Editor's Note: Uncanny X-Men #505 arrives in stores tomorrow, December 17.

The same thought repeated itself as I read this book. It's not a pleasant thought, exactly, but it does carry a ring of hope:

At least this isn't completely ridiculous.

As the X-Men have transformed from an idea to a franchise to an industry unto themselves, there have been so many stories with so many characters, so often (too often) driven off into bizarre plotlines defying both reason and good sense, that one can't help but be overwhelmed. And utterly lost.

So, whether a volunteer or victim of editorial edict, Matt Fraction has for the moment made Uncanny X-Men the hub upon which the great wheel of X-Books revolves. Plots old and new drift through the title, making the centre a difficult point to plot. On the surface it would be Cyclops' earnest if somewhat harebrained desire to unite Earth's remaining mutant population and see to their future; which is to say, see that they have a future. The usual problems are starkly presented; from Simon Trask and his reactionary, anti-mutant agendum to those who would use mutants for their own purposes, as well as the problem that when mutants aren't being used or abused, they tend to drift into one of three camps (hero, villain, or loner) who have wildly differing views as to how the future should unfold, presuming they care at all.

Fraction keeps the story centered in San Francisco, for the most part. The plucky mayor is insistent verging on hysterical that mutants are and will continue to be welcome there, deflecting Scott's suggestion that the city would be better off without them. At the X-Base (which I now appreciate will never have an "official" name; no doubt "home" is the one for which Scott is striving), we look in on Hisako and Megan as they briefly discuss their own immediate future and "welcome" a new roommate. Scott rebuffs Emma's offer to shoulder the burden of mutant-kind, causing Emma to give Ororo a frosty shoulder only to be cornered for a queen to queen talk. Down in the city, Peter continues his search for meaning, bereft of Kitty, and is offered a temporary distraction by a dodgy character from his childhood back on the collective farm. Finally, far away in the Yukon, Henry, Warren, and their new creepy doctor friend recruit another member in the quest to keep (mutant) hope alive.

So far as a chapter of As The Mutants Turn goes, this one is exemplary in its adequacy. One wonders how many more bits and pieces of the past are available to exploit given the sheer volume of mutant stories over the decades (and the compressed timeframe of Marvel reality vs. "real" reality), but I'm willing to let Peter's story play out for now. Another question concerns the number of "secret" bases littering Canada. Given the degree of autonomy that Canada has enjoyed in Marvel (and mutant) books, the 616 version must have a fifty metre layer of diamonds encrusting the Canadian Shield in order to pay for all of these operations (or a daily petroleum output greater than the Middle East, Russia, and Indonesia combined). Alpha Flight alone would've bankrupted the country in the real world. It's also sort of disturbing that the land of hockey and beavers should constantly be portrayed, beneath the surface, as America's spooky cousin. Oh well.

The Dodsons handle the artistic chores with their usual grace and skill. With the odd exception these are a series of quiet moments strung together in a straightforward way. Getting Pixie right is important to me, and I have no complaints. It's interesting that Emma's psychic self-image, during her discussion with Ororo, is far more blushed and in the pink than her real self, as though despite her icy exterior she desires to be a warmer person. For the sake of completeness there has to be something to whine about, so I'll take issue with Laura Kinney, who appears to be a lithe, six-foot something rather than Logan's slightly stumpy clone. Not unattractive, just not quite right.

Yes, all very average. Not something one expects from Fraction (for whom "slightly above average" should be a slight), but his hands appear to be tied to some extent, what with all the "Dark Reign" business looming overhead. The book concluded with Emma on the phone accepting a meeting with whom we (now) know. On the one hand, for those of us who have been waiting impatiently for Emma to go all evil again, we're another step closer. On the other, I'm already Normaned out, and it's only the second week. Could be worse, though, I could be Matt Fraction trying to write stories around the latest "event". Chin up, lad, it can't last much more than forever.

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