X-MEN #8

Writer: Jed MacKay
Penciler: Ryan Stegman
Inkers: JP Mayer, Livesay, & Ryan Stegman
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

The ‘Raid on Graymalkin’ crossover event between Jed MacKay’s X-Men & Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men kicked off in exciting fashion! I know a lot of fans were concerned for a crossover event so soon into From the Ashes, but I thought the way MacKay set this event up in this first issue gave this X-Men vs X-Men story an interesting new angle as two groups of mutants try to save their teammates from the depravity of captivity. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but he used all of the tension that has been building since Krakoa’s final days to introduce a clear explanation for what’s happening.

However, one head-scratcher for me was how Cyclops was all of a sudden fully trusting in Psylocke’s ability to be in field again after he sidelined her in the previous issue. I noted there that his objection to her participating in the previous mission was strange and it was made even stranger here when as it seemed to be completely forgotten. Does he think she’s better now? Did he forget? Was this just a contrived plot point so Psylocke’s solo series could be set up? My vote is the latter.

With that small nitpick aside, every other aspect of MacKay’s script hit for me. I loved the interactions between Beast, Jubilee, & Calico in the Graymalkin prison. It showed that underneath it all, these are individuals with deep histories who have far more in common than they have differences. Beast standing up for Calico, a mutant he’s never met, was a great step towards building the character back up into a good guy now that we have the “new” old Beast on the team. Cyclops also gets some great commentary that reminds us why he’s in charge. MacKay has really shown he has a great handle on the voice for all the characters he’s writing in this book even if every character doesn’t get a ton of story each issue.

The big moment for this issue is the literal Raid on Graymalkin, the X-Men’s former home. Their was well executed narratively & visually. The plotting was fast-paced & intense with kinetic art that excellently depicted motion and sound effects. Ryan Stegman’s style has really grown on me since the first issue. His disjointed linework complements the tone of the MacKay’s story perfectly. JP Mayer & Livesay’s inks give Stegman’s designs extra weight, which make character movements standout & their emotions palpable. Marte Gracia’s colors underscore the bleakness of Graymalkin’s current state under Corina Ellis. He uses small moments of vibrancy to draw the reader in during key moments. This creative team isn’t holding back for this story and the scene with Beast being beaten to a pulp by Graymalkin guards was the clearest example.

Overall, this was a really exciting start to the event and I’m eager to see what the Uncanny creative team has in store to up the ante in the next chapter. So far, MacKay’s doing his usual top tier writing and the art team is matching him stride for stride.

Rating: 9/10