X-Men #30
(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Phil Noto (CA) Joshua Cassara
RATED T+
In Shops: Jan 17, 2024
SRP: $3.99
WE ARE NOT ANIMALS!
As the chaos of mutantkind’s fight back against their fall at the hands of Orchis rages in FALL OF THE HOUSE OF X, other forgotten foes come from the woodwork to take on the X-Men in their time of peril! Synch and Talon find themselves once more besieged by the High Evolutionary and his creations to reap the consequences of their last encounter!
Cable #1
(W) Fabian Nicieza (A) Scot Eaton (CA) Whilce Portacio
RATED T+
In Shops: Jan 17, 2024
SRP: $4.99
THE FUTURE MUST NOT COME TO PASS!
All the signs are here: The Neocracy is coming – and with it comes not only the end of mutantkind, but all of the humankind as well! As if rescuing Young Nate from the ongoing threat of Orchis weren’t enough, can Cable root out this growing threat and decimate it before the Neocracy has a chance to take hold. But is he already too late to change the future? Don’t miss out on Fabian Nicieza and Scot Eaton’s explosive first issue of CABLE!
Over the last two weeks, fans experienced the explosive opening chapters of Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X, the two interconnected series that serve as the dramatic finale of the X-Men’s Krakoa era! Today, fans can get a look ahead at the penultimate issues of the series with the cover and story reveals for Fall of the House of X #4 and Rise of the Powers of X #4, both on sale this April!
Crafted by a team of the X-Men mythos’ current architects, writers Kieron Gillen and Gerry Duggan and artists R.B. Silva and Lucas Werneck, this breathtaking saga takes place across mutantkind’s past, present, and future! As the X-Men rise from the wreckage of Fall of X to go to war with the anti-mutant group of super villains known as Orchis, Professor X launches a last-ditch effort to save the species by sending a team back to where the foundation of Krakoa began—the previous lives of Moira MacTaggert! Radical twists and turns await as the story that kicked off with Jonathan Hickman’s House of X arrives at its epic endgame. The upcoming issues spotlight an intense clash between the X-Men’s greatest leader and their most traitorous foe as well as another heartbreaking failure in store for Professor X. With the X-Men’s embracing a new destiny this summer, don’t miss a single moment of this glorious ending to this revolutionary period of their 60-year history.
MY ALLY, MY ENEMY! They say a wounded animal can be the most dangerous kind of animal to face. As the fight between the mutants and Orchis reaches a deadly pitch in Fall of the House of X #4, a startling revelation rocks the X-Men to their core.
WHO IS TRAITOR X? In the aftermath of the greatest betrayal in X-Men history, the Quiet Council in exile must act in Rise of the Powers of X #4. They have a plan. Can anyone, or anything, survive the experience?
As the Krakoan Age barrels toward its conclusion, the two storylines converge in an act that will live in infamy!
Check out both covers now and stay tuned for more Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X news!
Rise of the Powers of X #1
(W) Kieron Gillen (A/CA) R. B. Silva
Rated T+
In Shops: Jan 10, 2024
SRP: $5.99
THE FIGHT FOR KRAKOA HAS BEEN LOST!
Ten years ago, the mutants returned from their exile to try and reclaim the Earth from the forces of Orchis. They failed. Now, within the victorious Orchis with their gauntlet choking the world, Nimrod and Omega Sentinel put their plan within a plan into action. They are to summon their binary god to consume everything in their accession. All that stands between them is the X-Men. What can they do? They’re the X-Men. They’ll find a way. That’s their power. So begins a story beyond time and space, with the rise of powers beyond our petty human intelligence. From writer Kieron Gillen (IMMORTAL X-MEN, UNCANNY X-MEN) and artist R.B. Silva (POWERS OF X, CAPTAIN AMERICA: SYMBOL OF TRUTH) comes half of the story that will bring the Krakoa Age to its conclusion!
