Review: Wolverine #46, X-Men 97 #1, Rise of the Powers of X #3, Cable #3, and X-Force #50
Reviews for X-Men Comics released 3/27/2024
This week in X-Comics, The Sabretooth War has more casualties, Kid Cable has his mind changed, X-Men ’97 works better as a tv show, and Rise of the Powers of X is cooking with gas. Meanwhile, Benjamin Percy’s X-Force has an abrupt, but satisfying, ending.
Rise of the Powers of X #2 “The Ex Life of Moira”
Written by Kieron Gillen, Penciled and Inked by R.B. Silva, Colored by David Curiel
This week it was announced that in late August X-fans would be able to purchase the trade paperback of Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X. So far, about halfway through the event, combining those books feels like a mistake. It has been teased that the next issue is the collision between Rise and Fall, but even if it turns out the plots of these two books are inextricably linked, I foresee myself infrequently going back to Fall of the House of X. In contrast, this week’s Rise of the Powers of X #3 has made it clear that at least one half of this ending is on track to stick the landing.
Rise of the Powers of X #3 begins at the beginning of Moira’s 10th life on the day before her powers manifest. She leaves her house to her backyard to find Charles waiting for her. He wants to talk one last time before he kills her—which theoretically would stop Krakoa from ever existing and thereby end the threat of Orchis and Enigma. In the No-Place base, Rasputin V discovers that Doug is Mr. Sinister, and though he protests, she jumps to the confrontation to save Moira and stop Charles. She is unsuccessful in convincing him until Rachael reaches out and begs him to listen to her and her team—the Dead X-Men—and do the harder thing by resurrecting the Phoenix. Charles does something to Moira—who we see in the future lie to the A.I. contingency of Orchis—before he and Rasputin V go back to the No-Place. There Rasputin kills Doug/Sinister and Charles reluctantly shoots Rachael through the heart.
The art of Rise of the Powers of X is incredible. As a reviewer—and as a reader—I can, at times, not give enough credit to the colorists who work tirelessly on these books. Here, David Curiel is the MVP. The beautiful blue-periwinkle background of Charles’ confrontation with Moira works to connect the imagery with the script’s theme of dreams. R.B. Silva’s transformation of the No-Place computer that Sinister is using into the stark orange background of his betrayal is incredible and conveys the shock of his death while teasing the second betrayal that is imminent.
One of my critiques of last month's issue was that if a reader weren’t a fan of heady sci-fi mumbo jumbo and jargon, one might struggle to follow the events and their importance. Here, Gillen doubles down while making a case that all of the exposition of the last two issues is there to serve the story. Now that we know the stakes and Charles’ dastardly plan, we can feel the unease and pain his actions have caused and will inevitably continue to cause.
So far Rise of the Powers of X has stood well on its own, and if you need more there is always X-Men Forever and Dead X-Men to fill out what is happening. If you are reading only the Gillen and Foxe written books then I’m sure this event and era haven’t been as disappointing as it has been to those of us who have been taking in everything.
Verdict: Rise of the Powers of X #3 — Read it!
X-Men ’97 #1
Written by Steve Foxe, Penciled and Inked by Salva Espin, and Colored by Matt Milla
Two weeks ago we had the debut of the long-awaited follow-up to the X-Men Animated Series: X-Men ’97. It was met with a warm reception and for good reason. It is quite excellent and full of condensed mutant soap opera that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been sorely lacking. It’s a hopeful time for the X-Men in television, with an ambitious and well-crafted series that can hopefully bring new and casual fans back to Marvel’s Mutant Misfits. However, this week’s new prequel mini-series is a headscratcher.
X-Men ’97 #1 begins in a fight against the villainous Magneto which is revealed to be a training simulation of the danger room. We are given a few moments that set up things in the first episode of the animated series—Storm gets her hair cut, Jean is pregnant but hasn’t told Scott, and Val Cooper introduces herself as a new ally—and eventually, our heroes go to a Dazzler concert and are attacked by Mr. Sinister’s Nasty Boys. The villains are easily dispatched and in the end, we see Sinister looking at screens with other X-Men villains claiming he needs new hired help.
At a super-sized 33 pages, you would expect more to happen in X-Men ’97 #1. This fills in gaps we didn’t need to be filled in and has a sort of cartoony art that mimics the animated series. Where in the animated series art style creates a dynamic and nostalgic blend that is full of incredible action sequences, here the art style leads to a flat and bland-looking comic. It is reminiscent of a children’s picture book. Presumably, its audience is new readers who need an introduction to the X-Men before watching the new series.
