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In my opinion, Empyre: X-Men has been far and beyond better than the main Empyre event, or any of the other tie-ins. This might be because the series is co-written by ALL of the Dawn of X writers at Marvel, who in turn were picked by Head of X Johnathon Hickman to help build his new world for the mutants. Since the series is still coming out, here are the release dates of each issue: #1 July 22nd, Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard, art by Matteo Buffagni #2 August 5th, Gerry Duggan, Ben Percy, and Leah Williams, art by Lucas Werneck #3 August 12th, Ed Brisson, Vita Ayala, and Zeb Wells, art by Andrea Broccardo #4 August 19th, Jonathan Hickman, art by Jorge Molina And just for fun, here's a breakdown for the writers on this series, and what they normally write for Dawn of X: Johnathon Hickman: X-Men, New Mutants Tini Howard: Excalibur Gerry Duggan: Cable, Marauders Benjamin Percy: Wolverine, X-Force Leah Williams: X-Factor Ed Brisson: New Mutants Vita Ayala: Marauders Zeb Wells: Hellions Continue Reading for the full reviews on each of the four parts! SPOILERS AHEAD!
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Issue #1, by Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard, art by Matteo Buffagni
This new world Johnathon Hickman has created for the X-Men on Krakoa is one of the most in-depth, well thought out universes in all of comics. There is so much that has changed for the mutants, so much that is still evolving, and so much more at risk than ever before. It is, in a word, genius. But if you're like me, there have been a few notable absences from the mutant's new world order. One of these absences is Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, and daughter of Magneto. But if there's one thing I have total confidence in, it's that Hickman doesn't do anything on accident, and I was certain that he had a plan for everyone's favorite lady in red (just as I'm sure we'll see more of Sabretooth and, eventually, Destiny, although it currently appears they have been taken off the board). My confidence in Hickman has been continually rewarded, and this Empyre tie-in mini-series is further evidence of that. Welcome to the new age of mutants, Wanda. From the first page, I was fully entranced. We enter the story in Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, where he is solemnly addressing the Scarlet Witch. She's come to him for advice on fixing the biggest mistake of her life: No More Mutants. >Back at the end of House of M, when Scarlet Witch mentally snapped and changed all of reality in her favor and the favor of mutants, she lost her perfect world. Distraught, she muttered "no more mutants", likely not even knowing what she was doing. Her words erased the powers from millions of mutants around the world, essentially putting her own kind on the endangered species list, with only 198 mutants left. This, and other tragedies, is why sex and reproduction is such an integral part of their culture, always.< It makes sense why Wanda would want to absolve this massive sin. She and her brother, Quicksilver, are mutants themselves, but historically have been Avengers team members far more often than X-Men. That role has been left to their half-sister, Polaris. So already, Wanda is a bit of an outcast among her people. Add to that her history of mental instability, chaos magic, and reality warping powers, and you have someone who will spend their entire life fighting for acceptance. After her crimes against the mutants, Wanda was cast out, and has yet to be accepted back into the fold on Krakoa. Back in the Sanctum, Doctor Strange gives Wanda the only answer he can: embrace your sin, and then use that pain to help make a better world. First, Wanda goes to the island of Genosha, where millions of mutants were slaughtered. She has real pain in her eyes, and determination. What is must be like to have so much power, but be unable to control is well enough to help your own kind survive. She ends up searching the Earth for relics, and building a magic staff to bring the dead of Genosha back to life. In her eyes, bringing back millions of mutants would somewhat redeem her for removing the powers of almost all mutants some years ago. Of course, this is Wanda, and her powers aren't necessarily predictable. Instead of revived living bodies, the mutants returns as undead zombies. Meanwhile, Empyre is going on, and an alien race of plant-like humanoids called the Cotati are invading the Earth. The choose to use the island of Genosha, which is off the coast of Africa, as their staging area for their attack on Wakanda. The soil in Wakanda is rich in vibranium, which is all the Cotati need to expand their attack through the whole galaxy. But there happens to be a few million recently undead mutants un-living on Genosha when they land, so it's not as simple of an attack as the Cotati originally expect.
