Dead X-Men #1
(W) Steve Foxe (A) Vincenzo Carratu (CA) Pere Perez
RATED T+
In Shops: Jan 31, 2024
SRP: $4.99
DEATH WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING!
When the world turned against Krakoa, these five mutants lost their lives…but their mission as X-Men is just getting started. To preserve Xavier’s dream, they must accomplish the impossible – or die again trying! Spinning out from RISE OF THE POWERS OF X, discover…who are the DEAD X-MEN?!
By now, fans have experienced the explosive debut issues of Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X, but these twin series are only the beginning of the dramatic finale to the X-Men’s acclaimed Krakoa era! Across exciting new limited series and tie-in issues of ongoing series, this crucial war for mutantkind’s future will unfold in a grand tapestry of brave missions, shocking revelations, and heartbreaking defeats. With the X-Men embracing a new destiny this summer, fans won’t want to miss single moment of this epic ending to an unforgettable period of their 60-year history.
The most glorious moments of the Krakoan age are still ahead and today, fans can learn about the various X-Men related issues hitting stands in April. A stacked team of powerhouse X-Men join forces against Orchis in X-Men #33, the success of Storm’s divine mission to bring back Magneto is revealed in Resurrection of Magneto #4, a group of fallen X-Men confront death again in Dead X-Men #4, and a threat only mutantkind’s greatest soldiers can handle is unleashed in Cable #3. In addition, the Phoenix Force burns away the remaining mysteries of the Krakoan age in X-Men Forever #2.
The mythos-shattering events of Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X will also bleed out into the wider Marvel Universe as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes join the fray in Avengers #11 and Avengers #12 while Tony Stark confronts his technology’s own role in Krakoa’s downfall in Invincible Iron Man #17.
Also in April are new pulse-pounding chapters of Sabretooth War! With last week’s opening chapter, Wolverine #41, fans saw why “Sabretooth War” was billed as the most violent Wolverine story ever told! Wolverine and Sabretooth’s momentous showdown only gets bloodier as this 10-part epic rages on in Wolverine #47 and #48, and it’s all leading up to the milestone Wolverine #50 in May!
AVENGERS #12
Written by JED MACKAY
Art by FRANCESCO MORTARINO
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
THE FALL OF X COMES FOR EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES!
The Avengers have hung in space over the Earth, a sword of Damocles over Orchis, for too long. But knowing they had only one chance to strike, they waited while Iron Man prepared. Now, on his signal, it is time, and the Avengers only know one way to strike: hard!
X-MEN #33
Written by GERRY DUGGAN
Art and Cover by JOSHUA CASSARA
X-MEN X-SSEMBLE!
If there were ever a time to rally the troops and take the fight to the enemy, it’s NOW! Stand side by side with the X-Men as they head for their final stand! They can’t stop all of us!
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #17
Written by GERRY DUGGAN
Art by PATCH ZIRCHER
Cover by KAEL NGU
IRON MAN IS MUTANTKIND’S LAST HOPE!
Tony Stark’s greatest accomplishment may have just become the world’s most advanced coffin. Trapped within a deactivated armor, Tony must face down his demons and his legacy. Can Iron Man escape, or will mutantkind’s hopes die along with him?
RESURRECTION OF MAGNETO #4
Written by AL EWING
Art by LUCIANO VECCHIO
Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
RETURN OF THE KING!
The Master of Magnetism has returned to the world…but it is not the world he left. Nor is Magneto the same man who left it. Has death changed him for the better, or for the worse? And when he sees what ORCHIS has done to mutantkind…will it change him again?
WOLVERINE #47
Written by VICTOR LAVALLE & BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by GEOFF SHAW
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
SAVAGE ESCAPE! SABRETOOTH WAR – PART 7!
Laura Kinney must escape the clutches of the Savage Sabretooth! Will Victor Creed’s weapon spell the end for Logan? A can’t-miss issue!
AVENGERS #13
Written by JED MACKAY
Art by FRANCESCO MORTARINO
Cover by JOSHUA CASSARA
THE AVENGERS VERSUS THE STARK SENTINEL PROGRAM!
Orchis’ counterstrike puts the Avengers on the back foot as the true extent of the Stark Sentinel program is revealed. Can Earth’s Mightiest Heroes stand against impossible odds? Or will they fall against the metal onslaught?
