Comics / Comic Reviews / Marvel Comics

Uncanny X-Men #528

By Hervé St-Louis
October 7, 2010 - 22:47

A little girl in African has problems with her newfound mutant powers that propel a local militia to kill all of her family. Will Storm and Hope be enough to save the day? Elsewhere Altantean soldiers grow tired of Namor’s laissez-faire governance and alliance with the X-Men. Is trouble brewing undersea?

The story with Namor is interesting but it conflicts with the new Namor series where the Atlantean soldiers are focused on other matters at the moment.  Since Namor is considered an X-Men family book, more coordination between the writers would be appreciated. The story with the African girl scaring her entire village has been told so many times, it’s boring. The fact that Storm, who had a very similar origin is also featured here, drives the point about the lack of originality in Fraction’s work with the X-Men. I continue to argue, as I’ve done for over a year, that his run on the X-Men lacks ideas and reheat old stories that have been done before. I’d like to read more than that in what should be a premiere Marvel Comics’ series.

Whilce Portacio is back drawing an X-Men book after having propelled X-Factor and then, Uncanny X-Men to high sales in the 1990s. Whoever thought he could rekindle the magic here was wrong and I wish he gets off the book soon. At this point, having bad stories by Fraction and now bad art by Portacio makes this book one of the last one I want to read when I get my piles. Portacio attempts the realistic and smooth look that graced the series prior his arrival and fails utterly. His style just doesn’t work. He lacks the perfect anatomy to pull it off and his characters’ faces look too rough to display any emotion or facial expression. Then the inking by Tadeo only exposes Portacio’s weaknesses further instead of highlighting his strengths.

Rating: 5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12