Jeremy Thomas Comic Reviews

Cable #1 ends, like all good first issues, with a realcliffhanger of a final page that promises to change everything for itstitular character. Without revealing too much, it's a head-turning yetnot unexpected development that is portrayed pretty perfectly by Dugganand Noto. The Cable series is off to a good start and, assumingthe story picks up on the promise laid out here, could quickly shoot itsway up the ranks of the Dawn of X titles.

All in all, Vox Machina " Origins serves as an effective jumping-off point for people who want to learn what all the Critical Role fuss is about, but it also stands strong as its own thing too. There's enough here for readers to want to keep progressing, and this "Critter," as we Critical Role fans are known, has officially added it to his pull list.

The biggest takeaway from Excalibur #1 is this: this is almostcertainly the most niche-audience book of the three Dawn of X titlesreleased so far. I'm not sure what the Venn diagram between X-Men fansand mystical Marvel fans are, but I imagine it's somewhat less than theidea of Kate Pryde leading mutant pirates and it's definitely less thanHickman's X-Men book. But that in itself makes it a truespiritual descendant of its titles' previous volumes. For those wholove the original Excalibur, this new volume gets off to a prettydecent start and leaves a lot of room to get even better.

By the end of this issue, audiences will very much know whether Excalibur is a book for them. Howard has a hell of a final page to close this out, which will throw some fans off but make people who loved Claremont and Davis' Excalibur work smile in anticipation. There's plenty to like here in the coming battle against the forces of Otherworld, and as a big Excalibur fan I'm finding this a thematically familiar and exciting ride to date.

But in truth, that's a minor issue at best. There's plenty ofentertaining stuff here to keep readers enjoying the ride withoutneeding to know exactly where it's going to take them. Moreimportantly, the book is establishing its identity more and more, andthat means newcomers to Excalibur are getting on an even playingfield without having to feel lost. Even if we're not super-clear how allthese pieces are coming together, we can be confident buying into the road ahead, trusting Howard and To to lead the way. Thus far, they'veearned it.

Everything here is pretty good; nothing is glaringly bad, but by and large this is table-setting with a little bit of adventure thrown in to punch things up.

For as much as it provides good plot momentum, much of this issue ofExcalibur is more of a "par for the course" situation. That'snot bad, because what we've had is a lot of fun. Howard's voice for thecharacters ring true, and I'm very interested to see where the storygoes from here. "Panic on the Streets for London" adds toExcalibur's strong case for being the most consistent of the Dawnof X books.

Excalibur, while a cult fan favorite of many X-fans, hasn't felt like it's had its due since the late stagesof the first volume in the late 1990s. Thanks to Howard and To, this is a series that feels vital and thrilling for the first time since then, and this issue sets up the potential for plenty more of that to come.

Ultimately, "The Unspeakable and the Uneatable" is a perfectly fine issue of Excalibur, but that makes it a bit of a step below what's come so far. The action is fine and some of the interactions are fun, but the issue is mostly a way to get the characters from Point A to B with a minimum of fuss.

There's no getting around to the idea that this arc is not my favorite of this series. But to be fair, it's only the second arc of the book and the first set the bar very high. It definitely feels more like a diversion before the book jumps into something bigger.

Howard has been taking her time to lay out this story, and that helps this issue pay off more than it might otherwise would have.

There's still a lot of questions coming out of Extermination #1. The motives of the antagonists isn't clear yet, and the final page drops a bit of a bombshell that may frustrate some fans. But Brisson and Larraz are off to a great start here, much to my pleasant surprise.

There's a lot of good here in Fallen Angels, to be clear. Hillmakes some subtle insinuations between Overclock and things like thePhalanx, transhumanism and other things at play in Dawn of X'speriphery. I'm still interested in seeing how this plays out; I likethe characters and want to know who will join them in later issues. Butfor now, Fallen Angels #1 is perhaps the sole misstep in the Dawnof X launch so far.

Hill and Kudranski are taking things slow here, and the final panelpromises some excitement next week. I'm all for character studies, andthis is definitely a step up from the first issue's missteps. There's still a lot of work to go before this becomes a title worthy of itscharacters or its creators, but the small steps are appreciated.