Cut to Magik (Illyana Rasputin) in a trench coat with the BEST sunglasses I have ever seen.
She's hanging out with (by which I mean, keeping an eye on) Angel and Penance when Black Tom Cassidy starts sensing pain and anguish from the Krakoan gate on Genosha. Against the wishes of Angel, the three of them teleport in along with Jamie Madrox's Multiple Man to see what the problem is. It doesn't take long for them to identify the problem on the island--warring zombies and plant people--and the problem with the gate--infection from Cotati weeds. While Multiple Man's army of men try to save the gateway, more problems are, literally, arriving. This time, it's Hordeculture, the quartet of elderly botanists with a bone to pick with the mutants and Krakoa! We last saw Hordeculture in an earlier issue of Hickman's X-Men, where they showed just how capable octogenarians can be. And here they are with another of their tricks: shutting down the gateway from mutant backup. To recap, it's Magik, Angel, and Penance, an army of Cotati, millions of mutant zombies, and some rowdy old ladies. It's anyone's game!
Issue #2, by Gerry Duggan, Ben Percy, and Leah Williams, art by Lucas Werneck
I've thought a lot abut where I want to start this comic's review, but I'm honestly not sure. It was so ridiculously good, with punchlines and throwbacks and wit out the door. All the praise is due to the creative team for this issue, I haven;t had this much fin reading a comic (especially from the big Two) in a long time. We drop into the issue where #1 left off, with octogenarian anti-mutant terrorist group Hordeculture arriving on the scene of the zombie mutant versus Cotati battle. Magik, Angel, and Penance are the only X-Men on the scene. What's immediately interesting about this scene is the alliances it forces out. While Hordeculture is definitively anti-mutant, they're even more anti-invading aliens and anti-zombie, as any living person would be. This sparks an unofficial alliance between Hordeculture and the X-Men, but not without it's fallbacks. When he insists on getting them off the island, Hordeculture uses one of their pheromone weapons on Angel and Multiple Man, making the men of the group obsessed and infatuated with them, willing and ready for their bidding. The battle rages on, with Angel and Multiple Man assisting their new powerful ladies however needed, and Magik and Penance picking up the slack in the actual fight. Sensing the magical residue left by Scarlet Witch, Magik calls forth an army of demons fro Limbo. One of my favorite parts of Magik is that she's been ruler of Limbo and all it's inhabitants since she was a small girl. I couldn't be more pleased that the Dawn of X writers recognize this and are involving it in the X-Men's story again. But problems are still getting bigger, as the Cotati landing ship takes root in the Earth, and starts attacking the offending armies with vines from the ground. Meanwhile, the ship itself has transformed into some kind of pod or egg, and no one on the scene is able to interfere with it's growth. Back on Krakoa, Black Tom Cassidy is working just as hard on figuring out how to help the mutant team on Genosha. What he comes up with is is gathering as much of the Krakoan pollen spores, and fungus off of Angel's suit as he can to create his persona with them there, at the battle scene.
Another moment I loved in this issue occurs just after Black Tom arrives on Angel's shoulder, high above the field of battle. He gets down to Magik's position, and she fills him in on the scene.
After some discussion with Hordeculture, Black Tom attempts to stop the Cotati pod by using poisonous black walnut roots. The plan backfires, however, and the pod only seems to get angrier. To make matters worse, Krakoa had an energy loss to compensate for, which meant draining almost all of Penance's life force. With nothing left to draw on, Magik is forced to turn against Hordeculture, who still have control of the Krakoan gates.
She transports them, and Angel when he chases them, to Limbo, trapping them until they agree to play ball with the mutants. Begrudgingly, Augusta, leader of Horditculture, releases the gates, and in turn her own team members.
If you haven't noticed at this point, I absolutely ADORE Magik. I'm proud to own all of her key issues, a category that continues to grow. Magik gets another moment of pure excellence when she uses the new open connection to Krakoa to transfer them a vocal message: "This is Magik, your War Captain, speaking." Wow, I'm in love! >Notable here, part of Magik's power includes armor that grows along her body the more she powers up. Throughout the issue, she changes forms bit by bit, including a phase as Darkchinlde, her demon form.<
Magik sends a message to all mutants on Krakoa, asking every available telepath to come to their aid.
