Let me get this out of the way first: I have really enjoyed Jed MacKay’s adjectiveless X-Men title. This review really has nothing to do with the ongoing X-Men series and more to do with how this trade paperback is framed as “The Hellfire Vigil,” while not properly honoring the momentous Fall of Krakoa. X-Men by Jed MacKay Vol. 3: The Hellfire Vigil features art from Netho Diaz and Carlos Fabian Villa in the mainline X-Men issues, as well as a host of writers and artists for the Hellfire Vigil issue, like Gail Simone, Geoffrey Thorne, Murewa Ayodele, Luciano Vecchio, and Marcus To.
Coming in at 144 pages and retailing for $19.99, I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up this volume to buy from my local comic book shop unless I was a trade completionist and wanted every volume of MacKay’s X-Men. First, let me quickly talk about the positives of this trade. The art throughout is gorgeous, and I appreciate that the Hellfire Vigil issue was placed in between the four issues of X-Men in the collection, giving a bit of an intermission to Doug and the X-Men’s shared arc. Besides those things… I did not love this trade. It was okay! I just felt a major incongruence between the title, cover, and content, that left a bad taste in my mouth.
A vast majority of X-Men fans loved, and I mean loved, the Krakoan Era of the X-Men. They, myself included, were incredibly disappointed to see the age end, and be replaced by an era that felt a bit reductive after the progressive nature of Krakoa. So, when the Hellfire Vigil was announced, it was exciting to hear that Marvel editorial was recognizing how important and meaningful Krakoa was for the fans. Sadly, the Vigil issue ended up being mainly fluff, with little real honoring of the Krakoan Age contained within, and this trade paperback seems to perpetuate that.
It is clear that Marvel named this volume “The Hellfire Vigil” as a way to draw in readers and fans of Krakoa, and yet they also decided to use a cover from X-Men #22, featuring Doug Ramsey and Cyclops, as the main cover of the trade. So, my immediate question is, “Is this trade about the Hellfire Vigil, or the lead-up to the Age of Revelation?” It feels like they just wanted to squeeze the Vigil into an existing trade, which I do get because it is not long enough to be its own printed collection, but ugh! It just feels a bit off for the trade to be titled after the Vigil and to not feature any bonus content about Krakoa. No letter from a former Krakoan creative time talking about the Era? No letters published from fans highlighting what it meant to them?
I feel like such a negative Nancy! If you want reviews of the individual issues (X-Men #19-22), please read them individually on AIPT. I promise this review is really a commentary on the trade itself and what you, as a reader, are getting from your investment. Not only are there no extras in this trade, but there are also barely any variant covers offered in the back gallery! In fact, there is not a single full-page variant, which feels pretty wild for a collection that is highlighting the Hellfire Vigil. When I receive a trade, I expect at least two or three full-page variant covers, and this trade has none.
If you are a fan of Jed MacKay’s X-Men, or are obsessed with the Age of Revelation, then sure, go ahead and invest in this trade paperback. Personally, I think this would be a reasonable skip if there is another trade coming out that you need to decide between purchasing. The art is beautiful, Doug’s first story is incredibly well written, and Cyclops’ showdown with Lundqvist is satisfying… but besides that… eh. I really wish Marvel put more effort and intention into their Hellfire Vigil, and honored the beloved Krakoan Era, but hey, at least the Vigil made it to print!
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