X-Men Red #14 is thus far the best issue in the Fall of X era we've gotten so far. Al Ewing does an excellent job using the fallout of the Hellfire Gala to enhance what he has going on with the split of The Great Ring. The intensity of the warring faction creates even more interest in the war that has consumed Planet Arakko. Read Full Review

X-Men Red continues to show what superhero storytelling can be- emotional, action-packed and always a great all around read! Read Full Review

X-Men: Red #14 sets the stage for Arrako's future and promises abundant excitement as some of the most powerful and intriguing new characters in X-lore battle for the future of Arrako. Read Full Review

X-Men: Red #14 pulls off an all-out war that feels heavy on high stakes and impactful moments. That's not easy to do, especially in one issue, but by the end, you'll believe Storm and her army are fighting for their lives. Read Full Review

X-Men Red #14 is intriguing due to its engaging plot but lacks clear character development direction in these early issues. Read Full Review

Another great entry for this title. As another user stated in their review, it feels like this war has been brewing for a while. Ewing doesn't let the implications from Fall of X hinder the ongoing story of this series, despite the inclusion of certain elements (Example: Roberto telling Storm about what happened at the Hellfire Gala). The war that begins here is great. The moment with Isca is fantastic and I liked that she was present for this story, even if it's just for that one page. In general, I thought all of the characters were written well and I also thought this issue had some nice character moments for Storm, Lodus Logos, and even Kobak. Overall, this was another case of me really enjoying X-Men: Red and I'm really looking forward to seeing how everything unfolds with the war on Arakko. more

Ewing keeps building that Mars world and I like it. In a world where the X-Men are yet again being massacred and persecuted, I prefer to read new stories about new characters and this book keeps doing that. Immortal and Red are worth it because of how creators are approaching their worlds from fresh angles.

While we’ve seen the Hellfire Gala fallout on Earth in X-MEN #25 and IMMORTAL X-MEN #14, X-MEN RED #14 reveals what’s happening on Mars after Genesis returned to reclaim the land she once ruled, and it turns out things are a bit messy on Planet Arakko.

The book opens with two scenes showing the opposing sides of the Genesis War. The first few panels show Genesis brought the dead planet back to life, kicking off a propaganda machine that creates dividing lines between inhabitants across every inch of Arakko. We also see Roberto/Sunspot returning to the Red Lagoon in a state of despair, bringing news of the ORCHIS invasion and it’s incalculable mutant casualties. Storm processes the news and wonders if Genesis returning and the ORCHIS invasion were coordinated. Whether they were or not, she realizes she needs to respond with a show of force and announces that Arakko must go to war. We then get a helpful data page recapping which parts of Arakko support either Genesis or Storm, which ends up coming in handy later in the book, before we’re immediately thrust into battle.

The rest of the book is action-packed as we witness the Battle of the Fallen occurring on Day 70 of the war. The sides appear to be at a stalemate until Storm arrives and unleashes her Omega-level powers, while still holding back to show that mercy (or weakness as Genesis would call it) is what defines those who wish for peace. After the battle, Storm and her forces are planning for Genesis’ next attack when a very different looking Fisher King arrives with an ominous declaration.

I’ve been so impressed at how Ewing has continuously understood Storm’s character and given her one of the strongest voices in quite some time throughout X-Men Red. He’s resisted turning to one of her usual tropes — someone on a short fuse or one who succumbs to imposter syndrome — and in this issue we get to see Storm’s leadership evolve from deft political powerbroker to respected field commander. I’m really excited to see how he continues to showcase Storm as a leader in her new role against a very formidable foe. I also really enjoyed all of the exposition we get throughout the early stages of the book and Ewing makes great use of the two data pages. You really come away feeling like you’ve read a comic that was half action, half history.

Yildiray Çinar takes over penciling duties this issue from Jacopo Camagni who had been on the title for the previous three issues. I’m not sure if the transition was ahead of schedule or if something else happened, but the cover still listed Camagni’s name on it. Either way, Çinar’s art doesn’t stray too far from what readers have gotten used to though there are some noticeable differences from Camagni. The first difference that caught my eye was a bit more use of shadowing throughout the book than Camagni, or even Stefano Caselli in the first ten issues, used. It made sense for the current dire situation we find on Planet Arakko but in certain panels it felt like a way to get them finished rather than for effect. The second difference was a less refined approach to wide-panel shots. Characters in these panels didn’t have strong details and it took away from the severity of the situation that Ewing was building with his story. Some of the action sequences had a staccato feel to them where we didn’t follow individual confrontations for more than a panel or two which also made me feel somewhat removed from it all. However, it was all saved by the gorgeous scene where Storm enters the fray and puts an end to the battle. Federico Blee’s coloring for Storm’s lightning power made this even better.

I also had a bit of a hard time with Ariana Maher’s lettering for the issue’s exposition. She used a thick all-caps white font in a black box, with a white drop shadow that didn’t work for me. Ewing was giving us so much information on certain pages that this approach made the pages feel cluttered and too heavy.

None of the outcomes depicted in the book are entirely unpredictable, yet Al Ewing’s story is another extremely strong entry into the Fall of X following the aforementioned X-MEN #25 and IMMORTAL X-MEN #14. He’s been building to this moment for awhile now, giving readers sufficient examples of how Arrakan peace was always tenuous at best. This is all likely leading to the return of Apocalypse and him creating a new team of X-Men, but I’m going to sit back and let Ewing continue to impress me with his Storm-focused storytelling.

Rating: 8/10 more

War is here, things are happening fast, not gonna lie, some of this feels like what do we do with Mars while FALL OF X is happening?
Its not as interesting as I think it could be.

I just don’t understand the appeal of this book. I gave it one more shot to see where it went after the Gala, but it’s just not for me. So many people that it seems I’m supposed to care about but we barely know them or even their name.

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• George

George - Aug 17, 2023

I don’t either and I’m a big fan of Ewing. There are selective good issues. But broadly speaking these characters aren’t developed.

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