X-Men United is in a curious position. The brand-new series, touted as the vanguard of the Shadows of Tomorrow era of comics, has received significant promotion and marketing. But what has been promised and what has been put to page have ended up being two very different things. Despite debuting as a brand new, X-Men series, co-equal to Jed MacKay and Tony Daniel’s X-Men and Gail Simone and David Marquez’s Uncanny X-Men, X-Men United falls woefully short of these lofty heights, in both quality and in impact.
X-Men United #2 is a microcosm of all the small problems this title has faced. Written by Eve Ewing, best known for bringing Exceptional X-Men to the page, and drawn by Tiago Palma, X-Men United #2 continues where the first issue left off, highlighting how divided the X-Men really are.
- Title: X-Men United #2
- Creatives: Eve Ewing (Writer), Tiago Palma (Artist), Brian Reber (Colorist), Joe Sabino (Letterer)
- Characters: Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Melee, Captain America, Laura Kinney, Jitter, Cyclops, Beast, Quinten Quire, Ben Liu, Magneto
- Villain: Cyclops
- Format: Ongoing Series
- Our Rating: 6/10 Stars
Bitter Exes
The start of the issue focuses on the fire caused within Greymatter Lane. Cyclops shows up to the scene alongside Ben Liu, before they are confronted by Emma Frost. Emma realizes right away that the fire was caused by Cyclops, aided by Quinten Quire. A security test and a demonstration of the flaws of the place, though, as Emma states, her security practices enabled it to be locked down instantly without anyone being hurt.
Cyclops defends his actions, while Emma is irate at him for lacking trust in her and finding him controlling, uptight, and arrogant. It’s an effective argument; one made plausible by the bitter relationship between the two characters. While some writers have attempted to portray them as friends, Cyclops and Emma are more naturally adversarial in many ways, given their respective senses of pride.
Quickly, the story shifts to Captain America, who seeks the aid of the Greymatter Lane X-Men in a matter concerning the US government and its past with World War II veterans and African American soldiers. The decision on whether to help Captain America is hinged on good PR for the mutants, and they eventually agree to assist him after debate.
A team is quickly assembled, featuring Laura Kinney, Melee, and Jitter, alongside Captain America himself. From there, with the assistance of Beast and the empathy engine that they have developed, the team quickly find themselves in a situation that’s both paranormal and virtual reality.
Organizational Flaws
There are notable cameos by Magneto and Beast in this issue, both limited to a single page, but the writing for both is fairly strong. The bigger issue is how this series is set up.
The quick jump into conflict and an X-Men and mutant group that is not aligned feels strange and contradicts the concept. And while the conflict between Cyclops and Emma Frost is plausible and well written, it happens so quickly and so early in this comic book that it undermines the central premise. X-Men United is pitched as a school, but there isn’t much school shown. The series might have benefited from engaging more with the premise and focusing on the community and school aspects before introducing conflict.
X-Men United #2 introduces interesting concepts, but those concepts aren’t explored in a way that feels satisfying, and the second half of the comic feels so disconnected from the first half that questions have to be asked about the setup of the story.
Artistic Flaws
The other major issue with this comic is the art. Tiago Palma is a newer artist at Marvel and certainly shows promise and potential. But as of right now, his abilities do not seem well-suited to such a prominent job, penciling what was pitched as a crucial title. Greymatter, as a school, is still underdeveloped, with little architectural detail. What is seen is largely renditions of previous designs of the Xavier School and Krakoa. Some of the character faces are not well drawn, and while Palma does have a good sense of movement and flow to his work, there remain weaknesses with facial features, backgrounds, and unique design.
Ultimately, X-Men United #2 begins with an interesting moment, but ultimately does not inspire confidence. The pacing and set-up of the story feel flawed and reversed, and the art remains a weak point for the series.
‘X-Men United’ #2 is a Fragmented Vision of the Shadows of Tomorrow
X-Men United #2 begins with an interesting moment, but ultimately does not inspire confidence. The pacing and set-up of the story feel flawed and reversed, and the art remains a weak point for the series.
