X-Men, Vol. 1: Dawn of X

X-Men (2019)

by Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu (Illustrator), R.B. Silva (Illustrator)

DAWN OF X! The X-Men find themselves in a whole new world of possibility... and things have never been better! Follow Cyclops and his hand-picked squad of mutant powerhouses as an island full of unspeakable horrors appears on the horizon! The X-Men have their work cut out for themselves keeping Krakoa, the living island, safe! Collecting: X-Men 1-6.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, X Men, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2020

About the author

Jonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for creating the Image Comics series The Nightly News, The Manhattan Projects and East of West, as well as working on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, FF, and S.H.I.E.L.D. titles. In 2012, Hickman ended his run on the Fantastic Four titles to write The Avengers and The New Avengers, as part the "Marvel NOW!" relaunch. In 2013, Hickman wrote a six-part miniseries, Infinity, plus Avengers tie-ins for Marvel Comics. In 2015, he wrote the crossover event Secret Wars. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Hickman is really killing it with the X-Men.



For what it is worth, I think this run is the perfect jumping-off point for anyone who is trying to figure out a way to wade into the murky waters of Marvel's mutants.
Psst - start with House of X/Powers of X and it will take you into this (and the other) volume 1's for other teams you may get interested in along the way.



Without spoiling the plot, all I can say is that this isn't your momma's X-Men. These guys are full up with being the underdogs and have opened up a can of whoop-ass that they are currently heating up on the stove, preparing to generously share it with anyone who tries to do them dirty.
Basically, it's what you've been wanting to see them do for about 50 years.



I know this is all going to get blown to hell eventually, but I'm just enjoying the hell out of this ride.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still not quite sure how this is all coming together, but this is the most fun I’ve had reading X-Men since the Whedon/Cassaday run on Astonishing. I have this terrible feeling that it’s going to veer into incomprehensibility at some point, but, until then, it’s way better than that feeling you get when a gnat flies into your eye.

If you haven’t read X-Men in a while, House of X/Powers of X is a great jumping on point to get back into it.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the Hox/PoX miniseries starting it, and I'm sure in the end Moira X is going to reboot everything again, but this first volume of Hickman's mutants had many good moments and I liked a lot storyline and artworks.



Still have to decide if I'm loving or hating this version of X-Men as a creepy death cult sect, but Hox/PoX made me read this comic again after years and I'm enjoying a lot the ride.



'Nuff said.

[Tiag⊗ the Mutant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight from the pages of Hox/PoX, one of my favorite Marvel books ever, the main X-Men series gets the relaunch it deserves, and if you ever read a comic series by Jonathan Hickman, you know everything is planned and he's gonna take his time to get to the big stuff, this first volume is no different.

It starts out episodic, with most of the focus on Scott Summers, rightly so, as no other character have been so pivotal to the mutants story, he needed to get a proper fan boost after the crap he got from Marvel these last years, he basically became Marvel's favorite punch-bag ever since Bendis finished his run, so starting out the series with Cyke spending some quality time with his family was a really good decision. After that, the book goes back to the thought provoking storytelling we experienced in HoX/PoX, with some more world building, the introduction of new villains, and new political developments, the fourth issue is a masterpiece, Cyclops, Xavier and Magneto are all really well written, about time someone respect these characters.

Artwise, I wish Pepe Larraz was still on board, but Leinil Francis Yu's style is growing on me, feels similar to the art they used on Hickman's Avengers, it's not my favorite, but works with his writing.

Five stars, can't wait for volume two.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Hickman's Avengers this is a tightly branded product that looks and feels like something special, but isn't. Xavier, Magneto, Apocalypse and all, are united in the common cause of mutants as they set up their own state and finally caress and exercise their god given superiority!

Like the other X-books in this era there's a distinct lack of character building, complex plotting and empathy for our so-called heroes. The mining of X-Men lore is a huge plus and bonus for long-time readers like me. This is the trailblazing primary series, so it does hold some of the key arcs and is blessed not only with a delightful Xavier-Magneto double-act but a series stealing sub-plot centred around Mystique! 7.5 out of 12

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hickman follows up the brilliant HoxPox with a series of vignettes, each issue either introducing or bringing back an old threat to mutantkind. Mutants have humanity very scared right now and various factions are looking to exterminate all mutants. While very well written, the issues can be frustrating because you often only get part of a story with the rest filled in by a text page. Sometimes, it feels like they run out of money and time and here's what we are left with. Hickman has a larger endgame and it comes in fits and pieces, but the book does feel disjointed at times. You also aren't going to get much character progression here. The stories are all focused on the current mission and that's it.

