Comic Break: X-Men Worlds Apart #1 (Marvel)

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X-Men Worlds Apart
Issue: #1
Writer: Christopher Yost
Artist: Diogenes Neves
32 pp. Marvel. $3.99

Reviewed by Paul Stotts

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“Nezhno…wink at me.” – Storm “X-Men Worlds Apart #1”

The new four issue mini-series from Marvel, X-Men Worlds Apart, focuses on Storm who is conflicted in her loyalties in the first issue. She’s torn between her duty to the X-Men and her role as queen of Wakanda. Early in the issue, Cyclops confronts a distracted Storm, suggesting she either needs to fully be an X-Man or not. Anything less could be both dangerous to herself and her teammates.

As if to prove Cyclops’s assertion, Storm receives a communication during their conversation informing her that she is needed immediately in Wakanda. Scott, clearly disgruntled, tells Ororo to go and take care of her business. When Storm arrives in Wakanda she learns that she is to investigate the murder of a shaman who was a valuable advisor to her husband. It seems that Storm knows the suspected murderer Nezhno, who’s one of her students at the Xavier Institute. Storm can’t believe that Nezhno could be a murderer, but the entire crime was caught on camera. Could her student really be responsible for the shaman’s murder?

Writer Christopher Yost sets up the story beautifully in the first issue, writing an introduction that is heavy on intrigue and mystery. Yost lets the story unfold naturally without feeling the need to insert unnecessary action scenes. Too many writers today often rush the characters into a cliffhanger battle by the end of the first issue. So it’s a pleasure to encounter a writer who concentrates on the storyline, which will likely pay greater dividends in future issues by giving the action scenes more emotional resonance.

Penciller Diogenes Neves along with inker Ed Tadeo and colorist Raul Tevino provide some very nice artwork in the issue. The splash page of Storm flying over New York City is a real stand out piece, as is the issue’s final splash page. Some of the perspectives in a few of the panels look odd, and Storm’s skin tone seems to fluctuate throughout the issue, but overall the art is quite stellar and really augments the script.

My expectations were low coming into the issue, but I must say that X-Men Worlds Apart turned out to be a pleasant surprise in the end. This is a really nice start to the new series.

Final Grade: 80 out of 100