X-MEN UNITED #3 – From the Past to the Present

Creative Team – Eve L. Ewing, Tiago Palma, Brian Reber, VC’s Joe Sabino, Stefano Caselli, Federico Blee

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with X-Men United #2!

The Story

This comic review is brought to you by the dynamic duo of Megan and Shawn!

Shawn – Eve L. Ewing gave us a little bit of everything in this issue. There were serious moments and even moments of humor. I didn’t have Magneto being a source of humor on my bingo card but thanks to Dr. Ewing. I love that despite all he’s seen, Cap still wants to resort to trying to talk things out.

I always appreciate when a writer surprises me. I really felt like I had a bead on where this story was going and Dr. Ewing pulled the rug out from under me with Cap’s conversation. This story was gut-wrenching and tough to read, but more true than any fiction in the comic. Dr. Ewing’s sociological background really shown in this issue and it was a beautiful thing to see.

Megan – A team was formed to assist Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America, in righting a wrong from his past, but things played out in a completely different way than planned. The goal of the plan was to track down victims from way back when the Super-Soldier experiments were changing the lives of good men to make more Captain Americas. Cap was hoping to make amends, and the team was going to help him achieve that goal. Jitter, Wolverine, Melee, and Cap made their way to the house and didn’t know what to expect, but it sure wasn’t an attack from a mutant.

This wasn’t any ordinary mutant. This was a mutant fueled by anger and hatred from his past. Looking back into his past, it’s very easy to emphasize with his hatred. The story was raw, it was emotional, and it was beautifully written by Eve Ewing. So far, X-Men United has been fantastic, which isn’t a surprise given Ewing’s writing talents. Each issue has had a different energy to it, and this one was easily the most heartbreaking.

The Art

Shawn – Tiago Palma come on down! Absolutely amazing work on this issue. Palma really got to show the depth of his abilities on this issue. Ewing’s narrative had Palma drawing across a variety of settings, timelines, and emotions, with the artist capturing them all beautifully.

The narrative shift that occurs near the middle of this issue wouldn’t be possible without the amazing work of Brian Reber. The step back in history limited the color palette Reber could work with to stay within the narrative and he absolutely crushed it. From the first panel to the last, Reber’s colors are front and center bringing depth and light to the story. Joe Sabino gets a workman’s load of SFX work in this issue but also does a noteworthy job of navigating the shifting timelines in this issue while still keeping the story on track.

Megan – The artwork matches the tone of the comic so perfectly, all thanks to Tiago Palma, Brian Reber, and Joe Sabino. With the flashbacks, the artists did a fantastic job at capturing the emotions of the story. The sadness, the grief, the worry, all beautifully handled. The action sequences were filled with excitement, with each character being able to show their strengths.

Tiago Palma continues to hit a homerun with every issue of X-Men United. Palma captures a huge amount of depth on every page, elevating the story. Brian Reber handles the coloring and does so in a way that mixes the muted tones with vibrancy that makes the characters stand out on every page. Joe Sabino is the letterer of X-Men United #3 and carries the dialogue with an excellent flow while the character’s tones are perfectly displayed through their words. Together, the artists made this another superb issue.

Final Thoughts

Shawn – 9/10. I wasn’t really sure about bringing Cap in so early in the story of the new X-Men United, but Dr. Eve L. Ewing handled it perfectly. You can clearly tell Ewing’s passion for history and how it forms us in this issue. Tiago Palma, Brian Reber, and Joe Sabino bring the story to life making you feel the weight and depth of Ewing’s words.

Megan – 10/10. X-Men United continues to impress as we see new stories and new team ups coming together with the excitement at an all time high.

Overall Grade – 9.5/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of X-Men United #3!