Way of X issue #4 by Simon Spurrier

Before I tackle the developments of this fourth issue, I'd just like to mention the fact  that I think it's almost a risky endeavor to write something in this scope for a comic title that isn't independent but rather one of the longest running superhero titles of Marvel. I say this in the context of what I've read for Simon Spurrier's stint in Vertigo comics for The Dreaming, and the author essentially seems to be going for the same vibe here, which would be a meditative piece concerning power and faith.

Maybe it's time we pull back from the fanfare of heroic violence and monster-of-the-week where X-Men stories are concerned and go back to the roots of that fascinating era that Chris Claremont had pioneered, in which the X-Men were penned with nuanced characterization and narrative. Often the adaptations on screen hardly do them justice. To me, they are the original collective of weirdos, freaks, and the lost and found underdogs who represent so many of us who do not identify or could not be happy with the oppressing status quo of the world.

There had been many times that notable stories in the X-Men canon delved into encompassing themes concerning identity, prejudice, civil rights, and inequality of power among institutions that harm its citizens more than safeguard their freedoms. That has always been the core of the X-Men and why their story is a cornerstone for portraying the ups and downs of social movements whether pacifist or radical ideals. Sure, it's still a comic book; and a lot of the classics of this title managed to be as entertaining as they are intellectually and morally engaging. 

But that's why I feel X-Men stories have so much potential to be more than a black-and-white, hero-saves-the day, good vs. evil narrative. We got plenty of those going already, and what X-Men offers has less to do with pure and simple heroism and more about how each individual with immense power governs him-her-their-self as well as how they must function accordingly in the society that actively hates what they are and wants to police it.

That's the operating theme for WAY OF X, and the fourth issue peeled back that layer yet again in the mythos of mutants even if it meant possibly sacrificing a more fast-paced, action-packed installment. I know that I was surprised that this issue didn't pack more punches (pun intended) in that department. It made me wonder how someone who has only read comics for the first time or a short period of time would react if they pick up this title and read something that did not cater to what they expect a comic book story should be. I thought about these things because I personally promulgate the idea that everyone should read comics. Why shouldn't they? The MCU has done strides commercializing what used to be a medium that has associations with damaging stereotypes where one's social status or label are concerned. To reads comics should be 'cool' nowadays. I suppose that puts more pressure in the industry to cater to how the masses would perceive a story in comics on the merits of its entertainment value for these changing times.

Would the last four issues of Way of X pass with flying colors as, meaning does it have enough entertainment value? Yes and no. Yes, because it's bizarre enough to hold even the most passing interest from a casual reader, and no because there is something much deeper happening within each issue that it can possibly alienate--if not irate--someone who simply wasn't familiar what else the X-Men stands for (and given how much Fox keeps fucking up their cinematic continuity for all the movies it released under the X-Men, the average reader who only read comics because of said films may not be as invested emotionally on the characters).

So what happened for this fourth installment? Nothing much, really, as far as the surface level of each scene went. It opened with a story within a story, told by the new mutant character Marinette, whose powers of anti-gravity rendered almost all mutants in Krakoa throwing up. She's self-described as 'Lost', and to avoid another mishap in the nursery of baby blooms from last issue, they decided to sort of give her a time-out in Mars. The parable she relayed about early tribes and a crime committed by a brother against brother might have allusions to her past, but Kurt and David weren't sure. All they know was that all of this was concerning, both in the small-scale scope that was Lost's pitiful search for knowing herself and why she was there, as well as the more urgent business of Onslaught preying upon the minds of the Krakoan citizens. 

What does duo do? Divide and conquer, what else, but their approaches to these seemingly separate yet possibly interrelated issues carry distinct weights. I really find it interesting so far that these two characters were the ones who have designated themselves as caretakers for what ails this Brave New World the mutants have created after so many decades enduring hate crimes and not-so-friendly fire from their own kind. For Nightcrawler, he'd been focused on the troubling implications of mutants governing themselves without a higher power to answer to, especially the young generation, particularly since the pioneers of the revolution Professor X and Magneto are with them and yet still too stuck in their roles, no matter how they claim they want to adapt alongside their surrogate progenies. Kurt as a man of faith knew that moral relativity leaning on chaotic neutrality would destroy a nation that is still in its exodus. He struggles to install a new religion in Krakoa that upholds free will but also holds its citizens accountable, possibly more so than the Three Laws.

While the last issue tackled the darkly humorous first law 'Make More Mutants', this installment focused now on the second: 'Kill No Man'. And no other than staunch bigot is a prime example of how much this law can be bent without breaking it entirely than Fabian Cortez. As a former acolyte who's feigning turning a new leaf, Cortez was understandably not a man you will warm up to during the first meeting. Like, ever. What makes him so frustrating as a character was the fact that he, too, is a mutant. His mutation 'manifests as a localized field of bio-resonant energies, upon which he exerts a degree of control,' according to the helpful notes of Doctor Nemesis. He is a 'booster', who can 'stimulate or sedate the X-gene expressions of his fellow mutants'. And what did he decide to do with that power right now?

