• • Comic Book Reviews
• January 5, 2022

X-Men #6 Review

Written by: Gerry Duggan

Art by: Pepe Larraz

Coloring by: Marte Garcia

Lettering by: VC’s Clayton Cowles

I like the idea of Captain Krakoa, a lot. I think Cyclops becoming Captain Krakoa is an excellent choice. Not because he’s like Captain America in character, but because he’s like him in his relationship with his nation. Almost mutants trust Cyclops, they would follow him to the ends of the earth, he is the best leader the X-Men have ever had. X-Men #6 has introduced an interesting wrinkle to the X-Men and Krakoa by making Cyclops become Captain Krakoa.

But that helmet is just so ugly, man. Pepe Larraz’s amazing art makes Cyclops appear so cool from the neck down, but I’m sorry, I can’t stand the leaves coming from the helmet. It’s distractingly stupid looking.

And while this development does end the Ben Urich subplot in an anticlimatic way, it changes how Scott Summers feels about the X-Men, a subplot that’s far more emotionally gripping. The last few pages of him sitting alone by the train are heartbreaking alone.

And that’s just half the book. The other half is on Arakko and its moon Phobos. Humanity didn’t like that mutantkind claimed Mars, so they claimed the moon to look after them. The action scene here was great, and the one-off villain, Vornak, had such an amazing design. I hope he comes back. The idea of this ancient mutant who looks like a demon straight out of MTG is something I live for. The way this plot raises the stakes and gives Sunfire a rival in Orchis only has me excited for what follows X-Men #6.

But I have to admit, there’s something bothering me. Why and how would the Arakkii mutants ever let humanity keep the moon? Yes, Feilong’s one-shotting Vornak was impressive, but hardly someone who all the mutants on Arakkii couldn’t take down together nonlethally. Hell, most of Arakkii’s council could solo a guy made of atomic fire. I’m sure they’ll give a reason for it, but I hope it comes soon. Otherwise, X-Men #6 is one of the best issues in this run so far.