Review: Fall of the House of X #3, Dead X-Men #3, and Wolverine #45 Sabretooth War Part 5
Reviews of the X-Men Comics for 3/13/2024
This week in X-Comics the wheels fell off the wagon on the road to The Fall of the House of X. The Dead X-Men meet a new alternate universe X-Men team—shocker. In better news, the Sabretooth War gets more homoerotic than anyone thought possible.
A quick note on my ratings:
I hate letter grades. I’m a teacher and I have to give them out frequently, but I feel they are more of a hindrance than they are a value. Perhaps in a math class, it makes sense, but I teach middle school English. Often what is and is not quality writing comes down to a matter of taste and ability of the student at the time of the assignment.
In art, it’s even worse. What is good and what is bad is not objective and trying to force an objective letter grade is simplistic. What I have tried to do in these reviews is give you the reader a recommendation. Should you spend your hard-earned money on this book? Marvel comics at this time are $4.99 and we’re in a time of staggering inflation and price gouging. So far my rating system has included the following:
- Required Reading—This is a designation for special books. This rating denotes that people of all stripes should read this as soon as possible because waiting might diminish the special nature of the experience. There is something categorically unique and brilliant about the book that makes it worth anyone’s time.
- Read it!—This is a good book and most readers will enjoy it. This is the standard that all comics should strive for, and whether you read this as it releases, three months later on Marvel Unlimited, or purchase the trade paperback, you won’t be disappointed that you spent your time reading it.
- Recommendation with Reservations—This is a book that, for whatever reason might not be for everyone. A book in this category might very well be of the same quality as a book with a “Read It!” rating, however, elements of the comic—be it subject matter, plotting, or art—are thought to possibly make this book a “pass” for some people. It is a book of good quality but sensitive readers may want to steer clear of it.
- Wait for the TPB—This rating indicates a story that—for whatever reason—is frustrating or missing something. This rating also indicates that a plot could turn around with the edition of later issues. Perhaps a reader should wait three months for the trade paperback or until it’s available on Marvel Unlimited.
- Inessential Reading—A book in the inessential reading is deemed such because of the unimportance to overarching plots or character growth. Fans of the books or characters featured in an inessential reading comic might fully enjoy themselves and feel satisfied with their purchase. Most casual readers don’t need to bother and can wait for the book to be available online.
- Skip it!—The inverse of “Read it!” A comic of low quality or so frustrating that it is not worth most reader’s time. Until this week this has been the “lowest” score I have given. Unfortunately one of this week’s books requires a new category.
- Save your money!—An insulting book. Disrespectful in some way or another. A book designated “Skip It!” might be a good time for some readers. A book in this category is, for whatever reason, will be frustrating even to readers who spend no money or extra effort to read it.
With that out of the way, this week's X-Men comics—Woof.
Fall of the House of X #3 “The X Deaths of Dr. Stasis”
Written by Gerry Duggan, Penciled and Inked by Lucas Werneck, and Colored by Bryan Valenza
What are we doing here? For the last three months, I’ve tried to have a wait-and-see approach on Fall of the House of X both the event and the series. Gerry Duggan is a competent writer, and his Invincible Ironman book is quite good. I also loved his earlier work on X-Men and Marauders. I think it is time to admit he is not up for the job of landing the plane.
The end of Krakoa was always going to be divisive. It is the end of one of the most ambitious eras in the mutant world. It highlighted a more diverse cast of characters and put our traditional heroes in new and exciting roles. But the failings of the Fall of the House of X are more than just the unwieldy nature of the end of the era.
Fall of the House of X #3 begins with the continuation of Juggernaut’s rescue of Krakoa. We then see Rogue, Gambit, and Manifold arrive on Arrako to enlist the Arraki into war against Orchis. Synch saves Firestar from her capture by Dr. Stasis, who is tortured and killed by Emma, Kate, and Firestar. Scott and Dr. Greggor walk to Nimrod’s room where Scott tries to warn her that Nimrod is not her husband before the hulking Machine proves Cyclops right and murders Greggor. Nimrod then reveals he is about to drop a city onto the earth to kill all life like in Avengers Age of Ultron.
