Review: X-Men #33, Avengers #12 and Deadpool #1
X-Men comics reviews for 4/3/2024
This week in X-Comics, finally a reprieve from the weeks of five books. The Avengers finally join the fight and Cody Ziglar starts a promising run for the Merc with the Mouth.
X-Men #33 “As the World Burns”
Written by Gerry Duggan Penciled and Inked by John Cassara and Colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
I’ve been rather down on the Duggan written books the last few weeks, and I’ve been particularly critical of Phil Noto’s work on the last few X-Men comics. This week, John Cassara takes over art duties from Noto and there is a marked improvement. Noto’s watercolors and pastels are usually wonderful, but they do set a very light tone. That has made for some rather interesting but not totally effective juxtapositions with the mutant survivors slaughtering fascists and taking heavy losses. As much of a fan as I am of Noto, Cassara’s art is much more tonally consistent here in X-Men #33.
X-Men #33 begins with Shinobi Shaw—Sebastian’s wayward heir—as he makes the decision to side with the mutants instead of continuing his father’s line straddling. Kate shows up to save Calisto from crucifixion by Reavers in Madripor. Wolverine commits a—this is literally what they call it—mutant massacre in the Molock Tunnels against a troop of Orchis goons. Dr. Devo—the original founder of Orchis—tries to trap the X-Men team but Kamala is able to reach out to Dr. Doom. Doom sends his X-Men of Doom to save our heroes and Volga kills Devo. In the end, Scott lets the team know through a telepathic link that Sentinel City is rising into the sky.
The tone problems that have been mitigated with Cassara’s art are still somewhat present in Duggan’s script. There is a plethora if dark imagery that is played as either a joke or a cheer moment. Calisto is put on a cross—invoking Roman crucifixion yes, but also the murder of Skin from Generation X—and I was pretty turned off by the glee and winking that Wolverine has when he commits what Emma calls a “Mutant Massacre” which I suppose is meant to be re-appropriation but really sticks out as a sort of gross diminishing of the stakes of the story. I mean this is a Wolverine who—in the Sabretooth War—just weeks ago was picking up the pieces of his son in the snow.
This incongruity is an unfortunate symptom of telling so many stories out of order, but it’s hard to reconcile the uneasy feeling of the hand of the writer begging us not to take anything too seriously. All of that is too bad, because despite what I’ve said to this point the book is really fun. Doom’s X-Men are cool and I hope to see more of them. Devo’s death is pretty brutal as is Volta’s quip at his death. The fight with the Reavers and Calisto and Kate is also pretty great fun. I enjoyed her disgust at the Reavers calling her “the ghost” even if, again, it undercut the stakes of Calisto being strung up on a cross.
X-Men #33 is a marked improvement of the last few weeks' X-Men books written by Duggan. Cassara’s art fits into the winking nature of his dialogue and script without going full into comedy. If I had to compare the book to something it would be the climax of an MCU Avengers film. At times sort of weightless and pointlessly self-referential but overall fun and worth your time.
Verdict: X-Men #33 — Recommendation with Reservations
Avengers #12 “Hit Back”
Written by Jed Mackay, Penciled and Inked by Francesco Mortarino, and Colored by Federico Blee
Much like the conflicted feelings I had with this week’s X-Men—namely that getting rid of one of my favorite comics artists actually improved the book—I was very conflicted on whether or not to review this book. I mean it’s an Avengers title. I hate the Avengers. That’s maybe not fair, I don’t read the Avengers because I have had such a bad taste in my mouth since 2012’s AvX. However, that corner box sure as heck says Fall of the House of X, and that makes this week—and the issue three weeks from now—an X-Men title. Heaven help me, I think I enjoyed The Avengers.
