A Review From Christopher Franey

Ok we’re back after a crazy hectic week and I’m here to talk with you about Uncanny X-Men issue 16, part 6 of “This is Forever.”  So I missed issue 15 which had some wild dynamics, reunions, and also some damages…mainly like Cyclops being shot in the eye by Hope.  So I’m wondering how that will be resolved since Dark Beast did operate on Scott, plus he also helped the infected X-Men lose the Transmode Virus.  So is Dark Beast a member of the team?  Has he done something to Scott?  Guess we will find out at a later time.So the issue opens up with “This began when someone I cared about died.  And it began to end when someone else I cared about did, too.  All I can think is how each step we take toward our end never gets us any closer.  It always comes out of nowhere…”  So I wonder who this narrator is; my first thought was Cyclops since the text box is in red, but with this latest entry I am wondering if by chance it might be one of the New Mutants.  Who could the first death be and who was the second?  Are they deaths that are part of this arc?  Maybe it was the death of Blindfold (Ruth) and this issue’s death…(SPOILER) Wolfsbane (Rahne). 

That was a hard revelation to see in this issue especially after Rahne asked if she could stop and just live a normal life.  That was a nice moment and something that makes sense, sometimes people are just tired of fighting, especially since she has been doing this since she was a kid; I’ll be honest I was hoping that she would have the happy ending but it wasn’t in the script for her.   

So we see right off the bat that Cyclops is turning over Samurai, Dragoness, Forearm, and Strobe to Captain America so they can be properly placed into custody.  Scott admits he doesn’t like this and really doesn’t trust Cap, he even hides the fact that he still has Hope, Banshee, and Dark Beast.  What I found interesting in the conversation between the two was that Scott doesn’t see the USA as his country anymore, which is sad but understandable as he says, “I’m a Mutant, Steve.  Any country I ever had has been taken from me long ago.”  Hmmm…maybe a return for Utopia?  Before that scene ends we see Cap give a note to Scott, so I wonder how that will play out later. Havok has a moment where he expresses that he is tired of not being in Scott’s council and the lying to Captain America.  Alex doesn’t like the fact that Scott is getting more advice from Logan and not evening hearing out his own brother.  Scott simply tells him: 

Which I find interesting as we do tend to blind ourselves and judgements for those we care about.  The next scene sets us up for some X-Men action.  As we see a “Magneto” led Brotherhood attack Connallon Air Force Base in Eastern Transia; the scary part of this Brotherhood is they have a Juggernaut.  We then shift back to Harry’s Hideaway and the decision is set who will lead the X-Men, Scott tells the group as of now he is no longer the De Facto Leader.  They come to a consensus that most of the team members are leaders, so actions will be put to a vote.  Illyana calls up the first vote and it looks like that is to add Hope and Banshee to the team, so this group goes into action against the Brotherhood. 

Looking good!  What was interesting was the line all sins are forgiven, so this might help to launch this team forward instead of some of the past drama holding them back.  In this fight we see Cyclops flashback to Rhane which is crazy as they are in battle and his mind wandered.  They have a struggle with the Brotherhood but in the end they manage to get to “Magneto” and discover that he is actually Joseph, which puts Juggernaut in an awkward position.  Joseph explains why he is doing what he is doing and seems to try and recruit was is left of the X-Men to his side.  Yet in the end it doesn’t matter as Juggy says:

Juggernaut seems to not want any problems with the X-Men and he tells them that he wants to help the Mutants out.  Joseph knows he is defeated and then continues with Villainous Monologue until we see a “swssh” across his neck and then his head fall off, so goodbye Joseph, hello Kwannon aka Nothing. 

I enjoyed the issue and I felt it did move the arc along a little faster than the previous issues.  It has set up a lot of questions and I hope we get to find the answer soon as we are six issues deep into this.  I enjoy the fact that it doesn’t really play off as Bad Guy vs Good Guy with the Brotherhood and X-men, but that both sides have expressed why they are doing their actions.  For once I can see the Brotherhood being right, I mean who wouldn’t fight this hard in the given situation.  When they were in the millions they had a hard enough time now that there is a handful of them they are really backed to the wall.  I can’t wait to see how this arc continues/concludes and next issue will definitely have lots to deal with from this fallout.  I give this issue 5 out of 5 Juggernauts and highly recommend this arc.  As always read on and Excelsior!