Review - X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Omnibus

The greatest evil that Earth’s heroes may ever face has appeared. With the psychic powers of Professor Xavier and the maniacal motivations of Magneto, the entity known as Onslaught has dedicated itself to the eradication of all humans on the planet. Only the combined might of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men may be able to stop it.

X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Omnibus collects Cable #32-36, Uncanny X-Men #333-337, X-Force #55, 57-58, X-Man #15-19, X-Men #53-57, Annual '96, X-Men Unlimited #11, Onslaught: X-Men, Marvel Universe, Epilogue, Avengers #401-402, Fantastic Four #415, Incredible Hulk #444-445, Wolverine #104-105, X-Factor #125-126, Amazing Spider-Man #415, Green Goblin #12, Spider-Man #72, Iron Man #332, Punisher #11, Thor #502, X-Men: Road to Onslaught, and material from Excalibur #100 and Fantastic Four #416. It includes work by Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb, Mark Waid, Terry Kavanagh, Andy Kubert, Ian Churchill, Joe Madureira, and Adam Kubert.

Onslaught is an “epic” that began building in the aftermath of the X-Men crossover Fatal Attractions. After Professor Xavier psionically erases Magneto’s mind, his guilt over his actions and the presence of his rival’s psyche in his unconscious leads to the creation of Onslaught. This entity draws its powers from both Xavier and Magneto. It attacks the X-Men, kidnaps Franklin Richards and Nate Grey, and unleashes Sentinels onto New York City. Upon recovering from their initial battle against Onslaught, the X-Men join forces with the Avengers and the Fantastic Four to prevent the total annihilation of humans. From a conceptual point of view, this makes for an absolutely thrilling premise and works to throw all of the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes together in one epic showdown against a powerful foe. Unfortunately, the execution is so poor that it makes this crossover incredibly tedious to sit through.

This omnibus is incredibly dense and combines every possible issue related to Onslaught in one giant hardcover. The problem with that is that it means there are so many subplots and tie-ins that it distracts from the primary narrative. The main plot of this crossover occurs in the pages of the main X-Men books, Avengers, and Fantastic Four. Those issues are actually very engaging and provide readers with the emotional core of this storyline. Namely, we see the X-Men struggling with their beloved mentor potentially being the greatest evil the world has ever known and Invisible Woman fighting to get her son back after Onslaught takes him. The problem is that the inclusion of the various tie-ins distracts from this and requires readers to slog through random issues where it’s Spider-Man randomly fighting Sentinels or Cable duking it out with the Hulk while the latter is under the control of Onslaught. Personally, I’d have preferred more editing when this omnibus was put together in order to trim the filler material or to at least structure things better so the inferior material is placed at the back as supplemental reading.

Much of the variance in quality comes from the sheer number of creators working on this crossover. There are a total of 11 writers who receive credit, 26 artists, 31 inkers, and 23 colorists. This creates a lot of room for inconsistencies. The strongest issues are those penned by Scott Lobdell and Mark Waid, with art by Andy Kubert and Joe Madureira. Those are the most dynamic and straightforward. In fact, Madureira is arguably the star of this entire collection. His work is so different from the others that it naturally stands out and the anime-inspired aesthetic is as bold as it is expressive. There’s also an issue of Cable by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill that’s quite good, which features Cable and Invisible Woman forging an uneasy alliance with Apocalypse in hopes of undermining Onslaught’s schemes. Churchill’s work is always really spectacular. It’s vibrant and emotive in a way that most of the artists’ work in this omnibus is not.

