Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #21-22

This has been a weird story arc so far, and hardly the good kind. It's not exactly boring or bland, but neither is it very interesting or particularly thrilling, at least compared to the previous stories. Jason Aaron still writes comedy like a pro, of course, and the rapport among the students of Jean Grey School is always so amusing, and Nick Bradshaw's illustrations of the circus is very detailed and colorful to sustain my visual interest in the scenes, but something about the narrative feels hollow and rushed somewhat. Well, I still have issue #23 to read tomorrow which is the concluding piece of the arc so we'll see. Let's discuss the content of #21-22 for now.

Issue #21 opens with Quentin Quire waking up late on yet another school day, and immediately discovers that something is amiss. He goes to his first class and finds everyone goofing around. He searches the entire school telepathically afterwards and realizes that the faculty has been absent--all of them unaccounted for, much to his glee. The very first thing he did was, of course, to step out of the school premises which his classmates reluctantly join him in. Meanwhile, the faculty of the Jean Grey School in question is being held against their will to perform as circus acts in Frankenstein's Monster's lair. This particular circus entices and lures adults into participating as literally the captive audience, all the while a witch sucks their souls for FM's use. I don't know, it's all very unremarkable, really. FM bemoans about his tortured existence and how he needs to get his revenge on, so he is basically hunting down all of the Dr. Frankie's descendants to make them suffer because if you're going to follow through the cycle of revenge, you might as well be a completist, yo. 

That reminds me. I gotta start watching this show again.

As the fucking fates of convenience would have it, the latest descendant is no other than tween Hellfire Club's bishop named Maximillian Von (insert unpronounceable German-something name here). This is a great way of tying together both storylines concerning FM and the HC. Since issue #18, Max was busy playing priest to Idie, and by 'playing priest' I meant he has a cyborg disguised as a priest who counsels Idie concerning her beliefs that her mutation is an evil curse or something. Look, I'm sympathetic to Idie's way of thinking but it's very damaging, not failing to mention that it also reinforces self-hate, something she may destroy herself with, given enough ample time. That hatred has been taking root and Kade Kilgore wants to keep sprinkling water in it until it sprouts and they can recruit her into the Hellfire Club. So far, it might just work out that way, but thanks to the timely interruption by FM, Max was captured before he can go back to the club, and the one person who comes to his rescue is no other than Idie. She sort of recognizes him but couldn't exactly tell how and where (um, back when he was with Kade in the first two issues where the tween HC almost destroyed Jean Grey Schoo. Ring any bells? No?). 

Meanwhile, Q and the class discovers what happened to their teachers and tried to save them from the mind compulsion. Heck, even Rachel Grey was under the spell. Q was more than happy to keep the teachers in the circus but then the witch who had them in strings proceeded to make said teachers attack their own students and it was awful, so Q had no choice but to fight back. It's not an even or fair fight either way so it was great that newly hired Storm was the first one to regain back her agency and Wolverine also followed suit. Oh, it's worth mentioning that he's been reduced to Revolto the clown but that is still is second fiddle to the embarrassment and humiliation he endured and one that Cassandra Nova put him under back in Whedon's run of The Astonishing X-Men when he was turned into a scaredy, pussified excuse of a man. On the other hand, Idie was left by herself to fend against FM who is literally choking her to death while Max hides in a corner somewhere, looking torn about helping her and sacrificing himself in the process; or escaping. Ah, decisions. Well, I bet he will help in the end since Kade specified that he needed Idie to join their ranks. What better way to earn her trust and gratitude? So, make your move, Bishop.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #19-20

Once again, Jason Aaron delivers two tantalizing issues from his unbeatably entertaining title. Issue #19 featured a lot of character humor and drama inside the Jean Grey School as well as outside with Wolverine and Rachel Grey playing a cat-and-mouse game with the tween Hellfire Club. There are tons of amusing subplots sprinkled in the pages of this issue and yet the twenty-six pages never felt crowded at all. The pacing and writing were balanced delicately and the humor infused in the dialogue and even the most normal of interactions keep me as a reader thoroughly interested in the way the events unfold side by side together. It's freaking great, that's all I'm saying!

The issue focuses particularly on Kitty Pryde and Deathlok interviewing candidates for the teaching position that former faculty member Husk has left vacant when she quit her job, all because she didn't want to undergo psychological evaluation--and that should worry everyone, including her lover and school janitor Toad. He's certainly angry that his girlfriend had to leave him to go on a sabbatical journey for self-reflection. He expressed this by thrashing Wolverine's photo in the faculty gallery. I wonder if he will act out in a more villainuous way which I hope not because it's nice to see him being all reformed and cute, albeit having to clean up the aftermath of every bad-guy attack and disaster (or the daily Danger Room simulated battle sequences). Sooner or later he's bound to get fed up. As far as the job interviews go, Kitty is having the worst day sorting through all the eccentric and cringe-worthy applicants like vampire hunter Blade, Deadpool, etc. who are more than unfit to teach children. Even if some of the teachers who were already hired are not as well-adjusted themselves (I am looking at you, Warbird, who just started a new lesson in her art appreciation class about paintings of people being tortured and murdered), at least Kitty can vouch that these teachers won't put the students in harm's way...sort of...maybe at least not intentionally, right? Anyway...

Kitty, look no more. This is the guy you should hire!

Even after performing extensive surgery for weeks now, Beast is still trying to find a way to cure Broo who was previously shot by Kade Gilgore last issue in an old church where he almost bled to death that his heart stopped for several minutes before he was successfuly resusciated by first responders. Tragically, he's been in a coma ever since given his cranial injury. Beast would never give up, though, and I really, really, REALLY hope he doesn't die and will wake up! But Beast's knowledge on Broo physiology is close to non-existent and he debates within himself whether or not to ask for the help of someone he is adamant not to work with. I got a feeling it was that alien scientist who tried to murder Broo before because he believed Broo is an abomination to the status quo. I'm pretty sure about it, and I also don't want to see that asshole again but if Broo doesn't wake up soon...OH MY GOD I HADN'T EVEN REALIZED THAT I LOVE THIS CHARACTER SO DAMN MUCH UNTIL HE'S IN THE BRINK OF DEATH. If he dies, I will definitely cry myself to sleep!