It’s a sloppy messy book with an odd amount of assimilationist language from Scott Summers. This is not the same Cyclops from Hickman’s X-Men who had finally achieved a safe haven for his people. He is not appropriately angry at the woman who caused the death of his people and put him on trial for crimes against humanity. This woman is responsible for Jean being a skeleton! I think it’s so cynical to turn Cyclops’ tendency to see the best in people and make the hard but morally right choices into apologia for a fascist! The book wants me to feel shocked when Nimrod breaks Dr. Greggor’s neck. It’s a testament to the comic’s narrative failure that I said out loud “good” when she finally bit it. Don’t make me happy when Nimrod kills people, please!
Something else that rings quite hollow is Firestar seemingly forgiving Emma. Yes, saving someone’s life is great, but what else has Emma done to be forgiven by Firestar? I suppose all of that happened off-panel along with Scott’s trial and a bunch of other interesting things that we just don’t have time for. What happens to Juggernaut and Krakoa? Where is Polaris? She said she was going to kill Nimrod in the last X-Men, and she was the star—and sole bright spot—of last month's issue. I guess they expect us to tune in and pay up next month to find out. What we’re given in Fall of the House of X #3 is not a full, competent, or satisfying story.
The art is competent but nothing flashy or exciting. It feels rushed. The panel of A and Rogue and Gambit falling to earth has some duplicate Arraki mutants that are clearly copied and pasted into the background. I don’t want to speculate, but this screams crunch. Lucas Weneck is a great artist and this is not of the quality for which he is known.
I don’t know. This is such a frustrating book at this point. The word is that next month’s issue finally starts to connect to Rise of the Powers of X—which is odd but much better—so perhaps it will end up just a terrible single issue. As it is now, Fall of the House of X is the most disappointing Krakoa-era book, and it’s not close at all. I’m going to keep reading because I worry that something important might happen, but I have no confidence that this will get better.
Fall of the House of X #3 Verdict — Save your money!
One positive word for this book is for its cover. What an amazing and exciting cover. Pepe Larraz got into a bit of hot water for his X-Men #35 (Legacy Uncanny 700—more on that in two weeks) not featuring the diverse cast and characters people loved from the Krakoan-era. However, he is one of the best cover artists working. The fear that Stasis has and the crack in his helmet here is better than basically the entirety of the book. Perhaps Fall of the House of X #3 has a future as a poster in the bedrooms of teen X fans greater than its future as a comic book.
Dead X-Men #3 “An Echo A Stain”
Written by Steve Foxe, Penciled and Inked by Bernard Chang, David Baldeon, Javier Pina, and Lynne Yoshii, Colored by Frank Martin
I love the Exiles. It’s one of my favorite X-Men books and one of my favorite X-Men teams. When I was first getting back into comics I had never picked up an issue of Exiles but had heard that it was fun and what I found was better than I could have imagined. Exiles (2001–2008) follows several alternate versions of popular X-Men characters as they are sent on a mission to save reality by hopping to other strange dimensions where things are a little off to make it right. It’s very much in the vein of Quantum Leap and it’s honestly one of the places I encourage new readers to start if they’ve never picked up an X-Men book.
Dead X-Men’s pitch is very much like the pitch for Exiles. Instead of a team being led by a bunch of alternate versions of the X-Men this one is just led by the losers of last year's Hellfire Gala Vote. The key difference between these two books is one of time. Exiles was a book that ran for 8 years and had 100 issues not including annuals. When the Exiles are sent to an alternate earth they usually get two to three issues devoted to just that story. Dead X-Men could have used that amount of time to dig into all of the dimension-hopping. It’s not nearly as disappointing as Fall of the House of X, but what we have here feels incomplete and unsatisfying.