The issue ends with a small army of telepathic mutants striding through the gate to Genosha, ready for battle. Some of the hits include Emma Frost, the Cuckoo sisters, Mister Sinister, Kid Omega, and Shadow King. This issue was loads of fun for me personally, because of what a big Magik fan I am. Magik is a mutant with demonic powers, due to a trauma in Limbo in her childhood. This is why, as I write before, she rules Limbo and has control over it's inhabitants. But there is a darkness in her powers, and if she isn't careful, she can fall prey to the demonic urges, and become Darkchilde. At one point in the issue, we see her showing signs of losing control of her dark side a little, causing her to the grow horns, goat legs, and tail of the Darkchilde. But she catches herself, and soon after is covered in the pure silver armor of Magik, before proceeding to be an absolute boss War Captain. The issue's artist, Lucas Werneck, does a phenomenal job of capturing Magik in all her forms, plus all other characters' expressions. I'll admit, there were moments where the text didn't line up with her expression, but I blame that more on the lettering. Of the two issues we're had so far, I'd still say the art in #2 was no doubt superior, with clear, thick line-work and gorgeous facial expressions. We're halfway through Empyre: X-Men, and the story is really just getting started. I'm hoping we'll see lots more amazing Magik moments, as well as the other incoming mutants. Don't miss out on this epic adventure!
Issue #3, by Ed Brisson, Vita Ayala, and Zeb Wells, art by Andrea Broccardo
Backup has arrived! Its issue #3 of Empyre: X-Men, and the series continues to be leagues better than the main event (which I've almost entirely given up on reading, due to it's pure idiocy). With another new creative team, the interior of the book speaks a little different than the last, but still finds the truth--and humor--in each character. The battle is full fledged by the time Magik is able to summon an army of mutant telepaths through the Krakoan gate, and now there's a new problem: the Cotati taken out by Genoshan mutant zombies are themselves turning into zombies! The only "fresh meat" on the island are the incoming psychic mutants, so it's a problem that needs quick addressing. The mutants we get to see fighting on the island with Magik, Angel, and Multiple Man include the Stepford Cuckoo Sisters (all five), Mister Sinister, Selene, Kid Omega, Exodus, and Dani Moonstar. I'll take this moment to note the end of issue #2, where they first showed the small army of psychics answering the call for aid, also included Shadow King and Emma Frost, neither of whom appear in this issue. I'll write this error off as an out of character slip-up from the X-Team. If you recall from issue #2, Hordeculture claimed they'll be able to stop the Cotati threat if they can access black oak roots, which are poisonous. While Magik transports one of the members of Hordecultre to Beast's office for the science side of her idea, Multiple Man and the rest of Hordeculture are trapped between an oncoming wave of multi-type zombies and the living Cotati soldiers. They're given a brief rescue in a humorous moment from Explodey Boy, a mutant zombie from Genosha, who says he can help them out, as long as he gets to eat the bodies that are left behind. With no choice but to agree, they give the signal, and Explodey Boy explodes. Meanwhile, back in Beast's lab, Hordeculture member Opal and Beast have done their homework and produced a toxin that should kill the Cotati ship and it's still-growing egg. Unfortunately, Black Tom's small cherub creature he used in issue #2 to communicate with the War Captain on Genosha has been destroyed, with no chance of being able to grow another. It's up to Nightcrawler to "bamf" into the battle with their newly created poison and deliver the weapon. The battle is just starting to falter for the Mutant forces. In a morbidly humorous scene, we see one of the Cuckoo sisters make a final request of her fellow empaths while on the verge of being eaten: when she's resurrected, please leave out the memory of what it feels like to be eaten alive. Her worries are moot, though, as Magik jumps in and saves her just moments before it's too late. The Cuckoo immediately takes advantage of still being alive, telling Magik she thinks if they find a source to the zombies, they can stop the attack at it's root. Snapping back to Nighcrawaler, he's found the target and gives it a good spray of the poison--which kills the part of the egg it hits! And