X-Men Red #2
Vulcan joins X-Men Red in time for their first mission in X-Men Red #2 by writer Al Ewing, artist Stefano Caselli, colorist Federico Blee, and letterer Cory Petit. This issue improved immensely upon the first one, an action-packed issue that also gives readers a lot of story to balance the whole thing out.
The issue begins with a flashback to the Summers House, where Vulcan is presented with proof that Petra and Sway have been energy constructs controlled by him all along, which goes as well as expected. In the present, Abigail Brand comes to him to ask him if he wants to join her X-Men Red, the new team of X-Men for Arrako, consisting of Cable, Mentallo, Frenzy, Random, and Manifold. Manifold and Frenzy balk at the whole thing, and he teleports away. Cable is able to teleport them down to Arrako to take on the Progenitors. One of them eats Cable’s techno-organic arm and then kills him. Vulcan is ordered by Brand to evacuate the Arakkii, but he instead yells at them and challenges them, which brings the Brotherhood of Arakko into play. Magneto and the Fisher King get help from the Arakkii and overwhelm the Progenitors while Storm deals with Vulcan. In the aftermath, Brand decides she needs someone on Arakko’s Great Circle and decides it will be Vulcan.
Ewing’s time on S.W.O.R.D. wasn’t the easiest. The book was bogged down by crossovers and never really felt like it got out of second gear. This may have been a symptom of the time it debuted; Marvel was treading water with the X-Men books, probably because they knew Hickman was leaving. The first issue of X-Men Red was good, but it wasn’t Ewing good; this issue is. It’s a wonderful little fusion of plot and action, something Ewing excels at.
The issue’s Vulcan focus is probably the best part. He’s been a terribly underused character, and this issue finally starts to pay off plots that were set up back in Hickman’s X-Men. Putting him under Brand’s thumb is an interesting choice; on the one hand, he definitely seems like a person she thinks she could manipulate. The truth, though, is that’s impossible, and he even tells her that in a cryptic way, which she doesn’t understand at all. Seeing the Brotherhood of Arakko in action is pretty great; the Fisher King’s plan and understanding of the Arakkii save the day. He remains one of the most intriguing new characters in the X-Men books. Seeing Storm own Vulcan is worth the price of admission alone. This issue sets up a lot of great conflicts and shows that Ewing has a great plan.
Caselli and Blee knock it out of the park in this issue. Caselli is able to capture Vulcan rage every time it shows up. He feels like a coiled spring, and the art really does a great job of capturing that. The battle between him and Storm is short but full of tension; the art makes it jump off the page. Caselli’s pencils are amazing, and Blee’s colors make them ever better. He knows how to use color to set the scene wonderfully. The pencils would look good with any other colorist, but Blee makes them look so much better.
X-Men Red #2 shows what this book is capable of: amazing stuff. Ewing really feels like he’s hit his stride with the issue, which is wonderful after the squandered promise of S.W.O.R.D... He builds so many little hooks into this issue’s plot that fans can’t help but be tantalized by what’s to come. Caselli and Blee’s art is astounding and fits the script perfectly. If every issue of X-Men Red is like this, fans are in for a treat.