Obviously, the major event for Reload this week is Uncanny X-Men #444, as Chris Claremont returns to the title.  Essentially, it's a continuation of X-Treme X-Men with a change of artist.  But Marvel have managed to give it the feel of a major event, if nothing else. 

Of course, the last time Claremont returned to this title, it only lasted nine issues.  And sales on X-Treme haven't exactly been soaring of late.  I'm still thoroughly unconvinced that this is the best direction for Marvel to go in.  But we shall see.

Claremont's fanbase will be understandably delighted, because much of this issue is a reassertion of the status quo.  It's certainly the closest Claremont's come to recapturing the feel of his peak in the 1980s.  Not only is there the obligatory baseball game, even the lettering is in a Tom Orzechowski font.  (It's not by Tom Orzechowski, but it's in his font.)  [PS: Actually, it isn't.  I'm reliably informed that it's an original Chris Eliopoulos font - my mistake.]

As we pick up, the X-Treme team are simply visiting the Mansion, and are starting up their new career as the XSE.  Some of them get to go off to Africa and fight... well, some completely generic villains, to be honest.  And the others get to go to Washington, where the local authorities are bigoted and don't like them.  You get the general idea.

Somewhat more interestingly, there's a nice little subplot feuding Rachel and Emma.  Rachel's bitter that her "father" has remarried, and Emma's not exactly thrilled at having an ungrateful stepdaughter around.  That's a nice little story, and it's good to see that the X-books are running with the Scott/Emma relationship (and it's implications).  On the other hand, following the plot calls for at least a working knowledge of Rachel's background, which isn't actually explained anywhere in the issue.  [NB: As plenty of you have pointed out, Scott and Emma haven't actually remarried.  They're just a couple.  Don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that bit...]

Alan Davis seems to share Claremont's enthusiasm, and he's always been a fantastic storyteller.  This issue doesn't quite have the lightness of touch that you find in his best work, but it's still really nice work.  Not sure about some of the costume designs, mind you.  Cannonball's is ugly, and Rachel suffers under an attempt to pay homage to that horrible green miniskirt Jean used to wear in the Silver Age.  Maybe in the sixties, but not now.

It's Claremont doing his old routine, with the XSE set-up at least providing some variation (and avoiding that old problem where Claremont characters tried to change the world by hanging around the Mansion until evil attacked).  It's also one of Claremont's better uses of the formula in recent years.  But it's still the formula, and most readers will already know whether they regard that as a comfortable old friend or a relic of yesteryear.

Rating: B

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