By Zack Quaintance — Planet-Sized X-Men #1 has arrived, and folks? To put it simply, Magneto is up to some #&@$. Not just that, but Magneto is up to some #&@$ in space. Specifically, Magneto is up to some #&@$ on Mars, which he is working with his fellow Krakoan mutants to convert into a habitable planet, one where the Arakko mutants (who? see X of Swords!) can move, heading to the stars rather than continuing their tense co-existence with the human and mutant races on earth, a tense existence that threatens to engender new hostility toward Krakoa from its human neighbors.

This is perhaps one of the most consequential issues of X-Men comics so far this year, serving as it does as both a coda for X of Swords as well as a table-setter for the mutant books that are to come next. Indeed, since the dual series House of X and Powers of X shook up the mutant status quo and launched the most interesting and cohesive era of X-Men comics in 20 years, the overarching storyline here has moved slowly, with tidbits doled out most frequently in the comics written by Jonathan Hickman, both in the main X-Men book (which has now ended and will be relaunched with Planet-Sized X-Men #1’s writer, Gerry Duggan, at the helm) as well as the event chapters Hickman has co-written.

This book definitely seeks the gravity of some of the most pivotal moments from elsewhere in these new X-Men comics. It doesn’t have Hickman writing, but it does have Pepe Larraz’s artwork with Marte Gracia’s colors. As such, it feels visually evocative of House of X. This book, however, also feels quite a bit more insular than the early segments of this era, making it more X of Swords than House of X, the latter being complex yet also accessible in ways the larger X-Men line has slowly moved away from of late.

In House of X, for example, we got big moments such as a recognizable X-Men team being ripped apart (only to be revived), or Cyclops trading barbs with the Fantastic Four, or Moira MacTaggert chatting on a bench about possible futures with Charles Xavier. This book, by contrast, features a giant moment in which a S.W.O.R.D. space station erupts from Jamie Braddock’s abdomen — a minor character and a weird idea. It being played as set piece feels indicative of the insularity that has started to mark more of these comics.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, and, really, I wouldn’t be evaluating this book on the same merits as House of X if it wasn’t directly evoking its predecessor with both its weight and artwork. For readers (including myself) hanging in there and enjoying some of the deeper cuts, this book is a very rewarding read. In a broader sense, the line has increasingly made me think of the ads that teased Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men ideas before they were even announced.

These ads talked in spare language about two species evolving in the same arena, about the conflict that creates, and about the actions that result from that. Those ads (see a screen cap below) remain the clearest thesis statement we’ve gotten so far for what the Krakoa era is all about. They read, “when two aggressive species share the same environment, evolution demands adaptation or dominance.” We’ve been headed this way for a while, but Planet-Sized X-Men #1 is perhaps the most direct callback to the concept in some time.

Adaptation or dominance. It’s a great tension, and this book hints at both, with Storm at one point even suggesting as much, noting, “Perhaps the humans will come to value this barrier world of mutants that sits between them and the unknown.” Perhaps, Storm, but this is also superhero comics and there has to be robots and explosions and punching, so I very much doubt that to be the case.

In the end, Planet-Sized X-Men #1 is a fine comic, made much better when examined as part of a larger whole and much worse when analyzed for its accessibility or standalone merits. It will likely be looked back upon as a turning point for years of X-Men stories, as the one where the mutants first moved off Earth, and that’s a fine legacy for a book to have.

Overall: Armed with the same art team as House of X #1, Planet-Sized X-Men #1 is a turning point comic, a book that seeks to (and largely succeeds at) launching the next chapter for the Krakoa era. 8.0/10

REVIEW: Planet-Sized X-Men #1

Planet-Sized X-Men #1
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Pepe Larraz
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
THEY CAME TO SLAY! The HELLFIRE GALA rages on, but bigger things are afoot a world away. Make no mistake – this is an X-Men book drawn by superstar artist Pepe Larraz. It is absolutely the most important issue of the month.
Price: $4.99
More Info: Planet-Sized X-Men #1

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.