Immortal X-Men #2 is written by Kieron Gillen, illustrated by Lucas Werneck, colored by David Curiel, and lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles. It’s published by Marvel Comics. Picking up immediately after the end of the first issue, the Quiet Council and the rest of Krakoa must deal with a Kaiju born of Selene’s dark magic (the vampiric mutant was less than happy to see that the Council rejected her for membership). Krakoa’s last hope lies ironically enough in the Council’s newest member, Hope Summers.
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Gillen has said that each issue of Immortal X-Men will place its focus on a member of the Council. This issue focuses on Hope, and it’s a focus that’s sorely needed, in my opinion. Since becoming part of the mutant resurrection circuit known as the Five, Hope hasn’t had much to do. Her newfound position on the Council changes that, especially her interactions with Exodus, who considers her the messiah the mutant race needs. Hope was raised by Cable to be the best soldier she could be, so the switch from war to politics will be a very tricky road to walk, especially when Destiny indirectly asks her to handle Selene.
After illustrating a Kaiju assault on Krakoa in The Trial of Magneto, Werneck repeats the theme to significant effect in this issue. This time, the Kaiju looks like a massive centipede and moves with sinister, serpentine speed. Werneck also shows the X-Men combining their various powers to stop the Kaiju. Magneto impales it with metal fragments meant to act as a superconductor for Storm’s lightning, while Hope borrows Exodus’ belief-based powers to stop the creature since who has more faith in her than he does? But Sinister takes the cake. Ever the mad scientist, he injects himself with a cocktail of mutant DNA to grow to giant size and battle the Kaiju. It’s appropriately grotesque, as veins pulse from Sinister’s skin along with multiple bony protrusions.
Finally, Curiel mixes a combination of colors to create some stunning background images. This combination of colors works perfectly with the mutant team-ups. When Magneto and Storm work together, the sky turns blue to stormy black. When Hope and Exodus blast the Kaiju, the sky grows reddish-orange. And Cowles brings a unique flair to one of the issue’s data pages, which features a telepathic conversation between the members of the Council. Each line of dialogue is accompanied by a picture of the person speaking it, which makes the page feel like it was pulled from a screenplay. This also helps each mutant have a unique voice—you can practically feel the disdain dripping from Emma Frost’s dialogue.
Immortal X-Men #2 gives Hope Summers a much-needed day in the limelight while also showing how much of a threat Selene is to Krakoa. If you enjoyed Gillen’s previous run on Uncanny X-Men or Hope as a character, this is the issue for you. And the next issue looks to focus on Destiny, especially as her mutant gift of precognition seems to be backfiring on her.
Immortal X-Men #2 is available wherever comics are sold.
Immortal X-Men #2
TL;DR
Immortal X-Men #2 gives Hope Summers a much-needed day in the limelight while also showing how much of a threat Selene is to Krakoa.
