X-Men #4 is one of those “in-between” issues. It’s the aftermath of Primer, Brian Wood’s stunning first arc with Olivier Coipel and the prelude to Battle of the Atom which will tie into the other main X-books. This stand-alone issue may be seen as a time moment to catch your breath but it’s a wonderful chapter of character development and drama demonstrating why we love the mutants.
Jubilee is a crossroads. The mutant turned vampire is adopting the mysterious orphan from the first arc as her own son. Wolverine joins Jubilation Lee on a journey into the past as she decides on her future. Brian Wood takes us back to the very place where we first met Jubilee (then a spunky mall rat) and she first met the Children of the Atom. These moments are particularly sentimental for me because this Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri era was when I came back to the X-Men after a hiatus from comic books. Jubilee was a funny, sweet and sassy new character representing what it meant to be young, excited and scared about discovering who you are and what your life could be. This is not the most action packed Wolverine guest appearance of the year but it may be the most poignant and memorable.
The other big storyline in this issue is the tension between Storm and Rachel Summers after Ororo was prepared to kill Karima in order to stop the threat of Arkea. As I watched Rachel challenge Storm I was reminded of classic Ororo moments when she “killed” Callisto to assume leadership of the Morlocks (Uncanny X-Men #170) and save the X-Men. Storm didn’t have to be sporting her Mohawk cut to remember when Ororo bested Cyclops (Uncanny X-Men #201) in a duel for leadership of the team.
It’s fitting that artist David Lopez is the guest for this issue. Brian and Lopez created an incredible run on the previous volume of X-Men. The success of that run starring Storm and an almost all-female team paved the way for the current smash hit series. As I read Blank Generation and the other stories of the Wood/Lopez run I was reminded of the great Claremont and Paul Smith era (creators of the issue with Morlocks duel mentioned above.) Brian Wood continues to demonstrate why I believe he’s the best writer of Storm since Claremont.
Every member of this all-female team shines under Wood’s direction. I especially like how he’s expanding upon Psylocke’s use of her powers and Rogue enjoying her mutant ability. There’s plenty of action and drama but overall this chapter is about the responsibility and enjoyment of being a hero and a teammate. X-Men #4 celebrates the past while looking towards the future.