X-Men Red #5
The Hour of Uranos is expanded upon in X-Men Red #5, by writer Al Ewing, artist Stefano Caselli, colorist Federico Blee, and letterer Ariana Maher. This is yet another amazing tie-in to Judgment Day, with an ending that will leave readers with chills.
So, really, there’s not much to say about the summary of this issue other than it goes into greater detail on Uranos’s attack on Arakko. As he attacks the Great Ring, his arsenals are unleashed on the rest of the planet, with Nova, Sunfire, and the Arakkii doing their best to stop the slaughter. The mutants of the Ring, along with Cable and Brand, are defeated but some survive, ready for the next phase of the battle.
So far, Judgment Day is an excellent event, and the tie-ins are something to behold. Ewing is among the greatest superhero writers at Marvel right now, and this issue really shows why. It’s brilliantly paced and has a methodical feel, one that perfectly fits Uranos’s attack. He has an hour, and he unleashes horrors, working his way through the Arakkii. It’s so well done. Every panel is action-packed, and there are some amazing moments in this book.
From a surprising betrayal to a bloody battle to a last page that is worth the price of admission alone, this entire issue is a tour de force. Ewing doesn’t pull any punches in this one. It does two things - it shows just how powerful Uranos is, and it shows just how great the Arakkii are at battle. They fight tooth and nail to save their land against astronomical odds. The wreck of Arakko in Judgment Day #1 was a huge surprise, especially since the Arakkii do not go in for resurrection, and this installment really gets into the guts of that. It expands perfectly on something that everyone wanted to see.
Ewing’s writing is only part of why this book is amazing. Caselli’s art is never anything short of perfect. From the battle at the Ring, to the skirmishes all over the planet, to that final page, the issue is beautifully drawn. It’s pretty much impossible to pick any one image that makes this chapter’s art so wonderful, but that last page is definitely a huge surprise. It’s gorgeous, and the questions it raises are manifold.
X-Men Red #5 is yet another great tie-in to Judgment Day #1. Ewing and Caselli kill every single panel of the issue. Nothing is wasted, and it does a brilliant job of laying out just how Uranos was able to do what he did to Arakko and what’s about to happen next.