Preferably with booze within reach

Meanwhile, students like Quentin Quire, Genesis and Idie were with their teacher Iceman inside a S.W.O.R.D facility that helps alien population who have been victimized by the Phoenix Force during its reckoning to recover by feeding, healing and taking care of them. Quentin doesn't look like he wants to be there and Idie contemplates about the cycle of suffering, especially after what happened to Broo whom she cared about since they have been very close friends. Iceman tries to reassure her that the Jean Grey School is the place to help children like her heal and define herself in the world and that he and the other teachers will be there to guide her whenever she needs it but Idie rudely brushes him off, claiming they are all doing a horrible job at that. Back on earth, Rachel and Logan try to work together even though Logan is obviously still peeved about the fact that Rachel worked with Scott and against him during the AVX debacle. He's ready to forgive though as long as she helps him track down the tween Hellfire Club. Unfortunately, Kilgore once again proved he is not to be underestimated and he had his team make sure not even Wolverine's infamous scent detector can track them. He instead had his team create a false trail so Wolverine can be led to a rather depressing customized grave site where several tombstones marked with his students' names are in place beside freshly dug empty graves ready to be filled. Logan is very pissed but will not sacrifice his integrity by murdering a child--even if said child is a twelve-year old diabolical cunt who will stop at nothing until he reduces the Jean Grey School into dust.

Even though Kade is really evil and snide and is clearly very fucked up, I can't help but find him endearing anyway. Maybe because he's a kid? And he dresses cool with that kickass orange vest? That he may be smarmy but he's also intelligent as fuck? I don't know. I can't bring myself to hate his guts completely and all I could say whenever he appears in the pages, doing something awful and nasty is:

Now can I please poke him? 

Back in Jean Grey School, Kitty's prayers have been answered when a certain Ororo Munroe a.k.a Storm finally drops by and doesn't even to open her mouth before Kitty welcomes her with open arms, assigning her as the newest member of the faculty. So, hooray!

Issue #20 is an Angel-centric standalone issue, and it was a really spectacular way of characterizing Warren Worthington who is a very different person by now, considering what happened to him when Apocalypse last laid waste (freaking dude tore up his angel wings!) and then Dark Beast implanted him with a celestial seed which essentially rewrote everything about him. He has no memories of his past except for what the people close to him told him. Eventually, he knew he wasn't that person anymore and must find some other way to define himself, and have a purpose. And that purpose is fully exemplified in this issue. After Angel gets back his billion-dollar company thanks to the help of Matt Murdock as his legal aid, he hired his brilliant classmates from Economics class to take over while he gets busy with his chosen calling. With the surge of new mutants being 'born' (that is, having triggered the X-gene after Hope relinquishes the Phoenix Force), Angel decided he wants to go around the world and help these mutants find their way into the Jean Grey School with the promise of guidance.

Beast warned him that if he uses too much of his powers, he will burn out. He will die. Angel doesn't care. Now true to his X-Men name and not just symbolically because he is pretty and has wings, Warren dashes off to save a Brazilian woman named Iara Dos Santos from almost killing someone when she turned out to have some shark DNA inside her as her mutation. That someone she almost bites to death is no other than Mystique who is there to recruit Brotherhood members alongside the new Silver Samurai. Angel was unable to convince Iara to enroll to the Jean Grey School at first because she thought he was some preachy hippie person who wants to put her in a solitary place where she won't ever be free to make her own choices. But after realizing she would have murdered someone because she is not in control of her powers, she decided to give it a try and was thankful in the end that Angel found her just in time and offered her with an opportunity to learn about who she is as a mutant and how she can use her gifts for good. So good for her, and for this new Angel.

Issues #19 and #20 both end on a very ominous note, however. The former has Frankenstein and his circus of freaks about to stop by Salem Center where the Jean Grey School is located; the latter featured the Kade Kilogore also going around recruiting new, naive mutants to his cause, specifically tarnishing the name of Wolverine's school in the process. I am so excited for the next installments!!!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #17-18

These were just utter gems! I had a really great time reading issues #17-18 back-to-back last night. Jason Aaron has proven once again that he's the kind of writer who knows how to entertain his readers with some of the most absurd interpretations of certain characters that somehow always works for the side-stories he created. We had a very introspective one concerning Warbird in issue #13 and a confrontational one between Kitty and Colossus in #14. Now, here in #17, we have the most amusing and quirky installment yet concerning the mysterious Doop; an alien whose linguistic speech pattern is barely understood by many (with the exception of Wolverine and other characters). He was hired as one of the staff in the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning for a job description nobody has a clue of except the headmaster Logan Howlett himself. This issue showcases the many varied ways Doop functions as the school's all-around 'protector'.

I loved this issue because I was actually very interested in Doop as a side character now, given how badass and sefless he is! Basically, Wolverine hires him for 'crisis management' because he's a flexible entity who seems to instinctively know when trouble is headed their way. Whatever possible disaster could happen to the school, Doop is there three steps ahead of time to make sure it doesn't come to pass by employing whatever measures it takes to prevent it. And we see these hilarious moments unfolding for this issue whenever Doop gets caught in the most absurd and implausible fights and scenarios all to safeguard the school and its students. And nobody even knows that he's always out there, sometimes in a daily or weekly basis, risking his life in complete anonymity. All the while, teachers are puzzled why he's even in school, and have tried to tell Wolverine that they should probably get rid of him because he doesn't seem to contribute as an employee, but Wolverine knew better, of course. He's the only one who appreciates the extent of Doop's responsibilities for the school; how overworked and invisible he is to everyone. And still, he is dedicated and kind even when some of the people in school think his a burden or an annoyance. It's pretty sad, and I wish I have him beside me so I can hug him and tell him 'thank you for being a badass'.

Doop in a nutshell

Issue #18 is the last crossover issue for the main event AVX though it's worth noting that the AVX scenes here were only squeezed in and they featured that climactic event when Professor Xavier tries to put a stop to Scott's Phoenix possession by sacrificing his life in the process. It was an important moment especially since this was contrasted with the supposedly light-hearted dance night that Kitty threw for the entire Jean Grey school just to keep the students happy and distracted from all the clusterfucks happening around them. The Stepford sisters did not join the fun, though, and were monitoring the mutant activity in Cerebra instead for any changes or disruptions. It was them who discovered Xavier's death as it unfolds in real-time. Meanwhile, Idie (the mutant with temperature-controlling abilities) has been visiting a church outside the school. Her sudden change in disposition was notable and it allowed her to laugh and even flirt with Quentin Quire during a dance. Broo was heartbroken about this because he likes Idie, and so he breaks out of school to go to the church Idie has been attending and discovers the preacher she's been talking to is a cyborg that was developed by one of Kade Kilgore's lackeys. 

