Uncanny X-Men #9 Review

Uncanny X-Men #9 will no doubt earn the distinction of being the most controversial X-Men comic Brian Bendis has written so far. This issue is the first to showcase Dazzler in her new role as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Gone is the happy-go-lucky disco singer of yore, replaced by a militant government agent who has no qualms about assaulting a suburban family and interrogating handcuffed teenagers. Cyclops even goes so far as to accuse Allison of being "the Uncle Tom of mutants," an insult that is certainly justified given the events seen here.

To be fair, she has a few choice words of her own in retort, and Dazzler isn't painted as a wholly unsympathetic character here. It's far too early to accuse Bendis of "damaging" Dazzler as a character or whatever other inevitable complaints will arise. Still, there are definitely aspects of her portrayal in this issue that don't sit well. I would have liked to see more emphasis on her sense of alienation with the current mutant culture, given that she spent the entirety of Avengers vs. X-Men gallivanting in alternate realities.

Aside from Dazzler, issue #9 enjoys some generally strong characterization for many of the younger characters. Bendis finds great success in exploring the Stepford Cuckoos and their growing desire for individuality. We see new bonds develop between several teen recruits, and on the whole, the Uncanny roster comes that much closer to establishing a cohesive identity and dynamic.

Chris Bachalo's art isn't always ideally suited to handle the dialogue-heavy sequences. This issue carries a slightly haphazard look because of the numerous inkers. The art is at its best in the later segments as the focus narrows to a small handful of characters.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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