Amazing X-Men #16 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue is jam-packed with great moments.  My favorite one is Bobby commenting about how useless telepathy is, since everyone now seems to have "fire mental shields or something."  Truth, brother, truth.  Firestar appearing to let Crossbones take her hostage only to burn his hands by irradiating his gun and sword was a close second.  Storm wishing Logan was there to kill a lot of things for her and then blasting all said things with lighting was an obvious third.

However, the best part of the issue is actually the plot.  Yost sets up a tournament for the ruby as Cyttorak calls to potential hosts:  Crossbones, Jinn, Man-Killer, and Cain Marko himself.  (Someone from the Sahara Desert is also in that mix, though I don't think that we've seen him/her.)  Yost makes sure that Cain's presence in this race is heart-breaking:  we see him receive the call as he peacefully plants a field of flowers in Utah.  But, he's in it to win it, and I honestly don't know which one Yost (or, um, Cyttorak) is going to chose.

Yost really is making this series fell more and more like the old-school X-Men, with all the interpersonal drama that those stories had.  I hope he keeps it going and doesn't leave the series after a few issues as everyone seems to do now-at-days.  He's really starting to get a feel for the characters and how they interact as a team.  I'm even starting to like Rockslide, and that's saying a lot.

**** (four of five stars)