UNCANNY X-MEN #13 – First of the Dark Artery

Creative Team – Gail Simone(writer). David Marquez(artist). Matthew Wilson(color artist). VC’s Clayton Cowles(letterer). David Marquez & Matthew Wilson(cover artists).

Published by Marvel Entertainment

Catch up with Uncanny X-Men #12 here!

The Story

In Uncanny X-Men #13, there are many moving parts, including the introduction of a new character. Henrietta Benjamin is a mysterious black woman, who’s experiencing the horrible racist treatment of the south during the time of segregation. It turns out that Henrietta, or Henry for short, is actually a mutant and we’re about to get a look into the history of mutantkind. She is on her way to Haven, Louisiana, but has to arrive there safely while dealing with the countries ignorance to not only people of color, but mutants as well.

Meanwhile, The Outliers are all woken up by Deathdream, who says they’re being called to and they must find where it’s coming from. After a dark and gloomy boat ride, they arrive to what Deathdream calls the Dark Artery. There isn’t too many details about what the Dark Artery truly is, but Deathdream seems to understand it on a level that the other young mutants can’t. With the spooky caskets inside and looking a lot like an indoor graveyard, it certainly seems like it’s more Deathdream’s scene. But nothing could surprise you like finding out who is inside the Dark Artery that’s introduced by Deathdream.

While all of that is going on, Gambit finds himself in his own sidequest which involves Sadurang and the Left Eye of Agamotto. To say this was a packed comic book would be an understatement!

The Art

David Marquez, Matthew Wilson, and Clayton Cowles covered so many different tones throughout Uncanny X-Men #13 with their art. With Henrietta, you get the look back into the past with more warm tones. I really loved the amount of detail Marquez put into the panels with Henrietta’s story.

Then it changed to the Outliers and the Dark Artery, that sent a shiver up your spine. The artists did a fantastic job at making you feel that creepy and ominios chill in the air as the Outliers made their way to the mysterious “beacon” as Deathdream calls it.

While all this happens, you still have Gambit fighting off a dinosaur in the Savage Land, which has a tone of it’s own. The artists gave so much depth to the story, and really showcased their talents throughout the read.

The Writing

Gail Simone delivered a full course meal in one comic, with having so many moving parts happening throughout the comic. I had been patiently waiting to find out the story on Henrietta, and I’m glad to finally get to meet her. She seems so mysterious with a lot of rich history to her story. I’m really excited to read more about her!

Like I said, so much happens in Uncanny X-Men #13. The Outliers finding the Dark Artery seems like it’ll be interesting, especially given who the surprise guest at the end was. Also, I’m really excited to see what happens with Gambit and Sadurang.

Overall Grade – 8.9/10

Let me know in the comments what you thought of The Uncanny X-Men #13!

This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast! If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of The Uncanny X-Men #13, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!