314: Schism and Fear Itself
What’s Covered?
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #36, #37, #39, #41; Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #38, #40, #42; Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #535, #536, #537, #538, #539, #540, #541, #542, #543; X-Men: Prelude to Schism #1, #2, #3, #4; Fear Itself: Book of the Skull #1; X-Men: Schism #1, #2, #3; Generation Hope #10; X-Men: Schism #4; Generation Hope #11; X-Men: Schism #5; Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #544; Generation Hope #12. Avengers: The Children's Crusade #1–9.
Synopsis
Monstrous
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #36: Monstrous, Part 1
Writer - Daniel Way
Pencils - Jason Pearson
Armor returns to Japan after learning that her mom has died, with Cyclops, Emma, and Wolverine accompanying her. At the same time, Mentallo has taken control of the monsters living on an island off Japan, and Fin Fang Foom attacks Tokyo. Armor's grief is the only genuinely personal part of this story so far, and I appreciate that she's getting some attention. We haven't spent nearly enough time with the younger X-Men lately.
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #37: Monstrous, Part 2
Writer - Daniel Way
Pencils - Jason Pearson, Sara Pichelli
Armor leaves her mother's funeral to help the X-Men fight Fin Fang Foom. Her family isn't happy about it, but she's not going to stand by while the city is under attack. Then she taps into a level of power we haven't seen before and creates an armor projection as big as the dragon himself! It's great to see Armor get a moment like this rather than just tagging along with the senior team. Mentallo is still pulling the strings from Monster Island.
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #39: Monstrous, Part 3
Writer - Daniel Way
Pencils - Nick Bradshaw
Armor uses her enormous psychic armor to bring down Fin Fang Foom. Nice! Once the giant monster is out of the picture, the X-Men can finally go after Mentallo, whose control of Monster Island caused the whole disaster. This is clearly Armor's story more than anyone else's, which is refreshing. I just wish the villain and the monster-fighting plot were anywhere near as interesting as her character development.
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #41: Monstrous, Conclusion
Writer - Daniel Way
Pencils - Nick Bradshaw
The X-Men finally get the upper hand on Mentallo and put an end to his scheme on Monster Island. Armor returns to her family, and her father tells her that he's proud of her. I like that we end with Hisako and her family rather than another giant monster battle. The emotional material is far more interesting than Mentallo, and it gives Armor a little more identity outside of being the team's youngest member.
This was a really, really dumb story. I mean, it was nice to see Armor get the spotlight and to finally unleash her power, but overall this was quite forgettable.
Meanwhile
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #38: Meanwhile, Part 1
Writer - Christos N. Gage
Pencils - Juan Bobillo
Beast recruits Kitty, Colossus, and Storm to help rescue Abigail Brand from the Brood. Before they leave, Kitty makes up with Lockheed and brings him along. I love those two together, but Lockheed suddenly talking like a normal person is deeply unsettling. I liked him better as a mostly nonverbal pet. The Brood's homeworld has been destroyed, and they're trying to use S.W.O.R.D. technology to replenish their numbers. Unfortunately, Brand has already been infected, and the rescue turns into another fight for survival.
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #40: Meanwhile, Part 2
Writer - Christos N. Gage
Pencils - Juan Bobillo
Beast, Storm, and Colossus become infected, leaving Kitty and Lockheed to figure out how to save everyone. Things get ugly when the infected X-Men throw Kitty out of an airlock, but Lockheed catches her. We also meet a young Brood who seems to have something his species usually lacks: empathy. After everything we saw the Brood do during their original saga, it's interesting to see the X-Men dealing with the possibility that they aren't all monsters. I wish the broader story were as compelling as that idea.
Astonishing X-Men vol. 3 #42: Meanwhile, Conclusion
Writer - Christos N. Gage
Pencils - Juan Bobillo
The X-Men defeat the two Brood Queens but decide not to wipe out the surviving Brood, who are already dangerously close to extinction. Kitty and Lockheed make it through, Beast heads off with Abigail Brand, and the unusually compassionate young Brood survives. He's later called Broo, and I'm definitely curious about him. Considering how much I've enjoyed Brood stories in the past, I appreciate the attempt to do something different with the species, even if this adventure didn't quite work for me.
