I was pleasantly surprised reading Extraordinary X-Men #2,  for a number of reasons.  First It felt like a homecoming of sorts.  I know how weird that sounds given what has been said on graphic policy regarding the “return of the same” with respect to X-Men story plotting, and to a degree I still hold on to the critique.

Additionally, The story in Extraordinary X-Men was interspersed with very good character moments,  and a sense of intimacy I have not seen for a long time. When Wolverine and he X-Men (volume 1) launched I was reminded of how much I had missed the grass roots level of mutant persecution. The X-Men had become so big and militant that I hadn’t realized it been years since something as small as school licensing/approval was a hurdle for the X-Men to jump.

A bit of that returns in this issue during  a scene where the young Jean Grey is flirting with a human class mate. It does not end well. During an after school social event, Jean mistakes a manifesting inhuman for a mutant. In addition to revealing herself as a mutant, Jean faces the brunt of human racism as well inhuman fear.  Despite the similarity to past events in this new status the concept of interspecies competition is somewhat a rarity. The last time I remember mutants having a viable rival was back with Mike Carey’s Children of the Vault. The revelation of M-Pox hearkens back to the Legacy Virus, and adds another nostalgic flourish to the story. Is it derivative? definitely,  but these elements are likely to make for a more interesting circumstance the more the post-Battleword era is revealed to us.

To my memory this is the first time the Inhumans and Mutants have been in direct conflict. What I find interesting about this new status quo is that the X-Men and Inhumans engaged in a role reversal of sorts. The previously sequestered Inhumans are on the rise and on the fast track to becoming earth’s dominant species. This was a position briefly held by mutant kind who now find themselves cloistered to their own Attilan-esque X-haven. (More on that in a bit).  The X-Men have a history of some very awesome headquarters. We’ve had them in the Australian outback, a decommissioned Weapon X facility, and even Magneto’s Asteroid M. The revelation of X-Haven’s location was one of my favourite hooks in this story. It not only sparks some intrigue for the state of Mutantkind going forward, it ties up some lose ends from the previous Uncanny X-Men arc. X-Haven was revealed to be in Limbo, and inexorably tied to Illyana Rasputin, shedding light on Storm’s misgivings on whether she has saved Mutantkind or damned it.

Humberto Ramos‘ art was also a nostalgic pleasure, the quirkiness of his style matches the topsy turvy status quo that the X-Men find themselves in. Further to this I believe my introduction to Humberto Ramos was around the Mike Carey and eventual Messiah Complex era.  A lot of the theme during this era centered an impending mutant extinction, so it feels right that Ramos is back when the X-men are facing much of same again. Additonally Ramos quirky art also reminds me of Chris Bachalo’s work. Work which takes me back to Wolverine and the X-Men Volume 1. Again familiar territory and perhaps appropriate given the new status quo of the Jean Grey School.

Final Thoughts

The whole  mutant refugee angle has some similarity to the current Syrian Refugee crisis I find. Not sure if this was intentional but the seeing the element of mistaken identity and mutants running from an all pervading threat they are also blamed for seemed to be an interesting commentary on current events.

The conflict between the Inhumans and Mutants has very Malthusian tones, and really sounds like a zero-sum state of affairs, . Calling it now…. Unless Beast can find a solution with his Inhumans team I sense a species war event of sorts on the horizon.

A classic X-Villain rears his head at the end of this issue and I thrilled to bits about it.

Story: Jeff Lemire Art: Humberto Ramos
Story: 9 Art: 10 Overall 9.5 Recommendation: Buy