X-Men now enters the third part of the Danger Room arc. Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Netho Diaz, X-Men #28 raises the stakes and puts the X-Men in a bleak position before the climax.
One of Jed MacKay’s strong suits as a writer is his knowledge of Marvel storylines and characters long past. Some of MacKay’s best qualities are on display in this issue, but unfortunately, many of the other issues with his writing persist as well.
- Title: X-Men #28
- Creative Team: Jed MacKay (Writer), Netho Diaz (Pencils), Sean Parsons & John Dell (Inks), Arthur Hesli (Colors), and VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letters)
- Characters: Psylocke, John Greycrow, Beast, Magneto, Quentin Quire, Temper, and Glob Herman
- Villain: Maxine Danger and the Danger Room Faction
- Format: Part 3 of the “Danger Room” Arc
- Our Rating: 7/10 Stars (Buy it for the art)
The X-Men Find Themselves in Increasing Peril
X-Men #28 begins with the X-Men still in the Factory base in Merle, dealing with the fallout of Glob Herman being shot. With their comrade fighting for his life, Quinten Quire and Temper storm out to seek retribution, despite Magneto’s protests and pleas for them to remain calm. The hot-blooded mutants have a long history with Glob, one that Jed MacKay recounts from the days of Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men comic run. Unfortunately, their brash actions play right into the Danger Room’s hands.
The psychotic band of killers, united by Maxine Danger, have also trapped the main X-Men team in a bio-technic submarine, one that is alive and consuming the X-Men. Again, MacKay shows consistency in his storytelling by invoking a previous conflict from X-Men #22 between Juggernaut and Beast. The two are at odds when it comes to violence and killing, and that conflict arises again when Beast questions whether the X-Men’s repeated shows of violence and action are the answer to all their predicaments. Soon, Beast is the last one standing with the rescued Sherif Robins, and they willingly jump into the belly of the beast to rescue their friends.
All the while, the faction in the Danger Room congratulates themselves, toasting to their victory and believing that the X-Men are already finished. Their last loose end is John Greycrow, the lover of Psylocke, whom the Danger Room believes they have already killed at the start of the issue via a rocket launcher. The heartless mercenaries plan to execute the injured Greycrow, too, but just as they think their victory is complete, the final page unveils that Psylocke is not only alive, but she has taken out their entire assassin team.
A Cleanly Told Story with Pacing Problems
X-Men #28 pushes the X-Men to their limit and seemingly seals their defeat, but the last, memorably drawn final page shows that the comeback is very much on. Beast, Psylocke, and Magneto are still in the game, and the tables may soon be turned on the Danger Room.
The issue is mostly effective in what it tries to convey; however, the pacing that has plagued Jed MacKay’s X-Men run from the very beginning remains an issue. The level of activity and development between X-Men #27 and #28 is so limited that it almost feels like they should have been a single issue. MacKay’s new band of rogues, the Danger Room, also remains a somewhat lackluster, forgettable villain team.
An Upgrade Art Team Brings Out the Best in Netho Diaz
The art in this issue is a highlight. Netho Diaz is a familiar artist for readers of this X-Men run, but his art has never looked better than it has in this issue. Joined on the inks not only by his usual inker Sean Parsons, but also John Dell, the faces of the characters look more proportional, cleanly drawn, and unique than before. Arthur Hesli covers for Fer Sifuentes-Sujo on the colors for this issue, and his color work brings out the best in Diaz’s pencils and Parsons and Dell’s inks. The colors are deep, rich, and full, lacking the airbrushed quality that Sifuentes-Sujo typically gives his art, and making the characters look more natural and brighter and more colorful
Verdict: Should you buy X-Men #28?
X-Men #28 features improved art that upgrades and enhances the visual look of Diaz’s pencils and handles the segregated stories efficiently. However, the villains remain forgettable and uninspired, and the pacing of this issue and the previous one belies a problem that’s been inherent in Jed MacKay’s writing from the start.
