In this new installment of the chronological Trials of X series, collecting a selection of issues all published within the X-line around the same time, we get a well-curated look at some of the clandestine corners of the mutant realm. It’s a fine collection of issues, showcasing a slew of artistic talent working at the X-office, digging into some things the Quiet Council on Krakoa might not want the world to see.
Collecting X-Men #7, The Secret X-Men #1, Sabretooth #1, and Devil’s Reign: X-Men #1-2, the Marvel office made the wise choice of giving this trade a distinct tone that is often missing from collections of this sort. Every one of these issues digs into the secret machinations of the mutant culture, from the imprisonment of Sabretooth to the legal dueling between Emma Frost and the Kingpin. Collecting a slew of issues around this core narrative principle really allows this collection to stand out when compared to some of its previous editions.
The strongest comic in the lot is the first issue of the Sabretooth miniseries written by Victor LaValle with art from Leonard Kirk. Focusing on Sabretooth’s tribulations after being banished to The Pit after being tried by the Quiet Council, this series was not on my radar until it generated great buzz for the interesting character work and beautiful artwork, and this first issue is sure to entice readers to seek out the subsequent issues.
The first two issues of the Dark Reign: X-Men tie-in miniseries are also very strong, with Gerry Duggan giving Emma Frost a real run for her money in confronting Wilson Fisk. As far as tie-ins to a Spider-Man event go, this was surprisingly strong thanks to having mainstay X-Men creators at the helm of the title. With so much of the Krakoan era happening within the confines of mutant society, Duggan has worked hard to reconnect our merry mutants to the larger marvel universe, and with beautiful art form Phil Noto in hand, this is fine set of issues. Unfortunately, you will need to pick up a future installment of this series to get the conclusion to this storyline.
Speaking of Duggan, X-Men #7 is another fine addition to her hyper-heroic version of the team, with the mutants working to thwart Dr. Stasis and Orchis, and plenty of questions left in the end with the death of Cyclops. Pepe Larraz provides some marvelous visuals throughout – so many worthy of pinup status.
Lastly, we get the Secret X-Men one-shot, with the roster of mutants that didn’t make the core team after the Hellfire Gala getting a single adventure to partake in a surreptitious mission. It’s a perfectly fine X-Men comic, with some beloved faces getting some page space, but fails to feel more than fan service.
As always, we get a series of variant covers (some of which get full page reproductions, while others don’t) at the end of the book. These collections aren’t really about supplementals, I imagine most folks picking these up enjoy the affordable way you can read the entire X-line chronologically, so that’s not likely to impact one’s decision to pick this up. But even if you are a casual reader of the X-line, this is a great trade to pick up. It highly accessible and has a clear cloak-and-dagger vibe to each of the tales.
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