It turns out that Kade and the Hellfire Club had been busy trying to recruit and brainwash impressionable students into joining them. They've been trying to recruit Q before but he expressed his disinterest, especially now that he's preoccupied with Idie on the dance floor as they shared their first kiss. In the AVX battlefield, Hope finally absorbs the Phoenix Force and starts fixing things around the globe using its powers but was unable to let it go until Wanda (Scarlet Witch) convinced her to. As soon as she did, Cerebra picked up a sudden surge of mutants being reborn all across the world. Excited and overwhelmed, the Stepford sisters informs Kitty about it and the four of them embrace one another with joy and relief. With the death of Xavier and Hope releasing the Phoenix back into the cosmos, the mutant race starts to thrive once more. Everyone is caught up with this major development that no one even noticed when one of the lights in Cerebra died out. It was no other than Broo. Kade had just shot him inside the church, and nobody even knows. It was shocking and I was a little angry because I was beginning to be very fond of the little guy and I had to watch him die alone like that. Since Xavier just died too, and then a miraculous thing occurs around the world concerning mutants, Broo's demise seems rather inconsequential compared to them. And that's just unfair!!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #15-16

Oh dear gods of Asgard, when will the crossover story of the Phoenix Five vs. Avengers story ever going to end and stop messing with Aaron's WAXM issues? Fortunately, the previous issues #13-14 were standalone pieces that focused on character dynamics with Warbird and Kitty/Colossus respectively. With issue #15, we get yet another Phoenix-related sidestory which wasn't awful, actually, unlike the last two has which (#11-12) which were so confusing and all over the place. Here we get Hope Summers finally stepping up to that plate, ready to fight with Wolverine and the Avengers as they all face the music with hopefully a final showdown with the Phoenix Five. Well, I know damn well it's the last, considering we get Professor Xavier joining the troops here and we all know he might as well be walking to his death.

The issue did a fine job establishing suspense for the inevitable confrontation by highlight some important conversations between and among certain characters. It opens with Wolverine and Hope talking about the gravity of her choice, and the disastrous power the Phoenix brings that she may not be ready for. Wolverine maintains his position that if it were up to him, Hope will just be another student in his school, studying for exams instead of sacrificing herself in battle. That being said, he also acknowledges that she's her own person, and that her actions from this point forward are out of his control--nor does he have to feel responsible for her if things go wrong. Hope essentially absolves him of this while Wolverine warns her not to become a martyr. Hope asks him whether Jean Grey was a martyr too, and Wolverine answers truthfully that she was also more than that, just like Hope she would be. He expresses that he wished Jean was here so none of this would happen, but Hope slaps him with the truth that Jean is gone forever, and there's only her now and she needs him to trust her. And he does--even when it's the last thing he feels he should do. The alternative, after all, is a line he cannot cross; which is to kill her.

Meanwhile, Beast and the Avengers together with S.W.O.R.D special agent Abigail Brand try to come up with a plan on what to do with the Phoenix Force once they are able to drain it out of the chosen five. Iron Man suggests putting it somewhere, a deserted, large space or something, but none of them can come up with a viable location. Broo was there and he was happy enough to help them with his alien intelligence which impressed Tony Stark that he offered to do something in return for Broo. All that Broo ever wanted was to meet his superhero idol Nova whom Stark knows so that was a nice arrangement. On the other hand, we have Rachel Grey and Professor X walking down the school hallways, trying to figure out their roles in defeating the Phoenix as the world's greatest telepaths. Quentin Quire joins in their telepathic exchange and argues he is a strong contender who can match them in powers, and he made some remarks about how Xavier is already forgotten and irrelevant. Rachel was about to put him in detention but Charles--being the unrivaled king of passive-aggressive--knew there was a better way to 'punish' Q and then goes ahead and publicly endorses him for the student council president position which he knew Q will hate because he takes pride in being an anarchist outsider--and not as a groomed golden boy. It was hilarious!

Other amusing stuff happened in the sidelines as well: Angel officially graduates and , to celebrate, he strips off his clothes as he flies into the sky, Bobby and Kitty agree to pick up things and date for real once the war is over, the Cuckoo triplets have enrolled in the Jean Grey school, and Husk and Toad are totes lovers now. The issue ends with the selected troop of Wolverine, Hope Summers, Rachel Grey, Angel, Beast,  and Professor X go into battle with the Avengers to face the Phoenix Five.

Issue #16, however, is a deviation from the main events and we get a sideshow attraction concerning the tween Hellfire Club, focusing on the self-appointed leader: twelve-year old billionaire Kade Kilgore and his rise to evil stardom. His backstory was compelling enough, showcasing his brutality in spite of his youth and inexperience. He has ambition, charisma and the resourcefulness it takes to become a formidable villain so good for him. He had an amusing encounter with the Phoenix Five in the opening pages and Emma even insisted that they slay him and the rest of his tween goons but Scott still thought him a child so he sent him to prison instead. Big mistake, because Kade found a way to convince the inmates to fight for him in exchange for money once escapes. He wasn't a man of his word, however, and had the inmates killed while he flew off to safety with his bloodthirsty tween compatriots. Now they are headed to bigger things, and they will hopefully take centerstage once the AVX shite ends somewhere. We can finally get back to form for Aaron's WAXM, and Kade Kilgore shows a lot of promise and he is not to be underestimated after all.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #13-14

WARBIRD IS OFFICIALLY MY NEWEST FAVORITE X-MAN! I knew she must have been around for awhile but I only really knew her from Marjorie Liu's run of The Astonishing X-Men. I compared her to Castiel from CW's Supernatural once because of her amusing lack of human social skills that more often than not produce unexpected humorous circumstances. I got to know her in depth during her centric story arc from the same aforementioned title concerning her vicious training as a Shi'ar deathbringer even though she is secretly an artist. As it turns out, Shi'ar will frown upon any of their citizens, especially those who are born and raised in their military, if they possess such talents like being artistic which they perceive as wasteful and stupid. For WAXM issues #13, we get another crossover with the AVX story but unlike the last two which are so alienating, this one (as well as the next) read more as a standalone subplot in the midst of the ongoing wrestling match/extreme fight sports that is AVX. It's a smart move for writer Jason Aaron because the truth for the matter is that because of this AVX debacle, his title's content is sort of suffering in consequence so it's great that he took a step back from all that shite and just wrote something character-centric that still has some part to play in the crossover event itself.

