Didn't see that coming!!!! X-Men Review(Spoilers)

Ok, I must admit I went into Messiah Complex unsure of what was going to happen. The story has been written by five writers in each of their respective X-Men titles, with two writers on New X-Men.

• Mike Carey (X-Men)


• Craig Kyle and Chris Yost (New X-Men)


• Peter David (X-Factor)


• Ed Brubaker (Uncanny X-Men)

But, the story leading up to the finale has been pretty powerful, especially if you read the X-Factor parts of the storied event. We find Cable is still alive and wants to raise the child, Rogue is still dead or in a coma from Strain 88, Layla Miller is either dead or stuck in a futuristic mutant concetration camp, and Mystique has killed Mr. Sinister. Considering the writing talent that Marvel had on this book, it would have been cooler if Brubaker or David got the ending for this arc. But, I understand that there was an idea of book sequencing going on, yet I really can't complain with the double-barreled writing of Kyle and Yost too much because this final issue was all about the action. If your looking for characters to get while mutant powers are being thrown all over the place and a giant mutant eating monster is bearing down on Marauders and X-Men alike then this issue isn't for you. The action explodes off of each page as artist Chris Bachalo captures the urgency and desperation every mutant has to either, protect or take advantage of the first mutant baby born since The House of M. Every body wants that child and the art gives more depth to the characters than the dialogue in this final story.

This brings me to the writing which, unfortunatly was shallow to be a final in an arc. To no fault of the writers though, because this book was nothing but a slug-fest. Everyone, including m There was really no way to give characters in this story too much to say when their either being hacked, slashed, shot at, or enter other random mutant power. However, if they had cut back on the action just a little bit and focused on the Cable/Cyclops and Rogue/Mystique familial ties this story would have been a bit deeper. Because of all the action going on it feels like Kyle and Yost toned down the dialogue and this makes the book suffer a bit. But, the ending saves this book from getting a low rating when you have Bishop, the turncoat, blasting Professor Xavier in the freakin' head!!!!! In the end Cyclops pronoouces that the X-Men are gone and that sets us up the next arc, Divided We Stand. In the end I really enjoyed this book, yes there is a lack of writing depth in the story, but the action and the good artwork makeup for a lagging ending.

X-Men #207

Writing-3 out of 5
Artwork-4 out of 5
Overall- 4 out of 5