Uncanny X-Men #35

   As the Uncanny X-Men series winds down toward issue #600 (which somehow follows #35 - let's call it Marvel Math), I can't decide if it's winding up to a big finish or just running out of steam.

   The series got a fresh start when writer Brian Michael Bendis took over, changing the lineup and the basic concept, as we followed the attempts by Cyclops to find a new approach for young mutants - more of a rebellion than Professor Xavier's peaceful attempts.

   So he recruited an all-new team and started their training - but now Cyclops is out of the picture, so his recruits are trying to find their own direction.

   Naturally, they start their own super-team and take on the bad guys (both mutant and non). They gain immediate acceptance, but then a surprising problem arises.

    It all just feels phony and drummed up, not a natural progression of the experience for these characters. And at the end, they're right back where they started - sadder but perhaps wiser, but not different.

   Perhaps next issue (and the big number jump) will clear it up - or perhaps we'll see more of the biggest enemy this title has faced for some time now: the status quo.

Grade: B-

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