Uncanny X-Men #474 - Mobile Edition

Marvel Comics
Uncanny X-Men #474
By Hervé St.Louis
June 24, 2006 - 15:52

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Tony Bedard
Penciller(s): Roger Cruz
Inker(s): Victor Olazaba

The X-Men have been transported to a world headed by the male counterpart of the Phoenix, also known as the First of The Fallen. Revived from her apparent death by her brother Jamie Braddock, Psylocke squares off with the First of Fallen to free the people of the paradise he has created. Should Psylocke give up and stay with the other X-Men in this paradise handed to them by the First of the Fallen or is freedom the better way?

This story moved fast into action although it really was padding just before the new team arrives next month on this series. Frankly it wasn’t very good. There were many missed opportunities there. If the First of The Fallen truly is the male equivalent of the Phoenix Force, then shouldn’t he have paid particular attention to Marvel Girl, the future offspring of Jean Grey and Scott Summers whose powers they share?

It seems that the whole First of Fallen thing and the male equivalent of the Phoenix gibberish were used to infuse some legitimacy to a story that lacked purpose. However, the real goal of this storyline was to bring another mutant back from the dead using a trick from Kevin Smith’s Green Arrow. How many off world lunatics with universe threatening powers are they anyway?

I liked Cruz work, but felt that he was drawing a cliché story about Earth heroes travelling to another world only to attempt to save, said world. Even the ending with Psylocke crying out for her brother seemed like something I had read before. I can’t blame this on the artist as he’s just following the script he was given, but when writers write trite stories like this, it makes their comic book look like something readers have read before. Although the artist is excellent, his efforts look mediocre because of the story.

5/10

Past Uncanny X-Men Reviews

Uncanny X-Men #456