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X-Men (2021)
X-Men, Vol. 1
The heroes of Krakoa are here to save the planet! Things might be complicated between the new mutant nation and the rest of the world, but to the X-Men, it’s very simple — you do what’s right, you protect those who need protecting and you save the world we all share. Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Sunfire, Rogue, Wolverine, Synch and Polaris are the chosen champions of mutantkind, and they will not shrink from any battle. But as threats hurtle towards the Earth from all sides, these fearless X-Men fight a seemingly unstoppable wave of annihilation…and even greater dangers lurk in the darkness ready to strike! Writer Gerry Duggan (MARAUDERS, DEADPOOL) reunites with superstar artist Pepe Larraz (HOUSE OF X, X OF SWORDS) to chart a new course for the X-Men in the Reign of X!
COLLECTING: X-Men (2021) 1-6
COLLECTING: X-Men (2021) 1-6
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 23, 2024
Over the last few year as Krakoa has established itself there hasn't actually been a formal X-Men team! Well, that ends right here with the democratically elected Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Sunfire, Rogue, Wolverine, Synch and Polaris forming the X-Men! And what a team... really well crafted, plotted and drawn teamwork in battles; the X-men setting up a New York presence, Orchis pulling strings and breaking skulls everywhere and most of all, a reporter is sniffing around the biggest news story in human history!
I have absolutely NOT been a fan of Gerry Duggan's writing, but for me he has matured and this work amongst the over=conceptualisation of most of Hickman's X-verse was a breath of fresh hair with a team that made sense in combat as in fighting like a tea, and most of all a true feeling of jeopardy as the anti-mutant forces finally begin to make some real noise. A 7.5 out of 12 very strong Three Stars for this one.
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2024 read
I have absolutely NOT been a fan of Gerry Duggan's writing, but for me he has matured and this work amongst the over=conceptualisation of most of Hickman's X-verse was a breath of fresh hair with a team that made sense in combat as in fighting like a tea, and most of all a true feeling of jeopardy as the anti-mutant forces finally begin to make some real noise. A 7.5 out of 12 very strong Three Stars for this one.
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2024 read
January 15, 2022
Three stars feels a little generous.
If we are meant to take this newest run of X-Men as an attempt to bring the X-Men back to their roots as superheroes, then this is a marginal success. Each issue focuses upon combating some larger-than-life threat, usually through some over-the-top use of superpowers. The X-Men are working as a team, fighting bad guys, protecting the world. In that regard, this book is accomplishing exactly what it sets out to.
But then, the problem seems to be that this is a particularly shallow and joyless execution of such an idea. The color palette is darker than it should be. I commented on that before with each individual issue, and now that I'm looking over the issues again, I think I see one cause for this problem. The sky. The sky is never, or almost never, blue. There is no bright daylight. Instead, it's like the world is muddy and foggy in perpetual twilight. The artist also is weird about constantly shadowing and obscuring people's faces, somehow never presenting anyone's face at the angle you would expect.
There is no deeper examination of characters' personalities. The Halloween issue in which Nightmare harasses Scott, Jean, and Laura came the closest to doing this. But, it just gave the most superficial, surface-level psychoanalysis of each of those three characters. It also made the ludicrous suggestion that Laura could find out about that alternate future timeline in which she and Synch lived in the Vault for thousands of years by having a telepath download Synch's memories to her. Supposedly, this was to give her insight into the relationship that version of her had with Synch. As I said before with that particular issue, this makes no sense; getting Synch's memories would just give her memories of being sexually attracted to her own body, and would not give her any insight as to what that version of Laura was thinking and feeling.
There is a lot of potential here for interpersonal drama and exploring feelings. Rogue and Sunfire are on the same team, and there was a period 15 years back where Rogue permanently absorbed Sunfire's powers (and, presumably, memories). They should either be the best of friends, or else have significant tension. At the very least you would think they would address this elephant in the room. "Shiro, you remember how your grandmother used to make the most amazing noodles? I found this restaurant on Park Avenue that serves the exact same kind..."
But, this title isn't doing that. In the first issue we saw characters literally create a giant mecha to fight a threat. I don't even think that was the most efficient way to have all the X-Men combine their powers; it would have been simpler just to have everyone touch Rogue's face, and then send her out to do the fighting.
I am not loving this title so far. I don't know why the artwork is so dim and grungey. I don't know why we're not getting to know our characters better. (I mean, for the sake of human interest; I already know all these characters very well.)
But there is a lot of stuff that could be done well I would like to see. Scott and Jean talking about their marriage? Synch catching up on the Black Lives Matter movement after he was dead for so many years and missed a lot of it? Polaris reaching out to her mother's side of the family, instead of perpetually talking about being Magneto's daughter? Rogue helping Sunfire to ask out a girl he has been in love with since high school, and only Rogue is aware of his shame?
Without that sort of stuff, I feel like this title is lagging.
If we are meant to take this newest run of X-Men as an attempt to bring the X-Men back to their roots as superheroes, then this is a marginal success. Each issue focuses upon combating some larger-than-life threat, usually through some over-the-top use of superpowers. The X-Men are working as a team, fighting bad guys, protecting the world. In that regard, this book is accomplishing exactly what it sets out to.
