I’ll call this kind of issue a “picnic issue” or a “baseball issue,” which, for those unfamiliar, is a reference to the classic ’90s X-Men comics where the team would get a break from saving the world to have a picnic by the lake or play a round of baseball at the mansion. Those were always my favorites because they let us see the characters in calmer, more character-driven settings outside of a fight sequence.
X-Men #20 from Jed MacKay, fill-in artist Netho Diaz, inker Sean Parsons, and colorist Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, is a “picnic issue.” It has the charm of those classics, but it also has a glaring flaw that’s become a persistent problem in this X-Men run.
Following the chaos of the 3K siege, the X-Men take a much-needed break. The team cleans up the base, plays basketball, and has some classic “girl talk” about boys. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Agent Lundqvist of ONE have a conversation that turns into a fight on the streets of Merle, giving us a helpful summary of ONE’s opposition and 3K’s actions.
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While Cyclops and Lundqvist are busy, the rest of the team enjoys some meaningful, if blissfully unaware, interactions. Kwannon and Idie gossip about their love lives, with Idie’s new romance with Ransom of the Uncanny X-Men getting a special mention. Quinten, with the help of Juggernaut and Magik, finds a way to rebuild the Marauder jet. Hank and Jen briefly touch on the cliffhanger from issue #18, and Glob and Ben Liu play some basketball. The issue ends with Cyclops and Lundqvist continuing their chat in the local sheriff’s lock-up, much to the X-Men’s surprise, setting up the next installment.
While the individual interactions are strong, the overall story doesn’t progress much. This is particularly frustrating after the slower-than-expected 3K arc from issues #14-18 and the fact that issue #19 didn’t even feature this team. A critical flaw in Jed MacKay’s X-Men run so far has been the glacial pace of the narrative. Interesting factions, characters, and plot threads are introduced, but they are rarely followed up on.
This issue, like previous ones, ends with a new mystery: a new mutant boss of ONE who is not aligned with the X-Men and is far less lenient than Lundqvist. But this is just another cliffhanger after a series of cliffhangers, often without any resolution.
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Netho Diaz and Sean Parsons fill in for Ryan Stegman and J.P. Mayer, and they work well together. Their art effectively captures the aesthetic and movement of Stegman and Mayer’s work. Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, filling in for Marte Gracia on colors, ensures the book stays true to the visual style established in issue #1. It’s a testament to the consistency of the art that the book looks this good, and editor Tom Brevoort deserves a lot of credit for finding such a strong visual match between the artists.
Ultimately, X-Men #20 is a slow-paced issue that I once would have loved. But on the heels of so many unresolved and interrupted stories, that slow pace becomes a detriment rather than a feature. The character interactions are strong, but it’s hard not to be frustrated by the lack of progress and the “mystery box” style of storytelling.
‘X-Men’ #20 Review: A Welcome Respite, But At What Cost?
X-Men #20 is a slow-paced issue that I once would have loved. But on the heels of so many unresolved and interrupted stories, that slow pace becomes a detriment rather than a feature. The character interactions are strong, but it’s hard not to be frustrated by the lack of progress and the “mystery box” style of storytelling.
