THE UNCANNY X-MEN #21 – The Good and Bad in Family

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

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with The Uncanny X-Men #20!

The Story

After receiving a worrying voicemail from his estranged half-brother, Benicio, Ransom and Wolverine hightailed it to Buenos Aires. While there, the two X-Men had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Ransom’s father. That really put things into perspective when getting to know our new Outlier.

Ransom came from a childhood that was without love and nurturing, except his driver, who met his untimely death when Ransom was kidnapped.

Being held for ransom, it was very clear that his father was not going to pay for his son’s freedom. This was the start of Ransom’s life on the streets, refusing to share a table with the man who was supposed to be his father, yet never treated him like a son.

While his father seems to have no love in him for Ransom, it’s a completely different story when it comes to Benicio. Ransom’s father begs him to help bring home his son, which he makes very clear to say as if Benicio were his only son. The audacity of this man should be studied.

Ransom, being the hero he is, helps to find his half brother, even though he’s conflicted with being bullied by him for most of his childhood. With Wolverine by his side, Ransom makes his way to La Crack where Benicio is located. Unexpectedly, the two X-Men end up at a comic convention, which plays very well into the story. Together, the two go on a mission filled with emotion, trauma, action, and making peace with your past.

The Writing

Once again, Gail Simone has you feeling every type of emotion when connecting with her characters. On the outside, Ransom can be seen as a hothead who wants to prove himself. However, he’s someone who’s gone through the trenches, without the love and compassion a young child should receive by default by their parents. His father treated him like a burden his entire life, and Ransom still came up on the other side. Ransom found his family within the X-Men, because after all, like Deathdream said, X means family.

At this point, I’ll read whatever Gail Simone writes. She has such a way with connecting the audience to her characters, it should be described as her mutant power.

The Art

Whenever I see Luciano Vecchio’s name on the creative team, then I know I’m in a for a good time, and this was no exception. You can tell that Vecchio had fun with this one, from the different cosplay looks at the comic convention to Ransom showcasing his powers. There was so many things I loved about the art of The Uncanny X-Men #21.

I have to say when we got a full page look at Ransom with his powerset that we really haven’t gotten to the see the magnitude of until now. Vecchio’s art really put it into perspective how strong Ransom truly is, putting the respect on his name that his father never gave him.

Along with Vecchio is Matthew Wilson, who handled the colors of the comic and the cover art, along with David Marquez. Speaking of the cover art, I had been looking forward to finding out what the cover art meant for two weeks now, and I’d say Marquez and Wilson really nailed it by capturing the story while demonstrating their incredible talents.

In The Uncanny X-Men #21, Wilson works so very well with Vecchio’s art, giving it that vibrant signature X-Men vibe, while working with the contrasting colors. All in all, the artists of The Uncanny X-Men have consistently floored me with their artistic abilities, and they continue to do so.

Overall Grade – 10/10

If you’re an X-Men fan, and you haven’t checked out Gail Simone’s The Uncanny X-Men, now’s the time to do it! This run was made with the fans in mind, while showing the passion the creative team has for the characters. Can’t wait to read Simone’s Unbreakable X-Men!

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 #21, 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!