Here we get an expansion of Warbird's backstory when she was still a child in the Shi'ar Imperium, being prepped to become a soldier. She was given the Rorschach test (which played out very much like in the Watchmen graphic novel so I liked that allusion). However, when she was asked what she sees in each inkblot, she replied with the expected answers such as bloodshed and gore when, in fact, we see her inner thoughts in the panels that depict beautiful scenery about nature like butterflies and powers, further emphasizing the point that she's a creative child who wants to be an artist in a society where only war is an accepted way of living and service. We get more flashback scenes about her life as a soldier next, how she was created for the purpose of becoming a warbird and nothing else. In a pivotal moment, she was tasked to slaughter a village and spared the life of an innocent girl just because she saw the child drawing calmly as she readies herself for execution. She helped that child escape but reported her own insubordination later on. As punishment, they made her a bodyguard to Gladiator's son Kid Gladiator to ensure she will start hating children because being a bodyguard to a spoiled brat is embarrassing enough for someone of her breed. The Shi'ar were hoping this will harden her stance against children.

Another enjoyable aspect of this issue is Warbird's infatuation with Bobby Drake a.k.a Iceman. In Marjorie Liu's run for AXM, she established that Warbird has great admiration for Iceman and Aaron expanded on this in WAXM by making her awkwardly try to pick up Iceman using horrendous lines that are supposed to be flirty but only end up creeping out Bobby. They're hilarious together and I want their dynamics to be explored further--which is probably never going to be a full-blown romance, considering Bobby and Kitty will hook up some time later--and then Bobby will come out gay BECAUSE FUCK IT, even though it makes more sense for him to be bisexual. 

ANYWAY, here is a snippet of Warbird once again hilariously propositioning Iceman:

Aren't they adorbs?

As the Phoenix Five (Namor, Magik, Colossus, Cyclops and Emma Frost) continue to hunt down the Avengers and Wolverine who chose to side with the Avengers. Meanwhile, Iceman, Rachel Grey and Angel work for the Phoenix Five and fulfilling their duties accordingly, believing the Phoenix Force can truly help the mutant race populate again (their allegiance will later change by the time issue #14 rolls by). Gladiator of the Shi'ar arrives to earth to protect his son who stubbornly tried to get involved in the AVX shite when Wolverine specifically instructed the faculty of his school (Kitty, Husk, Beast) to never endanger the students during the battles. K.G is a total tool, though, which is tragic because his father--in his wish to save his son from the clutches of the Phoenix--was severely broken by the end of a fight. Warbird felt like she failed in her duty to defend both father and son, especially the son whose heartbreak she most definitely feels responsible for. She knew she should have done everything to get him away from Earth. She should have beat him up and pulled him kicking and screaming the fuck away from there. If she had, both father and son would have been safe in the Shi'ar. This was a sad moment for Warbird, and her last inner monologue just killed me. Not only did she realize she can no longer draw when she attempted it again so many years later, but also she came to terms that the life she had as a warbird was hollow and fulfilling. Just take a look at this heartbreaking epiphany of hers:

Issue #14 was Kitty/Peter-centric but unlike the deceptively happy cover of the long-time pair, the content inside is pretty depressing. Colossus was one of the chosen receptacles of the Phoenix Force, and that much absolute power has changed him into something so incomprehensibly different from the man Kitty fell in love with. He asked Kitty out on a date and they had an enlightening conversation in regards to the status of their lives. Kitty knew that she and Peter can never be again, not particularly when he is still in Phoenix mode, not to mention that Kitty's priorities have changed by now and she is very devoted to her role as headmistress of the Jean Grey school. Colossus will hear none of it; he wants to claim Kitty as his partner, someone to share his power with, and if he had to destroy the school to get what he wants, he will. At this point, I was just shocked and disgusted that he would threaten Kitty's vocation and the children that are under her care. This is not the Peter I knew and admired, and he has been twisted into a very rotten man whom Kitty cannot wait to get away with for good. In a heroic stance that is very much Kitty, she wholeheartedly fought Colossus as he tried to destroy the school. In a timely display, Iceman, Rachel and Angel came back to Kitty and Wolverine's side and were prepared to face Colossus as well but Peter left willingly after realizing that Kitty is beyond his reach now and it's mainly because of his own damn fault. All the power in the universe will not make her love you again, Peter, especially now that you have become less of the hero she had fought alongside with for years. 

Not to mention that Kitty has her sights on Bobby now and she expressed an interest to date him now that she has completely moved on from Peter. It's a damn shame because I really shipped these two so much especially during Whedon's run of Astonishing alongside Emma and Scott. But we all have to move forward some time and Kitty deserves to preserve her dream school and have a new relationship from someone who respects her boundaries and choices in life (who will later on come out as gay but hey, for now he's interested in her), and Peter has stopped being that man for her. Again, a damn shame. Stupid fucking Phoenix Force has ruined my ship!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #11-12

Okay, WHAT? We get yet another crossover issues for the exhausting wrestling match that was Avengers Vs X-Men, and these two unfortunate installments have events that share a continuity with issues from other titles which meant that reading them together makes NO COHESIVE SENSE WHATSOEVER. In issue #11, some stuff happens that are also coincide midway through some other title's happenings--and then by issue #12, some other stuff happens again that was in another title so they are not related with issue #11 at all. We skipped several subplots between these issues and most of the time lots of action scenes occur that do not entice me visually. I don't even know how to write a proper review for either issues because there isn't enough material for me to draw upon. But let me try anyway.

Issue #11 features Wolverine and Hope Summers together. Last time in issue #10, Wolverine agonizes over choosing sides. Captain America asked him to join the Avengers in tracking down Hope and making sure the Phoenix Forces doesn't turn her into its host while Scott Summers (whom he had a recent falling-out with) urged him to protect the mutant race by ensuring Hope does get to possess the power of the Phoenix. So, tricky choices, y'all. Wolverine also decided that he should have the strength to kill Hope in case she can't control the Phoenix if and when she was possessed by it (inevitably, I suppose). An issue between #10 and #11 of WAXM occurred where Wolverine was able to track down Hope's exact location and instead of giving her to either the Avengers or the X-Men, he took her away so she can make a choice whether or not to choose the Phoenix. It was a great way of allowing her free will and placing his trust on her, believing she will make the right decision.

