First Look Review of X-Men: Red #1

The last time I saw Jean Grey was actually the very first X-Men comic from back in 1963. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby seemed to know exactly who their characters were and who they wanted the X-Men to be back then and in this issue Tom Taylor seems to pick up where the two legends left off.

The Hate Machine, Part 1: Heal The World by Tom Taylor, Muhmud Asrar, and Ive Svorcina. Published by Marvel Comics, 2018.

The story starts out with Jean helping a young mutant, Heather, escape from an angry mob, one that includes her mother, and that sets the tone for this first issue. There’s a lot of anger against mutants and the X-Men, led by Jean, are trying to protect fellow mutants and show the humans they mean no harm. It’s a pretty intense start as Taylor and Asrar really made me feel for the terrified little girl.

The Red team is made up of Laura Kinney’s Wolverine, Honey Badger, Nightcrawler, and Prince Namor, and lead by Jean Grey. Two mutants I’m not familiar with are also included but aren’t too big a part of the first issue – Gentle and Trinary.

After the prologue with Heather, we’re taken back to what seems to be the start of the hatred where a baby is kidnapped in a carjacking and begins to cry. It’s a mutant and it’s wails cause buildings to shake and eardrums to burst. This uncontrolled child is blamed as the beginning of a movement to control mutants. Anti-mutant groups become emboldened and hatred flares up.

Jean senses the anger and division in the world and sets out on a mission to reduce the violence and change the world. So she enlists Namor and Black Panther’s help and heads to the United Nations where she lobbies to create a voice for mutantkind. And with Atlantis and Wakanda’s support, the Mutant Nation is born. Unfortunately though, as Jean leaves the UN after her speech, she’s seen with the British Ambassador just before the woman’s head explodes…so much for reducing mutant hatred. But when Jean’s plans are diametrically opposed to the Big Bad’s designs you’d expect there to be trouble.

This comic hits on all levels. The story is intriguing, the art is wonderful, the colors are gorgeous, and I’m really digging the fact that someone put Wolverine and Honey Badger on a team (they’re 2 of my favorite mutants right now). I’m looking forward to seeing where this one goes and I’m hoping it sticks around a long time. With that in mind, I give this issue a First Look Rating of an A-.

This comic can be found on Marvel Unlimited, Comixology or at your local comic book shop.

Comics Corner | First Look Review of X-Men: Red #1