X-MEN UNITED #7 – A New Threat

Creative Team – Eve L. Ewing, Evan Narcisse, Ruairi Coleman, Victor Olazaba, Brian Reber, VC’s Joe Sabino, Stefano Caselli, Federico Blee

Published by Marvel Comics

Catch up with X-Men United #6!

The Story

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Shawn – What a great issue from X-Men United #7. I genuinely enjoyed seeing not only Blade mixing it up with the X-Men, but I’m always down for more Brielle in the Marvel universe. I was also surprised and delighted to see Eve L. Ewing and Evan Narcisse give us a chance to catch up with Wither. Seeing not only what Wither has been up to, but the ways he has changed was a nice twist on the story to tie it into Blade’s appearance. While we did get to see Brielle, we learn how short-lived it is, as the story is set in motion with Wither and Blade seeking to inform the mutants that Blade is about to go hunting on their territory.

I love the dynamics of Blade and Wolverine. They’re both so overly confident that they don’t realize how alike they are. Ewing and Narcisse also created, in just a few short pages, an interesting dynamic between Brielle and Wither that I would like to see more of. Brielle is often my answer to the “what character deserves more love” question, and I really hope that Ewing and Narcisse give her a little more chance to shine before this arc wraps up. Speaking of arcs, this is the beginning of what is on its way to be a super satisfying arc based on the way that Ewing and Narcisse are building this narrative.

Megan – X-Men United #7 brings us characters that I loved seeing in the X-Men world, new missions, and the looming threat of the problem that’s already happening at Graymatter Lane. Blade makes his grand entrance into Graymatter Lane alongside Wither, who hasn’t been seen since Krakoa. Wither and Blade bring a problem to the X-Men’s door that is of the most importance; Blade’s daughter is missing. Brielle, AKA Bloodline, has been taken and it’s said that she was taken by a mutant. Blade’s arrival is less than welcoming after the whole Blood Hunt incident, but that’s not what’s important. Getting Brielle back safe and putting a stop to whoever took her is what takes precedence.

Eve L. Ewing and Evan Narcisse bring whole new collaborations between Blade and the X-Men that I’m very interested to see go the distance. The dynamics are already interesting to see and with the new team put together to find Brielle, I think we’re in for some very interesting team ups. Blade obviously only has one thing on his mind and it’s the safety of his daughter, so he didn’t come to play. With this situation, and the looming threat that laws over the X-Men and the students of Graymatter Lane, the stakes are at an all-time high with Ewing and Narcisse excellently writing the excitement on each page.

The Art

Shawn -Ruairi Coleman, Victor Olazaba, Brian Reber, and Joe Sabino came out firing. There’s a nice balance of action and story in X-Men United #7, and I think that Coleman’s linework handles that really well. There’s a nice ensemble cast in this story but Coleman does a good job of trying to make each character distinct. Olazaba’s inks add nice shade and definition to the story. I love the work Olazaba does in this issue because when you’re running with characters like Blade and Brielle, you need a deft hand to make the characters pop and stand out because of their natural penchant for wearing black.

Brian Reber does an amazing job with colors. I love the shade of purple he chooses for Brielle’s hair. One thing that Reber has always done so well with colors is his lighting, and that’s not changing with this issue. Whether it’s Blade in Greymatter Lane or Brielle in the moonlight, Reber makes the colors pop with proper lighting. Joe Sabino does a beautiful job of helping you follow all the moving parts of this story. You feel like it’s easy to keep up with and follow along despite the setting jumps.

Megan – Ruairi Coleman, Victor Olazaba, Brian Reber, and Joe Sabino definitely put the work in to make this a beautiful issue. The action was intense and drawn in a way that you felt like you were right in the middle of the fighting, especially when it came to Brielle and her kidnappers. I loved how the characters were drawn as shadows, with their white fangs being the only thing you were able to see on them. That really pushed the horror aspect quite nicely. Brian Reber leaned into the darker tone of this issue very well when handling the colors. The flashbacks mostly took place at night, and Reber was able to capture the darkness of the story while having just the right amount of vibrancy in each panel. Joe Sabino always handles the lettering expertly and in this issue, I feel like the sound effects are what caught my attention the most. Bringing the energy up to an all-time high, Sabino brought sound effects that let’s you be apart of the action in a more personal way. Together, the artists made this a very memorable issue!

Final Thoughts

Shawn -9/10. I need more Brielle Brooks in my life. Call me a vampire, because Ewing and Narcisse gave me a little taste of seeing Brielle on the pages in this book, and I want more. I’ve always enjoyed the unique, if not strained, dynamic between Bri and her dad, Blade, so I’m excited to see where this goes.

Megan – 9/10. This issue got me very excited to see what happens next! Eve L. Ewing and Evan Narcisse are masters at keeping your eyes glued to the pages, and that rings true for X-Men United #7!

Overall Grade -9/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of X-Men United #7!