The first issue of the new arc 'Fire-Baptized Species' starts off strong by accepting the importance of the previous stories and entering the X-Men, and readers, into a brand new day for the series. Read Full Review

The X-Men continue to find their distinctive appeal in a whole new #1. The action can be difficult to reconcile against some of the dialogue in places, but thats been a problem with the X-Men going back to Claremonts early days in the late 70s. What is important is that the heart of everything is firmly held onto in a promising new direction for a series which is leaning pretty heavily on reconstruction in the light of the fall of Krakoa at the end of the last major epoch for the franchise. MacKay and company have found fresh life in a new team with a whole new background. This looks like its going to be fun. Read Full Review

Call it X-Citing. Call it X-Cellent. X-Men is a GREAT launch for the“From the Ashes” era and Im ready for more. Read Full Review

Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman deliver must-read debut issue with X-Men #1. Everything you can want from a superhero team book is here. And for fans of the franchise MacKay and Stegman make sure to deliver a story that builds on what came before them, living up to the "From The Ashes direction banner for the franchise. The entire presentation works to welcome fans both new and old. Make sure to pick up this comic book asap. Read Full Review

X-Men #1 provides excellent characterization and character design right from the start. Read Full Review

Overall, X-Men #1 is a promising and thought-provoking start for a new X-Men series, with a focus on complex themes, character development, and a central mystery to be unraveled. Pick it up if you enjoy character-driven X-Men stories that explore the moral and social complexities of a mutant utopia. If you prefer fast-paced adventures, you might want to wait for future issues. Read Full Review

Its not as ambitious as the Krakoan era, but what weve got is a back to basics take that, while a safe direction to take, could come back to bite the creators and line in the ass. Jed stuck to his guns, and Ryan gave us some of his best work Ive seen in quite some time, changing my mind on if I was going to like this new line or not. If the rest of the X-books are half as good as this issue was, Marvel and Brevoort will have a hit on their hands. Read Full Review

A return to basics floods the pages of the latest X-Men series debut. MacKays writing takes readers on a vintage journey into the more heroic nature of the squad. Stegman, Mayer Gracia and Cowles balance the big action with more reflective images. All together, it starts off the latest phase of mutant history with some new looks on the original Xavier blueprint. Read Full Review

Stegman delivers some visually impressive art throughout the issue. The visuals beautifully capture the tone of the story while elevating the action. Read Full Review

(Image Source: Marvel / Ryan Stegman)On the whole, X-Men #1 doesn't do anything unusual with its premiere issue. It promises a fresh start for Marvel's Mighty Mutants, but it does little to change up the classic formula beyond a new base and some new members. In this case, however, the comic feels more like a homecoming than a bold new direction, and that is quite welcome. Read Full Review

While the real meat of the new storyline hasnt been unveiled just yet, this first issue does a great job of establishing the new status quo and providing a perfect jumping-on point for curious readers keen to see what all the fuss is about. Its going to be interesting seeing how this new storyline develops, and as a lapsed reader, its safe to say that this has proved more than enough to draw me back in. Read Full Review

Good, solid, enjoyable kick off to From the Ashes, though this first issue lacks any real ‘wow factor'. It's just solid X-Men relaunching with some dynamic artwork. Read Full Review

X-Men #1 is a bump of a start. There's aspects that are good and aspects that are bad but overall it feels like a lot of potential. It sets things out well and presents something that feels new to deal with. But overall, it feels like it attempts to balance the past, present, and future, and does so at the detriment of the experience. There's a bit too much dwelling on the past and dancing around past plotlines instead of charting a new path for what's to come instead of saving all of that for future issues. It's a new era that feels like it has a foot in the past. Read Full Review

In the world of ever-shifting cape comics, all you can really do is have an open mind and hope for the best and failing that, simply tune out for a bit until its back to your personal liking. X-Men #1 and this era of the franchise isnt likely to inspire passion in anyone like its predecessor did, but at this point in modern fandom discourse when everything is toxic and non-stop negativity, thats a concept as radical as Krakoa itself was. Read Full Review

