X-Men #15
Cyclops chooses heroism as Apocalypse and Genesis battle it out in X-Men #15, by writer Jonathan Hickman, artist Mahmud Asrar, colorist Sunny Gho, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Chapter twenty of X Of Swords, this issue is a slow burn that sort of encapsulates the pacing of the entire story but is quite effective for it.
On Krakoa, Cyclops and Jean Grey prepare to tell the Quiet Council their plans as Apocalypse and Genesis prepare for their battle in Otherworld. Cyclops lays out the situation- Cable is hurt, and he and Jean have to decide to lead a team through the Avalon Gate to retrieve them. The Council argues the merits and drawbacks of this plan and votes against it. As the battle between Apocalypse and Genesis rages, Cyclops tells the Council that he, and the X-Men, are heroes and they're going to do the right thing, regardless of their decision. Xavier and Magneto share a smile as Cyclops and Jean leave. On Otherworld, Apocalypse is able to take advantage of Genesis, wounding her terribly but refusing to kill her outright. Saturnyne tells him to end it when the Golden Mask of Amenth tells Genesis to put it on, and she does- and prepares for the next phase of the battle.
X Of Swords has had a pacing problem since the beginning- its pace was glacial throughout the first half and then all over the place once the contest started, but often was much too fast. This issue sort of acts the same way, with most of it acting as a set-up that will happen in other books. However, it is also extremely effective. While a bloodthirsty reader would wish that the book would cut more to the fight between Apocalypse and Genesis, Hickman instead chooses to focus on the real fight of the issue, the one between the function of the Krakoan government and Cyclops and Jean Grey's heroism. Regardless of everything else, the X-Men are heroes first and foremost, and they don't leave anyone behind. If one of their numbers is hurt, they save them. The Krakoan government, on the other hand, has to be pragmatic about the situation and can't allow Cyclops and Jean Grey to do what they were taught to do since they were children- but they do it anyway because they are heroes. The X-Men may now be nothing more than the military arm of Krakoa, but they are heroes, and that makes all the difference.
The opening of the book is especially powerful, as it juxtaposes Cyclops and Jean preparing to speak to the Quiet Council with Apocalypse and Genesis preparing to do battle. Both of these parties are preparing to decide the fates of both of their nations- Cyclops and Jean are going to tell the Council that they must rescue the Swordsmen and Apocalypse, and Genesis are preparing to give up their lives for their respective peoples. It's a wonderful moment, one that readers may not get on first reading, and Hickman plays it out perfectly. It's one of the reasons that the slow pacing of the book works so well- Hickman has something to say in this issue, and he says it, which, honestly, isn't something that X Of Swords did very well for the most part- it was just slow-paced and long-winded for most of its time because… more books equal more sales. This issue is slow-paced because it's trying to say something and is much more effective for it.
Mahmud Asrar doesn't get to do anything flashy in this issue… but his art is extremely effective throughout. He captures the tension and emotion of the Quiet Council scene adroitly, which is extremely important for that scene. It's the centerpiece of the book, and while the dialogue is quite effective, if readers can't see what's happening, it's not going to land well. Asrar's art does its job wonderfully in that regard. The battle between Apocalypse and Genesis, though much shorter, is handled very well, and the final page, with Genesis rising powered by the Golden Mask of Amenth, is perfectly ominous.
X-Men #15 is a powerful issue, the best of this book's foray into X Of Swords. It's pacing is much like the pacing of the story itself, except it's actually trying to say something, whereas the slow parts of X Of Swords were set-up that was meant to stretch the whole thing out, sometimes having very little to actually do with the plot of the story. Hickman finally had something to say in this issue, and that makes it much more effective than any other issue he's written for this particular story. Asrar's art does the heavy lifting for the Quiet Council scene with aplomb while also capturing the power of the battle between Apocalypse and Genesis. X Of Swords has been remarkably uneven, even Hickman's own work in this very book, but this issue is wonderful.
Grade: A
