Wolverine & the X-Men #20

I’m slowly catching up with Uncanny X-Force, so I finally understand what’s going on with Archangel. I’m not sure I like it, but at least I understand it. I have a hard time with some of the more out-there concepts, like the one that Warren Worthington has been reborn a blank slate. He’s got no memories, new powers, and he’s slowly burning out the Celestial lifeseed that is giving him his new lease on life. That’s pretty complicated, right? Isn’t it easier to just say he’s an original X-Man with wings? Sometimes comics confuse me! 

Jason Aaron makes the best of a weird situation by taking Angel out of the normal flow of the Jean Grey Academy. Archangel isn’t faculty, and he’s not a student. Instead, he’s the first graduate and head recruiter, traveling around the world trying to convince new mutants to attend Wolverine’s school. 

I might not care for Warren’s status, but I love seeing new mutants again. Shark Girl, a new were-shark type of character, seems like a ton of fun. I think she’s got some fantastic potential, it seems like the X-Men often neglect aquatic powers, so this is a great idea. I also love that someone is out there competing for students. Mystique and a new Silver Samurai are on the job, and a whole slew of villains show up on the last page. (I only recognized a couple of those guys from previous Aaron-penned stories. Lady Mojo???)

Steven Sanders does a nice job with Archangel’s new, segmented wings. Again, this isn’t my preferred version of Angel, but I can at least appreciate the design. I also love how revolting Mudbug is. A crayfish man makes a lot of sense to join the villain team, and I can tell already that I’ll love Aaron’s dialogue for the southern bug. 

Good