X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Omnibus requires a lot of patience. It’s not a streamlined crossover that has a general through line. It’s messy and it’s long. Given that it’s one of Marvel’s earliest attempts at a company-wide crossover, it’s understandable as to why it is as mediocre as it is. Unlike future events that would be contained within mini- or maxi-series, this one is spread out over just about every Marvel comic imaginable from this era and its structuring lacks direction. There’s no part one, two, three, and so on. Some of the issues collected in this edition are enjoyable. There’s a lot of gorgeous art to be found and some interesting character development, especially for the X-Men. Sadly, it’s buried within unevenness. As a concept, Onslaught is brilliant and is something I’d love to see tackled again (though not in the main Marvel universe) as a way of making up for the original’s shortcomings. As it is, the Onslaught Omnibus may not be a purchase I’d recommend unless you’re a true completionist.

RATING: C-

Review - X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 3

Onslaught’s herald has arrived and he is determined to test the might of the X-Men. He kidnaps three of the X-Men’s strongest members – Storm, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Iceman – and forces them to battle against him. With no help from their allies against this monstrous foe, the X-Men must overcome seemingly impossible odds to defeat him. Meanwhile, the Beast is forced into a game of cat-and-mouse with his counterpart from an alternate reality and Archangel fights to save Psylocke’s life as she lays near-death after her encounter with Sabretooth.

X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 3 collects Uncanny X-Men#329-332,Archangel #1, X-Men/Brood#1-2, X-Men Unlimited#10, X-Men #50-52, Wolverine#101, and Xavier Institute Alumni Yearbook. It features writing by Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb, Mark Waid, Larry Hama, and more. The art includes work by Bryan Hitch, Andy Kubert, Joe Madureira, and more.

Of the three volumes Marvel collected under the banner of The Road to Onslaught, this one is the weakest. The quality of the issues varies and very little of the stories included actually serve as a prelude to the Onslaught saga. This volume begins with a two-parter where Archangel and Wolverine team-up with Doctor Strange in order to seek a mystical solution to saving Psylocke’s life. It’s one of the better stories in this collection and features some fantastic artwork by Joe Madureira. Having Doctor Strange as a guest star also provides a nice change of pace as it gives the X-Men someone different to interact with. X-Men: Brood, a limited series by John Ostrander and Bryan Hitch, is another highlight. The art is expressive and the storyline itself has a nice weight to it. It also happens to give Jean Grey and Iceman an opportunity to show off their abilities, which I always appreciate. The narrative itself takes the X-Men to a small town where a woman has unexpectedly become a Brood queen and has been turning others in her town into her spawn. This has drawn the attention of another faction of Brood, which has been sent to the town to destroy her and her offspring. The X-Men get caught in the conflict and task themselves with finding a way to cure the woman of her affliction. It’s admittedly a little predictable, but it’s enjoyable. The main gripe here is that it has nothing to do with Onslaught and comes across as rather tangential in the grand scheme of things.

Oddly enough, the material that does connect to Onslaught ends up being some of the least interesting work included here. One of the main arcs includes the Beast from the 616 universe being replaced by his Age of Apocalypse counterpart. It begins in X-Men Unlimited #10 and carries into the main X-books as a subplot. The AoA Beast learns all he can about our Beast and then leads him into a trap in order to hide him away while he takes his place amongst the X-Men. He does so in order to escape the notice of Mr. Sinister. Overall, it’s an odd storyline that feels random and unnecessary. The AoA Beast isn’t an especially captivating villain and it takes a lot to actually believe that he could replace our Beast without being noticed by the X-Men, especially since he does some things that would be suspicious. The other major Onslaught-related storyline is the X-Men’s face-off with Post, Onslaught’s herald. Storm, Cyclops, Iceman, and Wolverine are spirited away to an unknown location and are forced to fight Post. He’s a big and powerful enemy for them, which means that most of the issue is spent with the X-Men in battle. The action-oriented narrative is quite nice, but it’s not as spectacular as it could be. It’s suggested that Storm’s powers are somewhat hampered, but even still she’s not utilized like she could be. Perhaps the best thing about this issue isn’t the comic itself, but rather the one that succeeds it. Iceman is left injured after the conflict and he opts to confront Emma Frost, as she was previously able to control his powers in a way that he’s been unable to. It’s a really fantastic character-focused one-off issue and it really gives us insight into Iceman’s character.