But then, the problem seems to be that this is a particularly shallow and joyless execution of such an idea. The color palette is darker than it should be. I commented on that before with each individual issue, and now that I'm looking over the issues again, I think I see one cause for this problem. The sky. The sky is never, or almost never, blue. There is no bright daylight. Instead, it's like the world is muddy and foggy in perpetual twilight. The artist also is weird about constantly shadowing and obscuring people's faces, somehow never presenting anyone's face at the angle you would expect.
There is no deeper examination of characters' personalities. The Halloween issue in which Nightmare harasses Scott, Jean, and Laura came the closest to doing this. But, it just gave the most superficial, surface-level psychoanalysis of each of those three characters. It also made the ludicrous suggestion that Laura could find out about that alternate future timeline in which she and Synch lived in the Vault for thousands of years by having a telepath download Synch's memories to her. Supposedly, this was to give her insight into the relationship that version of her had with Synch. As I said before with that particular issue, this makes no sense; getting Synch's memories would just give her memories of being sexually attracted to her own body, and would not give her any insight as to what that version of Laura was thinking and feeling.
There is a lot of potential here for interpersonal drama and exploring feelings. Rogue and Sunfire are on the same team, and there was a period 15 years back where Rogue permanently absorbed Sunfire's powers (and, presumably, memories). They should either be the best of friends, or else have significant tension. At the very least you would think they would address this elephant in the room. "Shiro, you remember how your grandmother used to make the most amazing noodles? I found this restaurant on Park Avenue that serves the exact same kind..."
But, this title isn't doing that. In the first issue we saw characters literally create a giant mecha to fight a threat. I don't even think that was the most efficient way to have all the X-Men combine their powers; it would have been simpler just to have everyone touch Rogue's face, and then send her out to do the fighting.
I am not loving this title so far. I don't know why the artwork is so dim and grungey. I don't know why we're not getting to know our characters better. (I mean, for the sake of human interest; I already know all these characters very well.)
But there is a lot of stuff that could be done well I would like to see. Scott and Jean talking about their marriage? Synch catching up on the Black Lives Matter movement after he was dead for so many years and missed a lot of it? Polaris reaching out to her mother's side of the family, instead of perpetually talking about being Magneto's daughter? Rogue helping Sunfire to ask out a girl he has been in love with since high school, and only Rogue is aware of his shame?
Without that sort of stuff, I feel like this title is lagging.
June 15, 2022
This is the kind of storytelling I prefer. A set team, a set location, traditional storytelling. The X-Men have returned to New York, operating out of a cool tree house they built in place of a skyscraper. I did like how not everyone hates mutants. The people the X-Men saved were appreciative and wanted to do things to show their gratitude like cook them a meal. The interactions between the X-Men could have been better. It's all surface level conversation.
The art is solid. I did find the coloring kind of muddy. I would have liked to see the colors pop more. There was a bit of a dour look to it.
The art is solid. I did find the coloring kind of muddy. I would have liked to see the colors pop more. There was a bit of a dour look to it.
April 26, 2022
With a new era of the X-Men beginning I think it would have been a perfect moment to have Jean get rid of that ridiculous mask.
Oh yeah, Ben Urich is a key secondary character in this arc, too. How about that?
Oh yeah, Ben Urich is a key secondary character in this arc, too. How about that?
March 25, 2022
This was a decent relaunch of the core X-Men title, after doing some good work on Cable and Marauders, Gerry Duggan was probably the safest choice for the job, and he totally nailed the spirit of this new team, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Polaris, Rogue, Sunfire, Wolverine and Synch had a lot of chemistry as a team, and I love the way Duggan is combining their powers, that has always been one of the major appeals for me about the x-books, power combos and team chemistry, and not a lot of writers get that right, but I have to say, I thoroughly hated the pacing of this first volume, a new powerful adversary was introduced in every issue, and each one of them was defeated in the blink of an eye, without build up or character development whatsoever, you're jumping in on the action in media res to see these X-Men beat their opponents in flamboyant style, and sometimes, like that mecha stunt, it ends up feeling like a total cheat. However, I do feel like Duggan is basically giving us a taste of what's to come, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I would have given this three stars, but Pepe Larraz is drawing the entire book, so that's an automatic extra star from me, and that cliffhanger with Captain Krakoa left me curious and excited for the next volume.
January 22, 2022
De alguna manera no me sorprendió esta nueva serie. A mí particularmente no me ha gustado mucho lo que Hickman le ha hecho a los X-Men. Les ha dado una historia fascinante nueva llena de secretos y cosas asombrosas pero ha descuidado mucho las relaciones entre ellos mismos. A mi parecer ya no parecen tanto como ellos más bien parecen un conjunto de personas en una serie típica a lo "Game of thrones". Y desde un inicio la serie que más me gustó de esta nueva época fue la de "Marauders". Parece que al final eso vio Marvel que le dieron a Duggan ahora la conducción de los X-Men.
