The X-line is currently headed to its next incarnation, with various books getting shelved or retooled, and plenty of speculation about some upcoming titles following the Trials of Sinister event. Thankfully, it does not appear we will be getting a complete reboot or an end to the Krakoan era entirely, which makes looking back at some of the highlights within Trials of X Vol. 4 even more gratifying. With snippets from Zeb Wells, Benjamin Percy, Al Ewing and Si Spurrier’s respective books, Vol. 4 has a little bit of everything that has made the X-line enjoyable these last few years.
Collected here is Hellions #15, X-Force #21-22, S.W.O.R.D. #8, and Way of X #4-5. Obviously, each issue represented is either midstream or the end of their respective arcs. Having said that, it’s a rather easy volume to comprehend and enjoy, even if you have only a passing understanding of each book’s storyline.
My favorite portion of this book is made up of Benjamin Percy’s X-Force issues. We get some more reveals about Beast’s dark, utilitarian actions regarding Terra Verde, and dig deeper into the cult group Order of X and the plant-like being Man-Slaughter. It’s a faultless, modest tale that situates X-Force as the team willing to skew the lines of respectability, and the tangled moral arguments that come with that. Percy’s narrative is elevated by the incredible artwork from Joshua Cassara and Robert Gill, with ample body horror and detailed character designs. It’s A-list quality talent represented on these pages.
Al Ewing’s S.W.O.R.D. issue is a Storm-focused issue, having her come to terms with what it means to be Regent of Arakko, as the Arakkoan society’s demands for strength and sacrifice forces the godlike X-Man to fight for authority. Its successor series, X-Men: Red, is the best X-book out right now, and this issue directly connects to what has been happening in that book. If you are a reader who has been enjoying that series but missed out on S.W.O.R.D., issue #8 is a great way to get some larger context for the current run. Guiu Vilanova does some acceptable line work, even if some pages looked rushed when compared to the grandeur conjured in the early pages of the book.
Hellions, with its focus on Mr. Sinister, does provide useful context to current events in the X-books even if it is a single issue, and one that may be difficult to understand without knowledge of the title’s earlier arcs. Nonetheless, it is beautifully articulated by Roge Antonio, putting fine character details to each quip written by Zeb Wells.
The Way of X issues are the end of that book’s run (if you don’t count the Onslaught one-shot) but does set up the Legion of X book currently on shelves. Si Spurrier’s examination of morality and the developing mutant society started strong but seemed unwilling to truly commit to its premise. These final issues, while full of great characters close to Spurrier’s heart, just don’t clarify the theological questions related to the Three Laws of Krakoa and feels toothless in addressing the direction mutant society has charted on Krakoa. Bob Quinn’s art is great, as always, and reminds me that even when the plot in the current X-books may leave something to be desired, the artistic quality is some of the most consistently strong the line has ever had.
Most of the variant covers are reprinted as full-page spreads, something that should be standard within these volumes, with only two getting the quarter page representation. Marvel could have added a single page to the volume to give each the space they deserve, and hopefully that will be something they commit to in future trades.
This is a great volume in this ongoing collection, with some excellent variety in its superhero aesthetic. The writers have strong grasps on their cast of characters and each title is complemented by incredible artistic talent. Let’s hope that the next incarnation of the X-books reaches the pedigree represented here.
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