At its core, X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 3 is just a collection of mediocre storylines that don’t benefit from being collected in a rather lengthy trade paperback. Some issues are better than others, largely due to the fact that the creative teams are not consistent throughout. Arguably, the issues written by Scott Lobdell are the strongest. They’re more engaging and have the right balance of action and character development. It also helps that he’s also teamed with the best artists in this collection – like Joe Madureira and Bryan Hitch. Conversely, the issues written by Mark Waid are the least entertaining. These are the ones more focused on the Beast/Dark Beast subplot. Overall, X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 3 isn’t worth its cover price. My recommendation is to merely purchase the Uncanny X-Men issues digitally (or physically if you can find them) since they’re the best of the bunch, plus maybe the Brood limited series by Ostrander and Hitch.

RATING: C-

Review - Avengers/X-Men: Bloodties

Tensions between the human and mutant populations on Genosha have reached their peak. The Avengers have been instructed to stay away from the island nation out of fear that they may interfere with attempts at diplomacy. They ignore this order for personal reasons – the daughter of the Avengers Crystal and Quicksilver has been kidnapped and taken to Genosha by the fanatical Fabian Cortez. They infiltrate Genosha and team-up with the X-Men to rescue the innocent girl caught in the crosshairs of the human-mutant conflict.

Avengers/X-Men: Bloodties collects Avengers#368-369, Avengers West Coast#101, X-Men #26, Uncanny X-Men#307 and Black Knight: Exodus #1, written by Bob Harras, Dann Thomas, Fabian Nicieza, and Scott Lobdell. It includes art by Steve Epting, Dave Ross, Andy Kubert, and John Romita Jr.

Bloodties largely builds upon storylines set in place in the X-books, such as Mutant Genesis and Fatal Attractions. A desperate Fabian Cortez has lost his place among Magneto’s Acolytes and seeks to make a name for himself by kidnapping Magneto’s human granddaughter. He’s completely unhinged and is living in fear of retribution at the hands of the immensely powerful Exodus. This places him directly in conflict with the X-Men and the Avengers, who join forces in order to stop him. Since the narrative depends so heavily on previous X-Men arcs, it feels as if the Avengers have been dropped directly into the X-Men’s world and are forced to deal with issues they otherwise would be oblivious to. They’ve long stayed away from fighting for mutants and protecting them, but here they see what their inaction has resulted in – extremism on both the human and mutant sides. Since the Avengers are an officially sanctioned organization that has to follow the orders of certain authorities, it creates an interesting contrast against the X-Men. Xavier’s mutant band of heroes are freedom fighters who are able to fight for what is right without being entangled in any bureaucratic red tape. The opposite is true of the Avengers. They’re reactive and are essentially weapons pointed at whatever big problem governments may have.

The character who stands above the rest in this crossover is Crystal. With her daughter Luna in the arms of a maniac, it is her desire to rescue Luna that drives the plot forward and gives the arc its emotional throughline. She’s portrayed as a mother unwilling to sacrifice or compromise in finding her child, which means that she has ignore the orders the Avengers have been given from the authorities and infiltrating Genosha. We get a lot of great character moments between Crystal and some of the other cast members. She and her estranged husband Quicksilver put aside their differences to work together. Furthermore, Crystal spends the bulk of her time with her sister-in-law Scarlet Witch by her side. I really love their dynamic as Wanda’s sisterly concerns and supportiveness help to counterbalance Crystal’s more frenetic state of mind. Another character that manages to steal the spotlight is Sersi. In the middle of this crossover, she has an explosive battle against Exodus. It’s intense, vibrant, and showcases just how powerful Sersi is. It’s quite possibly the most memorable scene from this arc.

