X-Men Red #7
In the aftermath of Magneto’s death, the balance of power on Arakko changes in X-Men Red #7, by writer Al Ewing, artist Stefano Caselli, colorists Federico Blee and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and letterer Ariana Maher. This issue is yet another comic that proves why X-Men Red is at the top of the pile.
Magneto speaks his final words to Storm, telling her not to resurrect him and to watch out for Charles in the future. Back on Arakko, the members of the Great Table confront Isca, accusing her of crimes against Arakko, which she scoffs at as no one can remember the old laws and past times. Storm shows up, and the inquest continues until finally the Fisher King challenges Isca to a contest of understanding loss. Isca looks back over her life and sees what all of her winning has cost her and sees that she has truly always lost. She yields her seat at the table and leaves, warning them not to follow her. Storm resigns her seat as Regent, giving it to Lodus Logos. Meanwhile, at the Keep, Wiz-Kid and Cable hack into Brand’s files and discover her secrets.
Ewing is a generational talent. He’s a writer who understands superhero comics and their dynamics like few of his peers, and this chapter shows that off. From Magneto’s final words, a wonderful little warning to Storm about good men like Charles Xavier and the terrible things they can get up to in order to prove their bona fides, to an info page that shows why Isca has always lost, Ewing takes a comic that could have been a stereotype - a simple revenge issue - and makes it into something very special. This still could have been a great comic if it had been a big dumb fight - unless it was in Duggan’s X-Men, that is - but Ewing finds the poetry in the whole thing.
He expertly builds tension with just dialogue. Isca is a terrifying presence as the chapter goes on, and it makes the build-up to her defeat that much better. Also, having Storm give up her Regency to Lodus Logos, an artist, is a perfect way to show that Isca’s loss and the destruction wrought by Uranos is a turning point for Arakko. It’s so well done, it’s not funny. Ewing keeps proving that he’s the real deal in this book. This issue shows why this should be, if not the flagship book, then co-flagship with the equally fantastic Immortal X-Men.
Everything Ewing does would be impossible without Caselli. The tension-building scenes with Isca only work so well because his pencils capture Isca’s ego and threat. The same with her after her loss. It’s such a wonderful juxtaposition, and without Caselli’s skill, the scenes wouldn’t hit the same. Blee and Sifuentes-Sujo color the book beautifully, really enhancing the pencils and making the art that much better.
X-Men Red #7 is a clinic in how Ewing has made this book a cut above the rest. A reader may look at the cover and expect a big dumb spectacle, like this was Duggan’s X-Men, but what they get is so much better. Caselli, Blee, and Sifuentes-Sujo do an amazing job bringing the script to life, making the whole thing work. From beginning to end, this issue is a tour de force.
