Unknowingly, Cyclops's team deals with the aftermath of "Dark Angel Saga" in the new arc "Tabula Rasa" by Kieron Gillen. Rather than reacting to a villain's attack, or babysitting students, the X-Men are finally going on an actual mission; just like it used to be when they were the hottest property at Marvel. A cordial moment between Cyclops and Captain America is possibly the last friendly exchange between these two, and the calm before the storm that "A vs. X" will be in the coming months.

It was great to see the old fashioned story device in which team members pair up to fight threats and share personal moments. The best interaction was that between Magneto and Psylocke. Betsy is hiding big stuff from her friends, and Magnus is letting her know he won’t be fooled. Greg Land's insufferable pencils are made more tolerable thanks to Jay Leisten's inks and the rest of the art team. Free of Wolverine and Emma Frost, this issue was a respite from their overwhelming presence, and quite enjoyable, actually.