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Uncanny X-Men #17 – Review

This final issue of Gillen’s Mr Sinister and Avengers vs X-Men arc was a lot of fun.  I’ve really been enjoying the way Gillen writes Mr. Sinister in Uncanny X-Men Volume 2.  It’s fun to have have a villain who operates solely on Xanatos Gambits and his ability to predict the moves of everyone involved.  It allows Gillen to surprise us along with Mr. Sinister when some random element is introduced that causes him plan to spiral out of control.  

At least one such element is Unit.  He’s been a factor in various Uncanny X-Men issues since he ended up coming to Earth and having a confrontation with the X-Men.  He is imprisoned there, but unbeknownst to the X-Men, he is controlling Danger.  He also revealed to the Five Lights that they were supposed to get the Phoenix Force before erasing the knowledge he’d just given them from their memories.  He’s giving Danger advice on what to do so that causes her to deviate from her plan, as Sinister remarks (although he doesn’t know why).  


Overall it was a fun story, but an inconsequential one as the main Avengers vs X-Men story has passed it by so we knew that nothing could happen to the Phoenix Five because they had to still posses the Phoenix Force in later (chronologically) issues of Avengers vs X-Men.  

I found Acuña’s art to work for the larger scenes, but it seemed to be off and on for the facial work.  I didn’t like his work on Psylocke’s face:


But I loved his work on Sinister in this key scene:


It’s odd because usually I like the art throughout the book or I dislike the art throughout the book.  

If you haven’t been reading Uncanny X-Men don’t get this issue.  The next issue starts up a new arc and I think you’d be better off starting there.
Rating
7.5

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