The Unity Squad is back in action in Uncanny Avengers #1, and Krakoa’s new protectors have never been more important.
I doubt anyone following the X-Men comics needs a refresher on what they’ve been up to, but if you somehow forgot: mutants (and Krakoa itself) are under attack from Orchis, leaving most of their highest ranking members eliminated and/or MIA. Facing such a hostile state of the world after the calamitous Hellfire Gala, mutants need human allies for than ever, and Steve Rogers has taken it upon himself to lead the charge by reforming the Avengers Unity Division — AKA the titular Uncanny Avengers. Basing themselves out of the Morlock tunnels with Tony Stark and some of the remaining X-Men (which includes Kate Pryde Shadowcat, Emma Frost, future fighter Rasputin, and the newly-mutant Ms. Marvel), the Unity Squad is tasked with taking down the face of the Orchis onslaught: Captain Krakoa, who is decidedly not Cyclops this time.
Lots of people were surprised when Marvel announced they were bringing back Uncanny Avengers as part of the X-Men line, but it makes sense after what happened at the Hellfire Gala and knowing what the “Fall of X” will entail for this phase of the Krakoa saga.The Avengers specifically have been fairly absent throughout the whole ordeal, but Judgement Day seems to have been a loose reintroduction point for them leading up to this installment. (Remember when Steve was resurrected by the Five and didn’t become a mutant, unlike Kamala? Still gonna need an explanation for that, Marvel!)
As for the team itself, this iteration consists of Steve, co-founding member Rogue, past recruits Quicksilver (still probably not a mutant) and Deadpool (whose last experience with the Squad didn’t work out so well), and new players Psylocke and Penance. If you noticed how mutant heavy this lineup is, that’s on purpose. Steve makes a point of emphasizing who they’re fighting for with the composition of the team, which is perfectly in-character for him, if perhaps disappointing for people who may prefer the Avengers side of the equation. (This is Uncanny Avengers, after all.) But if you haven’t been reading much Avengers lately, don’t be scared off by the title; this is an X-Men book more than anything else.
Writer Gerry Duggan wrote the previous run of Uncanny Avengers and has been behind several Krakoa-based titles, most notably adjectiveless X-Men (where the concept of Captain Krakoa debuted), so his involvement here makes sense. His script here is very “issue one table-setting” in the way it deploys plot and re-introduces its main cast, but that aside, it’s a fairly entertaining debut. It accomplishes everything a #1 should and leaves the reader wanting more —specifically by not revealing who the new Captain Krakoa is— without feeling totally decompressed or unsatisfying, though I would have maybe given this issue a larger page count than it already has to not end on a pre-fight cliffhanger. (That’s a major pet peeve in superhero comics for me.) Fellow Avengers/X-Men alum Javier Garrón also returns for this run on art, and his visuals are just as dynamic as you may have come to expect from him. He mostly keeps to the darker tone established by Fall of X, but it never comes off as murky or uninteresting to look at, thanks in part to Morry Hollowell’s colors. It’s an overall solid team for what seems to be a crucial point in the Krakoa saga, and I’m definitely interested to see how it plays out.
(Plus: former “Head of X” Jonathan Hickman supplies a brief teaser for his upcoming G.O.D.S. series, if that’s something you’re intrigued by.)
Uncanny Avengers #1
4.99
Credits
- Writer: Gerry Dugan
- Artist: Javier Garrón
- Color Artist: Morry Hollowell
- Letterer: VC's Travis Lanham
- Cover Artists: Javier Garrón & Morry Hollowell
Credits (cont)
- Editor: Tom Brevoort
- Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
