REVIEW: ‘Uncanny X-Men’ Issue 23

Uncanny X-Men Issue 23 is published by Marvel Comics and written by Gail Simone, with art by David Marquez, colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

The X-Men have to try to take down one of their own, as the Eye of Agamotto corrupts Gambit.

This issue has a split structure, fusing the present with a historical tale. While the adults try to talk Remy down, Marcus St. Juniors reads his daughter a bedtime story. Both of these stories involve unexpected journeys. Gambit has been warned about the Eye’s corrupting power and now needs to be brought down by his family. Uncanny X-Men Issue 23 shows just how hard that can be, not just because of the emotional toll it takes on the X-Men, but also because of how powerful Gambit is.

The sinister, horror atmosphere is intense and suffocating as multiple warnings come to pass. Inside Haven House, there’s the story of the young Outliers listening to the bedtime story, slowly getting involved. The story’s evolution is fun and involves the Outliers in creative ways. And ultimately, both plotlines involve monsters.

The characters in the issue are fantastic, and Simone tells so much more than just a bedtime story. The dialogue for Gambit is insidious and haunting. There are parts of Remy still within him, trying to hold off the influence of the Eye. It’s depicted like an addiction, someone fighting to keep hold of something bad for them. And Gambit can be a fierce fighter when he wants. Interestingly, only the adult X-Men go into battle against him as Simone narrows the cast, making it feel more intimate.

The fight involves the characters who know Gambit best and have fought with him the longest, and who all have experience with darkness and being seen as a monster. Jubilee, Wolverine, Rogue, and Nightcrawler have all faced that moniker through style variation in their lives.

Meanwhile, the Outliers encounter something they’ve never heard before, which reminds them how young the kids are and how traumatic their lives have been before they reached Haven House. For young Chelsea, it’s a nightly occurrence. But none of the other children have ever read a bedtime story. It’s a devastating realization, because they’re finally in a place where that can happen.

Marcus is gentle, kind, and able to accommodate the bizarre young mutants that have landed in his home. The story itself features one of Marvel’s oldest figures, the Rawhide Kid. And it technically counts as a team-up, when the Outliers are added to the story themselves.

The art is beautiful and adventurous. In the bedtime story, Marquez gets to have fun with a Western. He has experience with horses, having illustrated Ember, but there’s a great feeling of reminiscence. This part of Uncanny X-Men Issue 23 doesn’t just seem like a dream; it’s treated like a classic tale. The action is enthralling, with intensely paced gunfights and equestrian chases. There are also fantastic redesigns to fit the Outliers into the period, with their own gunslinging costumes. It’s an interesting parallel as the grown-ups are fighting for real.

The battle against Gambit is sensational because Remy makes for a dangerous villain. Even when possessed by whatever evil resides in the Eye of Agamotto, he still, at times, has a smile on his face. Uncanny X-Men Issue 23 terrifically displays his movement and powers, with the kinetically charged playing cards flying through the air and the powerful X-Men struggling to pin him down.

Even rapid figures like Wolverine and Nightcrawler are danced around. But there are other beings in the dark, foreboding woods. Recognizable through the very first glimpse of a ponytail, it’s surprising just who walks out of the trees.

The colors evoke the right moments. The Western adventure has a recognizable yellow hue that signifies both history and the desert’s intense heat. It’s not quite midnight in the forest where the Gambit fight takes place, and some light remains in the blue sky. The natural turquoise shades are gradually overwhelmed by pink energy as Gambit fights back. The lettering is always effortless to read.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 23 plays with both fake and real monsters. By splitting the story, these elements can create an effective contrast. The story Marcus tells the kids is a fantasy in which anything can happen. It allows the children to play pretend, something they’ve never been able to do before. But then there’s what’s happening in the forest, where real monsters and real fights between their family that have been festering since the start of the series are taking place. 

Uncanny X-Men Issue 23 is available where comics are sold.