Writer: Gerry Duggan
Art: Joshua Cassara, GURU-eFX, VC’s Clayton Cowles, Martin Coccolo, Jesus Aburtov, Jay Bowen, and Tom Muller
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$3.99
Release Date: November 23rd, 2022
As the new X-Men team brings deals with a seemingly unstoppable foe, one X-Man wrestles with the fact they’ve gone way too far, and another is shaken by unexpectedly getting exactly what they’d no longer allowed themselves to dream of in this week’s X-Men #17 by Gerry Duggan.
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 X-Men #17 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Fans finally get an ending they have craved for quite some time in this week’s X-Men #17 by Gerry Duggan. And amongst this magical moment, Duggan develops some clever wrinkles that this reviewer never saw coming involving Darwin, the Children of the Vault, and even Caliban. Nevertheless, let me start with Darwin, which might have been the most fascinating aspect of X-Men #17. Duggan jumps from the assumption that Darwin doesn’t exist to something wild and creative that may blow some of your minds.
Yet, the fun doesn’t stop there. X-Men #17 constructs a new budding relationship between Caliban and Forge all while a unique throwdown transpires between Serafina and Forge. Readers, there’s just enough action to wet your whistle mixed with some brilliant story beats that are sure to have big payoffs down the line. However, the only real knock I can give this issue is the weird ending to the fight involving Serafina. It seemed forced, out of pocket, and didn’t seem necessary in the story. Meaning, I feel like Forge could have navigated this situation even without the awkward exchange/ fight between himself and Serafina.
ART
So, reviewers could focus on tons of small aspects of this issue. From the deep purple coloring in the Vault to the incredibly creepy rendering of Darwin, this art team was lights out. Or how about the large-scale dreamscape with excessive details drawn by Joshua Cassara? These are just a few of the little nuisances this creative team infused into X-Men #17. However, I think the stunning highlight of this X-Men installment was the full page spread that comes closer to the end of the issue that I think is going to be posted by every fan all throughout the internet come Wednesday evening! Let’s just say it’s a moment that needs no words AND quite a memorable one that this creative team gets to be a part of years to come.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I said it earlier in the review and I’ll say it again, the best single word to describe X-Men #17 is “brilliant”! All around the board, from creativity to story beats, top to bottom Duggan and Cassara have this series humming since this story arc began. HOPOX fans, as well as any X-Men fans that followed along with Synch and Laura, will love X-Men #17. Plus, fans that could care less about those two will still be captivated by the spectacular world developed by this creative team as well as innovative storytelling from top to bottom. Grab X-Men #17 over your lunch break. Don’t wait! Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!