That leads me to my biggest gripe. Why wasn’t this book published last week? What is the point of a book that sets up an animated series that is published after the series has begun? I know that Foxe is busy with Dead X-Men and X-Men Unlimited, but there wasn’t any reason he needed to be tapped to write this. That said, Foxe is good here. His tone is definitely filtered through the tone of the show, but he captures the dialogue of this alternate version of the X-Men really well. You could imagine this issue being a part of an actual episode.
X-Men ’97 #1 is fun, but do we need this? The artwork is removed from the context in which it is best utilized and the story is pretty boilerplate. I imagine this book will sell quite well if it is put in the face of casual fans, but I hope with time those TV show fans give the books a chance. Even in this sometimes frustrating time for the X-Men we’re spoiled more than we know.
Verdict: X-Men ’97 #1 — Inessential Reading
Wolverine #46 “Sabretooth War Part 6”
Written by Benjamin Percy and Victor Lavalle, Penciled by Cory Smith, Inked by Oren Junior, and Colored by Alex Sinclair
We’re now more than halfway through the Sabretooth War and Victor Lavalle and Benjamin Percy are hardly using subtext when it comes to Sabretooth’s romantic love for Logan. Gone is the allegorical subtext of 2009’s X-Men Origins: Sabretooth—a great book everyone should read. Now Creed and Quinton Quire have long conversations about how Sabretooth and Wolverine are closer and more bound to each other than lovers. This week we are reminded that though Creed does have selfish romantic pining for Wolverine, he’s still Sabretooth through and through. The only thing you can trust about him is that you can’t.
Wolverine #46 begins with Wolverine still hypnotized by Quinton’s head in a box. We get a very cool montage of Sabretooth giving Logan instructions as the two of them infiltrate Forge’s base on Krakoa where on the left we see the truth and on the right, tinged in pink, we see Wolverine’s fantasy. Meanwhile, on The Maroon, the Exiles make a last-ditch ploy to shake the Sentinels and take the fight to Creed. In the confrontation with the Exiles, Toad has his arm ripped off and Melter is split in half by a mind-controlled Wolverine. Quire then wakes Logan who is shocked at what he’s done, but it’s too late. Victor shoots Wolverine with Forge’s cure gun and removes his powers. We end the issue as Creed makes his final attack on Logan. Elsewhere, Laura is barely able to play possum long enough to get her hands on one of the robotic controls of the headless Creeds that Greydon made in Sabretooth and the Exiles.
Leave it to two talented novelists to imbue this series with more coherent theming than most modern Marvel Comics. Sabretooth War Part 6 is about revenge, the ways that it manifests, its toxicity, and its value. All parties who are looking for revenge are colliding in the bowels of Krakoa. The plot has smartly placed the Exiles in the room for this first real confrontation so someone can help talk sense into Logan, and maybe save his skin. I’m very intrigued to see how the Exiles will react to Wolverine. When they left Krakoa it was not as friends. They had been condemned to the pit by a government that Logan is currently mourning.
Sabretooth War is chugging along and has yet to disappoint. The end is in sight, and though the cliffhanger doesn’t really work, that’s no matter. This is not a book about Wolverine dying, it’s a book about the culmination of Creed and Logan. The last time we had one of these Wolverine quite anti-climactically cut Creed’s head off—leading to the infamous Romulus arc. In the hands of two of the most talented voices of the Krakoan Era, I’m excited to see how this all ends.
Verdict: Wolverine #46 “Sabretooth War Part 6” — Read It!
TW: Blood, Mind control, dismemberment
Cable #3 “Womb with a View”
Written by Fabian Nicieza, Penciled by Scot Eaton, Inked by Cam Smith, and Colored by Javier Tartagila
I was honestly surprised when this book wound up in the pile of my pull list this week. Despite being entrenched in the X side of the Marvel Comics universe I am having a hard time remembering the existence of Cable. That isn’t to say it’s bad, it’s quite fun, but at a time when we have had three weeks with five X-Men comics, I’m having a hard time connecting with Cable, Kid Cable, and their side story.
Cable #3 begins with Kid Cable fighting the clones of Magneto, Apocolypse, Jean Grey, and Scott Summers that the Black Womb Amanda Mueller sicked on him at the end of the last issue. With help from his older self and the luck that these clones don’t last very long, the Cables are able to escape. Eventually, the Cables are both able to confront the leaders of the Neocracy. However, Amanda Mueller convinces Kid Cable that Neocracy and its promise of peace is better than the endless war that Cable has been destined for since he was born. Kid Cable shoots his older self to end the book.
Where I was understanding and even unchanged by the tease that Wolverine is going to die, here it’s a little annoying to tease older Cable’s death. If he isn’t dead then this will feel like a pointless bait and switch, and if he is somehow dead then we’re right back where we were at the start of the Krakoan Era, with a dead old man Nathan, and a living but untrustworthy Kid Cable. The book has its moments of fun, and the artwork is snappy and clean, but nothing too exciting or memorable is happening and the Neocracy is too ill-defined for me to worry about it coming into being.
