Uncanny X-Men #25

By: Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils & colors), Tim Townsend; Mark Irwin; Jaime Mendoza; Victor Olazaba; & Al Vey (inks)

The Story: Nothing’s easy in the world of superhero wills…

The Review: After two issues we’re finally experiencing a portion of the titular last will of Charles Xavier. I say a portion because, while Chuck had to disclose his mysterious marriage to Mystique before beginning, this section deals entirely with a mutant by the alliterative name of Matthew Malloy.

The book essentially breaks down into two main threads; Xavier’s recounting of Matthew’s story and the X-Men’s responses to it. The first is clearly the primary purpose of the issue, providing readers with the context to understand Xavier’s final request. Though Professor X may no longer be with us again, Bendis clearly enjoys writing his voice, especially as a recording, where he’s free to monologue as much as he wants. Though a debt is undoubtedly owed to Patrick Stewart’s performance as, or perhaps merely his resemblance to, Professor Xavier, Bendis delivers a familiar and somewhat lyrical take on Charles’ voice, incorporating his pseudo-British airs and the gentle spirit that defines the character.

Unfortunately there are a number of, if not flaws, then seeming inconsistencies in the script. Scott’s bombastic reaction is one of the most obvious. While he phrases it in such a manner as to support his argument, Scott’s outrage seems oddly ignorant of his own history. After all, without revealing too much, I’m not sure that a man who married Jean Grey and still uses ruby visors to contain his powers has much ground to criticize the Professor’s strategy*. Likewise Bendis reading modern thoughts on the X-Men brand back into the First Class era seems oddly clunky, especially for a writer who’s managed the same numerous times before. But perhaps most notable is the simple fact that this is hardly the most shocking secret Xavier has kept from his pupils!

The “Deadly Genesis” illusion, the Xavier Protocols, and the Danger Room’s sentience all seem like far more serious breaches of trust but, despite this, the characters, and Bendis through them, insist that this is a grave betrayal of the Professor’s ideology rather than a fairly reasonable instance of an action he was known to make time and again without outrage. Some fans will be happy to hear that this issue doesn’t jump on the Professor X was secretly a dick bandwagon, but it would have been nice if Bendis had lived up to his own hype a little better.

The fact of the matter is that Bendis, like Xavier, knows that the recipient of his tale is unable to ask questions. His well meaning attempts to portray Xavier as a good man faced with a difficult choice, literally, invites the reader to question his story but ultimately, like your first great fan fic, relies entirely too heavily on a series of complex conditions to create tension. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t an interesting concept, in hindsight it’s amazing we don’t have more stories about how the upper-crust white man no one can say no to deals with being overpowered, but it feels rushed and, in an extra-sized issue with a few unnecessary scenes and an abundance of splash pages, that’s poor writing.

As has been his pattern, Bendis’ writing is often strongest and most natural when he’s playing the X-Men off of one another. The interactions between Bobby and Scott or Kitty and Kurt, for instance, are full of personality, reflecting the long and storied history that draws many of us to Marvel’s world. If you were hoping that this latest meeting of the two schools of X-Men would feature fewer reminders that Scott killed Professor X, you’ll be sadly disappointed, but I admit that the final instance does have a certain kick to it, even if earlier mentions steal its thunder. Bendis also has a weird habit of making his characters refer to “Scott Summers” as if he’s a stranger.

Overall, the best parts of this issue are the moments in conversations where one or both parties let their guard down and you can tell that Bendis’ creations have deeper layers. There’s a power in the air when Matthew asks about Charles’ legs or when Scott admits how nice it is to hear the Professor’s voice again. Through it all, characters like Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, and Rachel Grey remain welcome anchors amidst the chaotic feelings whirling about them, reminding why they’re so beloved to begin with. Wolverine actually doesn’t outstay his welcome, interjecting rarely and leveraging his quiet into one of the issue’s best lines.

I have a friend with whom I frequently argue about Chris Bachalo’s art. My friend is, rightly, enamored with Bachalo’s stylized aesthetic, intense images, and appreciation for abstraction. I agree that Bachalo can do incredible things, but I’m often troubled by a lack of clarity, visually or narratively, in his work. While I’d need to check with her, I think that we’d agree that he’s turned in a fine issue this week.