The other part of this series that has lacked, the art, also has itsissues amplified here. Kudranski gets a couple panels of dynamic actionright, but then everything else falls flat. I like Kudranski's work onother books; he was a fantastic fit for his Punisher run withMatthew Rosenberg. Here, he just seems to be completely lost. Cut andpaste art abounds in here, everything is so draped in shadow that themotif has lost its impact, and his facial work is downright terrible ina couple of spots " notably, the last panel of Kwannon that makes herlook like she belongs in some grandmother's creepy doll collection.

I still hold out some hope that Fallen Angels will wrap up on aconclusion that elevates the rest of the series from its admittedly lowbar. The characters here still have a lot of value and while therehasn't been a ton done with them, these feel like experiences thatanother writer can carry into more interesting stories. But this issuedoesn't do much for what's already been a very lackluster series as a whole.

There are a lot of problems with this issue, if I haven't made thatclear enough. In addition to all the above, there's not much to Apothat this point, a villain who had potential but has not been developed,and the dialogue feels as stilted as the previous issues. Butsomewhere, amidst the tiring trappings of this story, there's somethingreal that teases as if it might poke its head out in time for the finalenext issue. We can only hope.

Ultimately, "Conclusion" puts the final stamp of "skippable" on Fallen Angels. Outside of some Kwannon/Mr. Sinister interactions, there's nothing in here that feels like it's likely to befollowed up on elsewhere, and we didn't learn anything new aboutKwannon, Laura or Nate that added to any of them. The best thing thatcan be said about this final issue of Fallen Angels is that itfinishes the series and frees Psylocke up to move on to anchor Zeb Wells and Stephen Segovia's Hellions starting in March.

The story that Giant Sized X-Men seems to be kicking off isinteresting enough, if far more within the lines than the stylisticchoices. It's certainly not bad by any means, though there's a sensethat it's there just to facilitate this story and perhaps the GiantSized X-Men: Storm issue arriving in a few months. But plotservicing art isn't a bad thing, as long as they both properly createthe narrative. That's exactly what happens in here, resulting in anicely executed exploration of all three of its leads in Emma, Jean andStorm.

It's becoming clear that the Giant-Sized line is here to letHickman do what he loves doing: telling slow-burn storylines that dredgedeep into Marvel lore. If the stories continue to keep the bar as highas he's reached here and with the Jean/Emma issue, I'm more than happyto continue seeing where he's going to take us.

This makes for a wonderful story conclusion and an exploration of why death still matters in comics and Krakoa in particular, not to mention a fantastic showcase for Storm herself.

This is an iconic story, of course. But Wein's distinctly 1970sdialogue (such as Wolverine saying "All right gents, I'm here!") workswell when paired with Cockrum's art, which reminds us of the era inwhich it's set. Put against a more modern sensibility, it reads perhapseven more stilted and dated than it should. And despite some standoutwork here " Jen Bartel's page 32 is an gorgeous " there's nothing thatjustifies paying $5.99 for a book I can read on Marvel Unlimited, shortof collector value.

Wells ends the book with a big reveal and while there won't be spoilershere as usual, suffice to say it's enough of an eye-widener to forgetjust about all of the flaws this book has for the moment. Wells andSegovia are off to a bumpy but entertaining ride, and if they can smooththe way a bit there could be something really fun and distinct from theother Dawn of X books here.

Segovia gets a chance to really shine in the action scenes, in which Psylocke and Greycrow in particular stand out. This is a team of incredibly kinetic mutants, and Segovia's energetic line work " bolstered by some beautiful coloring work by David Curiel " adds extra oomph to what is already a pretty impressive set of powers on display. But even more than the powers, it's the strength of the character work that puts Hellions on the right path to where I'm excited to see what Wells has planned from here.

Make no mistake: this is big, ballsy and ambitious storytelling. But that's what we've come to expect from Hickman, and he hits every right note, at least in this first issue. How he follows up will be a key here, but issue #1 has left me more intrigued and excited for my favorite band of mutants than I have been in a long, long time.

House of X is pretty much the perfect continuation of what Hickman and Larraz are setting up with the X-Men here. Everything lands and there are some big, shocking moments, all boldly illustrated with some beautiful line work. The only thing to be concerned about at this point is whether these two can keep the narrative stakes going strong, something I have complete faith in at this point. I'm not one to give out perfect scores with ease; there are a mere very, very small percentage of comics that have earned that right. But from where I stand after a few rereads already, House of X #2 is one of them.

