Age of X-Man: Marvelous X-Men #1 Review

Age of X-Man: Marvelous X-Men #1

Writers: Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler
Artist: Margo Failla
Colorist: Matt Milla
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics

A Review by Greg Brothers

Last week Marvel put out Age of X-Man: Alpha which introduced us to a world where everyone was a mutant. On the surface the world seemed liked it may be a mutant utopia. However rules against love, different thoughts, and actions all hinted that seems might not be as perfect as Nate Grey would have us believe. This week Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler give us a closer look at the core X-men team and what their mission entails.

AoX: Marvelous X-Men #1 drops us right in the middle of a typical day of the X-Men. Everyone is doing their thing from reading, to painting, to fixing household plumbing. But it is a simple question, “What would you sacrifice for your dreams?“, that makes it obvious that although seems may seem perfect there were sacrifices that had to be made. The first sacrifice was touched on in Alpha was the elimination of love. AoX: Marvelous X-Men explores the reason behind that elimination a little closer. As it turns out it is not just love that has been eliminated and forbidden but all personal connections. A point that is driven home by the living situations for each of the team members. It is a plot point that really drives home that opening question about sacrifice.

Before long the team is called together to fight a massive fire near one of many Cerebros. Throughout the fight to end the fire and save the children and pods it was felt like a bigger threat was lurking below the surface. However we never get that larger threat, instead the X-men struggles with the fire seem to be a hint towards underlying problems within utopia.

The art in AoX: Marvelous X-Men creates a calm feeling that matches the intended story telling. Sharp character designs, simple backgrounds, and muted pastels all give the feeling that everything is harmonious throughout this new world. The panel layouts help to drive home some of the underlying concerns of that utopia.

Verdict: Buy!

Thompson and Nadler create a story in AoX: Marvelous X-Men #1 that is compelling and unnerving at the same point. The personal sacrifice that some of the characters are not even aware they have made begins to become obvious. One of the strengths that has always made the X-Men different is that they are literally and figuratively family. Here we get the chance to see what the team would be like if not only were they not like a family, but it is strictly forbidden. It is a question that seems like is may shape the series. The art is beautiful and draws the reader in by helping to keep the mood of the story moving forward.