Giant-Size House of M #1 will no doubt stir up some divisive feelings among X-Men fans. That’s because it’s taking place during the House of M storyline, which stripped many mutants of their powers and has become the storyline that’s most associated with the Scarlet Witch, for better or worse. But in revisiting this period of time, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly once again dig into the core of what makes the X-Men such a lasting concept.
The way they do this is pretty spot on, as well. Due to the power of the M’Krann Crystal, Kamala Khan finds herself in the House of M reality – or to be more specific, the day a select group of heroes chose to attack Wanda Maximoff and bring reality back to its normal state. Kamala ends up going along for the ride as Legion, who’s also in this reality, plans to harness the Scarlet Witch’s powers for herself. In the process, she winds up connecting with Kitty Pryde, who’s a schoolteacher in this reality.
The pairing makes sense: Kitty’s a character who’s been associated with the X-Men since she was a teenager, and later grew to be a teacher in her own right. Kamala is more or less in the same spot, allowing Lanzing and Kelly to craft a unique dynamic between the two. This results in two of the best moments of Giant-Size House of M #1, where Kitty expresses her frustration with the seemingly endless struggles that mutantkind endures. These moments feel all too human, showing off Lanzing and Kelly’s gift for great character work. It’s matched by Kamala’s recalling her own struggles and why she continues to fight, which reminds Kitty – and by proxy, the readers – of why the X-Men continue to fight in a world that’s stacked the deck against them.
Marvel
Giant-Size House of M #1 manages its balance of big moments and small moments thanks to Francesco Manna’s artwork. Manna perfectly replicates some of the major moments of House of M, including the battle between Magneto and the heroic forces, and Scarlet Witch’s infamous “No More Mutants” (which takes on a sinister edge because this time, Legion is hijacking her mind.) But it’s the smaller moments that stand out, especially the aftermath of Legion’s work. Manna takes his time lingering on characters’ reactions, which range from distraught to enraged, and Edgar Delgado’s muted colors only add to the dour mood.
Like the rest of the Giant-Size one-shots, there’s a backup story – this time focused on Wolverine, who regained his memories in the wake of House of M. It’s more or less a lead-in to a new story arc for the current Wolverine ongoing, particularly since that book’s creative team of Saladin Ahmed and Martin Coccolo work on said backup. But I’m happy that they’re addressing one of the more intriguing elements of House of M, especially since a character like Logan’s led a long life that can lend itself to a variety of stories.
Giant-Size House of M #1 thrives when it focuses on the smaller character moments, especially where Kamala Khan and Kitty Pryde are concerned. With the Giant-Size Saga heading toward its conclusion, I hope that Lanzing and Kelly keep up the great character work and bring this time-traveling saga to a satisfying end.
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