Avengers #12 takes place before Fall of the House of X #2—we know this because MODOK is still around as is the orbiting Orchis base that Polaris took down—Tony thanks the Avengers for letting him take lead on this mission and the two-pronged assault on Orchis begins. The “Secret” Avengers—Wanda, Captain America, and Black Panther—take down one Orchis base and T’Challa puts a computer virus of some kind in the Orchis mainframe. We cut to the human side of Orchis headquarters and 3D man is revealed to be the former ally working with Orchis. He has told MODOK to take The Avengers more seriously and had his warnings unheeded. The Mighty Avengers—Vision, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Thor—attack an Orchis Prison and release the prisoners to the Impossible City. 3D Man is one step ahead and in the end, we see him launch an assault against Impossible City with an army of Stark Sentinels.
Despite never picking up any of this Avengers run until this issue, I am a huge fan of Jed Mackay. His Dr. Strange book is really fun and his Moon Knight arc is one of the best for a character that has had a renaissance in the last ten years. Mackay here brings all the charm of both of those books as well as an attitude of rollicking action. With the announcement that Jed would be leading one of the three flagship X-Men titles in the new era, Avengers #12 goes a long way to show readers that Marvel’s merry mutants will be in good hands starting this July.
Verdict: Avengers #12 — Recommendation with Reservations
Deadpool #1
Written by Cody Ziglar, Art by Roge Antonio with Colors by GURU e-FX
In a week of comfort food comics, Deadpool launching a new ongoing is great synergy. Deadpool comics are a mixed bag, for sure. There is a tendency to indulge in the gore, the crass humor, the fourth wall breaking. Which is honestly such a double-edged sword. Deadpool is an A-list Marvel character, there is no denying. Because of his Fox—now MCU—movies, The Merc with the Mouth can have a bit of an overexposure problem. Krakoa did a good job of limiting Wade’s page time and allowing him to be cordoned into his own stories.
All this to say, I am an unabashed Deadpool fan. I started reading comics when he was at the height of Cable and Deadpool. I don’t think all of that still holds up, but I have a fondness for the character. I didn’t finish his last run—I’ll get to it, there were a lot of good Krakoa books that required more attention—but hearing that Cody Ziglar was helming the newest Deadpool ongoing made my ears perk up.
Deadpool #1 sees Wade as shiftless and wayward as he usually is. He and his giant red symbiote dog Princess land on a mission and make short work of the bad guys. They are confronted by “Death Grip” a new villain who underestimates Wade. When he realizes Deadpool is unkillable he is intrigued and takes word of Wade’s status to his weird death cult. Later Wade steals the idea to create a small mercenary business. In a post-credit sequence Wade—out of his Deadpool garb—sees his daughter Elli in Arizona. They have a short and sweet moment and it seems like Wade really is going to try to be there for his daughter.
Ziglar’s work over the last two years on Miles Morales: Spider-Man has been great. I don’t read enough Spider-Man books, but this run is special. Ziglar’s placing of focus on Miles as a sort of super-powered community policing operation. Much the same way, putting Deadpool in a position where he needs to grow up and be there for his daughter is a great premise. I’m also very happy that we aren’t getting ready for Deadpool to try and have Ellie live with him. Wade is broken and not a suitable guardian. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try to be in his daughter’s life, but I found it realistic that her foster parents are seemingly great. Ellie is happy with them, but she would be more whole with a relationship with her father, whatever form that might take.
But it’s not all maturity and growing up, Deadpool #1 is packed to the brim with humor mostly derived from the incredible sight gags of Roge Antonio. Deadpool is an M-rated comedy book and that can—and has—led to sophomoric humor and low-hanging fruit. Here the fourth wall breaking is kept to a minimum and the pop culture references and lingo of Wade feels fresh and authentic.
This is one of the very first X-adjacent books that feels post-Krakoa. Wade doesn’t seem to be integral to this new era—though the roster of X-Force hasn’t dropped yet, and there is almost always a Deadpool arc of a Wolverine solo—but reading this I was able to see what the status quo might look like after this summer puts Krakoa in the past and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I might have feared.
Verdict: Deadpool #1 — Read it!
