30 years ago, the X-Men introduced readers to “The Age of Apocalypse”, a story set in one of the darkest alternate Earths imaginable. It was a smashing success, and Marvel has been trying to recapture it ever since, whether it be by returning to that universe or by trying to use the same formula to create another blockbuster. We’re getting both approaches right now. The X-Men books are in a new alternate universe story called “Age of Revelation”. Meanwhile, X-Men of Apocalypse #1, set up two months ago in X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1, takes fan-favorite characters from the AoA universe (and Forge) and drops them in the 616 on a quest to make sure their world becomes the prime one. It’s a fun comic, but it’s not exactly reinventing the wheel.
So, if you are a fan of the old “Age of Apocalypse” series, this one will definitely be right up your alley. Writer Jeph Loeb, who wrote X-Man back in the AoA days, was a pretty good choice to write this comic. He has a good — but not perfect — grasp on the characters he’s using and uses them in ways that make sense. The overall plot of the issue feels a little weird, but honestly if you weren’t reading X-Man back in the day, you really won’t see a problem (basically, at no point in the early issues of X-Man was Nate Grey near the X-Mansion; I know because I bought it monthly), as the AoA X-Men recruit Nate and then clash with their 616 counterparts to accomplish their mission.
As a huge fan of the X-Men in the ’90s, this issue going back this 1995 version of the team, was a lot of fun. It was cool to see bone-claw Wolverine again. That said, Loeb doesn’t drop readers too far into the weeds of that old continuity; it’s just set-dressing, pretty fun set-dressing at that. We learn about the AoA X-Men’s mission in the 616 universe, and it’s extremely predictable. I’m not going to spoil the specifics of the mission (since if you’re reading this, you already know why they’re there, you just don’t know how they want to accomplish the mission), but I will say two things about it: it’s copying numerous other X-Men stories you’ve read before, and it also makes perfect sense. So, at the very least, it’s good predictable.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Loeb has a good grasp on the characters | Predictable, but in a good way |
| The ’90s set-dressing was fun to come back to | Not enough Blink |
| The art is very good | Di Meo’s style is too “pin-up-y” to give good action scenes |
Simone Di Meo’s Art Is Good but Not Great
Simone Di Meo was a very interesting choice for this book. While his style is quite different from the art styles of the main artists on the AoA books back in the day, he has a very stylized approach to art, which fits in with those artists of the ’90s. Giving this book to a big, flashy artist was a good idea that fits in with it being a throwback story; this is the type of thing that would have happened at ’90s Marvel. Di Meo is one of those artists where he does amazing covers and is really good at dialogue scenes. His character acting is really great, and his figure work is strong, which helps in a book that has as much dialogue as this one does.
However, Di Meo’s style isn’t amazing for action. Some artists can give action scenes a fluidity that gives readers the illusion of movement; Di Meo isn’t one of those artists. So, while his action scenes look good, they feel very static. This isn’t a massive problem, but it doesn’t really help the book either. The art is mostly pretty good, though. While it would be better if Di Meo had the action-pencilling goods, it was still the right choice to put him on this book.
The X-Men books are currently in nostalgia mode. The main line has been showcasing old ideas and story types for over a year now, rarely innovating at all. This year’s “Age of” obsession is another example of this. “Age of Revelation” is a throwback story that isn’t landing with everyone, so X-Men of Apocalypse has a lot of work to do. Luckily, it’s mostly up to the task. This isn’t a groundbreaking, change the way you look at “The Age of Apocalypse” kind of story. It’s predictable and the action scenes could be better. However, it’s a lot of fun, and that can often make all the difference. It’s not perfect, but it’s a cool ride.
X-Men of Apocalypse #1 is on sale now.
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30 years ago, the X-Men introduced readers to “The Age of Apocalypse”, a story set in one of the darkest alternate Earths imaginable. It was a smashing success, and Marvel has been trying to recapture it ever since, whether it be by returning to that universe or by trying to use the same formula to
The post X-Men of Apocalypse #1 Is a Fun but Predictable Romp (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com. ComicBook.comRead More