Leinel Yu's art is very good. There are two fill in artists, RB Silva from HoxPox and Matteo Buffagni, who fill in admirably. It's not even noticeable given the solo issue stories involve. Yu's long time inker Gerry Alanguilan died in the midst of these issues so Yu certainly deserves a pass for not keeping up.

[Artemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously, Hickman’s own main X-Men book was always going to be the best of the entire Dawn of X line, which on the whole has been pretty underwhelming. And yet his first post-HoXPoX arc still doesn’t really wow as much, opting to tell seemingly disconnected one-shot stories with every new issue instead of building an ongoing storyline. They’re mostly good stories, don’t get me wrong, and Hickman’s entire thing has always been meticulous planning and long form storytelling, taking his time and letting the narrative unfold. So yeah, while I’m not entirely in love with X-Men right now as much as I was with House and Powers of X, I am still confident that this series is going in the right direction, so I’m on board.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main X-Men series is now HERE and it is written by Hickman! Are we ready?

The idea of this first "arc" of basically telling 6 individual stories is a bit risky. Could make some readers jump off if they don't like 1 or 2 of the stories. And in here we do get stories ranging from a day out with a father, to a new baddie all about the environment, to meeting with the nations on how to settle matters involving mutants from now on, to even speaking up on what happened in House of X and Power of X. All of this happens through 6 issues, but you can tell Hickman is playing the long game here.

I really love the majority of the character's hickman writes. Especially Cyclops, Xavier, and Mangeto. It also helps that each story here is it's own and even the weaker ones like issue 3, still have a mystery behind it that you can tell is a building block. The final three issues are probably the strongest to most though I also loved issue 2.

I think X-Men might vary for some. It's not as fast paced or connected as House of Power of X but if you want a refreshing, much better told story than the last decade or so of X-Men titles, you have it here. A 4 out of 5.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start for Jonathan Hickman's new long-running X-Men series, although not quite that masterpiece that was House of X/Powers of X.

To be fair, it is an open-ended series. The ambitious science fiction concepts are explored, but not concluded. At least not yet. One assumes that the mysterious other island will be fleshed out, as well as the old lady horticulturalist villains and Apocalypse's children's children...

Some of the strongest stories are merely one shots that further delve into this new mutant world, such as when the high council meets some politicians at Davos to discuss politics and economics. It's more entertaining than that sounds, really.

Professor X and Cyclops are definitely the protagonists, the former leading the nation of Krakoa and the latter going on missions. Even Scott's new home life on the moon is pretty fun to read. It's pretty funny, there's more humor than the previous more stoic graphic novel.

I look forward to reading this entire series, and I trust that Hickman knows what he is doing and it's all leading up to a satisfying climax referencing the promises of the initial miniseries.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of this, yes, more of this is coming... these are clearly just the first seeds being sown... come on, Hickman, just bloody get on with it...

Story: 2 stars... maybe 3...
Artwork: lovely, 4 stars...

Overall: 3 stars, maybe 3.5...

… and that's all the incoherent rambling I've got in me today...

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hickman’s X-Men run starts off in an episodic fashion, with several characters and storylines playing out to establish antagonists and worldbuilding for the future. It is like looking at snippets of Krakoa life through different lenses before the drip feed of potential is stripped away in place of another set up. If woven correctly, this brand of storytelling will work, however, it is a gamble to expect readers to play the long game whilst they receive little in return for their investment in volume one. The titular team come off as rather unlikeable so far, too, which further adds to the struggle of connecting with what is happening here. Despite trepidations and gripes, there is enough mystery and intrigue to capture attention, and it is up to the second volume to really reward readers.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots going on in this volume

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn't really work for me 😔

[L. McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what to expect from X-Men for the next 5 or so years I’m guessing... and it’s pretty good.

What’s it about?
If you read House of X/Powers of X you have a fairly decent idea, if not I’ll just confuse you. Skip!