By issue #12, Hope has already joined with the Avengers and she is being protected by them (something, again, happened in the middle of another title), so I assume that she finally decided NOT TO BECOME the Phoenix Force's receptacle. Oh, and there was also the fact that PF just took over Namor, Magik, Cyclops, Emma Frost and Colossus in an issue I HAVE NOT READ YET. With Hope picking a side and sticking with it, Cyclops sent his alternate universe-daughter Rachel Grey to abduct his step-granddaughter in question. The Summers family is always so complicated with their relations and whatnot. Weirdly enough, Rachel believed Hope should offer herself to the Phoenix and I say it's weird because she herself knew what that experience entail firsthand and I can't believe she thought it was the wise to put the poor girl (her niece, I suppose) through the same insufferable ordeal. I guess Rachel believes as much as Scott does that the Phoenix Force will save the mutant race from extinction. So, these things happened and I was left confounded right after finishing because I barely understand everything.

There was also that sidestory about Death Commandos from the Shi'ar and Kid Gladiator joining in the battle (AGAIN, much to his bodyguard Warbird's chagrin). Jesus fuck, I hope the next installments are actually connected together so my review won't be this short and insubstantial.

In a nutshell...

NEED TO READ THE ENTIRE AVX STORY FIRST: 6/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #9-10

Major crossover event alert! The truth is I'll be reading the collected graphic novel for Avengers vs. X-Men by January 2016 but it's great to read issues about it in Aaron's title right now. Or is it? From what I understand AVX is like a glamorized wrestling match between the two superhero teams and it's sort of just as cheesy but mostly mildly annoying because the narrative and the branched-out side-stories caught in it have been lacking whatever excitement the concept was trying to live up to. Much like the mutant decimation story arc for House of M, the threat of the Phoenix Force is real and the Avengers are determined to prevent it at all cost. The AVX story has aftermath effects for Brian Michael Bendis' The Uncanny X-Men and All-New X-Men where we see Scott Summers battling demons after his murder of Professor X while under the cosmic influence of the Phoenix. So, basically, my reviews of the crossover issues here in WAXM will never be spoiler-free because I will be referencing current events in the MARVEL NOW! roster in line with this story. Suffice to say, I'm both nervous and intrigued how Aaron will write his share of the AVX, and I sure hope his signature humor, and artists Chris Bachalo and Nick Bradshaw's fantastic visual work can make it interesting for me. WAXM hasn't disappointed me in any way yet. I hope it doesn't start.

Issues 9-10 are essentially the rising action part of the narrative. Wolverine was both approached by Captain America and Cyclops in said respective issues. Cap enlists Logan's help to make sure the Phoenix Force doesn't take human form on earth and that candidate was of course Hope Summers, the mutant messiah who was focal in the arcs Messiah Complex and Second Coming, the latter of which is one of my all-time favorite X-Men major stories ever. Beast and Wolverine have a serious discussion afterwards concerning young Hope, and how Beast warns Wolverine sternly that she's a kid but Wolverine resigns himself to the reality that if she becomes a receptacle for the Phoenix, he has no other choice but to kill her, much like the same decision he made with Jean Grey, the woman he loved deeply, when she became Dark. He was unsuccessful back then and he sure as hell won't be now this time around. As if on cue, Scott Summers dropped by to dissuade him from joining the Avengers. Emma and Kitty--who never trusted one another--get to verbally pick on each other as Logan and Scott went somewhere to have a private discussion. It occured to me that WAXM happened right after the falling-out within the established group from Whedon's stellar title The Astonishing X-Men, and that Wolverine cut ties with Scott because of many disagreements on how to run things about mutant diplomacy or meritocracy or whatever stubborn perspective they just cannot compromise in. 

In the end, Wolverine went away and was joined by Kitty, Iceman, Rogue, Rachel Grey and Gambit to form the Jean Grey School while Scott, Emma, Ilyana and some other stayed in Utopia. That has worked well for some time....until now. Because now the Phoenix Force is about to crash into Earth, and Scott was hoping to control it--to seize Hope before the Avengers and use the Phoenix power to populate the world with mutants again. And he offers Wolverine a chance to stand with him. Logan doesn't like that plan. He doesn't believe the Phoenix can be controlled, and rightfully so. He thinks Scott is both arrogant and foolish enough to think that he can. Scott counters that Logan will be betraying the entire mutant race by siding the Avengers because in doing so he is depriving their race's fighting chance to repopulate. Putting Logan in a tight spot like that is a douchey move for Scott but these are desperate times. 

Hope has managed to elude everybody and no one knows where to locate her. Meanwhile, Gladiator of the Shi'ar Empire travels to Earth to save his son from the oncoming Phoenix Force while he also ordered the empire to apply the Death Commandos which I think has something to do with ensuring the death of the future host of the Phoenix Force which is no other than Hope. What I have to wonder now is if they are going to target Rachel Grey and Quentin Quire as well who are possible candidates to receive the Phoenix too. 

I guess I'm going to find out in the next issues.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #7-8

It's true--there is never a boring moment whenever I read issues for Wolverine and the X-Men. Everything about the stories I was served with so far feels both personal and eventful. It's personal because I always care about every character's welfare, and even laugh along with their jokes that can be both clever and awkward. It's eventful because tons of shit go down where survival is the most urgent goal, and this is most certainly true for Kitty Pryde who has been infested/impregnated by microscopic Brood who are rudely breeding in her uterus (yes, ewwwww does not even cover it), and so the miniaturized Beast, Iceman and Rachel Grey have to go inside Kitty's body to they fight their way through the Brood hatchlings. Bad news, though: new student Kid Gladiator tagged along (to clear up the rumors about losing to white blood cells last issue) so Warbird, his long-suffering bodyguard, was also there but she was unable to keep K.G's transformation into a Brood. 

