Uncanny X-Men #15 - Marvel Comics

UNCANNY X-MEN No. 15, July 2025

Captivatingly claustrophobic due to so many of its sense-shattering shenanigans occurring deep down inside a long-buried crypt, there isn’t much wrong with Gail Simone’s narrative for Issue Fifteen of “Uncanny X-Men”. Indeed, the twenty-page periodical’s well-paced ‘potash’ of past, present and potential future sub-plots should see many a bibliophile utterly beguiled; “Oh, my dear, dear fellow. What makes you think you are free to leave.?”

Admittedly, this third instalment to the American author’s “The Dark Artery” storyline doesn’t really contain all that much adrenalin-fuelled action – at least not until this comic book’s end when Deathdream, Jitter, Calico and Ransom take-on the furious pitchfork-carrying residents of the realm of the dead. But the sheer sinister undertones of the dialogue-driven set-pieces beforehand, quite easily still carry this adventure ever onwards at an enjoyably brisk pace; especially during Miss Benjamin’s potentially deadly confrontation with the truly despicable secret service agent Mister Miller “nearly a century past.”

In fact, one of the dilemmas doubtless faced by this book’s Oregon-born writer was how she was ever going to cover as much of Lady Henrietta’s intriguing role as Penumbra’s current custodian as she does, whilst competing with the limited sheet-space required to also tell the mutant teacher-turned-caretaker’s brilliantly penned and emotionally-charged backstory.

Furthermore, Simone is also busy sowing the seeds of a potential massacre about to occur within the seemingly safe Haven House. This upcoming Sentinal attack might not have struck the audience as being particularly terrifying when the titular characters were residing there. However, rather cleverly, Gail has the X-Men depart to spectacularly save the Outliers’ day, and in doing so exposes the highly likeable little Chelsea and her mother to the flesh-tearing danger of a deranged mechanical Bloodhound back home.

Marvellously managing all of this comic’s visuals is David Marquez, who impressively imbues all the various sequences with just the right amount of atmosphere and apprehension. Of particular note has to be the Illustrator’s prodigious pencilling of Mister Miller, whose arrogant superiority is brought down to Earth with a heart-stopping bump when the Mutie-hater shockingly realises that the people he was planning to cold-bloodedly gun down, might not actually let him leave the swamp in one piece.

The regular cover art to "UNCANNY X-MEN" #15 by David Marquez & Matthew Wilson