X-Men #1 reforms the team on a base in Alaska to begin their new mission of rescuing mutants held by the remnants of Orchis and A.I.M. The change of venue away from Krakoa is a welcome relief, but the oddly paced plot, uneven art, head-scratching character choices, and weak villain will either put you off or make you forget you ever read it. X-Men #1 is not the strong start we hoped for in the new "From The Ashes era. Read Full Review

Some stuff really works and a lot needs to be worked on. Weird art choices, some great and not so great character development, and a very big BEAST of a problem leads to a very shaky first issue. For as much as I love the X-Men, I'll give issue 2 a cautious buy. Pick this up so you at least know what's going on and then make your decision. Read Full Review

X-Men #1 isn't poorly crafted but is indebted to a version of the X-team we've seen in the past. X-Men #1 lacks a strong hook, seemingly hoping that simply sending out these characters under familiar circumstances will be enough to make its case. It's not. Perhaps that's overly criticalthe issue is functional and capably sets the stage for future adventure, and it isn't a bad-looking comicbut it doesn't make much of a statement. Read Full Review

Plot
CYCLOPS, BEAST, MAGNETO, PSYLOCKE, KID OMEGA, TEMPER, MAGIK and JUGGERNAUT are on a mission to rescue some kidnapped mutants, including Wolverine, so they must use their best team strategies, where Cyclops stands out as a leader and Surprisingly, Juggernaut is a disciplined X-man. The dynamic and chemistry of this new lineup is hilarious and great.

On the other hand, at the X-men's new base of operations in Alaska, they are visited by police chief Paula Robbins, who questions Beast about the X-men's intentions, since this factory they took over was the main source of jobs in that area, what they reveal is that this is a Sentinels factory. Beast shows how in this place they have worked hard to grow food, to create life in a place destined for the death of mutants.

Magneto makes it clear to Chief Robbins that he is to be feared.

Wolverine gives up, he needs to escape from humanity and mutants, this war has exhausted him.

Exciting first installment full of revelations and shows how Cyclops begins to create a sanctuary while he rescues kidnapped mutants.

Art
It's gorgeous, organic and with Stegtman's imprint throughout, offering a tone that's classic and modern at the same time.

Summary
The X-men retreat to Alaska and try to help the kidnapped mutants while creating a new sanctuary in the least expected place. more

Really enjoyed this issue and all the Xmen involved worked really well. I agree i am unsure how memorable this series will be but good start!

After waiting quite a while for the Krakoan era of X-Men to run its course, I decided to give this a shot, and I'm glad I did. I liked the more character-driven route that went with this first issue as the scene is being set for this new (and simpler) status quo. I think the slower pace and tone setting was just what this book needed after a 5-year storytelling initiative. Stegman's art is very good, although Beast does look a little odd. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this new era!

+ Like • Comments (2)

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Jawnyblaze - Jul 18, 2024 (edited)

Yea, I noticed that about Beast as well. At first I thought it was just shadowing, but the black around his eyes is weird. And he looks too skinny, particularly in the face. Makes him look like the Grinch. But otherwise, the art was perfect and I loved it.

retcon_D - Jul 18, 2024

Exactly. Beast kinda just threw me off a bit, but everyone else looked great. I'm also happy that this book doesn't quite follow the Marvel house art style and we can very clearly see Stegman's style.

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First off, I really dislike McKay's Avengers. It lacks good story, dialogue, characters, it's crap. So I was really worried about McKay handling another team book as huge as the X-Men.

Gladly, this is great! It is really introductory, we get information about their new home from Beast, as the police commissioner works as a stand in for us, the readers. Great bits there with Hank and Magneto.

The rescue mission was also nice, Stegman really shines, my only complaint(shared by many others) is how he makes Cyclops look so young, but it doesn't matter that much.

I'm looking forward for this line of X-Comics, especially Wolverine and X-Factor, I'm really the first issue of this new era really delivered something good more

Art: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Total: 7.5/10

I don't think this is a bad issue, but I'm plagued with the knowledge that every creator involved here is capable of something better.

I love Stegman, so I’m biased. That being said, this series has disappointed me so many times I have to keep my expectations low.

(Volume 7 | Cover Date: September, 2024)

**SPOILERS**

Summary: Cyclops' X-Men team travels to Santo Marco to free Wolverine from the Orchis Fourth School & to find six new mutants, who turn out to be Orchis agents.

