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!

Creative Team – Steve Foxe, Salva Espin, Matt Milla, VC’s Joe Sabino, Todd Nauck, Rachelle Rosenberg

Published by Marvel Comics

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The Story

If you’re like me, then you’re waiting with bated breath for the second season of X-Men 97. If this is true, then there’s no better way to raise the hype than to check out X-Men 97 Season 2 #1! Picking up right where the show left off, majority of the X-Men are missing. Believed to be dead, there are memorials dedicated to their bravery and people are mourning. Some people are mourning. That doesn’t include the mutant-haters of the world who are going of their way to cause issues for the remaining mutants.

Forge is in his feelings about the loss of the X-Men, especially one X-Man in particular. The Modest Goddess herself, Storm, is missing as well. Bishop shows up and tells him that it’s not a matter of where they are, but when they are, and we are off to season 2 of X-Men 97.

In this comic, there’s some great moments, especially from Jubilee and Sunspot. There’s also our introduction to X-Factor, who is here on a much different mission than the X-Men ever would be. We also see some looks from Psylocke, Cable, and Archangel, which is always appreciated. So much happens in this first issue, so much excitement packed into the pages all thanks to Steve Foxe. This got me more excited for the newest season to drop and even more excited for the next issue of this run to hit the shelves.

The Art

Salva Espin, Matt Milla, and Joe Sabino put in the work to make this a gorgeous comic that has the same vibe as the TV series, but gives you the excitement of comic book art. Espin gives bold details to the characters that wear their emotions on their sleeves. Their facial expression practically tell the story themselves. Milla brings a lot of vibrant colors that juxtapose the darker tones, making the characters practically pop off the page. Joe Sabino captures the emotions of the characters and gives them a voice through the dialogue. Sabino always does a brilliant job with the sound effects that make reading the comic an even bigger experience.

Final Thoughts

If you’re excited for the next season of X-Men 97 on Disney+, then you’ll want to check out this comic. The creative team did a fantastic job at keeping the energy high and the excitement at the highest level.

Overall Grade – 9.5/10

Let me know in the comments what you thought of the issue!

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 X-Men 97 Season 2 #1, 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!