REVIEW: ‘Amazing X-Men’ Issue 1

Amazing X-Men Issue 1 is written by Jed Mackay, art by Mahmud Asrar, colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

Cyclops and the surviving X-Men try to get to Revelation, all while being hunted by the Angel of Death, aka Wolverine.

This issue is a key part of the Age of Revelation crossover. Cyclops and Beast have had their minds transported into their future bodies, where a mutant virus was unleashed on the public, either killing them or turning them into mutants. This was all led by Doug Ramsay, formerly known as Cypher but now going by Revelation, heir to Apocalypse.

Amazing X-Men Issue 1 is part of something much bigger, yet it offers the best jumping-on point for the whole crossover to get into. It’s highly recommended that X-Men: Age of Revelation: Overture Issue 1 is read first. It directly relates to this comic, and the tone and pace are maintained. It’s a journey through the changed territories, exploring a world that has been transformed and terraformed by Revelation.

This dystopia is slightly different because the mutants have won. They’re victorious, but there’s a sickly tone to the win. It’s violent, and free will has disappeared. Without the knowledge of this story from the Overture, it would be so jarring to begin any Age of Revelation comic.

The mission must be hurried because a barbaric, unrelenting Wolverine is tailing the group. Every location reeks of death and despair, especially the one that they enter in Amazing X-Men Issue 1. It also makes this alternate future relevant to current stories, as Cyclops and the others venture into the ruins of Graymalkin prison.

The tension and nervous emotions laced into this issue are fantastic, transforming into a hunt and a frantic clamber to escape. With this being a possible future, it means that many characters, including fan favorites, may be cut down. Each death is shocking and devastating.

The characters are brilliantly written and portrayed in Amazing X-Men Issue 1. The last of this tired and traumatized team is Cyclops. He may be new to the situation, but Scott Summers is one of the best tacticians on the planet. He can instantly take charge and utilize those around him. Some of the mutants he encounters are new to him, and he only knows of them vaguely. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t work with them or figure out how they can be of help.

Then there is Wolverine, mute but menacing. It’s times like this when we are reminded how frightening Wolverine can be when he’s not on your side. Revelation has completely turned Logan into his dog, existing only to hunt down his enemies. He can always find you, he’s lethal if he catches you, and he will not stop coming.

Many of the other characters are also fascinating, as they’re not typically featured in these alternate reality stories. The From the Ashes relaunch brought many new and young voices, who, in the present day, were learning their powers and their place in Mutantkind. But now they have lost friends and family, witnessing awful sights. And just being young didn’t spare them from being slaughtered.

The relationship we have built with the newer characters makes what happens all the more upsetting and jarring. Some of the dialogue sends a shiver down your spine. Mackay did an excellent job of borrowing figures from other writers and replicating how they talk beautifully.

The art is sensational. Many of the characters have undergone significant changes. Not only have they aged, but the virus unleashed has turned their mutations into something new. Beast now resembles the Wendigo, and Cyclops is bearded with longer hair. Wolverine, resistant to aging, has a disturbing metal mask that obscures his eyes, making him look even more terrifying.

Some team members haven’t aged for various reasons. And for one, it makes their fate even more disturbing. The fight scenes are startlingly brutal. Wolverine is fully unleashed, carving through people with a savage efficiency. The landscape and surroundings are intriguing because they tell two different stories. Nature has taken over, luscious and beautiful. However, within the forests and woodlands lie remnants of suffering, war, and revenge. Graymalkin has been razed. And whilst it was a prison, seeing the consequences is horrifying.

The colors are mesmerizing. Both Beast and Jennifer Starkey, one of the newer mutants, have turned a pristine white. It’s a haunting, peculiar shade. Glob Herman remains a signature pink, which is the color of his transparent skin, and Cyclops has a variety of red and blue. Graymalkin has a resident known for being clad in black, but others have an ethereal green glow. The variety of tones makes the comic captivating. The lettering is very smooth and easy to read, with terrific sound effects that enhance the book’s chaotic moments.

Amazing X-Men Issue 1 ventures further into a disturbing world. Every book in Age of Revelations has a dark, grieving tone. It’s not necessarily just from what we see, either. It’s what we haven’t seen. There’s history and mentions of unimaginable pain and loss. And yet there isn’t time to dwell on what’s happened, because Wolverine is always not far behind. It’s morbid, but we want to learn more about this decrepit dystopia.

Amazing X-Men Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.