This week's installment of
All-New X-Men sees a marked slow-down from the action and the disorder that comes from yanking the five original X-Men from the past and into the present. This is by no means a bad thing, however, as the change in pace allows Bendis to really focus in on some key character development details that will ultimately be a solid foundation for the rest of the series to build upon.
The issues of three characters are touched upon in this book: Jean Grey, Scott Summers, and Warren Worthington III. With her recently awakened telepathic abilities and the realization of what has happened (or will happen), we find Jean struggling to cope with the weight of it all. In a brilliant reversal of roles, Jean finds stability and guidance in Kitty Pryde, whom was just starting on her own X-adventures when the original Jean (as Phoenix) was a senior X-Men member. Tragically, we find that Scott is unable to find this same kind of moral support or acceptance despite the fact that young Scott is not even responsible for the actions that older Scott has made. Even as an early X-Man, we find that Scott is still at odds with Logan, however, who still feels strongly about sending the five teens back to the past. Lastly, we see that Warren finally gets at least a partial answer to his questions about himself from the last issue. Knowing the history of older Warren, the meeting with his younger self has a notably bittersweet undertone that contrasts with the seeming levity of the scene.
In general, I have never been a huge fan of Marquez's art, and I initially thought it was a stark departure from Immonen's penciling in the previous issues. Looking back, however, I find the art to be appropriate and especially fitting. The original X-Men actually look like teenagers, and, at least for me, you get a very real sense of how young these original five members actually are, which in the end allows for the gravity of the big picture to sink in. I still feel like Jean is not getting the kind of justice she deserves in Marquez's depiction, but the core message comes across the same nonetheless.
All-New X-Men #6 is yet another hit in this nascent series and is definitely going places. Despite some minor reservations I have about Marquez's art, in general, I think both the depictions of characters and the writing in this book have a unique synergy that allow the reader to connect to this innovative story that Bendis is carefully unraveling.
Score: 9/10
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