The art for this crossover is surprisingly very consistent, even though there were multiple artists working on it. Steve Epting and Andy Kubert’s work is really quite similar. This provides a similar aesthetic between the Avengers’ main title and the adjectiveless X-Men book. I’m fond of their styles as it’s very streamlined and the uncomplicated nature of their pencils allows for the colours to truly pop on the page. They’re also very expressive artists and excel at capturing all kinds of emotive states. John Romita Jr. has a style all his own, but it works in tandem with Epting and Kubert’s pencils. It’s a little more sophisticated and kinetic. Romita Jr. is especially fond of doing splash pages, which can be really effective for action sequences. Dave Ross is probably the weak link of the bunch. His artwork in the pages of Avengers West Coast is passable, but feels very ‘90s. The lines aren’t as crisp and clean, while characters often look permanently angry.

The ‘90s was a decade that provided crossover after crossover for the X-Men books, many of which were overdone and overstuffed. Avengers/X-Men: Bloodties is a nice change of pace in comparison. With just five parts to it, it’s a shorter crossover and places its focus on the characters affected most by Fabian Cortez’s actions. This gives this arc a more intimate feel to it and also ensures that its personal approach to storytelling elicits sympathy and engagement from the reader. Bloodties has a lot of memorable action sequences too. The Sersi vs. Exodus brawl alone is spectacular. Crossovers between the X-Men and the Avengers are rare, so Bloodties is a really nice treat and one that fans of both teams should check out.

RATING: B+

Review - X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 2

After months of imprisonment and attempted rehabilitation at the hands of Professor Xavier, Sabretooth escapes his confinement and leaves a path of destruction in his wake as he makes his way to New York City. With government forces on standby, the X-Men must track Sabretooth down before he can hurt anyone else. Then, Bishop struggles with holding onto his sanity due to reality and time hopping complications.

X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 2 collects X-Men/ClanDestine #1-2, Uncanny X-Men #327-328, Annual '95, X-Men #46-49, X-Men Unlimited #9, and Sabretooth: In the Red Zone. It includes writing by Alan Davis, Larry Hama, Terry Kavanagh, Scott Lobdell, and Fabian Nicieza, as well as art by Roger Cruz, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Andy Kubert, Joe Madureira, and Jeff Matsuda.

This trade reads as a compilation of largely unrelated stories, pulling both from the main X-Men titles at the same and from other books. As such, this leads to a variance in quality. The greatest example of this is the X-Men/ClanDestine two-parter that kicks off this collection. It’s a puzzling inclusion given how inaccessible it is for casual comic book readers. It features an obscure set of characters, the Destines, as they team up with the X-Men to defeat an otherworldly entity. While Alan Davis’ art in these issues is gorgeous, the storyline is random and disposable. The issue of X-Men Unlimited that was included is equally as random. It features Wolverine, Psylocke and Beast caught on a mission to the Bermuda Triangle, where they must stop the combined might of the Belasco and Bloodscream. While the story itself is penned by the talented Larry Hama, it remains an unremarkable adventure that’s further marred by subpar art.

Interestingly, one of the best stories in this trade is the one-and-done Uncanny X-Men Annual ’95. In this oversized comic, then-new X-Man Cannonball heads back home with Wolverine, Bishop, Storm, and his oldest sister in tow to investigate an anti-mutant cult that has recently recruited one of his siblings. Written by Terry Kavanagh and with art by Bryan Hitch and Bob McLeod, it’s a story that tackles zealotry and bigotry in a way that is reminiscent of the seminal God Loves, Man Kills graphic novel. The familial dynamic between Sam and his sister Paige helps to ground the story. We get a lot of great character moments with them, especially with Paige. Though more prominent in Generation X, we see references to her being ashamed of her upbringing (she tries to hide her Southern accent) and her overall drive to be a hero like Sam. Uncanny X-Men Annual ’95 may not have a whole lot to do with the arrival of Onslaught, but it remains a memorable and relevant story with some impeccable artwork.