I'm a sucker for a good Brood story, however this wasn't one of the better ones. I'm ready for Kitty to get out of that damn suit and get back to being awesome. This Broo character has me intrigued though. I'm ok to see more of him.
Breaking Point
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #535: Breaking Point, Part 1
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Terry Dodson
Kitty and Peter are finally on a date, although Kitty is still stuck in her phased state after saving the planet at the end of Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run. I've been waiting a long time for her to get back to normal. Meanwhile, Abigail Brand recruits a powerful X-Men team to intercept a Breakworld ship approaching Earth. With Cyclops, Emma, Magneto, Wolverine, Danger, Kitty, and Colossus on board, they're prepared for a fight. Instead, their former enemy Powerlord Kruun asks for asylum. Well, this is awkward.
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #536: Breaking Point, Part 2
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Terry Dodson
Cyclops agrees to give Kruun and his people a chance to live as refugees, which doesn't go over well with a culture built around warfare. I can't say I'm excited to be back dealing with the Breakworld. Kruun is still obsessed with Colossus and starts planning revenge while pretending to accept the X-Men's help. He tricks Magneto into examining a strange metal and takes him out of the fight. Scott's willingness to help the refugees is admirable, even if the aliens seem determined to prove him wrong.
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #537: Breaking Point, Part 3
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Terry Dodson
Kruun manages to incapacitate most of the X-Men and even beats Colossus in a one-on-one fight. Kitty, who still can't speak normally or control her phasing, finds Wolverine and helps turn things around. Then Kruun's mate, Haleena, slashes Kitty's throat. We've watched Kitty and Peter's relationship survive an awful lot over the years, including her sacrifice during the original Breakworld story. Bringing her that close to death again certainly raises the stakes, even if I'm still not sold on the Breakworld itself.
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #538: Breaking Point, Conclusion
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Terry Dodson
Haleena gives her life to restore Kitty, and Kitty is finally able to become solid again. Thank God. We also learn that five enslaved people were sacrificed to resurrect Colossus, adding another ugly chapter to Peter's history. Remember when killing Proteus was such a traumatic turning point for this gentle giant? His life just keeps accumulating more guilt, even when the decisions aren't his. Kruun then sacrifices himself to restore Haleena, and the surviving Breakworlders are allowed to settle in San Francisco. At least Kitty is finally out of that suit.
I like Kieron Gillen so far, but I don't understand why any of these non-Whedon writers keep going back to the Breakworld story. They aren't interesting! What is interesting, though, is that we learned the truth about how Colossus came back. I'm so numb to super hero stories with contrived plots, that it truly didn't bother me not knowing the specifics. However, this could work if this plot is carried forward and it starts a character arc for him. He's already a tortured soul though, so it might not be a bad thing to avoid all the moping.
Losing Hope
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #539: Losing Hope
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Ibraim Roberson
Hope is kidnapped while shopping by the former mutant Crimson Commando, who lost his powers on M-Day and believes she can save him. His failing cybernetics are killing him, so he's willing to do some truly horrible things to force her cooperation. Wolverine tries to rescue her but gets badly hurt, and Hope is brutally injured before borrowing Logan's healing factor to recover and fight back. Afterwards, Wolverine explains why he's kept his distance. Nightcrawler died saving Hope during Second Coming, but Logan is still prepared to kill her himself if the warnings about her future ever come true. That's quite a burden to put on a young girl.
Fear Itself
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #540: Fear Itself, Part 1
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Greg Land
The Fear Itself event is happening everywhere except San Francisco, which naturally means trouble is on its way. Namor hits on Emma and takes a jab at Scott for never proposing to her, unlike Jean. Meanwhile, Illyana is still imprisoned for her actions, and Kitty is upset with Peter for standing by his sister. That strikes me as odd. Kitty and Illyana have been best friends for years, so why is she acting like Peter is wrong to support her? Before anyone can sort that out, a mystically empowered Juggernaut starts heading straight for the city.
