Writer: Gerry Duggan
Art: Joshua Cassara, Frank Martin, Marte Garcia, Clayton Cowles, Tom Muller, and Jay Bowen
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price:$3.99
Release Date: July 5th, 2023
Hired for the dirtiest of jobs, a deadly mercenary comes crashing into the X-Men right at their most vulnerable moment! But not just any mercenary – finally, the breakout fan-favorite from X OF SWORDS, Pogg Ur-Pogg, returns in X-Men #24 by Gerry Duggan! Let’s take a look!
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 #24 Review.
THE DISPATCH
We open with Cable, who we really haven’t seen too much of lately. He’s on a mission to help the Hellfire Gala go off successfully but manages to run into some trouble along the way. Meanwhile, Destiny spits her wishy-washy mumbo-jumbo out in riddles that perplex making this reviewer’s head spin. And frankly, I used to care and look into all these comic book quandaries, however, the more I looked the more I realized they amounted to jack $&@$. I just want a good story. I don’t need whimsical jargon. The Cable opener was spot on. It was intense and practical, and a cause of concern to the story. All it was missing is a bit more context. The Destiny angle, however, it’s getting old and tired.
Next, X-Men #24 shifts towards an arbitrary fight on Gamesworld that they manage to thwart with some ingenuity and trades. Ultimately, the fight was just infused into the story to get the team mildly involved. However, the beginning was the main focus as well as the aspects involving the tension between Cyclops and Jean. Sure, we have some minor little nuggets sprinkled in with the characters but other than planting seeds for the last ride of this new era, we see a tension between Cyclops and Jean that Duggan plans on ironing out.
ART
Joshua Cassara and Frank Martin cram a ton into a small package. On the outside, that may sign complimentary. However, it made X-Men #24 very busy, less detailed, and hard to read. Large characters need space to breathe. They need space to maneuver and showcase their volatile ambitions. That’s not the case this week. The grid format constricts the main antagonist while the color choices of the characters blend in with the background during many of the fight sequences. Again, this made X-Men #24 hard to decipher and not easy on the eyes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
X-Men #24 just proves that even the writers are getting a bit tired. This Krakoan Era had well intentions AND was milked for everything it’s worth. However, every storyline and story beat continues to be one setup after another. It feels like a really long run-on sentence. I want to get to the fireworks factory! Now, we have more conflict before the Gala, something sinister with Cable, more behind the scenes with Orchis, and “marital problems” with Cyclops and Jean. There are simply too many dangling plot threads to keep track of. Don’t get me wrong, Duggan is doing his best. But the different thin plot threads and multiple vague and ambiguous story beats are starting to make even the main title less enjoyable. We need something new for the X-Men and we need it now. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!