With Cyclops in prison and the Age of Revelation about to start, it’s time for the X-Men to take on a solo project. That project? The Upstarts, who have been giving the team trouble for a while now, especially deserve a whooping due to their treatment of Ms. Starkey. Sure would stink for the Upstarts if Magik had control of the team, wouldn’t it?
X-Men #21 is very much a fight comic, and Netho Diaz doesn’t disappoint. That said, it has a nice, tender opening scene with Starkey and Kid Omega. She’s dwelling on the loss of Beast, but also her imposter syndrome when it comes to being an X-Man. Writer Jed Mackay seems to touch ever so slightly on negative thoughts and self-harm, but not so much that it feels out of place or inappropriate. The scene also helps humanize Kid Omega a bit and make Starkey all the more an X-Men, thanks to the heart-to-heart.
From there, Magik takes the team to the Upstarts, who have had their location revealed due to Sugar Man. He’s their backer and wants to get Starkey back or have the Upstarts die trying. This leads to an eventful and exciting fight sequence, with Magik, Juggernaut, Kid Omega, and Starkey taking the fight to the Upstarts.
Sugar Man is real weird.
Credit: Marvel
Diaz and MacKay get pretty creative with the fight scene, especially with the eclectic powers of the Upstarts. Teleportation mixed with barf beams? Pretty cool. Generally speaking, the X-Men characters in this fight are pretty overpowered, but the creative team makes you believe each whollap the X-Men take is earned.
This leads to Starkey receiving a heroic moment and a well-executed “welcome to the team” display of powers. Throw in a line from Trevor Fitzroy that puts into question Starkey’s feelings, and we have ourselves a mutant who has plenty of development to come in the future.
Diaz will blow you away with their pencils in this fight. Juggernaut, in particular, goes pretty hardcore, with nice wide shots letting the reader take in the scene. It’s never confusing where characters are in the room, a key element of a team fight comic.
Closing out the issue is a fun nod to Arrako that should get readers talking. Given the upcoming Age of Revelation, we may have a good deal of time for a conclusion to that, but based on the villain involved, MacKay is going to get real weird with it.
X-Men #21 delivers a satisfying mix of spectacle and heart, spotlighting Starkey’s growth while laying groundwork for the upcoming Age of Revelation. It’s both a reminder of how fun a well-orchestrated fight comic can be and a sign that MacKay and Diaz have bigger, more emotional stories in store.
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