REVIEW: ‘Uncanny X-Men’ Issue 19

Uncanny X-Men Issue 19 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Gail Simone, with art by David Marquez, colors by Matthew Wilson and letters by Clayton Cowles.

Deadpool and Outlaw pay the X-Men a visit as a young woman is taken hostage in this issue. This comic establishes a terrific and palpable sense of dread early on. The hostage situation is instigated first in Uncanny X-Men Issue 19. It instills a sense of nervousness, as well as an anger that burns throughout the issue. The kids and the adults are apart again. This allows for two separate parts of the plot to be given adequate time for exploration.

The older mutants talk to the mayor as New Orleans looks set to get a new development with the X-Men in mind. It’s an intriguing approach to the story, as the welcoming friendliness had turned into a commercial, slightly insidious edge. It’s using the name of the X-Men for something less evil, but it still doesn’t sit right.

Then, with the Outliers, they have to protect their home as two mercenaries appear. Just within this scene, Simone highlights how much the youngsters have grown. Not just emotionally, but they’re begging to realize their powers too. The fight is intense, hilarious, and dramatic, showcasing the potential lethality of these kids if they chose to be.

And that’s not all. Each issue of this Uncanny X-Men series feels busy and full, making each story feel like a journey. There’s another fight, the one perhaps even more personal and meaningful, with just as much nastiness as the first, featuring who could be considered the gentlest of the whole team.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 19 again shifts who gets to be the focus. The strength of this series lies in its characters, particularly in Simone’s dialogue. This chapter sees Jubilee become the narrator. It’s a terrific adventure for her, exploring how far she has come since stepping into the X-Men. Strangely, she is repulsed by the building development at the start of the issue.

It’s a significant departure from what she started as, considering she initially appeared as a mallrat. But she’s grown up and been through so much since then. The ending is all about Jubilee, showing how capable and scary she can be when she has to be. It makes her sparkly powers so much more dangerous, and you remember she’s a girl practically raised by Wolverine.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 19 is a big issue for many of the Outliers, too. These young runaways who have been through so much trauma are starting to exhibit so much love and emotion, and the way it is written is achingly perfect. Deathdream is another character that shows just what he can do, communicating with the dead in a haunting display of power. But just before that, he’s sobbing because he gets to be someone’s little brother. Every one of them, and the older mutants, has acres of depth within them.

At the start of the series, they would have been too terrified to even consider standing at the front of the house as two dangerous mercenaries charge at them. Now they don’t think twice. There’s also an important word said by two other members of the team, one that solidifies their connection.

The presence of Deadpool and Outlaw is something of a callback to Simone’s previous work. Simone had a long spell writing and influencing much of what made Wade Wilson so popular and iconic, and she also co-created Outlaw. They are a delightful feature of the chapter, with some excellent uses of Deadpool’s fourth-wall-breaking.

The art is phenomenal. Marquez returns to the series and shines once again. There are both some magnificent action sequences and some quiet, tense situations, and they all look incredible. The battle between the Outliers and the two mercs is fantastic. The kids show off. Deathdream is such a small figure most of the time. But his powers are expensive, soldiers and smothering.

Calico also looks terrific in Uncanny X-Men Issue 19, inventing new weapons as she rides out on Ember. With a bow and arrow, she now looks like Artemis. The sense of movement and ragdolling when bodies go flying is sensational. And that’s before the grown-ups turn up, appearing like the cavalry.

Then Jubilee gets a chance to shine. This second showdown is even more physical and much more intimate. It goes from a superhero scrap to something with meaning and jeopardy. This chapter features equal amounts of danger and soul.

The colors are glorious as Wilson also returns to the book. In the first fight, Deathdream is there to rob the page of its color, as the black spirits begin to rise. In the latter stages of the issue, Jubilee unleashes an abundance of color, to a dangerous extent for her victims. Uncanny X-Men Issue 19 features the two extremes within the same comic. The lettering features many sound effects and custom world balloons from Deadpool and Deathdream, and Cowles makes it clear and easy to read.

Every chapter of this series is incredible, revealing aspects about the characters that make them even more lovable. It’s not just the new characters, too. Simone can write anyone and make them captivating. There’s never a worry about members being left out, because they will always have a chance to share something that resonates with the audience or showcase their talents. This art team is simply stunning, making even the smallest moments worth their weight in gold. 

Uncanny X-Men Issue 19 is a delightful read. It’s an issue that builds strength and confidence in its characters, granting them the freedom to stand on their own feet. This is a team that’s as close as family, and they will always back each other up if necessary. But Jubilee and even the young Outliers demonstrate why it’s sometimes important to fight on your own terms. The young mutants are able to handle things on their own now, forged through both fire and friendship. That recognition of their identities and what they are to each other means so much to them and is extremely rewarding for the readers, too.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 19 is available where comics are sold.