Uncanny X-Men #6 Review: Apocalypse Wars Part 1

By D. Goodman | Apr 8, 2016

The Apocalypse Wars invade Uncanny X-Men in a very entertaining opening chapter that promises big things to come.

Uncanny X-Men #6
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Ken Lashley, Paco Medina and Juan Vlasco
Colored by Nolan Woodard and Jesus Aburtov
Published by Marvel Comics

Last time in Uncanny X-Men: Magneto lures the Dark Riders to Genosha, where he blows the island up, apparently killing the Dark Riders and showing the world that his Uncanny X-Men will not hide in the shadows any longer.

With Uncanny X-Men #6, the title begins its part of the big “Apocalypse Wars” event that is sweeping through several of Marvel’s X-Men books. The nice part is that each can be read separately from each other as they all focus on different aspects of Apocalypse and his history in the Marvel Universe.

For Uncanny X-Men, this means Warren Worthington III takes the spotlight as his Dark Angel persona begins to reemerge and all the very bad things that could mean for Magneto’s mutant strike team.

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After reading the first five issues and being less than impressed, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect here. While Bunn’s writing was good, it wasn’t anything that blew me away. I honestly wasn’t sure if he had the chops to handle a story about Archangel, one of the more complex and tragic characters in the X-Men canon.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered Bunn has the chops and then some.

Uncanny X-Men #6 is a vast improvement over the last five issues. The plot works much better, the dialogue is improved and the interaction between the team members seems more authentic. Adding in a subplot involving Callisto and the Morlocks in a nice touch considering both Angel and Sabertooth’s key roles in the classic “Mutant Massacre” storyline from years ago, so it all works in a nice harmony that was missing from the initial story arc.

But what really changed my opinion about the book the most was the art by Ken Lashley. I have always said I am a Greg Land fan and always will be, but I didn’t realize how much his style was not really a fit for Bunn’s script like what Lashley turns in here.

For the first time I see what Land’s critics are talking about when they say his work is “stiff” and lacks any kind of emotion. By comparison, Lashley’s art in Uncanny X-Men #6 is vibrant, full of life and really brings the plot to life in a way that Land’s work just never did. There are several parts of the story, such as when Callisto confronts Sabertooth and Archangel’s vision that I just don’t think could have been done any better by any artist.

The backup story featuring Magneto and Xorn is also well done, showing how the rest of the Marvel Universe is reacting to what Magneto and his team of X-Men are doing. My only problem with the whole comic was that the cliffhanger from last issue was never adequately addressed, just being referenced in the backup. I guess we’ll have to wait and see in regards to that.

Related Story: Uncanny X-Men #5 Review: Survival Of The Fittest Part 5

The Bottom Line: Uncanny X-Men #6 is a quantum leap in quality over the first five issues, mainly thanks to the art of Ken Lashley, who I hope will be sticking around for a while. While not quite as exciting or action-packed as Extraordinary X-Men‘s “Apocalypse Wars” opening chapter, I have always been a big Archangel fan so I have high hopes for what promises to be a very interesting storyline.