Sin embargo considero hay demasiadas cosas arruinadas que está cargando como la relación de Wolverine - Jean, los protocolos de resuscitación y muchas otras historias que no veo cómo puedan solucionarse de alguna manera. La misma alineación de X-Men no es de mis favoritas. Pero tengo buena experiencia con el escritor, por ejemplo sabe manejar muy bien la personalidad de Magik (Savage Avengers y Empyre X-Men). Así que espero lo haga bien con el equipo principal.
Los números están un poco salpicados. Empieza presentando al millonario futurista Feilong quien tenía todo para llegar a Marte y al final los X-Men lo arruinaron. Me gustó el 4 que fue una por HAlloween en la que se enfrentan a Nightmare. También hay un enfrentamiento con los clientes del casino Cordyceps vienen a atacar la tierra.
El número final nos presenta a Capitán Krakoa, algo que no me gusta para nada pero veamos cómo va la cosa.
Sin embargo considero hay demasiadas cosas arruinadas que está cargando como la relación de Wolverine - Jean, los protocolos de resuscitación y muchas otras historias que no veo cómo puedan solucionarse de alguna manera. La misma alineación de X-Men no es de mis favoritas. Pero tengo buena experiencia con el escritor, por ejemplo sabe manejar muy bien la personalidad de Magik (Savage Avengers y Empyre X-Men). Así que espero lo haga bien con el equipo principal.
Los números están un poco salpicados. Empieza presentando al millonario futurista Feilong quien tenía todo para llegar a Marte y al final los X-Men lo arruinaron. Me gustó el 4 que fue una por HAlloween en la que se enfrentan a Nightmare. También hay un enfrentamiento con los clientes del casino Cordyceps vienen a atacar la tierra.
El número final nos presenta a Capitán Krakoa, algo que no me gusta para nada pero veamos cómo va la cosa.
July 25, 2022
There are probably - definitely - too many X-Men reboot #1s. More than any other comic and that's saying a lot.
But I can't deny Gerry Duggan's take is high quality. At least it continues Jonathan Hickman's arc, and builds on it without throwing all away and rebooting for the Xth time.
As long as Hickman finished his story (over in Inferno) and says it's ok, then I'll accept this new line...
The premise is basically that X-Men are superheroes again, which makes Cyclops the star. There's still the weird science fiction and that's fun, and the Mars angle is as epic as ever. Overall it does seem more lighthearted.
The social implications of humans finding out about mutant resurrections is interesting. Also, the art is amazing. Yet as good a read, I can't say it quite lives up to the standards of Dawn of X. I'll keep reading for a while and wait and see, and I do appreciate that Hickman had an ending for his saga, I just get a bit exhausted by how many writers and cooks in the room when it comes to the X-franchise!
But I can't deny Gerry Duggan's take is high quality. At least it continues Jonathan Hickman's arc, and builds on it without throwing all away and rebooting for the Xth time.
As long as Hickman finished his story (over in Inferno) and says it's ok, then I'll accept this new line...
The premise is basically that X-Men are superheroes again, which makes Cyclops the star. There's still the weird science fiction and that's fun, and the Mars angle is as epic as ever. Overall it does seem more lighthearted.
The social implications of humans finding out about mutant resurrections is interesting. Also, the art is amazing. Yet as good a read, I can't say it quite lives up to the standards of Dawn of X. I'll keep reading for a while and wait and see, and I do appreciate that Hickman had an ending for his saga, I just get a bit exhausted by how many writers and cooks in the room when it comes to the X-franchise!
June 10, 2024
Reread: 10/06/2024
I am loving the reread of this series and this volume is great, like last time I read also I said the same thing and here you see how so many things set up earlier pay off and I love the villains here like Dr Stasis, Feilong and Cordyceps Jones and the roles they play and the constant challenges the X-Men have to face and this is like more cosmic since the establishment of Planet Arakko and so that was fun and I like how its done here and the battles and all the team has to face plus character focus issues be it for Jean or Polaris, its really well done and makes it so interesting. There is one vs Nightmare which was funny and one vs High evolutionary, which will pay off later. Loved the art here mainly, the action scenes are also great and I am excited to reread further! Definitely one of the best Krakoan era titles!
___________________________________________________________________
This was really good omg!
I loved this one!
After Hellfire Gala 2020, the new team of mutants is born and we see them take on different threats and what it all brings like the invading armies of Mind reavers and Annihilation wave and it was done in one issue so we don't get to see the epic scenes but its really good seeing this team of mutants saving the world and that scene with X-Mech was kinda cool lol and then another story with High evolutionary and I love the way it pans out and the team learning whose behind it: CORDYCEPS JONES!
A new threat that will for sure lead to a great story in the future but what I liked about this volume is sure its alien invaders but the bonding between this strange roster of the X-Men was awesome and each issue we get to learn a little about the other and then the next one with Jean vs Nightmare was so awesome and I freaking love it, the art there is amazing!
Plus the reveal of the ORCHIS villains behind the scenes like with Feilong taking over Phobos, Araako (mars) moon and what it leads to and whatever Dr Stasis is planning and something with Ben Urich and him maybe finding out about this "Immortal X-Men" omg!