When writing my review for Fall Of The House Of X #1 I said because of its name and position in the story of Krakoa it had huge boots to fill and invited a lot of comparisons to a much better book, the original House Of X. Rise Of The Powers Of X #1 by Kieron Gillen and R. B. Silva has similarly big boots to fill but in this case fits those boots much better than its sister series did. The original Powers Of X by Johnathan Hickman and the aforementioned R. B. Silva brought big ideas and fundamentally changed the fabric of the Marvel universe as we understand it. While Rise Of The Powers Of X doesn’t exactly go that far it still brings some brain melting twists that inverts your expectations on their head.
The story as it’s presented is this: ten years after the events of Fall Of The House Of X, Mutantkind has been reduced to a handful on a last ditch mission to stop the machines from ascending to Dominionhood. And that’s about all I can say without spoiling the issue. All that I will say is that this series is not what you think it’s going to be from the cover and premise. There are many appropriately epic moments, everything feels as climactic as you would expect and hope for it to be. This series is definitely a stealth continuation of Gillen’s Immortal X-Men, which has been a stellar book. Immortal X-Men brought big ideas that are absolutely carried over into this series and the two’s connections will become more evident to the reader as they get further into the issue.
In terms of art this series has a distinct advantage over Fall Of The House Of X. Fall Of The House Of X’s covers are by the original artist for House Of X, Pepe Larraz, he doesn’t do the interiors which instead are done by Lucas Werneck, who while a very talented artist, feels like an ill fit for a event book such as it. Rise Of The Powers Of X has the same artist as its predecessor, R. B. Silva. Silva’s style has definitely changed since the original Powers Of X, it’s not the most major change but something definitely feels different, the shading uses a lot more dots and the characters look a lot more 3D? It’s hard to put my finger on what’s exactly different but there is a noticeable change. That being said it still feels appropriate for this book, Silva does a great job of visualizing this future in a unique way that is reminiscent of Powers Of X’s dark futures. Special mention should also be given to colorist David Curiel who brings Silva’s pencils alive in vivid colors.
Rise Of The Powers Of X #1 does a great job of setting up this bold new title, it brings fresh ideas and feels appropriately epic for this climactic chapter of the Krakoan age, I can’t wait to read more.
Story: Kieron Gillen Art: R. B. Silva
Color: David Curiel Letterer: Clayton Cowles Design: Tom Muller and Jay Bowen
Story: 9.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 10.0 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
After the fall of Krakoa following the Hellfire Gala massacre of 2023, mutant-kind has been scattered across the Earth and space as they try to fight against ORCHIS. However, their resistance has failed, and with each attempt, humanity and artificial intelligence slowly crush them. Now, ten years in the future, the remains of the X-Men must make one final stand to prevent ORCHIS from achieving their goals and save the future in the process.
Much like with last week’s Fall of the House of X #1, Rise of the Powers of X #1 serves as not only the ending for the Krakoan age but also a mirror to 2019’s Powers of X. Considering how much Krakoa not only challenged what the X-Men meant as a science fiction series, but what could be explored through it. In order to close up this era the creatives need to stick the landing. Much like mutation, Rise of the Powers of X #1 continues upon the strong foundation laid through the past four years of publication while pushing forward into engrossing territories.
Suffice it to say, it is hard to thoroughly review Rise of the Powers of X #1 without going into full spoilers since it is best to experience it with as little prior detail as possible. Even from the first panel, I became immediately engrossed in the story and felt the need to devour it and reread it almost immediately. Like Powers of X, it does not hold your hand as it drops you off in the future but leaves enough crumbs for you to piece together what has happened within the ten-year time skip to not only the characters but also the world. More importantly, the stakes have escalated within the time jump, and ORCHIS becomes a much more dangerous and dire threat. Not every X-Men will make it out alive, and you feel the weight of the sacrifice and how much they need to overcome the impossible odds to succeed.
Considering not only his previous X-Men titles but even work like Peter Cannon Thunderbolt or Eternals, Kieron Gillen has a talent for engrossing world-building with high-concept science fiction. In many ways, his writing on Sins of Sinister serves as a precursor to what he does in the first issue of this series. In addition, the Rise of the Powers of X #1 picks up the threads from his Krakoan series and becomes a coda to it as well. Gillen expertly balances the bombastic spectacle with strong character writing where neither feels overshadowed by the other.
