Way of X issue #2 by Simon Spurrier

When I read about how this ongoing X-Men title was arguably one of the best the roster has to offer so far, I didn't have an idea at first that it's also written by the same author for Vertigo's The Dreaming whose volumes and more recent issues I'm currently reading. What are the pleasant odds?

The first issue of Way Of X, admittedly, baffled as much as it excited me. Certain pages at least acted as textual entries to explain some of the jargon I'm unfamiliar with due to my five-year hiatus from superhero comics in general. For this next issue, I am a hundred percent sold, and that probably has a lot to do with the appearance of David Charles Haller, otherwise known as the 'world-breaking' mutant Legion.

Before I became a fan of his version in FX's Legion played by Dan Stevens, the only other comic book story I've read of this character was during Legion Quest written by Mark Waid, Fabian Nicieza, and Scott Lobdell. Even then I wasn't provided enough insight about his deal, seeing as that story arc was Cherik angst fodder 80% of the time. And now that I know more about David Haller--or at least the TV adaptation which I also know cherry-picked most of his qualities from the source material--I was therefore very happy to see comic-book Legion interact with Nightcrawler in the first few pages.

I also want to mention that perhaps I've been too quick to dismiss the formidability of the anti-mutant human faction of this story, seeing as they were responsible for abducting David and experimenting on his brain matter, which was quite literally at that. There was a lot going on for this installment and yet author Spurrier worked a way to balance each aspect particularly characters who were involved in most of the sequences of the narrative. This does not surprise me at all, because I've seen how capable he was when it came to wielding exposition and character interactions using an ensemble cast in The Dreaming. I can compare what he's done for that Vertigo title with this one.

Even though the focus never shifted away from the conflict concerning Orchis (defined as "an organization dedicated to a response to a "doomsday" scenario involved an extinction-level population of Homo superior"), there were a handful of scenes back in Krakoa that delighted me. I'm talking about Dazzler as a lounge singer and former Acolyte Fabian Cortez acting so downtrodden while Doctor Nemesis tried to push him some psychedelic drugs (which are, again, growing in his goddamn head. That's certainly some choice) up until he realized he was dealing with a quasi-religious bigot. With just limited strokes, Spurrier was able to establish a light-hearted break from the inevitable confrontation about the role David played in Orchis's research about how to defeat the mutants of Krakoa. 

(I'd be remiss if I also don't give a special shout-out to the recently resurrected 'Lost' from the Crucible who apparently isn't only elastic but can compel anyone near vicinity to hurl puke, something the sweetheart is trying to work on. Hopefully she gets a bigger contribution later on.)

The climactic moments happened later on after David convinced Nightcrawler to help him out for an old-fashioned 'quid pro quo' situation just after the clinically deranged telepath went inside the latter's mind to retrieve an 'infected gold coin'. This could only mean that something has been tampering with Nightcrawler through the astral plane, and that might have something to do with the nightmares that plagued many of the mutants in Krakoa--including Charles Xavier. Could it be the Patchwork Man? Most likely, Even Pixie saw a vision briefly after she got resurrected last issue. And before I could dwell on what the fuck is up with David adopting a Scottish accent, he gets dramatic in a way that made me want to hug his FX version. These pages also had Doctor Nemesis explaining what was happening inside David's crowded mind.

Only one thing left to do to solve this crisis and prevent Orchis from further using the telepath as their guinea pig (and to fix the damage that happened to his legion of super-powered personas), and that is by killing David Haller. Well, why not? But then we remember collectively that this is now a world in which mutants can be reborn again. Are we really ready for a new Legion to emerge? As a favor to return a favor, Nightcrawler decided that he should be the one to kill David. As a fervent Catholic, this was quite a big deal to Kurt. To reconcile with the merciful act he must do to the other man, he offered his insight concerning how David has never been able to make peace being called 'Legion'.

