Writer: Steve Foxe
Art: Jonas Scharf, Frank Martin, VC’s Clayton Cowles, Nelson Daniel, Stephen Segovia, Tom Muller, and Jay Bowen
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$3.99
Release Date: August 16th, 2023
Following the explosive events of the Hellfire Gala, Madelyne Pryor realizes the world needs the X-Men now more than ever. Havok and Gambit have served on the team before…but never one that looks like this! And how does Gimmick fall under the Goblin Queen’s sway? Find out in the most horrific installment of the X-Men saga yet as Dark X-Men #1 by Steve Foxe kicks off!
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Dark X-Men #1 Review.
THE DISPATCH
I think the coolest aspect of Dark X-Men #1 is the way it pulls off Madelyn Pryor as this leader/ savior figure who’s commanding the charge to save mutants and take down Orchis. Foxe does a fabulous job of painting Pryor as this anti-hero who no one would even think twice about messing with. Plus, the parallels between Madelyn and Alex versus Jean and Scott are uncanny. Sure the opening wasn’t as exciting as Uncanny Avengers #1 was this week making Dark X-Men #1 start off a bit slower than anticipated. However, Foxe focuses the hook more on the individuals and their darker side in order to captivate the reader.
Nevertheless, Dark X-Men #1 picks up fast as we see a group of the team attempt to rescue a captured mutant kid heading to a re-education camp. The parallels Foxe hints at are super easy to pick up on and overly reminiscent of the Nazi camps and individuals selling out friends and neighbors in order to save their families. Sure, it’s dark but that’s the intent of the issue. Hence, the name! However, it’s the next level, almost demonic-looking, X-Men team that Pryor has that’s freakishly intoxicating to any longtime X-Men fan or even those seduced by the horror comic genre. Both qualifiers should definitely check this issue and series out.
That said, the ending does provide a few wrinkles that made this reviewer quite intrigued to see where Dark X-Men #1 is heading, what its angle is going to be, and how this series is going to take shape. If anything can be construed from this issue, it’s that readers can see plain as day that this Fall of X is going to be a very long process. So, get ready to buckle in!
ART
As much as you’d love to give credit to Foxe, it’s actually Jonas Scharf and Frank Martin who provide Dark X-Men #1 with the gloaming, eerie tone that gives this comic its almost horror feel. The coloring even down to the fire surrounding Madelyn at times provides readers with this demonic vibe that enhances the bizarre and adds a level of discomfort to the issue that sets the atmosphere well.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Dark X-Men #1 showcases Madelyn Pryor in the driver’s seat of an X-Men team with Havoc as her “angel on the shoulder” keeping her in line. Together with her team of misfits, these Dark X-Men only care about their own and could care less about killing humans or anyone who stands in their way. This free-fo-all coupled with the almost eerie characters involved in the team, make Dark X-Men #1 quite unique in its form and design for this Fall of X Event. Additionally, fans should be prepared for the story to take a bit of time before it picks up. The excitement and action will come along with a few answers left hanging out there since the Hellfire Gala. Readers will just need to be patient as Dark X-Men #1 begins to take shape.
That said, what the creepy and bizarre vibes mustered into the comic, the purpose and connection to the overall Fall of X premise didn’t. Plus, I couldn’t help but shake this feeling that there appear to be a ton of mutants still on Earth despite the millions being forced off by Xavier at the Hellfire Gala. The Gala made it sound like few could resist. However, being almost two to three weeks into the Event, readers find dozens of mutants still here as well as some that are children hiding out with their families. Moreover, I thought only certain mutants could resist Xavier that practiced that secret code to break his psychic link. Sure, Madelyn makes sense but again we see a ton of mutants still here that don’t for the motif. These questions, along with the slow pacing for the opening, may cause fans to bail instantly or cut the title for financial reasons. However, I recommend giving this series at least another issue or two before making the cut. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!