Picking up right after the final page of Immortal X-Men #10, Sins of Sinister #1 rolls onto comic shelves this week. Kieron Gillen and some of the current x-writers are trying their hand at doing an Age of Apocalypse event. I have to tell you, this is very exciting. Anyone who knows Gillen’s work during his Uncanny X-Men run should know that he loves Mr. Sinister. He’s been a thorn in the side of the mutants for far too long. With Sins of Sinister, we’re finally seeing how things would shake out if he finally won. Joining Kieron Gillen on this issue are Lucas Werneck on pencils (as well as other artists who chip in for a page), Bryan Valenza on colors, and Clayton Cowles on letters.
WRITING
Kieron Gillen starts off this issue hot. Aside from the current timeline, we are treated to events that will happen a year down the road and five years later. Gillen allows the events of the future to be so interesting that you honestly want to read about how it all happens all at once. Gillen’s voice for Mr. Sinister is perfect, as usual. He allows him to live up to his name as he wreaks havoc on the world. Unfortunately, no one is safe from Mr. Sinister’s reign of terror as superhero teams and villains fall. Gillen establishes Mr. Sinister as a conniving tactician as we see him have a plan to take out heavyweights like Dr. Doom to Thanos. This event has the feeling of great tension as you read it. Gillen makes it feel like the stakes are high and that anything is possible. One of the most important things you need to do as you go through this issue is to question what will happen next and what will be the effects of this. I don’t know the answer to either of these questions, but things can’t ever be the same after Sins of Sinister.
ART
The pencils by Lucas Werneck are excellent, as usual. He does have some help on this oversized issue from artists like Joshua Cassara and Travel foreman. Werneck recreates the pages from House of X as Charles resurrects Cyclops flawlessly. He uses Sinister instead of Charles, but the page is fantastic. This is an emotional issue, so Werneck has to nail the look of the characters as they are taken by surprise. Werneck particularly nails the pages with Storm as the council blindsides her. Werneck uses a couple of close panels of Storm’s eyes. These panels are effective in conveying the shock from Storm. Seeing Professor X and Emma approaching her with devilish grins on their faces is also an uneasy image. Werneck and the other guest pencilers make this a special issue with their iconic pages that will last with you after the book is put down.
The colors by Bryan Valenza are integral to this issue. Valenza has to color and set the mood for some pages that show a happy apocalypse situation. As Emma and Professor X talk about wearing their sinister diamonds and showing them off, Valenza uses bright and light backgrounds. It’s a creepy page, and it’s made even creepier by the light tone of the background. The colors get a little darker as Valenza transitions into the Ben Urich portion of the issue. As Urich looks out the window, a sepia-like tone is used. Finally, Valenza uses bright whites for Storm’s lightning outlined in blue as she attempts to escape from the quiet council. This works well and highlights the lightning and makes it pop. Valenza does an excellent job with this issue and stepped up to the plate for such a high-profile book.
Clayton Cowles is on the letters for this issue. The most impressive lettering in this issue comes when Storm triesg to escape the council. Cowles uses a giant see-through “KRRRAKOOOM” as she calls down a massive thunder strike. This takes up the whole panel. Word balloon placement is impeccable. As Ben Urich talks with J. Jonah Jameson, it’s a close panel. Cowles ensures all the word balloons are above Ben’s head and out of the way of the image. Cowles is one of the best in the business when it comes to letters. This issue is another example of his professionalism and dedication to his craft.
CONCLUSION
Sins of Sinister #1 sets the stage for an exciting crossover for our favorite mutants. Kieron Gillen has earned all the praise he receives for his attention to detail and well plotted out stories. He’s been building this up for his entire run on Immortal X-Men, and everything feels natural. The art is superb, and all the guest artists help diversify this issue’s look. Sins of Sinister #1 is available at a comic shop near you!