"Did you know a Nightcrawler is a type of worm? It's blue, and it's disgusting. Not a clever insult, but one I heard many times as a child. So I took it, and I made it mine. You are not your flaws, David Haller. And if destroying a lump of empty meat will you start afresh? To rule yourself? Perhaps there are sins worth sinning."

And so David Haller died and woke up in Krakoa, because what Nightcrawler did was sort of like a Crucible sans the theater of a gladiatorial combat, like the one we witnessed between Magneto and Lost. Absent-Father Charles was less than welcoming about it, while Erik saw it as an opportunity to recruit another Omega-level mutant into whatever the fuck weekly revolution he's holding. Never change, Mags.

I can smell a potential for bromance in the air here~ Oh, and the Patchwork Man is ONSLAUGHT. Imagine th--HOLY SHIT WHAT?!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Way of X issue #1 by Simon Spurrier

The one thing I remember the most about the very last story of X-Men comics I've read was when Scott Summers killed Charles Xavier during Brian Michael Bendis's Avengers vs. X-Men, a high-octane melodrama bonanza with passable overall content. Through that fuckery alone, it helped bring forth more interesting titles like All New X-Men and The Uncanny X-Men from the same writer, as well as Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron, and Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender.

That's the continuity I was last immersed in, way back in 2016. As to what happened then, what new reality-bending twists and unforeseen character developments were had, I didn't care to learn as I jump straight into the first issue of this 2021 title. All I know is that the focus seems to be on Nightcrawler, an X-Man I never considered a favorite but always wanted to learn more of.

I knew, of course, that it was only a matter of time before Chuck comes back from one of his many not-so-permanent deaths, so when I opened the pages of this first issue, it didn't shock me to find him up and about in the very first panels. He's also walking. He's got this badass new costume design. I'm not questioning the logistics of these characters anymore. I just accept that they're there or they're not. It's how the X-Men roll.

From what I can glean so far, the new haven all mutants are living on is Krakoa...and that it's no longer the same sentient island from before, or at least not nearly as destructive? Also, they mentioned the Scarlet Witch's Decimation in which she willed he mutant gene into non-existence during House of M. That plays a considerably crucial role with whatever is up with the new generation of mutants who are able to die in content because resurrection, apparently, is at hand within Krakoa. So...all mutants are immediately life-sustaining, but they do have to undergo this Crucible thing. Essentially, mutants whose genes had been eradicated because of Wanda's curse would come to Krakoa, seeking rebirth, but they have to die through gladitorial combat.

Yeah, if you're me, and you haven't read a single X-Men issue in the last five years, all of this is just confusing yet somehow very intriguing, as most X-Men premises start. Luckily, there werebreaks in the pages which include the notes of Doctor Nemesis and maybe a diary entry or two from whom I assume was Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler) himself. According to the page that explained how the Crucible works: "Petitioners (who must select their own slayers) are generally victims of the so-called Decimation event...in death, these individuals earn the right to resurrection and hence, a restoration of their mutant powers.Crucible is thefore billed as offering a measure of dignity to one who seeks death and reincarnation."

(It's worth mentioning that trusting the judgment of the science guy who admittedly and visibly grows 'conscious-altering psychedelics out of his own cerebellum' may not be the best choice, but next to Kurt, he seems to have a more practical insight than the rest.) 

This is how I understand it so far: all dead mutants can come back to life for this continuity, but to die in the Crucible held in Krakoa with a mutant slayer of your choice would expedite the resurrection. There's also this part in the notes: "We are seeing a new evolutionary mechanism at work. Selection by means of prejudicial resurrection." And that's because 'a swift return is a just reward for a courageous death'. 

So if you're a mutant who died out of the Crucible, your return to life may be delayed since there's a 'backlog'. But if you take your chances with the Crucible and die there, you can come back, oh, I don't know, within 24 hours? I don't know who decided, how and why, but everyone has just come to accept it. Conveniently. Worryingly. Huh.