The bulk of the material in this volume relies on and furthers the overarching plotlines that were present in the X-Men books at this time. Issues 46-47 of X-Men see Scott Lobdell and Andy Kubert tying up loose ends from way back in issues 10-11. The X-Babies have escaped the Mojoverse and a handful of the X-Men must protect them from extradimensional bounty hunters. These two issues fill readers in on what’s happened to the Mojoverse since the rebellion, which is great for Dazzler fans since she shows up towards the conclusion. Her presence (and attitude) is just about the only reason to tune in to this two-parter. Kubert’s art is sadly very inconsistent and the X-Babies are predictably rather irritating. There are some great scenes that punctuate the action, particularly between Jean Grey and Iceman. These quiet moments help to drive home how much of a family the X-Men are. Issues 48-49 are Bishop-centric, dealing primarily with what seems to be PTSD brought on by his time travels. While he’s struggling to hold on to his sanity, an assassin is sent after him. These issues deal tangentially with the aftermath of the Age of Apocalypse and attempt to give Bishop some layers, but their ugly art and dull writing really fail to leave much of a positive impression.

The other plotline that is further developed involves the continued captivity of Sabretooth. All the way back in X-Men Unlimited #3, Sabretooth willingly submitted himself for help from Professor Xavier as a means of receiving telepathic soothing that he had become addicted to. Though many X-Men disagreed with the decision, Xavier saw it as an opportunity to rehabilitate the villain. In this collection, we see the final resolution of this plotline. Sabretooth proves himself to be beyond redemption, prompting Xavier to make a deal with the government to have him incarcerated. In return, Sabretooth plots his escape from the mansion and leaves a trail of destruction in his path. Uncanny X-Men #328 is a standout issue in this saga. We get an emotionally devastated Boom Boom losing her cool once she discovers the truth about Sabretooth, as well as an intense action sequence that features a rematch between the villain and Psylocke (they pair first battled one another way back in Uncanny X-Men #213). It’s also worth noting that the issue is illustrated by Joe Madureira at the height of his popularity. His manga-influenced style is beautiful and dynamic. His Psylocke is especially iconic. Sabretooth: In the Red Zone concludes this arc. The original X-Men are sent by Xavier to apprehend Sabretooth, which gives us some great scenes of the O5 working together as a team. The synergy that they have is really electric, so it’s not hard to understand why this formation is so popular amongst fans. The combination of Fabian Nicieza’s dialogue and Gary Frank’s near-flawless art makes this issue incredibly cinematic. So much so, that it would make for a great animated film.

X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 2 is really not worth the price of admission. It’s great for completionists and X-Men fans who loved the ‘90s, especially since it has a lot of cool extras. There are reprints of trading cards, for example, that are included after each issue. Uncanny X-Men Annual ’95 is a great read, as is the one-two punch of Uncanny X-Men #328 and Sabretooth: In the Red Zone. The writing on those issues is impeccable, but the art is even more impressive (arguably some of the best that Hitch, Madureira and Frank have done). Unfortunately, the rest of what is collected here is pretty forgettable. It’s probably better to buy some of the individual issues via Comixology than shell out the money for this hefty trade.

RATING: B- (buoyed mostly by the high quality of some of the issues included)

Review: X-Men - The Road to Onslaught Volume 1

The X-Men have been pulled into the ruthless machinations of the mutant terrorist group Gene Nation, whose leader Marrow has a decades-long grudge against Storm. Marrow intends to make Storm suffer for the neglect she felt when the X-Man led the Morlocks. Then, Rogue and Iceman go on a roadtrip to escape from the drama that surrounds their lives as X-Men. Their departure may prove to be ill-timed as a shadowy villain known as Onslaught seems to be closing in on the X-Men.

X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 1 collects X-Men Prime #1, Uncanny X-Men #322-326, X-Men #42-45, Annual '95, and X-Men Unlimited #8, written primarily by Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza with art by Roger Cruz, Terry Dodson, Bryan Hitch, Joe Madureira and more!