gives room for zombies to go inside it. What I don't understand here is this is the last time we see Nightcrawler in the issue. It's clear that more poison would be needed to get the job done, but he just....doesn't do anything, and the zombies get to the interior of the egg, causing more problems later in the story. Magik and the Stepford Cuckoo she saved finally come across the source of the zombies, eight teleportations later. No surprise, the source is the magical staff Scarlet Witch created from various magical artifacts in the beginning of issue #1. Being the demon powered mutant that she is, Magik immediately senses the absolute power of the staff, and is drawn to it against the Cuckoo's warnings. She watches as Magik grasps the staff and immediately reverts into her full Darkchilde form. All she can do is psychically warn the X-Men still fighting on the island. If you're wondering what happened to Hordeculture and Multiple Man after Explodey Boy did his job, it's a fairly gruesome scene. The nearby Cotati were taken out, but so were Multiple Man's extra bodies, which Explodey Boy and his friends are now munching on. It seems to work in distracting the hungry mutant and Cotati zombies for a while, but there ends up being far to many to satiate.
It seems that the Cotati ship, and it's subsequent egg, was meant to create a Cotati monster to destroy everything in it's path. When the zombies started eating it's brain, they didn't just kill it, they infected it. Now, a giant zombie Cotati monster bursts from the egg, larger than the buildings from the destroyed city around it.
This issue, I have to admit, definitely felt more like a series of events rather than a connecting story. On the reread, this is slightly less of a problem, but the issue still feels rushed and a little pushy. An educated guess would tell me this is likely due to the limited schedule and short format of the series, but it's noticeably less fantastic than the previous two. I think if this issue had been split into two, we would have seen this part of the story with much better plotting.
The art from Andrea Broccardo and colorist Nolan Woodard is a good match to one another, and fits the world and events of this issue good enough. I have to admit, though, when the art really shines, it shines more for the coloring than anything else.
For an example of what I'm referring to, take a look at the page where Beast has his Eureka! moment. While the contents of the panels are playfully drawn, its the colors that makes each item and feature pop. With that in mind, the artist/colorist combo does falter a bit with Nightcrawler and some of the battle moments, when the color seems to lean to that playful side still, and the contents of the panels are more serious. If I was to offer one legitimate gripe with Broccardo's art specifically, its the lack of continuity between the looks of any one character, in some cases even on the same page (see below for examples).
The next and final issue is written solely by Johnathon Hickman himself, so I honestly expect it to be the best of the group. Jorge Molina (A-Force, Avengers Assemble, Birds of Prey) will be guest starring as the artist, with Adriano Di Benedetto as inker and Nolan Woodard doing colors.
As for the plot, I don't see anything too surprising happening to the X-Men in a main Marvel event. I think Hickman will save bigger revelations and hit moments for the oncoming Dawn of X event, X of Swords. With that being said, I think here it's going to be Darkchilde vs Giant Cotati Zombie Monster, followed by Darkchilde vs Magik when they likely have to use psychics to push back her demonic side once again. I would honestly LOVE for this to branch off into a more Magik-centered series, which if you've been keeping up, should be no surprise. I love Illyana Rasputin, and can't get enough of her in comics. Empyre: X-Men wraps up with issue #4 next week, August 19th! Don't miss the Darkchilde themed variant cover by Salvador Larroca, which I used as a thumbnail image for this post! This book has ultimately served as the X-Men main book during the Empyre event, so don't think of it as a spin-off, and don't think you need to read the main event! It isn't very good, anyway. P.S.-- See below for some examples of the inconsistent art and coloring I was talking about before. I would definitely not say the art was poorly done! I, in no way, look at the art of these pages and cringe. I just think the art team was perhaps rushed, or inexperienced with the subject matter. Hover over each image for details!