It leads to an even better reading then with so many things going on in the larger X-universe and its executed well and then story with Polaris which was meh and then Cyclops and what led to his new identity: Captain Krakoa!
Its a volume which has a lot and takes some time to read and when you navigate the text pages it adds to that too but if you read it with other X-Men stuff it will show a larger plan here and the epic nature of all these stories! Plus the art by Larraz is just gorgeous and he continues his HOX run with X-Men and all! I can't say more compliments about this volume, its awesome and sure its cliched and has usual tropes, the execution is awesome and one of my fav reads of the year!
I am loving the reread of this series and this volume is great, like last time I read also I said the same thing and here you see how so many things set up earlier pay off and I love the villains here like Dr Stasis, Feilong and Cordyceps Jones and the roles they play and the constant challenges the X-Men have to face and this is like more cosmic since the establishment of Planet Arakko and so that was fun and I like how its done here and the battles and all the team has to face plus character focus issues be it for Jean or Polaris, its really well done and makes it so interesting. There is one vs Nightmare which was funny and one vs High evolutionary, which will pay off later. Loved the art here mainly, the action scenes are also great and I am excited to reread further! Definitely one of the best Krakoan era titles!
___________________________________________________________________
This was really good omg!
I loved this one!
After Hellfire Gala 2020, the new team of mutants is born and we see them take on different threats and what it all brings like the invading armies of Mind reavers and Annihilation wave and it was done in one issue so we don't get to see the epic scenes but its really good seeing this team of mutants saving the world and that scene with X-Mech was kinda cool lol and then another story with High evolutionary and I love the way it pans out and the team learning whose behind it: CORDYCEPS JONES!
A new threat that will for sure lead to a great story in the future but what I liked about this volume is sure its alien invaders but the bonding between this strange roster of the X-Men was awesome and each issue we get to learn a little about the other and then the next one with Jean vs Nightmare was so awesome and I freaking love it, the art there is amazing!
Plus the reveal of the ORCHIS villains behind the scenes like with Feilong taking over Phobos, Araako (mars) moon and what it leads to and whatever Dr Stasis is planning and something with Ben Urich and him maybe finding out about this "Immortal X-Men" omg!
It leads to an even better reading then with so many things going on in the larger X-universe and its executed well and then story with Polaris which was meh and then Cyclops and what led to his new identity: Captain Krakoa!
Its a volume which has a lot and takes some time to read and when you navigate the text pages it adds to that too but if you read it with other X-Men stuff it will show a larger plan here and the epic nature of all these stories! Plus the art by Larraz is just gorgeous and he continues his HOX run with X-Men and all! I can't say more compliments about this volume, its awesome and sure its cliched and has usual tropes, the execution is awesome and one of my fav reads of the year!
June 24, 2022
Wait--Captain Krakoa is [redacted]?! I did NOT see that coming!!
(Narrator: He totally saw that coming, because jeez was it telegraphed.)
(Narrator: He totally saw that coming, because jeez was it telegraphed.)
February 25, 2022
Jonathan Hickman is a hard act to follow on any book, but given that he literally ignited the most interesting era of X-Men in about a decade, the shoes of head X-Men writer are even bigger to fill than normal at this point. But Gerry Duggan slips them on like they're his most comfortable pair of sneakers, and sets off running.
This series still feels like Hickman's previous run. Each issue is a one and done about the X-Men facing off against a threat, while bigger things build in the background. It's all a bit more obvious rather than Hickman's brand of cryptic, but if anything that's probably got more wide range appeal than Hickman's sometimes off-putting storytelling method.
Each issue is different in focus and tone as well - some stuff's straight up superheroics, some issues lean a bit more horror (the Nightmare issue's brilliant), and then there's the sci-fi aspects of the High Evolutionary issue as well. This series gets back to the X-Men being X-Men, fighting the good fight, in any form that it takes. But there's still a darkness to it, an undercurrent of something that's not quite right, which Duggan carries over from the Hickman era easily.
The artwork is also wonderful - Pepe Larraz has become synonymous with important X-Men stuff thanks to his work on Extermination, House Of X, and X Of Swords, and he pencils four of the six issues here with much the same gravitas. Javier Pina steps in for issues 4 and 5 without missing a beat. He's another artist who manages to chameleon his artwork as needed - check out his Captain America run, or his Swamp Thing run (both with Jesus Saiz) for example.
The changing of the guard, especially when the old guard was so good, is always going to be a tumultuous time, but Gerry Duggan's first foray into the main X-Men title should assuage any fears that the quality was going to dip after that Hickman disappeared.
This series still feels like Hickman's previous run. Each issue is a one and done about the X-Men facing off against a threat, while bigger things build in the background. It's all a bit more obvious rather than Hickman's brand of cryptic, but if anything that's probably got more wide range appeal than Hickman's sometimes off-putting storytelling method.