DEAD X-MEN #4
Written by STEVE FOXE
Art by BERNARD CHANG, DAVID BALDEÓN & VINCENZO CARRATÙ
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
EVERYTHING ENDS!
Prodigy, Dazzler, Frenzy, Cannonball and Jubilee have gone farther and have risked more than any X-Men team before. Now, at the end of everything, the final fate of Krakoa rests on these five mutants. Will the Dead X-Men save the seed of the future…or kill it before it can even be planted?
CABLE #3
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art by SCOT EATON
Cover by WHILCE PORTACIO
PROTECT THE FUTURE – NO MATTER THE COST!
Cable and his younger counterpart, Nate, are closer than ever to uncovering the origins of the Neocracy and putting an end to a bloody future before it can come to pass – but each step closer also brings them further into the crosshairs of the mysterious Parvenu! With the walls closing in, there’s no one else they can trust…but with the weight of the world on their shoulders, will Cable and Nate be able to bear the burden together, or will they crumble under the weight?
WOLVERINE #48
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY & VICTOR LAVALLE
Art by CORY SMITH
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
CREED VS. CREED! SABRETOOTH WAR – PART 8!
It’s a family affair as Graydon Creed, the maligned son of Victor Creed, A.K.A. Sabretooth, brings the fight to his father. The winner gets Wolverine – or…what’s left of him…!
X-MEN: FOREVER #2
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Art by LUCA MARESCA
Cover by MARK BROOKS
IMMORTAL MEANS FOREVER!
The fight for Krakoa’s future begins here! Since RISE OF THE POWERS OF X began, there have been a few mysteries unrevealed! Now writer Kieron Gillen fills in the gap of what happened between the end of IMMORTAL X-MEN and the beginning of the end of the Krakoan Age!
Astonishing Iceman #5
(W) Steve Orlando (A) Vincenzo Carratu (CA) Jesus Saiz
Rated T+
In Shops: Dec 20, 2023
SRP: $3.99
SHATTERED!
ORCHIS has figured out ICEMAN’s secret – and brings the fight to his frozen front door! Can BOBBY DRAKE survive this ultimate showdown?
Astonishing Iceman #4
(W) Steve Orlando (A) Vincenzo Carratu (CA) Jesus Saiz
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 15, 2023
SRP: $3.99
AMAZING FRIENDS – BACK IN NYC!
ORCHIS hunts in New York City – but this time, they’re not after MUTANTS! The ever-amazing SPIDER-MAN swings onto the scene, but what new force will Orchis unleash that’ll require the titanic team-up of ICEMAN and the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler?! Don’t miss the coolest reunion of the fall (or the REVAMPED VILLAIN who has Iceman in his sights)!
This past weekend at New York Comic Con, fans learned the full scope behind the end the X-Men’s hit Krakoa era with the announcement of two interconnected series, Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X! It’s a mutant milestone that will take place across space and time, and this final battle for Krakoa’s future will also extend into all-new limited series, including Steve Foxe’s Dead X-Men this January!
In this four-issue limited series, Foxe, currently exploring the twisted nature of mutantkind in Dark X-Men, will team up with a host of acclaimed artists including Vincenzo Carratù, Bernard Chang, and Jonas Scharf. The saga will revisit the key moments in realities’ past that paved the way to Krakoa as a team of fallen mutants are sent through history by Professor X on a desperate mission to reverse Krakoa’s fate! It’s an impossible quest that calls for an impossible team but who are the chosen heroes for this sacred mutant mission? Who are the DEAD X-MEN?!
DEATH WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING! When the world turned against Krakoa, these five mutants lost their lives…but their mission as X-Men is just getting started. To preserve Xavier’s dream, they must accomplish the impossible – or die again trying!
Check out Pere Pérez’s haunting cover for Dead X-Men #1 and stay tuned for more information on this mysterious X-Men saga, including the official reveal of the team, variant covers, and more!
Astonishing Iceman #3
(W) Steve Orlando (A) Vincenzo Carratu (CA) Jesus Saiz
Rated T+
In Shops: Oct 18, 2023
SRP: $3.99
CHILLING WITH THE CAPTAIN!
ORCHIS’ attacks on ICEMAN are heating up! Will crossing paths with the ALL-NEW Y-MEN give BOBBY DRAKE the chance to put them down once and for all or open a new path to his own destruction? Guest-starring AARON FISCHER, the CAPTAIN AMERICA of the Railways (and showcasing his awesome new power set)!
