Writer: Gerry Duggan
Art: C.F. Villa, Matt Milla, VC’s Clayton Cowles, Martin Coccolo, Jesus Aburtov, Jay Bowen, and Tom Muller
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$3.99
Release Date: February 15th, 2023
When the X-Men get a distress call from deep space, they find that the galaxy’s Brood problem is not as solved as they’d thought! Rogue Brood factions have begun running wild and it’s up to the X-Men to get to the bottom of why! Let’s dive into X-Men #19 by Gerry Duggan and find out!
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 #19 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Forge is holding this book together. He’s the best part of Duggan’s run and continues to be the best plot thread. He dove into the Vault, brought back Laura, and now he’s diving into something else head first too. He may be a bit too reckless at times, however, it’s that recklessness and drive that’s formed some insane weaponry and story angles that have been linchpins to this Krakoan Era. Now, I bring this all up because fans kick off with a Forge story beat that quickly gets pushed aside for the Brood, Firestar, and Iceman who just don’t have the pop or star power you would think.
Nevertheless, Duggan throws fans right into an alien birth surgery where he showcases his use and understanding of a variety of mutant abilities juggling them with ease. Moreover, the scene with Synch and Talon was creative and quite charming seeing the two of them work together. Plus, Duggan provides fans with a tender moment between the two as well as a great team bonding moment with Everett and his abilities. As X-Men #19 unravels, Duggan has this lineup coming together as a team much more than the prior issues. Additionally, he utilizes their powers well and in conjunction. Truthfully, I could do without Firestar and Iceman. Yet, I wouldn’t want to cut ties with anyone else on this team right now. They’re a great mix!
ART
Stefano Caselli doesn’t do an awful job by any stretch. However, small panels and small characters make for this reviewer’s older eyes to hurt before all is said and done. Plus, the smaller panels and characters ultimately lack more detail and deflate the excitement of the action when it’s all said and done. It’s actually the color choices and style by Federico Blee that really does the trick in this week’s X-Men #19. Even though Brood fighting can be dark, the colors were crisp, bright, and vibrant while Firestar and Iceman tangled with them outside. Inside, I loved the red glare from Cyclops Optic Visor as it echoed off the dark hallways and people. My biggest nitpick would simply be for Caselli to be bigger. When he zoomed in at certain scenes, the detail and impact paid off.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The story is Forge. That’s the part readers will want to learn more about yet we get very little. The Brood angle was much better than I thought it would be. The tension was raw. The operation was intense. And the power manipulation by Synch, Talon, and ultimately Duggan was well played. As I stated above, this team is really coming together more like a family than all the other Krakoan iterations. Almost everybody has somebody to pair up with and the team just jives together so well. My biggest takeaway would simply be to give Forge his own title. He’s been the most interesting aspect of the X-Men run for months, however, popping him in and out just isn’t enough. It would also provide more substance if the two stories were separated.
Overall, X-Men #19 was much better than I thought it was going to be. The Brood storyline had just enough power to keep the momentum of the narrative while also simultaneously juggling almost three to four different mini-stories in the process. Duggan is certainly on to something here, however, it may be an extremely difficult place for fans to jump in on this series. Additionally, Duggan continues to make X-Men one of the top, must-read series of the Krakoan Era by mixing and matching some wildly creative stories with new ideas and missions that continue to hit the mark. This may not be the best place to jump in but, if you go back about two to three issues, I think you could hop in there.