Even though I’m currently in New Zealand, I was able to keep up with most of my pull list while on the go. There were a lot of good comics this week, some tying into Marvel’s “Gang War” crossover event and some with DC’s “Beast World” crossover event, and two Christmas related titles from DC Comics. Let’s take a look:

(Reviewed comics don’t reflect my whole pull list, just ones I finished reading by submission deadline)

Dimithri’s Pick of the Week: “X-Men: Red #18” by Al Ewing & art by Yildiray Cinar

FINAL BATTLE! Their armies have clashed—and torn a world apart. Now, finally, the two war leaders meet. Storm versus Genesis for the fate of the Red Planet—as the planet itself fights alongside them! Will Planet Arakko survive? And more—is the secret dream of En Sabah Nur about to come true…?

I am such a sucker for my X-books. They don’t always make my Pick of the Week, but there are a core few X-titles like X-Men Red, X-Men, and Immortal X-Men that are almost always in the running. This week finishes off the battle between Storm and Genesis and (hopefully) the Civil War of Arakko (Mars).

Now even though I’m a fan of world building, there was a point where the lore of Arakko lost me, and I haven’t been gung-ho about all the intricacies of Arakko, Amenth, A-this and A-that, but X-Men Red started off strong and its picking back up where I fell in love with it. I will be sad to see it end, and I am hesitant to see where the X-books will go after Krakoa, but I am here to read as long as they have stories to tell.

Moments worth mentioning (spoiler alert):

• Kaorak (another name I have to remember) vs. Arakko, throwing punches like two Kaiju
• Genesis has disrespected Storm for way too long. “Degrader of Arakko”? How dare she?!
• I love a good loophole, like when the Golden Mask says “miss” and Storm misses the Annihilation Staff to instead hit the sword Purity. BRILLIANT.
• Ora Serrata, a huge Arakkii mutant eyeball, looking straight at Roberto DaCosta aka Sunspot to erase him from existence, but instead is blinded by him powering up. Serves her right!
• Jon Ironfire choosing not to kill White Sword was a moment of mercy in this whole death-filled civil war. It was a breath of fresh air. Sidenote: I know they are friends, but are they… more?
• Fisher King giving up his life to move Xilo to Ora Serrata? I’ll miss him, he was so interesting.
• The full page spread of the Mask speaking to Ororo, I thought it would lose my interest. But the writing in it is so beautifully written, that it kept my interest all the way to Storm outsmarting it. I LOVE STORM SO MUCH.
• Lycaon, with one dead head, is now completely dead, and I’m ok with that.
• Xilora is gross. Uggh.
• “So I trusted the Storm.” YES.
• Genesis on Phobos with War and Death and the corpse of a Nightcrawler past… what is this leading to?

“And so we come to what’s very nearly the end of my allotted X-time, and my last days on Arakko, the planet I shepherded almost from birth and put one hell of a lot of work into over the past couple of years. I leave it in as good a place as I found it, and I’m confident that it’s got a future beyond the end of this story – both as part of the Fall of X and beyond. The planet that used to be Mars has a lot of story potential yet.”

– Al Ewing, Al Ewing Writes Comics, “Back Once Again” (12.13.23)

All in all, a great ending (?) but still, it seems rushed, knowing that the Krakoan Age is ending soon. While some stories have had time to breathe, I can’t help but feel there were more stories to tell if given more time. 

Other Comics I Read This Week (that I had full reviews written but then a glitch happened and I lost it all):

Titans: Beast World #2

by Tom Taylor, pencils by Ivan Reis

Captain America #4

by J. Michael Straczynski, art by Lan Medina

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13

by Cody Ziglar, art by Federico Vicentini

Superman: Lost #9

by Christopher Priest, pencils by Dan Jurgens & Carlo Pagulayan

Guardians of the Galaxy #9

by Jack Lanzing & Collin Kelly, pencils by Kev Walker

Daredevil: Gang War #1

by Erica Schultz, pencils by Sergio Fernandez Davila

World’s Finest: Teen Titans #6

by Mark Waid, art by Emanuela Lupacchino & Mike Norton

DC’s Twas the Mite Before Christmas

by Ethan Sacks, Jillian Grant, Josh Trujillo, Michael Conrad, Natalie Abrams, Robin Levin, Sholly Fisch, Zipporah Smith, and co.

All in all, a great week of comics, especially ones to keep me company on the go. There were some shining stars, and some that were just ok, but I’m thankful I have any comics so it’s a win for me!