Northstar becoming a member of the X-Men is enough to make this issue a welcome sight, though Chuck Austen's ham-fisted handling of the idea that Northstar is gay left me a bit cold, as the conversation between Northstar & the young boy is about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the head. Now I get that Northstar's sexual preference is a key part of the character, but I hope that it wasn't the only element that made Chuck Austen include him in the cast, as there is more to the character than this. Now part of my disappointment with this issue is due to the simple fact that the plot is decidedly simplistic, and the X-Men have faced the out-of-control mutant power scenario enough times, that it's become silly that they haven't come up with some method of dealing with it. Still, I'm glad to see Northstar back in a monthly title, and here's hoping he proves to be as big a jerk in the X-Men, as he was in Alpha Flight. Read Full Review

this is already so much better than Joe Casey's run