The X-Men have been a busy group lately. They’ve saved some newly activated mutants from persecution, saved a town in Alaska from a sentinel (more on that later), and found out that Cassandra Nova has been behind the recent increase in X-Gene activation. In this issue, we see things begin to weave together and help shape what direction the series is going to take. Since the end of the Krakoa era, there have been a few lingering questions (at least for me) about what the current status quo of the X-Men is. First, what is going on with Magneto? What is Beast working on? And what is Magik hiding? Granted, I’d also like to know what’s going on with Cyclops, but this issue can only tackle so many questions, and I never said any of them get answered here. But what I do think is that this issue does a good job of clarifying the purpose of this title and the X-Men themselves.
Marvel
The story carries an easy-to-follow premise. The X-Men are trying to piece together what their next move is. Meanwhile, Magik and Temper are off to save a potential new mutant (unrelated to the New Mutants). Thus, the main focus ends up being Illyana and Idie’s decision as to how to approach this potential new mutant. The paid have a conversation about how to approach this problem without making the most dangerous choice. See, the pair seem to realize a lesson that some other hero (I can’t place his name) has echoed: with great power comes great responsibility. But who is their responsibility to, their team or a potential mutant in danger? Although I appreciate the crossroads MacKay presents, I feel like it would have benefited from more time dedicated to it. This might be because the beginning spends time alluding to answers to some of the questions presented earlier (such as what’s going on with Beast, Magneto, and Magik) without actually explaining most of this. That said, the issue itself follows a logical train of thought and makes for an interesting story given the precarious situation that Magik and Temper end up in.
Marvel Comics
Now that all aside, this is a pretty beautiful comic. I have to say, it took me a while to realize that Ryan Stegman didn’t draw the issue. Here, we get to see pencils from Netho Diaz paired with inks from Sean Parsons and colors from Marte Garcia and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. Diaz does a brilliant job emulating Stegman’s style while providing his own finesse. One notable example of this is the depth added to facial expressions, which is something I’m often fond of. Diaz’s line work adds a layer of sincerity to the heavier moments in the story.
This is only intensified with the inking from Parsons, which helps to make these scenes fuller. A great example of this is when Magneto is talking to the team about his personal beliefs. This moment feels way more intense thanks to the linework and inking of it, where I can all but hear Matthew Watterson’s voice for Magneto talking over me while I read his speech. Additionally, Garcia and Sifuentes-Sujo do a good job coloring the issue and taking advantage of the page space to liven things up. A great example of this is when we see Cyclops and Psylocke sparring, and the panels around them are shaded yellow to match both Scott’s costume and the sunlight creeping in from the windows of the factory. Without creativity like this, these interactions may have lost some of their heart. Altogether, the story is well-drawn and strategically colored.
Marvel Comics
Altogether, this is a good issue for the series that helps to provide it with some direction. Thus far, I’ve been a little critical of its cycle of saving new mutants and having only a few narrative differences. Here, although the team does inevitably help out someone, the delivery is quite different than before and is sure to have repercussions for the team. That said, its opening pages were slightly repetitive and served as a recap of the series, which if readers are already caught up, feel slightly unnecessary except for the slight insight into what’s going on with some of the team members. However, the story is still worthwhile and ends up putting the team between a rock and a hard place, so it’s certainly an important issue for the series’ development.
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