Review: X-Men Forever #1

X-Men Forever #1is a missed opportunity that reads more like a cynical attempt to squeeze a few extra bucks out of the Krakoan finale when most readers are already losing interest in given the haphazard handling of core characters and storylines.

This issue would have felt more natural as the final few Immortal X-Men issues or a Rise of the Powers of X #0 opening salvo. Instead, we're left with a fragmented narrative that feels disjointed & pointless given how much we already know about certain characters' situations in future timelines & how few answers to questions that matter we actually receive. Was anyone really clamoring for an answer to know why Mother Righteous was working with Xavier? I sure wasn’t

Kieron Gillen's script spends a lot of time on Mother Righteous' backstory to answer that exact question. Now, if there is one Krakoan Era character who I never need to see more of, and who is likely never showing back up again anytime soon, it's Mother Righteous. Her schtick got old fast. The decision to spend so much time with her is especially frustrating considering the issue then jumps ahead quite a bit after Xavier enlists her, leaving plenty of plot holes remaining which could have made for a much more interesting & engaging story.

Adding to my frustrations, the story we got made the main cover art feel like a complete bait and switch. Jean/Phoenix played an extremely minor role when you would have expected her to be the core character if you picked up the book based on the cover. Hopefully the remaining three issue in this miniseries can quickly recover because right now I’d rather forever be over.

Rating: 5/10