After a big over bloated crossover and some drab issues, extraordinary x-men kicks back into gear. The premise is pretty classic – mutants have been wiped out, thanks to a catastrophe caused by the Terrigen Mists (which i think is supposed to be the equivalent of Inhumans vs. X-men). The surviving members of the X-Men are Storm, Iceman, Forge, Cerebra and an alternate universe Old Man Logan. They are trying to survive as the world turns against them. The book focuses on them, and i can appreciate that Lemire wants to make their struggles feel personal.
There is a resemblance to Claremont era X-Men here, with the family joking and camaraderie between the characters, but with a dark twist. Something has happened that puts mutants at the top of everyone’s hate list, and it looks like Cyclops is to blame.
Storm and Jean Grey are reluctant leaders of this team, and Lemire does a good job of establishing their emotional states as they deal with the loss. Iceman gets some great development here as well, and for a book with an uncertain future this isn’t a bad setup.
The pacing is fast and eventful but the ending feels somewhat predictable. The art from Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazabal is solid, though it started out strong but got a bit sloppy towards the end. Lemire’s script is competent but doesn’t do much that is new or interesting. i am hoping the book can pick up some steam with its next arc but for now it’s an average X-Men title.