And so here we are at issues #7-8. Alongside K.G's Brood new look, we have a preggers-in-appearance Kitty Pryde trying to protect her student Broo, a charming and eloquent Brood who isn't a bloodthirsty carnivore that wants to eat or impregnate everyone. As it turned out, an alien scientist was the one who injected Kitty with the tiny Broodlings so she will be a distraction for the rest of the X-Men to focus on while he, the scientist, is busy killing poor Broo, and all because Broo is an evolutionary anomaly. According to the jerkface scientist, the universe has a stable status quo concerning the food chain and Broo's existence negates its effectiveness. A Brood, after all, is a mindless killer who preys on other species and the fact that Broo is now some bashful, erudite nerd who is always so sweet and proper is simply antagonizing the rigid belief system that the universe has been operating on for zillion and zillions of...FUCKS I DON'T CARE ABOUT! Leave Broo alone! He's adorable and deserves to make his own destiny! So as this asshole close-minded scientist tries to kill Broo, the miniaturized faculty of the Jean Grey school try to eliminate Broodlings as much as possible without rupturing Kitty's uterus. Good times--especially for Warbird who has been so coquettish with Iceman in the manner as Castiel-esque as possible. Here is her enchanting pick-up line:

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Planet Sin, an outer space casino, Headmaster Logan and Quentin Quire are fighting their way through casino guards with their loot, and they escape just fine because they're goddamn Wolverine and Kid Omega after all! Unfortunately, the house always wins, and they send a 'thing' that managed to break down Wolverine's legs in an atomic level. Meaning, his adamantium steel-lined legs were twisted beyond recognition and now he can walk. Well, he did want to become the new Professor X--you know what, that's a joke made in poor taste. Forget I typed that. Quentin rushes to get them back home to Earth as safely as he could manage.

Back on Earth: Kitty was helped by the BAMFs which are essentially dwarf versions of Nightcrawler who can also teleport. They're cuties. I suppose they are named after the sound they make in comics whenever they teleport but everyone knows that BAMF also stands for BADASS MOTHERFUCKERS so it's a fitting name. Alien asshole scientist bitch-slaps Kitty into almost oblivion just as Beast was so close to doing something about the hatchlings infestations inside her body. Seeing his beloved teacher bloodied and hurt all because some jerk was trying to get to him made adorable Broo see red and his Brood mode kicked in and he LITERALLY STARTED TRYING TO EAT THE FACE OF THE SCIENTIST in a glorious display of macabre. In the end, S.W.O.R.D came in to arrest the perpetrator scientist and Kitty was pumped full of penicillin to get rid of the hatchlings in her system. She breaks down in tears, though, because she realized that she would rather have Brood filth in her uterus than an actual baby of hers, indicating that she's not ready to grow up. I'm sorry, kitten, but motherhood is not some end-all sign of maturity and adulthood, okay? Lots of proud and independent women are secure being childless so calm yo self! 

Well, she's definitely vulnerable because she kissed Iceman in desperation, much to Warbird's annoyance and the rest of S.W.O.R.D operatives' discomfort. Too bad Bobby Drake will come out gay AND NOT BISEXUAL WHICH MAKES MORE SENSE DAMMIT later in Bendis' run. So, enjoy it while it lasts, Kitty. The downside of issue #7 was for Broo. It turns out that he is a rabid killer underneath all his propriety and intelligence, which the alien jerkface scientist was gleeful to conclude. So he doesn't feel the need to exterminate Broo anymore because Broo will always be a Brood and sooner or later he will switch back to his primitive, bloodthirsty ways :(

And the school doesn't need to worry about money problems. Their lawn Krakoa can GROW DIAMONDS ON TREES!

Issue #8 gives us Wolverine in a wheelchair still trying to get back to his normal routine of being a teacher. But his entire class skipped the period. Meanwhile, Kade Kilgore is being mentored by Sabretooth and he instructed the Hellfire Club brat king to figure out the heart of the Jean Grey School if he wants to defeat the X-Men. So the kids skipped class because Warren a.k.a Angel wants to prove something. He has been damaged so badly that he literally believes he's an angel. He takes his classmates to Planet Sin and they all get to beat up the thugs who tried to kill Logan and Q last time. Kid Gladiator, however, was bored. He was looking for stronger opponents. Some jerk punched him hard on the face, much to the dismay of meek, introverted Genesis. The jerk made the mistake of trash-talking Kansas in front of Genesis, the place I assume was his home sweet home. Angered by that, he blasted the fucker off on the spot, simultaneously changing K.G's opinion about his weak prowess. Angel also got to bond with Genesis since they both are trying to establish an identity for themselves. Both are lost souls who struggle to fit in and belong. The biggest and bittersweet irony of it is that the only reason why Angel ended up like this (with his angel wings shredded and his mind wonky) was because of Apocalypse---and Genesis is a clone of Apocalypse, grown from a lab. So...they end up friends here, neither of them knowing they were already so viciously tied together in the past. This is a truth bomb just ticking away...

In other news: Sabretooth almost kills Beast's girlfriend Abigail of S.W.O.R.D and Hank was just not happy about that and proves to Sabretooth that you don't mess with the Beast. He is more heart than guts but you can never underestimate the heart. As Angel showed Logan once they returned back to school, a heart has faith and imagination. It turns out that Angel retrieved the weapon which crippled Wolverine so that they can figure out how to restore his legs. It was very touching! </3

But Kade Kilgore also just figured out the heart of the school and now gets ready to attack...

GOSH DARN IT, this is such a spectacular and badass series! I never found anything dull or obligatory about reading or reviewing each issue at all! There are so many wonderful small moments to talk about, and every character is meaningful and sympathetic in their own right! I LOVE THIS SERIES! I WANT TO MARRY IT! CAN I PLEASE WALK IT DOWN THE ISLE NOW AND PUT A RING ON ITS FINGER?

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #5-6

You know what, it feels pretty great to end my X-Men Comics Diet this year with a rather entertaining title like Jason Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men. I've read three other MARVEL NOW! titles before this so I know what will happen later on to a lot of the characters present in this series' roster which actually helps me to curb my enthusiasm and expectations. It doesn't lessen my enjoyment for WAXM, however. In fact, knowing that bad things will happen someday down the road has helped me appreciate what is there before it gets hurled into space or smashed into smithereens (sometimes this happens not only on a figurative level). Four issues in and Aaron's deft grasp with humor and suspenseful moments still tickle me in a special way. Where else could I find a storyline concerning a bunch of mutant students being miniaturized into small particles so they can pass through someone's body for a lesson in Biology class? Who else can accomplish such an absurd yet still education feat but Hank McCoy? What other title could include Toad as the school janitor and just leave it at that? All of these amusing things can only be found and be written so compellingly in Wolverine and the X-Men. 

