I'm a well read grad student who's bluntly honest about all things, although I try to be most honest about myself.

Compare it to:

I think this is a Dragon homage to X-Men, mostly because there are enough homages that I even find it a little irritating. The way it's done feel like it's supposed to be a clever wink at fans of comics, but it's done so often and in some cases - like the Colossus image - so similarly that it feels like a ripoff at times.
And don't get me wrong, I'm still going to read this. There IS enough difference that the whole comic isn't one never-ending homage. I just occasionally think this can stand on its own legs, and not be exactly this cover, for example. Like the setup to this scene? Would have worked even if Dragon were strung up a little differently.