The third volume of "Uncanny X-Men" takes off on the verge of "The New Revolution" with Cyclops as its Che Guevara, and the whole world as the battlefield. The story quickly defines the status quo and the main players, making it accessible to anyone who has not followed recent events. The addition of Maria Hill to the cast is an interesting choice, because she represents the other side of a conflict where it is not easy to tell who the bad guy is.

One thing we learn from the get-go, however, is the face of betrayal. Promoting the book with the tag line "One of these X-Men is a traitor," Bendis does not beat around the bushes, and makes his revelation upfront, instead of dragging the mystery that once resolved would have had half the readership loving it and the other half hating it. With that element of the plot out of the way, he can focus on the traitor's mission, and for once, fans will walk that road as accomplices. Good start.