Broken Frontier

More secrets from the past are unveiled, and the team discovers what happened to Xavier during the House of M. Meanwhile, a flicker of a memory comes to Emma Frost.

*Reviewer’s Note: I recently borrowed Giant-Sized X-Men #1 from a friend. The events of Deadly Genesis deal greatly with the events of that historic book. Not surprisingly, I now feel like I’m up to speed on the story, so I recommend that other readers of this mini do the same if they haven’t already.

The mysterious third Summers brother, Gabriel, puts on another impressive and deadly exhibit of power while Scott, stripped of his powers, is forced to stand by and watch. The display is broadcast to the world as part of a plan to draw out Professor Xavier for a final confrontation.

Ed Brubaker pays frequent respects to established continuity in nearly every book he writes. This book is a showcase for that. Honestly, if anyone else was writing, I probably would not have even bothered to pick this title up. I have no great love for the X-Men, but Brubaker manages to impress with just about everything he contributes to, so why not? Weaving this tale into something that was released over thirty years ago was a stroke of genius, and I would imagine the reason why Bru was recently announced as the upcoming writer for Uncanny X-Men--Marvel’s flagship title that has been sorely lacking in consistently good stories for over a decade.

While we’re on the subject, also lacking consistency is Hairsine’s linework. He is getting much better--possibly because of Hanna’s excellent inks--but every now and then an image just catches the eye and makes me ponder the reasons that it wasn’t cleaned up a little. Staples, on the other hand, continues to provide a wide-ranging and vibrant color scheme that fits the tone and genre well.

The backup story concerns Emma Frost’s first experience with Xavier and Gabriel. It provides a reference point for a scene in the main story, and though it is brief, the story casts Emma in an unsurprising yet amusing light. Pete Woods’ art is a little edgier, and Brad Anderson’s colors a bit darker, which both fit the setting of the tale well.

It’s taking a while to get there, but Deadly Genesis is coming along in new and interesting directions for the X-Men. One thing is for certain: Charles Xavier will never be seen in the same light.