryor is ghost-like and needs a body. Now it is time to attack the X-Men.

Pryor and her ladies attack the X-Men’s compound.  The issue ends with most of the X-Men severely wounded. The last page shows Wolverine impaled on Lady Deathstrike‘s claws.

The Good: Once again, I thought Land and Leisten did a nice job with the art.

Fraction has an interesting idea with the science squad wanting to travel into the past to study a mutant’s parents. This plot reminds me (somewhat) of the group of scientists in DC’s 52 series. This does have the potential to develope into a good story.

The Bad: So the Raiders located in San Francisco in the 616 Universe? That’s different.

Now the X-Men are into underage drinking? At least Scott was upset about that scene with Pixie.

So Madelyne reveals that there are only two bodies that could host her power? Gee, what are the odds that the other body is Jean’s? I guess we are headed to another storyline where it will come down to Scott having to stop the former love of his life. What are the odds that Jean’s soul returns and defeats Madelyne?

Land needs to work on his depiction of Hank McCoy. I guess Hank was having a bad hair day.

Overall: I have not been impressed with Fraction’s handling of the X-Men. Uncanny X-Men has fallen far from the glory days when it was one of the top books on the market. I think it is time for another writer and editor to take over. I don’t normally like it when a title gets a complete overhaul, but this might be an exception.

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4 thoughts on “Uncanny X-Men #509 Review

  1. lol the raiders are in oakland, right next to san fran. and yes greg land sucks. stop drawing porn for action scenes greg, you suck. tracer.

  2. I think that I’m just more confused with this new Madelyn (in fact I don’t think I ever understood her considering I’m not of that generation) and what she’s preparing to do by reanimating Psylocke’s original body by putting her back in it. I don’t even know if I got that part right.

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