Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jed Mackay
Penciller: Ryan Stegman
Inker: JP Mayer
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Release Date: 10th July 2024

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Is it possible to pick up an X-Men comic after almost a decade away from the title and still get a handle on what’s going on? Well, that’s what I’m hoping to find out this week as I check out the latest X-Men # 1 from writer Jed MacKay and artist Ryan Stegman, the launch of the all-new ‘From The Ashes’ era.

In the wake of some massive calamity that isn’t really expanded upon here but seems to involve the destruction of Krakoa, the X-Men are in the process of picking up the pieces, working out of an abandoned Sentinel factory in Alaska. First order of business, however, is a little rescue mission to extract Wolverine – along with a collection of newly-discovered mutants – from the clutches of an Orchis cell.

As a result, the bulk of this issue is packed with action and banter, providing a great opportunity for new readers like myself to get a sense of the team dynamic and some of the ongoing subplots, tensions and friendships. The current roster is packed full of familiar faces and a few newcomers I wasn’t too familiar with, which made for a comfortable yet unpredictable read.

One of my personal highlights of this issue was the interactions between Magik and Juggernaut, the two-person “assault team” of the X-Men, particularly their rock-paper-scissors stalemate with both mutants refusing to pick anything other than rock because they’re “not a wimp”. More of these guys, please!

Full disclosure, I opted to pause midway through the issue and do a little digging int0 the events that brought us to this point, and while this is still a fairly comfortable jumping-on point, a little additional context definitely aided my enjoyment.

As you might expect, Stegman’s artwork is the absolute business, and while I don’t think any of these designs have been newly created for this specific series, he does a fantastic job of bringing them to the page in this action-packed first issue. Everything flows smoothly and dynamically, and the stark juxtaposition between the all-action rescue mission and Beast’s cordial-but-tense meeting with local police chief Paula Robbins is well executed.

While the real meat of the new storyline hasn’t 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. It’s going to be interesting seeing how this new storyline develops, and as a lapsed reader, it’s safe to say that this has proved more than enough to draw me back in.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
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