Pros:
The story is cool. A mix of political drama, science fiction and superhero adventure. I liked it a lot.
The characters are pretty cool. They’re different than we usually see the X-Men but it’s pretty cool. While I don’t know if I’d care for it if it was gonna last for the next decade but as of right now I think it’s cool as something different.
The artwork is pretty good. There’s some cool pages that suit the comic very well.
The action scenes are very exciting and put in at the right spots.

This book has a good amount of suspense. Quite a bit more than I usually expect from a comic like this. There’s a lot more to it than good guys punching bad guys.
There’s some good comic relief bits that Hickman executes very well.
That ending! Holy shit, that was a great end to a first volume!

Cons:
So I don’t like how you have to have read House of X/Powers of X. I don’t like it because it’s the first volume of a new X-Men series and I feel like that should be easily accessible.
I took particular note of issue 3. I didn’t care for that issue.
I don’t like all the pages of prose explanation and graphs and stuff. When I pick up a comic I’m in the mood for a comic, not that.

Overall:
While I may not be quite as amazed as a lot of comic book readers, I did enjoy this. It’s a really cool X-Men take I never expected but found very fascinating.
I don’t really know what else to say but yeah, if you read House of X/Powers of X, you should read this. If you haven’t, read that and if you thought anything of it (well unless you did think something of it but that something was “this stupid book sucked” in which case this isn’t for you), read this!

4/5

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume of the post House Of X/Powers Of X world lands as Jonathan Hickman takes some time to establish some stuff that he didn't get around to in the preceding mini-series. These first six issues are mostly building blocks for stuff that's happening further down the line, and so they can feel a bit disjointed, but taken individually they're all great fun. The issue that pits the X-Men against octagenarian florist terrorists is especially funny.

Long story short, if you enjoyed HoXPoX, this is more of the same, if a bit less sweeping in its grandeur. Jonathan Hickman's writing style won't be for everyone, and he's unapologetic about that, but if you like what he's done so far with the X-Men, you'll love this.

The art's primarily by Leinil Yu, with HoXPoX artist RB Silva returning for issue 5 and Matteo Buffagni taking issue 6. The singular nature of the issues makes these transitions easy to digest, and there's no debating that these are great artists. I especially love the spotlight that RB Silva has been getting recently, long may that continue.

Hickman's gunna Hickman, and you can either get on board or get out of the way - but take my advice, and jump on the crazy train with us because it's going to be a fun ride.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

EN I had already forgotten how much I disliked the first group of villains these new X-Men encounter in this phase: the Hordeculture. I appreciate the author’s originality in their concept — apparently even inspired by his own grandmothers — but I wasn’t particularly fond of the group as villains.

Fortunately, this book offers much more than that. We get the introduction of Arakko, the other half of Krakoa, which will go on to play an important role in many future stories.

We also see the appearance of the Children of the Vault, described as perhaps the greatest threat to mutantkind, while Magneto, Xavier, and a few others continue to negotiate with the world’s leading nations over the future of the mutant nation.

Throughout these stories, there’s a strong sense of the fragility of this newly formed nation and the long road still ahead for it to achieve peace and secure its rightful place in the world.

--

PT Já me tinha esquecido do quanto não gostei do primeiro grupo de vilões com que estes novos X-Men se deparam nesta fase: as Hordeculture. Aprecio a originalidade do autor nas suas características — aparentemente inspiradas nas suas próprias avós —, mas não fiquei particularmente fã do grupo enquanto vilões.

Felizmente, este livro oferece muito mais do que isso. Temos a introdução de Arakko, a outra metade de Krakoa, que virá a ter um papel importante em muitas histórias futuras.

Assistimos também ao aparecimento dos Children of the Vault, descritos como talvez a maior ameaça à sociedade mutante, enquanto Magneto, Xavier e alguns outros continuam a negociar com as principais nações do mundo o futuro da nação mutante.

Em todas estas histórias sente-se a fragilidade desta recém-criada nação e o longo caminho que ainda precisa de percorrer para alcançar a paz e conquistar o seu verdadeiro lugar no mundo.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book without reading the rest of the concurrent ongoings (just read all the #1s to get a flavour, as advised by one of the Reading Orders) and it leaves me wondering:

are all these first six issues being carried through on other books?

Or were they just there to drop massive plot threads that will be chased later on?

