I’ve always been partial to the teen-centric books in the X-line, something that was difficult to effectively work into the Krakoan era. With the launch of NYX, it looked like we were about to explore what mutant life could look like in New York after the end of Krakoa, aiming to balance street-level stories with the fallout of larger X-Men events. I love the concept, allowing for a book to focus on community, identity and survival in a city that remains both a haven and a threat for mutants. Unfortunately, with the series ending at issue #10, this trade paperback collects the final chapters and often feels like it’s trying to tie together numerous threads too quickly. What remains is still compelling, but it’s hard to ignore the sense that NYX was cut short narratively with many ideas left on the table.
This volume of NYX collects issues #6–10, continuing the adventures of Kamala Khan, Wolverine (Laura Kinney), Synch, Prodigy, Anole, and the wider New York mutant community. The arc opens with Kamala and her friends dropping into a Dazzler concert, only for Mojo to intervene the way the interdimensional monster often does. Synch and Prodigy face off in the Circle Perilous in a revival of Krakoan traditions, while Laura is confronted by her former ally Hellion now operating as The Krakoan. There is also a tie into The Hunt for Xavier crossover, with Charles showing up in New York. The story culminates in a showdown with Mojo that threatens to dismantle everything this fragile community of mutants has been building.
Marvel
Writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly do a fine job rooting this narrative in themes of community and identity, while exploring what it would be like for young mutants who had the safety net of the Krakoan era’s utopianism ripped away. The dialogue often highlights the generational shift among mutants, with Laura, Kamala, Synch, and others negotiating what it means to live openly as mutants in an increasingly hostile world. Some plot points feel like they deserved more room to breathe, like Laura’s confrontation with Hellion. I can only assume these character threads were to be further explored in future issues, but for the time being, those won’t come to be. It’s a shame, because Lanzing and Kelly’s writing works well with the ensemble cast they put together.
I’m rather fond of Francesco Mortarino’s visual style, which balances competent blocking with bursts of the surreal, particularly in the Mojo sequences. Action scenes are clearly choreographed, allowing for readability even in crowded panels. Character expressions remain a strong point throughout, emphasizing the emotional toll of the mutants’ struggles. It’s a fitting aesthetic for a book trying to walk the line between New York’s realistic, human characters and the insanity of the Mojoverse.
Marvel
NYX was never short on ideas, and this trade paperback shows just how much ground the creative team was trying to cover. In these five issues, we get intimate character moments competently mixed with larger questions about mutant identity. But with its abrupt cancellation, this last arc didn’t have the space to fully explore those threads, leaving certain plot points feeling compressed or unfinished. Even so, the community-driven storytelling and strong character work make it a worthwhile read. While it’s frustrating to see NYX end before it could reach its full potential, this collection is a fine look into the lives of mutants following the end of Krakoa.
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