House of X #3 ends on a cliffhanger, although not one I think a lot of people will be too nervous over. It's a big ending to an issue that is less splashy than its predecessors, but just as needed for the story. It's not always about delivering a shocking reveal on every page; it's about making each part of the story, like Wolverine, the best at what it does. And in terms of telling a necessary chapter that sets up more to come while delivering great character moments and good art, House of X #3 delivers on that level.

The events of House of X #4 are likely to leave readers with a lot more questions. The events herein are straight-forward (and stronger for it), but as positioned within the series as a whole it raises a lot of questions. The synopsis makes it clear that "Xavier's dream turns deadly for some of his students," so it's not a spoiler to say that there's some amount of death here. The effectiveness of said death may vary in mileage for some, but the weight of the moments isn't dulled one bit thanks to Hickman's dialogue and pacing, as well as Larraz' art, the weight is still full potency. House of X #4 hits every right note for what it needs to be, setting up a potentially chilling escalation of the storyline with action, character shading, triumph and tragedy.

It's the final touches on an issue that, for all my searching, I can't honestly find a single fault with. The future is exciting and a little foreboding for the X-Men at this point, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

House of X #6 sees Hickman and company look toward thefuture of the X-line in the Dawn of X books, and the future remains as exciting as it was after the first issue of this series.

On the unmitigated plus side is Woods' artwork. Woods has a lot of funwith the AI elements of the storyline and finds opportunities to reallycut loose. He also has really solid character designs for Bain "thebook's most enjoyable character by a country mile " and Machine Man. The coloring pairs well with the images for a sense of fun that thewriting lacks.

There isn't a ton to rock you back on your heels in this book, to befair. It's half-flashback and half-set up, with a final page revealthat has some real potential. But it's a decent start to a book thatcould really do some interesting things with a character who hasn'treally felt relevant for a while.

Make no mistake: this is an oddball team, and the lighter, more swashbuckling tone may seem a bit at odds with the more sterile and high-concept ideas that Hickman is playing with. But it works. Nothing about Marauders #1 feels like it wouldn't exist within the same world that the Summers family and their weird moon-based family from X-Men #1 live in.

There is obviously still a lot of story to play out in the pages of this book. With the exception of the big news out of X-Force #1, the Marauders have been the most crossover-friendly aspects of Dawn of X thus far, which lends them a feel of dynamism and importance that suits the series well. Hopefully the coloring issues and a little more character development can be worked out, because even with a high bar to clear, Marauders is the best Dawn of X book so far.

"The Bishop in Black" continues Marauders' status as the best ofthe Dawn of X books so far. Shaw's political moves are a great way toplay with the complicated personal conflict aspect that has always beena key of the X-books, and his final page reveal sets up a hell of apotential conflict within Hellfire. With Bandini and D'Amico's cleanartwork adding a lot in terms of character depth, Marauders #3 isanother hit from this team.

The most impressive part of Marauders, and "The Red Bishop"specifically, is how well Duggan is able to juggle the various elementsof this book. There's a lot of setting up done; we get the arrival of anew threat to the Hellfire Trading Company in the form of somesurprising yet entirely logical villains, while teases of a largerthreat to Krakoa get reinforced as well. Marauders is a book thatwants to accomplish a lot, and creators with that level of ambition canoften whiff at the plate. Thus far, Duggan's consistently batting athousand.

"A Time to Sow" sets up plenty still to come " there's a real question of Shaw's loyalty, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him working with Homines Verendi to hurt his rivals in Kate and Emma. And the final page has a big reveal of two villains with a definite theme to them and a sense of utter ridiculousness that fits the book. The deeper we get into this series, the more fun and exciting it seems to become. I haven't enjoyed reading a single X-Book as much as this one in a long time, and it looks like there's still plenty of fun to come.

For Marauders, it's just another example of why if you can only read one X-book, this is the one you should be checking out.

Despite those small issues, "From Emma, With Love" still has plenty toenjoy here. Howard's dialogue sparkles with its usual wit and whataction we get is a lot of fun. This is the necessary "further complications" issue of this kind of story arc and while such issuesaren't the most memorable, it's still a dependably entertaining read.

The quieter moments are also ones that I am increasingly a fan of howStefano Caselli handles. This is his second issue on the book and hegives us some beautiful panels, while really capturing emotions of thecharacters to enhance Duggan's words. Marauders #8 may not be themost event-heavy issue of this series yet, but it's by no means lesserfor it.

There are still a lot of plot threads hanging in Marauders, with a lot of promise toward where they're heading in here.

