Comic Review: Powers of X #1

Powers of X #1

Marvel Comics

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artists: R.B. Silva & Marte Gracia

Jonathan Hickman’s new era of X-Men began last week with House of X #1. Now, only a week later, the story continues with Powers of X, While House of X is designed to introduce readers to the start of the new age, Powers of X serves as a glimpse of the various points in time. Both the past and future (Mostly future) are explored in this issue, making for a surprisingly insightful look at the state of Hickman’s universe.

Like in my review of House of X, I don’t want to give too much away because most of the spectacle in this issue lies in the discovery. Four periods are explored in this issue, which initially had me concerned with the story’s pacing. It turns out that I had no reason to fret, as each of the four eras varies in length in this issue, allowing for Hickman to put the spotlight on the more important bits. I’m glad that Hickman took this approach, especially because it allows for some great new mutants to shine in this issue.

I praised House of X #1 for its ability to give both seasoned fans as well as new readers something to chew on. Powers of X is still accessible to new readers, but it does have a higher learning curve. Those who are unfamiliar with the characters may find themselves doing a little extra research on wikis. This is even with Hickman inserting his trademark pages full of information. This issue (and maybe even this specific miniseries) is catered to the longtime fans, which I do appreciate, I just don’t want to see new readers fall off of this.

Hickman has a wonderful grasp of the characters that he uses in this issue. Everyone is so well-written and I loved seeing certain mutants get the spotlight. Unlike the previous issue, there isn’t a single dull moment in this issue, though it doesn’t flow quite as nicely. This issue leads to more questions than answers, but this is fine considering that we still have ten more issues of Hickman’s miniseries.

R.B. Silva pencils and inks this issue, and does an excellent job at making the issue look great. There is a lot of action in the middle act of this issue, and Silva manages to find the perfect angle in each panel to make everything flow well. Everyone’s expressions are full of emotion, adding a significant amount of weight to the writing. The character designs are exceptional, with the new mutants being a wonderful blend of the best of fan-favorite characters.

Marte Gracia colors Powers of X #1, making it just as vivid and impressive as he did in House of X #1. While Silva keeps the story moving beautifully, Gracia adds depth to the art. The colors allow for the art to keep up with the writing’s tone, and each of the four eras of X-Men come with a distinctive look. This issue doesn’t have quite as many fun and bright colors as House of X did, but that doesn’t stop it from being gorgeous.

Despite not being as accessible as House of X, Powers of X is another hit for Hickman and X-Men fans. There is a lot take in, a lot to speculate at, and a whole lot of neat things to be surprised by.

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