Is it too soon for an X-Men crossover? Marvel’s “From The Ashes” era is just a few months old at this point, but we’re already getting a four-parter titled “Raid on Graymalkin,” which crashes Jed MacKay’s X-Men against Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men. And while yes, it might be as these two titles are just finding their footing, when an issue is as good as X-Men #8 to kick things off, it sort of doesn’t matter.
In the issue by MacKay and Ryan Stegman, Cyclops is on the warpath, ready to raid the old X-Mansion and burn it to the ground after the wardens kidnap Beast and decide to extradite him to another country for execution. And that’s exactly what they do, running smack dab into the New Orleans X-Men in the process.
What makes this issue stand out, though, are the scenes in Graymalkin Prison itself, which show off the danger presented by the jailers; and give us some earnest, powerful moments featuring the prisoners. In particular, Calico, a new character introduced in Uncanny who has been struggling with whether she is, or is not a mutant, gets a gut-punch of a scene that brings her emotional thread together in a “We are Spartacus” manner that digs to the core of the best of X-Men.
And while it’s early going, that’s what this is most reminiscent of, the best X-Men crossovers of the ’90s. In particular, this has echoes of 1990’s X-Tinction Agenda, which similarly found X-Men characters jailed by a terrifying villain (in this case, Cameron Hodge) and potentially threatened with death… With the rest of the teams having to band together to rescue them. Whether this will pan out the same way, or give a swerve — I tend to think the latter — is TBD. But putting the X-Teams in some real danger is always going to be a thrilling read.
Overall, while Uncanny X-Men has had a clarity of purpose, X-Men has been taking its time building up the team. Like the Alaska setting, the whole vibe has been icy and cold, more clinical as Cyclops leads a strike-force instead of a family (like in Uncanny). Here we get a mix of those tones, and it gives X-Men the emotional stakes its thus far been lacking. Here’s hoping it keeps that going, going forward, because X-Men as a franchise is at its best when it’s big action, sure, but big emotion, first and foremost.
X-Men #8 Rating:
X-Men #8 Official Synopsis:
“RAID ON GRAYMALKIN” PART ONE! With one of their own incarcerated, the X-Men move on Graymalkin Prison in order to free their teammate. But it’s not just one team – in Alaska, Cyclops’ X-Men scramble a rescue mission, while in Louisiana, Rogue’s X-Men move to strike out on their own sortie. Doctrinal rivals each with their own objective, will these two fractious teams find themselves at cross-purposes? After all…an “X” is made by two lines crossing.
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