The Good

Last issue we had a bit of a cliffhanger. The older (present) version of Cyclops arrived at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning and made an offer for the mutants to join him at his school. Cyclops more aggressive/survival attitudes has painted him as trying to start a revolution against the human race. While we do know who decided to go with him (thanks to the spoilers in UNCANNY X-MEN #5), seeing what happens next is key.

When I saw we were getting a sort of rehash to what we already knew, I felt let down. But then Brian Michael Bendis cranked things up. The situation gets extremely intense and uncomfortable. It's like being at a friends house as a family argument erupts. You feel awkward and want to sneak away but there's no way to do so.

With the tension so high, there's no telling what might happen. The idea is try to handle things in a calm manner but even as you see some of the things that happen, you start to feel a little angry as well. It's easy to understand the emotions everyone involved is faced with.

Stuart Immonen's art is top notch as always. There is a broad spectrum of emotional scenes taking place and Immonen nails them all. As soon as you read the issue you almost feel like immediately reading it again.

The Bad

Mystique's plan continues to unfold. We see Mystique use her abilities to try to infiltrate a person's private information. It makes sense that she could do this but it also seems that the individual would have higher safety protocols to prevent this sort of thing from happening. Mystique isn't the only shapeshifter in the Marvel Universe so you would think this idea isn't completely unheard of.

The Verdict

ALL-NEW X-MEN continues to be one of my favorite Marvel NOW! series. There is something about the innocence of the younger X-Men forced to deal with the craziness of the current time period. Throughout everything, you can't help but wonder what effects this will have on everything. It's part of what keeps you on the edge of you seat. We know there a crossover coming in the Fall so, more than ever, you'll want to keep a close eye on what's going on. Brian Michael Bendis' portrayal of young Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde is enough to warm my heart. These are two of my favorite X-Men characters and seeing them together reminds me of Kitty's first appearance when their roles were reversed. Stuart Immonen adds to Bendis' writing by making everything look so good. There have been some great runs in the X-Men's history and this just might be my favorite one in recent years.

Yeah, this issue totally deserved 5 stars. Great book.

GREAT ISSUE!!! This is the best of the X-Men books. Bendis is killing it in freshness. I'd like to see some people repond with how they like the book, even after they got worried that Bendis was going to write for the X-Men now. Love to see that.

I didn't think this issue would honestly be that great, but after I picked it up I thought it was a superbly crafted issue. Some of Bendis' best work and Immonen's art is just WOW.

This book would be worth picking up for the art alone. Whether its Immonen or Marquez this book always looks good.

This book is one of my top five on going books that I enjoy.

Wow what an intriguing question at the cover... Wonder who it is? Oh wait! Uncanny already spoiled that one some weeks back! Nyahahahahahaha!

uncanny x-men and all new x-men are both very well crafted ongoing storyline i have ever read in comics. I really love the synergy of both of this books.

this and Hawkeye are the only marvel books with my attention. I have a mild interest in Age of Ultron, but im totally fine with waiting for the trade and reading it then.

LOVED LOVED LOVEDDDDD this issue. I really dislike Jean Grey and the way she's approached for the most part and the fact that she was made to own up to what she'd done wrong - and that she actually did wrong - was great.

@grim: If you like what's going on in Hawkeye (a team-based character going off on shenanigans by himself with a split focus between characterization and badass action), then I'd definitely recommend Gambit.

LOVE LOVE LOVE that I can hold you being scared Bendis was going to ruin the X-Men and now you are enjoying his run so much so far >:P.

But agreed. This issue was awesome. The first half was intense and Immonen's art painted everything together beautifully.

@god_spawn: yeah yeah yeah. I'm happy to eat my words in this case.

Now if only you could get @lykopis to come around on all this...

SHe's reading the books so jokes on her. Mwahahaha!!!

@akbogert: That'll never happen.

@mercy_: Hahaha. So I've gathered.

It just seems like there are so many better books to be loathing these days.

*sigh*

I like that All-New X-men and Uncanny have a bond, but clearly they are now running with their own story arcs for the moment. The last couple of issues on both had their own way of unfolding but they were too close. This though is a true great issue. I like how Jean is unfolding in this series, I mean all of the original X-men get to see their later mutation.Super fun stuff.

Looks pretty good.

I love this series. It has a really oldschool vibe but it still feels modern and fresh. That chat between Kitty and Jean was pure gold, it remind me the time where Kitty was the young one and her dinamic with Storm back in the day.

This is pure gold and totally deserves the five stars.

off topic: G-Man, a week ago you were talking about how there's no good comics for younger audiences, I think this is the perfect book for younger readers, if I were 13-14 I would love this series even more than I do right now.

I liked it when Warren told Scott to take his leaving as a compliment of sorts, he's the only one who likes who he becomes. Kitty taking young Jean under her wing has been a high mark in this series too.

love when kitty mentions spider-man to jean =p

Is it just me or are the Avengers getting stupider and stupider every time you see them in an X-book?

This entire series is just stupidity incarnate. How people can enjoy this crap is beyond me.

Hear Me X-men! No longer am I the woman you knew...I am Fire and Life incarnate, now and forever....e.t.c. That word just reminds me of that speech by Jean, and it's oddly appropriate here.

Carry on, as you were ...

@queen_s_halo: What exactly don't you like about it? I'm not judging you; I'm honestly just curious.

