Uncanny X-Men 534.1

Another week, another .1 issue to review. Thankfully this is one of the best of them that I’ve read. The current team is reasonably compact and all really famous (the line-up is all on the cover), so it’s not much effort, but Gillen gives them all a moment anyway. More importantly, he zooms straight in on the point of greatest interest: why is Magneto now an X-Man, and how will this be accepted by the world?

He does this by bringing in a PR expert, who talks to an uncooperative Magneto about the problem at some length, while the rest of the team pursue an earthquake threat in San Francisco set up by some fake AIM agents. This seemed like it might be a dull diversion, a weak plot to give the rest something to do, but in the end the two strands are tied together beautifully and to substantial effect.

The fake AIM people are beautifully written, tricking corporations and having fun in the process, with little in-jokes mocking their pretence. No explanation as to why they are pretending to be AIM, so there may be more to the story, but it’s a joy to read anyway. There are good lines on just about every page of this comic, many of them really excellent. The dialogue with Magneto and the PR expert is superbly controlled in tone: he doesn’t want people to stop being scared of him. He is not claiming to be totally reformed, admitting that he may well give people reason to be scared again in the future. The exchange about PR vs propaganda is a treat too.

The art is very nice too: glossy mainline modern superhero stuff, perhaps a little weak on the dramatic action moments, but excellent on people, which is particularly appreciated in Magneto’s face during the lengthy conversation – I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much without Pacheco’s precise and nuanced expressions.

And let’s credit editor Nick Lowe too: we get the usual stiff (sorry, couldn’t resist) two pages of panels showing what is coming up in the title (exciting images like the team looking at us, or riding in a blackbird), but he has the sense to add a text page telling us rather more, and actually managing to make it sound fairly enticing, despite a revolving cast of artists ahead – this is mainly because Gillen now interests me, admittedly.

I’m really encouraged lately by a series of good first, one-shot and .1 issues from Marvel (after a lengthy line of unsatisfactory or terrible ones): Young Avengers, FF, Cyclops, Cap 615.1, Herc and now this. Well done, Marvel – you’re cheering me up in a modest way at a time when I have never needed it more.