Abigail Brand is discovering the problems with using people as chess pieces: namely that the damned things just keep skittering across the board. Read Full Review

X-Men Red #9 is an action-packed issue. It has momentum and is just fun to read. It keeps the SWORD part going and combines it with the Arakko plots. The art is mostly great, but there are some character mistakes in the art that range from silly to insulting. Its still an amazing comic, though, and much better than X-Men. Read Full Review

This quick turn to chaos pays off in a terrifically entertaining issue that promises only bigger things ahead. Read Full Review

After a concerning couple of issues, X-Men Red #9 has again grabbed my attention with its intricate political plotlines and dynamic characters. Read Full Review

X-Men: Red features a twist or two with a promising confrontation setup for the next issue. It suffers a bit since a lot of this issue is table setting while not digging too deeply into Vulcan's mind. Instead, he's gone full supervillain and lost the nuance we've seen in previous issues. Read Full Review

X-Men Red #9 continues where it left off with a newly resurrected Vulcan with his full mental state in order and ready to be emperor again. However, the fights don't really have any tension to them since past issues have undercut any menace Vulcan could've had in the series and Abigail Brand barely has a presence in this comic. Read Full Review

God I just want Al Ewing to write Roberto forever

While I was enjoying Madibek Musabekov's art in the past two issues, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't glad to see Caselli back on the art duties. His art is so nicely detailed and I believe it fits this series incredibly well. I particularly like how Sunspot is drawn in this issue. As for the writing, it continues to be great with this more Vulcan-focused issue. I really liked the interaction between him and Sunspot here, and I'm really looking forward to Vulcan facing Storm in Issue 10.

Worth that one-page of Hot Roberto, alone.

This is one of those books where every issue is pretty much a lock to be amazing and this issue is no exception. This was tremendous! The curveballs they throw Vulcan were awesome especially the one at the end. One of my favorite comic book characters shows up to set up what is sure to be an epic battle

Ewing is moving pieces and making them all interesting. Caselli's art is top notch and looks perfect with no rushes or corners cut. Blee's colors too are just wonderful!

This issue flips the story smoothly into confrontation mode. I appreciate the way the script gets me invested in the action, even though I'm hampered by a lack of continuity knowledge. The excellent art helps a great deal, too.