Brubaker, David, Kyle, Yost, Carey and Silvestry, Tan, Eaton, Ramos, Bachalo
An amazing graphic novel by all standards, spreading over Messiah Complex #1, Uncanny X Men #492-494, X Factor #25-27, New X Men #44-46, X Men #205-207 this 13 issue epic shakes the X Men universe with the 1st mutant birth since M Day. The four titles meld surprisingly well together, the graphic novel feels like one big read rather than four different stories. This is due to the pacing of each story that allows us to see each character and storyline in each issue whilst keeping the pace quick enough to hold the readers interest and quick enough that you can feel the progression in story in each issue, no filler here! And what a masterfully crafted story it is! The multitude of storylines is baffling but somehow not confusing, instead with the use of head X Man Scott Summers we see how the whole "war" is being planned and navigated making it simple for readers and showing the start of a long character arc for Scott (recently ruined by AvX). The return of some amazing villains who were lurking in the background is another reason this graphic novel rises above most, the cast of characters is spectacular; Random, Tempo, Sinister, Mystique, Scalphunter, The Purifiers, Sunfire, Lady D, Gambit, Omega Sentinel and many more! On the X Men's side; Madrox, Layla, Forge, Caliban, Surge, Prodigy, Anole, Angel, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Rictor, Collosus, Warpath, Storm, Beast and practically everyone else, its all hand on deck for a spectacular chase after the "hope" for mutant kind.
The art throughout is... well im not a big fan of Bachalo or Ramos so their art for me is a slight downside for me however it is the best I have seen either of them do! It stands way above Bachalo's recent work on Wolverine and the X Men and Ramos' work in Messiah Complex is way above his work on Wolverine's civil war. The art of Silvestry, Tan and Eaton needs no apology, their art is consistent and brilliant. The inkers aren't the same between titles but clearly worked together to get a consistent look for the comic in general which is sleek and dark (minus the Bachalo and Ramos issues which stand out as very different from the others). Silvestry's art has to be my favourite throughout the crossover with Finch's covers being the only images topping Silvestry's art.
As for the story itself I cannot praise it enough, it shows a lot of what is to come, the survival of the species through hard choices and moralably questionable actions. It also shows how far Xavier has fallen in an excellent temper tantrum from Surge who tells him "there is nothing you can teach us proff, we already know how to die". The stuff in the future is tied in brilliantly and starts a long brilliant arc for Madrox and Miller that carries through X factor for a long time. SPOILER Bishops involvement in the future story and his reason for hunting hope is pure genius, (I feel like now is the time to mention the "summers rebellion" something that happens in a one shot set in the future as started by layla a few years and a few issues after messiah complex, this is also mentioned back in the 90's by bishop and shard :o just goes to show comic writers are comic nerds!) and sets up the premise for the Cable series which is fantastic. Cable taking the baby in the final pages (Bachalo's best work ever) beautifully mimics his own taking from Scott's arms years ago. The baby's escape and Prof. X being shot are excellent ways to end the insanely busy time for the x men, with sentinels down, predator X's defeated, baby rescued and the end of an era for the x men this hallmark graphic novel is one of my favourites for good reason! END OF SPOILER
Whist the large cast of characters and strong callbacks to previous issues make the crossover more interesting for longtime x readers the story is still accessible for those with only a small knowledge of X men as a great story. It is also a great jumping on point as a big event that changes the X Universe. I recommend this to all! It is remarkably easy to read and is brilliantly written with an attention to detail across a large cast that shows smart planning and editing. It largely looks beautiful reads well and should be read by all X fans, comic fans and humans alike!
9/10
Whist the large cast of characters and strong callbacks to previous issues make the crossover more interesting for longtime x readers the story is still accessible for those with only a small knowledge of X men as a great story. It is also a great jumping on point as a big event that changes the X Universe. I recommend this to all! It is remarkably easy to read and is brilliantly written with an attention to detail across a large cast that shows smart planning and editing. It largely looks beautiful reads well and should be read by all X fans, comic fans and humans alike!
9/10
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