Each issue is different in focus and tone as well - some stuff's straight up superheroics, some issues lean a bit more horror (the Nightmare issue's brilliant), and then there's the sci-fi aspects of the High Evolutionary issue as well. This series gets back to the X-Men being X-Men, fighting the good fight, in any form that it takes. But there's still a darkness to it, an undercurrent of something that's not quite right, which Duggan carries over from the Hickman era easily.
The artwork is also wonderful - Pepe Larraz has become synonymous with important X-Men stuff thanks to his work on Extermination, House Of X, and X Of Swords, and he pencils four of the six issues here with much the same gravitas. Javier Pina steps in for issues 4 and 5 without missing a beat. He's another artist who manages to chameleon his artwork as needed - check out his Captain America run, or his Swamp Thing run (both with Jesus Saiz) for example.
The changing of the guard, especially when the old guard was so good, is always going to be a tumultuous time, but Gerry Duggan's first foray into the main X-Men title should assuage any fears that the quality was going to dip after that Hickman disappeared.
June 6, 2023
lorna and jean are sooo cute omg!
June 15, 2022
A good start to the return of the X-men. Not my favorite team of, but it is good to see them back saving the world Not just Krakoa. Ok complex and political stories, great artwork. I prefered the second half of this book that gave the individual X-men the spotlight.
The X-men are back. Not quite as hated by everyday people as they used to be. Though they have their usual set of enemies. Domestic, internation, demonic and intergalactic.
A good new direction for the X-men but still also lingering issues from the last series. Not my favorite line up but the book grew in me especially from the halfway point. The book finishes with a cover gallery, that also included the varient and stormbreaker covers.
The X-men are back. Not quite as hated by everyday people as they used to be. Though they have their usual set of enemies. Domestic, internation, demonic and intergalactic.
A good new direction for the X-men but still also lingering issues from the last series. Not my favorite line up but the book grew in me especially from the halfway point. The book finishes with a cover gallery, that also included the varient and stormbreaker covers.
January 7, 2022
I definitely prefer to think of this new series of X-Men as Pepe Larraz’s instead of Gerry Duggan’s since I never really clicked with Duggan’s Cable or Marauders. I really enjoyed the look of HoX/PoX. And i think the art and character designs are what’s really doing it for me thus far.
As far as story goes, this seems to follow the same schematic of Hickman’s run in that each issue has sort of stood on it’s own. I’m not in love with the team, but I’m willing to give them a shot. I’m not super intrigued by anything thus far, but I am finding it fun. So for the moment, I am in.
As far as story goes, this seems to follow the same schematic of Hickman’s run in that each issue has sort of stood on it’s own. I’m not in love with the team, but I’m willing to give them a shot. I’m not super intrigued by anything thus far, but I am finding it fun. So for the moment, I am in.
January 21, 2022
X-Men are BACK babyy!
May 25, 2024
Over the course of the Krakoan Era, which served as Jonathan Hickman’s seismic shift when it comes to the Marvel mutants, whilst it has been praised by many X-fans, but there is a section of the fandom that has been negative towards it. Going all the way back to Hickman’s House of X/Powers of X, it doesn’t feel X-Men in the traditional superhero sense and even when the writer was doing his X-Men run, it already felt different, telling a variety of single-issue storylines, allowing various ideas of sci-fi and politics. With Hickman leaving Krakoa for other creators to continue this initiative, Gerry Duggan takes over the X-Men title.
Duggan has already left his print on the Krakoan age by writing Marauders, in which the titular team was reimagined as a pirate crew captained by the best X-Man Kitty Pryde. While there is a sense of seriousness when Hickman was writing the X-Men, Duggan brings a fun and more traditional superhero approach to his roster. A new treehouse is built in New York, which serves as the base of the newly elected X-Men, whose purpose is to protect the rest of the Earth, not just mutants. Led by the power couple Cyclops and Jean Grey, the team comprises of Sunfire, Synch, Polaris, Rogue and Wolverine (who is actually X-23).
As much as the X-Men have had a long history of not being respected as heroes in the way that the Avengers or the Fantastic Four are, the first issue is about projecting these mutant outcasts in a positive light for the public as they fight off a giant monster in the style of 60s Marvel heroism. However, there are other forces at work, such as Kelvin Heng/Feilong who joins Orchis in their crusade to combat mutantdom, the masked Doctor Stasis with his army of animal chimeras, or Cordyceps Jones, the parasitic ruler of Gameworld.
The Hickman influence still looms, with pages that are just text that documents aspects of the world-building. And whilst the issues almost function as their self-contained narrative with the X-Men facing various threats, Duggan’s witty style fits nicely into a team book that doesn’t have to worry about the larger scope of Krakoa’s dealings with the rest of the world. With the numerous one-off threats that pop up whether they’re Earth-based or cosmic, the most interesting conflict comes from unexpectedly the human journalist Ben Urich. Assigned to write a piece on New York’s new group of mutant heroes, he gets information about Krakoa’s secret act of resurrecting mutants, which if it gets revealed to the world, will cause problems for mutantdom. Considering the X-Men's long history of characters being killed and resurrected again and again, something that Hickman acknowledges and uses it was part of the world-building, Duggan uses this concept as an interesting conflict that could ruin the X-Men's new public image.