It's a joy to see Kate reconnect to her friends, her faith, and her passions, and Duggan ends the issue with a provocative visual of a renewed, focused Kate.

X-Men: Marvel Snapshots works as both an exploration into what makes Scott Summers tick, and as a celebration of who he is. It's a shining example of what these one-shots are intended to do.

I had some lofty expectations for this book and first issue of the title is anything to go by, it's well on its way to delivering

New Mutants is making a play for being one of the mostlight-hearted of the Dawn of X titles, and it's easy to achieve thatwhen you have such a strong group of close friends at its core. Not every joke lands (the court sequence wants to be funnier than it is),but enough do that it's a breeze to read. The next couple of issues willbe returning back to Earth and Krakoa for a different group of youngmutants. While I'm looking forward to that it will be a day-countingcouple of months until issue #5 comes out, because this story has beenan incredibly fun ride thus far and I can't wait to see what happens next.

At its core, "To the Grave" is every bit the story of family that thefirst two issues of New Mutants is, even as it involves a totallydifferent lineup within the same book. It's a fair bet to say thatthere's more affection among large swaths of the X-Men fandom for theclassic New Mutants than these, also appreciated characters, and thatcould cause some resentment for this story. That would be unfortunate,because there's as much to like here as there is in the first couple ofissues.

The only real problem with this issue is that it seems like a lot ofissues not to get very far. While I appreciate the character shading tothe other characters, there isn't enough of that for this to go as slowas it does. Fortunately the humor " much of it provided by Boom-Boom,who is always a delight " picks up the slack for a story that keeps the momentum going, even if it doesn't quite push it along as much as wewould want.

New Mutants has been an interesting experiment so far in how you can tell multiple stories around a theme of characters in a single book, and "Endangered Birds" is a good example of how good it can be when itworks.

More than anything, where Brisson's New Mutants story succeedsthe best in hammering home the necessity for a place like Krakoa. Thethemes of the X-Men have often been most potent when told with theyounger generation. Despite the flaws in this issue, it's veryeffective in hitting those points in an effective, engaging and weightymanner.

On the positive side, enough good things can't be said about Rod Reis'art. Reis has been doing wonderful work throughout this book and hecontinues that here. The few battle sequences we get contain morecharacterization than should be possible in a few panels, and hisdepiction of visually distinct characters like Xandra, Sunspot,Deathbird and Rahne are fantastic.

Even with those complaints, it's hard to argue that this is aparticularly bad issue. The action is well-executed and Marco Failla'sanimated style fits well with the feel of the story. I can't say enoughgood things about Carlos Lopez's color work either; Lopez makes theaction pop and lends the appropriate tone to a Sebastian Shaw scenewhich gives that character some more nuance after his straight-upvillainous actions in Marauders. Coming to this issue for a fascinating story will leave you disappointed, but it's at least prettyto look at and carries the status quo of Brisson's New Mutantswork so far. I just hope he picks things up here soon before "passable"becomes the norm for a title that deserves much more than that.

Brisson's previous arc saw him and artist Flaviano trying to fit their styles into a box that seemed ill-defined for them. Freed of those constraints, the two open up their world a bit and have a lot more freedom to express themselves as Dani, Karma, Boom-Boom, Chamber, and Magma head to the former Soviet state of Carnelia to investigate a mutant call for help.

There's a lot to be happy about here if you're an Overwatch fan, though. It feels authentic to the world of the game and Tamaki leaves a lot of promise throughout the pages. It may be a bit uneven on the visuals, but as a first issue goes, this gets the job done well enough.

The hope implied in House of X had a somewhat ominous edge to it, as if something wasn't quite right. Powers of X reinforces the idea that it won't last " not too surprising, really. It's the yin to the other book's yang, reflecting the constant duality of the X-Men franchise of tragedy and hope. While I suspect that House of X will be the more universally popular of the two books for this new arc thanks to the familiar characters and singular timeline thus far, I'm just as excited to see where into the future (and past) Powers of X takes us from here.

Powers of X #2 is the kind of issue that may frustrate some fans. It provides the necessary movement to progress its storyline, without the same level of system-shocking moments that the previous issues of this arc have had. But that doesn't mean it's lacking in any way. Hickman and Silva keep things engaging and dole out just enough information to keep things moving along nicely. It's not easy to split half of your story arc between four time periods, but Power of X is still making it look easy.

