by Joe Iconic, Reporter

Since arriving in the present, Jean Grey has developed a series of new psychic abilities. In the absence of Professor Xavier, Emma Frost has offered to act as Jean’s new instructor. Though Emma’s former bitter rivalry with Jean’s future self initially caused tension with Jean, her psychic tutelage has slowly begun to heal the rift between the two X-Men.

All-New X-Men #37 continues the journey of young Jean Grey. This issue features Emma Frost taking the time displaced teen-age X-Man to Madripoor for some “in the field” training. Like most any issue not containing a major event cross-over (looking at you, Black Vortex!), Brian Michael Bendis’ exploration into this team continues to entertain, and remains on the recommended pull list of X-men series.

What started as a Bendis thought puzzle of “what if Cyclops teen-age self met his grown up self” has been a breath of fresh air for the original X-Men. All-New X-Men #37 also  does a tremendous homage to Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men 183. In “He’ll Never Make Me Cry,” the X-Men first returned from Battleworld following Secret Wars. Colossus/Peter Rasputin has broken off his relationship with the very younger Kitty Pryde. Just to set the record straight, it’s not like he ended the relationship for the right reasons, or even to avoid criminal prosecution, but because he fell in love with the now-dead alien healer he met on Battleworld. That old tale. So, Wolverine took him out to a bar to beat some sense into him, but a chance encounter allowed Juggernaut to do it instead.

Juggernaut is busy in Amazing X-Men, so Blob/Fred J. Dukes takes the role of Cain Marko/Juggernaut, but the parallels between All-New X-Men #37 and Uncanny X-Men 183 are plentiful.   Emma Frost is trying to get Jean Grey to get out her fear of the Phoenix instead of dealing with the angst of breaking up with a teen-ager.  Illyana Rasputin/Magik/Colossus little sister provides the means to get them to Madripoor. We know about Madripoor because of Wolverine, of course. The other neat trivia to Uncanny X-Men 183 is that the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club was first introduced, which is a link to Emma Frost, the former White Queen of that same nefarious organization. Any reference to Secret Wars, however distant, is timely, considering the event is soon to once again grace the Marvel Comics continuity.

Where Bendis shines is that All-New X-Men #37 holds its own very well, even if you have not read Uncanny X-Men 183.   (After all, Secret Wars was published in 1984.)  Jean Grey is awesome.  Emma Frost making references to Archer?  Brilliant.  Jean Grey reminding Blob how they first met (in Uncanny X-men #3)?  Outstanding.  However, I miss the presence of Miles Morales. It was meant to be a short-lived crossover, but putting together these two main characters from two of Bendis’s books was poetry. They had a chemistry that is missed.

Also, All-New X-Men #37 has a notable lack of the other original X-Men.   Personally, I’m good with a Jean Grey book.  Still, it’s confusing that the story is out of sequence. The Black Vortex event was last issue, which was hard to follow if you did not follow the rest of the event. Cyclops is back from his adventures with his Space Dad.   I understand there was a sequence problem, but having Hank McCoy/Beast and Bobby Drake/Iceman on the cover was confusing, considering they were nowhere else in the issue. Personally, I am pretending Iceman and Beast were smart enough to get agents or contracts to ensure they received face time in so many issues, regardless of the storyline. Do they still issue no-prizes?

The change in art is dramatic as well.  Mike Del Mundo is incredibly gifted, and his work on art and colors fits the setting of Madripoor perfectly, but it is still a paradigm shift from the more realistic portrayals of the former artists on the series. Mahmud Asrar, Stuart Immonen and David Marquez had a very compatible approach, which allowed for a more seamless transition.   Mike Del Mundo is a master, but the change to more abstract depictions and grayer tone of colors can disrupt the “visual pace” for the reader.

All-New X-Men #37 is for the fans of the X-Men. If you love Jean Grey and X-Men history, this issue is definitely for you. This issue serves as a good jumping-on point, as well. The X-Men have historically excelled in the issues between the main action where the focus is characterization, and All-New X-Men #37 is no exception. Bendis is a gives reverence to the classic X-Men and the richness of their history, which makes this issue worth picking up.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives All-New X-Men #37  3.5 telepaths out of 5 telepaths.

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