Instead of changing the roster in nearly every issue that Hickman was doing, Duggan sticks to his guns with his line-up of seven characters. Duggan brings a playfulness to these heroes, whether it is how they display teamwork in the numerous battles, or the simple banter when relaxing in their treehouse. While some of the issues allow for sole focus on certain X-Men, such as Polaris who is a fun addition, Rogue gets the short end of the stick, despite a fun scene with Gambit. However, the best characterisation goes to Cyclops, who many will dismiss as being the boy scout leader of the team, and yet he’s more interesting when both his leadership and loyalty to the mutant cause are tested.
Establishing the initial look of the Krakoan age when drawing the six issues of House of X, Pepe Larraz leaves an artistic impact to the X-Men that rivals Jim Lee and John Cassaday. Juggling characters, from the colourful spandex-wearing heroes to cosmic creatures of all shapes and sizes, Larraz’s linework is clear and detailed, with ample expressive quality given to each character’s visual design and movement, including Rogue who doesn’t have a lot to do, but Larraz captures her iconic look from the 1992 cartoon. His action sequences are visually spectacular as look no further than the first issue as the X-Men find themselves in a Kaiju battle.
For the casual comic book reader, X-Men has always been difficult to get into, considering the many X-titles that are out there. However, the first volume of Gerry Duggan’s X-Men run is a perfect pickup for anyone wanting to give the mutant superhero team a chance.
Duggan has already left his print on the Krakoan age by writing Marauders, in which the titular team was reimagined as a pirate crew captained by the best X-Man Kitty Pryde. While there is a sense of seriousness when Hickman was writing the X-Men, Duggan brings a fun and more traditional superhero approach to his roster. A new treehouse is built in New York, which serves as the base of the newly elected X-Men, whose purpose is to protect the rest of the Earth, not just mutants. Led by the power couple Cyclops and Jean Grey, the team comprises of Sunfire, Synch, Polaris, Rogue and Wolverine (who is actually X-23).
As much as the X-Men have had a long history of not being respected as heroes in the way that the Avengers or the Fantastic Four are, the first issue is about projecting these mutant outcasts in a positive light for the public as they fight off a giant monster in the style of 60s Marvel heroism. However, there are other forces at work, such as Kelvin Heng/Feilong who joins Orchis in their crusade to combat mutantdom, the masked Doctor Stasis with his army of animal chimeras, or Cordyceps Jones, the parasitic ruler of Gameworld.
The Hickman influence still looms, with pages that are just text that documents aspects of the world-building. And whilst the issues almost function as their self-contained narrative with the X-Men facing various threats, Duggan’s witty style fits nicely into a team book that doesn’t have to worry about the larger scope of Krakoa’s dealings with the rest of the world. With the numerous one-off threats that pop up whether they’re Earth-based or cosmic, the most interesting conflict comes from unexpectedly the human journalist Ben Urich. Assigned to write a piece on New York’s new group of mutant heroes, he gets information about Krakoa’s secret act of resurrecting mutants, which if it gets revealed to the world, will cause problems for mutantdom. Considering the X-Men's long history of characters being killed and resurrected again and again, something that Hickman acknowledges and uses it was part of the world-building, Duggan uses this concept as an interesting conflict that could ruin the X-Men's new public image.
Instead of changing the roster in nearly every issue that Hickman was doing, Duggan sticks to his guns with his line-up of seven characters. Duggan brings a playfulness to these heroes, whether it is how they display teamwork in the numerous battles, or the simple banter when relaxing in their treehouse. While some of the issues allow for sole focus on certain X-Men, such as Polaris who is a fun addition, Rogue gets the short end of the stick, despite a fun scene with Gambit. However, the best characterisation goes to Cyclops, who many will dismiss as being the boy scout leader of the team, and yet he’s more interesting when both his leadership and loyalty to the mutant cause are tested.
Establishing the initial look of the Krakoan age when drawing the six issues of House of X, Pepe Larraz leaves an artistic impact to the X-Men that rivals Jim Lee and John Cassaday. Juggling characters, from the colourful spandex-wearing heroes to cosmic creatures of all shapes and sizes, Larraz’s linework is clear and detailed, with ample expressive quality given to each character’s visual design and movement, including Rogue who doesn’t have a lot to do, but Larraz captures her iconic look from the 1992 cartoon. His action sequences are visually spectacular as look no further than the first issue as the X-Men find themselves in a Kaiju battle.
For the casual comic book reader, X-Men has always been difficult to get into, considering the many X-titles that are out there. However, the first volume of Gerry Duggan’s X-Men run is a perfect pickup for anyone wanting to give the mutant superhero team a chance.
June 3, 2022
Larraz’s lavish art (colored by Gracia) is perfect for this sort of blockbuster superhero story; I love the fluid, inky look of his lines and how beautifully textured everything is without overwhelming with needless complexity. As for the story being told, it’s a refreshing relaunch of the main X-men story with a remixed roster I’m enjoying and fun “monster of the week” plots, which Duggan ties into a larger arc pushing forward the long-standing Orchis plot that Hickman only intermittently advanced. I’m excited about the momentum this series has regained and looking forward to where it goes next.