Each issue suddenly started in on a new storyline - and while it’s got sweeping ambition and all that awe, I really want to follow where these are going. As it is, this book is lore like a set of vignettes - like Ellis’s one-and-done limited-run works on Moon Knight or Secret Avengers.

All that said, the meeting with heads of state issue #4?) was absolutely awesome. Couldn’t be happier to see the stakes get raised that high.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Hickman keeps taking big swings in the X-Verse, and this volume is a mixed bag of a couple of whiffs, some strategic foul offs, and one proper home run in the World Economic Forum issue featuring a well-tailored En Sabah Nur accompanying Erik and Charles as they high-handedly put the Powers That Be on notice.



Unfortunately the writer couldn't avoid indulging his love of androgynous-looking humanoid characters with weird symbols etched on their torsos, but hopefully the payoff will be worth it.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the House of X/Powers of X books that led up to this, but if this is at all like the other Hickman stories I've read, what seems episodic and disconnected now will all come together in fascinating ways by the time this story reaches its conclusion. For now though, I can only judge the work on its own as the beginning of a story, and the episodic, somewhat disjointed nature of it does make it a little less compelling than I wanted it to be.

Still though, Hickman appears to be setting up a number of very interesting things for the future here. We have some great character moments, particularly in the first issue as we spend some downtime with the extended Summers family. The highlight of the book for me though was issue #4, where Xavier, Magneto and Apocalypse attend a summit of world leaders as representatives of the new nation of Krakoa. The conversation that follows and the way their agents deal with the inevitable kill teams that are waiting in the wings to assassinate them are an absolute joy to watch.

If this book had a weak point, for me it was the introduction of the new antagonist group Hordeculture. They are set up as a serious threat to the entire world, but they are a collection of elderly botanists, and though their plans certainly would doom the planet if they came to fruition, seeing three elderly women going toe-to-toe with Cyclops and Emma Frost was just too comical in a way I felt detracted from any sense of threat. I'm not exactly sure what Hickman was going for here, but to me it all came across as corny in a way that didn't match the tone the rest of Hickman's X-Men has been hitting.

Hickman's love for these characters is crystal clear, and the art by Leinil Francis Yu is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the fact that he was replaced by other artists on issue #5 and 6 certainly make it seem as if he may have been the reason for the delays in the release of those issues. Thankfully though one of the artists who filled in was R.B. Silva, who did phenomenal work on Powers of X and continues that trend here.

This definitely feels like the flagship book of the Dawn of X titles, and I'm extremely interested to see more of Hickman's plans unfold. Hopefully this is a story he will be writing for years to come.

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una gran decepción aunque por la serie introductoria de House of X/Powers of X ya venía un poco el discomfort. La serie anterior fue buena, sorpresiva aunque muchas cosas no las terminaba pasando. Pero esta serie de X-Men, que supongo debe ser la principal, carece de rumbo, y aunque en un momento lo tenga pues es muy desagradable para mí tener que leer 12 números para recién disfrutar un cómic. Cada número tiene digamos "un villano" diferente, por un lado un grupo de abuelas anti-mutantes, un ser aparentemente dios que ha vivido generaciones pero que sólo se nos muestra en un número, la "casa de los Summers"que sólo se nos muestra un número y no hay más secuencia de la interacción de los que la habitan. Hasta las otras series me parecen un poco más interesantes. Espero que se expliquen las cosas en los números posteriores, un par de meses después.

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but mixed feelings. Okay I have collected the first six issues of the Dawn of X flagship series and while it is interesting I have found it was spinning its wheels in some issues. The artwork I have to say is gorgeous and Hickman has done a marvelous job of building his take on the X-men universe. Since reading House of X / Powers of X, Hickman's story is ambitious and the sheer mystery alone in this series will keep you intrigued. Ultimately Benjamin Percy's X-force book just feels more like the spiritual successor to House of X / Powers of X. One thing is for sure something strange is going on with X-men we have come to love. The final issue in this first arc I feel is the most important as it shows the lengths to which Charles Xavier will go to protect his mutant nation on Krakoa. Trusting Mystique is going to ruin the day for the X-men. I found all the setup with Destiny in House of X / Powers of X really pays off in the end of this book. There are however still a lot of questions. The issue that dealt with Cyclops taking his son Cable and daughter Rachel to go investigate the mysterious island fusing with Krakoa was interesting. It made me wonder if Krakoa is really the villain manipulating the X-men. My least favorite issue was the one with the killer old ladies trying to invade Krakoa. It just felt out of place. Hickman is a slow builder when it comes to his style of storytelling but I am confident this will turn out to be a memorable run for the X-men. Hickman's run on Fantastic Four & Secret Wars are still some of the best books Marvel has produce.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've read most of these issues twice, first in Dawn of X 1-5 and again here. I wanted to try both ways of reading this crop of X-books, to see which I preferred. I think that, in general, I like the Dawn of X approach, but that I'll also read the individual title books for the series that I really like. I really like X-Men, the flagship book.

