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Cyclops #5 Cover by Alexander Lozano

Cyclops is trapped on a strange planet. Rations are running low. Hope of rescue is tenuous. The local fauna wants to eat you and your long lost father. Suffice it to say, you're in a tight spot. It's not like the situation could get any worse; that is unless the homing beacon that you have just repaired is now calling bounty hunters your way.

But come on, this is Cyclops and Corsair; it's not like there isn't going to be a plan, right? Greg Rucka has been revealing his plan to set up the Cyclops series and is now bringing his run to a close. It is bittersweet as Rucka would have had more to offer than the introduction of the solo series. However, with John Layman taking up the reigns, we will continue to see the unfolding space opera adventure of the young X-Man.

Cyclops #5 picks up the tale of the stranded father and son team and the culmination of their plight to get off the planet. It is great to see the resolution Rucka has penned in this issue. We have been witness to the development of the paternal relationship that was missing from the time warp that misplaced teenage Scott Summers. This has given Cyclops a needed boost of confidence and ability that is brought to the forefront in this issue.

Some outcomes were well foreseen, but ultimately Rucka has left Cyclops in a good place to continue from where he leaves it. It is interesting to see the rise of the strategic characteristics that Cyclops is well known for being shown here. Rucka manages to use this to his advantage to provide some surprises in Cyclops #5.

The pencils, inks, and colors have been a treat to see from the initial artistic team on Cyclops. The mainstays of Alexander Lozano's covers and Chris Sotomayor's colors have provided a cohesion that ties in the pencils and inks from Russell Dauterman, Carmen Carnero, and Terry Pallot. The sense of epic space adventure has been fantastically visually crafted. Pallot uses a smooth line style that is simple and easy on the eye. Carnero has continued to capture the smooth sense of style set up by Dauterman, but it is Sotomayor's colors that make the series so very visually appealing.

It feels like we have accomplished something through the first five issues of Cyclops. The narrative has been established and in the next steps we may see more adventure from the Starjammers as Cyclops and Corsair make their way back to space and try to find a way to get more clandestine medical assistance for Corsair to keep alive.

With the relationship of father and son feeling more cemented and a confidence emanating from the book, there seems to be a lot more story to be told. Add to the fact that the other original X-Men are having adventures in the Ultimate universe, the need for young Scott to come back to Earth is not immediate.

What do you hope to see from the next creative team on Cyclops? How did you find the first team's run? Make sure you comment below.