If last week’s column was a bit of a downer about the current state of X-books, this time out I’m happy to give the nod to a one-off in the line that worked for me.
Like X-Men: Before The Fall – Heralds of Apocalypse, this week’s book, X-Men: Before The Fall – The Sinister Four is tied in to the forthcoming Fall of X. However, unlike the hardcore sci-fi driven previous title, this one feels both accessible for first time readers while continuing the ever-expanding story of Mister Sinister.
That character in particular has been a longtime favourite of mine, ever since his debut in the classic X-Men Inferno storyline of the late 1980s. Over the decades he’s morphed from his mad scientist roots to an even madder scientist with gleeful abandon depicted, and has become a lot of fun to follow. His placement on the Quiet Council in recent X-Men stories, along with the larger Sins of Sinister crossover from a few months back, has made him a focal point the last few years of mutant storytelling, and I’ve enjoyed it.
X-Men: Before The Fall – The Sinister Four dives deeper into Mister Sinister’s backstory while also placing him in a prime position for what’s coming next for the X-Men. As written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Paco Medina, the issue was a fun standalone story that also builds to the larger Fall of X event.
FALL OF X IS COMING! As the nineteenth century drew to a close, the dying Nathaniel Essex unleashed four clones of himself into the world. They’ve been haunting it ever since, while lurking in the shadows. We know what Sinister has been up to. What about the others? In this issue, we delve into their past…and discover their latest atrocity. When they start to…date?
