Being an X-Men fan in 2026 isn’t exactly an easy thing. The books have been struggling since Tom Brevoort took over to really engage the entire fandom like the Krakoa Era did and Ultimate X-Men is ending. However, we’ve had one consistently great book: Uncanny X-Men. Uncanny X–Men is a spectacular comic; writer Gail Simone has been doing Claremont-style character-driven stories, taking readers on rides while building up subplots in the background. This book has been old-school team comic writing at its finest since the beginning, with main artist David Marquez, and all-star back-up artists like Javier Garron and Luciano Vecchio, giving readers gorgeous visuals. Uncanny X-Men #24 is the second part of “Where Monsters Dwell”, a story that is a love letter to a different kind of Marvel.
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“Where Monsters Dwell” kicked off with a cool framing device: an old school Marvel Western comic with characters like Rawhide Kid (used as a bedtime story for the owner of the X-base Haven House’s daughter and the Outliers, the teen mutants the X-Men are training), and that continues in this issue. Simone is paying homage to ’70s Marvel here, and that continues into this issue as the Monster Legion attacks. It gives the comic a cool vibe, and uses tropes from two forgotten portions of the House of Ideas’ history: its horror and Western comics of the Silver and Bronze Ages.
Rating: 5 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Gail Simone nails the perfect blend of character work and action, giving the book an old school feel that draws you in brilliantly | |
| David Marquez is hitting another level on the art, giving readers beautiful visuals | |
| Bold, character-oriented storytelling that gives every character a chance to shine |
Uncanny X-Men Conjures an Old-School Feeling
Uncanny X-Men has been fantastic, and this issue sees Simone again putting her considerable powers on display. As I was reading this issue, I felt like I was reading an older comic, down to her choosing an abandoned amusement park for the issue’s big fight. This story plays into the overarching plot about Haven House’s place in the mutant and magical corners of the Marvel Universe, and gives readers a book that is full of action and character. Simone weaves magic with the writing in this issue, giving each character their own little section to narrate. This actually feels like a team book, with each character getting the spotlight. There’s a cool surprise villain in this issue, and a great two-pronged cliffhanger ending, the icing on a delicious comic cake.
David Marquez Gives Readers Two Different Flavors of Brilliant Art
The X-Men have a history of great artists, and David Marquez certainly fits among their number. Marquez is one of those artists who has been doing amazing work for his entire career, and he’s been continually getting better since he joined Uncanny X-Men. His lines have a feathery quality to them, giving the images a warmth that really makes them resonate more. In this issue, he has to switch from the classic Marvel Western style of art, with help from expert color artist Matthew Wilson, who gives the colors a sepia tone in those scenes to give it a sense of age, to his normal modern style for some action-packed, exciting pages, pulling both approaches off beautifully.
Marquez and Wilson work in lock step for the whole book. The horror section of the issue has Marquez’s trademark detailed pencils, expert character acting, sexiness, and brilliant action storytelling, with Wilson’s colors capturing the dark, old school horror comic feel while also keeping each panel well-lit. It’s dark, but you can see what’s going on. Marquez and Wilson do amazing work together in this issue, each of them playing off the skill of the other to nail the art on every page. It’s so impressive, yet they make it look easy.
Simone and Marquez have already given readers one of the best X-Men stories of the ’20s with “Dark Artery” and so far, it looks like “Where Monsters Dwell” may join that one. Simone is paying homage to old school Marvel in numerous ways with this comic, and it’s a joy to read. Marquez is outstanding, but the real MVP here is Wilson. His colors fit the art like a glove, aiding in the storytelling in subtle ways. This is what a great team book looks like.
Uncanny X-Men #24 is on sale now.
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