REVIEW: ‘X-Men’ #1 (2024)

X-Men #1 (2024) is published by Marvel Comics, written by Jed MacKay, with pencils by Ryan Stegman, inks by JP Mayer, colors by Marte Garcia, and letters by Clayton Cowles. This is the start of a new era. Krakoa is gone, and the X-Men must resort to seeking refuge in new territory, finding new threats emerging and friends departing.

As an opening chapter with a brand new status quo, MacKay approaches the weight and pressure brilliantly. The story is split between two locations. At an abandoned Sentinel factory, Beast is taking a police officer around and explaining the pat and their current predicament. It’s a fantastic, emotive piece of exposition that catches the readers up without boring them. And the rest of the team, led by Cyclops, is in a battle, pushing the story into the future. Switching between the locations, the story is kept exciting and unfolds in a natural and digestible fashion.

It is immediately apparent how the situation has changed for the X-Men yet again, forcing them to start from the bottom and rebuild from ruins. Despite the new start in X-Men #1 (2024), the past has not been forgotten. Multiple generations of X-Men, the pain they have experienced, and the heroics they have performed are referenced and displayed. While there is high energy and some funny lines, there is a sense of trepidation and darkness.

The characters represent generations, too. With each new series launch comes a lineup to fill one of history’s most famous superhero teams. There are some classic members, such as Cyclops, Beast, and Psylocke. Magneto has become a mainstay, although he is an enigmatic figure who only comes into play by the end of the issue.

Magik has also become crucial to the team’s core, elevated from New Mutant to immovable member of the X-Men. Speaking of immovable. Juggernaut serves as the muscle. And Temper and Quentin Quire demonstrate how characters can grow up within the X-Men. They used to be young kids and students at the school when Wolverine was headmaster, tiny and adorable.

The cast is enormous, leading to a cooking pot of personalities. Through the trials and tribulations that they have faced, it will take time for the trust to build up again. Even Irey (Temper) has developed a thick skin and an anger that was not within her younger self. Cyclops is still the leader, but there are questions surrounding him. Even when it comes to fighting, a savagery and lack of restraint may have been present in the previous series. Considering some of the inclusions in X-Men #1 (2024), it is clear that there won’t be any restraint as we advance.

The art is incredible. Stegman also follows the route into a darker tone, with some gritty and surprising pieces of violence within X-Men #1 (2024). When one captured mutant is found, the damage done to them is revolting and unsettling. And the injuries inflicted on the villains by the X-Men are just as grizzly.

Perhaps the most horrifying is how their clothes seem to bubble and ripple when exposed to fire. It’s deeply unnerving to think what is happening under the uniforms. That fire damage can be seen elsewhere, on machinery and robots. There is something about those details that makes the skin crawl.

The heroes all look fantastic, combining new and old outfits. The art styles of Stegman and Mayer make it impossible not to consider the 90s when gazing at Cyclops. Whether it be the hair poking above the visor or the smoke sizzling from it, there is such a nostalgic vibe generated by just Scott Summers alone.

The colors are stunningly vibrant. Across this lineup is a complete kaleidoscope of shades, from purple to yellow. And yet Garcia ensures that there is never a clash. The villains have bright red overalls, similar to Orchis’s goons. Around the characters are muted colors that help the intensity of those in costume step out of the page. The lettering is evident and easy to read. If a word balloon is customised to suggest the pain of telepathy, it affects the balloon itself instead of the text, maintaining consistency.

X-Men #1 (2024) starts an era of uncertainty. MacKay gives the series immediate energy and personality, using the characters to drive the story. The last cast leads to countless possible combinations of conversation and conflict. The history of the X-Men is beautifully respected and acknowledged, as it is paramount to explaining how they got into this predicament. But it’s also a fine jumping-on-point for new readers.

When Beast gives a nervous police officer a tour of their new home, it succinctly describes mutants’ primary politics and struggles. Whilst the art and writing celebrate the past, the future is vital as the team scrambles for survival in X-Men #1 (2024).

X-Men #1 (2024) is available where comics are sold.