The X-Men try and stay one step ahead of the Brood in X-Men #9, by writer Jonathan Hickman, artist Leinil Francis Yu, colorist Sunny Gho, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This issue continues the story from the last comic, giving the origin of the King Egg and changing the nature of the Brood forever.

Eight thousand years ago, on the Kree Throneworld of Hala, Kree scientists discovered the Brood. They decide to introduce a new element into the hive, one that will make the nests swarm and consume everything in their path. The Supreme Intelligence tells them the perfect target- the Shi’Ar Empire. In the present, the X-Men, with the King Egg on board their ship, lead the Brood on a chase. Meanwhile, Sunspot continues his negotiation with the Kree, who are holding the Starjammers. The Imperial Guard attacks the station. Just as the battle begins, the X-Men arrive in the same solar system. Their ship crashlands on the planet below the station just as an Ancati ship bashes into the station. Everyone crashes to the planet, and the X-Men and the Imperial Guard fight the Brood… until they stop. Broo ate the King Egg and becomes the king of the Brood.

The first part of this book is basically the origin of the Brood and explains how they got into Shi’Ar space in the first place. The Kree using them as a biological weapon, makes a lot of sense for them. The Kree are always about destroying their rivals in the most efficient fashion, and using another alien race to do it takes away any culpability from the Kree. No one would know it was them.

Other than that, this issue is kind of lackluster. The whole issue feels rushed in a lot of ways. Nothing has any room to breathe, and the resolution of the main plot comes out of nowhere. Broo eating the King Egg and stopping the Brood doesn’t even make any sense until one reads one of Hickman’s patented infographic pages at the end of the issue. The whole comic feels a bit like a cheat. It’s not bad, but it’s not up to the standards that previous issues of the book have set.

One thing that doesn’t disappoint about this book is the art. Leinil Yu’s art is as sensational as always. The few pages he gets to draw with the X-Men and the Imperial Guard fighting Brood look great. It would have been cool if he would have gotten to draw more of that, but his art throughout the book is still top-notch.

X-Men #9 is a good issue of this book, but that’s a disappointment with just how good this comic has been since Hickman took over. The beginning of the story is excellent, but the rest of it feels too rushed. It’s not a bad comic, it’s just sort of average. What’s not average is Leinil Yu’s art. This story could have used more room, whether it be just a few more pages for the two issues or another issue entirely.

Grade: C+