Review: The Fall Of X Brings War To Mars In ‘X-Men Red’ #14

Genesis has returned, wielding the power of Annihilation. Storm leads the resistance to Arakko’s former queen. Orchis lies in the shadows. And Apocalypse… is nowhere to be found. X-Men Red #14 begins the most epic story of the Fall of X to date.

Al Ewing, Yildiray Cinar, Federico Blee, and Ariana Maher wage war.

Genesis’ actions have caused a civil war on Mars. Storm has helped show the people of Arakko that there is a way forward without constant war, but now Genesis is taking her people back by force. In the face of Orchis’ attack on mutantkind, Storm and Sunspot are alone with no back-up on the way. These two heroes are about to show Mars what it means to be X-Men.

After a rough couple of issues which were largely exposition, Ewing brings the series back full force. There’s political intrigue, character development and great action. The emotional impact of Sunspot delivering the news of Orchis’s takeover is one of the most well-written moments of a series that has been full of some of the best writing in superhero comics. It’s one of only a few series that has me constantly looking forward to what’s next, thanks to Ewings great plotting and engaging characters.

Cinar is such a welcome presence here. Losing Stefano Caselli was a blow to the series, but Cinar steps in with similar sensibilities for layouts and character movement. His action looks great too. He really shines in the quiet moments though. Roberto processing what he saw at the Gala is paced like a real human processing trauma, right down to the heavy sighs and throwing back his head as he processed the fact his best friend was dead.

Blee makes the action pop. There’s literally armies on the page, and he makes sure they’re all distinct and clear. He also gets character skin tones right, something he’s been criticized for in the past.

Maher’s lettering work is often great. She does multiple info drops without cluttering up the page, and her dialogue is thoughtful in placement and how she paces out the script. The only thing lacking is her font choice in the data pages, a cursive that’s sometimes hard to read.

All in all, this is a great next chapter in both this saga and the Fall of X story.

X-Men Red #14 is available now from Marvel Comics.