Issue #4, by Jonathan Hickman, pencils by Jorge Molina and Lucas Werneck, inks by Wernekc and Adriano Di Benedetto, colors by Nolan Woodard and Rachelle Rosenburg
I don't think anyone went into this mini-series event tie-in thinking that it was going to cause massive disrupt or change in the X-Men universe, but it doesn't take great change for a story to be good. For this final issue of Empyre: X-Men, Head of X Johnathon Hickman carefully gathered all the threads of this series' plot, and artfully French-braided them together into a beautiful ending. The final issue of this mini starts off with Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, as she again searches for help from Doctor Stephen Strange. On a quick technical note, Strange is sporting a particularly dashing and beautifully designed new "work" look, as can be seen to the right. Whether this was Werneck, Molina, Hickman, or a combination of creative efforts, this almost armored outfit is perfect for a Doctor Strange who is as serious about his magic as his being a super-hero. And that isn't even to mention the consistently spot-on face he draws for the Doctor, which I'll get more into later. This time, Wanda is asking him to undo not the decimation of mutant powers, but the revival of undead ones. Even Strange's once-assistant Wong makes an appearance, popping in to go on a boy's night out with his former boss and compatriot. The good Doctor protests Wanda's plea for but a moment before downing several shots of a shiny liquor, and admitting he has no choice but to oblige. Wong actually seems even happier he gets the evening to himself, so we're all winners.
If you've ever been a fan of Doctor Strange comics, this is a series of scenes you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of. Hickman has been writing his way through the Marvel Universe over the course of the last fifteen years or so. He started with the Fantastic Four, and wrote them for a very long time, and over multiple series titles. In the 2010's, Hickman started his time with the Avengers, creating Avengers World, and running fan-favorite events such as Secret Wars and Infinity. Now that he's Head of X for the X-Men, and it's another massive success, I can't help but wonder if Hickman already has his eyes in his next project. Based on the first few pages of this issue, I wouldn't be surprised to learn he'll be heading to the world of magic and mysticism with Stephen Strange and Co. He clearly has an excellent grasp of the many facets of the character, which were displayed all in the short time he appeared in the comic, alongside Werneck and Molina's brilliant artistic portrayal.
Stephen takes Wanda back through her original path, duplicating the magic she created. We get a few humorous tidbits about Stephen's place in the magical community, and get the idea that he truly deserves the title Sorcerer Supreme. They continue following Wanda's steps until Strange has an exact replica of the original spell, which will basically cancel out the first. Using a protective magical barrier, Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch stand among the Genoshan zombies, set off the replica spell, and discuss how the situation will be resolved. Magic isn't perfect, and he projects it'll take about thirty days for the second spell to cancel out her first. He continues on to mention, pray no one arrives on Genosha in that time.
The plot flashes forward to see the situation as it is now, on that very island of Genosha. Various mutants psychics are in the thick of the strangest battle they've ever seen: invading Cotati plantlike aliens versus actual zombie mutants who'd lived on Genosha, with octogenarian terrorist group Hordeculture making their own moves, and Illyana Rasputin's Darkchilde fighting it out with a gigantic Cotati zombie monster. Things are, to say the least, a little chaotic.
But right when the reader expects Hickman to spend the rest of the issue watching all aforementioned parties battle it out, he takes an entirely different turn to the unexpected.
Back in his lab on Krakoa, Beast is still working some plant-science magic alongside Hordeculture member, Opal. In a conversation with himself that's bound to make you smile, he decides it is necessary to do morally reprehensible deeds, if the deed serves the greater good. Using this logic, he steals Opal's tech and figures out how the group has been hijacking Krakoan gateways. Benjamin Percy's X-Force has had Beast delving into similar topics, justifying the team's often brutal missions with "the greater good." If I know anything about storytelling, this is all potential foreshadowing for Beast's many indiscretions causing an eventual backlash.
