X-Men: Messiah Complex #1

October 30, 2007

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Messiah Complex Chapter One
Rating: T+

A new mutant is born – will the X-Men get him first?

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Marc Silvestri
Inks: Joe Weems & Marco Galli
Background Assists: Sheldon Mitchell
Colors: Frank D’Armata
Letters: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover Art: David Finch (Cover A); Marc Silvestri (Cover B)
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The highly-touted “first X-Men crossover in years” begins here. Since M-Day wiped out most of the mutants on Earth, no others have been born… until today. A new mutant is born, one so powerful that just his birth nearly destroys Cerebro. Seeing hope for their species, the X-Men rush off to find their new kinsman, but they aren’t the only ones who want him. The Marauders, the Purifiers and Predator X are all on his tail as well, and the trail of destruction is incredible.

For what it is, the story here isn’t bad. Considering how things have gone since M-Day, it’s easy to accept so many people rushing after the first new mutant. The scenes of destruction are particularly convincing, although one has to wonder just why this new mutant is exhibiting so much power at birth instead of at puberty like the rest of them. (I’m going to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume that’s a plot point that will be explained later.)

The big problems with this issue are minor glitches – Cyclops, at one point, says it has been “years” since M-Day. In real time, it’s been about two years. In Marvel Time, it’s hard to believe it’s been even one. It’s also kind of odd to suddenly hear people calling Cyclops “Slim” again after so many years. Not bad, necessarily, but odd.

Marc Silvestri’s artwork is pretty good. Emma seems to be wearing an awful lot of eyeshadow, but otherwise, it’s effective.

This isn’t a bad start, but the real test will be whether this storyline has the juice to last 13 chapters across four titles.

Rating: 6/10