Coming back to Claremont Uncanny X-Men always feels like coming home and this volume was jam packed with fantastic stories; from the iconic God Loves, Man Kills to the first ever Wolverine solo series and the introduction of the Morlocks and Madelyne Pryor. I loved every single page!

I think its best to tackle this volume in parts so I'll start with God Loves, Man Kills. The seminal graphic novel is... a lot, to say the least. It's brutal in a way that's very out of step with a standard Uncanny X-Men issue with on-page child murder and Professor X on a crucifix. But unlike some darker comic book fair its edge added to the overall storytelling. The book is a mythic tale about the extremes of mutant prejudice. And while some choices (like Kitty using racial slurs to chastise her black teacher) didn't hit the mark, overall it was a powerful story well told. I especially adored the Bent Anderson and Steve Oliff's endlessly striking watercolour art style. There's a stunning expressionism to it that evoked emotion beautifully.

The other standalone graphic novel in the volume was Wolverine solo mini-series. I was hesitant about this story because I didn't know how I'd feel about Frank Miller as an artist and Wolverine as a standalone character, but thankfully my fears were assuaged. Like God Loves, Man Kills Wolverine is tonally distinct from Uncanny but Claremont strong command of voice and razor sharp vision made for a great reading experience. Here we delve into Wolverine's psyche as he attempts to win the hand of his love Lady Mariko. What I liked most about this mini is how we dive in to Logan's perspective on his monstrousness. His pathos is deeply compelling and the tragedy of his circumstances is moving. Frank Miller's art is also just stunning. He has a complete command of effective panelling and effortlessly crafts vivid and striking imagery. 

The rest of the volume follows the standard adventures of the X-Men and Claremont really hits his stride here. A major highlight is Storms arc throughout the volume. Seeing her loose her sense of self and reform her identity into something harsher and meaner was so fascinating. Her battle with Callisto is easily one of the coolest moments in the entire series. 

I also adored the convoluted and bonkers nature of Scott's relationship with Madelyne Pryor. Falling in love with the identical clone of your dead girlfriend is the exact kind of comic book goofiness I love and Claremont does it beautifully. What's most fascinating about this arc is how well emotions of their relationship are realized. These two get married days after their first meeting but it never actually feels contrived and the mystery surrounding it all is deeply compelling. 

Other highlights include the introduction of Paul Smith and Bob Wiacek as the lead penciller and inkers for Uncanny. Their style is graceful and I swear I've never seen comic hair more beautiful than Paul Smith hair. They easily join the ranks of Terry Austin and John Byrne as stellar X-Men artists. 

While all of this sounds like a lot of story packed into a relatively scant amount of issues Claremont handles interweaving storylines with the deft hand of a season writer. I'm always in awe of his of endlessly engaging vibrant storytelling and I can't wait to dive deeper into his X-Men stories.