Writer: Gerry Dugan
Art: Lucas Werneck, Bryan Valenza, VC’s Travis Lanham, Tom Muller, Jay Bowen, Marte Gracia, and Pepe Larraz
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$5.99
Reviewed by: Anonymous
Release Date: May 22nd, 2024
THE BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE! It all comes down to this – Orchis versus the X-Men, winner take the future! Orchis has pushed mutantkind to their lowest point ever, but that just means the X-Men have had to fight back like never before. Will it be enough? We continue to barrel toward the conclusion of the Krakoan Age as the two stories that are one come to an end!
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THE DISPATCH
Fall of the House of X #5, the concluding chapter of Gerry Duggan’s miniseries with Lucas Werneck on art, arrives with a whimper rather than a bang. This issue attempts to wrap up the lingering mysteries of Orchis’ machinations and the resurrection protocols, but the rushed pacing and underdeveloped plot points leave a sense of disappointment. The issue picks up with the X-Men facing a desperate battle against Orchis’ forces. The action sequences are frenetic but lack the weight and emotional resonance of previous issues in the X-Men’s line. Moreover, Duggan tries to juggle multiple plot threads, including internal conflicts within Krakoa and the reveal of a traitor, but these elements feel underdeveloped.
However, does this resurrection revolution fizzles out? Well, one of the core mysteries of the series – the true nature of the resurrection protocols – is addressed in this issue. Nevertheless, the revelation feels anticlimactic and doesn’t quite live up to the suspense built over the previous installments. The potential for a more philosophical exploration of death, life, and mutant identity is left unrealized.
ART
Werneck’s art remains a highlight of the issue. His dynamic layouts and detailed character work capture the chaos of the battle sequences and the emotional turmoil of the characters. The use of color is effective, particularly in differentiating between the lush greens of Krakoa and the sterile whites of Orchis’ facilities.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Fall of the House of X #5 concludes with a sense of uncertainty. The immediate threat is neutralized, but the larger ramifications of Orchis’ actions and the internal divisions within Krakoa remain unresolved. The final page offers a potential path forward for the X-Men, but it feels more like a dangling plot thread than a satisfying conclusion. So, is Fall of the House of X #5 Worth Reading? For fans who have been following the miniseries, this issue provides some closure, but it’s unlikely to be entirely satisfying. The rushed plot and underdeveloped themes leave the story feeling incomplete. New readers might be confused by the lack of context and the reliance on previous X-Men storylines. Nevertheless, Lucas Werneck’s artwork and glimpses of interesting plot threads remain the highlights of this issue. Yet, the rushed pacing, underdeveloped plot points, and anticlimactic revelations leave the story a bit lackluster. Overall, Fall of the House of X #5 was a disappointing conclusion to a miniseries that had a lot of potential. Die-hard X-Men fans might want to read this issue for completion’s sake, but for casual readers, it’s best to skip this one and jump into a different X-Men title as things shift towards the future of the franchise.