UNCANNY X-MEN #31 (MARVEL COMICS)
Aliens, Formal Dances and Hijinks ensuing…..It can only mean one thing!
Marvel’s premier X-Men series is back with an all new issue!
When the Outliers attend their first formal dance, all is not right. Ransom discovers The Brood have crashed the party! They’re not the only visitors from “out of town” to visit Louisiana. Someone’s taken Nightcrawler on board their ship!
UNCANNY X-MEN #31 by Gail Simone, David Baldeón, Jim Towe, Matt Wilson & Clayton Cowles (Marvel Comics) continues “Mars Needs Mutants!”
Let’s take a deeper dive into the latest installment.
UNCANNY X-MEN #31 by Gail Simone, David Baldeón, Jim Towe, Matt Wilson & Clayton Cowles (Marvel Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Simone opens with a look at Greymalkin Prison’s darkest secret. The writing shows the twisted plans coming to life on the captive prisoners. It creates an strong sense of uneasiness. Events shift fast to Nightcrawler’s current troubles. Readers watch as he valiantly tries fighting back to little avail. The same can be said for Ransom and Vic. Whent he Brood army comes full throttle, it kickstarts some wild action moments.
In this mix, the writing allows for some happier moments to take place. Jitter and Calico’s night keeps its’ optimistic sense while Mutina’s snarky ways balance them out. Their exchange is classic as the young Mutant has no issue firing up the X-Men in time of crisis. This leads into a noble rally which exposes more truths concerning the latest threat. The writing staggers events perfectly to allow the final moment to hit like an uppercut shot. It’s a great finish to an ever-engaging story.
read last issue’s review!
Baldeón & Towe spilt art duties for this issue. The Greymalkin Prison time shows a full shot of Monet about to lose her cool. Knowing the horrors that went down, it is a completely justified reaction. The full glimpse of the “final vision” is a terrifying notion. It sparks Banshee to lash out while preparing on how to deal with this. From here, events shift back to the extra-terrestrial events in Louisiana.
The full shot of the other aliens balances out the frenzied Brood attack. Ransom’s reactions keep escalating the fright. The art allows for a quieter moment of happiness to occur. Seeing Jitter and Calico have their dance along with Deathdream’s awkwardness lightens the mood up. This crashes back once Mutina arrives. Her non-chalant response to the panic only infuriates The elder X-Men. The half panel of what lies outside sends a huge message to readers. this only gets more out of control with the final page. The full image sends shivers down readers spines knowing what is unfolding. Great work in these panels.
The book also has part 2 of “Mind and Matter”, celebrating Disability Pride Month with Daredevil, Misty Knight, Finesse and Silhouette. Great story and art with the heroes in pursuit of Hobgoblin. Readers will be excited to see who joins the squad by story’s end.
FINAL GRADE: 8.8
The Brood crashes the wrong party as Louisiana becomes the target of a full blown alien extermination! Simone’s writing gives small breaks of hope while escalating events quickly. . The art locks in on the drama at hand with impressive imagery. This series continues to deliver on what makes the X-Men such an incredible group!
Let me know your thoughts on UNCANNY X-MEN #31 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
