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X-Men #18 culminates Jed MacKay’s initial solo arc, bringing 3K’s invasion of Merle to a head. This issue welcomes new artist Emilio Laiso, stepping in for Ryan Stegman and Netho Diaz, with Fernando Sifuentes-Sujo continuing as guest colorist for Marte Gracia. After the dramatic events of the previous issue, including Wyre’s Factory infiltration and Magneto’s Sentinel takeover, X-Men #18 confronts a host of unresolved plot threads. MacKay largely succeeds in tying them up, though with varying effectiveness for each storyline.

This busy issue begins with the stand-off between Cyclops and his X-Men and Schwarzschild of 3K and his X-Men. This conflict has been the main focus of the action across the last two issues, so it comes as a bit of a surprise how rapidly it concludes here. MacKay has done a consistently good job in depicting Cyclops’ poise and intelligence under pressure, and we’re given a look at just how well experience pays off with an amusing nod to the X-Men’s history. Seeing Juggernaut bulldoze people never gets old, quite frankly. But there’s little time to dwell on it before we bear witness to the complicated showdown between the members of the Cobb family, whose family situation has been the trigger of this arc. It is here that the issue packs the biggest emotional punch, and MacKay is able to show just how well he can tackle the dramatic and emotional aspects of X-Men outside the brassy action sequences this run has been known for. 

Throughout the issue, the leadership of 3K acts almost as readers themselves, a Greek Chorus offering opinions on what we’re all witnessing. 3K remains vague and shadowy, and the identity of their Chairman is not revealed. What does become more clear is their final stroke in the conflict, ending the issue with a tease towards something that has major implications for a prominent X-Men member. MacKay is quick to set up more for the future while staying cagey on some of the ongoing mysteries.

Marvel Comics

MacKay’s characteristic “slow burn” approach to storytelling, a hallmark of his X-Men tenure, is the most frustrating aspect of this issue. A full year into X-Men, with 18 issues now having been printed, the main villains of the book still feel lacking in presence and substance, a consequence of the frequent crossover events that have interrupted the flow of MacKay’s storytelling. 

While MacKay has made an effort to provide a resolution to each story set up since X-Men #14, not every resolution is satisfying. The aforementioned X-Men and 3K X-Men conflict feels rushed, and likewise, Magneto’s triumphant return to the battlefield in X-Men #16 is given very little weight in this issue. The pacing issues that had dogged the book in preceding issues now contribute towards a rushed conclusion. 

It’s not all bad, of course. The climax of the Cobb family drama is the highlight of the issue, and it’s a testament to MacKay’s careful plotting that three brand-new characters are able to steal the show so effectively. There’s real emotional resonance in Rose Ellen’s monologue, and a once hateful and unlikeable supporting character is given real depth. The supporting cast in X-Men might be the strongest across all the current X-Line books, with newly made mutants Ben and Jen getting to contribute in crucial ways to the climax.

Marvel Comics

Emilio Laiso fills in admirably for series main artist Ryan Stegman and regular fill-in artist Netho Diaz, bringing his own style to the book that synergizes well with Stegman and Diaz. A strength of this book lies in the consistency of its art’s look and feel. While Laiso’s work is distinct from his fellows, being more cartoon-oriented and less detailed, it still retains a similar aesthetic quality. There is a smoothness and cleanliness to Laiso’s art that complements Sifuentes-Sujo’s colors nicely. There’s less action in this issue compared to some of the previous ones, but Laiso and Sifuentes-Sujo do well in bringing the X-Men and 3K fight to a close, bringing the sense of dynamic movement and kinetic action that Stegman and Diaz have so effectively cultivated throughout their X-Men run. 

X-Men #18 serves as a mostly satisfying conclusion to the five-issue arc, resolving the key conflicts, albeit sometimes in rushed terms, and presenting a new dilemma for the future. While the lack of answers may frustrate some readers, and the overall pacing leans more towards the decompressed side than the efficient side, there’s enough emotion and intrigue in this issue to build momentum for what comes next.

