[REVIEW] X-MEN: HEIR OF APOCALYPSE #1

Krakoa may be a thing of past, but in X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #1, one lucky —or unlucky— mutant will be tasked with shepherding its future.

As teased in last week’s epilogue to the Krakoa saga, X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #1 picks up directly where the titular antagonist left off, inviting a host of handpicked acolytes he has deemed worthy of his stead while he focuses on leading Arakko. Hijinks ensue! Or at least, I assume they will, because much of this first issue is expectedly dedicated to introducing the plot and our cast of characters. It’s a pretty fun selection of names, ranging from heavy hitters like Cable and Emma Frost to more obscure ones like Armageddon Girl (FKA Nature Girl). This is also technically the first major release of the post-Krakoa era, so there’s some novelty in seeing what these figures are doing in the immediate aftermath of it. 

But as alluded to earlier, there’s not much story here beyond the setup, which doesn’t make for the most thrilling reading experience. When something finally “happens,” the issue is over, albeit on an intriguing cliffhanger. I don’t really begrudge writer Steve Foxe for that, especially since his recent writing history on titles like House of XCII and Dead X-Men prove he’s got the chops for this franchise. It’s just an in-built problem with this medium and format of storytelling: providing the necessary exposition despite lacking the space to do so. The art similarly stagnates in relation to the slow plotting, not giving penciller Netho Diaz and inker JP Mayer much to do; most of the action takes place in small pyramid crypts. I’m interested to see where this series goes from here, but it might be worth it to wait for when it’s concluded. 

X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #1

4.99

6.6

Premise

7.0/10

Execution

6.5/10

Script

6.5/10

Art

6.5/10

Credits

• Writer: Steve Foxe
• Artists: Netho Diaz (penciler), JP Mayer (inker)
• Color Artist: Alex Sinclair
• Letterer: VC's Clayton Cowles
• Cover Artist: Dotun Akande

Credits (cont)

• Editor: Annalise Bissa
• Publisher: Marvel Entertainment