If you want fantasy mixed in with your X-Men stories, don't pass on Realm of X. The creative team drops mutants into another world that plays a heavy part in deeper Marvel lore and will likely mean some interesting developments as mutants crossover into a more Asgardian corner of the universe. Largely its own thing, this series offers a respite with a fun fantasy adventure amongst the mutant titles tied to the horrific attack on mutants. Read Full Review

A lot will ride on how these tales are paid off but it's certainly a great start. Read Full Review

Realm of X #1 boasts a plethora of promising concepts but may feel overshadowed when positioned alongside other X-Men comics within the context of the Fall of X event. Read Full Review

Realm of X #1 is a comic book that Marvel fans should pick up and read to continue the remnants of what happened at the gala. While this story branches off onto somewhere else it is still a part of the whole event currently still going. For X-Men fans, you dont want to miss how these ladies get out of this one. Be sure to pick this one up at your local comic book store or where copies are sold. Read Full Review

Realm of X #1 was nothing like I expected nor was it anything I feel like we needed. With so many questions surrounding this Fall of X since the Hellfire Gala, I cant help but wonder what the purpose of this book is. The medieval style mixed with a ragtag group of mutants and an almost domesticated Magik just doesnt seem very enticing. Its almost as if the title is handcuffing itself. Id much rather see how the mutants react to Orchis than see a few of the mutants save another realm from a familiar foe. Now, if medieval, Norse-style, stories are your jam, then give Realm of X #1 a shot. However, if youre looking for more in this Fall of X, as well as Magik being Magik, you wont find it in this series. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless! Read Full Review

I really like this group together. If I'm going to be lost it better be with Typhoid Mary, her and Dust are a riot together. Another solid Fall of X title. Read Full Review

It's disappointing to find such a promising book that had such weak execution. There's definite promise though, so I hope to see it swing the right direction. Read Full Review

Fantastical tale that I cannot wait to see where goes! Reviewers do not seem to understand this is a new book.

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JBL Reviews - Aug 25, 2023

Which reviewers do not understand this is a new book? It’s a number 1 issue that has a clear beginning,

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While the art wasn't my favorite at times, I still thought this was a pretty solid start for this miniseries. While the story was good here, I was most intrigued by Curse. I know she was created relatively recently, but I don't remember reading anything with her in it up to this point. I do plan on reading Gerry Duggan's Marauders run at some point, which I've come to find out is where she firs appeared. Either way, I found her abilities very interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing where her side of the story goes. As for everyone else, I thought they were written well and I especially enjoyed Typhoid Mary. Come to think of it, this series is filled with characters I don't know that much about, but I still thought this was entertaining and I'm looking forward to what comes next. more

Dani Moonstar is my favorite comic book character. (And Magik is up there.) I love Dani's Valkyrie arc, and Asgardian Wars is one of my all-time favorite stories - so dropping these characters into this sort of story should be my kind of thing. I wanted to love this issue... but I didn't. A few panels of them mourning their fallen comrades from the Hellfire Gala probably would have made a big difference for me, like Berto's reaction to Sam's death in X-Men Red or Emma's grief in Iron Man. I feel like there was a lot of wasted potential for powerful, character-focused story-telling here. Maybe we'll see some of that in the issues ahead. But this is certainly the weakest chapter of Fall of X that I've read so far. I did enjoy Dust, and Curse is a lot of fun.

This book is fine! I was just hoping for more than that. I'm staying with it, though (did I mention that I love Dani and Magik?), so we'll see what the next few issues bring. more

Not my favorite so far for sure...
Ill give it a chance

I think this is a love it or hate series right off the bat. I didn't read the Gala issues and I haven't followed X-Men in a really long time, because it's mostly been crap. I like Gronbekk's Red Sonja and I love Magik and Dani, so I decided to pick it up. Generally, I liked it since I had nothing to base it on. Typhoid Mary was the stand out for me.

I don't read many X titles but I made an exception for this one as I hoped it would be the kind of Otherworld style story I wanted from Tini Howards Excalibur series. This is better than that but not by much. Illania is the character I cared most about here and Gronbekk seems to completely miss the mark with her. Even without her powers she would continue to behave as a warrior and leader, not the timid little girl we see in the beginning of this book. It also felt like all the people they come in contact with are generic fantasy characters with zero distinguishing personalities which made for a lame read at times. This was underwhelming and I doubt I'll be back for the next issue.

Marvel teased REALM OF X #1 with a question: “Leaping straight from the astonishing events of this year's Hellfire Gala, the unlikely team of Magik, Mirage, Marrow, Dust and Typhoid Mary find themselves stranded in...Vanaheim?” That question mark is doing a lot of important work there. After reading this debut issue, I have some questions for the series. What’s the point? Who thought it made for a great concept? How many more issues are there going to be? Why?

Torunn Grønbekk’s story is completely lifeless. Aside from Magik and Dani Moonstar, we really haven’t spent much time with any of the book’s other mutants (Morrow, Dust, Typhoid Mary, and Curse) in recent titles, so some character build-up would have been nice. Instead, much Grønbekk’s dialogue is centered on shallow banter that fails to elevate any character. Even worse, Magik has become completely neutered of a personality. She’s lost her powers here, we get it. It’s not the first time that’s happened to her and it’s never stopped her personality from continuing to shine. Grønbekk succeeded in making mutants seem uncool.

The story leans heavily into the Vanaheim prophecy that foresaw the team’s arrival at the expense of building any palpable tension. We also get a big bad “reveal” at the end that was entirely predictable and repetitive from other recent storylines. I won’t spoil who it is here. All I’ll say is that I find it hard to believe this character will introduce any new story elements that make this book a must-read.

I also struggled with some of the book’s illustrations by Diógenes Neves. Characters’ faces often felt awkward and unnatural. The Venir people inhabiting Vanaheim looked like generic viking people and there wasn’t much world-building being done visually to make up for the lack of world-building done by Grønbekk’s story. Rain Beredo’s colors are distinct when given the chance in certain scenes, but much of the book is plagued by a bland color palette. I guess that’s a perfect complement to the bland story?

One issue down and this book already is veering towards the worst parts of Excalibur and Knights of X. It’s a shame that Magik and Dani are being wasted in this title when their powers/personalities could have played really well in Fall of X’s main books.

Rating: 3/10 more

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JBL Reviews - Aug 25, 2023

I am not sure I’ve disliked a comic this much in a while

Amazing Psycamorean - Aug 27, 2023

I haven't read this issue yet, but Torunn Grønbekk had done some really good work with the Thor title, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here.

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I thought I was buying a continuation of what happened at the Gala, and while in all technicality it is, I had no idea I was buying a fantasy world that is so poorly written. It would have been a 1, but the art was ok. The characters were predictable caricatures of themselves. Typhoid Mary, in particular, read like fan fiction.