Though he clearly still experiments with the story, Bachalo’s panels use more traditional composition this issue. Combined with a relative lack of extraneous foreground detail, the book is much easier to read and the strength of the storytelling comes through much more forcefully. Scenes like Scott and Ororo’s meeting on the lawn demonstrate Bachalo’s characteristic mastery of negative space, but group shots in the Professor’s office really highlight Bachalo’s technical skill and the lush, textural quality that he can imbue his work with. Characters smolder as they converse over turned shoulders and soulful looks and scenes of destruction draw the eyes along invisible lines designed to stagger the audience’s exposure to their grandeur and detail. A certain hypothetical fear of Professor X’s is rendered in an especially beautiful fashion.

While Uncanny X-Men has used small square** panels frequently, almost to the point of them feeling like a series staple, the sheer number of reaction shots in this format is impressive. The technique is effective in expressing the tension of the issue, the sheer number of different voices in the room and the presence of the Professor’s memory. Nonetheless, there are places where it feels like the characters are hovering beside eachother in Superman II-style windows to other dimensions rather than inhabiting the same space, shown from different angles. There’s also at least one page where the (not actually) talking heads fail to communicate any concrete information about the various X-Men’s reactions, acting purely as a convenient way to string together a lengthy monologue without the audience being too aware. This may be largely Bendis’ scripting, but Bachalo can’t or doesn’t save it.

I may have been pleasantly surprised by Bachalo’s lines, but I won’t deny that outstanding coloring is par for the course with this series. Bachalo’s bold taste in colors gives this issue an undeniable jolt. From the harsh primaries of Cerebro to the warm glow of the Professor’s office to the sickly neon of Matthew’s past, the coloring in this issue is simply beautiful. The final spread is proof of Bachalo’s general skill as a colorists and his knack for using limited shades to great effect.

The Conclusion: Uncanny X-Men #25 is an issue clearly written from end to beginning. So much of this story is obviously designed to justify moving pieces to this particular arrangement on the board, but while some of the plotting is clunky, it remains a satisfying issue based largely on the force of the character’s voices. Coupled with one of Chris Bachalo’s most lucid and well composed issues, you’re getting some bang for the extra buck you throw down for this issue, but, make no mistake, if you’re looking to love this comic, you’ll have to do so warts and all.

Grade: B-

Some Thoughts:

*I don’t know what he’s talking about, Professor X has always been quick to take away other people’s powers. Encountering Jean Grey, Xavier quickly disabled her telepathy for her own good and later went so far as to fully mind-wipe Magneto to prevent him from hurting others. Meanwhile, Scott’s outrage at Xavier’s willingness to accept that Matthew was beyond his ability to help seems grossly overstated, considering that the Professor never succeeded in teaching him to contain his dangerous mutant powers, relying on visors long before Scott’s brain damage was revealed.

**Yes, technically they’re usually just squat rectangles, but you knew what I meant, right?

Did anyone else have Downton Abbey flashbacks ‘hearing’ a man with a British accent repeatedly talk about Matthew? Just me? Huh…
I appreciate that Charles Xavier knows enough about action figures to use a rare Japanese mecha to bond with a child. I especially appreciate that the toy in question seems to be a fusion of Starscream and Jetfire. Is Professor X a Transformers fan!?
I also appreciate the little details Bachalo threw into the issue, like Rachel and Emma seemingly catching up in the background.
While I was pretty forgiving of Professor X in this review, I will say that his detractors have plenty to complain about in the way he gives his final orders. He’s left instructions for his will to only be read after they confirm that Matthew is ok? What a needless display of power. These are your children, your grown children, in spirit or not; there is no need to dangle your will in front of them like a lollipop at the end of a dentists visit.
I wonder if Bendis will be extra clever and have the mission Xavier couldn’t reach the X-Men on be their excursion to the future. The fact that he can’t contact them even with cerebro seems to hint that it might be. Oh, what a tangled web time travel can be…

- Noah Sharma