Your eyes don’t deceive you – yes, that is Mystique and Destiny in old-timey clothes on the cover of Immortal X-Men #8. It’s a detective story for Mystique and the reader as we uncover the origins of Mr. Sinister. Or, at the very least, the beginnings of his terrible discoveries in eugenics and cloning!
Immortal X-Men #8 opens in New Mexico in 1943. Mystique is breaking into a military facility and kicking plenty of ass as what looks a bit like Rosie the Riveter. Soon she’s seeing scientists doing god knows what and experimenting on mutant children. It seems so awful, yet there enters Destiny greeting Mystique. It seems they’ve had a long-held trust that goes way back.
Back to London 1895, apparently, as much of the story takes place there. As you try to balance these characters turning the other cheek around some awful stuff, it’s easy to forget they’re both technically villains. They’re not as pure of heart and morals as other characters, and once you realize that, things start to fall into place. Much of this narrative is about the greater good; in this case, the greater good is figuring out Mr. Sinister’s plots and steering him to the best possible outcome.
They’re using kids, and you’re okay with that?
Credit: Marvel
Donning a costume not online, Sherlock Holmes, Mystique, and Destiny set out to uncover what Dr. Nathaniel Essex is up to and maybe why people are dying in the streets of London. There’s a monster story tucked away in this narrative, and maybe even some connections to werewolves, which adds an intriguing element to the setting. Heck, there may even be some The Picture of Dorian Gray thrown in. Either way, there are homages to British literature to be had here.
Fun nods to literature, X-Men history, and seeing Destiny and Mystique on an early caper will be the main draw for most readers here. There are loose hints as to what Mr. Sinister may be up to, but that’s not the main attraction. By the end of the issue, I was hoping for more answers or a more definitive point to the story, but there’s plenty here if you enjoy these characters.
Art by Michele Bandini with colors by David Curiel host a cinematic feel with layouts and panel structure. Most panels take on the widescreen format playing with character placement and some mise en scene as needed. The art never goes too big, even in a smash cut to a terrible act by Mr. Sinister staying in a drama-focused lane.
A departure from the main narrative, Immortal X-Men #8 shows that sometimes we must let the bad guys win to reach the best conclusions. At least, that’s what Destiny seems to be getting at in a fun flashback-fueled story that plays into Mr. Sinister’s early days.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.