In any case, Beast steals the equipment and immediately goes to his next idea for saving the day: sending a young teenage mutant, armed only with a jet pack, to the situation on Genosha. But he says one thing before the boy goes, alluding to his mutant power to explode. Immediately, the reader picks up the signal. What other mutants have we met recently with the power to explode? Back in the first Empyre: X-Men issue, we were briefly introduced to one of the deceased zombie mutants on Genosha. He called himself Explodey Boy, after his mutant power to explode, which is how he took out the first wave of Cotati invaders. Since he didn't exist in comics before this series, for much of my time reading this I was under the impression that Explody Boy was just a fun bit of comic relief, who also happened to be a touch of use here and there. In retrospect, I should have known. I said it myself, at the beginning of "part one" of this review: Johnathon Hickman doesn't do things by mistake, including leaving characters out, or introducing a seemingly random, formerly dead mutant from the fray.
In the case of Explodey Boy, his seemingly lighthearted and convenient existence is solidified in the story when Beast sends his real-life counterpart to find him. As the reader, it seems at first a little ridiculous that this one boy will stop all the problems happening on Genosha, but physical strength, as Darkchilde is discovering in her battle, isn't always the right solution.
And so begins one of the most satisfying exchanges I have ever read in Marvel comics. The alive Explodey Boy uses his jet-pack to spot his zombie counterpart in the mess of post-battle detritus. Upon seeing one another, they immediately understand who the other is. If you're still wondering how the dead Explodey Boy can also be alive, that is thanks to Johnathon Hickman, as well. Dawn of X saw Hickman establish the Five--five mutants who, when combining their powers, are capable of bringing back any mutant who ever lived. While things opens up a whole new batch of plot threads, the main thing to know is that any mutant who dies or who has died in the past can be returned to life in a new body, including the formerly Genoshan Explodey Boy. The pages of conversation between the two mutant teenagers are heart warming, hopeful, and perfect. Two teenage boys, one long since dead, and one recently resurrected properly. When it comes down to it, they are the same person. They have the same wants, the same dreams, the same experiences, to a point. The living Explodey Boy sits next to his counterpart and tells him about life, and how it's changed since they died and came back. Its alluded that his being a mutant caused a rift between him and his parents, which the living version is happy to report is a rift that grows slightly smaller with time. Even more exciting to both Boys, though, is the news of their first kiss. Hickman captures the youthful joy and delight at discussing their stolen moment, even though she didn't end up as his girlfriend. The two joke, laugh, and exchange tidbits of youthful wisdom before falling silent. The zombie version admits to his living counterpart that his existence likely isn't sustainable, and whatever brought him back is bound to end.
With this knowledge, the two exchange profound goodbyes, and the zombie Explodey Boy, wit the help of his new friend's jet-pack, zooms off to explode in the face of the still-raging Cotati zombie monster.
When the creature is down, all that is left on Genosha with the X-Men are the mutant zombies, so Darkchilde makes her move. I've said it a number of times in this whole review, I love Magik and how they're involving her so much in this mini-series. Her demon form, Darkchilde, took over completely after touching Scarlet Witch's spell staff, and has since declared herself Zombie Queen of Genosha. Seeing all other potential rivals gone, Darkchilde starts what would have no doubt been a lengthy speech to the X-Men (click here to see the page!) on her ultimate power, serving under her rule, and the duties of her slaves--when Doctor Strange's counter-spell hits it's thirty day mark. Immediately, her demon form dissipates, leaving a worn out looking Magik out of breath where it once was. She even gives a brief, "Had a little moment there," as she cools off.
While some may have taken this moment to try and "teach some manners" to an otherwise unruly character, or maybe use the experience to make her retreat into herself with self loathing or embarrassment, Hickman does the opposite. Even when Beast looks to Magik and notes how embarrassed he would be in the same situation, she looks him in the eye and firmly states, "I regret nothing." This is not only a shining example of why I love Illyana Rasputin, but also shows, again, how well Hickman grasps each character. Magik is fully aware of her personality and mutant power drawbacks, but has already spent far too much of her life being sorry for it. I'm thrilled that Hickman is stating so blankly here that Magik is continuing to be her unapologetic, if somewhat abrasive, self.
