X-Men #2: Is this real life? Or is it just fantasy?

It’s the second issue of the brand new X-Men series by Marvel superstars Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman, and they’re back in the thick of things. This time Cyke and the team find themselves on the hunt for a new mutant in San Francisco, while also dealing with an alien invasion that just seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Like last issue, the new mutant who manifested his powers much later in life, than during puberty, as most mutants do. So without further ado, let’s get on with the show…

Jed MacKay’s run has only just started, but it’s off to an uneven beginning thus far. We’re two issues in, but we don’t know who Idie or Psylocke is, or what their roles are on the team. Cyclops and Kid Omega received the most character development in this issue, but after the last couple years of constant character development, it’s time to shine some light on the lesser known characters. Like Psylocke. Kwannon will lead her very own solo ongoing, so putting her out front will help new fans care about her, they’ll be compelled to pick up the first issue at least.

Something that I enjoyed was Stegman’s art. The new mutant’s power isn’t all that creative, because how many reality manipulators does the X-Men need, but it did allow Stegman to get creative when it came to developing the alien space crafts, the aliens themselves. Or the scene where Juggernaut is shot out of the cannon that’s run by Temper’s (horrible codename by the way), it looks like the team are out here having fun with some of the goofier aspects of the plot. I really enjoy Kid Omega’s depiction here. It’s almost like a return to an era where he’s still a young adult into this world, rather than the annoying man child we saw in the last volume of X-Force. Nothing is perfect here, as we see with Psylocke’s sword that looks like a knife wrapped up in spaghetti.

It’s a shame that Magik, and the others are written so flat, and one note this issue, that it tends to detract from the overall enjoyable experience of the comic. MacKay seems to lack the emotional connection to the story or characters that he’s telling here, or give the cast any sort of depth and gravitas, it’s disappointing for readers and fans alike. Or the fact that we don’t know what happened at the last issue that ended on a cliffhanger, with no payoff this issue.  MacKay’s concerted effort into making the issue new reader friendly as possible, that the payoff doesn’t seem like it’s worth the effort. One hopes that before this arc is over we’ll have a clear understanding of who these characters are.