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #541: Fear Itself, Part 2
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Greg Land
The X-Men throw everything they have at the newly empowered Juggernaut and accomplish absolutely nothing. Cain Marko just keeps moving toward San Francisco. I've actually become pretty fond of Juggernaut since the stories that tried to reform him, so it's a little disappointing to see him reduced to an unstoppable villain again, even if he's under an outside influence this time. On top of that, something is very wrong with Emma. The X-Men have a lot more to worry about than stopping one guy with a hammer.
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #542: Fear Itself, Part 3
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Greg Land
Cyclops comes up with one plan after another to stop Juggernaut, and there's a pretty entertaining montage of every attempt failing. Eventually he turns to Magik, who takes Kitty and Colossus to Cyttorak. Scott's plan is for Illyana to become the new Juggernaut, but Peter takes the power instead. It's another enormous sacrifice from a character who has spent his entire life trying to protect the people he loves, especially his sister. Of course, making that choice without talking to Kitty is going to have consequences. Meanwhile, Emma is possessed and heading straight for Hope.
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #543: Fear Itself, Conclusion
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Greg Land
Namor stops the possessed Emma from killing Hope, and Colossus uses his new Juggernaut powers to defeat Cain Marko. San Francisco survives, but Peter's personal life takes another hit when Kitty breaks up with him. We've watched these two go back and forth for decades of comics, and I was really hoping that Whedon's reunion would finally stick. Scott also confronts the mayor for considering the destruction of Utopia as a way to save the city. Mutants are still expected to defend everyone while wondering whether their own neighbors will turn on them.
Schism!
X-Men: Prelude to Schism #1: Professor X
Writer - Paul Jenkins
Pencils - Roberto de la Torre
With Utopia facing a terrible threat, Cyclops has to decide whether the mutants should run or stay and fight. Professor X reflects on Scott as a young boy, his struggle to control his optic blasts, and the responsibility Charles placed on him. I've complained about Xavier's leadership since my very first blog, so there's something interesting about watching his former student face choices Charles no longer gets to make. Scott was once a painfully insecure kid. Now practically the entire mutant population is depending on his decision.
X-Men: Prelude to Schism #2: Magneto
Writer - Paul Jenkins
Pencils - Andrea Mutti
Magneto considers the looming crisis through memories of the persecution and losses that made him who he is. This is exactly why I've enjoyed following Magneto from his ridiculous early days as a one-dimensional villain. Claremont spent years giving him a history and a conscience, and now here he is taking orders from Cyclops. It's a striking reversal, especially when you consider how much Scott's thinking about mutant survival has started to resemble Magneto's old arguments.
X-Men: Prelude to Schism #3: Cyclops and the burden of command
Writer - Paul Jenkins
Pencils - Will Conrad
This issue focuses on Cyclops and the weight of leading the X-Men. Scott has spent years making decisions that affect more than his teammates, and the danger approaching Utopia forces him to consider whether protecting mutantkind justifies asking everyone to risk their lives. I'm still not Scott's biggest fan, as anyone who's followed this blog knows, but I can appreciate how far his leadership has come. The question now is whether his sense of duty has become so absolute that he can't recognize when it's time to retreat.
X-Men: Prelude to Schism #4: Wolverine
Writer - Paul Jenkins
Pencils - Clay Mann
We get Wolverine's side of the story, and it's a reminder of why I love what I've always called Philosopher Logan. He may be the guy with the claws, but some of his best scenes have been about protecting younger mutants and calling out teammates who cross a line. Here he's worried that the children on Utopia are being raised as soldiers rather than students. Scott and Logan have been at odds since the earliest Claremont issues, but this argument goes much deeper than their usual bickering.
Fear Itself: Book of the Skull #1
Writer - Ed Brubaker
Pencils - Scot Eaton
This one-shot fills in some of the backstory behind Fear Itself. During World War II, the Red Skull sought out an ancient mystical power and left behind a hammer tied to the Serpent. Years later, his daughter Sin follows that trail and helps unleash the larger catastrophe spreading through the Marvel Universe. It explains where some of the enchanted weapons are coming from, including the one causing the X-Men so much trouble. Not the most exciting stop on the reading list, but it provides some context.