This book coupled with Uncanny X-Men are my 2 favorite Marvel NOW series. I love how they tie in together so well, and I love Angel's line where he tells young Cyclops he should be flattered because he's the only one who likes his older version. For the most part I'm more into the cartoon-y art of Chris Bachalo or Chris Samnee but I think that Stuart Immonen does an amazing job and I love his detail. This book hasn't disappointed me yet and I hope it continues its streak.

@comicfan123: The issue I have stems from the time travel. This series was presented as the X-Men of the past being brought to the future. What I read from that is that they should be the focus. But the problem comes when you look at the time travel part - it has always been that alterations in the past affect the present and future. When the X-Men were brought into the present, everything remained the same. So there are two possible explanations - either the entire time travel part was irrelevant and pointless or Bendis is an idiot. I just hate that the main characters' only purpose is to affect the secondary characters. Does that make sense?

Heroes fighting heroes. I'm convinced that Marvels villains must really suck. The heroes spend more time fighting each other than the bad guys and this is just ridiculous. Step your bad guy game up Marvel.

Once again Bendis writes characters however he feels at the time. I was a fan of the First Class book, which I feel really got those characters right. This? Who are these five?

Third explanation, alternate past not connected with the main time line. Fourth explanation, when finally plucked from their own timeline there is a reality where the present is immediately affected and there is a reality (616) that is not.

In the end the whole notion of time travel and the consequences of altering it at any point is really just an easy cop out type thing due to the nature of alternate realities (infinite variations creating infinite realities).

On Topic: I'm in it for the art.

This was a great issue. I have the scene with Magneto face planting Wolverine as my desktop background now. I love the Cyclops/Magneto/Emma/Magick so much. Without a doubt this and Uncanny are the best two books Marvel is putting out right now, in my opinion. Now let's hope this can have a decent run and not follow the trend of an "X-men" overhaul every 12 months where the teams are changed and everything reset.

Also, I am really hoping that they discover that Beast screwed up and grabbed the originals from an alternate realities past so that it better explains all the crazy paradox crap. Plus it would be funny to further damn that character by having him completely screw another reality by taking their heroes away. Self Righteous Hairball.

Does anyone else think Iceman on the cover looks like one of the engineers from Prometheus?

Been reading comics since the early 70's and a huge X-Men fan...I've gotta say this is probably one of the most gorgeous comics I have ever read. Immonen and his team are simply killing it on this series.

Mercy God_Spawn and Laflux? Trouble is brewing O_o

That aside, Bendis actually can write well, and very well at that (House of M, Spider-Men). Which makes it even more infuriating when he butchers my favorite character (I still love you Gorgon, no matter what people say) in mediocre stories.

Oh and for you Courtney............................

I don't know if anyone noticed but in the scene with Kitty And Jean there was a sparkling in the twilight behind her, really weird stuff. Phoenix returning? I have a feeling young Jean will reset the universe soon because as far as time travel goes, there has been alot of tampering going on in the Marvel Universe lately!

@laflux: How much did Gambler pay you to say that?

That's the thing- he did offer me money, but I was so grateful for showing me the light, I gratefully declined. Following the methods of Gambler is akin to following the Hercules method from Luther Strode, except that instead of having those close to you brutally murder, you live the fast life. And as a college fresher, that appeals heavily to me, and I'm sure it does to others.

Its a shame that not everyone can appreciate such things. I pity them...............

@laflux: Pssst >_> Good job

@pyrogram: ;)

I think obviously, what bendis is saying, is that eventually, all this gets resolved and the classic x-men do return to the past with mental blocks of these memorys. That's why there are no current changes in the time line. but maybe this will be their way for the resurrection for professor x and present jean grey. because if the past professor x reads through the mental blocks of the returned x-men's minds, maybe he'll keep what he knows to himself so not to disrupt the timeline, but just change 2 things when the time comes, like faking jeans last death and his death at the last minute of those incidents so not to disrupt the timeline, and keeping both of them in hiding until the classic x-men return to the past, where past him will again read their minds, thus keeping the time loop intact.

Just got to read this today and I liked it. I knew something had to be done about Jean using her abilities the way she was and how it was done in this issue was a great way.

Omg I just read it! The Stepford Sister attacking Jean was SO cool! It gave me goose bumps :3

Just a heads up, not sure if you're aware of this - but all the time travel going on in the MU is intentional and is leading to future stories. In the X-Men's case, it's leading to their 50th Anniversary event.

So while it does seem like writers are being reckless w/ the space-time continuum, it's by design. So all I can say is be a little patient and hopefully what they have planned will make it all worth it.

For the record, ANXM and UXM are two of my favorite books right now, along w/ Gambit, Avengers Arena, Superior SM and Ultimate Comics SM.

This book needs to end. The novelty has definitely worn off, and it's getting sillier and sillier. Jean Grey is the only reason I was ever interested in the first place.

When I read Uncanny X-Men, I say, "this is my favorite X book. Then I read All New X-Men, and then I say "THIS ismy favorite X book". I collect each and love each like two children with their own personalities. I love the clean lines of the art and story of ANXM but I also love the offbeat art and drama of Uncanny XMen. I now know I wouldn't be happy with one alone. I need both to be fully satisfied. I love what is going on in both books story and art wise. Love it love it love it!

am I the only person who thinks Bendis cannot write Mystique? the only 'guy smells like...' line sounded like someone else entirely.