One mutant will take over for Apocalypse, but who will it be, and will they even want it? Those are just a few questions you might be pondering when you crack open X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #2, out this week. The four-issue series reaches its midpoint today, and it’s a fight comic from cover to cover. Twelve mutants must fight off Genocide, a major villain who should not be reckoned with!
Picking up where we left off, X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #2 is an action frenzy as the contestants in Apocalypse’s trial fight Genocide. It’s a life-or-death battle; several heroes seemingly die, and every character gets something to do in this battle. For all intents and purposes, it appears Genocide wasn’t supposed to enter this fight, but given this issue’s cliffhanger, there don’t seem to be many rules to this game.
With the trial seemingly on hold, this issue lets artist Netho Diaz and color artist Alex Sinclair rip (with inks by JP Mayer and Sean Parsons). Genocide looks awesome in his bully suit with a black flaming skull. The mutants all get a moment to shine, either saving innocent folks or taking as hot on Genocide. This is a good fight comic straight out of the ’90s.
A highlight is Exodus, who has a mouth on him and plenty of attitude. As usual for him, everyone is beneath him in his eyes, which leads him to throw barbs at Emma or bragging about his abilities.
Genocide looks cool.
Credit: Marvel
Tucked into this long action sequence are flashbacks of the Apocalypse that add context to why any of these characters would enter his trial. It’s a nice touch since, at the start, it was hard to believe some of these heroes would ever want his mantle, let alone be part of his game. Thrown into the mix is Mr. Sinister doing some sly backstabbing, which adds a layer to the fight scenes. All told, there are enough elements here to make this feel bigger and more complex than a simple fight comic.
It’s a little manipulative that mutants die when most readers will know they’re probably fine. Without a hint at whether some of these deaths actually happen, it feels disingenuous. But this is a four-issue story, so it’s not like we have to wait long for answers.
The ending also leaves something to be desired. While it’s exciting to have no clue where this story may go, there’s also not much here to anticipate where it goes. Will Apocalypse even start this trial? Has it even started? There are many questions, and the cliffhanger doesn’t help guide the heroes’ journey from here.
X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #2 is a highly enjoyable action comic. Writer Steve Foxe gives every character something to do, and there are twists, and an elevated feel to a single fight scene that adds complexity to what could have easily been a quick read.
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