Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Gail Simone, art by Luciano Vecchio, colors by Matthew Wilson and letters by Clayton Cowles.
As the Outliers enroll at Xavier’s school, a new crop of mutants takes their place at Haven House.
Continuing after the major plot twist of the previous issue, Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 explores the concept further. The Outliers have become students at Xavier’s School, alongside the vicious Mutina. This means they encounter the same things that earlier generations of X-Men faced. The Danger Room and the Sentinels are all revealed to them for the first time, but with a sinister twist. The horror elements of the series are infused into these segments, especially for the Sentinels. It’s a nightmarish spectacle with so many questions laced through it.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Simone then shifts Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 back to Haven House, where desperation has set in. Gambit makes a hasty decision, one that sets up another potential curse right as he rids himself of one. For as dramatic and ominous as it is, it feels too quick to lose the kids to make that decision. There were many avenues to explore before making such a choice.
The real unexpected moment of Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 is what’s waiting for the older mutants when they get home. It creates a peculiar atmosphere, as no one really knows what’s happening, and others are completely taken in by the new arrivals. It’s disturbing and just as nightmarish, but in a quieter way.
Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 also opens up at Graymalkin, the mutant prison. It’s fascinating because it was actually starting to feel like Simone had moved past Graymalkin, leaving it behind. But it’s just been dormant, and a death within those walls could reignite the threat. What’s also interesting is that Graymalkin also takes place in Xavier’s Mansion. The scenes with the Outliers create a reminder of what that great building once existed for, even if the memory isn’t quite right.
The groups are separated in Uncanny X-Men Issue 27, and some have been rewritten. The Outliers have been reset, entering the school with no memories of the X-Men or each other. So they are still trying to get to know each other and their powers.
Despite this lack of knowledge, they are still in touch with their abilities. Jitter in particular tries multiple new variations, borrowing the skills of several professions and heroes to get the upper hand. There are flickers of their old relationships that have been the core of the series before their disappearance, but it’s still in the early stages.
Then there is Mutina, the character who has always wanted to be a member of the X-Men. Now she has the chance, and Simone highlights the vast chasm between what the X-Men stand for and where Mutina is as a person. Jitter is caring, seeking to resolve problems and make friends. Mutina just wants to fight and kill.
She can end problems effectively, using her razor-sharp knives to deal with threats. The older members of the X-Men also beautifully represent their true nature. They stop at nothing to find their own, even if it means going back to dark places they once escaped.
The art is spectacularly fun. Vecchio uses expectations to create amazing surprises. The Outliers are all in classic New Mutants outfits rather than their individual uniforms. This concept is reiterated by those who appear in Haven House, revealing the inspiration. The Louisiana group of X-Men has collected characters known for their unique designs, so it’s interesting to see this return to classic concepts.
The Sentinels are absolutely horrifying. The mechanical parts have been replaced with toothy mouths, holes in their chests where hearts should be, and extremely distended, spindly arms. They’ve become the true stuff of nightmares, especially when they reach for the mutants with their long fingers.
At first, the new arrivals at Haven House are strangely placid. They don’t smile, but they’re content. It’s eerie, and the stunned expressions of the X-Men demonstrate just how weird this issue and these changes are. The final page shuffles the pack again, redesigning many characters into brand-new versions.
The colors are wonderfully vibrant. Wilson implements a very distinct yellow for many of the characters. Mixed with the black, it’s such an iconic combination associated with the X-Men and the New Mutants. That familiarity spreads across Uncanny X-Men Issue 27, using signature shades to play with minds. The Sentinels still have that pink and purple color scheme, even though their makeup is entirely different, because it’s those shades that are so synonymous. The lettering is very clear and easy to read.
Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 has spread uncertainty and shakeups everywhere. Haven House has always been considered safe for the readers and the residents. But this issue changes that entirely by snatching the children out of their beds and placing new dangers in their stead. Everything has been altered, and there is no safety anywhere now. There are so many different horror genres attacking the comic from all angles, varying in subtlety. It’s both psychological and just outright monster horror, using classic iconography and characters.
Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 is available where comics are sold.
Uncanny X-Men Issue 27
TL;DR
Uncanny X-Men Issue 27 has spread uncertainty and shakeups everywhere. Haven House has always been considered safe for the readers and the residents. But this issue changes that entirely by snatching the children out of their beds and placing new dangers in their stead.
