Review by Frank Plowright
X-Men Red bears little relation to the previous series of that name, instead concentrating on the mutant society of what was Mars, but since terraforming and colonisation by mutants is known as Arakko. Storm sits as Earth regent on the council of a society that largely originated far across the galaxy. It’s a challenging position. Also on Arakko is Magneto, thoroughly disillusioned at what he sees as the failure of Krakoa’s mutant society, his lifelong dream.
Al Ewing’s plots continue in part from S.W.O.R.D., where Abigail Brand’s interpretation of what’s necessary for Earth’s planetary security took a sinister turn. The formation of an X-Men team on Arakko is her suggestion, and she recruits a team when Storm rejects the idea. However, that’s because her modification is a team to run independently, instead known as the Brotherhood. In any case, a more pressing problem is the re-emergence of the immensely powerful, but mentally unstable Vulcan.
What’s brought out well from the start is Arakko as a largely alien society with their own conventions and Brand’s manipulative and uncompromising nature in achieving her own ends, becoming very similar to Amanda Waller. She barely misses a breath when one of her core team quits, and sees her best interests served by stirring up trouble on Arakko. It causes much anguish among the highlighted population, with Ewing’s depressive Magneto prone to unloading at Claremont length. There’s a reason that plays out here, and a deeper reason as the series progresses into Vol. 2, but it’s heavy going.
Most art is by Stefano Caselli in his deceptively neat style, everything necessary present and correct, but with no great flash about it. His characters resonate and there’s power to the action. Other artists are involved in a sequence that switches location, and effortlessly mesh with Caselli’s pages.
Like all Ewing’s projects, there’s an intelligence in play, not just with clever moments such as Sunspot’s manipulation of Isca’s powers, but throughout in the way the plot sneaks up. Much has changed by the end of this opening volume, and having spent it setting up a galactic danger, Ewing’s barely sidelined by having to present a different one first.