For issues #5-6 of the series, stuff happens that are both comedic and suspenseful:

• Like that Doctor Who episode from its eighth season with Peter Capaldi entitled Into Dalek, Beast turns his students (Quentin, Idie, Broo, Kid Gladiator, and Genesis) into microscopic entities so they can enter/violate Toad's body structure. This is to make the learning experience very, very and I mean VERY interactive for the students. Quentin gets to vandalize organs while Kid Gladiator is defeated by white blood cells (but don't mention that to him because it makes him really angry). Idie was astounded that the mutant body can be so beautiful--in spite the fact that mutants are evil incarnates which Idie profusely believes about herself (poor kid). Broo was the only one who enjoyed the interactive lesson, naturally.
• Kitty Pryde, as we have seen last issue, was preggers. She's been hiding for two days but that doesn't fly past the faculty because she is teaching ethics after all so being absent from her own class is simply not good form. Eventually, she does come out of the room and Hank puts her under a thorough check-up only to discover that she was somehow infected by Brood, microscopic invaders who are trying to shut down her body from within. Well, fuck. Good thing Hank's earlier lesson in Biology came in handy. So Rachel Grey, Iceman, Warbird and Kid Gladiator team up to fight the Brood because natural antibodies just ain't gonna cut it.
• Meanwhile, some aliens started trespassing inside the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning, most likely to get the young Broo. The alien in question has detected them in advance so he stayed behind so he can help protect Kitty but Kitty was not having any of it and tried to fight her way through it. She got defeated and now Broo is in danger. Inside Kitty, Kid Gladiator was turned into a Brood specimen, making his bodyguard Warbird's job really difficult for her (again).
• Quentin Quire was not a part of this rescue mission because Logan has snatched him away earlier to join him in the outer space where they hope to dupe a casino as they earn lots of money using Q's telepathy to cheat. Look, the pubescent Hellfire Club had wrecked the school and before any legal proceedings can happen that could give them financial gain to have the damages repaired, they need to get money somewhere else because they are, in Aaron's own words in his summary for the issues, "flat out broke". But the two got caught before they could leave and a fight ensues.

This title is DA BOMB. So far, this GIF summarizes how I react every time I read an issue. While midway, I'll be laughing my ass off---the next I'll be so shocked about the sudden turn of events that I forgot what I was even laughing about in the first place.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

The Uncanny X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis, Volume 6

Much like its previous third volume, this was a collected series of standalone issues. I'm not really sure whether this volume is entitled The Revolution or Storyville. There are conflicting sources that say it's one or the other. Maybe the collection is yet to be finalized? I don't know. But this one does feature the fifty-two-paged special #600th issue of The Uncanny X-Men which effectively ends Brian Michael Bendis' run of UXM (and even ANXM). But before we discuss that prominent issue, let's get on with the other four first and how I thought about their content.

Now the only issue that actually had a solid tether to the actual ongoing plot was issue #32 which was a Scott-centered story that I did not like reading at all, mostly because I hated, JUST HATED, how Scott was characterized. After the fiasco concerning the powerful mutant Matthew Malloy whose very existence was stopped by time-traveling Eva Bell as she assisted a young Charles Xavier in doing so, Scott was bequeathed the Westchester place in Xavier's last will and testament--which he then refused and gave to Storm. 

Afterwards, he went back to tell his students--the recruits--that he is closing down their secret school for good which means they are effectively disbanned as a team. Emma and Ilyana (especially Ilyana) is not pleased about this very inconsiderate and abrupt decision. She teleports herself and Kitty out there. Meanwhile, the recruits were just as angry. As far as I'm concerned, they have every right to be, and Scott clearly deserved that goldball in the face. This issue was told in a flashback perspective, with Scott telling (yet also not disclosing) the story to his brother Alex who had just resigned from the Uncanny Avengers team. So the two talked about the future.

This issue also dealt with the final break-up between Scott and Emma which is a darn shame because I've rooted for this couple to stay together since Whedon's Astonishing run. But with the way things have gone down after they got messed up by the Phoenix force, and the track record of Scott's unpredictable decision-making, they both need to end whatever lingering feelings they may have for each other because it's apparent they want so many different things now. I didn't like Scott in this issue because I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HIM ANYMORE. I have a soft spot for Scott from the very beginning. I never truly despised him or liked him so much either. Now---I don't know! I can totally relate to everyone here because I also feel like I've been ain emotionally abusive relationship with a so-called man of principle who doesn't seem to give a damn about how his choices affect the people around him who believe in him every step of the way---especially Ilyana who showed her devotion to him, out of all his comrades, by always being there to be the supportive brawn or willing sounding board. I was surprised she didn't punch him the face because she deserved that. Instead, she walked away and had her bestie with her which was timely because those two have issues to resolve by themselves too.

Ilyana and Kitty's issue was a very nice break from the craziness that was Scott Summers' volatile flip-flop characterization. The besties found themselves in Monster Island and ended up rescuing a mutant child named Bo who was abandoned by her own father to die after she accidentally killed her mother. They succeeded in bringing her back to the Jean Grey school and Storm was glad to take her and enroll her there on the spot. The girl's powers could be something deadly, especially since she seemed to have easily attacked Kitty even when the latter was on phase mode. I certainly hope young Bo will make it and that she will grow up stronger once she has learned to control her abilities. The next issue was about the inevitable confrontation between Mystique and Dazzler which was...underwhelming somehow. It turns out that Mystique was probably still married to Xavier before he died (although thanks to Eva's intrusion, Xavier's will never mentioned the marriage anymore), and that Mystique still did those horrible things to Dazzler (pretty much used her a drug experiment). Dazzler (who is not so dazzling anymore with her new goth look) showed some compassion for Mystique and did not kill her, but instead she vowed to teach her a lesson--and then the issue just ends there. I don't fucking care what they do to Mystique anymore. I've lost any kind of investment on her character a long time ago. Like since she and Irene were finished. There are only so many times she can break my heart. MOVING ON!

