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X-Men: X of Swords #1-12
X of Swords, Volume 1
X-Men scribe Jonathan Hickman steers the X-Men universe to new heights in the 22-chapter crossover event of the year. An epic story spanning across ten comic series, X of Swords builds upon the incredible world shaped by Hickman in House of X. The dark history of Arakko will soon be revealed, and when it is, the very future of mutantkind will be at stake... Collecting: Excalibur #12, X-Men #12, X of Swords Creation #1, X-Factor #4, Wolverine #6, X-Force #13, Marauders #13, Hellions #5, New Mutants #13, Cable #5, Excalibur #13, X-Men #13, X or Swords: Stasis #1.
324 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2021
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19 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hickman
1,214 books2,067 followersJonathan 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
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 18, 2021
Egyptian-themed villains of the week from some other world, imaginatively named Otherworld, want to destroy our world, or something, for Definitely Not Arbitrary Reasons. Alien tarot cards mean ten X-Men have to get ten magic swords to fight the baddies with. Get ready for monumental boredom as the X-books go from bad to worst!
This edition collects the first half of the egregiously unnecessarily 22-part storyline, X (Ten) of Swords, and I’m glad it stopped when it did because I could just about manage this much garbage - I won’t be back to read the final half. I’ve read enough to say that X of Bores is my pick for crappiest comic of the year.
As mammoth as this book is, it still doesn’t manage to complete the setup - by the end of this volume, only 8 of the 10 swords have been found! It’s such a ploddingly-paced, dreary, broad storyline. Various X-Men go to get various magic swords - it’s an extensive fetch quest and it’s never interesting. Whatever hurdles they encounter, they overcome it in an issue because they have to, to get to the next part of the story. Predictable, tedious storytelling.
Then they go and stand with the sword on a special circle on Krakoa, which is amazingly dumb. Magik’s the first one there - so she has to stand on that circle for who knows how long, waiting for the other 9 to get their swords and stand on the circle? Why can’t she just go about her life until all 10 swords are found and then the ten go to the circle to stand? It’s so unimaginative and simplistic, like something a child would come up with.
The baddies are equally unimaginative and simplistic with dull goals and motivations. None of the characters who went to get magic swords were compelling - it was just filler so that Marvel could sell fanboys 22 issues each rather than a more reasonable 12 or so (though I don’t think this feeble storyline even warrants that many).
X of Swords, Volume 1: Creation is the latest low of the current X-line. Only fanboy apologists could find anything here worthwhile - nobody else would even be vaguely entertained by this rubbish sub-computer game plot.
This edition collects the first half of the egregiously unnecessarily 22-part storyline, X (Ten) of Swords, and I’m glad it stopped when it did because I could just about manage this much garbage - I won’t be back to read the final half. I’ve read enough to say that X of Bores is my pick for crappiest comic of the year.
As mammoth as this book is, it still doesn’t manage to complete the setup - by the end of this volume, only 8 of the 10 swords have been found! It’s such a ploddingly-paced, dreary, broad storyline. Various X-Men go to get various magic swords - it’s an extensive fetch quest and it’s never interesting. Whatever hurdles they encounter, they overcome it in an issue because they have to, to get to the next part of the story. Predictable, tedious storytelling.
Then they go and stand with the sword on a special circle on Krakoa, which is amazingly dumb. Magik’s the first one there - so she has to stand on that circle for who knows how long, waiting for the other 9 to get their swords and stand on the circle? Why can’t she just go about her life until all 10 swords are found and then the ten go to the circle to stand? It’s so unimaginative and simplistic, like something a child would come up with.
The baddies are equally unimaginative and simplistic with dull goals and motivations. None of the characters who went to get magic swords were compelling - it was just filler so that Marvel could sell fanboys 22 issues each rather than a more reasonable 12 or so (though I don’t think this feeble storyline even warrants that many).
X of Swords, Volume 1: Creation is the latest low of the current X-line. Only fanboy apologists could find anything here worthwhile - nobody else would even be vaguely entertained by this rubbish sub-computer game plot.
November 12, 2025
EN One of the best X-Men sagas — in this case, the first of two parts.
Arakko and Krakoa find themselves in conflict, and to prevent this war from spiralling out of control, Saturnyne summons a tournament where the ten greatest warriors (and their respective swords) from each side will compete.
Except for Ororo’s (Storm’s) story and her quest to obtain the sword she will wield in the tournament, I found the overall narrative to be very well built and cohesive.
By the end of this volume, eight warriors have already been chosen to represent Krakoa, with only two remaining to complete the team.
--
PT Uma das melhores sagas dos X-Men — neste caso, a primeira de duas partes.
Arakko e Krakoa encontram-se em conflito e, para impedir que essa guerra saia do controlo, Saturnyne convoca um torneio onde participarão os dez melhores guerreiros (e as respetivas espadas) de cada lado.
Com exceção da história de Ororo (Storm) e da sua busca pela espada que empunhará no torneio, considerei que, no geral, a narrativa está muito bem construída e coerente.
No final deste volume, já temos oito guerreiros escolhidos para representar Krakoa, restando apenas dois para completar a equipa.
Arakko and Krakoa find themselves in conflict, and to prevent this war from spiralling out of control, Saturnyne summons a tournament where the ten greatest warriors (and their respective swords) from each side will compete.
Except for Ororo’s (Storm’s) story and her quest to obtain the sword she will wield in the tournament, I found the overall narrative to be very well built and cohesive.