I get the sense overall that Duggan’s X-men will be much more consistent than Hickman’s if also more traditional in its ambitions and imaginative scope.
I get the sense overall that Duggan’s X-men will be much more consistent than Hickman’s if also more traditional in its ambitions and imaginative scope.
May 27, 2024
If I could concentrate long enough to read 100-odd pages of a comic trade in one sitting, I’d probably be blown away by the skilful storytelling of whoever Feilong and Orchis are (seriously, why don’t I remember any of whatever I read about them in what must only have been a few weeks ago when I tackled the earlier issues of this particular trade), and the mounting tension of Ben Urich vs Scott Summers.
I end the story with the feeling of wanting to read more and quickly, greedily - and yet I’m pretty sure the next six issues will take me at least another five months to cover. It’s frustrating, having let my brain completely give over to lootbox dopamine addiction.
I end the story with the feeling of wanting to read more and quickly, greedily - and yet I’m pretty sure the next six issues will take me at least another five months to cover. It’s frustrating, having let my brain completely give over to lootbox dopamine addiction.
September 24, 2022
I like this team, art is good but story is just fine.
April 11, 2022
A bit uneven. And the team dynamic isn't very interesting.
March 28, 2022
Wow, I couldn't have been more disappointed if Scott Lobdell returned to take the X-Men back to the '90s, because at least then I'd know what I was getting.
Here, we have one of the X-Men's top writers, Gerry Duggan of the magnificent _Marauders_ comics, taking over the lead comic of the franchise during its greatest height ever, the Krakoa era. And he turns the X-Men back into superheroes fighting a meaningless foe every month.
It's every bit as horrible as it sounds, with the first half of this being barely readable.
The latter half picks up, based on the threat of the exposure of Krakoa's greatest secret, some nice character work concerning Lorna, and the comic stepping away form the threats from outer space gamblers. But then we get a final issue which is an incohesive and inconclusive mess. (Who is Captain Krakoa? I have no *(@#$@ing idea.)
I dearly hope this isn't an indication of the direction of the X-Men line following Hickman's step back, because the line was so good under him, and this is so bad in comparison.
Here, we have one of the X-Men's top writers, Gerry Duggan of the magnificent _Marauders_ comics, taking over the lead comic of the franchise during its greatest height ever, the Krakoa era. And he turns the X-Men back into superheroes fighting a meaningless foe every month.
It's every bit as horrible as it sounds, with the first half of this being barely readable.
The latter half picks up, based on the threat of the exposure of Krakoa's greatest secret, some nice character work concerning Lorna, and the comic stepping away form the threats from outer space gamblers. But then we get a final issue which is an incohesive and inconclusive mess. (Who is Captain Krakoa? I have no *(@#$@ing idea.)
I dearly hope this isn't an indication of the direction of the X-Men line following Hickman's step back, because the line was so good under him, and this is so bad in comparison.
May 7, 2022
I don’t know what to make of this book. Most X-Men titles are duds as far as I’m concerned and I’m closing them down one after another.
This new series apparently is more of the same: disjointed one shots introducing the new team without much of character building. And poorly written too with explaining captions coming back from Claremont’s time. Not that I don’t like Claremont’s run but it was... back then and nobody writes like that anymore.
Still there are two subplots which caught my attention and might be promising: Urich on to Scott’s earlier death and this Feilong guy popping out from nowhere. Let’s say I’m interested in where this might go.
Art is mostly very good. The dull color chart used tend to dampen it though.
June 21, 2022
The main X-Men series gets a reboot with a new team and author. While I don't recognize all the new faces (or their power sets), this is still a fun, fast-paced volume that seems more focused on big battle scenes than furthering the overarching X-narrative. And that's okay! Sometimes goofy superhero stuff is fun.
Gerry Duggan's X-Men also ditches the "one plot per issue" deal of the Hickman's series. That's a welcome change for coherency purposes, at least. The New X-Men have set up shop in New York City (in a fascinating treehouse!), so we mostly see them protecting the city and avoiding journalists interested in their apparent resurrection abilities. The final issues kind of introduces Captain Krakoa (who is a Cyclops rebrand?) and plants humanity on a Martian moon, which I suppose could be intriguing down the road.
Gerry Duggan's X-Men also ditches the "one plot per issue" deal of the Hickman's series. That's a welcome change for coherency purposes, at least. The New X-Men have set up shop in New York City (in a fascinating treehouse!), so we mostly see them protecting the city and avoiding journalists interested in their apparent resurrection abilities. The final issues kind of introduces Captain Krakoa (who is a Cyclops rebrand?) and plants humanity on a Martian moon, which I suppose could be intriguing down the road.
May 13, 2023
i didn’t really vibe with this that much it’s kinda just a series of events with very little characterization. i really liked the lineup but they hardly ever interact outside of battles.