Dead X-Men #3 begins with our team in Moira’s life where she married Apocolypse. They are attacked by a zombie Archangel, before being teleported back to the White Hot Room. What follows is a philosophical argument between the team and Rachael. The team wants to keep jumping to stop the Rogue Moira; Rachael thinks they should stay put. When she realizes the severity of the Rogue Moira’s plan she is convinced to send them again towards Moira’s first life. However they land in Moira’s fifth life, where things are—get this—a little different, before being attacked by the Rogue Moira.
There is some to love in this issue, but it’s not a complete story. The Dead X-Men are a fun team, and Joanna Cargill—Frenzy—is especially great as the de facto leader. I like how dumb Cyclops’ visor is in this world, but it’s really hard to recommend a story where nothing happens. Perhaps this will all make more sense when the story is complete. I certainly have more hope for it than I do for Fall of the House of X.
Dead X-Men #3 Verdict — Wait for the TPB
Wolverine #45 “Sabretooth War Part 5”
Written by Benjamin Percy and Victor Lavalle, Penciled and Inked by Geoffrey Shaw, and Colored by Alex Sinclair
I hate that the Wolverine book is the best ongoing X-Men book right now. I understand people’s trepidation about a character that is rooted in violence and blood and is hyper-masculine and straight—he’s absolutely not straight but his books lean towards a straight audience. All that said, looking at Krakoa as a whole—which is nearly possible now—Wolverine by Benjamin Percy is by far the book that is the most consistent from start to finish. If any Krakoan-era book is going to stick the landing then my bet is on the Sabretooth War and Wolverine #50
Wolverine #45 follows Victor and Quinton—his head in a box anyway—as they investigate the rubble of Krakoa and Forge’s lab. Meanwhile, The Exiles are attacked en route to the island and have to launch into space. They learn that the Stark Sentinels are on a leash of sorts and escape by the skin of their teeth. Wolverine arrives in Krakoa and before he can confront Victor, Creed uses Quinton’s powers to mind-control Wolverine into believing he’s on a mission with Team X. The book ends with Logan trapped where Victor wants him: back in the good old days
The homoeroticism of this book is off the charts. This is straight out of a dark romance. The evil former lover uses mind control on his former paramour to bring them back to the toxic relationship of the past. Obviously, Victor does not admit to being Logan’s lover, no it’s way gayer—complement—than that. He says
There’s nothing like it. Not family. Not friends. Not lovers. It’s deeper than all that.
Logan, Creed explains to Quinton Quire, is closer to him than a lover. In the insane pathology of Sabretooth we see that he is driven like an obsessive toxic lover who believes that if he could just make the situation right, his former partner would take him back. This pathology gives the book a perspective that makes it feel alive. In the past few years, Wolverine has had to come to terms with former enemies becoming reluctant allies and former allies becoming dreadful enemies. He’s been blown up. He’s been attacked by vampires. He’s been betrayed by Beast and had his humanity stripped away. In all that time Logan’s never been up against someone with such a personal grievance as Victor. This gives the book a sense of dread like no other.
Lavalle and Percy do such an excellent job making Creed deeply human, utterly monstrous, believably motivated, and still absolutely evil. A lesser writer might make Creed’s desires relatable enough that the audience is tempted to side with him. Here his horrific actions and his disgusting nostalgia are shown plainly and clearly as they truly are: the kind of human poison that drives people to reprehensible actions. It’s a wonder he’s not miserable to spend time with.
At a time when the future of the X-Men seems rather bleak to some fans, and the ending to Krakoa is missing more than it hits, Benjamin Percy and Victor Lavalle are continuing to deliver. Thank goodness, because without Wolverine #45 this week in X-Comics would have felt like a complete waste.
Verdict: Wolverine #45 The Sabretooth War Part 5 — Read It!
TW: Torture and mind control