As much as I find myself wanting to get back to X1 and see what's going on with Krakoa and its inhabitants, Powers of X #3 is a thrilling stop along the way that more than sells its need exist first well enough that I'm happy to wait until next week.

Ultimately, this is an issue that may not be everyone's favorite " andif it is your favorite, it's probably because you love JonathanHickman's take on Sinister. And that's perfectly acceptable, because I don't think it's meant to be many people's favorite. This is a pacingissue that lets the story take a quick breath before next week'sred-barred House of X #5. But even in a transitional issue like this, Hickman doesn't let a single panel go to waste. It remains anessential part of both this story and " very likely " X-Men stories tocome for a long time.

If there's any other problem with Powers of X, it's one thatisn't necessarily the issue's fault: this is an information dump issue.We need these kinds of things in a series this revolutionary, andHickman packs what character development that he can in with Emma,Xavier, Namor and the rest. "For the Children" fills in the cracks ofHouse of X to make the foundation stable, and there's still a lotto enjoy. It will simply rank, in the end, as the issue in the seriesto date that most feels like connective tissue than something momentousin and of itself. That's great for the series as a whole, and "merely"makes for a very good issue.

In truth, Powers of X #6 is less of a climax to the story than the denouement. Last week's House of X #6 was the true climax inthe final establishment of the mutant nation and the celebration thatfollowed. With this book, we learn what pitfalls and risks come next,and as we leap into the Dawn of X things are just as exciting for X-Menfans as they've been throughout these two conjoined books.

Runaways #1 is a small start for what will clearly be a much larger arc for the comics. It has plenty for old fans of the team to appreciate while providing enough backstory so newcomers won't feel lost. Rowell and Anka are off to a great start here and I for one am going to be following this closely to see where they're taking things from here.

Whenever Wolverine starts branching out into additional series, it's acause for concern on my part. Call it the result of being a veteran ofthe character's extreme overexposure over the years. But Percy and hisartists are on the right path here so far. The stories are resonant andthe art is very good, making Wolverine another successful launchin the Dawn of X.

There's enough good here to offset the problems without difficulty, making this only a bit of a step down from last month's stellar kick-off issue.

X of Swords: Creation has a lot going on in it, and it wouldn't at all be on readers if it seemed like too much. But it accomplishes exactly what it needs to do in the end and sets the stage for what looks to potentially be an impressive crossover that is actually worthy of the "event" status.

Williams, building off the work Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard started in Creation, proves herself well up to the task of laying out the next steps. Those steps are monumental for Krakoa going forward and seismically raise the stakes for what's to come in X of Swords.

There's a lot of promise here that Williams is delivering on to date, doing enough legwork to establish the team just before X of Swords comes out to play starting next week.

There's a huge cliffhanger at the end of this book, and the dialogue andart sells the moment as legitimately shocking. But at the same time,given what we know of Krakoa as a nation, the real impact is ambiguousat best. There is a ton of potential in this book, and all theindividual parts work. We're just going to have to wait for at least the next issue to see if those parts can come together into a satisfyingwhole.

In a lot of ways, this issue feels like the true start of X-Forceas a book. The previous issue had to do a lot of heavy lifting in termsof set-up, and here we can see what Percy and Cassara want to do in thetitle. It's an exciting chapter with a few jaw-dropping moments, andone that has kickstarted my excitement for this series in a major way.

There are, to be fair, a couple elements that don't work quite as wellas we might want. The resolution of Domino's rescue is a little toodeus ex machina, as fun as it is. The Xavier resolution is alittle too clean as well. But those little complaints are minor dingsat best, and it's hard to be too mad at a book that's this much fun.With "The Skeleton Key," X-Force has officially found itsdirection and is confidently moving forward.

While most of this book soars, including the visceral, hold-nothing-backnature of the action scenes, it isn't quite a perfect book.

If there's a flaw to this book, it's that outside of all the actionthere isn't much that goes on. Percy and Cassara don't do much to movethe plot forward, instead just giving the Intelligence side of X-Force abit more of a clue as to what they're facing. But it's hard to be toocritical when what they're giving us is as entertaining as it is. Themasked man will wait; for now, I'm just happy to enjoy the ride.

There are a lot of plot elements going in this book right now. We stilldon't know much about the masked puppet masters from the first fiveissues, and this new threat revealed in "Intelligence" may or may notend up tying into that. But this book seems like the kind that will bebetter with at least a couple (if not more) threats for the team to dealwith. As the Dawn of X books move into their next stages and with newbooks are about to arrive soon, X-Force is well positioned alongwith Marauders to be one of the leaders of the line.