Comments: Having to scan for the last page was a dumb idea by Marvel. I couldn't even read the dialogue on my phone. This issue was already overpriced.

This was perfectly pleasant, but thus far doesn't feel like something I'm going to remember in five years. McKay does an OK job of balancing action and setup, which is a nice change of pace after Duggan, but the infodumping gets distracting at points — yes, "Quentin fried his brain on drugs" is a cute excuse for the characters to restate why they're doing things, but not in round robin style for two pages.

As I feared going into a backlash era, this feels less like a new direction than simply slouching back into the pre-Krakoa status quo. The dialogue and advertising desperately want you to remember your favorites like New X-Men or the 90's, but the basic setup is unmistakably just the second pressing of the Fraction/Gillen/Bendis years. Those years were often good (I reread the Bendis run a year or two ago and was pleasantly surprised to find it was better than I'd remembered), but I don't know if I was dying to do them again so soon.

Stegman is also hit-and-miss: his style is often great and he draws Beast with wonderful personality that gives his dialogue with the woman representing the local humans a charm that makes it the best part of the issue, but Juggernaut's costume is terrible, IDK what's up with Beast's Liefeldian black eye makeup, and as has been mentioned many times Scott looks like a 14-year-old.

Still, this is just a first issue; it's easy to see where McKay and Stegman could win me over as we go along, and ignoring the weight of being the opening shot of a relaunch, it's an enjoyable enough read. It's not actually a bad start for a series, just an unpromising beginning for a new era. more

As a single issue I liked it, but I genuinely do not know what to expect for the future.

it feels simpler, more straightforward, direct, and explosive with character. In a way, it reminds me of Morisson in how direct it is and how strong are the voices here, while X-men do cool shit. There were also some callbacks Obviously it does not feel as revolutionary at least for now. That's the thing, I like what it's here, but I kinda feel like logan. I see the potential for the characters I see some boxes with them, that Mckay could explore, but as a whole, i do not feel that excited. But that's okay, not every era has to be so ambitious, a lighter series with a lighter status quo, focused on its characters, could be a formula for very pleasant comics. albeit rarely a truly great one.Like Hopeless all-x-men, which i really loved. Based on this sample I feel like this is what we are going to get. But the elephant in the room is that this does feel like something from 10 years ago.

Some parts of the issue dragged a bit after the initial boom and we got some not-so-light exposition, which was not my thing, but I understand the purpose. Still, a lot of the dialogue flows smoothly and it's quite revealing, without it being so blunt about it. Everything really shines when Stegman and Mackay are dynamic, they are great. It's amazing how Stegman's art continues to progress. It's amazing how much he elevates everything. The scenes are built fast and characters pop out of the page and everything serves to make the characters cool. It's kinda like the mutant massacre era in that the characters are so scattered and bruised and rebelious but with some Outback optimism. more

This was actually a fairly solid issue aside from some of the personalities and voices being off. There's some unfortunate character regression but nothing egregious that can't be fixed or explained as the series continues.

First issues are hard, but sadly this didn’t make me feel like I can’t wait for more.

I feel like I've been here before, and I'll stay a little longer.

Review from thecoverblog.com

FIRE-BAPTIZED SPECIES

The X-Men comics relaunch once again. In many ways, the 2024 reboot is poised to be one of the most controversial kickoffs for a new mutant era, that is, since the last overhaul in 2019. The difference this time around, if the ever-truthful internet is to be believed, is those with doubts are seemingly more likely to put the book down, as opposed to giving it time. The Krakoa experience invigorated the fanbase and felt like the first real step forward after years of being trapped on a treadmill for many. Until of course the mutant island no longer retained the shine it once had. Even in the past era’s dying days, a sense of progress lingered for longtime readers. Perhaps the greatest hesitation for this new series is that it will drag the mutants back to a tired status quo from which they had barely escaped.

Staged from a repurposed Sentinel factory in Alaska, the new headquarters for the X-Men is one of the more aesthetically compelling components of the setup. Where the utopian island was a showcase of mutant abundance, the scaled-back base is a beacon of their struggle for survival. Unfortunately, this beacon is not any brighter than those of the past. The X-Men have always had an impressive home to fall back to, but Krakoa seemed to offer a more rich and unexplored home setting. I am not immediately curious or clamoring for stories that stem from the new situation, even with the dynamics of having human neighbors, as I was in the previous one.

