X-MEN #31 (MARVEL COMICS)

Fresh off the Danger Room story arc the X-Men are back for the next arc in the mutant saga, Anomaly! As the X-Men Science Team reports to the Canadian Rockies to investigate an anomaly, they find out it’s something completely different from what they thought.

X-Men #31 - Written By Jed MacKay - Penicils By Tony S. Daniel – Inks By Mark Morales - Colors By Fer Sifuentes-Sujo - Letters By VC’S Clayton Cowles-Edited By Tom Brevoort - Published By Marvel Comics

Credit: Marvel Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

The X-Men Science Team have reported to the Canadian Rockies to investigate an anomaly. The team consists of Beast, Magneto, Kid Omega, Xorn, Animalia, and Ben Liu. Since the anomaly is magnetic in nature, having both of the mutants with magnetic abilities makes sense, even though Magneto is still inflicted with the future illness. As the team looks for the source, Kid Omega starts to hone in. But when he does, he gets hit with a psi-spike that sends him crashing. This is when he and the team realize there is more to this anomaly than what they thought, and Cassandra Nova’s fingerprints are all over it.

WRITING:

This first issue of the new arc does a great job of setting the tone and pace for what’s to come. Jed MacKay shows that he put a lot of thought into the team that we would be following throughout this arc. Bringing Cassandra Nova and 3K back into the mix after a little break feels fresh and gets us back into the overall story. This first issue is a little slow building, but it hits all the notes it has to in building what’s to come. The reveal of who the anomaly is was a surprise to me, as I had forgotten about what happened to them. But it was a cool reveal, and it should lead to some interesting things.

ARTWORK:

The art team delivers sharp, engaging visuals that keep the issue moving with confidence. The action is easy to follow and full of energy, while the different locations give the story a strong sense of scale. The characters retain their familiar looks without feeling static, and the bold color work adds intensity to every scene. Overall, the visuals make this a standout-looking issue.

Check Out My Review of X-Men #30

Final Thoughts:

X-Men #31 is a good start to a new arc and shows a lot of promise. Getting back to the main overall story is a plus and can’t wait to see where they take this story. This is a perfect jumping on point for anyone that wants to dip their toe into the X-Men world. When you’re at the LCS this week consider grabbing a copy!

FINAL GRADE: 8.5/10

Let me know your thoughts on X-Men #31 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!