Magneto and Rogue married? The Summers brothers are not believing in Xavier’s dream? Wolverine and Jean Grey are together? Sabretooth is a noble hero?! What is happening here?!
In 1995, That was the reactions from X-Men fans. In the “Age Of Apocalypse” storyline. In said story, Xavier was accidently killed by Legion. This resulted in a spilt timeline where Apocalypse took over. All the X-line was transferred into this universe until the timeline was reset.
30 years later and those characters are returning to the Marvel Universe in a brand new series.
X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE: ALPHA #1 by Jeph Loeb, Simone Di Meo, and Richard Starkings begins an astonishing storyline.
Let’s see what happens when both universes collide.
X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE: ALPHA #1 by Jeph Loeb, Simone Di Meo, and Richard Starkings (Marvel Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Loeb picks right up on that classic 90's era. Bringing in Blink and Sabretooth to open was the right call. It's instant fast paced action. As the other X-Characters come in, there is a subtle recap for new readers. The move takes nothing away from the story at hand. Even after finishing their mission, something still isn't right. Magneto is very self aware of this. His dialogue reflects he knows how the original AOA ended. Readers see how he has been making moves in the shadows. This does cause some friction in his team. The moments of doubt are only raised on a rescue mission.
Information is given that changes everything they know. Loeb poses a unique possibility on the table. This leads to a drastic call being made. It also leads into some moments which resonate with the past stories. New readers may not fully grasp Sabretooth's actions here. Readers of the original run definitely do. This X-Men team delivered on many classic elements which made them great. Years later and they pick right up without pause. This pushes towards a predictable yet strong close. Another old friend returns on the final page which can only spell more drama to be had.
Di Meo is the perfect artist for this series. His style captures the Joe Mad vibe from the "Astonishing" line where the majority of this group is from. The two page splash with Blink, Wild Child and Sabretooth is phenomenal. Everything about this altercation with Havok feels sleek and intense. It encompassed the stakes at hand. The conclusion of their fight is very electric. This is largely due to Gambit's arrival via full page panel. The emotions start brewing until events shift back to the X-Leader: Magneto.
Readers see the wear on his mind as he puts events into perspective. The rescue mission at hand unveils a larger problem at hand. A strong two page splash shows the root of this issue. It causes some unlikely responses from the team. Magneto's call starts a few ripple effects with members. None are stronger than Blink and Sabretooth. The art captures their bond as they prepare for the unknown. Rogue and Gambit have a heavy moment right before the close. A solid two page splash welcomes the AoA to the 616. They are also met by an old friend on the last page. Another full page image stops the show for now but certainly not for good.
OVERALL GRADE: 10
Very rarely can an event recapture the magic of its' predecessor project completely. In this chapter, Loeb and Di Meo found a way to take readers back to 1995 without feeling dated. The writing brings out the vintage winning elements of the X-Men. Bold and exciting images guide readers into this new timeline. There's no time like the present to see why this past story is the future.
Let me know your thoughts on X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE: ALPHA #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!