Post Second Coming
Generation Hope [1-12]
Written by Kieron Gillen, Art Salvador Espin [1-4, 6-8, 10], Jamie McKelvie [5, 9], Tim Seeley [11], Steven Sanders [12]
At the end of Second Coming a handful of new mutants finally appear, “The Five Lights,” (Which starts at the end of Fraction’s Uncanny run in issues 526-529. Also, in the Gillen part of the run Uncanny X-Men issue 539 is of note since it’s basically a Generation Hope issue about Hope and Wolverine.) but their powers are all screwed up until Hope touches them. Then they become members of her team, but also inadvertently become influenced/controlled by her. This book is about Hope dealing with the death of Cable, about her trying to live up to what people keep telling her she is. It’s a really good small team book. It’s also a book that starts with a big fun Akira reference.
Uncanny X-Force (2010) [1-35]
Written By Rick Remender,
Art Jerome Opena [1-4, 14-18], Esad Ribic [5-7, 18], Billy Tan [8-10], Mark Brooks [11-13], Robbi Rodriguez [19], Greg Tocchini [20-23], Phil Noto [24, 26-27, 31-35] Mike McKone [25], Julian Totino Tedesco [28-29], Dave Williams [30]
Uncanny X-Force is one of those books I’d recommend to pretty much anyone… who likes dark violent comics.
Mesiah War proved what a good addition to the mix of X-Force Deadpool could be and Uncanny X-Force follows up on that. But what really separates Uncanny X-Force is the way it follows through on the resurfacing of the Archangel persona. This is a run that starts with the team going on a mission to kill Apocalypse and then builds on top of that very well.
Schism
X-Men: Schism [1-5] Part 1-3, 5, 7
Written by Jason Aaron, Art Carlos Pacheco [1], Frank Cho [2], Daniel Acuna [3], Alan Davis [4]. Jason Aaron [5]
Generation Hope [10-11] Part 4, 6
This is where Wolverine finally reaches his breaking point with Cyclops. This is like the X-Men’s version of Civil War, except I think this is a million times more effective because it’s really just a small personal fight that’s been building for years and finally boils over in the middle of a different bigger scarier fight that ultimately doesn’t matter. And the thing that finally tears them apart is pretty relatable at it’s core, it’s about how they’re raising their kids.
For Cyclops being a mutant means living in a never ending war, a war he’s been fighting in since he was sixteen. Wolverine was more than willing to fight in that war (Hell, he’s the one who kept X-Force going.), but he can no longer stomach the idea of throwing kids into that same war, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to try and keep them out of it.
What I like about it as a conflict is that I can understand both sides; Wolverine is in the right morally, kids should be allowed to be kids; but the cold logic of Cyclops’ world view rings true when you’ve read the comics that led here. Particularly New X-Men where, y’know, a bus full of students blew up. But the way he looks at people, as pawns and tools to fight in the bigger battle, it’s the Supervillain way to look at the world. But that’s why I love this overall story of Cyclops, he’s a hero who slowly became a villain just by continuing to do what he thought was right.
Avengers vs X-Men Tie-ins and Reading Order
Post Avengers vs X-Men and Beyond
