Review by Ian Keogh

Since their first appearance mutants with natural super powers have engendered fear and mistrust among a fair number of humans. It’s led to discrimination, persecution and subjugation. So what would the world be like for mutants if humans disappeared in the blink of an eye? That’s what Mike Carey and Salvador Larroca investigate.

It takes place at a time of two teams of X-Men with festering distrust between them, but they’re united by Magneto in the face of the bigger mystery. Given the enmity between humans and mutants there’s surprisingly little discussion about whether it might be for the best to ignore that all seven billion humans have disappeared somewhere, but Carey does in passing outline the consequences. No electrical power for one. He also has a clever reason for what’s happened. Someone wants to turn Earth into a mutant sanctuary for alternate dimensions.

What with the technology and a platoon of mutants involved, there’s plenty for Larroca to get his artistic teeth into, and he draws up a storm here. Page after expansive page delivers a widescreen vision and everyone and everything benefits from an imaginative artist.

Of course, Carey’s not going to rework the Marvel universe that radically, so he also needs to find a way to restore humanity, and that’s when the assorted ethical issues kick in, amplified because of the disagreements between the two X-Men teams when this takes place. Other nice moments include the availability of long missing villains via alternate dimension counterparts, one of whom is especially terrifying, but Carey has a good solution for that.

This is smart, well drawn and fun. A really good time.