X-Men Schism #1 Review

The End of the X-Men as we know them begins here. Today I will be reviewing X-Men Schism #1. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think.

X-Men Schism #1

So let’s talk about the book. Cyclops asks Wolverine to accompany him to an national arms meeting where he asks the nations of the world to dismantle all Sentinels that they have in their possession, whether publicly known or in secret. The leaders refuse and start to get upset. Then Quentin Quire, AKA Kid Omega, breaks into the meeting and uses his massive telepathic powers to influence all of the leaders to reveal their dirtiest secrets out loud and on television. This results in a worldwide response by all of the nations to activate any and all Sentinels and mutant defenses they have. The X-Men contemplate their next move. Meanwhile, Kade Kilgore, the 12 year old son of one of the biggest arms dealers in the world, assassinates his father and takes control of his company. He is also revealed as the one who freed Quentin and allowed him to do what he did. All of this was done so he can become the new Black King of the Hellfire Club. And that’s the book.

So let’s talk opinions. Now THIS is what an “event” should look like. A strong cohesive story that sets the stage for a massive battle and a world shattering ending. I love the way this book is paced. The two main characters, Cyclops and Wolverine, are really getting the spotlight this issue. The history between these two is long and filled with both disagreements and mutual respect. We can see the beginning of the end already being foreshadowed in the way Wolverine disagrees with Cyclops in allowing Idie to stay and watch. Wolverine has always been a deeply dual sided and complex character. A berzerker killer on one hand and a nurturing mentor on the other.  Cyclops has always been a stern militaristic leader. He is the heart of the X-Men while Wolverine is their soul. I like the way the tension is being built at an incredibly slow pace. You just know that all hell will be breaking loose in the next issue or two but this issue it is just rising at an intense pace. We haven’t had a great Sentinel story in a long while. They have always been one of the deadliest enemies of the X-Men and with so few of them left, they could prove the final nail in their coffin. The Hellfire Club subplot is a really nice touch as well considering that it was the Hellfire Club that originally funded the Sentinels and that Sebastian Shaw, their former Black King was the man behind their mass production. I don’t know if this Hellfire club is all human and if the kid is the main villain, but I’m pretty sure that some other bigger enemy will be revealed by the end of this series. (Not Shaw, since he’s a blank slate right now) The art was pretty cool this issue. I love the Wolverine pincushion. A little over-exaggerated but a nice touch. The Sentinels look amazing as did all of the various city shots. I can’t wait to see what the other artists will do next. (There will be five different artists. One doing each book) This was an amazing book.

I do have two little complaints with this series, however. First, the events of this issue have little to no connection to the Prelude to Schism mini-series that came out and continues to validate my point that that mini-series was a waste of time and money. (That is unless the big threat in the sky during that mini-series was a wave of Sentinels. Then, that mini-series was just foreshadowing the end of this mini-series.) My second complaint continues my rant from my Prelude to Schism Review. That being the end of Uncanny X-Men, the only Marvel comic without a break in numbering. I find it disgusting that Marvel is ending Uncanny for no other reason than to make money by issuing a new #1. Its an insult to long time fans and serves no real purpose. I wish that it could be stopped but it seems that relaunching books is the gimmick of 2011 just like chromium and other strange covers were the gimmick of the 80s & 90s. Remember what those gimmicks caused? A general disgust of comics by the fans. I am personally appalled by it. Maybe its just me. That’s my opinion folks. Take it or leave it.

X-Men: Schism Reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5

Tags: Wolverine X-Men X-Men: Schism