X-Men: Schism #1
Writer - Jason Aaron
Pencils - Carlos Pacheco
Cyclops and Wolverine appear before the United Nations to argue that every country's Sentinels should be decommissioned. Then Quentin Quire attacks, triggering a panic that sends governments scrambling to activate their Sentinels instead. So much for diplomacy. Behind the scenes, a twelve-year-old billionaire named Kade Kilgore kills his own father and takes over the Hellfire Club as its new Black King. I've enjoyed seeing the Hellfire Club evolve over the years, but a group of evil billionaire children is certainly a new direction.
X-Men: Schism #2
Writer - Jason Aaron
Pencils - Frank Cho
With Sentinels malfunctioning around the world, Scott sends the X-Men out to protect humans from the very weapons created to target mutants. Quentin Quire turns himself in, but Wolverine thinks he should be handed over to Captain America, while Cyclops insists mutants should deal with their own. It's another revealing disagreement. Scott increasingly sees the mutants as a nation responsible for its own people, while Logan still thinks in terms of the wider superhero community. Meanwhile, Kade Kilgore's young Hellfire Club continues preparing its attack.
X-Men: Schism #3
Writer - Jason Aaron
Pencils - Daniel Acuña
The young Hellfire Club attacks a mutant history museum with weapons specifically designed to defeat the X-Men, taking Emma, Colossus, Magneto, Iceman, and Namor out of the fight. A bomb is about to kill everyone, and Idie, one of Hope's young Lights, is trapped inside. Wolverine tells her to run. Scott tells her to do what she has to do. Idie kills twelve attackers to save the people in the museum, and Logan is furious that Cyclops put a child in that position. This is the kind of character conflict I love. Neither man is debating some abstract philosophy anymore. A kid has actually killed people.
Generation Hope #10: Schism tie-in
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Tim Seeley
We revisit the museum attack from Idie's perspective and see the events that led her to the moment she was forced to kill. It's a useful companion to Schism because the main series is so focused on Scott and Logan's argument that Idie could easily become just another piece of their debate. She's a young girl being introduced to mutant history who suddenly finds herself facing a massacre. What happened to her matters more than which adult gets to claim he was right.
X-Men: Schism #4
Writer - Jason Aaron
Pencils - Alan Davis
The Hellfire Club unveils a new Sentinel that gathers nearby metal to build itself a body and heads straight for Utopia. Most of the senior X-Men are still scattered around the world, so Hope and the younger mutants offer to stay and fight. Wolverine wants to evacuate them and blow up Utopia if necessary. Scott refuses to abandon their home and believes the kids should be allowed to help defend it. They start fighting each other while a giant Sentinel closes in. It's hard not to think back to when the mansion was a school rather than a military base.
Generation Hope #11: Schism tie-in
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Tim Seeley
Laurie and Hope get into a fistfight over what happened to Idie. The other young mutants have to decide what they believe, too, and Rockslide, Anole, Prodigy, and Pixie join Hope's group in preparing to defend Utopia. I like that this tie-in gives the younger characters their own say in the argument. Wolverine wants to protect them from having to fight, but some of them see protecting their home as their responsibility. That doesn't make what happened to Idie any less upsetting.
X-Men: Schism #5
Writer - Jason Aaron
Pencils - Adam Kubert
Cyclops and Wolverine finally come to blows, and it is brutal. Scott blasts the skin off Logan's face, while Wolverine stabs him through the hands and arm. Remember how far their rivalry goes back, and how Logan once recognized Scott's leadership during the Proteus storyline? That makes this fight a lot more significant than another superhero misunderstanding. The two eventually team up with the younger mutants to defeat the Sentinel, but there's no fixing their relationship. Wolverine leaves Utopia to reopen the school in Westchester, and a number of X-Men and students go with him. The team has split.