Die!namite Lives! Trade Paperback
writer: Fred Van Lente
artist: Vincenzo Carratu
cover: Lucio Parrillo
FC | 136 pages | Superhero, Horror | $19.99 | Teen+
The hit series returns, ‘cuz you can’t kill a never-ending army of zombies — you can only hope to beat the $%&# out of them! After tragically losing their first Chosen One against the zombie plague, Vampirella, Miss Fury, and what remains of Project Superpowers look for a new savior — but Ash Williams is an even more reluctant Deadite hunter than usual! This time, the Army of Darkness has ray guns, super powers, and a brilliant new general: Evil Sonja, who takes her role as Queen of Hel quite seriously! Collects DIE!NAMITE LIVES! #1-5.
Astonishing Iceman #2
(W) Steve Orlando (A) Vincenzo Carratu
(CA) Jesus Saiz (VCA) Ejiwa “Edge” Ebenebe, Jung-Geun Yoon
Rated T+
In Shops: Sep 13, 2023
SRP: $3.99
HOME IS WHERE THE HEARTBREAK IS! The bait is set for BOBBY DRAKE as the ELEMENTS OF DOOM target his hometown! Terrorizing the town that raised ICEMAN – but to what end? They say you can’t go home again, but if Iceman can’t save the day, he might not have a home to return to!
This year’s Hellfire Gala upped the body count as Orchis launched an assault on the X-Men and mutants in general. The death toll was high, and that included Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Iceman. So, how’s he starring in his own series? Astonishing Iceman #1 has all the answers as it puts the founding member of the X-Men front and center as part of the resistance against Orchis and its supporters.
Written by Steve Orlando, Astonishing Iceman #1 drops the readers right into the action as Orchis is on the move to rid the world of mutants and Iceman is doing what he can to stop them. While nanotechnology that turns every day electronics into weapons feels a bit too Transformers, the overall story is entertaining keeping things focused and reminding readers “first they came for the mutants…” The story isn’t subtle in what it’s trying to convey reminding readers that bigots don’t stop with one marginalized group.
The focus on Orchis is interesting as well. With their continued attempts to capture/stop Drake, Orlando treats it like it’s any other job. Talks of promotions feels more like an office drone attempting to move up on the corporate ladder than bigots attempting to eradicate an entire group.
Orlando also keeps things interesting by focusing on Orchis a bit too. Yes, this is a battle with tools and technology vs. mutants but it’s also one of perception and manipulation of the public. Iceman is back, and that cuts into the narrative they were trying to sell. How is he back though!? That’s explained and the explanation generally works. There’s something about it that feels like a fairytale, alleviating some of the weight of the situation.
The art by Vincenzo Carratu is solid. With color by Java Tartaglia and lettering by Travis Lanham the comic’s look feels like an extension of Bobby Drake. While the reality of the situation is weighty, the comic still has a bit of a Drake’s attitude of jokes, flair, and excitement.
Astonishing Iceman #1 is an interesting debut that delivers some resistance to Orchis actions but doesn’t create a dark cloud for it to fall under. There’s a decent amount of humor and heart to it all creating a comic that takes a familiar concept but makes it kind of fun.
Story: Steve Orlando Art: Vincenzo Carratu
Color: Java Tartaglia Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 8.35 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
Next month’s Amazing Spider-Man #31 will be a special over-sized issue packed with surprises! A host of all-star talent will join Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr. to set up their exciting second year on the title with story preludes, glimpses of some of the biggest upcoming Spider-projects and awesome extra bonus stories including a tale by writer Celeste Bronfman and artist Alba Glez that launches Mary Jane’s exciting new era as Jackpot!
Mary Jane Watson’s thrilling new “jackpot” powers were recently explored in the pages of Jed MacKay and Vincenzo Carratu’s Mary Jane & Black Cat limited series and now, she’s ready to show off her exciting abilities to the Marvel Universe at large as a bona fide super hero! Bronfman and Glez’s touching story will see MJ come to terms with the heartbreaking tragedy that occurred to her family in recent issues before taking to the streets to help others in need! Mary Jane’s journey as Jackpot will continue in upcoming issues of Amazing Spider-Man as well as a yet to be announced new limited series!
Face it, Tiger, Amazing Spider-Man #31 will be one for the books! Check out Humberto Ramos’ costume design below and pick up the issue when it hits stands on August 9!
