The powerful X-Men #35, which formally ended the beloved Krakoan Age of the X-Men, was published less than two months ago. Yet, the heartbreaking fall of Krakoa already feels like it was in the distant past, since Marvel wasted no time in beginning their From the Ashes relaunch of mutantkind under new editor Tom Breevort. While From the Ashes is doing a solid job memorializing, and not erasing or ignoring, the past five years of Krakoan stories (in particular, I have enjoyed NYX #1 and Uncanny X-Men #1), it is still majorly depressing for me to see the mutants of Earth lose their hard-fought home, forced to go back to living as a diaspora in the world of humans.
Thankfully, Marvel is releasing a gorgeous trade paperback collecting Fall of the House of X, Rise of the Powers of X, and X-Men #35, which synthesizes the complex and brutal tale in to one digestible bite. Mirroring the story that began Krakoa, Jonathan Hickman’s brilliant House of X/Powers of X, the Fall of the House of X/Rise of the Powers of X collection is a lovely send off to the Krakoa Age. The end of Krakoa was plagued with printing delays and scheduling issues, causing many of the intertwined stories to be published out of order, or weeks apart, making the complex stories written by Gerry Duggan and Kieron Gillen in FOHOX/ROPOX less impactful. However, after reading this trade paperback, I can confidently say it is much easier – and more enjoyable – to read these era-ending issues all in one sitting.
Marvel Comics
Unsurprisingly, the art in FOHOX/ROPOX is absolutely incredible, with artists like R.B. Silva, Lucas Werneck, Luciano Vecchio, Bryan Valenza, David Curiel, Stefano Caselli, and Jethro Morales making the entire comic a joy to read through. Werneck and Silva are always top-tier talents, but I do feel the need to highlight Rise of the Powers of X #5 in particular, illustrated by Luciano Vecchio. Luciano (Resurrection of Magneto, Ironheart) brought such energy, power, and emotion into Jean Grey’s – and all of mutantkind’s – defeat of the Enigma Dominion, that I think it deserves special recognition and appreciation. The lettering throughout, by Travis Lanham and Clayton Cowles, is lovely, with a special emphasis on how many dynamic sound effects are used throughout the dramatic issues.
FOHOX/ROPOX was a difficult story to tell, complex and tragic, but with a hint of hope and strength. Kieron Gillen and Gerry Duggan, two of the most prolific X-Men writers of the Krakoan era, did truly excellent jobs weaving their tales together, which can be appreciated way easier when read back-to-back. In particular, Gillen’s Rise of the Powers of X was incredibly complex, with deep X-Men lore being used, and difficult to understand plots around the Phoenix, Dominions, and timeline hopping (all pretty standard for an X-Men comic though!). If you haven’t read FOHOX/ROPOX in single issues yet, I highly recommend reading this collection, because it feels like this is how it was meant to be read.
As usual, the actual trade paperback is excellently printed by Marvel, and while I would love a hardcover copy someday (or some Krakoan omnibuses, please!) it is still so satisfying to flip through this excellently collected trade. I have to shout out Tom Muller, of helloMuller design, who so masterfully crafted the Krakoan Age’s font and stylistic design choices over the past five years, one of the key reasons the era felt so connected and communal. Tom’s designs in this final Krakoan trade are no different, and I particularly love the “X-Men: The First Krakoan Age” page near the end of the collection. This trade paperback also features full-size variant covers, scattered throughout the book and presented in a back gallery, which is always much more enjoyable then trades that only have quarter or half-size variants included.
Of course, major congratulations are in order for Jordan D. White on his final trade paperback of the Krakoan Age, which he beautifully and dutifully edited for years and years. White was a communicative, passionate, and focused editor who worked alongside Jonathan Hickman to bring Krakoa to life, and usher in five years of world class storytelling. I am so happy that White, and the entire editorial team, decided to include X-Men #35 in this trade, because if they hadn’t then it would have been one of the most depressing comic collections I’ve ever read. However, with the “conclusion” to Krakoa included, highlighting Krakoa’s thriving society in the White Hot Room was the note of hopefulness and wonder that the Krakoan Era deserved.
Marvel Comics
Listen, personally, I don’t know if any comic will ever beat the House of X/Powers of X series that launched the Krakoan Era. It was immaculate, stunningly smart, and deeply respectful to X-Men lore. However, the iconic Age of Krakoa had to end eventually, and I believe that Gillen, Duggan, Werneck, Silva, Vecchio, and so many others did a truly excellent job of honoring Krakoa’s legacy while setting the stage for the mutant’s new era. Putting the dual series in a collection really helped the disjointed and disconnected feeling from when they were released weekly, and it was an enjoyable read for an avid fan of the X-Men. Fall of the House of X/Rise of the Powers of X is emotional, devastating, and gorgeous to look at… all in all, it is a powerful end to Krakoa and a testament to the impressive creative teams throughout the past five years that brought the Krakoan Age to life.
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