Uncanny X-Men vol. 1 #544: Final Issue
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Greg Land
The original Uncanny X-Men series ends with Mister Sinister narrating the aftermath of Schism. Beast stops by, only to leave again with Wolverine, and Scott prepares to lead the mutants who remain on Utopia. We've been reading this title since the earliest days of the X-Men, so there's something strange about watching the numbering stop here. More importantly, this isn't just another roster shuffle. Scott and Logan are moving toward two very different ideas of what the X-Men are supposed to be.
Generation Hope #12: Half As Bright
Writer - Kieron Gillen
Pencils - Steven Sanders
Hope catches Gabriel making out with Pixie, which is awkward enough without the rest of the team falling apart around them. Laurie and Hope still disagree about Idie, and the young mutants have to decide where they belong after Schism. Hope asks Pixie to join her team so they can locate new mutant manifestations more quickly. Idie, meanwhile, decides to leave with Wolverine. That's probably the most important consequence here: the student who was forced to kill is choosing which of these competing versions of the X-Men she wants to follow.
The Children's Crusade
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #1
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
Young Avenger Wiccan's magic is getting dangerously powerful, and the Avengers are worried he's headed down the same path as the Scarlet Witch. Billy wants answers about his connection to Wanda, especially since he and Speed may be the reincarnations of her lost children. The Young Avengers decide to find her rather than wait for the adults to make a decision. Magneto shows up and offers to help find his daughter, while also getting a chance to know the boys who might be his grandsons. That's quite a family reunion to walk into.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
The search leads the Young Avengers and Magneto to Transia, where Quicksilver turns up and tries to attack his father. Pietro isn't exactly enthusiastic about working with Magneto, but he wants to find Wanda too. They spot a woman who looks like the Scarlet Witch, only to discover that she's a Doombot. That points them toward Latveria and Doctor Doom, which is not a terribly reassuring development.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #3
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
Wiccan gets impatient and teleports into Latveria on his own. He finally meets the real Wanda Maximoff, but she has no memory of being the Scarlet Witch or of what happened during House of M. Even stranger, she's preparing to marry Doctor Doom! Billy has found the woman he's been searching for, only to discover that she has no idea who she is. It's hard to imagine Doom being the best person to help her remember.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #4
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
While Wiccan tries to explain Wanda's past, Doom attacks him and insists that Wanda came to Latveria voluntarily. Apparently Doom believed keeping her memories buried was the safest option. Wanda eventually demands to hear the truth, but the Avengers and Young Avengers storm the castle before Billy can finish. Wolverine is still furious about what Wanda did to mutantkind and is ready to kill her. Iron Lad arrives just in time to get the Young Avengers and Wanda away from the fight.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #5
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
Iron Lad takes Wanda and the Young Avengers back in time, hoping that seeing her own history will bring back her memories. They end up around the events of Avengers Disassembled and accidentally save Scott Lang from the explosion that originally killed him. That's a pretty enormous change to history! Wanda finally remembers who she is and returns everyone to the present. We also get confirmation that Wiccan and Speed are the spiritual reincarnations of the twin sons Wanda once had with Vision. The boys really are part of this very complicated family.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
Wanda is horrified by what she remembers doing and wants to make things right. Her first priority is reversing M-Day and giving mutants their powers back. She tests the spell on Rictor, who has been without his abilities since House of M, and it actually works! After watching depowered mutants struggle for years, this is a huge development. Unfortunately, the X-Men show up before Wanda can restore everyone else's powers. Once again, the Avengers and X-Men are arguing over what should happen to her.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #7
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
Wanda explains that after losing her children, she sought Doom's help to bring them back. Together they tapped into something called the Life Force, which supposedly possessed Wanda and drove her actions during Avengers Disassembled and House of M. So we're now being told that Wanda wasn't fully responsible for everything she did. That's a pretty significant retcon! She asks Doom to help her use the Life Force to restore mutantkind, but the plan goes wrong when Doom absorbs the power himself. Naturally, giving Doctor Doom godlike power makes everything worse.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #8
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
With the Life Force inside him, Doom claims he can end war, poverty, and suffering if everyone agrees to let him rule the world. The Avengers and X-Men aren't interested. Wiccan and Wanda try to take the power away from him, but the battle turns tragic when Cassie Lang is killed. This is especially awful after the team went back in time and saved her father, Scott Lang, only a few issues earlier. Doom eventually loses the Life Force and claims responsibility for Wanda's earlier actions before escaping. I'm not sure that settles the question of her responsibility, but it does leave everyone with one more reason to hate Doom.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #9
Writer - Allan Heinberg
Pencils - Jim Cheung
The surviving Young Avengers are devastated by Cassie's death. Iron Lad wants to use time travel to save her, but the new Vision objects, and Iron Lad destroys him before fleeing into the timestream. That's another ugly moment in a story about young heroes trying not to repeat the mistakes of the adults. Wanda survives, but the X-Men haven't forgotten what she did to mutantkind, Life Force or not. Cyclops decides that living with the consequences is punishment enough. The Young Avengers briefly go their separate ways, and the Avengers honor them for what they've accomplished. After years of House of M fallout, Wanda's return feels like a major turning point, even though Rictor is still the only mutant we've seen get his powers back.