Literally all I would say every time Mystique is on a page

The last issue was about the abandoned students of Scott's short-lived school program/revolution mission. These youngsters (plus the adult Hijack) decided to form their own team instead because no one said that they should be the new X-Men anyway. None of their previous mentors were there so they went on missions on their own to fight mutants who are causing trouble with the civilians. At first it worked out just swell--Goldballs even became an internet sensation (since he really learned to own his superhero name to the point where he screams it whenever he attacks, like a goddamn Pokemon or some shit). But the taste of freedom and fame have a price and during one mission, a few humans start egging on them, literally hitting Goldballs in the throat with a freaking glass shard of some sort, and the Steford sisters almost telepathically killed the attacker on the spot. They have never been faced with such a heated hatemongering assault from rabid anti-mutant assholes and of course they got scared shitless about it! The life of a mutant crime fighter is never glamorous. After realizing this, they all went to the Jean Grey school and Storm was only so willing to take them in because, OF COURSE WHY WOULDN'T SHE, THE MERCIFUL GODDESS THAT SHE IS?! All these standalone stories were enjoyable to read, except for the Scott one because GODDAMMIT, SUMMERS!

Now, for issue #600: a fifty-two paged loaded story that has one main plot all across the pages while sidestories were branched out across it. The main plot in question was about Present-Day Hank McCoy's intervention--oh, I'm sorry--TRIAL. Yes, his hubris is finally about to begin and take centerstage. Beast has really evolved--or devolved--into something unrecognizable, certainly not the one I love in the nineties cartoons. This erudite, level-headed and quirky scientist was such a warm presence back in the day, able to tickle us with his cleverness and sense of humor; someone who embodies values and principles and becomes the needed voice of reason for his compatriots. He worked both for the X-Men and the Avengers because he wanted to do more; he wanted to help and cure and discover awesome new things that could help the mutant race. And then, somewhere along the way, much like Scott Summers, he has lost that moral compass and he started doing questionable things, hiding behind his brilliance, justifying his atrocities by imposing intellectual superiority while nursing a hurt, envious ego usually directed at his old friend Scott. THOSE TWO DESERVE A PLACE IN INFAMY, I SAY. And it pains me to say it because I love Hank! I also kinda sometimes and often like Scott...on occasion. So seeing these two original X-Men just...being all over the goddamn place is...STRESSFUL! Look, I still feel for these boys but sometimes I just want to tell them off!

Storm alongside everyone like Kitty, Ilyana, Peter, Emma and Kurt all want to help him make amends but Hank is too blinded by rage and cowardice and kept pointing fingers at Scott--that it was all Scott's fault instead of claiming responsibility. Dude, Scott may have murdered Charles Xavier which is inexcusable, but YOU ARE TAINTING THE LEGACY OF YOUR DEAD MENTOR SO MUCH MORE THAN THE MURDER COMMITTED BY SCOTT HIMSELF! GOD! When Ororo Munroe tells you to get your shit together, you better get that shit together or else! So while this riveting discussion of Hank's assholery is going on, we get flashbacks of stuff that happen predating this intervention-trial, such as:

Young Bobby confronts Present-Day Bobby about their sexuality. Young Bobby came out as gay back in the All-New X-Men, thanks to Jean being a telepathic snoop, and now young Bobby feels the need to help his older counterpart deal with the fact that he is closeted. And guess what, Present-Day Bobby is, in fact, also gay! Um...I know I brought this up during that coming-out issue from ANXM but then decided to take it back anyway because I really wasn't ready to argue about it, but I feel like I should bring it up again because Bobby Drake has had relationships with women--a few of them I knew for a fact he genuinely loved. He had sex with those women. He had fallen in love with those women. He loved Kitty too. So, you know, I can buy young Bobby being gay but the current Bobby of this timeline? NO FREAKING WAY. How about he just came out as BISEXUAL? Would that be less of an empowering stance? Would that lessen his courage of coming out of the closet? BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS BISEXUALS ARE MYTHICAL CREATURES. You can only either be heterosexual or homosexual. Look, it just doesn't make any sense to me! It's clear that all the relationships Bobby had ever been with were all with females so he at least is capable of sexual and romantic attraction with them. Are you seriously telling me that he managed to fake and pretend his way through sex with them? None of these women were even aware that he is not into them that way at all? SERIOUSLY! I'm trying not to be a dick here but what's so wrong about Bobby Drake just coming out as BISEXUAL because his relationship history proves it?! Goddammit, I'm actually pretty pissed about this. I'm pissed because PD-Bobby just caved in like that and told his younger counterpart, "You're right, I'm a hundred-percent gay too and only like men" never mind the fact that he had been with women genuinely. So...basically, I'm supposed to believe those relationships are invalid then? That means that Bobby is not only lying to himself SO WELL AND EFFECTIVELY but also to these women whom he--you know what, fuck it. Whatever. I'm just...this review is going longer than I expected and I really need to trim my rants now.

My second rant is about young Jean Grey and Hank McCoy becoming the "official couple" while a young Scott looks on, forlorn and sad. I mean...I MEAN, clearly, CLEARLY it was demonstrated that SCOTT WAS THE ONE WHO WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR JEAN during ANXM. She and Hank kissed once, and when shit went down and she asked for Hank to trust her, he didn't help her while Scott fully trusted her and ran away with her all because she asked. That's all she did, she asked and Scott had her back. What the fuck was Hank doing? He decided to stay behind to observe stuff going down because he's such a scientist and all that shit. I mean, really, Jean? REALLY? How can you still like Hank when he's so unreliable and Scott is clearly more able to express his feelings for you? Why do this, Bendis? Because getting Scott and Jean together is too much of a cliché? So for novelty's sake we're doing Jean/Hank now? Again, fuck it. I need to stop ranting or I may start popping blood vessels here from the rate I'm going. *takes a deep, deep breath and releases*

Other nice stuff happened like that Colossus-Kitty-Ilyana friendly reunion. Kitty is getting married in space and joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. PD-Scott did this nice thing at Washington DC where he gathered all the mutants just to be present as a race and THEY DID NOT START ATTACKING HUMANITY AT ALL even though that was what the foolish humans feared, which was a victorious and uplifting show of strength and union for the mutants, especially with Magneto coming in and gracefully calling it a truce with Scott in front of the public. It was nice. Here are the actual scans of those pages. Behold the awesomeness:

Bendis' run does end with some dread and even mild foreshadowing. Eva Bell is still around, traveling through time and whatnot, and I don't know what kind of shit she is capable of stirring up but I am not feeling optimistic at all about it. She vowed to keep an eye on Scott Summers after all, and to judge him accordingly. Meanwhile, Beast has left the school for good and is hiding somewhere and I have no idea what he intends to do next. Is it possible he might become the newest villain for the X-Men?

RECOMMENDED: 8/10