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Is there hope for young mutants? That is the question thrown at ROGUE. She has taken the reins of Xavier’s dream after the fall of Krakoa. The powerful mutant finds herself overseeing a group of wayward group known as The Outliers. Factor in a surrounding cast of lost X-Men and she has her hands full.
After dealing with the latest threat, it’s time to take the next step in the future of Mutantkind!
UNCANNY X-MEN #6 by Gail Simone, Javier Garrón, Matt Wilson, and Clayton Cowles follows the Outliers as they head into another dangerous place: SCHOOL!
The series has got the NI Bullpen talking so for this review, it’s Megan Nicole (NI Brand Advisor/Vigilante Vibes Podcast), and yours truly (Ken – NI editor-in-chief/ODPH Podcast) breaking down the latest chapter.
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
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Ken: Simone takes the new Mutants to school for an enjoyable tale. Focusing on Calico and her acceptance of powers makes a strong impression. Knowing her tough family upbringing explains the reluctance to agree to the truth. Making Gambit the calming voice works to reflect Rogue’s influence on the team. Considering how this group was right after Krakoa, this indicates everyone is buying in to Rogue’s dream (no longer Xavier’s).
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As for the rest of the book, it splits between the Outliers at school and the X-Men adjusting to their “new normal”. Simone juggles around the characters very well with giving each ample time for their stories. This leads into some unique directions. It also solidly lays the groundwork for the upcoming crossover. All the side plots wind up coming back together with the close. Knowing what lies ahead, there’s much to be excited about.
Megan: The rules at the Haven include the kids have to attend school, which is a fair rule but proves to be a much bigger ask for these young mutants. What happens when you send a group of young mutants who struggle with their powers to a school full of people already set out to hate them just because they’re mutants? Nothing good, I’ll tell you that. Meanwhile, you have Wolverine struggling with his own internal battles that I was really happy to see being discussed. I liked seeing Wolverine open up, making himself vulnerable to Rogue and Gambit. It shows just how close these OG mutants have remained since the fall of Krakoa.
I feel like Gail Simone does a really great balancing act with these characters because it felt like so much happened in one comic, but still flowed really nicely. While all that is happening, I haven’t even gotten into what’s going on with Nightcrawler and Jubilee. Like I said, a lot happens in Uncanny X-Men #6, and Simone handles it very gracefully.
HOW ABOUT THE ART AND LETTERING?
Ken: Garrón steps in for art duties (with Wilson on colors) and delivers on setting the dramatic stage. The opening pages dive into Calico’s backstory. It indicates her optimism dwindling with her mama manipulating events. This leads to her abrupt standoff with Wolverine. A full page image ushers in a shocking attack. This ultimately gets subdued by Gambit. His reactions set a tone for the hope this new group has.
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Once the action starts rolling, the panels flow with a quick pace. There is a fair balance of teenage angst and guarded emotion in dealing with the Outliers. This takes readers into some very familiar scenarios. It also amplifies the Jubilee portion as the attack on mutants is wide-spread in this chapter. The closing panels cement what trouble is forthcoming and readers need to brace for impact.
Megan: The artwork of Uncanny X-Men #6 portrays the different emotions from each character very well. You can see the tone of each situation very clearly on each face, Gambit’s especially. Having Gambit being the calming presence of the comic felt very authentic and I think the artwork portrayed that well. The coloring of Uncanny X-Men #6 gives you all of the X-Men comic vibes you could ever want which is something I really appreciate about Matthew Wilson. Along with the rest of the creative team, Clayton Cowles makes each word pack a punch and forces you to feel the exasperation and excitement of each sentence.
FINAL GRADES:
Ken: 8.5. The next phase of the Outlier saga lays a convincing starting point in this chapter. Simone balances the uneasy drama of humans and mutant life with string writing. Garrón, Wilson and Cowles generate memorable images as the X-Men find out life after Krakoa isn’t slowing down any time soon.
Megan: 8.5. Gail Simone doesn’t miss when it comes to Uncanny X-Men, or really anything she writes. Yet again, she has me on the edge of my seat, waiting anxiously for the next installment to drop.