Yet this series would not fully work without R. B. Silva’s dynamic artwork. Considering how much he helped shape the Krakoan age by drawing Powers of X, his return is highly welcomed and provides an excellent link between both series. Paired with David Curiel’s fantastic colors and impressive lettering by Clayton Cowles, the issue is a beauty to read and look at. My eyes would focus on details like the computer hubs, Nimrod’s lettering, and the unique layouts.
The most impressive aspect of Rise of the Powers of X #1 is its ability to stand independently despite utilizing what came before. It could have been easy for the series to try to recapture the lightning in the bottle of Powers of X, but I am glad the series exists as its own unique beast. As Krakoa ends, Rise of the Powers of X #1 provides an impressive and exhilarating path towards that point.
Story: Kieron Gillen Art: R. B. Silva
Color: David Curiel Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Fall Of The House Of X has huge boots to fill, there is a certain boldness with naming a comic after one of the best X-Men stories ever told. Not only that but it sets out to be the cap end to the story that comic started, all of this leaves a lot of room for comparisons. Unfortunately Fall Of The House Of X #1 by Gerry Duggan and Lucas Werneck does not invite flattering comparisons between the two and overall disappoints.
The Mutants lost at the Hellfire Gala, they lost bad. They were slaughtered and scattered to the winds. And now Cyclops stands on trial, in a way it isn’t just him standing on trial, it’s the entirety of Mutantdom. The architects of the brutal attack on the Hellfire Gala, Orchis, wants to use him to set a precedent, I think? The issue is a little vague on what the consequences of this trial actually are. It’s clear that Cyclops losing this sham trial is supposed to be the winning blow for Orchis but it’s never elaborated on as to why. This sets a precedent for this issue itself, things are a little unclear. For instance, Wolverine and Colossus along with a few other X-Men are on a mission to liberate Cyclops before the trial, but in X-Force they are on the complete opposite side of the planet, we aren’t told how they met up with the other X-Men, it’s just a gap that we are meant to fill in our heads, and there are quite a few gaps like it in this issue. This thing isn’t rare in comics but the Krakoan era has been such an interconnected one that it’s somewhat befuddling to have two books be asynchronous and at odds like that during the climax. Especially when the past five months of The Fall Of X could have been used to set up this very climax.
If I had to use one word to describe this issue it would be abrupt, which is a shame since so much of the Fall Of X has been set up for this very issue, but even then it still feels like we are a couple months off before the books line up with the events we see in this comic. Hell there is even an editor’s box telling us to check out upcoming issues of Invincible Iron Man to be filled in on plot details that are supposed to be unfolding in the now of this book.
It’s not all bad though, there is some pretty short but sweet stuff with Cyclops that lands well even in the midst of an overall confused trial that we barely get to see any of. Plus, there is a particular moment at the end of the issue that still blew my socks off and delivers on the type of bombast Duggan is known for. Duggan is a talented writer, he’s great at doing character driven stuff and big superheroic bombast, but frankly this is not him at his best.
On the art front Lucas Werneck is good but perhaps not the best fit for a big action event book like this. Werneck is still a developing artist but he is great at two things in particular, character interactions and amazing poses. While both of those are on offer here and are a feast for the eyes they don’t make up the eternity of this book. There are also some moments where the art looks rushed, which again is unfortunate for a big event book like this. The art is by no means bad but it’s an ill fit for what this book is going for.
Overall Fall Of The House Of X #1 is a disappointing start made all the more unfortunate by the quality of what preceded it, not only its namesake but Duggan’s other work from the Fall Of X which has largely been stellar. Hopefully the following issues can pick up the momentum the first issue so desperately lacked.
Story: Gerry Duggan Art: Lucas Werneck
Color: Bryan Valenza Letterer: Travis Lanham Design: Tom Muller & Jay Bowen
Story: 6.5 Art: 7.7 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
Rise of the Powers of X #1
(W) Kieron Gillen (A/CA) R. B. Silva
Rated T+
In Shops: Jan 10, 2024
SRP: $5.99
THE FIGHT FOR KRAKOA HAS BEEN LOST!
