Amid the changing relations between mutants and the city of New Orleans, two of the best guns for hire come to town with a mission, and their target for that mission is an X-man. Deadpool and Outlaw guest-star in this dangerous tale of mayhem vs. mutant. Uncanny X-Men #19 is written by Gail Simone, drawn by David Marquez, colored by Matt Wilson and lettered by Clayton Cowles.
Adam Reck: It’s been a mere two weeks since we talked about Uncanny X-Men #18, but we’re back already. This book comes out at such a fast pace. The talented art team of David Marquez and Matt Wilson have returned after a few issues from Luciano Vecchio and Rachelle Rosenberg, and I’m sure having alternating art teams helps that demanding schedule.
Austin Gorton: The scheduling on this book (and the similar 18-issues-a-year schedule of X-Men) is bewildering. It’s been just two weeks since the last issue, yet, if we’re to believe the X-books’ Bullpen Bulletins page, this is the only issue of Uncanny being released in August. So why not punt it a couple weeks to put a little breathing room between it and the last issue while also lessening the gap between #19 and #20?
Adam: Not sure! We should also note that despite what the solicit says, no Outliers are arrested in this issue, and Nightcrawler does not drink a drop of beer. But it’s asking a lot of any publisher to zone in on what exactly is gonna happen in a book months ahead of production.
Austin: “This issue, something happens, probably, and characters do stuff! Or don’t. Who can say? Not us! Just be sure to check it out!”
Adam: Well, we’re here, why don’t we?
X-Magic Kingdom?
Adam: Let’s fast forward past Podcaster Ellis for a second and start with the mayor’s proposed neighborhood revitalization project. If we thought last week’s town fair went a little far on the cosplay and “Uncanny” experiences, this takes it to a whole different level as she unveils an entire neighborhood themed around our heroes. Is this suspicious or just weird?
Austin: Why not both? On the suspicious front, I don’t think Mayor Mikki is some kind of secret anti-mutant zealot setting the X-Men up for a fall (or I certainly hope she’s not). But do I think her ideas of mutual aid could well turn out to be far more lopsided in her favor, with her apparent embrace of the X-Men being motivated more by political or financial expediency than genuine sentiment.
On the weird front, I think we just have to accept that, at least in Simone’s understanding of things, there’s a lot more information about the history of the X-Men and their backgrounds available to the public than previous stories (or logic) would suggest.
That said, Mayor Mikki’s market research seems to be spot on. Nightcrawler does well with kids, young women and gay men? Gambit is a sex machine? Horny people like Rogue? Yeah, that tracks.
Adam: The market research suggests the X-Men are far more public figures than I would have assumed. And while I appreciate the mayor’s idea of revitalizing a rundown area of town, the idea of building restaurants and even residential housing themed around our core characters is in such poor taste. What is this? Universal Studios?
What’s unclear to me is how, beyond apparent brand recognition, using the X-Men’s likenesses would help as the actual X-Men would presumably not be in any of these places. Is this a Planet Hollywood situation where we can gaze ambivalently at an old Nightcrawler costume in a frame while we eat Bamf-wursts in blue buns?
Luckily, the team seems as skeptical as we are.
Austin: I’ll give Gail credit: It’s a relatively new idea. We’ve had “local politician embraces the X-Men” before, but not quite this, wanting to go further and use the power of branding to the benefit of both the X-Men and their adopted home. It does rely, as we’ve said, on a level of public awareness about the X-Men that probably doesn’t exist, but I appreciate the relative novelty of this plotline.
Egregious Guest Stars!
Adam: Last issue we saw Outlaw among a group of mutants who helped save the occupants of a burning children’s hospital. She’s back with sure-to-sell-a-few-extra-copies Deadpool to fight distract warn the X-Men about a hostage situation at the All-Star Diner. But they hurt Waffles the Friendly Sentinel Dog. Not a good idea!
Austin: Deathdream going full guns after they attacked his dog is fantastic. Especially coming on the heels of his sweet, quiet glee at being referred to by Ransom as his little brother. The way he extends the feelings of family and belonging that he gets from Ransom to Waffles is a great bit of writing. This is a kid who hasn’t really had much in the way of family support, so now that he’s got it, he’s going to defend it with vigor.
Adam: Props to Gail for Deadpool’s legit hilarious one-liner about not keeping up with the From the Ashes era: “Who the hell is this? Is this Bronze?”
Austin: I can relate, Wade. There’s *a lot* of new mutants being introduced these days.