Some readers might be frustrated that every issue in this volume is interested in a totally different threat. Really, this is basically an action-packed exposition volume, setting up a variety of threats that the X-Men and Krakoa in general will be facing going forward. Which means that this is a book of half victories and stalemates and really interesting ideas. It's also a volume that features Sinister threatening Mojo with grievous bodily harm so he can get a la carte cable subscriptions for Krakoa and Magneto calmly threatening the human world with capitalism while eating a really good steak, so there's something for everyone here, really.

This is a volume one that feels very first volume, if you know what I mean. Nothing is resolved, but a lot is introduced. I'm totally fine with that, because I still at this point feel like Hickman has a real grand plan for going forward. It feels like he knows what will be in the next issue, and the five issues after that, and the twenty issues after that. It's exciting. And it's exciting to see something really, truly new happening with the X-Men.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

COLLECTS X-MEN (2019) #1-6

This is so totally different than anything I've ever read featuring the X-Men, it almost feels like some of the characters are different people - like they have the same name and face, but their personalities are totally different. That's not a complaint, but this reading is jarring.

I'm a big fan of Hickman's writing, and really like the direction he is taking things here.

[Carlex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since we are confined at home I do not stop reading comics. At least for this part I can't complain : )

This reboot by the Jonathan Hickman of the veteran mutant series X-Men is captivating me as House / Powers of X already did. More of this stuff please!

[Monsour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts slow, but it did build up to the hype the PoX/HoX had establish.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is doing a lot, and I love it.

The story is scattered among a variety of threads, but it’s all very compelling, and together it paints a picture of the new status quo for mutant comics.

Lienil Francis Yu draws these panels beautifully using his signature photoreal style, and the individual beats hit hard. The best is issue 6, when we find out what Mystiques angle is. The whole thing is fun, and connects well to the greater X-Men canon. I’m fully invested and ready for more.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the events in House of X/Powers of X, this story explores the X-Men's rise for independence as they set in motion their meticulously-planned ideas. This first story-arc maintains the same narrative structure as it explores multiple subplots, some more mysterious than others, teasing the reader of the challenges that the X-Men will be facing externally and internally.

Now to see if the other series spawned out of House of X/Powers of X are actually worth my time...

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Benji Glaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5🌟

[Matěj Komiksumec · Rating 4 out of 5]

X-Meni jsou skvělý, ale mají pár neduhů, přesně pokud se někdo rozhodně číst X řady bez HoX/PoX tak je blázen, přijde o skvělou záležitost a příběhově se totálně ztratí. Tahle knížka nabízí šest příběhů přičemž každý nás zavede jinam s čímž jsem místy trochu bojoval, vyloženě exceluje Magneto který politikaří. Ale v globálu jsem se bavil.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest, I think it was a mistake for Hickman to start his run on this book with a bunch of standalone stories. If you didn't know that fact you'd be completely lost reading this, and it's especially confusing and off-putting considering they launched this with half a dozen other X-Men related books. Am I supposed to be reading X-Force, New Mutants and Marauders to get the full picture?

I really do appreciate the quality of the work here. Issue #4 especially is an incredible story as it shows Magneto declaring his intentions to take over the world using established systems rather than force. Stuff like that is prescient, forward thinking sci fi that I felt like I was promised from the get go with Hickman's Powers/House of X miniseries. Instead those moments feel few and far between as this man title eems like it's trying to sell six other ones rather than tell a story.

And seeing as I don't have the time nor the desire to keep up with everything in the Dawn of X relaunch, unfortunately it's going to have to go on the TPB backburner for now.