"Marvels X" #2 sets up a world we've already seen Jim Krueger create and it doesn't feel cheap. Writers, artists, the whole team is giving 150% and producing one of the best limited series in recent history. Read Full Review

I started reviewing this series shortly after the pandemic started and lost track of it when a fire burned up most of the more recent series I'd been collecting.

Earth X is one of Marvel's best What If? stories, so I was excited to see Alex Ross and Jim Krueger playing in this sandbox again. The story follows David, a young boy who has managed to avoid the plague that has mutated humanity into super beings.

If you have not read "Earth X" that's fine. This series serves as a prequel yet also feels self-contained. This issue followed David specifically as he makes his way to New York and begins to encounter various superheroes dealing with a rapidly escalating situation.

The best part of the issue is David. Most writers tend to make younger characters annoying because they can't seem to get into the mind of a child or young adult. David feels like a real kid suddenly thrust into the Marvel Universe with no knowledge of it beforehand.

The characterizations of the surviving heroes are also stand out. In "Earth X" most of the heroes are either dead or damaged beyond repair. It's nice to see that here, and in the face of rapid change, they still act in their capacity as heroes. Daredevil gets some particularly strong moments.

If a kid ran into a character like Ghost Rider or Machine Man in real life he'd be freaking out at the encounter. The only knock I have on the issue is that considering that David lives in the Marvel Universe proper you'd think he'd have a passing knowledge of most of the character's he's frightened of, particularly the heroes.

Artist Well-Bee does a great job keeping the artistic tone of Earth X without being direct of a clone of Jean-Paul Leon. The inks aren't as heavy in Marvel's X and it's easier to make out what's happening in this series. The art is gritty but even with the grit, there is some solid action and visual storytelling throughout the issue.

If you're a fan of Elseworlds stories you can't get much better than this. It's really hard to believe that a series this well-written flew managed to fly this far under the radar. I don't think I ever heard anyone talk about Mutant X and I'm generally plugged into the industry.

In Short: It's worth A read even if you're not familiar with the Earth X storyline


more