For those keeping up with the X-line via trades and printed collections, this 4th volume in the current X-Men title gets readers tormentingly close to the current Fall of X storyline, with ample stage-setting for the events to come. While it is a fun read and will surely dispense X-fans plenty of fun as this iteration of the team comes to an end before the Hellfire Gala, it does begin to feel as if this book was spinning its wheels in anticipation of future line-wide reshuffling.
Having said that, there were plenty of moments I loved in this trade. Collecting X-Men #19-24, these issues find the X-Men confronting the growing threat of Orchis and their bio-engineered sentinels, the pseudo conclusion to the Brood storyline from the Hickman run that crossed into the Captain Marvel title, and some Tony Stark related plot points leading up to his wedding to Emma Frost. We also get some key character moments between Cyclops and Phoenix, as the two part ways at the end of this arc. Overall, Gerry Duggan does a fine job getting all these characters to where they need to be prior to the Fall of X event, and their interpersonal interactions and action scenes are satisfying. Duggan truly gave this X-book a team spirit, and it’s confidently on display in this collection.
Stefano Caselli and Joshua Cassara deserve equal praise for the line work they do in this book. To fill Pepe Larraz’s shoes is no small task, but both artists provide excellent, bold action scenes packed with subtle character details. Whether it’s the superfluous battle with crocodilian Pogg Ur-Pogg or the splendid confrontation with the Wolverine-infused Sentinel 0, the book looks beautiful throughout and is but another reminder of the incredible artistic talent working at Marvel these days.
While each individual issue is quite good, as the trade progresses, it becomes progressively clear that we will have to wait for anything truly earth-shattering to happen to our team. There is a lot of chatter about the problems within Krakoan society, but the book doesn’t really have much to say about what needs to be done about it (other than thwarting Orchis). It just seems like the X-Office didn’t know what else to say about Krakoa, as a social and political entity, as we barreled towards Fall of X. That’s a pity.
It’s shocking how many variant covers these five issues generated; if I encountered all these on the comic shelf, I would likely be confused as to which image corresponded to which issue! Thankfully, many of the covers look great, and while only a few get the full-page reproductions in this collection, I am glad they are included.
While not reaching the highest peaks of storytelling seen in some of the other Krakoan era arcs, this collection of X-Men issues demonstrates just how capable the creative talent on the X-line have been. Even when it feels like it is stalling, Duggan’s X-Men was gratifying with plenty for fans to appreciate and enjoy.
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