THEY CAME TO SLAY! The HELLFIRE GALA rages on, but bigger things are afoot a world away. Make no mistake – this is an X-Men book drawn by superstar artist Pepe Larraz. It is absolutely the most important issue of the month.
Summary
At the Hellfire Gala, the mutants of Krakoa and Arrako combine their Omega level powers to fully Terraform the planet Mars.
What I thought
Great art and considering all that happened was that there are now millions of mutants on mars we know next to nothing about. I liked the look and powers of the Arrako mutants used in the issue. Their powers are clearly a plot device but this is the nature of superhero comics so no complaints here. The premise of the move is based on the Arrako mutants wrecking havoc on the earth and the potential fallout there. Problem is the X-line is so self contained it seems like a small problem. This is a situation in which if it was shown why this is a problem, the solution would have carried more weight. Conversely the Hellfire issues that this will solve make sense and have legs since we have seen this unfold in X-Corp and Marauders.
This was a good showing for Magneto who organized the omegas for this exercise. It is an impressive feat that it took them minutes to do what the humans as a species could not. Storm is being set up for a prominent role here. Can’t wait to see where that goes. This feat if handled right should reverberate through the Marvel Universe. The mutants had a fashion gala which may have seemed like it was to highlight mutant fashion but instead it was to casually show the humans how far beyond them mutants really are.
READ MORE: BLACK MUTANT LISTING
The possibilities for where this could go are fascinating for this run but the same way Moira’s life is cyclical and things repeat so too is the nature of comics. Mutants as an analogy for the minority/downtrodden, then them as a booming race, then them fighting for survival. This is the X-men algorithm. Every major run in X-men history ticks one or multiple boxes. Storm in space is new, but it won’t last. I truly enjoyed this issue but preferred other Hellfire gala books far more. The art is truly the star of the show and I love that. Comics are a visual medium and here she is on stage, out and proud.
Verdict
I give this issue 3/5 stars, its a good book but rings hollow when compared to more character focused comics.
