WHAT IF…? UNCANNY X-MEN #1 – Bred from Love

Creative Team – Gerry Duggan, Jan Bazaldua, Arthur Hesli, VC’s Clayton Cowles, Lucas Werneck

Published by Marvel Comics

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The Story

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

Shawn – It’s always nice to see Uatu make an appearance, and I feel like Gerry Duggan does a really good job of utilizing him in this story to move the narrative along. Uatu serves as a grounding rod for a story that is both deep and devastating. At its core, Duggan’s story asks a question about sacrifice and what it means to try to save one at the expense of many.

Duggan does a really great job showing us some new dynamics and interactions. He also does so without negating major events that have happened as part of the X-Men’s story. The story allows us to see familiar characters in a new light, one that feels both intriguing and dark.

Megan – In the world of What If, anything and everything is possible. The smallest change can have the biggest consequences. That proves true for What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1. In this story, told by Uatu the Watcher, the question is asked what if Cyclops stayed with Madelyne Pryor and the answer was chaotic.

Plenty of us know the story of Nate Summers, Madelyne, and Jean Grey and how Scott Summers handled the whole situation. Jean was supposedly dead, Maddie was pregnant, and Scott was happy. That is until Jean comes back and Scott leaves his child and Maddie. In this story, Scott never left Maddie. He left Jean instead to be a father to his son. It’s a noble thing to do, and surely Scott had no idea how tragic the outcome would be, even resulting in the Earth being completely uninhabitable.

In this story, Gerry Duggan tells just how tragic the outcome could have been if Scott didn’t follow his heart and followed his responsibilities instead. In a perfect world, with a perfect mutant family, tragedy strikes again and again. Duggan’s storytelling skills will have you hooked in by the first page and your eyes won’t leave the book until you’re done reading.

The Art

Shawn – Jan Bazaldua and Arthur Hesli did a really great job on this team-up, with Clayton Cowles handling lettering duties. It was really exciting to see Bazaldua interpret some classic X-Men characters in new ways. One panel near the beginning stands out in particular, where we almost get the shadow of Scott’s father as Scott contemplates what it means to be a father. This panel is particularly well drawn by Bazaldua.

Arthur Hesli continues to stun on any issue he works on. This issue Hesli makes a really good use of shadow, whether it be part of the scene or a hidden part of a character’s face, the colors really pop because of the contrast of the shadow. Clayton Cowles keeps the story flowing well despite handling a regular narrative plus Uatu’s narration.

Megan – Jan Bazaldua, Arthur Hesli, and Clayton Cowles bring so much to the table when they’re on the creative team. There’s an abundance of excellent panels in here that capture so many different tones. There’s love, death, heartache, contentedness, and all are portrayed beautifully by the artists. Bazaldua brings drawings that are perfectly detailed and leave nothing to the imagination, giving you every detail you’d want. Hesli does a marvelous job with contrasting colors that work perfectly off of each other. There’s a big difference in tone during the story and Hesli makes that known when working with the darker colors. Cowles handles the lettering wonderfully, capturing the heightened emotions through the dialogue. There’s also an excellent use of sound effects that makes the reader experience the story even better.

Final Thoughts

Shawn – 9/10. This was an enjoyable issue that added more heartbreak and depth that I was expecting from a What If? issue. Duggan crafted a story that was interesting and held my interest through the last page.

Megan – 10/10. I’m not usually a big What If…? fan, but this top tier storytelling. What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1 was an emotional roller coaster ride that you don’t want to get off of.

Overall Grade – 9.5/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1!