This week the spotlight is on TOMB OF APOCALYPSE #1 by Ashley Allen and Domenico Carbone. And stick around for rapid reviews of WOLVERINE#26 and X-MEN #36.
TOMB OF APOCALYPSE #1
Writer: Ashley Allen
Artist: Domenico Carbone
Colorist: Fer Sifuentes-Sujo
Letterer:VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover by Rod Reis
After the stellar work she has put into the Magik series over the last couple years, Ashley Allen has earned at least a look on anything she does moving forward. So here we are at Tomb of Apocalypse, a new miniseries featuring the 90s mutant dynamic duo Wolverine and Jubilee drawn into the orbit of the X-Men’s ancient foe. Allen is joined by artist Domenico Carbone and colorist Fer Sifuentes-Sujo and letterer Joe Sabino.
The setup here is not far from the recent Dungeons of Doom, with competing interests drawn into the villain’s boobytrapped and dangerous fortress. The tone is much more lighthearted, though Carbone’s and Sifuentes-Sujo’s art gives the Tomb itself an air of foreboding with claustrophobic layouts, moody shadows, and gloomy, midnight hues of blue. This is a Jubilee-starring book though, so it can’t all be darkness and terror, though. The shadows are broken up by bright white flashes and Jubilee’s highlighter yellow jacket and hot pink accessories are a constant contrast in the visuals, while her aggressively of-her-time attitude and standoffishness is a thematic clash against the ancient mythological evil and ritual of Apocalypse.
The book’s biggest flaw in this first issue is that there simply isn’t enough of that contrast here in this first issue. That’s the really interesting stuff but Allen has to get through all the setup that leads Jubilee into this world she very clearly doesn’t belong in. The little glimpses of Jubilee bickering with Apocalypse’s hologram in the darkness leave me disappointed in what we have instead but excited to read future issues. That mixed bag of emotions carries through much of this issue, honestly. It never really feels like it comes together until the very end. Carbone’s art is similarly hit and miss, with a few clunky transitions between panels and characters that appear just a little too lose and rubbery. Apocalypse himself is thin and looks sickly, not the imposing behemoth he should be.
Overall though, there is still much to like here. It offers glimpses of a compelling fish out of water adventure for everyone’s favorite mallrat mutant. Allen’s voice for Jubilee brings the 90s teen into jaded millennial adulthood. Passed over for opportunities, underestimated, written off. Eager to prove she is more than just the narrative written about her by other people. Wolverine plays a supporting role here, begrudgingly deferring to his old sidekick and respecting her growth. The art is overall solid aside from the few minor quibbles, and the action in particular is dynamic and exciting. Jubilee’s fireworks effects look great against the heavy dark, and there are some excellent shots of Wolverine action, leaning into his silhouette and savagery.
Bottom line, it is an entertaining start to a standalone adventure for a fan-favorite X-Men that has room to grow into something more, but it might read better when it’s all collected.
- Wolverine #26
- A few issues back, writer Saladin Ahmed had Logan join the ranks of Spidey and Deadpool, with a Logan-verse of his own as alternate Wolverines, aka the Savage Champions, helped him fight the spirit of Adamantine; during the battle, a set of his adamantium claws was broken. Following that, his healing factor was being siphoned off, and he started to succumb to adamantium poisoning. Now with the return of his powers, Logan has come to an existential crossroad, whether to reapply his right claws with adamantium or not. While contemplating his situation, he is pulled into the feudal, Japanese-like dimension of the Savage Champion, Red Hare, to finish their battle with the remnants of Adamantine. I don’t know if artist Julius Ohta is just filling in or is the new regular artist, Ohta’s clean line work is weirdly fitting for our favorite noble savage. With color artist Jesus Aburtov, they craft vibrant and engaging fight scenes as Logan and Red Hare battle their way to Adamantine’s current avatar, and Logan’s adjustment to fighting with a mixed set of claws is a harrowing skirmish. If you’re looking for a Logan who is ready to rumble while wrestling with his inner demons and doubts, Ahmed’s run is for you. – GC3
- X-Men#36
- I will be upfront and say I have largely checked out on the X-men for the past 11 issues but with DNX on the horizon, I have decided to check back in with X-MEN #36 as it is the final step on the road to DNX. The story is largely the villainous 3K X-men carry out their raid on the X-men with their sights set on Magneto. It is a familiar concept for the lead up to these X-Men crossovers, but an effective one. Writer Jed MacKay uses the moment to show the contrast of 3K X-Men’s inter-team conflict vs the cohesiveness of the standard X-Men. It is a simple set up but these simple moments help set the stage for the conflict ahead. Additionally, MacKay take a moment to showcase contrasting the differing ideologies of mutant supremacy behind Magneto and the Chairman provides a great character beat for both characters and make it clear that while their core goal is similar, their praxis is completely different. The balance between action and philosophical debate is well-executed. Artist Netho Diaz carries out the assignment perfectly and delivers a dynamic issue that complements the story’s balance. Overall, a solid issue that propels the team into the DNX event in the next couple weeks. -JJ
