REVIEW: ‘X-Men’ Issue 9

X-Men Issue 9 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Jed MacKay, pencils by Federico Vicentini and Ryan Stegman, inks by Vicentini and JP Mayer, colors by Marte Gracia and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

This is part 3 of the “Raid on Graymalkin” crossover between X-Men and Uncanny X-Men. Both X-Men teams are deep within the prison, now surrounded by Sentinels and old villains.

Following the conflict of the previous issue, X-Men Issue 9 lets the teams work together. The pace is rapid from the start, with both teams facing an onslaught of robots and villains. But as the vicious brawl is unleashed, the structure splits around the facility. Nightcrawler and Psylocke are away from the leading group, and MacKay also shows Corina Ellis, the overseer of the prison. This allows the reader to see most of the pieces on the board and how they can affect each other while the characters are bogged down in their spats.

When X-Men Issue 9 calms down and the first stop swinging, the tension between the teams is given room to settle. But so much has happened in the team’s recent history that more problems are created. MacKay has not forgotten any of the events in Krakoa and the fractures left behind. It causes severe contention and anger and threatens to reignite the fighting. But with so many pieces scattered across the prison, it can be challenging to stop plans from being set into motion. And a quick reveal at the end raises many more questions, and any semblance of choice is vaporized.

Among the brilliant action in X-Men Issue 9, there is some excellent dialogue and character development. The focus shifts from Rogue to Cyclops when the baton is passed between the Uncanny X-Men and X-Men. The teams’ care for each other is prevalent after they finish fighting, with great care given to check if everyone is unharmed. But just because the team has stopped fighting does not mean the two leaders are on the same page. Rogue wants to liberate the prison, but Cyclops leaves one behind.

It is here that the trauma that Cyclops endured during the fall of Krakoa left scars. Scott once revered one figure but is now resented and derided. The pain in his dialogue is agonizing. But that pain is not enough to dispel Rogue’s fury. For once, both are driven by emotion and anger. There are other great dialogues between the characters inside X-Men Issue 9.

The best interchanges in X-Men Issue 9 are between the newcomers and the older heroes. Figures like Random, Deathdream, and Jitter are getting their first taste of action alongside famous mutants, and relationships are being crafted. Inside the command center of the prison, Ellis is losing her rag and unleashing her most dangerous weapons, matching the X-Men blow for blow in the prison’s command center.

The art in X-Men Issue 9 is spectacular. Stegman and Vicentini equally bring a rough, viscous edge to the book that matches its general tone. The fight against the Sentinels at the beginning is intense. We stay close to the action for the entire book, making it claustrophobic and exhilarating. The experience of the older X-Men is matched by the raw power of its general tone.

Both artists’ angular style makes the characters look more severe and scary. It has been a long time since the characters have battled on the same side, so the fight makes the most of every moment. There are also old X-Men villains, nicknamed Trustees, who have been commandeered to take down their fellow mutants. They have adaptations of the old costumes. Even some heroes look fierce, and the villains are downright terrifying in X-Men Issue 9.

The colors brilliantly adapt to fit the situation. The lighting in Ellis’ command room is dark, melancholy, and menacing. The characters are little with a dull green that is sickly and insidious. But X-Men Issue 9 is much brighter and livelier out in the corridors. The powers and costumes of the various mutants fill the book with vibrant shades. Figures like Cyclops and Jubilee have costumes that are impossible to dampen.

Both X-Men squads have welcomed diversity of costume and color. In contrast, the trustees’ bland, white uniforms make them mindless soldiers. The letters are easy to read and exciting during the height of battle.

X-Men Issue 9 shows just how many wounds remain to heal. MacKay brings up a theme that has been common within Uncanny X-Men: Rogue’s team has been working on recovering from both individual and collective trauma, and many of them are hurting for various reasons. This issue reveals that Cyclops and the other X-Men are dealing with their own trauma.

The hurt that Cyclops experienced due to those above him is weighing on him heavily, and it reaches its pinnacle when faced with the possibility of freeing them. Those scars could shape Scott’s vision of the future for mutant-kind. X-Men Issue 9 is a beautifully written emotional issue with outstanding fight scenes and haunting villains.

X-Men Issue 9 is available now wherever comics are sold.