The newest edition in the chronological reprinting of the current X-books is another fine collection of issues that directly continue the storylines from the last volume. In fact, nearly every issue found within this trade follows from the ones found in Trials of X Vol. 11, giving the two most recent collections in this series a clear through line. Much like the previous volume, this collection delves into some of the darker corners of the Krakoan age, with Emma Frost challenging Kingpin and Sabretooth surveying the prison mutant kind has forced on him.
Collected in this trade is Devil’s Reign: X-Men #3, X-Men #8, Sabretooth #2-3, and Marauders Annual #1. With the exception of the Marauders book, each of these titles takes a look at some of the less than scrupulous practices of governing mutants on Krakoa, with Emma Frost working to clear her name of murder after being set up by Wilson Fisk, the banishment of Sabretooth to the depths of Krakoa to atone for his sins, and the greater machinations of Captain Krakoa being revealed.
The strongest work collected here continues to be Sabretooth, written by Victor LaValle with art from Leonard Kirk, a miniseries that most X-fans didn’t know we needed. While in exile in the Pit, a dark realm within Krakoa that the Quiet Council sends mutants who violate the island’s laws, Sabretooth continues to warp this dominion to his own will. It’s a great character exploration with awesome art throughout.
X-Men #8, competently written by Gerry Duggan with stunning art from Pepe Larraz, continues the team’s investigation into who mindwiped Ben Urich before he could reveal the truth about mutant resurrection on Krakoa, with M.O.D.O.K. and his minions in Orchis making inroads on their scheme to thwart mutant dominance. If you have read the recent Hellfire Gala special that kick started the Fall of X era, you know that the storyline found in this issue is directly connected to the most recent events. As always, Larraz gives this book an incredible energy and dynamism that can’t be ignored.
Duggan and Noto’s final tie-in issue with the Devil’s Reign event was a perfectly acceptable ending to a miniseries that really didn’t need to exist, but the execution by mainstay X-Men creators gave it a justifiable reason for being. Emma Frost effectively thwarts the Kingpin’s attempt to frame her for murder and directly connects the insular events on Krakoa to the larger Marvel universe.
The final issue is the Marauders Annual, which effectively ends the first run on the series as it transitioned to a new creative team and took the group off-world for some space swashbuckling adventures. It’s a fine additional storyline for fans of this book, but the last numbered issue in the run works perfectly well as a concluding statement to the title.
The book closes with a handful of variant covers, all given the full-page treatment, which should be the norm by this point. While you definitely need to have read the previous volume in the Trials of X trades to really enjoy this assortment of issues, what is collected here is strong and worthy of rereading, especially in light of the recent cataclysm on Krakoa.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login