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Welcome back to the latest edition of The All-New Uncanny X-Piles! Where it’s all about the Children of the Atom all the time. If you’ve been keeping up with their exploits lately then you know some huge revelations have hit the X-Men courtesy of Jonathan Hickman’s House of X and Powers of X. And now we enter the mutant’s first big event of the year with X of Swords! Here we take a look at Chapters 6-8 and see how the event holds up so far.

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Hellions #5
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Zeb Wells
Art: Carmen Carnero
Colors: David Curiel
Letters: Ariana Maher
Cover: Stephen Segovia & Sunny Gho

Wells takes the X of Swords event in a different direction that is not only hilarious at times but a great way to allow our more shady Krakoans do what they do best. So when he has Sinister suggest that they cheat it’s the perfect setup for a new quest to Otherworld. The pacing is great and the humor isn’t just thrown in for cheap laughs. It’s natural and serves the story by playing to its strengths. Now don’t be fooled by the more lighthearted approach here. Wells balances all of the humor with the underlying tone by reminding you that the stakes are still high and even has a bit of foreshadowing from Psylocke that will most likely ring true.

Carnero and Curiel’s art enhances everything in this issue as a huge part of pulling off the humor of the narrative is nailing the expressions of the characters. From their faces to body language it all syncs up perfectly from Hope’s contempt for Empath to the Quiet Council meeting where Sinister gets more than he wanted from the exchange.

There’s a pretty good chance the team here won’t be 100% successful as no one want’s to read an even that ends in a forfeit. And therein lies what might be a turn off for some readers. However, if Wells keeps this up it will be fun watching them fail and seeing what trouble they do cause. 3/5

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New Mutants #13
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Ed Brisson
Art: Rod Reis
Letters: Travis Lanham
Cover: Rod Reis

Illyana was the first combatant to take her place in the circle and while everyone has been gathering their swords we’ve been wondering how she’s been passing the time. Thanks to Ed Brisson we now have an answer and it’s one that longtime New Mutants fans will appreciate when it comes to Cypher and Magik. Brisson explores Cypher’s precarious position as a chosen fighter in the tournament from the perspective of Magik and Krakoa. The relationship between the longtime teammates here is at the forefront as Brisson shows a Magik who is worried about losing her friend yet again so she prepares him as best she knows; harsh and direct. While Brisson also handles the relationship between Krakoa, Cypher, and the rest of the mutants on the island in a way that might have you question how much of it is Krakoa actually caring for Cypher or acting in his own self interest.

Your skill is language, not battle.

Exodus

Reis brings a visually stunning book as he captures the tension from the narrative in beautiful panels. The splashes of reds during the more chaotic moments really elevate things with the meeting with Exodus being a fine example. Magik’s sparring sessions with Cypher also come to mind as visually intense moments as well. His colors for Krokoa itself give the island an ethereal feel that keeps things from becoming stagnant and boring.

One of the better issues in the event so far that rely more on exploring the characters and comes off as one of those classic New Mutants issues from way back! 4.5/5

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Cable #5
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Art: Phil Noto
Letters: Joe Sabino
Cover: Phil Noto

If a certain conversation hadn’t been referenced in New Mutants #13 I might have enjoyed this issue a little more. The exchange between Magik, Cyclops, and Cable dealt directly with the events of X of Swords but is over so fast before Duggan’s story dove straight into sci-fi/horror territory. Which gives this one much less of a X of Swords tie-in feel and more like it’s setting up for something different altogether. The mystery surrounding the S.W.O.R.D. space station and the enemy the Summers family find is solid but still feels like a filler episode of a long running anime series. It’s not until the family makes it’s way back to Krakoa that Duggan shows off Cyclops strategizing to swing things in the Krakoan team’s favor. A decent counterpoint to Sinister’s less than noble approach at securing a win.

Phil Noto’s artwork kills it on this issue from start to finish. The sequence with Jean and creepy guy-about-to-die-but-gives-you-cryptic-news-first is pure horror tension done right as he hits those beats perfectly. Also that blurry effect when the eye is peeled back really adds some emphasis to the sequence.

Overall, a decent entry but one that wasn’t for me aside from the Phil Noto artwork. 2.5/5

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