X-Men Red #11
Xavier calls Storm as Sunfire and Nova have an interesting conversation in X-Men Red #11, by writer Al Ewing, artist Jacopo Camagni, colorist Federico Blee, and letterer Ariana Maher. This story is a tour de force and ends with a great cliffhanger.
Storm goes on a date with the astronaut Craig Marshall, who helped out when Uranos attacked the planet. However, the date is interrupted when Xavier calls Storm, telling her they need to talk. Sunfire, Nova, and Kobak Never-Held make small talk in a sauna about the current situation on Arakko. Kobak leaves to get ready for his battle for a seat on the Great Circle, and Sunfire and Nova continue to talk when an explosion sounds in the direction of the External Gate. Storm and Xavier verbally spar over many aspects of their relationship, with the heart of it being that Xavier doesn’t know if Sinister was manipulating him. Storm doesn’t have time for his self-doubt and leaves him, warning him to stay away from Arakko. Meanwhile, Sunfire and Nova investigate the External Gate, watching as someone cuts through the fabric of space. It’s Jon Ironfire, and he has news - the White Sword and his soldiers have fallen, and Genesis is coming.
The centerpiece of this issue is the discussion between Storm and Xavier, and it’s a doozy. Ewing cuts to the heart of their relationship, as Storm has long since realized what Xavier took from her by bringing her into the X-Men. Meanwhile, Xavier is still playing his regular game, acting as the kindly teacher, the authoritarian, and finally who he is right now - the broken man questioning himself. Storm’s dismantling of Xavier’s entire mental picture is superb, with Ewing showing that he understands these characters better than anyone else. It’s such a wonderful sequence.
The Sunfire and Nova sections are quite entertaining. Ewing gets both characters right, and their exchange is fun. There’s a great gag about the size of Kobak’s penis, and it’s a lot of fun until it all pops off. The ending of the issue is awesome because it introduces a character from SoS - Jon Ironfire - and sets up the return of Genesis. Not just her return, but her slaughter of the White Sword. X-Men Red is about heat up, no bones about it.
Camagni and Blee make a good team. It kind of feels like it takes a little time for Camagni to get cooking with this issue, as the first few pages are merely okay, but once he gets going, it looks really great. A lot of the storytelling depends on his character acting, and he delivers beautifully, while Blee’s colors make it look terrific.
X-Men Red #11 is so fantastic it isn’t funny. Ewing is like a multi-instrumentalist, playing everything perfectly. Camagni and Blee do a wonderful job on the art, bringing the whole issue to life. This comic has always been incredible, but this issue is something special even among the amazing books that came before.
