[REVIEW] X-MEN BLUE: ORIGINS #1

In X-Men Blue: Origins #1, two of Marvel’s most prominent mutants finally have their complicated relationship fully litigated.

Somewhat a tie-in with writer Si Spurrier’s currently running Uncanny Spider-Man, X-Men Blue: Origins #1 reveals the definitive backstory of Nightcrawler’s conception and the role Mystique played in it. We all know that she’s his biological mother by now, but after years of ambiguity regarding his full parentage, writer Si Spurrier finally unveils the secrets of how Kurt Wagner came to be. 

Although it’s suggested you should have read the preceding issues of Uncanny Spider-Man before tackling this one-shot, X-Men Blue: Origins #1 is fairly standalone and you get all necessary context from the recap page — Kurt is currently masquerading as a Spider-Man after the disastrous Hellfire Gala, while Mystique’s brain is a little fried from the fallout of that event. When both their paths collide in New York, Kurt finally gets to the bottom of his origins and learns just how much he didn’t know about his existence. Spoiler: it gets real emotional real fast.

Without getting into specifics here —it’s preferable to find out what is revealed while reading the thing itself—  X-Men Blue: Origins #1 shakes up the backstories of both characters rather substantially. Beyond learning the identity of Kurt’s true father, we also learn that there’s more to Mystique than previously thought, which could have potentially wide ramifications throughout the X-Men side of things for years to come. It’s arguably one of the biggest revelations from the Krakoa saga since House of X/Powers of X, and I’m excited to see what comes next. But beyond that, it’s also just a natural evolution of the character and specifically her relationship with a third character beyond the two featured here. 

Spurrier’s script is top notch and delivers these events with the right amount of poignancy, but the art team of Wilton Santos, Oren Junior, Marcus To, and Ceci de la Cruz are a huge part of why the material works as well as it does. X-Men Blue: Origins #1 is an emotional story, and the visuals need to reflect that. They sell the grandiose nature of the events depicted while also making it engaging to follow page by page. 

X-Men Blue: Origins #1

5.99

8

Premise

8.0/10

Execution

8.0/10

Script

8.0/10

Art

8.0/10

Credits

• Writer: Si Spurrier
• Artists: Wilton Santos with Oren Junior (inks) & Marcus To
• Color Artist: Ceci de la Cruz
• Letterer: VC's Joe Caramanga
• Cover Artist: Francis Manapul

Credits (cont)

• Editor: Sarah Brunstad
• Publisher: Marvel Entertainment