A new age is upon the Marvel Universe. Doug Ramsey has become the heir to Apocalypse. This new stat quo led him to the doors of the X-Men. Ramsey offered to join the group. After a vote accepted him into ranks, Cyclops was psionically attacked.
As he now wakes up ten years into the future, all has changed. Welcome to the Age of Revelation!
X-MEN: AGE OF REVELATION OVERTURE #1 by Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, J. P. Mayer, Edgar Delgado & Clayton Cowles debuts a volatile era in X-Men history.
Let’s take a closer look at how this debut fares.
X-MEN: AGE OF REVELATION OVERTURE #1 by Jed MacKay, Ryan Stegman, J. P. Mayer, Edgar Delgado & Clayton Cowles (Marvel Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Much like previous “Age” storylines, taking risks on characters is always a gamble. MacKay teases all is not what it seems early. The picture of Ramsey’s Chorister visiting a ravaged territory is prime example. Readers watch as the scene turns deadly quickly. It is a reflection of the struggle against tyranny. How we get to this stage is unclear. The audience does get answers via a time-displaced Scott Summers.
After the events of X-Men #22, Summers’ mind has been swapped into the future. The writing walks through the pivotal moments. As the writing shifts to Ramsey, there is a very familiar feel to his character. It is easy to see how power corrupted him. This pushes for extreme measures to be taken. Much like the alternate timelines do, characters get new stat quos. One that remains the same is Ramsey’s enforcer. Readers watch as his ruthless attack leaves many bodies in his path. It leaves an definitive exclamation point on where this story is going. The closing page feels out of place as far as impact. It is solid for what it wants to say. Get ready for a dangerous fight on the horizon.
Stegman and the art team bring out the intensity of this new world. The opening sequence teases peace until a brutal death. A half page panel sets the tone for what lies ahead concerning that. This moves into Cyclops’ awakening in the future. His reactions mirror the questions arising in this land. The full page image of a destroyed United States territory explains much of this broken world.
Readers watch as Ramsey comes into focus as Revelation. His mannerism reflect the brash drive he’s trying to instill. There is a sense of “Joffrey of Game Of Thrones” to his body language. Even as more characters and action start unfolding, one stands out above the rest. Ramsey’s enforcer makes his way into the story via full page. It is all gas and no breaks from this point. There’s plenty of wild action as the bodies start piling up. One X-Man makes an extreme sacrifice to stop events.
The fallout is given a proper full page. This is followed by a strong image of more aftermath as all parties process what happened. The final page is more simple in delivery. It conveys Ramsey’s thoughts & provides a safe landing spot for concluding the opening round.
OVERALL GRADE: 8.3
The latest X-Event starts off with a very familiar theme before switching into high gear. MacKay’s writing leans into the desperate fight for survival. Stegman and the art team construct fantastic action sequences that hold little back. How this ultimately plays out is anyone’s guess.
Let me know your thoughts on X-MEN: AGE OF REVELATION OVERTURE #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!