My Connections and Creators
Boring or Great?
While Schism was good, there is a reason why I combined so many things into one blog. This Utopia arc has been good, but I'm ready to move on. While it's fun seeing so many mutants together, the character development has struggled due to their not being set teams. There hasn't been enough focus on any characters outside of Scott, and maybe Emma, where a good team comic can continually build on different pairings and character chemistry.
Monstrous (Fin Fang Foom/Armor), Meanwhile (Brood Story,) and Breaking Point (Kruun) were all below average arcs. I know that we can't have insanely important stories every month, but when we're lacking great character moments, it becomes a slog. Claremont's slow issues between arcs used to be some of his best. I guess I miss that (although I don't want Claremont anymore, he's lost it.) We do have a few nice moments though worth calling out. I liked Armor's coming out party, however it seems like her screentime is being diminished moving forward (I'm a bit ahead and don't recall seeing her on any of the new teams.) I like Brood stories, and Broo seems interesting, but otherwise it seemed like a re-tread. Breaking Point had some good Colossus moments, which I feel like he needed, but I bet we'll get more focus on his new Juggernaut powers as opposed to dealing with this revelation of the cost to bringing him back.
Fear Itself was barely X-Men adjacent, so you can tell the few stories we got were pigeon holed in.
Now, Schism. I appreciated the stakes. I appreciated some good Cyclops moments, and I love seeing Magneto still being subservient to him. I just don't know if I buy the whole...Schism. Wolverine's always been a mentor to the youngins, and been quite protecting, but he's literally the one running a kill squad in secret (X-Force.) Is he really THAT upset that Cyclops is making these tough military choices, pushing these kids to be warriors. It just seems forced. I'm looking forward to the new status quo.
The Children's Crusade essentially puts the House of M era to an end, which is fine by me.
Thoughts on Art
This is a lot of artists for one blog. Jason Pearson, Sara Pichelli, and Nick Bradshaw split the Monstrous story, with Bradshaw getting the giant Armor versus Fin Fang Foom action. Juan Bobillo gives the Brood story a very different look, while Terry Dodson handles Breaking Point and Greg Land takes over for the Fear Itself issues. Then Schism changes artists almost every issue: Carlos Pacheco, Frank Cho, Daniel Acuña, Alan Davis, and Adam Kubert. That's a lot of visual whiplash. Kubert's work on the brutal Scott and Logan fight is particularly effective. I just wish there had been a little more consistency across these stories. At least The Children's Crusade gives us Jim Cheung on pencils for all nine issues, a nice bit of consistency after this rotating lineup.
Larger Impacts & Things to keep an eye on
I doubt the Breakworld people living in San Francisco will ever be referenced again, but I've been wrong before.
Colossus learns that 5 people were sacrificed to bring him back. This is a big revelation, and I hope we see more reflection of this point.
Can't wait to see who stays with Scott vs. Wolverine!
Colossus becomes the new Juggernaut, so we'll have to see how long that lasts.
Kitty is finally free of her suit!
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