The X-Men #18 barrel is heading towards the finishing touches of the story arc, and the X-Men is being tested in every way. Magneto is fighting a Kaiju-sized child mutant, Beast is about to be attacked by a wire, and the X-Men has almost a 3K X-Men on the ropes.
The problem begins with the Beast facing Wire, a non-mutant 3K X-Men member participating in the mission. His goal is revealed by the end, pushing the Beast into questioning his heroism. These scenes are a little thin, with battles and questions, and most of the meat is saved later. Their scene is confused with the other two subplots, with new mutants stepping up to defend the Beasts, but there is no immediate risk of matching the stakes of the other subplots.
Meanwhile, Cyclops, Magik, Juggernaut, Temper and Psylocke have 3K X-Men defeated their leaders and placed them in bad places. Through this, writer Jed Mackay further shows that Cyclops is the best leader anyone can have. The scene provides action, but also reveals dysfunction in the 3K X-Men. There is also important information about a particular member. This suggests that this is a rather ragtag group of different teams.
The 3K X-Men is quite dysfunctional.
Credit: Marvel
The third and final subplot concludes Magneto’s tryout with a sentinel. He is very much at the wrong end of the fight, but a little help from his fellow mutants turns things into an emotional beat. The character’s revelation about Piper’s twin sisters is currently living on Kaiju Akanti’s ship, which raises many future possibilities. The armor has a cry of Cassandra Nova, whom she thought would be out of the way in her new pet project.
Emilio Ryso intervenes in the art with colour by fer sifuentes-sujo and does a good job. The art isn’t as detailed as Netho Diaz or Ryan Stegman’s, but the characters’ performances are strong and the dramatic beats are hit. The visuals that some might prefer have a slightly animated cartoon vibe. Unfortunately, previous artists were unable to complete this arc, but that’s a visually appealing beat issue.
X-Men #18 juggles three storylines with different levels of impact. Cyclops and Magneto arcs provide the strongest beats. Some scenes don’t have punches and feel like a set-up for the next one, but there’s plenty of character development and forward motion to keep readers invested when ARC closes. If it is slightly uneven, it is a visual solids problem.
‘x-men’ #18 closes out three subplots (better than the other subplots)
X-Men #18
X-Men #18 juggles three storylines with different levels of impact. Cyclops and Magneto arcs provide the strongest beats. Some scenes don’t have punches and feel like a set-up for the next one, but there’s plenty of character development and forward motion to keep readers invested when ARC closes. If it is slightly uneven, it is a visual solids problem.
A moment of strong Cyclops character that strengthens his leadership.
The Magneto subplot ends with emotional and thought-provoking notes.
Art by Emilio Ryso captures important dramatic beats and provides expressive character creations.
The art shift from previous issues may be jarring for readers who are hoping for more detailed work.
The beast/wire scene feels undeveloped and lacks urgency compared to the other subplots.
