X-Men of Apocalypse #3 Is a Turning Point That Derails the Whole Series (Review)

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“Age of Apocalypse” is an X-Men classic, and this book so far has done its best to be as faithful as possible to the style of the time of the original story. So far, this book has been pretty good, but this latest issue veers off into territory that might not appeal to everybody. That said, this isn’t a bad comic by any stretch of the imagination, especially because of the flashy art.

Rating: 3.0 out of 5

Pros	Cons
Di Meo’s art is spectacular	The story takes things in a questionable direction
Loeb is able to keep up the old school style of the book	The story feels a little too flashy for its own good

Loeb’s Script Is Serviceable but It’s Falling Back on a Plot That Doesn’t Really Work

So, this is sort of a weird comic in a lot of ways. Loeb is one of those writers who has been around for a while and has a good reputation, but his legend is buoyed by several masterpieces that cover for the fact that he’s mostly just a serviceable writer. He knows how to structure a story, his dialogue and captions work for the story, and he works well with artists, but he’s not mind-blowing consistently. X-Men of Apocalypse has been an example of good, but not great work. The plot works, Loeb nails the tone, and there are some fun ideas and action. However, it’s basically empty calories. It tastes good, but there’s not a lot of nutrition to it.

The problem comes with where Loeb’s taking the story in this issue. To begin with, this is one of many comics lately falling back on the Savage Land Rogue fandom. Rogue is a great character, but Savage Land Rogue is just sex appeal. No one really ever talks about the story from those two issues; it’s just the costume. In this issue, she’s not really written as a character, but more as an object of lust for AoA Gambit. It’s a woman as a plot point, and it takes the story in a direction that just doesn’t really feel right. There certainly may be some fans out there who like this change, but as far as it goes, it obfuscates this book’s plot even more than it needs to.

Di Meo’s Art Is Impressive and Is the Strongest Part of the Issue

Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics

When you think of “Age of Apocalypse”, you think of amazing art. Some of the best artists of the day worked on the story, and later installments in that universe also boasted amazing artists. X-Men of Apocalypse is Simone’s Di Meo’s first interior Marvel work, and he’s been even better than ever. The art in this issue is honestly spectacular. The story is the definition of fine, but the art is what really makes this issue readable, even if you don’t like the direction it’s taking.

One of Di Meo’s problems in the past is his colors could be a little too dark at times, which takes away from his linework. That’s not a problem this issue has. The coloring is sensational, and it really makes the whole thing pop. The way Di Meo blurs his action scenes gives them a sense of motion they otherwise wouldn’t have, making these scenes a feast for the eyes. If there’s any problem with Di Meo’s art, it’s that it is, in a lot of ways, a little too flashy. His art sort of overwhelms the story; you’re so busy being impressed by it, that it’s easy to stop paying as much attention to the rather anemic story.

Loeb delivers a technically proficient script that takes the story in a direction that I don’t really believe works for this book. Its use of Savage Land Rogue feels a little exploitative, as well. There’s a chance that the book will stick the landing, but right now, this issue just doesn’t sit right as a story. The art is easily the best part of the whole thing. It’s honestly a little too good for this book. This isn’t a bad comic, but it’s going to be the kind of thing that doesn’t really appeal to everyone.

X-Men of Apocalypse #3 is on sale now.

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