The existential dread and paranoia that this type of premise awakens in the back of mind cannot be ignored as I kept reading. This new status quo in new Krakoa where the youthful generation of mutants do not see death as an ending or traumatic game-changer will definitely open doors to something more dangerous. This is some messed up shit, even when you take into account the X-Men standards and levels of fuckery. No wonder Nightcrawler is highly disturbed. Speaking of characters we all know and love...

There was an interesting page in which Doctor Nemesis and Nightcrawler had a brief yet frank discussion about the weird circumstances at hand. Doctor Nemesis mocked the fact that Nightcrawler was still a steadfast Catholic in spite of what he is and all the miracles he'd seen that should have extinguished such an outdated religious belief in the context of mutant evolution. He said, "I mean, really, you leotard-wearing types have locked horns with more actual gods than I've endured suboptimal lattes. Why is it that the only one whom we've seen no trace is the very one you continue to honor." To which Kurt answered, "Have you considered that that may be why I continue to honor Him?" 

Dr. N was still unconvinced so imparted this rationale: "Alien life, metaphysical entities and the overthrow of mortality itself. What does a credulous little believer do when all the big questions have been answered?" Once more, Kurt astutely offered: 

To me, this was first layer that has already captivated me, and based on the first issue alone, I could already tell that Way of X has the makings of a very multi-dimensional story. I'm invested to learn more about Kurt Wagner's position and the nuances of his struggle where his faith is concerned. While characters like Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr seemed almost static and resigned, adapting to new circumstances in the same mold they've always done things (Magneto who's always ruling with his fist and relying on forceful tactics, then Professor X who will provide sound counsel yet still just as detached from the more complicated workings of the heart, including his own), Nightcrawler was more willing to admit he was on shaky ground and didn't want to cling to the same methods since he recognized that this new status quo eludes and can possibly unleash consequences more damaging than what they endured during Decimation.

It's also interesting to note that these new X-Men kids acted and spoke more carefree than the jaded, wise-cracking batches that I've encountered across previous titles--young fighters who disguised their trauma through humor and kinship with one another. And why wouldn't they be so carefree? This mutant generation has conquered death. They have nothing to fear, not even the prejudice of humankind. During the second scene of the issue, these kids didn't seem to see their human enemies nearly as the threat they used to be decades ago. They may even pity these humans because the odds have now tilted in their favor, which was how Pixie, Loa, DJ, and others could waltz into a museum cataloguing works of the so-called mutant menace and afford only a wry smile. It's touching they could live in a world in which they no longer have to feel powerless and unloved, but neither can they recognize the important sacrifices of the last few generations who had suffered for the rights they now enjoy. I suppose we can say that about Generation Z, and Nightcrawler is the eldest millennial caught in the middle.

In relation, there was also this creepy mention of 'The Patchwork Man', whom I believe was a bogeyman the mutant kids had created as they allow their imaginations to run wild regarding monsters because--le's face it--they have no real monsters to fight nowadays. The fact that the youth brought it up as one of the older mutants was in the middle of teaching them about the impact of Wanda Maximoff's Decimation was illuminating. For this mutant generation, they don't find the Scarlet Witch nearly as threatening as the fictitious Patchwork Man they created and passed around as a lively urban legend. It's eerie, and only Kurt--and to a lesser extent, Doctor Nemesis--has concerns as what new horrors may come upon this Brave New World where peace and harmony have been achieved but only perhaps on the surface. Meanwhile, Professor X admitted he had been an abysmal father for so long and so encouraged Kurt to take the mantle instead and pursue where his suspicions lie if it meant protecting this new world they forged. He explained why he and not Jean or Scott was the right person for the job: "For all that I can dissect minds, for all that I can interrogate dreams at will, nonetheless you understand people in the way I never could."

I hope that my insights so far would suffice even if I still might be missing a few more important contexts. I'm sure I'd be able to compensate as I read the next issues. And if I can manage my time better before this year ends, I may be able to pick up another X-Men title from the ongoing 2021 run. For now I'm satisfied that I can even write this review. See you all for issue #2!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10