Mister Sinister’s sins are finally laid bare in Marvel’s trade paperback collection of the full Sins of Sinister event, a cataclysmic X-Men crossover that changed the trajectory of the mutants’ Krakoan Era forever. With the talented Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, and Si Spurrier at the writing helm, Sins of Sinister was a monumentally deranged event that saw the final cracks in the X-Men’s Quiet Council appear. On top of the impressive writing and storytelling, the art from Paco Medina, Lucas Werneck, Alessandro Vitti, and Andrew Di Vito truly shines and makes every page an engaging read.
The Sins of Sinister is a hefty trade paperback, coming in at close to 350 pages, bordering right on the edge of being too long for a paperback, but stopping just short of being unwieldy to properly hold. The SOS event saw Immortal X-Men, X-Men Red, and Legion of X transformed into Immortal X-Men, Storm & the Brotherhood of Mutants, and Nightcrawlers, bookended by Sins of Sinister #1 and Sins of Sinister: Dominion. From start to finish the disturbing tale weaved together multiple plots from the X-Men’s Krakoan era into a compelling tale of fascism, conquest, and corruption.
Marvel Comics
All the individual stories within the SOS event have been reviewed many times over, with a lot of fan and critical praise particularly targeted at Al Ewing’s Storm & the Brotherhood of Mutants, although all the series were well received. This trade paperback is one of the final trades designed by the brilliant Tom Muller – the man behind the Krakoan Age’s incredibly cohesive book designs – and this is one of the most beautiful trades I have in my collection. From the simple cover that highlights the gorgeous Sins of Sinister art by Leinil Francis Yu, to the transition pages between issues, Muller makes the collection feel fresh and exciting. In particular, Muller’s sharp linework and geometric designs work beautifully with SOS, and Mister Sinister’s menacingly sharp diamond visage.
Another major highlight of the SOS event, and this collection, is the sheer amount of beautiful covers created for the various issues. This trade paperback includes a full-page cover for each issue, something not all trades do, which makes this collection feel like a true art book, one that could be admired by just flipping through the pages. Additionally, this trade has a massive collection of variant covers in the back, something some Marvel trade paperbacks lack, especially one with so many full-page or double-page spreads. The epic triptych connecting variants from Salvador Larroca, Matt Milla, Todd Nauck, Rachelle Rosenberg, Phil Noto, and Geoffrey Shaw are all bold and beautiful and rendered in gorgeous display on the black trade pages.
Marvel Comics
Charles Xavier and Magneto’s foolish mistake in letting Mister Sinister become a citizen of Krakoa – allowing a true snake into their Garden of Eden – was the decision that would ultimately cost them their mutant utopia. Of course, with how Xavier acted throughout the Krakoan Age, the nation would have failed regardless of Sinister’s involvement eventually. A major highlight for me as a Storm fan was how the iconic Weather Goddess stood up to the corrupted Quiet Council, displayed her magical roots to a devastating effect, and became the wise rebel leader she was always destined to be.
The Age of Sinister perfectly laid the foundations for the Fall of X and the destruction of the nation of Krakoa, and this trade paperback is a beautiful tome that puts all 1,000 years of the horrific timeline into one “palatable” book. The art is top-notch, the story is devastating and scary, and the heroism displayed throughout is an inspiration for all rebels, revolutionaries, and fighters. Sins of Sinister is a worthy investment for a Marvel fan, an X-Men lover, or anyone who can’t get enough of truly messed-up dystopian tales.
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