Uncanny X-Men #24 continues the current arc, Where Monsters Dwell, written by Gail Simone, penciled by David Marquez, and colored by Matthew Wilson. The dynamite team builds on the classic Hollywood setting they established in the previous issue, with a bisected story that features the Outliers listening to and being part of a classic Western tale, while their older mentors battle the fearsome Legion of Monsters in a ruined amusement park straight out of Goosebumps.
Classic Hollywood Abound
The opening few pages of this issue focus on the Outliers, who listen in on a bedtime story featuring old West versions of themselves teaming up with the classic Marvel character Rawhide Kid. The inspired sequence sets the fictionalized, braver counterparts of the youngsters against a horse-thief gang of outlaws. Although these outlaws hide a secret: they are all zombies, who become visibly undead when the sun sets.
Much like the first issue, Gail Simone uses these scenes to establish a mood and tell a story that the older, mentor characters mirror in real life. The sudden turn towards zombies emulates the X-Men facing off against the Legion of Monsters, who are now working for a new villain and seek to conquer New Orleans and turn it into their den and feeding ground.
These are all long-standing Marvel villains, but Simone and Marquez make the clever choice to invoke themes of classic horror movies, such as the Hammer horror films, as well as older 1950s Hollywood horror films. It creates an enticing visual and a strong visual correlation with the classic Western style used in the earlier scene with the Outliers.
The Legion reject any diplomatic solution and quickly separate the X-Men in an abandoned amusement park, which is suitably eerie. Each X-Men member faces off against a different member of the Legion, with Wolverine being set upon by Werewolf by Night, Jubilee facing Morbius, Gambit takes on Manphibian, Nightcrawler encounters Frankenstein, and Rogue battles the Mummy and Elsa Bloodstone herself.
Each scene is given a spooky atmosphere, and each character reacts in ways that mostly suit their personalities. Wolverine’s opponent is quick to the kill, and Wolverine himself is quick to bite back. Jubilee is lured by Morbius to try and willingly become a vampire again. Nightcrawler finds himself spooked by Frankenstein’s Monster, who is well known to him given his German heritage. Gambit spins an old yarn about lessons his father gave him as Manphibian rises from the deep like the Creature From the Black Lagoon. And finally, Rogue is quick to overpower Elsa and the Mummy, but soon realizes her enemies have outplayed her entirely.
A Bridge Issue
The stakes feel suitably high and Gail Simone writes most of these encounters in a very compelling way. The earlier Outliers story continues to be strong, while Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Rogue all feel strongly written. There’s a slightly odd bit of dialogue from Jubilee that doesn’t sound quite like the character. Thus far into the run, Jubilee has unfortunately been the most neglected member of this cast, and hopefully invoking her vampiric past can bring her some relevance in the story, as it suits the current arc quite well.
The issue is mostly a bridge issue, providing more detail and story set-up that can be reaped later. While this means not a significant amount happens in the issue, the writing and art is strong enough, and the structure is effective enough that it still feels like a complete reading experience.
Marquez and Wilson’s Art Direction Remains Excellent
David Marquez draws the issue, and Matthew Wilson colors. The duo are X-Men’s strongest artistic pair since Krakoa ended, with a synergy between them that lands their work among the best of any Marvel ongoing. Uncanny X-Men #24 is as strong as it is in large part thanks to their artistic work. The entire issue drips with atmosphere and brings the classic horror vibes Gail Simone’s writing has cultivated. The designer for the credits page and the arc title cards also deserves credit. On the visual presentation level, this issue is superb.
Overall, Uncanny X-Men #24 brings the thrills, the spooky vibes, and the chills with a cliffhanger that is sure to leave readers scratching for more. Gail Simone, David Marquez, and Matthew Wilson put together their series best work here, and continue one of the best arcs in X-Men comics of the last two years.
Read More from KPB Comics:
Uncanny X-Men #24
Uncanny X-Men #24 brings the thrills, the spooky vibes, and the chills with a cliffhanger that is sure to leave readers scratching for more. Gail Simone, David Marquez, and Matthew Wilson put together their series best work here, and continue one of the best arcs in X-Men comics of the last two years.
