X-Men #36 (Marvel Comics)

Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I'm going to be reviewing the 36th issue of X-Men from Marvel Comics!

The group 3K is working towards a working version of the X-Virus that they brought back from the Age of Revelation. However they’ve made a stunning realization that one of the key ingredients might lay in Magneto himself. So just what can they do? Let’s jump into it!

Credit: Marvel Comics //X-Men #36 by Jed MacKay (Writer), Netho Diaz (Penciler & Cover), Sean Parsons (Inker & Cover), Arthur Hesli (Colorist & Cover), VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

The Story

This issue is a prologue to the upcoming DNX event that’s going to start in September with the X-Men & Fantastic Four being the central focus. There’s a lot going on in the prologue to that issue, but the main thing to focus on is The Chairman, the leader of the group 3K & the ORIGINAL Hank McCoy is leading the group’s goal of completing the virus and bringing around their own view of how the world should be.

The main focus of the issue is the conversation The Chairman has with Magneto. There’s a lot going on in that conversation and it might take you a couple of readings to get a full understanding of what’s going on. I won’t spoil it, but what I will say is that The Chairman lays all his cards out on the table. It’s a fascinating conversation with a lot at stake but it might be one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve read in a Marvel comic in quite some time.

While that conversation is going on, there’s a whole action sequence going on with various members of the X-Men. It’s a knockdown fight that is everything you’d expect out of an X-Men comic, but the interesting part is the “end” of the battle. While it’s not the actual end, it’s the end for this issue, it still is interesting cause it raises some questions of when exactly this is taking place. Is the battle taking place during the conversation with Magneto & the chairman? Is it before, or after?

Time will tell when it comes to answering those questions and so much more. Because the ending of this issue really sets up for the DNX event in a really spectacular way. Things do NOT look good for mutants or the world at large, and just where this is going to lead is anyone’s guess. But it’s sure to be an incredible ride from Jed MacKay.

The Artwork

Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons & Arthur Hesli are in charge of the artwork for this issue and I was really impressed with their style and the way the issue looked. Admittedly X-Men comics aren’t usually some of my go to comics these days, but when I do pick one up I really rely on being able to recognize who I’m looking at. The artists in this issue do a great look at that making this issue incredibly easy to jump into for new readers who might not be a regular reader. They also did a great job with the conversation scenes with Magneto & The Chairman, and you really got a good sense that it’s not exactly a bright and happy future they’re discussing. I also have to commend them on the action sequences, as there were a few of them that made me go “holy crap” and the one panel with Psylocke being one.

Overall Grade: 8/10

A great issue that sets up for the DNX event in a really compelling way. It sets things off in a way that feels like it’s already too late to stop it and it’s going to be interesting to see where it leads from here. Jed MacKay’s great story, together with the artwork that’s absolutely incredible make this an issue you can’t pass up on!