While the base seems vaguely reminiscent of a former pre-Krakoa era, the tone around the characters is more outright in this fashion. The roster and general aesthetic are resetting hard to a post-Morrison-inspired direction. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach, or even surprising, considering it also aligns with some of the most popular versions of the characters, outside of comics in particular.

There is an argument to be made that the X-Men come in two distinct flavors culturally. The first stems from Chris Claremont and the animated series, and the other is based on Morrison and the early 2000s movies. Krakoa as imagined by Hickman was almost a true subversion of the dichotomy, but still leaned into the Claremont-esque side of the brand.

In terms of characterization from the kickoff issue, Cyclops was the standout and felt in line with his past depictions, by and large. There’s little doubt that even after having it all, Scott is more than prepared to fall back to being an X-Men team in the typical manner as needed. The others are less inspired, but they all hold at least some potential. I feel some resentment towards Beast’s memory loss after the recent dense and long-running Benjamin Percy line of comics. Hank may not remember, but I do. Magneto and Xorn were perhaps my low points, just because I wanted more from their introduction, and their designs were depressingly uninspired.

The truth of the matter is that this is not the previous era, and if readers were worried about a return to form, they should be hesitant about this series. Hopefully, some of the better aspects of the Krakoa era will influence and shine through as the title continues, but maybe not. I’ll continue reading, with an open mind to being surprised or won over, or both. But it certainly feels that a requirement to enjoy the new era may be the abandonment of attachments to the most recent one. Of course, this is also a long-running superhero comic, and this is just the first issue for the new team, so patience for more issues or a trade may be key for readers on the fence. There’s nothing here that begs to be read weekly, but if the quality picks up, the book won’t go unnoticed. more

Not a bad debut. Not overly fond of the art style and the cast doesn't do much for me. This just doesn't feel like the cast of a flagship X-book.

This is a book I really want to like more than I actually do, but I'm struggling to get there. I just don't think there is a single idea as captivating as any of the dozens Hickman brought in the first issue of HoXPoX.

McKay writes a perfectly fine story and does a nice job integrating mutant history in while Stegman does his thing, but it just feels soooooo safe in comparison to the past 5 years of X-Men stories. From the logo, to the opening page, to positioning Magneto as the prickly leader, everything here harkens back to the 90s, which isn't surprising after the success of X-Men '97, but it's also a little boring. The new villain cabal, 3K, was probably my favorite part of the issue and the QR code reveal of the secret page was a fun tease. Hopefully we see more from them soon.

Ultimately, I think people's opinions, including my own, are going to be colored by the way they viewed the Krakoan era. As a big fan of the prior era, I'm just going to have to give McKay time to get settled before truly making any judgment. But one issue in I'm left wanting more. more

Weirdly uninspiring. The art is also a mess. Does Stegman not know what he is doing or just phoning it in on a major X-men title.

Also MacKay said he likes Morrisons X-men... it shows, he is just taking those ideas and doing a worse job with them (kind of like Zebb and his 'Inferno aka Dark Web' story.

Maybe Marvel should have waited a little longer before relaunching this title. After the end of the Krakoa era, this side of the Marvel universe could have taken some time to breathe. This back-to-basics approach just feels tiring rather than refreshing, and after the horrible acts committed by some of these characters during the Krakoa era, it’s odd trying to wipe the slate clean. I recognize that MacKay is trying to address all that has come before while also starting fresh, but it just isn’t working for me in this issue.

This is an extremely average issue for a premiere. Jed Mckay is dropping the ball lately. I read that Moon Knight #0 and he should be ashamed of himself for releasing that. It was obvious that he was on a deadline, couldn't make it, so he just threw something out. Very disappointing in all regards. I don't care about the sherrif visiting the compound. That was a throwaway plot. And these older mutants isn't something that is a thrilling mystery. Why is Juggernaut even on this team. He's not even a mutant. One and dropped.

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Both the writing and art are sub par. The art especially is just atrocious to look at.
No. Just no.