UNCANNY X-MEN #14 –  WHAT SECRETS BELOW THE SURFACE

A doorway has been discovered at Haven House. The young Outliers have gone to investigate. Deathdream seems drawn to the terrifying place. Once inside, they come across MAN THING! That’s not even the wildest part of this issue!

Catch up with The Uncanny X-Men #13 here!

UNCANNY X-MEN #14 by Gail Simone, David Marquez, Matt Wilson, & Clayton Cowles unveil the next “Dark Artery” chapter.

Teaming up for this review are Megan (Vigilante Vibes Podcast) and yours truly (Ken – NI Editor in Chief). Let’s see what unfolds now.

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

LET’S TALK STORY!

MEGAN: Continuing Dark Artery with part two of four, Miss Henrietta Benjamin journeys forward in her travels to Louisiana all the way from Chicago. While traveling may be easier for some, that certainly isn’t the case for Henrietta. She’s safely making her way to the Haven, with her mother’s remains in hand, in a world that isn’t welcoming of her for her skin color. Besides the segregation, there’s a witch hunt taking place all over the country for mutants, which makes her even more of a target if she’s assumed to be one. When she arrives to her destination of Louisiana, she is greeted by a young man by the name of George. George says he’s here to help her safely arrive to her destination. Henrietta deems this kind man as safe, as he flashes the Midnight M under his hat. The two take off on the road to the Haven, not aware that they’re being followed by two agents who have some dark plans for the two travelers in mind.

Back in present day, the Outliers just came into meeting Man-Thing, who is guarding a door the young mutants must go through. In order to open the door, you must be a mutant. So that means the Outliers have to explain to Man-Thing their mutantism, but the catch is they can’t be afraid when they do it. According to Deathdream, besides the fact that he will melt your face if you show any fear, Man-Thing is just a “big, good doggie”. After the young mutants bravely explain themselves to Man-Thing, they find out what’s behind the door, or rather, who’s behind the door.

Meanwhile, after Sadurang took Gambit on an unplanned journey to the Savage Land to discuss their earlier agreement about the Left Eye of Agamotto, they’re on their way back to the Haven. While it was a peaceful trip for Gambit and Sadurang, that peace is coming to an end when Rogue realizes her husband has been taken.

In The Uncanny X-Men #14, there are three different storylines happening, and Gail Simone makes each one flow with ease. With the Outliers portion of this story, I’m loving how much we’re seeing of Deathdream and taking his lead in this mysterious adventure. With how ominous this Dark Artery storyline is, Deathdream is the perfect mutant to take us through the journey. Tying it into another portion of the story involving Henrietta, Simone doesn’t hold back from showing just how dangerous it was to be a black woman at the time of segregation, and even more so, a black mutant during a massive witch hunt for anyone with powers. Honestly, I could read an entire series surrounding Henrietta’s story. That’s how compelling Gail Simone has made this character, even from the little bit we’ve seen.

KEN: Simone breaks this story up into three parts. The first has been devoting time to Henrietta Benjamin. Her backstory of navigating the bigotry of Haven, Louisiana’s past finally gets its payoff. Readers watch as her evolution takes a big turn. It ties events back to the present with a large upside. Where the connection is made surrounds the young mutants under Rogue’s watch.

The Outliers’ journey provides a stop gap to head to the close. Simone has built this team up very well. At their core, they mirror X-themes of the past. Readers sense how they fill a needed space on the team. Ultimately, the franchise of this squad steps up to take the spotlight.

Rogue hijacks Gambit’s tale with much fanfare. Normally, this wouldn’t work well. Simone writes arguably the best version of Anna Marie. When she crashes the pages, readers watch with delight the passing of attention. It leads into more mystery surrounding Remy’s drama. Once in the final stages, all roads lead to an expected landing. It is one that fans are ready for after the two issue build.

HOW BOUT ART & LETTERING?

MEGAN: David Marquez understands the assignment and drips The Uncanny X-Men #14 in darkness and gives it a ghostly energy when dealing with the Outliers and Man-Thing. When continuing Miss Henrietta’s story, there’s a huge change in tone, and Marquez takes you back to a different time. This large time jump is handled expertly by Marquez, but he isn’t alone in his talents. Matthew Wilson, who handles the colors, knows exactly how to match the tone of the story provided by Gail Simone through his use of more muted colors in Henrietta’s story. With the Outliers, there’s an obvious darker feel, which matches the story perfectly. Clayton Cowles on the lettering never disappoints, and adds so much depth to every bit of dialogue in The Uncanny X-Men #14.

KEN: Has it been noted how excited fans are Marquez is back on the book? The full page image of the Outliers with Man-Thing transitions from the flashbacks with ease. It is followed with another full page breakdown piece. Readers see how the team deals with Man-Thing’s gaze with big delight.

Events take a backseat once Rogue arrives to fight Sadurang. The near full page image barrels into view. Rogue throwing hands with the monster speaks volumes. Even with Gambit’s roll away panels, nothing comes close to the fight. Once the smoke clears, the flashbacks jump into the present. A full page image ties events up timely as the chapter winds down. How things mesh from here should lead to some exciting times.

OVERALL GRADE – 8.9/10

MEGAN: 9.0/10. Gail Simone never misses and that’s more than obvious when she’s writing The Uncanny X-Men. With a fantastic creative team working with her, there’s just no going wrong.

KEN: 8.8/10. A tale of two teams give readers much to talk about with this latest chapter. Simone’s writing weaves through many plots while building up the drama. Marquez and company bring the action with a wild sequence of events. This series lives up to its’ booking every time out.

Let us know your thoughts on Uncanny X-Men #14 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!