X-Men #2 (2024) Review

Background – A new mutant arrives. Also: aliens and a Juggernaut gun!

Writing – This is a very story driven issue, but not a very character inclusive one. We really don’t get much in the way of any info about any of our heroes. They simply fulfill the roles they share on the team. Hell, two of them don’t even get to speak. That being said, the whole fight does remind the reader that the X-Men truly work together as a team. Each one of them contributes something to the mission. If Temper wasn’t there, the plane would explode from the heat Juggernaut produces. If Quentin wasn’t there, their weapons would be useless (I think). Small stuff like this reminds me that I’m reading an X-men book.

Cyclops: He’s a team leader.

Psylocke: Psylocke is definitely second in command of this team.

Magneto & Beast: These two appear in exactly one panel. Two of the most interesting characters coming into this book appear in exactly one panel and they DON’T EVEN GET TO TALK! Beast has so much potential. Come on Jed, don’t blow this!

Temper / Juggernaut: This time around it’s Juggernaut and Temper being the tag team of the issue. They have a Juggernaut gun which, as the name implies, shoots Juggernaut out of a cannon and blows through the enemy ship. Interestingly enough, the team used something similar in the “Sins Of Sinister” timeline, but this time around Juggernaut doesn’t keep flying forever.

Kid Omega: Quentin wants to be called Kid Omega and flies the Marauder (the plane). That’s it. We get ZERO info on why or how he’s alive. A fun little tidbit is that his brain is linked to the Marauder’s weapons, so he’s firing mental projections through the plane’s guns.

Ben Liu: Our out of control mutant for the issue, Ben seems to be a reality warper. Originally, the team thinks he’s being chased by aliens, but it turns out these things aren’t real and are a product of his imagination and out of control powers. Ben is yet another mutant who has developed their powers late in life, not at the age of 13 or so.

The Weapon X-traction ending: This silly little story ends here. There was no reason for it to exist like it did, other then to sell books somebody may not normally buy. Basically, Wolverine and Deadpool fail at their mission, split up, meet up in a bar like a romantic comedy and share a beer. The end. Maybe this will read better in trade format, but for now it just seems like a pointless cash grab.

Artwork – Once again, this is where the book excels. The colors in this book are very vibrant, with rich shades of purple, red, and blue dominating many of the pages. A small downside of this coloring though is the usage of mood lighting. The question of why the team seems to be sitting in rooms with blue and purple light bulbs has to be asked. Who installed these things and thought that was a good idea? The colors look great, but the usage of them is a little off.

On the character design front Scott Summers definitely encounters some problems. Once again, he looks like he is fifteen in some panels and then in others he looks like he’s in his late 20’s or early 30’s. Why Ryan Stegman can’t get a handle on Scott’s age is a mystery. Magneto still looks ridiculous sitting in his chair, in a suit and wearing his helmet. Stegman has gone back to the idea of having Magneto’s face in complete darkness (think Onslaught). I’d like some type of expression on my favorite character’s face. Finally, there is Beast, who still looks like a racoon. I ask again: why does he have these dark rings around his eyes?

However, The aliens do look cool. They kind of remind me of the bots used by Danger in the Giant-Sized issue from the beginning of the Krakoa run.

Final Thoughts: Somehow, Jed McKay has made a book with all style and ZERO substance. Some solid teamwork is completely overshadowed by zero info on our characters and some extremely weird character designs. I realize this review is much shorter than most of my reviews, but honestly, there wasn’t a whole lot to write about.

Final score: 2 1/2 out of 5

Comic Details

Publisher:  Marvel

Writer:  Jed MacKay

Penciler: Ryan Stegman

Inker: JP Mayer

Colorist: Marte Gracia & FerSifuentes-Sujo

Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Cover Artist: Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer & Marte Gracia

Genre:  Superhero

Format: Monthly

Release Date: 08/14/2024