The newest addition to the world of Sins of Sinister, Nightcrawlers #2 jumps 90 years into the future to see the long-term effects of the Sinister regime. Created by Simon Spurrier and Andrea Di Vito, the issue explores exactly what the Nightcrawlers have been doing over the course of the decades, while also creating a new and engaging world with fresh characters and interesting moral dilemmas.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Nightcrawlers #2!
While Nightcrawlers #1 introduced a group of Nightcrawler amalgams, Nightcrawlers #2 shows who they have become since Vox Ignis freed them from Sinister’s control. Under the directive of Mother Righteous, who has spent decades corrupting Nightcrawler’s Spark, the chimera have been leaping across worlds and plundering the goods of ancient cultures.
The Nightcrawlers have scavenged from the now-deceased Sh’iar empire, the Siegelords of Otherworld, and the remnants of Xandar. After Magik returns to destroy Asgard, the Nightcrawlers even manage to capture Thor’s mighty Mjolnir. Each gift is swiftly given to the ever-scheming Mother Righteous.
After the Nightcrawlers return to deliver Mjolnir, Nightcrawlers #2 reveals that the mutants have officially left Earth behind them. Now residing on a ship in space, the Nightcrawlers have been desperately working to stay alive after Sinister has ceased producing more Nightcrawler chimera. With Summernight — a Cyclops and Nightcrawler amalgam — throwing himself into death to avoid becoming overwhelmed by Sinister’s programming, the situation seems dire.
The devastated Wagnerine reveals that she and Summernight lost their child after she teleported away at birth. Ever eager to promote the Spark, Mother Righteous made the child a central figure of her religion. Vox Ignis, meanwhile, admits that he witnessed Legion abandoning Mother Righteous and the Spark. Dissatisfied, Vox Ignis and Wagnerine petition for the chance to recruit Doctor Nemesis to create more Nightcrawlers. Amused, Mother Righteous agrees.
After discovering an Earth consumed by the brood, the Nightcrawlers scramble to get Doctor Nemesis free. Unfortunately, that means cutting loose some of his fungi, which severely diminishes his intelligence. When they present Nemesis to Mother Righteous, they reveal another prize: The original Nightcrawler.
Furious at the poisoning of the Spark, the monstrous Nightcrawler attacks Mother Righteous. Unfortunately, he is easily defeated. While Mother Righteous spares her followers, she kills Nightcrawler and accidentally lets Wagnerine discover that her daughter is still alive. Furious, Wagnerine swears a vengeance that will last 1,000 years — conveniently, the amount of time that will pass before Nightcrawlers #3.
Andrea Di Vito’s art is incredible and truly displays how far the original Nightcrawler has fallen in the century since Sinister’s rise. The destruction of Asgard, too, is well depicted as the tragedy it is, even if the amalgams fail to acknowledge their role in its downfall.
Some confusing elements of the book take away from the overall message. After all, despite 100 years having passed, even characters who are not resurrecting don’t appear to have aged much at all, including the original Nightcrawler. A shorter time skip may have benefited the story more, though it may not have worked as well with the rest of the line.
Nightcrawlers #2 does help to establish emotional ties to the characters — something that was missing from Nightcrawlers #1. While more focus on Vox Ignis would help, Wagnerine’s story is tragically compelling. Still, the time skip is so massive that it can be more than enough to ruin any chance of a connection for some readers. After all, so much of Wagnerine’s life is entirely off-page.
The further exploration of the Spark is also incredibly engaging and provides an interesting insight into how Nightcrawler’s religion can be corrupted. Once things return to normal, Sins of Sinister could easily provide the mutant hero a reason to adjust his approach to crafting his philosophy. After all, Mother Righteous barely needed to strain to create a death-worshiping cult that worships her every move.
While Nightcrawlers #2 is a fun experience, it shares some of the issues of Nightcrawlers #1 and has some confusing elements. Still, the different uses of the unique chimera remain interesting, and the short-term nature of the series helps Spurrier ensure that he can develop a world without having to get too bogged down by the details. With so much packed into this book already, it feels like an exciting whirlwind that is more than worth the read.
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