House Of X #5
After a hard-fought battle, the mutants stand ascendant in House Of X #5, by writer Jonathan Hickman, artist Pepe Larraz, colorist Marte Gracia, and letterer Clayton Cowles. A lot happens in this one, as a scene from the beginning of this book is finally explained. A momentous decision is made, and enemies stand together.
Without getting too spoiler-y, the beginning of the book deals with the direct consequences of the last issue. After that, the UN votes on whether to grant Krakoa sovereignty. And Xavier brings together all of mutantkind to stand as one.
That synopsis is very succinct, and it illustrates what happens in this issue in the barest possible terms. Giving away too much would rob the chapter of its power. Hickman has thought a lot about how the society of Krakoa and how it works. Specifically, how to combat the casualties that come from superheroics. Readers knew that the deaths of the last issue would be overturned and this issue explains how and it’s pretty genius. Five mutants work together to make it happen, each one playing a vital part in the whole thing before Xavier takes over and finishes the process. Hickman has Magneto explain the process and then goes into more detail using his patented infographics. It’s well thought out, perfectly defined, and takes a character who was kind of joke and makes him one of the most essential mutants in Krakoa.
From there, the book goes into the UN vote about Krakoa. There are some implications about how the vote is swayed in the mutants’ favor. However, with as many telepaths as are on Krakoa and the way humans feel about mutants, this was a given. Hickman deploys another infographic explaining what nations have entirely refused to deal with Krakoa and the why behind it. With a homeland, Xavier finally brings mutantkind together in a way it has never been before. Earlier in the issue, Magneto talks about how humanity only became powerful once they abandoned hunting and gathering and embraced the agrarian culture. Staying in one place and creating power structures. That’s basically Hickman’s thesis statement for the issue, and he builds the whole thing expertly. Krakoa represents the ultimate hope for mutantkind, enough to bring even the worst of them together. It remains to be seen how well everyone can get along, though.
Pepe Larraz’s art is the icing on the cake. Hickman’s script for this issue doesn’t include any big action set pieces or anything like that, but he captures the sense of the otherworldly in the resurrection scenes expertly. From there, his character acting and persuasive composition carry the issue. The last page presents a moment that readers probably never thought they’d see. Larraz illustrates it beautifully, his pencils melding perfectly with Marte Gracia’s colors.
House Of X #5 is where things really start to come together for this book. Readers knew that there was no way the deaths of the previous issue would stand. Hickman figures out an ingenious way to bring them back, using a disparate group of mutants. Giving the mutants this kind of power, as well as sovereignty over their own nation, is a huge step and will have consequences down the line. Pepe Larraz’s art continues to impress, and the last page will blow readers away. This book is so impressive. Hickman and company are finally taking the promise of mutants and making it a reality. Building on some of the ideas Grant Morrison introduced into the X-Men mythos fifteen years ago- mutants as a society. What comes next is anyone’s guess, but with Hickman at the helm, the X-Men are in good hands.