By the end of this volume, eight warriors have already been chosen to represent Krakoa, with only two remaining to complete the team.
--
PT Uma das melhores sagas dos X-Men — neste caso, a primeira de duas partes.
Arakko e Krakoa encontram-se em conflito e, para impedir que essa guerra saia do controlo, Saturnyne convoca um torneio onde participarão os dez melhores guerreiros (e as respetivas espadas) de cada lado.
Com exceção da história de Ororo (Storm) e da sua busca pela espada que empunhará no torneio, considerei que, no geral, a narrativa está muito bem construída e coerente.
No final deste volume, já temos oito guerreiros escolhidos para representar Krakoa, restando apenas dois para completar a equipa.
April 4, 2022
I picked up this first of 2 part Panini collection as the softcover Marvel edition of X-Men: X of Swords was pushing on $100+ in Australia. I do like the paper quality here, it's much thicker than the current version Marvel is using which can often feel quite flimsy.
In terms of what I didn't like about this collection, the Marvel edition I mentioned above includes some excerpts from Hickman's X-Men issues that adds background to Summoner and Arrakko, which help make the start of the story easier to follow. I also didn't the like of creator credits missing for each individual issue. I know most of the writers being involved with each book but I'm at a loss as to the current crop of Marvel artists, so it's hard for me to give the artist their due unless I check individually online. The art is generally pretty good throughout - although I'm not a fan of the artist aping Greg Capullo on Wolverine.
As for the story, I was expecting a big swordfight, along the lines of the martial arts tournament in the Brubaker/ Fraction/ Aja run collected in The Immortal Iron Fist: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 but this collection was pretty much just following certain characters on their quest to acquire the sword they will need for battle. When I read Infinity Gauntlet, I always wondered the story of how Thanos acquired the Infinity Gems would make for an interesting story (and it was - and it's collected in Silver Surfer Epic Collection Vol. 6: Thanos Quest) but these stories just felt a needlessly long set-up for the main event in the next volume.
In terms of what I didn't like about this collection, the Marvel edition I mentioned above includes some excerpts from Hickman's X-Men issues that adds background to Summoner and Arrakko, which help make the start of the story easier to follow. I also didn't the like of creator credits missing for each individual issue. I know most of the writers being involved with each book but I'm at a loss as to the current crop of Marvel artists, so it's hard for me to give the artist their due unless I check individually online. The art is generally pretty good throughout - although I'm not a fan of the artist aping Greg Capullo on Wolverine.
As for the story, I was expecting a big swordfight, along the lines of the martial arts tournament in the Brubaker/ Fraction/ Aja run collected in The Immortal Iron Fist: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 but this collection was pretty much just following certain characters on their quest to acquire the sword they will need for battle. When I read Infinity Gauntlet, I always wondered the story of how Thanos acquired the Infinity Gems would make for an interesting story (and it was - and it's collected in Silver Surfer Epic Collection Vol. 6: Thanos Quest) but these stories just felt a needlessly long set-up for the main event in the next volume.
May 6, 2022
Oprah wrote this volume: you get a sword and you get a sword and you get a sword.... Not everyone chosen to be a champ is interesting, neither is the way they get their swords.... Moments of good art. You'll love the characters you love and be bored by everyone else. All seems rather pointless, not epic at all. Could do without the infodump text pages too... It's a comic! Give us pictures! Worst: anything young Cable. Best: Apocalypse!
March 19, 2022
This event is my attempt at getting back into X-Men comics and it hasn’t been the best indication that I’m missing much. It is serving well as a sample plate for which series I’m interested in reading more of (hint: it’s not a lot).
A lot of my issues with Hickman’s writing being all plot and no character still stand, which is a shame because he works with some tremendous artists. This style has transferred to some of the other creators here whose work I normally like, but there are still good parts of this book.
The “Hellions” and “New Mutants” parts were the strongest as they were character-focused with phenomenal pacing and art. There’s an honorary mention for “Marauders” as it has one of the best Storm stories that I’ve read in a while.
If you don’t like long, drawn-out event stories then this isn’t going to change your mind as it has all of the decompressed storytelling that you’d expect.
A lot of my issues with Hickman’s writing being all plot and no character still stand, which is a shame because he works with some tremendous artists. This style has transferred to some of the other creators here whose work I normally like, but there are still good parts of this book.
The “Hellions” and “New Mutants” parts were the strongest as they were character-focused with phenomenal pacing and art. There’s an honorary mention for “Marauders” as it has one of the best Storm stories that I’ve read in a while.
If you don’t like long, drawn-out event stories then this isn’t going to change your mind as it has all of the decompressed storytelling that you’d expect.
August 19, 2021
The beginning to another huge story arc in the X-Men's lives. There's a rival to Krakoa who is inhabited by big baddies there's somethign about The Starlight Citadel and The Otherworld, to be honest, it's all a bit confusing.
Basically 12 heroes(X-Men) are going to go up against 12 baddies in a sword fight, if you lose you die and if your teams loses, everyone dies.
This is all about the setup and finding the swords. It's a bit confusing, but with lots of good characters involved. Bring on the fights in the next collection.
Basically 12 heroes(X-Men) are going to go up against 12 baddies in a sword fight, if you lose you die and if your teams loses, everyone dies.
This is all about the setup and finding the swords. It's a bit confusing, but with lots of good characters involved. Bring on the fights in the next collection.
Read
August 8, 2022Some really fun stories, feels very same-y by the end. Happy to be diving back into Hickman's universe.
March 14, 2023
All build up, scene setting, lore, etc.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews