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Amazing X-Men 12 cover by Carlo Barberi and Rachelle Rosenberg

World War Wendigo: Conclusion.

The first post–Jason Aaron arc has reached its finale. It has been a fun and entertaining change under the capable hands of Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Carlo Barberi, and Rachelle Rosenberg. We have seen a core group of the mutants from the Jean Grey School face a traditional X-Men–style challenge and adventure.

Issue 12 of Amazing X-Men sees the culmination of the story involving the Wendigo curse, once more unleashed on Canadian soil. The turmoil has allowed the Great Beasts to become unbalanced, and Tanaraq found supremacy. As the Amazing X-Men raced against time to stop the curse as it spread to American soil, Avengers and Alpha Flight joined the fray to tackle the odds.

While there were no profound Marvel Universe–changing moments in the "World War Wendigo" storyline, it was interesting to witness the group dynamic develop over the arc and the opportunity for Rockslide to step up. This chance for younger students or X-Men to shine seems to be a focus for Kyle and Yost, as we will see in issue #13 of Amazing X-Men with Anole.

The Wendigo curse spreads beyond Canada

The story has flowed well, Kyle and Yost proving adept at planning out the various plots that need to be maintained with the variety of characters they incorporated into the story. The only issue I would wager for many readers is the continuity of the story. Given the recent events of the Death of Wolverine, it is logical to ask: How does the World War Wendigo fit into the larger X-Men events coming out simultaneously? There are some easy outs to this, and ultimately it does not matter as much as the enjoyment of the comic itself does.

Amazing X-Men #12 is a fitting end to this part of the series. The action and drama are kept up, and the twists that occur in this issue certainly drive suspense until the final few pages. It is also very satisfying to see the final chapter of the arc properly wrap up this story. There are no overwhelming loose ends, which means we can easily slide into next month's installment of the series with a fresh sense of enjoyment.

Carlo Barberi, Iban Coello, Walden Wong, and Rachelle Rosenberg provide some very nice art. Barberi and Coello have made a seamless transition from Ed McGuiness, whose run with Jason Aaron was an instant grab for this new series. Helping with the transition have been the complementary artistic styles, which approach the series in a similar way, and the colors from Rosenberg. The colors in particular are a standout for their vividness and the lively sense of fun they bring to each page. They cheerfully match the tone and character of the story and book as a whole.

The Amazing X-Men and Alpha Flight fight the Great Beast Tanaraq

As an ongoing series, the Amazing X-Men best encapsulates what I feel Marvel needs in order to balance some of the serious dramas in the other X-Men line ups. There is fun, energy, and a cheeky sense of playfulness that shines through this series. We have seen Wolverine play an important role and the reintroduction of Nightcrawler, Firestar, and Colossus into the Jean Grey School team. With the shifting nature of characters, it will be interesting to see who we get during the next arc in the Amazing X-Men. The solo series for Nightcrawler and Storm could mean that they take more of a backseat in the series, which could allow room for Iceman and Firestar to take more center stage. We will have to wait and see.

I have enjoyed the "World War Wendigo" story in the Amazing X-Men, but we want to know what you think as well. Make sure to leave a comment or thought below. See you next time for issue #13 of Amazing X-Men.