A.X.E.: Judgment Day #1: This issue is solid.
First things first, this latest iteration of the oversized event issue is almost unique - and seriously helped - by the fact that it has a single art team. When that team is Schiti and Gracia, it makes for a great experience. With Gillen providing an interesting story and sharp script, it all comes together nicely. You feel like you're watching an action movie that actually makes sense.
The action gets going as Destiny realizes that the Eternals, and not Orchis, are coming after the mutants. She and Mystique head to brief the Quiet Council as Kurt heads to Arakko to brief the Great Ring. But they're too late. Druig has successfully convinced the Uni-Mind that the mutants' ability to resurrect means that their deviation will continue forever, something that the Eternals can't allow, particularly as the mutants are now spreading beyond Earth.
With the Uni-Mind's approval, Druig launches two strikes. As the Council begins to meet on Krakoa, half the Eternals' "committed forces" combine into the Uni-Mind and attack the Council telepathically. While the Council's telepaths protect their colleagues, a separate group of Eternals launch a physical attack. The X-Men arrive to help the Krakoans defend the island. During the battle, Wolverine smells Egg's blood and tracks it to Jack of Knives, stopping her before she can kill Hope. Realizing that the two attacks were cover for taking out the Five, Wolverine gets Jean to deploy all resources to protecting the Five. Their mission spoiled, the Eternals retreat.
Since Egg made some extra eggs, the remaining Five are able to resurrect him. As Wolverine is telling Jean to dispatch X-Force, Kurt arrives, telling the Five to resurrect "them" because Arakko will need leaders. It turns out Druig's other strike was more effective: in the hour Druig gave him, Uranos killed most of Arakko. Gillen makes it clear that this near-genocide will further complicated the X-Men's public-relations problem, as Scott noted earlier that people are still killing mutants so the Five won't be getting to resurrecting humans anytime soon.
With his mixed score card, Druig uses Earthers' smartphones to announce that the Eternals are going after the X-Men. We see joy in the streets, a sign that the "public-relations problem" means the X-Men are right back at "the hate and fear" stage (as Scott also noted earlier). That said, humanity's relief might be tempered when they notice the "towering death machines," as Druig dubs them, known as the Hex rising off the western seaboard.
As the Avengers are assembling, Tony realizes that Eternals have entered the Celestial. He encounters Ajak and Makkari. Ajak notes that they face only two outcomes. The first, and least acceptable, one is the Eternals fighting the battle (thanks to their own ability to resurrect) until all mutants are dead, leaving Earth a barren wasteland. The second one is Tony helping Ajak, Makarri, and a bound Sinister build a god who can rewrite the Scripture on which Druig is fighting his holy war. Tony asks how they're going to make a god, and Ajak makes it clear that they're going to resurrect the Celestial.
Again, it's a great start to this event. The stakes feel real, particularly since it's clear the Five don't have the capacity to resurrect the million or so mutants Uranos killed in this issue. Also, humanity cheering on the Eternals probably isn't going to do much for human-mutant relations...
Knights of X #4: Oof, this series is really going off the rails.
Gambit's death serves as the sacrifice necessary to open the gate to Mercator, since it turns out Mercator itself is the Siege Perilous. Rachel saves everyone from facing their fears and kisses Psylocke. [Eye roll.] Mercator informs the team that they're in the Siege Perilous but have to face Merlyn, who somehow also managed to enter Mercator in pursuit of Roma, Saturnyne, and Shogo.
Beyond the ham-fisted kiss, my main complaint about this issue is that we seem to get a ret-conning of Rachel's powers via interstitial page, as Rachel is capable of "chronoskimming." Maybe Rachel has always had this power, but Howard uses it in a nonsensical way, as she connects it to Rachel's ability to save everyone from their fears. That seems more connected to Rachel's telepathic abilities, since it isn't like the Siege Perilous is a time-traveling device.
At any rate, this series concludes next issue, and it just feels like one of those mini-series where the end is inevitable and the author is spinning their wheels trying to justify the number of issues needed to get there.
Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #3: I don't know how many different ways I can say this series is awful. The first two stories in this issue are fine if lackluster. The third one makes not a lick of sense, once again. Why am I still buying these issues?
Star Wars: Han Solo and Chewbacca #4: This issue moves pretty fast, as it focuses on Chewie storming Graves' villa on Mollo Tanka to rescue Han after Krrsantan captures him. Along the way, we get some nice moments between Chewie and Han's dad, which makes it all the more depressing when Chewie frees Han only for them to discover Han's dad - and the Falcon - are missing. Han told Graves that he dropped the urn when Krrsantan nabbed him, so I'm guessing that Han's dad has it. I'm hoping he and Han had a plan for him to skedaddle with the urn? Maybe?
Also Read: Star Wars #25; Star Wars: Darth Vader #25
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