Marvel’s X-Men comics are having a kind of moment when it comes to girl power, from Storm to Psylocke, and I’m here for it. The latter is out this week, and while gender really has nothing to do with how awesome this character is, it does end up being an issue that further proves Kwannon deserves such a great opening issue.
Pyslocke #1 opens in Alaska, where Cyclops and the X-Men are waiting for Pyslocke to show up. She’s late, and Quentin is whining like always. It’s telling Cyclops can’t start the meeting without her, and when asked why she was late, the story smash-cuts to Psylocke kicking a ton of butt. It’s an exciting way to kick off the issue, with a perfect transition out of the action back to the meeting as Psylocke tells them she wasn’t doing anything important. That’s an understatement!
So begins a tight first issue that perfectly weaves in Psylocke’s childhood trauma of being trained to kill with her desire to save those in need. She’s the ultimate covert ops mutant, and as this issue shows, that’s the case even when she’s on Cyclops-ordered vacation.
Love this style of showing the hero fighting across the page.
Credit: Marvel
The biggest win of this issue isn’t just the fast pace and not a single scene being filler, but how writer Alyssa Wong creates a full sense of the main character. As is seen in a few different scenes, she’s a fighter, a loner, and a lover. She’s also a total badass with her psi-blade and expert ninja skills.
On the reverse side of things, the pace can feel almost too fast as it speeds along into its mission. It’s not a bad thing in superhero comics per se, but it’s a noticeable element.
Regarding ninja skills, Vincenzo Carratù crushes on art with colors by Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. The opening action scene flashback is great, with top-tier fight choreography right down to the shadow reduplication of Psylocke kicking butt across a page. The book looks slick and has a quality that makes me wonder if Carratù will be drawing an event in five years or less.
Something else that works for this issue is how it shows another corner of mutant life post-Krakoa. Each of these series helps redefine what it’s like to be a mutant in different places, or like in this issue, how villains end up getting new gigs from folks like A.I.M. or Hydra. Psylocke may be going solo, but a new corner of the world is revealed.
Psylocke #1 is a thrilling start to what promises to be an impactful new chapter for the character and the X-Men universe. Alyssa Wong’s writing, combined with Vincenzo Carratù’s dynamic artistry and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo’s vibrant colors, creates a book that is both visually captivating and narratively rich.
You must be logged in to post a comment.