The Danger Room arc continues, with part 2 brought to the page by writer Jed MacKay, and artists Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. The sophomore issue in what will be a five-issue arc, X-Men #27 proves to be mostly set-up for the story to come.
In the previous issue, we learned that the X-Men had been deliberately split up by Maxine Danger, working on behalf of ONE’s new director, Frank Bonahan. Maxine Danger’s new organization, The Danger Room, takes shape in this issue.
Who are the New Villains in X-Men #27?
Much of X-Men #27 is dedicated to introducing the various players who make up this new antagonistic faction. Maxine Danger is rich and has government contacts, enough to get dangerous, violent people who were incarcerated drafted into her group.
A common thread between the recruits is the complete lack of care for their fellow man, with two members not even believing themselves to be human. A quartet of ruthless strategic experts, Maxine Danger siccs them on the X-Men, trapping the bulk of the X-Men team on a ship that hosts techno-organic organisms designed to kill, while Psylocke and Xorn are waylaid by John Greycrow’s capture, and Glob Herman fights for his life after a deadly ambush.
Why Jed MacKay’s Latest Arc Feels Like Filler
There isn’t much more to the issue than this; the bulk of it is dedicated to establishing this new faction and repeating the peril the X-Men find themselves in with the new context these reveals provide. While the group itself has an interesting concept, it’s hard to be too excited about it. It’s all too sudden and new, and the designs of the members are quite plainly very generic, especially for X-Men.
Jed MacKay is known as a writer who finds obscure characters and reinvents them, and The Danger Room felt like a good opportunity to do more of that. At the very least, obscure, deep-cut villains could interest some fans of those characters or older runs. Instead, by opting to go with a cast of all new villains, MacKay has created a group that, to most readers, will seem like generic threats to be disposed of once the arc is done. There is a lack of anything truly memorable being done here.
Does the Art in X-Men #27 Save the Story?
Netho Diaz pencils this issue, while Sean Parsons and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo provide the inks and colors. There is nothing artistically wrong with this issue, and the large, sharp creature the X-Men find themselves trapped with has a cool, intimidating design. However, the Danger Room members themselves look quite bland and visually uninteresting.
While part of that might be the fault of the writing direction, the failure to make an intriguing design for these characters or even a visually interesting base or control room adds to the forgettable nature of this particular crew of villains.
Is X-Men #27 Worth the Buy?
X-Men #27 is another issue in a long list of slow-paced, establishing issues that Jed MacKay has written. There remains little urgency and excitement in some of these arcs, and this one, more than any other, has the feeling of truly being “filler.”
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X-Men #27
X-Men #27 is another issue in a long list of slow-paced, establishing issues that Jed MacKay has written. There remains little urgency and excitement in some of these arcs, and this one, more than any other, has the feeling of truly being “filler.”
