Comic Pages Of The Week - X-Men 520

I actually have been lovin' the 'Nation X' story in the current issue of 'X-Men' These two pages from the latest issue are terrific.

Cyclops has stepped up to lead the rogue nation that he has set up as a haven for the few remaining mutants left in the world. He has to balance a lot of disparate elements in the mutant community while trying to keep his 'island' from sinking into the ocean.

One of his biggest problems is what to do with 'Magneto'. The former arch villain of the X-men has returned to the mutant community with 'hat in hand' to seek redemption for all his past sins. Or maybe he just has nowhere else to go. He doesn't have an agenda this time and he truly wants to help. At least that is what I believe.

Scott however wants NONE of it. He has been burned by Magneto too many times since the very beginning of the formation of the X-men. At various times he has offered Magneto the opportunity to change and been stabbed in the back each time. Like the boy who cried wolf, Magneto has run out of chances.

The genius of the art/writing is that I actually WANT to see Magneto get his shot at redemption and I was there all along when he was a bad guy. I know what a bastard Erik can be. I love it when really great storytelling can make me question all I think I know about a character. Magneto has got layers over layers over layers. When I think of the way he was handled over at the 'Ultimate' universe, I want to beat Jeff Loab to death with a bag of frozen oranges.

Of course those pesky humans are always around to 'hate and fear' the mutants. Its a theme I thought the comic had done to death but for some reason this current storyline really is resonating with me. It does feel like a changing of the guard and a new direction for all mutants in the Marvel Universe.

I am also very happy that Bendis has not got his hands on this title. What he has done to the Avengers is a sin and I just can't watch another one of his so-called 'events' peter out and die by the end like a popcorn fart.