Review: ‘NYX’ #1 Has A Great Point To Make, With A Story To Match
by Tony Thornley
The third X-Men From The Ashes title launched this week. With it NYX #1 has already skyrocketed to the top of the heap.
Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo, and Joe Sabino welcome us to New York.
Krakoa has fallen, but that doesn’t mean mutant culture is dead. Kamala Khan is determined to learn all about New York City’s mutant subculture, with her new (best?) friend Sophie Cuckoo at her side. But what Ms. Marvel is about to learn instead is that the world that hates and fears mutants is not going to take it easy on her, and she’s about to find herself trying to solve two mysteries at once.
I really enjoyed this debut. Lanzing and Kelly have a great sense of the character voices immediately. Very few white writers have captured Ms. Marvel’s personality well, and the duo write her like it’s second nature. Sophie also stands out, and most of the rest of the cast shows potential. Wolverine feels off, but also she’s only on two pages, so there’s room to grow there.
Aside from the character beats, the issue has a fantastic sense of world building. This new mutant underground feels real, and New York feels authentic. The setting is really a place and not just set dressing. The plot is still a little fresh to say more than the set-up is interesting, but it does have the potential to get overstuffed very quickly.
Mortarino’s line art has a fantastic sense of motion. Characters never feel like they’re completely standing still, and he captures the interplay between each character as well as Sabino’s lettering does. The action- both mundane and superheroic- is authentic, whether it’s clubbers dancing in the background, Ms. Marvel running across the city, or the violent debut of the Krakoan. I think many of his character faces look too similar, but otherwise, this issue looks great.
Angulo also contributes a lot to that. His colors pop. They’re often bright, with a strong mix of tones. The colors do a great job at establishing place, and making the world of NYX come to life.
I like the thing I like the most is that this issue clearly comes in with a mission statement. There’s a sense of place, direction and character that not a lot of superhero comics start with.
NYX #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Overview
In a single issue, I see the potential of what X-Men From the Ashes could be. I’m excited to see where this goes, and how NYX makes the most of it.
