House Of X/powers Of X

Whaouuu. Ça fait quelques temps que je lis de nombreux Comics sur les X-Men et je commençait à trouver que l'approche de l'acceptation des mutants par la société était souvent la même. Avec ces deux histoires (House of X et Power of X) on a enfin une approche complètement inédite de la question et de plus très cohérente. Très beau travail ! Pas besoin en plus de lire les récits précédents si vous commencez, l'histoire est détachée des histoires antérieures. Bonne lecture !

One of the most relevant arcs about mutants in the last years: any objection notwithstanding, its importance cannot be denied.

House of X/Powers of X goes beyond being a great comic to being one of my favorite works of literature. I'm not trying to say it's Shakespeare, but it incapsulates many themes and archetypes that appeal to me as a modern reader. And it also pushes the medium forward by recontextualizing these characters in a genius way and providing an incredible amount of world building through prose sections and diagrams. The art from Pepe Larraz and RB Silva isn't like, Dave Gibbons game-changing, but it does a great job of conveying some very heady concepts while showcasing the emotions of the characters. Both artists also manage to channel some previous eras while still feeling unmistakably modern. There's something very '90s about Sabretooth here. But then there are characters like Marvel Girl who feel right out of the '60s, and not just because of some throw-back costumes. That Hickman's premise can be summarized in one lean sentence only serves to underscore its genius: Moira Mactaggert is a mutant with the power to reincarnate, and the entirety of Marvel continuity up until now has been her tenth life. Half of the storyline deals with the establishment of Krakoa, the latest and greatest mutant nation that Moira has been secretly working toward with Professor X and Magneto's help. It differs from Genosha or Utopia in that the land itself is a living thing, much more capable of adapting to the mutants' needs, and in that all mutants are welcome there, good or evil. While this new status quo is incredibly positive and inspiring, it has some dark implications. Moira, Professor X, and Magneto have all been aware that events might play out a certain way, and still allowed them to happen. One prose section suggests that Moira didn't just happen to have her mutant son Proteus - she specifically chose her husband and had Proteus knowing that the mutants would one day needs his reality-warping power. And while that sort of dark twist might disturb some readers, I think it only serves to make the previously one-note Moira much more interesting, and to present Professor X with some truly interesting dilemmas when it comes to how far he is willing to go to achieve his dream. One of my favorite action sequences in any comic ever occurs when X sends the X-Men to stop the creation of a "Mother Mold" sentinel orbiting the sun. He coldly tells them to "Do whatever it takes" and telepathically watches with determination - and heartbreak - as the team accomplishes their mission, and are killed one by one. Of course, with Krakoa's new resurrection protocols, each is cloned a new body and then implanted with Professor X's back-up memories of them. But are they really their old selves brought back to life, or mere clones? How can you not LOVE this??? It's mind-blowing. Just...so, so satisfying to see the X-Men brought to the cutting-edge of sci-fi storytelling. Speaking of, the other half of the narrative showcases other timelines, Moira's previous lives. We see a timeline where mutant chimeras working for Apocalypse sacrifice themselves to get Moira information on how Nimrod comes to be. And we see an especially long-lasting timeline wherein humans reach a point of technological transcendence and merge with the Phalanx, who, in another profound recontextualization, are revealed to be just the tip of a universe-spanning cluster of artificial intelligences more akin to God. Is it humanity's fate to evolve to this point, or is it better that they retain their individuality? This stuff is so, so cool. I have read it twice and tore through it both times. Grant Morrison's New X-Men is the only thing that comes close. This is really the pinnacle of the franchise. But of course, it can only exist because of what has come before. I'm nearing the end of a two-year marathon reading every issue of X-Men ever, and even I missed some of the references here. Wolverine makes amends with Gorgon, a villain from a Mark Millar solo Wolverine comic run that I somehow hadn't heard of. But overall, I think the series is still accessible to even a casual X-Men fan. I've seen some on here describe it as "convoluted," but if you pay attention to the diagrams and various boxes it's all laid out pretty clearly. And it's all doled out in a really compelling order. While I've yet to read everything that has come after this, it stands on its own as probably the best thing Marvel put out in the 2010s, aside from Hickman's previous big work, Secret Wars. It's just massively entertaining, stimulating, engrossing, packed full of secrets and hugely pleasurable new ways of looking at your favorite characters. It's amazing. I love it. Read it and then be inspired to go read every X-Men issue ever like I was.

Arrived in great condition, a great entry point back into the world of the X-Men

This book is a must read book. I dont think I have ever said that before. It's one of, if not THE best xmen stories ever. I dont say that lightly. The age of apocalypse storyline was always my favorite. This story, at the very least, rivals that. I will have to think on whether it surpasses it or not. I wont say much about the story, it's best if you experience it unspoiled. But I will say this, you dont to have read anything before to understand this storyline. It def is new reader friendly. Long as you have some slight understanding on who the main players are? You will be fine. And even if you dont, you will still be fine. And if you are a huge xmen fan? You will def love this book. The new era of xmen starts here. It sets up everything going forward. The writing and art are both phenomenal. The story is rather complicated, but hickman has realized that, and has even included charts and diagrams and sections that literally gives you information to make sure you know what's things mean. Now that may sound like a turn off, but I assure you that it's done in such a way, that its not off putting in the slightest. One thing that I really love about this collection? THEY PUT IT IN READING ORDER!!!! Marvel can be really bad with that and collect it by series. Like the first 6 issues of house of X, followed by the 6 issues of powers or X. That would have destroyed the flow of the story. But marvel was smarts this time and it's in perfect reading order, so it's not hard to follow at all. The only thing that you should be aware of, when reading this book? It's just the start of a huge multi year epic. So dont expect a definitive ending. It is a great story, but the ending def has a "to be continued..." feel to it. So final verdict? If you couldnt already tell, is to buy this book. Like now. Its worth it. I can pretty muchgaurantee you that this book will be out of print soon enough. It is that good.