He orchestrated an insipid show that placed Gorgon, a mutant with mild telepathy and can turn people into stone through sight (hence his moniker), at odds with narrow-minded humans who took one look at Gorgon and decided to dehumanize him. Homo sapiens, you know; they always know how to show up during a random mob gathering in the streets. Kurt bore witness to this and listened as patiently as he could as Cortez tried to justify his actions with some of that moral relativity. He's not actually killing anyone. He's not actually breaking the law. But more or less, he is actually proving to Nightcrawler why he truly must interfere when it came to such morally reprehensible actions disguised as shrewd philosophizing. In the quaint parting words of Doctor Nemesis from the same journal entry about Cortez:

"I don't know. I don't care. The more I observed him, the more my skin crawled, so I gave up and went home to re-gene some psychedelics and eat expensive chocolate. Sometimes a [REDACTED] is just a [REDACTED]."

I couldn't agree more with the good doctor. Fabian Cortez is the same self-righteous [REDACTED] that he's always been.

Meanwhile, in the David's side of things, he was still playing bounty hunter to Onslaught and we get an actual honest conversation between himself and the old man. Charles is a great father figure but also the worst father to his actual son.

I know I tend to emphasize more on Kurt's scenes for each issue and not enough of David's, mainly because I just find Nightcrawler's ruminations about morality and faith to hold more weight in the context of this story's themes. That said, I would like to point out that David playing for the good side even if he was still doing it out of self-interest (or a favor to Kurt, to be more technical about it) is super refreshing for a character that's between True Neutral and Chaotic Neutral half the time in earlier stories he'd been written in. It would be far too dismissive, I feel, to label him as the 'man of science' that contrasted Kurt. I believe that he most likely represented Team Free Will more than cold rationality. Those panels above were followed by his reasoning that Charles should allow young mutants to make their own mistakes, and that he doesn't have to constantly play Dad. The irony of that, after all, was not lost to either.

The issue ended remarkably anti-climactic for me. Well, if you consider the fact that Onslaught manifested again and killed everyone in the vicinity anti-climactic, that us, but only because as a reader I already know they will be resurrected soon enough. How can you value the loss of lives when it's only temporary? But it looks as if David has other plans going by the last page. I honestly don't know how to make of it. 

It's Legion after all, and he's always full of surprises.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Way of X issue #3 by Simon Spurrier

I just want to disclose that aside from reading this installment for the weekend, I've also finished another Spurrier work which was the third volume of The Dreaming for Vertigo comics. Because of that, I maintain that he truly knew how to handle ensemble cast to create well-balanced elements per issue, and no other installment solidified that than issue #3 whose premise was supposedly about the Hellfire Gala, and yet only for the opening pages. 

What followed more later on was some top-notch episodic storytelling which not only moves the plot forward but also essentially deepens the interactions among principal characters like Nightcrawler, Legion, Doctor Nemesis, and the newer mutants Loa, Pixie, Mercury Stacy X, and Lost. There's also Dazzler who really needs a more prominent role here, and Fabian Cortez, who honestly isn't worth mentioning because he's not happy to be there, and neither am I.

Granted, some people might tell you this was a nonsensical issue of fillers, and I think that it has a lot to do with the fact nothing particularly suspenseful happens unlike in the last issue when David Haller was brought into the fold. But readers should adjust their expectations accordingly, because I hardly think Way Of X will be about the usual fanfare of superhero action, which is why it's such an interesting concept. I think the focal point of the narrative was how mutants of Krakoa are adjusting as a free nation with their own governing laws as the oldest lay the foundations of try to keep everything and everyone functional while the rest are able to enjoy the freedoms of this kinder era.

According to Professor X, there are 'three laws enshrined in Krakoan nationhood', which were [1] Make More Mutants; [2] Kill No Man; [3] Respect this Sacred Land. It's stated right there on the pamphlet for the Hellfire Gala, also known as the most recent event Kurt Wagner attended, and he got wasted. To avoid spilling the beans about the twist from last issue (which I'm still trying to wrap my head around because WHAT HOLY SHIT), Nightcrawler drunk himself into an incomprehensible stupor while the rest of the mutants frolicked to obey the first law of the land. Sounds legit enough. Dazzler herself concurred that the Hellfire Gala is a hook-up hub. And hey, after being persecuted for so long, mutants deserve some spring break fling in a previously sentient island, why not?

