The X-Men of the Apocalypse return after two delays. The prestige mini, written by Jeph Loeb and fully drawn and colored by Simone Di Meo, debuted last year with an Alpha issue and a #1. The story continues here in X-Men of the Apocalypse #2, where the assembled team of Gambit, Nate Grey, Forge, Sabretooth, Wild Child, and Blink encounters the original X-Men of the Silver Age and Professor Xavier.
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Nate Grey vs. The Silver Age X-Men: A Clash of Timelines
The story for this series has never been the clearest, nor is it clear whether this is a continuation of the original Age of Apocalypse timeline or a parallel universe akin to it. X-Men of the Apocalypse #2 carries that murkiness with it. The thin plot seems mostly to serve as a way to pop the characters into iconic moments of X-Men history, rather than a true exploration of the story that inspired it.
The X-Men of the Apocalypse seek something from the past of the X-Men and come into conflict with the original five X-Men of the Silver Age, right on the day Jean Grey joins the team. What ensues is an extended fight sequence in which the X-Men of the Apocalypse battle the team as Nate explores the mind of Jean Grey, his mother, and encounters Phoenix. One is left asking the question of why the X-Men of the Apocalypse needed to fight the Silver Age X-Men at all, if Jean was the one they wanted; could they not simply have probed her mind before she arrived at the institute?
Character Dynamics: Nate Grey, Phoenix, and the Savage Land
But the conversation between Nate and Phoenix is a good one, with the characters sounding like their authentic selves and foreshadowing major revelations to come, likely in the climax of the story. The X-Men of the Apocalypse soon find themselves blasted through time again and end up in the Savage Land, where Gambit encounters Rogue and Magneto with her.
Beyond the action scene, X-Men of the Apocalypse #2 hinges heavily on the encounter between Phoenix and Nate, and has little else to show for it other than that. Loeb does a better job capturing the voices of the Silver Age X-Men than he does the Apocalypse ones, and the team beyond Gambit and Nate feels woefully underdeveloped.
Simone Di Meo’s Art: Stunning Visuals vs. Narrative Clarity
Simone Di Meo draws and colors the entire affair, an impressive achievement. Di Meo’s art is unique and visually striking, influenced heavily by manga. Some of his designs are beautiful to look at, such as his depiction of Phoenix Jean and Savage Land Rogue. And his big splash pages are bold and stand out.
The use of white space also helps make things feel more distinct. However, Di Meo’s panel-to-panel storytelling remains a weak point, and there are times when it can be visually confusing to read what is happening during a fight, or where characters are on the page. It’s an area Di Meo will need to improve on in the future, as it is a bit distracting.
Final Verdict: Style Over Substance in the Multiverse
Ultimately, X-Men of the Apocalypse is a quick and breezy issue, one without too much substance beyond the intriguing conversation between Nate and Phoenix. One can’t help but feel this should have been an X-Man mini rather than an Age of Apocalypse one, but visually it is striking and showcases some different characters than normal.
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X-Men of the Apocalypse is a quick and breezy issue, one without too much substance beyond the intriguing conversation between Nate and Phoenix. One can’t help but feel this should have been an X-Man mini rather than an Age of Apocalypse one, but visually it is striking and showcases some different characters than normal.
