The anticipation of a new era of X-Men that could rival Age of Apocalypse is out today in the form of X-Men: Age of Revelation Overture. Set ten years in the future, Revelation (aka Doug) has claimed a mutant utopia spanning the Atlantic to the Mississippi, and a hidden resistance of X-Men rises to challenge his rule. Many questions abound, like why challenge him at all if mutants are free, why pluck Cyclops’ mind into the future, and which of the mutants remaining side with Revelation? The answers will surprise you.
This is a very good opening salvo for a story that’s a massive shift in everything we know about the X-Men and the state of the Marvel Universe. It’s event-level in its shift, which makes the reader hungry to catch up and find out what is going on. Writer Jed MacKay does an excellent job of drawing you in, playing with your expectations, and then finally putting a definitive exclamation point on who the true villain is behind all of this.
Similar to Age of Apocalypse, part of the fun is discovering new takes on characters, from their look to their personality, and finding out why and how they’ve changed. Glob Herman will likely be the biggest shocker for most, as he’s a bit of a jarhead with PTSD. Others, like Magneto, remain stoic, but their mission has shifted due to a virus that has killed millions, transforming them into mutants. Smartly, MacKay only reveals a few characters on each side, be it Cyclops’ or Revelations, so it’s pretty easy to follow who the good and bad guys are. Bad is a loose term, especially since Revelation can make anyone do as they wish.
Outside of learning what has happened to your favorite X-Men and the Marvel Universe, the issue opens with a conflict to sink your teeth into. Three of Revelations’ choristers visit a village, but with intel, an assassin takes one out. This puts Revelation on edge as there’s a snake among his flock. That’s good for Cyclops, since by the end of the issue, it feels like his team is low on soldiers, and it’s an uphill battle against Revelation.
Wolverine with a new look.
Credit: Marvel
That’s the other thing that works quite well: the stakes feel very high. Not only is half of America severely changed into a massive jungle, but there are only a couple of mutants left who fight against Revelation. With his powers and the heavy hitters on his side, it seems like an impossible feat to even consider fighting Revelation. Know Cyclops, ever the tactician who will never give up, he’s the perfect central hero for this narrative. Likely, more will join Cyclops’ side, making your interest rise for future issues.
Then there’s the art, which is out of this world good by Ryan Stegman, with inks by JP Mayer and colors by Edgar Delgado. Stegman is putting in some of his best work yet, with dynamic storytelling at work, details we’ve come to expect from superhero stories, and excellent splash pages. He draws Cyclops in a way that makes him feel a bit older and worn. Meanwhile, Revelation is quite godly, and when his rage spikes, you’ll feel it. The inks and detail mesh well too, like the cool coat Archangel wears in one shot, or the bloody gore dripping from claws in another. The closing pages are exciting as hell, with the final two-word line of dialogue hitting so hard thanks to the perfect extreme close-up. It’s riveting stuff that’ll have you dying to read the next chapter.
Fans of the deep morality of X-Men comics will have plenty to think about after putting this down. Heck, even Cyclops questions why the likes of Magneto and Forge don’t simply join Revelation if mutants are free to live their lives. Magneto puts a pointed reason as to why, and it feels important to note this is all about one mutant, Revelation, making choices for all. That’s not freedom, even if his powers make you feel free. Then there’s also the genocide.
On the reverse side, a lot is done to show Revelation’s darker point of view. The final page is the final nail in the coffin, but from the way he speaks to Psylocke, it’s clear this is a man who is lost in his ideas and successes.
X-Men: Age of Revelation Overture is a thrilling launchpad for Marvel’s next big X-Men saga, packed with reinventions, shocking twists, and jaw-dropping art. With its mix of political intrigue, impossible stakes, and strong character work, it firmly establishes itself as a must-read event for fans eager to see the future of mutantkind. A haunting meditation on freedom, power, and the price of utopia, with Ryan Stegman’s art amplifying every moment of tension and triumph. A bold echo of Age of Apocalypse, Age of Revelation Overture is a haunting meditation on freedom, power, and the price of utopia, with Ryan Stegman’s art cutting straight to the bone.
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