X-Men Red #11
Marvel Comics
Written by: Tom Taylor
Art by: Roge Antonio
Colors by: Rain Beredo
Letters by: Cory Petit
Tom Taylor and company ended the run of X-Men: Red perfectly. Have to imagine his transition to Spider-Man will be pretty outstanding.
However, it’s a bummer Taylor’s run with X-Men: Red has ended. The finale was great, but this became one of those titles that’s both entertaining and important. Because Taylor’s X-Men: Red had the perfect blend of humor, action and social consciousness—without shoving the last characteristic down your throat, even though it was the main focus.
However, it’s a bummer Taylor’s run with X-Men: Red has ended. The finale was great, but this became one of those titles that’s both entertaining and important. Because Taylor’s X-Men: Red had the perfect blend of humor, action and social consciousness—without shoving the last characteristic down your throat, even though it was the main focus.
That’s what’s always been so impressive about the X-Men. You can integrate everything to make the stories fun, exciting and nerve-wracking, but get across a larger point people can, hopefully, carry over to something else in their own life. But it takes the right writer to really capture that social consciousness in the appropriate manner. Although Taylor clearly has a strong feel for all the X-Men he called upon—Honey Badger in particular, who he co-created—he just gets Jean.
Regarding the rest of X-Men: Red #11, the amount of action in this issue is amazing. Gambit’s blowing up helicarriers, Gentle is absorbing nuclear energy. Captain America is out there doing Captain America things. Again, Taylor’s writing, plus Roge Antonio and Rain Beredo’s artwork, is exciting. They are a great team.
And as much as Hone Badger’s “blow their minds” comment outside of The United Nations building was great, Gambit’s interaction with Thor was the funniest dialogue of the issue. I feel like, “I assume you can stand a bit of radiation?” warrants a yes or no answer—something Thor’s incapable of providing. It may be the most unbelievable—certainly the least useful—of the Asgardian’s talents.
The true highlight of X-Men: Red #11 is Jean’s surprise for Cassandra Nova: a nanite sentinel reprogrammed to allow Nova to feel empathy, putting her to tears. I don’t know if that qualifies as a twist, but it was definitely unexpected. She really doesn’t seem so bad now that she’s not a genocidal maniac anymore.
And, of course, Jean’s closing speech at The United Nations was prime Jean. I’m not sure what’s in store next for X-Men: Red with The Age of X-Man Alpha starting, but I know this is a title that will be missed.