Mahmud Asrar delivers some intense and beautifully detailed art throughout this issue. Every page is filled with great details and a dark, ominous tone that matches the mood of the story. Read Full Review

X-MEN #13 was informative, clever, unique, and shared some well-needed background information to the core of the event. Read Full Review

Apocalypse must recover from his wounds to fight in the Contest of Swords! Read Full Review

While nothing too dramatic or outlandish happens in this issue, artist Mahmud Asrar manages to stun with his artwork. It's hard to explain but there is a seriousness and grim tone to his art, which makes you focus and take it all in. X of Swords is reaching its climax soon and this issue should only make folks more excited. I'm hoping the actual tournament can keep the momentum going. Read Full Review

This is a frustrating infodump of an issue, partially redeemed by exquisite art. Read Full Review

Hickman and company have been smart about the way they've built this event but they've made it clear that it's going to be extremely different from the traditional superheroics that many Marvel fans are used to and will be extremely additive to the mythology of these characters. But they have delivered on those two basic tenets every step of the way and X-Men #13 is no exception. Read Full Review

X-Men #13 is a part of a larger whole that gives readers a character defining experience for Apocalypse. No longer just a symbolic survival of the fittest character, but one about fulfilling the expectations of himself and the people he loves the most. Read Full Review

An overall OK addition to X of Swords at least gives us some direct storytelling from the upcoming antagonists. Read Full Review

Overall this was a pretty good chapter. It gave us some more background while getting another sword bearer ready for the tournament. It was not a standout like other chapters were, but still a solid chapter none theless. Read Full Review

The issue redefines Apocaypse's existence in a way that longtime X-Men nerds are sure to appreciate. Otherwise, it's a fine but not particularly memorable installment in the "X of Swords" saga. Read Full Review

X-Men #13 is a competently done issue and that's pretty much the best that can be said for it. Structurally, it's sound and everything in it works towards the story it's trying to tell. Hickman and company do a fine job with it on the level of putting together a comic that plays into a larger saga. However, it also contains a terrible retcon that changes everything fans knew about a character in the worst possible way to sell a story that isn't all that good. Read Full Review

https://www.nyrdcast.com/2021/01/review-x-men-13-2020/

Solid solid. Provides a lot of backstory for Apocalypse and his motivations for this entire event. I'm liking these stories of how the characters get the swords more than looking forward to the actual fight itself. The art in this issue is also great, Asrar succeeds in the unenviable task of following up Leinil Yu.

A fairly well-written issue that gives us some very interesting backstory for Apocalypse, especially considering the current storyline. I think this did an effective job of making Apocalypse a more compelling and/or intriguing characters as we approach the midway point for X of Swords. Asrar does a great job of drawing him as well.

While he's purged of pestilence, Apocalypse reveals how his wife abandoned him to hold off the forces of Amenth. His job was to prepare Earth to stand against them; how's he doin'? As an afterthought, he retrieves a fancy khopesh forged for him before the separation of the islands. He's ready for champion duty. It looks pretty good and it reads pretty smooth. It repeats some developments we already know about -- but it adds some significant new stuff.

Does it really change Apocalypse so much if he received his "survival of the fittest" mandate from his wife instead of generating it himself? I say it doesn't. And as for the revelation that he was preceded by stronger mutants -- well, it would be characteristic of him to conceal that for as long as possible, wouldn't it?
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I'm tired of swords.

This issue worked for me even if it was another "let's catch you up fine sir, shall we?" and I see why it made X-men readers from the 90s mad but I wasn't an X-men follower back then so I don't see a problem because Hickman makes Apocalypse's back story fit into X of Swords very well for me and I'm on board. Asrar has some nice pages here which helps the narrative quiet well but some panels were rushed and a bit distracting.

This was good but ultimately was just more backstory for Apocalypse, a character I think is cool but I don't necessarily care about. It seems like some people are upset by the retcon, but that seems kind of dumb. But as a comic book fan myself, I understand most of our complaints are dumb. But like, especially X-Men fans.

I'm not bothered by the retcon like some other folks seem to be, but this really isn't Hickman's most engaging issue of X-Men and it's ultimately one of the less interesting chapters in X of Swords thus far.

Not the best issue

Art 3.5/5
Story 3.5/5

XOS Ch. 10: Some interesting background on Apocalypse's family but this is now two Hickman X-Men issues back to back that are exposition heavy. I'm all for character development but despite some enlightening info this felt a little too plodding. Still, Hickman is a good writer and I credit him and Tini Howard for making me care about Apocalypse more than I ever had before.

It was alright. I remember liking this when I first read it, but I'm struggling to remember anything about it now.

Nonsense.

Bland issue. X of Swords is a very long story arc that has had great parts (Wolverine's journey to hell), but this is almost useless. Unfortunately, the "main" X-Series is going downhill (X-Force and New Mutants are still way better). Hickman created a great start, but he's losing his way.

I recall Secret Wars spending issues retelling the same backstory over and over, adding a few new details each time, and I'm not enjoying the same thing happening here. And I'm not on board with the Apocalypse retcons, which fit poorly with Age of Apocalypse. And I don't understand the love for the art here, as certain scenes like the jumping mask don't make sense upon a first read.

No thanks, Jonathan.

A laughable cheap retcon.

This is the worst week of X of Swords. X-men 13 is worthless and the art is the only good part of it.