It's effective storytelling, with fun over-the-top action that Oscar Bazaldua, taking over this issue, captures well. Percy and Bazaldua also capture the quieter moments well, including an appearance by Colossus that hints at all is not well there.

It's curious to guess at where X-Force goes from here. The main villainous organization has been going on for eight issues now and feels a little undercooked, so much that their developments in this issue don't play quite as well as they should. But that's an absolute nitpick when the character work is so good. All in all, this is another fine issue that keeps X-Force near the top of the Dawn of X line where it belongs.

For some, X-Men #1 is going to be a letdown, and that would beinevitable. House of X and Powers of X were just so goodthat it's hard not to see this as a slight step down. That said, it'snot really fair to this book, which has a very different goal.HoX and PoX created the new firmament for the X-books;X-Men #1 is the first step down the freshly paved road Hickmanand company laid out. In that, it succeeds with flying colors.

As it goes, "Hordeculture" isn't a particularly bad issue ofX-Men; mostly it suffers by virtue of it's following up thegenerally excellent first two issues. Hordeculture as a group isentertaining and intriguing enough that they're worth a second look,even if they don't quite shine like they should here. There are chinksin Hickman's Dawn of X armor present in this issue, but they're verysmall and likely easily forgotten as the series progresses.

"Global Economics" ends without much being specifically decided, but there is a clear line drawn in the sand by the final page. While there is a minor sense of redundancy here " much of what Magneto says echoes his words in House of X #1 " it also gives the Krakoans a chance to stand firm in the face of some of the setbacks they've suffered like Xavier's assassination in X-Force. That refusal to back down in the face of adversity is one of the most essential traits of X-Men, and it allows this issue to give X-Men its momentum back as one of Marvel's books with top of the line potential.

While we're not likely to see thisparticular story directly followed up on in next month's Mystique-centric issue, I'm hoping that the book comes back to it soon because this is an arc that I'm very excited to see continue.

There's absolutely no doubt that this issue is the height of what Hickman has accomplished on the main X-Men book. He sets down a lot of foundation for stories to come and gets deep within the skin ofhis characters in a way that moves them forward while staying true to what they are. It's a progression of the story and characters while helping to pay off years of continuity and subtextual reference.

"Lifedeath" is perhaps the story best suited to Leinil Francis Yu's artto date on this series. Yu's line work is stark and severe, which makescharacters like Apocalypse loom heavy in their roles while others appearas conflicted as they should be. Hickman has had some very loftyambitions in this series and his success in achieving them has not been100%, but for all of its discomfort (and it is clearly supposed to bevery uncomfortable), "Lifedeath" is perhaps the best example of himhitting his mark.

Hickman is joined by Mahmud Asrar on art for this book, with color art by Sunny Gho. The art team really cuts loose on this book in fantastic fashion, from the horror of the Brood's nature as parasites to some chaotic action sequences that fill the page and make innovative use of some of the X-Men's power sets.

Brood stories often have a particular pattern to them that includes infestation, possession, the infection spreading and so on. In a massive battle like this, you might think that would happen and there are some teases along that line. But true to form, Hickman has another idea up his sleeve and it certainly seems to be a potential gamechanger. That development is the capstone on what is a wonderful issue of X-Men, leaving us to question where it goes from here as Empyre " which the team will be involved in " draws closer.

"Amenth" is a story that needed to be told for what's to come, and it accomplishes what it needs to. Just perhaps not in the most effective way it could have.

In truth, I was initially only vaguely looking forward to X-Men/FF. I've always been an X-Men fan, but somewhat less one ofMarvel's First Family. With that in mind, "Impossible Boy" is awonderful surprise, capturing the essence of both teams in a way that isentirely engaging. Zdarsky and the Dodsons have gotten this series offto a very strong start and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

Whether you're an X-Men fan or Fantastic Four fan, "Broken Borders" won't have the immediate draw of the first issue but does tell the next step quite solidly.

There's still plenty to enjoy here, despite the significant flaws of this book. Zdarsky excellently captures the voice of these characters and the interactions feel real and honest, especially now that the need to create conflict between the FF and Krakoans isn't paramount. It's an acceptable set-up for the next, final issue of this miniseries but really could have been much more if it had had a little more time to get onto the page.