Al Ewing reminds readers why Apocalypse is a vital player to Mutantdom and most of all for the X-Men. Reintroducing Apocalypse back into the fold of Krakoa, it appears peace is difficult to maintain when the one you love keeps secrets. Especially a secret that could cause the destruction of all the hopes and dreams that one builds towards. Genesis knows something that Apocolypse does not, and what she hides from him will cost them more than realize. What will Apocalypse do when he finds out? And how will this affect Arrako and Krakoa?
It’s been a few years since House of Swords that readers last saw Apocalypse before he left with his wife Genesis and the rest of their crew to maintain peace between Krakoa and Arakko. All this time Apocalypse espoused his wife’s philosophy of only the strong survive, but his goals were always different from Genesis’s goals. Ewing does a fantastic job crafting this character study of Apocalypse that demonstrates that he was always more than a conqueror and that his goals were always more than mere destruction, and that sets him apart from Genesis, the rest of Amenth, and other X-men foes who’ve been integrated into the Krakoan era of mutantdom. While there is a bit of setup for things to come, this is very much an Apocalypse story centered on Apocalypse and his time away, and it is a very solid read that’s worth checking out.
Luca Pizzari, Stefano Landini, and Raphael Pimento all share art duties, each contributing their part of this 36-page book. The art by all three illustrators are consistent and complementary to each other’s styles, and panel compositions are well illustrated. What really shines is the coloring by Ceci De la Cruz, who drapes the art with stunning colors that fit the otherworldly tone that Apocalypse, Genesis, and all of the Amenth exude throughout the book. Travis Lanham does a good job lettering the book and balancing the letting with the art. This might not be a one-shot issue for everyone, but if you’ve been keeping up with the current lineup of Krakoa-Era X-titles, I think this book is worth checking out as it details Apocalypse’s current status quo within the X-books, and its worth adding to your pull list for new comic book day.
Newsdesk