Cyclops and the X-Men have set out to save mutantkind…but the Mutant Liberation Front isn’t going to just wait for it to happen! Led by one of the X-Men’s own, the MLF is willing to do whatever it takes to stop mutant oppression…even kill any mutant who stands in their way…

Writer Matthew Rosenberg continues his take on the X-Men in this issue which is full of shocking twists and turns as Cyclops and the team confront Hope and the MLF.

While we get a tease of Hope’s motivations much is left for later issues. There’s also one hell of a statement by Wolverine concerning the situation. Instead, the focus here is shaking things up further with an injury to a character that will surely shake things up in the future. There’s also a focus on Dark Beast who does some good!? Yeah, multiple characters have their status shaken up with an end that’s shocking and horrific at the same time.

What’s really interesting though is Rosenberg’s focus outside of the X-Universe. Captain America pays a visit and after AvX, this is a pretty big deal as far as a meeting between Cap and Cyclops. While there isn’t an admission of him being wrong, there’s a lot of interesting moments that set up the X-Men’s status for the future in the greater Marvel Universe.

The art by Salvador Larroca, with color by Guru-eFX and lettering by Joe Caramagna, is excellent. There’s some fantastic spreads and really interesting use of panels when things really ramp up. The action is solid, the characters look great, the comic just nails it in the visuals, especially the brutality of some of the moments and injuries sustained.

Rosenberg has been mashing together some of the best of various eras of X-Men to deliver a story that’s action packed and entertaining. He’s putting his stamp on the X-Men status quo and history and brought the series back the excellence of what was.

Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Salvador Larroca
Color: Guru-eFX Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review