Growth: That’s the name of the game in the stories collected in All-New X-Men: Inevitable Vol. 3: Hell Hath So Much Fury, by writer Dennis Hopeless and artist Mark Bagley. And if you plan to read Cullen Bunn’s upcoming X-Men Blue series, this collection is pretty much required reading.
All-New X-Men: Inevitable Vol. 3: Hell hath So Much Fury (Marvel Comics)
In a recent interview with CBR, Bunn said he’s embracing the changes the original X-Men have undergone and running with them. The five issues collected in this All-New X-Men volume are where many of those changes took place.
The overarching theme tying these stories together are demons: Those belonging to the young X-Men and literal demons, courtesy of the Goblin Queen (who Hopeless reintroduced in his Secret Wars Inferno mini-series). Despite this, Hopeless manages to inject each chapter of this volume with strong character work. Every X-Man gets a chance to shine.
In All-New X-Men #12, for instance, Wolverine sees how the Black Vortex has transformed more than just Angel’s wings. In All-New X-Men #13, Iceman meets the Inhuman Romeo, kicking off a romance that will later take a dramatic in Inhumans Vs. X-Men. And in All-New X-Men #16, we see Beast broaden his horizons and embrace magic.
Despite being a Cyclops fan, I found All-New X-Men #14 to be a little light on plot as a single issue. But the Cyclops version of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window reads much better in a trade paperback. It’s one of the great problems modern comics faces – writing for the monthly audience vs. writing for the inevitable collections.
On the art front, this volume contains what I believe to be some of Bagley’s strongest visuals in a long time. The pencils very much showcase the artist’s trademark, wide-eyed style, while going in incredibly detailed new directions thanks to the demons and the havoc they wreak.
In terms of extras, you don’t get much in this volume. Just two pages that walk you through the creation of All-New X-Men covers, from the layout to the colors. So if you purchased the single issues, there’s not much reason to pick up this book unless you’re a completist.
But if you aren’t caught up on your time-displaced X-Men tales, or are a fan of either Hopeless or Bagley, then you’re going to want to purchase All-New X-Men: Inevitable Vol. 3: Hell Hath So Much Fury, in which some of the best work of their careers is on display. It’s also just a hell of a fun read!
You must be logged in to post a comment Login