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A review by billyjepma
X Of Swords by Tini Howard, Jonathan Hickman, Vita Ayala
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed this, as dizzying as it can often feel. Marvel’s crossover events rarely hit for me, too, but this one benefits from a few key decisions that set it up for success, instead of making it feel like a half-hearted cash grab. For example, the event is singularly focused on the X-Men lines, and the various writers across those books are all contributing to what is essentially the same, sequential story. Maybe it’s the way this collection is organized, but it seems like there’s only one issue here that doesn’t naturally segue out of and into the next. It gives the broader story a steady, easy to follow momentum, which is essential when the plot itself is as dense and (for me, at least) incomprehensible as this one is.
Incomprehensible is probably too strong a word, admittedly, but I can’t say I ever felt like I had a firm grasp of the major players, their backstories, and why the threat was as lofty as it felt. To its credit, the stakes do feel lofty, and the mechanics of the plot are simple enough to keep things moving so even when I felt lost amidst the very large cast of characters, I was rarely disinterested. There are areas of the plot that could’ve been tightened up a bit more—the rules of the tournament are intentionally confusing in ways that grew a little tired and repetitive, for example—but it’s still a testament to the organization of the event that it comes off as cohesively as it does. It’s a fun, intense, even violent event comic with big stakes and consistently good-to-great artwork—can’t ask for much more from something like this.
Incomprehensible is probably too strong a word, admittedly, but I can’t say I ever felt like I had a firm grasp of the major players, their backstories, and why the threat was as lofty as it felt. To its credit, the stakes do feel lofty, and the mechanics of the plot are simple enough to keep things moving so even when I felt lost amidst the very large cast of characters, I was rarely disinterested. There are areas of the plot that could’ve been tightened up a bit more—the rules of the tournament are intentionally confusing in ways that grew a little tired and repetitive, for example—but it’s still a testament to the organization of the event that it comes off as cohesively as it does. It’s a fun, intense, even violent event comic with big stakes and consistently good-to-great artwork—can’t ask for much more from something like this.