A.X.E. Judgment Day
As the war between the Eternals and mutants begins, the Avengers prepare for the worst in A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Valerio Schiti, colorist Marte Gracia, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This is an exciting first issue, one that lays everything out, even for readers who haven’t been following all things Eternals, mutant, or Avengers.
This issue basically sets out the first stages of Druig’s war against mutants. There are three plotlines weaved throughout the issue. The Avengers capture Sersi to find out what’s going on with the Eternals, something that’s moot since Sersi’s faction isn’t with them anymore. Meanwhile, Druig unleashes Uranos on Arakko and begins the first assault on Krakoa to take out the Five while he meets with Moira MacTaggert. Wolverine and the X-Men stop the Eternals from killing all of the Five, Uranos kills all of Arakko, and the Krakoa begins to lick its wounds, resurrecting the few members of the Five who died. At Avengers Mountain, Ajak and Makkari show up with Sinister to ask Tony Stark and the Avengers for help in building a new God for the Eternals.
So, Marvel’s old tendency to do versus events seemed like a thing of the past, especially after the reaction to event books like Civil War II and Secret Empire, the last two events that mostly revolved around heroes fighting heroes. It was honestly pretty tired from the word go, but Marvel kept going back to the well. Many fans groaned a little bit when Judgment Day was announced because it’s hard to trust Marvel when it comes to event books. Luckily, this first issue doesn’t feel like the typical Marvel hero versus hero event.
To begin with, Kieron Gillen is a different kind of writer than most of the others that have written these kinds of event books. This is a meticulously crafted set of plots, each one building their own narrative. What’s best is that there is actually an obvious villain to this story. Druig’s quest to end mutants isn’t noble, nor does it fit with the Eternals edict to correct excess Deviation, or they would lose all control and do it, not have to vote for it. It’s a cynical move by a man trying to get power. That’s the saving grace of this story; even if the Avengers have to fight the X-Men or everyone gangs up on the Lemurian faction of Eternals, there’s still a villain to face down. Plus, Uranos is waiting in the wings as well, an Eternal who could cow Thanos. This issue does a great job of setting everything up and presenting a great story for readers.
To go with the amazing scripting, there’s some great art. Valerio Schiti has been an MVP of the X-line, and he brings all of that to this book. From the battles on Krakoa to capturing just how frightening Uranos is to the top-notch character acting that sells everything, Schiti takes a million-dollar script and makes it into a billion-dollar one. The Hex showing up is the big moment and definitely looks like it, but every page has something wonderful on it. Gracia continues to show just why he’s Marvel’s best colorist, his palette making the whole thing come to life beautifully.
A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1 could have been a lazy hero versus hero event, but Gillen makes sure that’s not about to happen. This is a marvelous first issue, one that sets up a wonderful conflict. Schiti and Gracia are breathtaking together, their art really making everything look the best it can be. If the rest of the series is this good, fans are in for one of the best events in recent Marvel history.