THE UNCANNY X-MEN #22 – Party for One

Creative Team – Gail Simone, David Marquez, Matthew Wilson, VC’s Clayton Cowles

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with The Uncanny X-Men #21!

The Story

The Uncanny X-Men are back after the events of X-Men: Age of Revelation, and I couldn’t be happier! In the 22nd issue, Gail Simone sets an interesting tone with Nightcrawler on a date with MacKenzie for his birthday. The sparks are flying, the chemistry is off the charts, the night is going swimmingly. MacKenzie says there’s something she wants Nightcrawler to do to her, and at this point, my eyebrows were at my hairline with anticipation as to what she was about to ask of him.

She gets close to Nightcrawler, and whispers in his ear “I want you to BAMF me”. That is not a euphemism, folks. Nightcrawler proceeds to transport him and MacKenzie, not once, not twice, but four times until they make it to The Haven.

At The Haven, Nightcrawler is surprised with a surprise birthday party by the X-Men, and he is over the moon. Everyone is in the highest of spirits while Wolverine excuses himself and heads outside. He smells someone’s scent that has no invitation to the party and she did that on purpose. Revealing herself from the shadows, Mutina makes her grand entrance. Wolverine asks her what is it she wants and Mutina makes it clear what she wants; revenge.

The Writing

Gail Simone comes back with a bang with The Uncanny X-Men #22. In the comic, it feels like its own complete story but you’re left with the looming nervousness of what Mutina will do next. With so many things happening in the comic, Simone expertly creates a perfect flow with everything happening fitting into one comic very nicely.

Alongside the many different happenings, different tones accompany them. There’s the overwhelming happiness of seeing Nightcrawler celebrated by his loved ones, then there’s the anger you feel towards Mutina, and then there’s every emotion in between that you feel in your core. Gail Simone is able to capture her audience in a way that’s rarely done, and she does it time and time again. The Uncanny X-Men #22 is no exception to this.

The Art

Continuing the long streak of having fantastic artwork, The Uncanny X-Men #22 is simply marvelous. David Marquez, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles do what they do best and ensure that the reader will struggle to take their eyes off the pages of the comic.

Marquez was able to capture each differing tone of the comic excellently, such as Nightcrawler’s birthday party, or his date with MacKenzie with his use of wonderful detailing. Matthew Wilson brought a lot of emotion through his use of colors, especially in the end fight in the dark of night. Clayton Cowles brings a great flow of dialogue, where you can read each character in their canon accents. Together, the artists continue to knock it out of the park with The Uncanny X-Men #22.

Final Thoughts

If you’re an X-Men fan, this is the comic series you should be reading. The creative team captures what makes the X-Men amazing in each and every issue, and that’s proven in The Uncanny X-Men #22. This was a Nightcrawler-heavy comic, which is an absolute treat. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

Overall Grade – 10/10

Let me know what you thought of The Uncanny X-Men #22 in the comments below!

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 #22, 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!