All-New X-Men is, by far, my favorite Marvel NOW series to date. Brian Michael Bendis has done something great, and, while the idea is not entirely novel, the plot that he weaves is surprisingly satisfying, especially for long-time X-fans like myself.
All-New X-Men #7 picks up where the last issue left off, as Bendis expands on Scott’s exploration of the new world that he’s in. Barring the appearance of a certain invitation to a certain wedding that Scott stumbles upon, the character development that Scott undergoes in this issue is, quite frankly, a little dull. It pales in comparison to, say, what Jean Grey is going through. Bendis has been doing a wonderful job of showing Jean’s struggles and development after being pulled from the past. I find that I am left wanting when we have the same experiences with Scott. He seems annoyingly brooding and flat, and there are rarely any truly poignant moments that express how Scott is handling it all.
Besides that, I also find Mystique’s role in this issue a little hard to swallow. She presents herself to Scott as a friend, subtly hinting at the idea that the Jean Grey School is headed in the wrong direction. While not clear at first whether or not an ulterior motive is present, that issue is quickly resolved at the end of the book. Through this exchange between the two, Scott seems a little too unsuspicious; you would think that Charles Xavier would have trained his X-Men better than that. That being said, perhaps there is a role of inexperience playing into this, which I guys I would have an easier time buying.
I’m sad to say that
All-New X-Men #7 was a fairly mediocre read. While we see the beginnings of a plot that will no doubt begin unfolding as we move on, the character development and storytelling in this issue seemed a little static.
Score: 5/10
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