March 19, 2022
This was a much needed breath of fresh air. The X-Men are now an official superhero team, located in New York City. Not only are they fighting supervillains (and being well praised by the residents) they are doing other philanthropic efforts to help the people around them. Much of the Krakoan politics and inner subterfuge are gone away with, or at least ignored here. It's more of a "traditional" X-Men title, wherein a villain shows up, they fight, and this is repeated with smaller, personal stories showcasing the individual characters. Also included is an over-arching story that's building to an upcoming conflict. Duggan's take on Lorna is likable, it's just that she was changed once to fit into Williams' X-Factor, and now she's changed again for this title. Really liking Wolverine's (Laura) costume. Happy to see Sunfire get some spotlight.
Larraz's art is beautiful to look at. Panels are exciting and dynamic, especially the action scenes, punctuated by large pinups at the appropriate time. Inks are heavy, and doesn't result in a "sharp, clean" look, but it works. The art is accentuated by the color, with a slightly muted palette but still colorful. The colors are used to add additional shading and highlighting (blush on Rogue's cheeks for example) all of which creates more depth in the pictures. Lastly, his design sense is definitely imaginative; look at the design for the "headquarters" as well as a few of the aliens.
It's a strong start. The rest of the X-Titles have become tiring, making this a welcome addition.
Larraz's art is beautiful to look at. Panels are exciting and dynamic, especially the action scenes, punctuated by large pinups at the appropriate time. Inks are heavy, and doesn't result in a "sharp, clean" look, but it works. The art is accentuated by the color, with a slightly muted palette but still colorful. The colors are used to add additional shading and highlighting (blush on Rogue's cheeks for example) all of which creates more depth in the pictures. Lastly, his design sense is definitely imaginative; look at the design for the "headquarters" as well as a few of the aliens.
It's a strong start. The rest of the X-Titles have become tiring, making this a welcome addition.
April 25, 2022
Picking up after the Hellfire Gala and colonization of Mars, the new team of X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Sunfire, Rogue, Wolverine (Laura), and Synch) set up shop in Central Park in a new base called the Treehouse. The story is a tiny bit slow, but still goes well. A slight bit concerned if it doesn't pick up soon.
Highlights:
- A very cool creation of an X-Mech, which they use to stop a huge monster from attacking the city
- A visit from Nightmare (post-Death of Doctor Strange, which I haven't read yet!) through the dreams of the X-Men.... until entering Jean's head. LOL Don't think you can root around in her head!
- A visit from the High Evolutionary! He sees what the mutants are doing, and offers to help them kill off the humans so their society can continue to grow... but that's not what Krakoa's mutants are all about. So... a beatdown commences....
- Still getting trouble from Orchis, now rearing its head via Dr. Stasis, who is meddling in things that shouldn't be a problem....
-... like Ben Urich of the Daily Planet, who has been drawn to the idea that mutants can now resurrect. Since that is a hugely guarded secret... Cyclops has to go back to being publicly dead, and instead showing off himself as Captain Krakoa (origins of this story in the next Volume)
Overall, the title shows promise, but with both "Trial of Magneto" and "Inferno" coming up, we'll see how things shake out. Recommend.... the X-Books are still great.
Highlights:
- A very cool creation of an X-Mech, which they use to stop a huge monster from attacking the city
- A visit from Nightmare (post-Death of Doctor Strange, which I haven't read yet!) through the dreams of the X-Men.... until entering Jean's head. LOL Don't think you can root around in her head!
- A visit from the High Evolutionary! He sees what the mutants are doing, and offers to help them kill off the humans so their society can continue to grow... but that's not what Krakoa's mutants are all about. So... a beatdown commences....
- Still getting trouble from Orchis, now rearing its head via Dr. Stasis, who is meddling in things that shouldn't be a problem....
-... like Ben Urich of the Daily Planet, who has been drawn to the idea that mutants can now resurrect. Since that is a hugely guarded secret... Cyclops has to go back to being publicly dead, and instead showing off himself as Captain Krakoa (origins of this story in the next Volume)
Overall, the title shows promise, but with both "Trial of Magneto" and "Inferno" coming up, we'll see how things shake out. Recommend.... the X-Books are still great.
July 26, 2022
This was a good volume. Back to the single stories that Hickman's run featured, with Orchis and other shadowy organizations lurking in the background and setting things up for the future. I wasn't real clear on the last issue, which seemed to suggest Cyclops/Scott Summers had died, though he seemed to be just fine. Artwork was strong throughout.
September 10, 2023
X-Men as Power Rangers. Betting on Earth’s demise on Gameworld. Mutant resurrection at risk of exposure. Nightmare. Polaris using Wolverine (Laura) essentially as a knife. Feilong and the battle for Arakko/Mars. Captain Krakoa. These are all things I loved about this volume!
March 21, 2022
Boy is Nightmare gross. Overall I liked this first collection quite a bit. The art and team make up are solid and I'm really responding to how organic the X-Men feel vs. almost any other super team. Everything they do or use is plant based, you can really see this in X-Force as well. It's also a change of pace to see the X-Men as not hated or feared on a local level even if they are still on national levels. There is something really connected to the now that I respond to with that.
February 23, 2022
Me gustó, pero como que le falta ángel a las personalidades de mis mutantes favoritos :/
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