Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Mike Choi

Well the epic Messiah Complex crossover has concluded, and we’re moving into the Divided We Stand aftermath for the X-Universe, and I couldn’t be happier with Brubaker’s Uncanny X-Men and the way said aftermath is being handled in those pages. As exciting and as action-packed as Messiah Complex was, it did end on a somewhat depressing note. The X-Men were so demoralized and devastated by the end that even the moral compass of the team, Scott Summers, was ready to give up hope and walk away from Xavier’s dream in a manner very uncharacteristic to the leader of the X-Men.

This follow-up issue goes above and beyond assuaging some of the fears of those who may have found elements of Messiah Complex hard to swallow. Cyclops, Emma Frost, and their relationship with each other are written as well, if not better, than they ever have been in recent memory. Cyclops is shown to be the calculating strategist and hopeful leader leader that is the last man you would expect to lose his faith in the dream, and he is positioning himself to take the lead and inspire the mutant population to look towards the future with hope rather than looking backwards. Brubaker also manges to humanize Emma without de-fanging her. The couple’s relationship is examined in way that makes it very easy to understand why they chose each other and at the same time, shows the reader why Scott Summers is the best of the best both on and off the field in one of the coolest superhero sequences I’ve seen in quite some time. All of it takes place against an incredibly fun vacation backdrop location that I won’t spoil for you.

The question of where the X-Men fit into the world of the Superhuman Registration Act is also addressed in a great dramatic scene between Iron Man and Cyclops where Iron Man is painted as just a reluctant agent of a policy that Cyclops refuses to subject his people to. Iron Man is neither characterized as an evil fascist bent on destruction nor as a heroic savior for his position, but merely as a man trying to do what he thinks is best for everybody involved. Using this technique really highlights the differences in policy and why each man has taken the stance that he has rather than merely the identities of the characters that oppose each other on the issue.

The artwork is very solid but doesn’t quite rise to that next level. Choi’s artwork isn’t nearly so wooden and bland as usual, and it seems to fit the tone of the book fairly well, but a more conventional superhero artist might have been a stronger choice. The colors don’t really jump from the page and lend themselves to the fun atmosphere that the writer is working towards, but I will say that Choi’s craft seems to have improved recently with more human expressions and a keener eye for detail all around, from the characters to the backgrounds. I’m intrigued to see how he fares for the rest of this arc.

Overall, I highly recommend giving this issue a shot. There’s even a spectacular teaser for a possible wacky adventure reminiscent of early X-Men adventures later in the issue. Although this is very much an X-Men book, this book isn’t just for X-Geeks, like me. It should appeal to superhero fans as well. Whether you’re a fan of the X-Men of the nineties or more of an old-school X-Fan, you should find something to get excited about here… especially if you want to see Angel party with some hot, free-lovin’ hippie chicks.