Verdict: Cable #3 — Wait for the TPB
X-Force #50 “Violent Answers” Target Beast Finale — FINAL ISSUE
Written by Benjamin Percy, Penciled and Inked by Robert Gill, Colored by Guru eFX
One of the first X-Men essays I wrote this year was about the ending of X-Force, namely the tease that its end would see the rehabilitation of Hank McCoy. I argued that it was a bad idea to bring back the Defenders era Hank and replace the compelling evil Henry Kissinger-esque villain that he had evolved into. Much of that final evolution has happened in the pages of Benjamin Percy’s X-Force, so it makes sense that #50—the finale issue—centers mostly around Beast and his relationship to himself.
X-Force #50 follows Defender’s Era Beast and Wonder Man in their efforts to convince Evil Beast to come to his senses. The duo is blown out of the water by X-Force as we saw at the end of last week, but they survive. The two make their way to Evil Hank’s underwater lair where Wonder Man is attacked and sent away to safety. Evil Hank explains his plan—he wants to put planet Aarako into a black hole for safekeeping while the war against Orchis is won—to his younger self. Defender Hank tells his doppelganger that he sounds just like Magneto—this is, remember, a Hank who never truly witnessed the full hero turn of Magneto—which causes a struggle. The two fight over the black hole gun only for a nuke to be launched. X-Force arrives to see Evil Hank headed upwards. We never learn if he was trying to save his friends or his weapon because Simon—Wonder Man—goes to stop the bomb. In the end, the Evil Hank sacrifices himself to save his friend. We get a single page that wraps the tale of X-Force up and lets us know that Evil Hank died and the new one moved in with Wonder Man.
It feels rushed. It’s hard to say that about a book that has had fifty issues but at 23 pages it’s shorter than even some normal issues of X-Force. The team has very little to do. Quinton probably has one or two lines and we have no time to wrap up what has been going on with Colossus. We don’t get a scene with Omega Red and Sage. Wolverine even gets very little action. The most we see of X-Force is the moment at the end around the table like they always were in Krakoa as they await the coming Sabretooth War.
What we are given is good. Hank’s showdown with his evil self is great. The utilization of “Magneto was right” to cover up some of the nastiest things Hank has done these past four years was great. It perfectly encapsulates his pathology. Hank McCoy lived in a black-and-white world and was confronted by a man who told him that the status quo was an oppressive force. Magneto made Hank privy to something he should have been since he was a teenager, that he was different and that the world wanted him dead because of those differences. To see him warp “Magneto was right” into a rally for fascistic police state security concerns lays bare what has always been true. He used to see the world as black-and-white and all Magneto’s nuance did was make him feel the colors were inverted. That freedom was the true tyranny that bound mutant kind.
He is wrong, obviously, but it’s incredible that through these fifty issues, Percy has been able to explore this aspect of one of the oldest X-Men. Since its beginning Percy said that X-Force is a story about the bad things people have to do when nation-building. At the fall of Krakoa, we reached that story’s conclusion and left our villain protagonist with the knowledge of who he would become if he gave into his own internal darkness. Where his rigidity could lead him. There is a feeling that at the fall of Krakoa, all our toys are getting put back in the box. It was fun while it lasted but we have to go back to the mansion and school and protecting those who fear and hate them.
Hank being reverted to good Hank, something I said I was completely against, will stand as something that has a total connection to Krakoa. Despite never getting to be a part of the island paradise, this Hank knows what power did to him, and knows the people he hurt to maintain control. My worry about “Good Beast” was always that it would be a cop-out and would be too easy on the character. Percy has found a way to make editorial happy—giving them back their bouncy blue quipster—while making Hank’s redemption a cautionary tale. I hope whoever writes him next is going to latch on to this—and as I love Jed Mackay’s Moon Knight I am hopeful—because it’s a compelling way forward for the character. After all of this, even as a huge fan of Percy, I am shocked that he has me excited for what comes next for Hank McCoy.
Very few comics authors—especially at Marvel—get fifty issues to tell their story. For a writer as prolific and talented as Benjamin Percy to be given the reigns to X-Force and shape it how he would has been a treat. I am sure there will be retrospectives of his time on the book as a whole—especially as his time on Wolverine which also will end at 50 is also coming to a close—but I think it’s important we recognize how special and rare this is becoming. A brilliant artist was given a property and a long time to tell the kind of story he wanted to tell, and he told it from start to its inevitable finish. The only regret for this book is that it wasn’t given just a few more pages to send the actual team off into the sunset, though I imagine we will see them pop up in the last four issues of Wolverine.
Verdict: X-Force #50 — Read It