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X-Men #18 culminates Jed MacKay’s initial solo arc, bringing 3K’s invasion of Merle to a head. This issue welcomes new artist Emilio Laiso, stepping in for Ryan Stegman and Netho Diaz, with Fernando Sifuentes-Sujo continuing as guest colorist for Marte Gracia. After the dramatic events of the previous issue, including Wyre’s Factory infiltration and Magneto’s Sentinel takeover, X-Men #18 confronts a host of unresolved plot threads. MacKay largely succeeds in tying them up, though with varying effectiveness for each storyline.

This busy issue begins with the stand-off between Cyclops and his X-Men and Schwarzschild of 3K and his X-Men. This conflict has been the main focus of the action across the last two issues, so it comes as a bit of a surprise how rapidly it concludes here. MacKay has done a consistently good job in depicting Cyclops’ poise and intelligence under pressure, and we’re given a look at just how well experience pays off with an amusing nod to the X-Men’s history. Seeing Juggernaut bulldoze people never gets old, quite frankly. But there’s little time to dwell on it before we bear witness to the complicated showdown between the members of the Cobb family, whose family situation has been the trigger of this arc. It is here that the issue packs the biggest emotional punch, and MacKay is able to show just how well he can tackle the dramatic and emotional aspects of X-Men outside the brassy action sequences this run has been known for. 

Throughout the issue, the leadership of 3K acts almost as readers themselves, a Greek Chorus offering opinions on what we’re all witnessing. 3K remains vague and shadowy, and the identity of their Chairman is not revealed. What does become more clear is their final stroke in the conflict, ending the issue with a tease towards something that has major implications for a prominent X-Men member. MacKay is quick to set up more for the future while staying cagey on some of the ongoing mysteries.

Marvel Comics

MacKay’s characteristic “slow burn” approach to storytelling, a hallmark of his X-Men tenure, is the most frustrating aspect of this issue. A full year into X-Men, with 18 issues now having been printed, the main villains of the book still feel lacking in presence and substance, a consequence of the frequent crossover events that have interrupted the flow of MacKay’s storytelling. 

While MacKay has made an effort to provide a resolution to each story set up since X-Men #14, not every resolution is satisfying. The aforementioned X-Men and 3K X-Men conflict feels rushed, and likewise, Magneto’s triumphant return to the battlefield in X-Men #16 is given very little weight in this issue. The pacing issues that had dogged the book in preceding issues now contribute towards a rushed conclusion. 

It’s not all bad, of course. The climax of the Cobb family drama is the highlight of the issue, and it’s a testament to MacKay’s careful plotting that three brand-new characters are able to steal the show so effectively. There’s real emotional resonance in Rose Ellen’s monologue, and a once hateful and unlikeable supporting character is given real depth. The supporting cast in X-Men might be the strongest across all the current X-Line books, with newly made mutants Ben and Jen getting to contribute in crucial ways to the climax.

Marvel Comics

Emilio Laiso fills in admirably for series main artist Ryan Stegman and regular fill-in artist Netho Diaz, bringing his own style to the book that synergizes well with Stegman and Diaz. A strength of this book lies in the consistency of its art’s look and feel. While Laiso’s work is distinct from his fellows, being more cartoon-oriented and less detailed, it still retains a similar aesthetic quality. There is a smoothness and cleanliness to Laiso’s art that complements Sifuentes-Sujo’s colors nicely. There’s less action in this issue compared to some of the previous ones, but Laiso and Sifuentes-Sujo do well in bringing the X-Men and 3K fight to a close, bringing the sense of dynamic movement and kinetic action that Stegman and Diaz have so effectively cultivated throughout their X-Men run. 

X-Men #18 serves as a mostly satisfying conclusion to the five-issue arc, resolving the key conflicts, albeit sometimes in rushed terms, and presenting a new dilemma for the future. While the lack of answers may frustrate some readers, and the overall pacing leans more towards the decompressed side than the efficient side, there’s enough emotion and intrigue in this issue to build momentum for what comes next.