Ten years ago, the mutants returned from their exile to try and reclaim the Earth from the forces of Orchis. They failed. Now, within the victorious Orchis with their gauntlet choking the world, Nimrod and Omega Sentinel put their plan within a plan into action. They are to summon their binary god to consume everything in their accession. All that stands between them is the X-Men. What can they do? They’re the X-Men. They’ll find a way. That’s their power. So begins a story beyond time and space, with the rise of powers beyond our petty human intelligence. From writer Kieron Gillen (IMMORTAL X-MEN, UNCANNY X-MEN) and artist R.B. Silva (POWERS OF X, CAPTAIN AMERICA: SYMBOL OF TRUTH) comes half of the story that will bring the Krakoa Age to its conclusion!
Mutantkind has never had a greater fall. From the highs of Krakoa – their own glorious nation, a place where they were safe and happy – to the lowest of lows. Outlawed, hunted, killed, most of their kind missing or dead, and now, one their greatest leaders, Cyclops, is on trial facing a death penalty. Ready or not, the time has come for the X-Men to make their final stand against the forces that have struck them low. The day is now. The place is here. The tale of the house Xavier built will long be told…and few will forget this darkest chapter. Fall of the House of X #1 kicks off the the end of the Krakoan era for the X-Men leading into what comes next.
I’ll admit, I haven’t been a fan of the Krakoan age of the X-Men. While there’s many interesting aspects, the storyline got too far from their roots. They went from the underdogs, the oppressed, to nationalists. They stated they were “gods” to humankind. It also took away any sense of danger with their ability to create new bodies and download their minds into them, though it explained their lack of aging. Small details here and there worked but overall, it’s an experiment that I don’t think did what it intended to do.
With the “Mutant Massacre” and attack on Krakoa by Orchis, the era began to wrap up leading into Fall of X. Their numbers dwindled. The ability to be reborn was taken away. The comic felt closer to the X-Men of the past, an oppressed group looking to fight for their rights and equality.
Written by Gerry Duggan Fall of the House of X #1 begins the final chapter of that story, beginning to truly wrap up and transition to what’s next. Fall of X was the lead up to this, getting things in order. And the result is an ok beginning.
Duggan tightens the focus a bit, with Cyclops on trial for what feels like all of Mutantdom. But, there’s a mission to free him while taking the fight to Orchis. It’s all rather cinematic and in some ways predictable in that things don’t go as planned. But, where the comic fumbles is when things really get going. The battle goes from 0 to 60 in a blink. It feels rushed, which the attack by the X-Men against Orchis is, but that rushed feeling also makes it seem like something is missing in the storytelling.
The art by Lucas Werneck is solid. The characters look good and there’s a lot of dynamic moments that hit the right emotional queues. Werneck is joined by Bryan Valenza on color and Travis Lanham on lettering. Like the narrative, the art has a slight bump as well when things ramp up. It too feels like it goes into overdrive where visuals go from rather tight and focused moments to gigantic battles. It’s like a step has been missed.
Overall, the comic is ok. Fall of the House of X #1 shows off some potential as to where things go but it doesn’t quite excite and stand on its own. It feels like a slightly opening chapter before the credits of the action film roll. It does a good job of creating the situation and setting but as a comic, it has a sense of being rushed.
Story: Gerry Duggan Art: Lucas Werneck
Color: Bryan Valenza Letterer: Travis Lanham Design: Tom Muller, Jay Bowen
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
Fall of the House of X #1
(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Lucas Werneck (CA) Pepe Larraz
Rated T+
In Shops: Jan 03, 2024
SRP: $5.99
KRAKOA HAS JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT!
Mutantkind has never had a greater fall. From the highs of Krakoa – their own glorious nation, a place where they were safe and happy – to the lowest of lows. Outlawed, hunted, killed, most of their kind missing or dead, and now, one their greatest leaders, Cyclops, is on trial facing a death penalty. Ready or not, the time has come for the X-Men to make their final stand against the forces that have struck them low. The day is now. The place is here. The tale of the house Xavier built will long be told…and few will forget this darkest chapter. From writer Gerry Duggan (X-MEN, MARAUDERS, UNCANNY AVENGERS) and artist Lucas Werneck (IMMORTAL X-MEN, TRIAL OF MAGNETO) comes half of the story that will bring the Krakoa Age to its conclusion!
