REVIEW: ‘Uncanny X-Men’ Issue 18

Uncanny X-Men Issue 18 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Gail Simone, art by Luciano Vecchio, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

New Orleans hosts a festival in support of mutants, drawing both admirers and animosity.

There’s a great feeling of community within Uncanny X-Men Issue 18. It starts slowly, dealing with a minor personal issue that’s incredibly sad and forgotten. Calico is sleepwalking around the house, with Gambit and Jubilee following her around. It’s gentle, soft, and touching. The pacing is slow in this scene, but that’s never a problem in this series. Simone makes you want to spend time with the characters, so it doesn’t matter how quickly it moves. Then Uncanny X-Men Issue 18 shifts through Nightcrawler into the brand new festival, and it forces the group out of the house.

They’re understandably cautious, given what typically happened at Hellfire Galas and other public events. The event itself is sweet, warm, and friendly, but there are nefarious dealings elsewhere. This leads to an energetic and investing ending as the team is caught up in a roaring hospital fire. It’s a fascinating setting because it shows the limitations of this team. They’re great fighters and powerful, but saving people and clearing buildings takes more thought. And Simone puts a lot of thought into the operation, making it more precarious than at first thought. However, it features some surprising faces and wonderfully warm moments, not just from the heat of the flames.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 18 spreads the character development around to some figures that may have been considered quiet for a few issues. It’s most of the older members of the X-Men who are the focus of Simone’s script. It explores how they are together as a family, a core feature of the X-Men, but it’s heightened even more in this comic. They genuinely try to be like parents and take care of the troubled Outliers. And it takes more than just a conversation; it also requires small acts of kindness.

Meanwhile, Nightcrawler is dealing with matters of the heart as well, as the mother of a child he saved is getting closer and closer to him. It’s sweet and kind, especially considering Kurt’s delicacy in the matter. Gambit is terrific too, showing some beautiful fatherly qualities when watching Calico sleepwalking. Wolverine again shows why he’s the protector of the whole pack. He goes off on his own as the others attend the festival, searching out someone who could cause them harm.

It’s here that the other idea of community steps in. Because even someone heinous and dangerous would seek to protect their land and the mutants within it. It leads to an unexpected team-up and mutual respect. It’s a perfect example of protecting your patch. The last couple of pages of Uncanny X-Men Issue 18 are exceptionally wholesome as multiple cameos step in, leading to an explosion of love and generosity.

The art is superb. It beautifully showcases the mutants’ vulnerability. In the previous issue, Calico looked older when stepping to the aid of Jitter, but in Uncanny X-Men Issue 18, she looks so young and small. Her hair covers her face, and she seems fragile. The concern and the care on the faces of her older migrants are so emotive. When faced with extreme kindness, Nightcrawler looks just as uncomfortable as if he were sitting having tea with Sabertooth, because he’s not used to the level of empathy (and apparent affection).

But then the heroes step out, showing off, and they look fantastic. Their costumes are on full display at the festival. Their designs are phenomenal, but Vecchio fully represents their identities as superheroes. Compared to the Outliers, who have to stay in civilian clothes. And by the end of Uncanny X-Men Issue 18, a nonconventional team-up emerges. It’s not a fight against evil, but one for rescue and survival. The peril for the mutants and the patients in the hospital is clear, and there are flashes of surprising faces.

The colors bring out the best of the X-Men. Early in the comic, as Calico gets up in the middle of the night, the lighting is gloomy. However, as the issue progresses, it becomes more elaborate. The X-Men reveal their vibrant colors as an ensemble. And in the fire, they’re smothered by an intense flame. The lettering is very calm and easy to read.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 18 builds inside and outside the walls of Haven House. Delicate things are happening inside, with scars left in the psyche of the Outliers after all they’ve been through. But the community is expanding too. New Orleans is embracing its residents, accepting them and celebrating them. Even those that have been hostile to the X-Men in the past reject outsiders causing problems on their turf. What excels in Simone’s writing is that even the smallest things have enormous meaning. Sleepwalking or an invitation to dance has the same weight as a fight or a fire, considering the future of these characters.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 18 is available where comics are sold.