Marvel’s latest event, X-Manhunt, ends this week with X-Manhunt Omega #1. Xavier is running and has a tumor killing innocent people. Cyclops became obsessed with bringing him back to prison, and the mutants were not at an age conflict. Although flawed in a certain way, this finale offers multiple epic moments and resolutions for most subplots.
X-Manhunt Omega #1 will open a few weeks before the current event. Cyclops and Magik meet with Rogue and Gambit at their headquarters, but have not made eye contact. Cyclops is worried that safety mutants enjoy even a small amount compared to those in Clacoa. This is a scene that reminds you of the temperature between major competing characters, but offers a handy montage of all the X-Men books currently underway. Thus, this issue is a good jump point for readers who are ready to jump in but have not read the title of the “From Ashes” era.
This launches a solo campaign by Magic and Cyclops to find Xavier and introduce him. The plan includes Kaiju-sized weapons, including a giant golem, and cliché yet epic action scenes. It was decided because we tend to see superhero stories reaching huge threats to climb the climactic moment. These scenes show off Magik’s abilities with fun combo moves with Cyclops, and are in the middle of the matter.
In the end, the creepy X-Men of Storm, Wolverine and Rogue are all involved in the fight. As far as all the works of the X-Men universe are concerned, writers Gail Simone and Murewa Ayodele get a huge cast that is primarily involved, if not mentioned via other connected scenes. In this way, the caliber nature of the events in the story does something rather concise and tricky.
Not so concise is the loose plot thread where Cyclops’ panic attacks leave with Wolverine’s movements, which are more convenient than realistic. That scene leads to a complete 180 with Xavier’s cancer. Certainly, he’s been working on it for a while, but it’s a one-sided resolution. The story also cleans under the rug the long details of Xavier killing innocent people. These are resolutions, but they are not very satisfying.
Just in case you haven’t read all the books…
Credit: Marvel
Another reason this is a decent jump point for readers is that even if all of these resolutions are not grown, this feels like a big turning point for the X-Men line. The fact that Xavier’s name is dropped into the school is clearly a directive we are looking at in the future. You can see this era reset by pairing it with a teaser pointing out that Jonathan Hickman’s Empire will continue the Xavier story.
All of this, especially in the end, seems like many characters are out of character. For example, Emma forgives Xavier, and even Marvel is there. Storm also acquires a small portion. But Cyclops, Magic and Kid Omega are all right. The creators wanted to spend a period in this era, so they might have forced some characters to act in a certain way to achieve that.
Enid Balam, Greb Melnikov and Federica Mansin share Brian Leber’s colour and art. The scene between Wolverine and Cyclops leads to a whiplash transition, primarily due to a change in tone, but the style is seamless so much that it’s not jarring when the artist changes. The tone shifts quite a bit here and there, and the flow and pace of the problem fades away. Cyclops goes all out with his explosion and as the artists show off it they look as impressive as ever.
X-Manhunt Omega #1 is a solid yet flawed finale that delivers X-Men universe sights and major shakeups while lacking emotional depth and character consistency. The action is grand, the stakes are high, the future is clearly laid out, making it a must-read for those invested in the Age of Ashes. But the rushed solution, uneven character portrayals and inconsistent tones hinder it from being truly amazing. If you are looking for a clear setup for big moments and the next thing, this problem will come true, but don’t expect a completely satisfying return.
‘x-manhunt omega’ #1 has many solutions, even if some are grown
X-Manhunt Omega #1
X-Manhunt Omega #1 is a solid yet flawed finale that delivers X-Men universe sights and major shakeups while lacking emotional depth and character consistency. The action is grand, the stakes are high, the future is clearly laid out, making it a must-read for those invested in the Age of Ashes. But the rushed solution, uneven character portrayals and inconsistent tones hinder it from being truly amazing. If you are looking for a clear setup for big moments and the next thing, this problem will come true, but don’t expect a completely satisfying return.
Deliver epic action moments with giant golems and fierce mutants battles.
Cyclops and Magik’s mission is a powerful highlight and showcases great teamwork.
It summarises the current status of the X-Men and acts as a jump-on point for new readers.
A loose plot thread like Cyclops’ panic attacks and Xavier’s cancer is resolved too conveniently.
Xavier’s past crimes are bushed aside, and it feels like a solution won’t develop.
Tones across the issue feel inconsistent in pacing.
The artist’s transition is almost smooth, but causes jarring moments.
