Comic Book Review - X-Men #9

Rob reviews X-Men #9...

The current X-Men series has been a bit of a tough read. While the series seems to be working towards something, just what this something is, is still unclear. Granted there have been some pretty heavyweight issues, but for the majority, X-Men acts as if it's a companion to an unreleased series. 

X-Men #9 is more of the same, although it doesn't stop trying to push us towards the unknown.

At its heart, X-Men #9 is a more political issue than its predecessors. We see delegates from Krakoa, Phobos, and Arrako, attempt to deal with the Orchis threat whilst attempting to push their agenda. That's not to say that there aren't any standout moments, and to be fair this issue has a few of them. 

Seeing Nimrod essentially break M.O.D.O.K. out of Area-51 is nothing but a visual feast. Not only does it work to advance the Orchis plot, but it also works to add strength to the organisation. The image of a snarling M.O.D.O.K. standing defiant behind the assembled War Machine guards is quite a hunting scene, that is further heightened as Nimrod effortlessly destroys everyone standing in its way. This not only shows Nimrod as a nearly unstoppable force but Orchis is a threat to be reckoned with. 

Away from this we also get to see X-Men stalwart Storm flex her might. Storm has always been a fan favourite and seeing her return is a massive plus - even if it's just for the sake of moving the plot forward. Gerry Duggan also gives Rogue more things to do as she travels with Gambit to meet Destiny. There's a lot of back and forth as Gambit enquires about Destiny's knowledge of Gameworld, only to be spectacularly shot down. This then leads to an off-world bar fight as Rogue and Gambit upset the bar's patrons. As we see the two X-Men in action, Destiny just casually sits at the bar with her drink. It's a great scene that not only shows us Rogue in action (which is criminally underrated), it also tries us more about how Destiny views Gambit - which isn't very high...

CF Villa's art makes a pleasant change and it works well for the title. Again, the scenes with Nimrod are arguably the issues highlighted as Villa gives us plenty of frantic action and some menacing close-ups. Character interaction certainly takes president throughout this issue, and Villa gives us plenty of gorgeous expression work that adds to Duggan's dialogue. 

If anything X-Men #9 is quite a slow burner. Duggan slows everything down to give us more exposure to what's going on behind the scenes. While this does give us more pieces to the puzzle, it asks more questions as a result. While it's been great to see both Rogue and Storm used in a somewhat small capacity, I'm itching to see the Nimrod/M.O.D.O.K dynamic explored further. 

Rating 7/10 

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