Deadpool is a character I can take or leave (and usually, it’s leave), but Simone’s run on his book back in the day was the first time I ever stuck with the character for an extended period of time, and she continues to have a knack for writing Deadpool schtick (or at least writing Deadpool schtick I enjoy and don’t find tiresome). The Bronze line cracked me the hell up, too. I also enjoyed his general disdain for new mutants, and his declaration that Outlaw could engage in “medium” kid punching.
Also, the three-panel sequence of Deadpool getting a Calico arrow through the head as she tells him to stay the hell away from her girlfriend is both comedy gold and fist-pumping exciting. Marquez’s layouts really sell the gag.
Adam: I sometimes take issue with the pacing of this book, but I appreciated that this issue packed as much as it could into its page count. I’d argue I’d rather see a few more pages devoted to the Jubilee sequence we’re getting to than Deadpool and Outlaw vs. the Outliers, but considering how much decompression happens in lots of comics, I’m OK with a busier, jam-packed book moving quickly from scene to scene.
Austin: Agreed. I’d reallocate the page count a bit between the plot threads, but I appreciate that this didn’t get dragged out into a two- or three-part story, which it easily could have been. Less is more, sometimes.
Drama at the Diner
Adam: Let’s rewind to the beginning of this issue, where Podcaster Ellis wants a muffin, decides to go to a diner to get one, and walks slowly away after figuring out the place is actually in the midst of a hostage crisis. Do people go to diners for muffins?
Austin: No? That seems odd. So much so that I assumed Podcaster Ellis was there for some other nefarious reason (like arresting Uva) and was using the muffin thing as a weak subtext, then backed away when she realized whatever was going on was going to be worse for Uva than whatever Ellis had planned. But in the end, I guess she just wanted a muffin, then left a mutant to deal with her own problem?
Not surprisingly, this opening sequence is the one I bumped against the hardest. The juxtaposition of something as seemingly mundane as “stop for a bite on the way home” with Ellis’ whole deal (the supervillain getup, being an evil warden of a mutant concentration camp) and Captain Ezra in full tactical gear is jarring. There’s a woman with zebra-striped skin in the scene, and yet Ellis is the one who feels out of place.
Adam: Regardless of Ellis’ ongoing motivations, this issue is a callback to 2024’s Free Comic Book Day X-Men story. Jubilee met and protected a zebra-striped waitress named Uva, and the rich dweebs she sent packing then are back for revenge. Needless to say, Jubilee ain’t having none of this. And we get a nice solo sequence where she reminds her adversaries — and the audience — of why she kicks ass.
Austin: I like this version of Jubilee much more than the one who was hitting on a cop while the Outliers fought for their lives.
Adam: Oh god, I’d almost forgotten about that. ALMOST.
Much like bringing back The Vig last issue, I like Gail’s new Claremontian habit of not letting old threads die and revisiting Uva. Even if I’m not sure readers will have read that year-old freebie story.
Austin: It is very Claremontian, and I love it! And what’s more Claremontian than finally referencing a plotline most readers have probably forgotten about? That’s the kind of stuff I’m here for.
Adam, as the internet’s No. 1 Jubilee fan, how did you feel about this long-overdue spotlight?
Adam: I honestly only have one nitpick as a Jubilee superfan. I really can’t picture Jubilee actively listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival, so there is no way she would ever say, “Come on, Fortunate Son,” out loud to anyone. It’s way better than her quoting the Bible, but still weird.
THAT SAID, the final panel, featuring a close-up on Jubilee with the caption, “There’s a lot of hate in the world. Whatever you are. Whenever you can. You can fight back.” Now those are words to live by. Put that on a T-shirt. Since Free Comic Book Day 2024, Jubilee has really been stuck in the background of this book, so I’m thankful she got a small showcase here, and I hope there’s more where this came from.
X-traneous Thoughts
- Multiple people in the letters page asking for Shogo. And one person talking about dropping the book. Surprised they published that last letter, given the general tendency to share praise only.
- Whenever I see Outlaw, I fancast her as Kesha.
- This is the second time in three issues that Calico “saves” Jitter. It’s cute, but can’t Jitter save herself?
- Looks like Wolverine and Ransom are headed to South America next issue. Can a Sunspot cameo be in the cards?
Buy Uncanny X-Men #19 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Adam Reck is the cartoonist behind Bish & Jubez as well as the co-host of Battle Of The Atom. Follow him @adamreck.bsky.social.
Austin Gorton also reviews older issues of X-Men at the Real Gentlemen of Leisure website, co-hosts the A Very Special episode podcast, and likes Star Wars. He lives outside Minneapolis, where sometimes, it is not cold. Follow him @austingorton.bsky.social.