The zombies, of course, turned to dust when the spell was over, disappearing as quickly as Illyana's demon form. The issue wraps up the rest of the series like a gem. Hordeculture's members escaped off into the sunset, no doubt to pop up with more hilarious drama again later. Beast tells the team not to worry, since he got away with most their tech.
While there is no more dialogue, we get some of the most pertinent information in the last few pages. Using an unidentified narrator, Hickman delivers some of the most poignant wisdom on his Dawn of X changes through the speaker's message, paired with the art team's imagery. "These are the ruins of what could have been. That we have become something more doesn't erase that it came at a price." The reader is shown the island of Genosha, with it's ruins in their crumbling glory. The mutants live on a new island now, Krakoa, with an entirely different story and appearance. Hickman is often criticized as not taking those events into account, but here he is outright stating that the mutants would not be where they are today if it weren't for Genosha. "There will always be a price." The living Explodey Boy recovers his jet-pack from where it fell after his zombie counterpart destroyed the Cotati zombie monster and once more left this plane of existence. Its a single panel, large across the page, but that one panel with it's one facial expression is enough to feel the complex emotion going through the boy on the page. He gets to live, in itself a miracle, but that does not make the pain of sacrificing his former self any less terrible. "We know now there is no way to avoid it. This is simply our story. Over and over again." Hordeculture, in their base, continue to search for new ways and means to take advantage of the X-Men and all mutants on Krakoa. They've established themselves as yet another player in a historic legion of enemies against mutants. A classic trope of X-Men comics is that they are always on the losing side. Every good thing the mutants have ever had as a people has been destroyed, and the same is expected to happen with Krakoa. While I don't think this is Hickman exactly saying to expect a massive downfall again soon, I definitely think we should be ready for more chaos and madness in Dawn of X. "It ends how it ends. It's done-- then you get on with it...and keep on living." Beast is in his own lab, considering the Hordeculture gear and tech he's stolen. Beast has clearly had some moral qualms about his hand in the new nation's happenings, and it no doubt still wears on him after their success on this mission. But he's already used the equipment to quickly discover how the terrorists were "hacking" the Krakoan gateways, so there is no doubt more innovations and discoveries will be made with it. "Unless, of course, you can't live with it. Unless, of course, you don't." The last panel of the series is Scarlet Witch, in her library, candles lit, fire roaring. A single tear streams down her cheek as she reads a magical-looking tome. Hickman is establishing, once again, that Wanda is not finished trying to atone for her many crimes against her own people. She is mournful of them, their companionship, and everything that might have been, but was cut short by her. If this truly is more foreshadowing of Scarlet Witch's involvement in Dawn of X, it can't happen soon enough.
This final issue also had the best art of the series, in my opinion. Jorge Molina, Lucas Werneck, and Adriano Di Benedetto did an incredible job drawing and inking beautiful figures, faces full of expression, and appropriate backgrounds in their pages. Colorists Nolan Woodward and Rachelle Rosenburg bring the art to life with brilliant coloring, capturing every element from perfect zombie skin tones to mystical incantation effects.
Upon finishing this review, it can't be surprising I thoroughly enjoyed this event tie-in. Hickman addresses a multitude of questions, concerns, and criticisms, and I highly recommend his doubters give it a try. I've done as best I can to walk you through it and what it all mean, the rest is for you to discover for yourself. Personally, I'll be holding this series high among X-Men mini-series', as it starred some of my favorite characters, touched on points I hold dear in the X-Men mythology, and set up a number of threads to be chased down in stories for years to come. With the rotating Dawn of X creative teams on each issue, it's safe to assume that this mini-series event tie-in can be taken as a small preview of the kind of material to expect from the upcoming X-Men universe event, X of Swords. The event is spread across all the Dawn of X books, by the writers who worked on this mini, so we can definitely expect the same quality. This time, though, they're not pandering to an outside Marvel event, so its not unfair to guess that X of Swords will be even more within their wheelhouses. X of Swords Prelude starts September 16th with Excalibur #12, and the full event has it's Chapter One with X of Swords: Creation on September 23rd. Let your local comic shops know to add them to your pull list so you don't miss out! And as always, stay sweaty.
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