It’s safe to say most are skeptical of Jeph Loeb’s X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1. Why bring back Age of Apocalypse when it has been long buried, with a complete ending to boot? A strong reason not to be skeptical is the art of Simone di Meo, who has been carving out a unique corner of superhero comics at DC and delivered a sci-fi indie success with We Only Find Them When They’re Dead. With superheroes and sci-fi under his belt, X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha can’t lose, right?
The art in X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1 is a very big draw to purchase this, with a dynamic, in-your-face visual style reminiscent of Joe Madureira, yet more modern and dynamic due to color and lighting. The book opens with Blink on the run, with green omnipresent captions drawing us into the situation. A page turn later, di Meo blows you away with Victor Creed and Wild Child fighting Hellhounds. It has wow-factor, and it’s only the beginning of an issue filled with wow moments. Wait until you see the lab scene with Forge!
Much of this issue feels like new-reader-friendly jumping-on-point material. Loeb does the dirty work of introducing each character with captions, with the weight of Age of Apocalypse hanging over everyone. Leading the charge on the character front is Rogue and Gambit, while Blink is the character tethering everyone together. The second most used characters are Magneto and Morph, with appearances by Havoc, Iceman, and Storm. The central conflict involves a key supervillain I won’t spoil, who’s in cahoots with a big bad that’ll get Age of Apocalypse fans excited.
Havoc fans…brace yourselves!
Credit: Marvel
As far as character dynamics, the lust between Gambit and Rogue is apparent, though Rogue would never cheat on her husband, Magneto. Creed and Blink have a touching moment at one point, and Magneto and Morph do as well. Loeb doesn’t let you forget these characters have been to hell and back.
Speaking of being places, the big element hanging over the issue is how the Age of Apocalypse seemingly ended with everyone dead, but now they aren’t. There’s an adequate explanation as to why, with the hope of fixing things for these characters. It does feel a bit repetitive at times, with the characters reminding us the world should have ended, and the somewhat vague mission Magneto is tied to is thin at best. As a vehicle to get everyone up to speed, it works.
X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1 will win skeptics over with Simone di Meo’s show-stopping visuals and Jeph Loeb’s ability to reintroduce fan-favorite characters with energy and heart. While the narrative occasionally circles the same points and the main mission of the issue feels thin, the combination of nostalgic callbacks, accessible character work, and sheer visual spectacle makes this a worthy return to one of Marvel’s most iconic alternate universes.
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