All New X-Men #7 Review
Comic: All New X-Men #7
Written By: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils By: David Marquez
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release Date: OUT NOW IN STORES & DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (VIA COMIXOLOGY)
rating: 4
All New X-Men has seen Beast bring back the original X-Men team from the past forward to the present in the vein hope that young Scott Summers can pull present day Scott Summers back from the edge. The two Summers have met, had their first face off and in the aftermath young Jean Grey has decided, rather than going back and having their memories wiped of all this by Charles Xavier, staying put in the present is more in line with what needs to be done. Over the last couple of issues, events have calmed down and now we are seeing an out of time group of young mutants struggling to catch up with the current status quo in the world of post AvX and quite frankly Brian Michael Bendiss approach to all this remains a breath of fresh air.
Even though the X-team we are focusing on is the classic First Class, All New X-Men feels distinctly like all old 90s X-Men and frankly I love it. I know theres mixed opinions on 90s X-Men but for me that is my X-Men. Bendis has somehow tapped into whats been missing from the X-Men post the first X-Men movie in 2000 and has again made it about character rather than about spectacle. I suddenly find myself loving young Scott Summers. At each turn he finds out something he will do in his future and watching this wide eyed idealistic young leader struggle with his future sins makes for great reading. Oh course hes already clashing with Wolverine but when young Jean (whos powers have kicked into high gear all of a sudden) begins to see what Scott will do in his future, even his current relationships are strained, pushing him to the outside of the mutant circle of friends. 
This issue mainly follows young Scott as he goes to a bank and recovers a safety deposit box he has obviously added items to over the years since he was younger. This leads on to a tugging of heartstrings at the end of the issue that I wont spoil but for the most part Scott gets a glimpse into the things that have been important to him over the years within the box and also gets hold of his old rectangular ruby quartz shades for a retro spin to our young Scotts look. What really shines in the issue is when Scott is side tracked by Mystique. Of course we know she has her own agenda in here somewhere but how she talks to this young Scott is really quite tender and poignant. I agree with her when she says she always liked this young Scott (even if at the time I probably didnt all that much) and somewhere in their conversation she convincingly sets him on a track that could legitimately sort the X-Mens problems out. 
All New X-Men continues to be a charming, almost therapeutic approach to the X-Men. It feels exciting and full of possibilities but treads an even path of character, plot development and heart. Additionally David Marquez's art in this issue shows a good eye for the characters he's drawing, capturing every element I love about the mutants from Kitty's cuteness to Scott Summer's worried frown. The focus is kept to the best characters and more so it feels like Bendis may very well find a cure to the almost soul crushing bout of X-Men dullness that has plagued most of the X-titles for too long. I honestly couldn't call where this is all going and indeed what I want the outcome to actually be when we get there but I know when young Scott is ready and present day Scott has no other choice but to face himself, the All New X-Men could become even more special than it already is. This title just keeps on being great, I just hope the other new female led X-Men title thats on the horizon pacts the same sort of punch.