This collection pulls stories from a transitionary period of the X-Men books between the critically-acclaimed Age of Apocalypse and the companywide crossover Onslaught. As such, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the majority of the issues here are stuck between dealing with the aftermath of the former and setting up the latter. This creates an inconsistent tone that constantly shifts the narrative focus, leaving the reader with the sense that there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of movement forward with the storylines being presented. For the most part, the issues that deal with the set-up of Onslaught are far more interesting than those that pull in some of the forgettable baddies from AoA (Dark Riders, I’m looking at you guys).

The writers tread a lot of water here as they place more of an emphasis on the interpersonal dramas between their characters than on action. For example, we’re treated to a date between Psylocke and Archangel and suffer through the continued melodrama of Rogue and Gambit’s tenuous relationship. Admittedly, I find the then-budding romance between Psylocke and Archangel to breathe new life into both characters. It helps to lighten Warren’s personality after being depicted in a grimmer manner following his transformation into Death at the hands of Apocalypse, while Psylocke gets to act as something other than just the team’s T&A. The drama between Rogue and Gambit is more contrived. The issues collected here occur after an incident where Rogue kissed Gambit, which ultimately left him in a coma and her with his memories. She’s thus left the X-Men and is travelling westward with Iceman in tow. This subplot is really engrossing, particularly as we get to see two characters that had previously never interacted much bond on a good ol’ roadtrip. Although, Rogue’s behaviour puts a damper on the two becoming overly close as she seems eager to remain closed off to all those around her. She is also contemptuous towards Gambit and remains judgmental over his past, which ultimately makes her look like a big flaming hypocrite given the fact that we know she’s no saint either (which both Carol Danvers and Dazzler can attest to). However, her icy rejection of Gambit does lead towards a touching scene with Storm consoling Gambit.

While a fair share of the stories in this collection read more as supplementary rather than essential, there are a few noteworthy issues that are worth discussing. Uncanny X-Men #322 sees Beast, Bishop and Psylocke going up against the Juggernaut, who is the first to reveal the coming of Onslaught. Uncanny X-Men #323-325 deals with Marrow and Gene Nation. This three-parter serves as a conclusion to a culmination of events that date back all the way to when Storm won leadership of the Morlocks from Callisto. Storm’s subsequent neglect of the Morlocks, the Marauder’s massacre, and Mikhail Rasputin’s teleportation of them into another plane laid down the groundwork for Marrow’s hatred towards humans and the X-Men. She returns in these issues to enact her revenge, but instead she finds herself up against Storm’s legendary will and ultimately underestimates her opponent. Finally, X-Men Prime is a beautifully poignant series of vignettes written by Lobdell and Nicieza with the help of roughly half a dozen of the decade’s most talented artists. Though it is a transitionary issue meant to wrap up the remaining threads of Age of Apocalypse, it is grounded by an incredibly (and depressingly) relevant story of a mutant who is viciously attacked by a group of humans while he is mere miles away from seeking refuge within the hallowed walls of the Xavier Institute.

X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Volume 1 is pretty much what you’d expect from a collection of comics from the middle of the 1990s. With significantly fewer pockets and shoulderpads than its early-‘90s predecessors, these issues are gorgeously illustrated by some of the best artists in the industry at that point. Those penciled by Joe Madureira are especially memorable. Amidst the many forgettable villains presented here, Lobdell and Nicieza make up for lackluster storylines with excellent dialogue and themes that remain relevant to today’s intolerant society. I’m especially left impressed by how multi-dimensional and dynamic the women they write are. Storm, Jean Grey, Rogue, Psylocke, Callisto, Trish Tilby, and even Marrow are all easily the most memorable characters in this collection. Colossus, Gambit and Beast also have their moments. If anything, The Road to Onslaught Volume 1 is perfect for fans of these characters (especially if you love Rogue and/or Gambit).

RATING: B-