This week Marvel’s mutant mania continues with HOUSE OF X #5. Jonathan Hickman’s brain keeps spilling brilliance right into our hearts and minds, this chapter is particularly creative.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
At some point you would figure the excitement would settle a little bit. You would think that all the changes our beloved X-Men have been going through in the beginning of this new era would lose their luster to some degree. That is not the case at all.
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The way we left things in the last issue raised a lot of questions. No matter how close your theory was to the events unfolding in this issue, there’s no way you could have imagined it being this extraordinary.
House Of X #5 is absolutely loaded with creative re-imagining and re-purposing of characters, abilities, and philosophy. Everything we’ve seen so far in these two series has been on another level of creativity rarely found throughout the X-Men’s storied history.
Even still, this issue is a mind blowing experience.
Polaris and Magneto’s discussion about mutant and human society is a brilliant evolution of mutant philosophy that perfectly encapsulates their current place in the 616 universe. Each and every member of “The Five” gain a new purpose as a huge pillar in the new mutant society.
Hickman’s re-imagining of Goldballs made me audibly gasp when it was revealed that he’s been throwing biological eggs at people all these years. The process of turning those gold-eggs into mutant shells for Xavier to populate with the consciousness of fallen X-Men is absurdly cool. Even Cerebro gets a new purpose in copying mutant consciousnesses.
Watching this whole process unfold will give readers chills by how perfectly it’s executed and illustrated alone. Comic book characters are resurrected constantly, but this something completely different and special.
The Krakoan politics and place among the united nations is a dream many X-Men creators over the years have flirted with, but Hickman has been able to flesh out and actualize. There’s no poking holes in any of Hickman’s bold ideas and detailed execution.
House Of X #5’s closing scene is another awe-inspiring shocker. Apocalypse, Mr. Sinister, and a cavalcade of X-Men villains arrive in Krakoa and pledge their allegiance. Apocalypse submitting to Xavier and confessing how proud he is for realizing his own vision for mutantdom to dominate the world is unreal. This is easily the most interesting take on Apocalypse in a very long time.
Hickman’s brilliant vision would be nothing without a visual compliment that readers can comprehend. Not only does Pepe Larraz exceed expectations, but this may be the best work of his career. The amount of creativity and beauty flowing through each and every one of these pages is inspiring.
Marte Gracia also dazzles with probably the best work in his career to date. These pages warrant multiple investigations into every panel. Gracia gives the atmosphere of this book a dreamlike shine that elevates Larraz’s art to another level.
Every page of House Of X #5 is iconic and will stick with readers long after they’ve completed the issue. The art makes you want to stay here forever when you’re in the thick of it. These images immediately burn themselves into your brain and will be pillars in X-Men art history forever.
House Of X #5 is astounding. It’s breathtaking, shocking, and oozing with such creativity that it’s inspirational. There’s nothing that can compete with Hickman’s X-Men vision right now, it’s a masterpiece.
