REVIEW: ‘Uncanny X-Men’ Issue #7

Uncanny X-Men #7 is published by Marvel Comics. It is written by Gail Simone, with pencils by David Marquez and Edgar Salazar, inks by Victor Olazaba, colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Clayton Cowles. This issue is Part Two of the “Raid on Graymalkin” crossover. The Lousiana X-Men make their moves on the mutant prison.

The plot of this issue is unique, as much of it has already happened. Each part of the crossover alternates between X-Men and Uncanny X-Men. Simone brings this issue to the same point as X-Men #8, then moves it forward. Some scenes return to early issues of Jed MacKay’s series, where the first inklings of a raid become clear. It gives a better idea of the timeframe of the whole crossover and how the two comics have coincided. But Uncanny X-Men #7 is more than just a catch-up session.

The pacing and the structure are brilliant, bouncing between the two until they are in the same room together. Seeing the same moments in time approached from different angles is fascinating. Cyclops’ X-Men team is already inside, and Rogue’s group also wants to go inside, even if Scott Summers disapproves.

The reader can probably guess what will happen when the two teams meet in the middle, but its execution shines. Simone’s fight scenes are entertaining, with a fantastic sense of fun and magnitude. There are still mysteries within that prison, some of which may be the cause for the outbursts that happen.

Switching to the Uncanny X-Men team shows how the two leaders operate. Simone’s dialogue between Rogue and Cyclops at the start represents either team’s mission. Cyclops has a squad full of killers and soldiers. Rogue’s group is a broken family trying to stick together and heal, especially the younger members. One is built out of survival, the other out of love. Simone knows these characters, but the heroes also know each other. The respect and trust the older members of either team have for each other is stitched into every word they share with each other.

Cyclops is an icon, a beacon of everything the team has stood for. To Rogue, he is an older brother. But two of her family are in that prison, and it is her responsibility to get them out. It’s also the first time the young mutants see the rest of the X-Men for the first time, and try to go toe-to-toe with them. These kids do not have the knowledge or the restraint that the older members do, but they are brimming with energy and personality.

The art is fascinating. Marquez returns and is assisted in Uncanny X-Men #7. Salazar and Olazaba illustrate many pages in the early stages of the issue. Those two start the Uncanny X-Men’s raid on the prison, and the battle looks sensational. Seeing other artists draw newer characters like Calico and Ransom is still mesmerizing. The transition between the artists is pretty seamless, with many occasions where it is difficult to tell the styles apart.

The inks are crucial for the flawless synergy between the artists, matching the thickness of the lines Marquez uses on his characters, especially Rogue. The fight scene at the end of the book is outrageously good. There are so many famous and new figures brought into Uncanny X-Men #7, tearing up a place that used to be known as home. Seeing the two teams apart shows the line in the sand and is just a badass sight in general. Marquez can bring in some haunting imagery, with one panel in particular sending a chill through the spine.

The colors are stunning. Uncanny X-Men #7 can step into the darkness and celebrate the heroes’ vibrancy with color. Cyclops’ costume is incredibly bright, as is Rogue’s and the red prison overalls for the inmates. The rest of the building is the familiar brown of the woodwork that lines the corridors, recognizable due to the prison being crafted inside Xavier’s School. The bland brown is then overtaken by the powers and costumes of the X-Men, finally within those famous walls once again. The lettering is effortless to read.

Simone and MacKay are both able to encapsulate what the other has been trying to instill in their respective X-Men team, capturing the personalities and struggles each has been fighting through. But the differences have never been laid quite so bare and brutally honest as they are by Simone. Cyclops is enacting a military operation while Rogue is trying to rescue her family.

Uncanny X-Men #7 lets the crossover stretch its legs. The book is achingly gorgeous, and the writing is flawless. The book is both heartfelt and hardcore. The characters have a lot of pent-up emotion that needs to be expelled, and that is achieved in an explosive fight scene.

Uncanny X-Men #7 is available where comics are sold.