But since every Eden will always have a snake, it seems, and both Nightcrawler and Legion encountered their own version in some symbolic level. That's how the third installment was divided; we got Kurt still wrestling with the layered developments in their brave new world as he avoids not being too colored by his Catholic prejudices, while Legion was on the hunt for his father' other illegitimate offspring. The contrast of the content for these two simultaneous scene was highlighted by several vivid panels that depict just how bizarre and perhaps earth-shattering the encounters were, at least to Nightcrawler. He would learn about Stacy X's current preoccupation which was not only peddling contraceptives during the season of procreation but also the existence of 'baby blooms'. 

It's only after he stopped being such a judgmental little shit, of course, that Stacy X helped him broaden his understanding of how sexuality works in the human-mutant paradigm. Not everyone is concerned with sowing their oats and raising the future of the mutant race. More often than not, people just want to enjoy a transient moment of intimacy and release and then move on. This liberal message, of course, wasn't something Nightcrawler subscribes to, but he did keep an open mind through most of it. I'm more than happy to give him the benefit of the doubt because he's hungover and carrying a deadly secret, which David was currently on his way to fix while this was happening.

The revelation later on was that there babies being born anyway each time mutants copulated. It was disturbing yet also harmless because who doesn't like cute babies and especially those who just sprout inside big flowers? It's very fairy-tale like if not totally archaic. Stacy X and Lost have appointed themselves as guardians of these baby blooms, which was nice. But Nightcrawler was understandably perturbed that the first law was upholding itself naturally. Mutants are fucking and every now and the will produce a baby bloom but will hardly care about parenting. I mean, it sounds like something Professor X and Magneto have done themselves on separate occasions. 

Speaking of that ONE OFFSPRING they did HAVE TOGETHER...

I looked at the note for my talking points for this issue concerning Legion's side of things, and I don't think I could ever come up with a better way to describe it but with the tabloid headline, 'Kooky telepath who turned a new leaf uses psychic lesbian date as bait for Onslaught.' That's it. That's the gist of what happened. Don't believe me? See for yourself the unedited pages:

I would never put it past David Haller to do something like this because he is his father's son but with less finesse or the attempt to care about the feelings of others. I did feel bad for Loa and Mercury since all they wanted was to be together, but in the end being so connected like that on a deep mental level meant they saw and learned things about each other without proper context. Intimacy, after all, must be gradual. It's a journey. David had never cared much about doing things the old-fashioned way, not with his powers and attitude. Besides, a parasite has been lurking in the minds of Krakoan citizens, and for David that trumps giving a shit about young love.

The climax, naturally, happened during a confrontation between Lost and Fabian Cortes inside the nursery room (garden?) of the baby blooms. Onslaught hopped onto Lost and tried to use her to attack the others, but David was able to intercede swiftly. There was a fun page of the innocent baby blooms just cooing and sleeping while this magnificent disaster went down. It's as absurd as I'm describing but nonetheless entertaining. But if you're a more discerning reader who is expecting far too much and too soon from a story still working its gears, then you definitely will just see this as unnecessary fodder that went absolutely nowhere.

In that sense, you will be more than justified with your opinion: nothing much happened except shenanigans. And you know what? What is X-Men without the shenanigans? We've had enough groundbreaking, tediously dark and serious works in this medium that sometimes wacky interactions are much needed, and it's not as if Way Of X didn't have the substance in other ways to back up such absurdity to take place every now and then. The interactions among characters are just priceless! I enjoyed getting to know these characters better more than the roles they must serve for the sake of plot. It's the same reason the original Sailor Moon run had more heart than the otherwise more polished and updated anime that was released a few years back (which felt soulless to me at times); it's the filler episodes of Sailor Moon that fleshed out the depths of its characters as people that eventually made them easy to root for once the conflicts pick up on the later episodes. 

The same could be said about Way Of X.

Except that the last three issues were indeed building up to something remarkable, supported by superb writing and even more eye-catching art and panel sequences. It never meanders or stalls. To me, the momentum was always well-paced even for scenes like here in the third issue that it has to slow down somewhat so it can properly tell a story and develop its characters.

The issue ends with Doctor Nemesis asking Dazzler for a dance, which again is frustratingly random, but it's also the most perfect way to end such a hilarious yet insightful installment. But before I close this review, I just want to post what Kurt has to say about Onslaught, in case some of you literally have no clue and for those who just forgot exactly how this abomination existed:

That's right, my fellow Cherik shippers: Charles and Erik did have a child together, and he's fucked up.

Nightcrawler then leaves us with this to consider: "Given the entity's origins, given that it knew their innermost thoughts more intimately than anyone, could we trust that Xavier and Magneto are not already compromised?"

I mean, it's probably best to assume the worst about your gay dads. They had let you down before.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

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