Comicdom Wrecks!

We've moved past Messiah CompleX and into Divided We Stand - so let's take a look at the X-Books on my plate and see how they're doing.

Uncanny X-Men
Obviously in a phase that you could call "rebuilding" but actually just killing time before July's issue #500. But as far as bridging filler goes, the San Francisco story is very good fun. This apparently will set up the X-Men's new base of operations, so that's neat. The Wolverine/Colossus/Nightcrawler story builds on an oft-forgotten relationship between Storm's team during the Paul Smith/John Romita Jr. era of the 80s, and it's good to see the three working together. With Storm off being married and Kitty Pryde apparently out of the picture, these three are the last of this core group, and they make a good trio. This has been quality stuff.

X-Men: Legacy
I recall a book called Excalibur (vol. 2) that was focused on the relationship between Charles Xavier and Magneto as they tried to rebuild Genosha - and if memory serves correctly, it wasn't very good. Whether or not Mags stays in the book, the first issues of Legacy have been very good, with an interesting look into Xavier's past, and finally fleshing out one of the most overlooked characters in the X-Men, which is even stranger being that he's the CENTER of the whole thing. Those familiar with all these X-Events that are being flashed back to (such as myself) have to be loving this.

Astonishing X-Men
No, I'm just kidding. This book's last Whedon/Cassaday issue hasn't come out yet. That's next month.

X-Factor
Here's a book whose entire premise was torn asunder through House of M and Messiah CompleX. While some titles would flail about desperately seeking direction, that has become the point of X-Factor and its being done very well. You can't help but love all the members of this team, and desperately miss (as they do) Layla Miller. Solicitations say the book's getting Longshot and Darwin on its cast, and I have to say I'm excited.

X-Force
Do I really need to go on another rant about X-Force? It has a cast with claws and knives so they can stab people. Stab, stab, stabby, stabby, stab. Blood, death, good for them. There is apparently a move at bringing back some older baddies (Bastion, Magus) but I have ceased caring. The book's apparently a hit, though. Bah - should have read The Order instead.

Young X-Men
After only one issue, I really want to see where they're going with this one. It's obvious to me that the last-page setup is not what it seems, so we'll just have to see. I'll give an update on this one next week after issue #2 comes out.

So where does that leave us? In pretty good shape, I'd say. Things are looking to get more focused when Uncanny hits 500 and Astonishing launches under Warren Ellis. It's a good time to be an X-Men fan, if you ask me.

(I don't read Cable, New Exiles, or either Wolverine book and the First Class titles don't really fit here, so they've all been skipped.)