Review: ‘X-Men’ #5
Jed MacKay’s run keeps on chugging along w/ a great issue focused on Psylocke & Kid Omega’s TK journey into the psyche of the mutant the team saved in issue #2. I was definitely uneasy about this series when it debuted, but so far I’m totally bought in & really enjoying it!
I loved how MacKay wrote the (friendly?) rivalry between these two while depicting them as a formidable duo on their mission. I know Psylocme likely isn’t long for this series given her upcoming solo, but I’m glad we got to see her & Quentin in action together as they’ve probably been the two characters in this series w/ the least storyline so far. I also loved seeing John Greycrow as he’ll be playing a big part in Psylocke’s solo, so it was a nice touch to see those two together now.
My mind was blown at MacKay’s reveal of who’s behind the new X-gene activations! I may or may not have let out an audible gasp haha. Really interested to see how this plays out, who Cassandra may be working with, & hopefully a climactic showdown between the two sides!
Ryan Stegman was back on art this issue & I can’t believe how quickly I’ve now associated this run w/ his art. I loved what Netho Diaz did on the last issue, but seeing Stegman’s art brought back after even just one issue gave the story an immediate feeling of familiarity. He gave us some really neat designs for the psychic journey & the visuals depicting 3K’s experiments were truly horrifying. The additional inking by JP Mayer & Livesay gave Stegman’s designs depth, especially during Cassandra’s reveal & Marte Gracia’s colors elevated it all to another level. Loved his use of pinks & greens! Clayton Cowles’ lettering approach to the psychic comms was really cool & I couldn’t remember seeing it down this way similarly. Extra snaps for creativity!
Rating: 9/10
