Way Of X #1
Nightcrawler wrestles with the new reality of Krakoa and its effects on the soul of mutantkind in Way of X #1, by writer Si Spurrier, artist Bob Quinn, colorist Java Tartaglia, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Nightcrawler, the most spiritual of the X-Men, has been wrestling with the realities of Krakoa for a while. This title expands on that while also seeing him sent on a mission by Professor X.
It all starts with a routine reconnaissance mission, one where Nightcrawler, Pixie, Blink, Loa, and DJ find an Orchis installation in a monastery. During the mission, Nightcrawler hears the younger X-men talk about resurrection and how Pixie has never died before. They’re found out, and before they can escape, Pixie allows herself to be shot. Nightcrawler is horrified, and things go on from there, as he plays a joke on Magneto and is reminded of his failure to start a new mutant religion, meets a new arrival which he blows off, talks to Doctor Nemesis, and witnesses Magneto kill the new arrival in Crucible. It all leads to the Arbor Magna the next day, as he and Professor X discuss a new mission- Professor X sends him to find someone who is messing with the minds of mutants, one who is very familiar to the Professor.
Spurrier does a great job of really nailing all the facets of Nightcrawler in this issue. Nightcrawler has been pretty absent from the X-men books since Dawn Of X started. Sure, he’s a member of the Quiet Council, but that’s it. According to this comic, he’s been wrestling with the realities of Krakoa and the new life it has granted mutants. It’s one that has been very hard for him to accept, partly because of his Catholic faith. His reactions to Crucible back in X-Men are another part of it- even beyond his faith, Nightcrawler is not one for the senseless ending of life for any reason, and he doesn’t like the violence of the whole thing. He sees another aspect of it in this issue in the way the young mutants treat resurrection- the nonchalant attitude shakes him to his core.
This is all perfectly in line with who Nightcrawler is and what he believes in. However, that’s not all of who he is, and Spurrier plays with that in a very interesting way- he plays a prank on Magneto, and it’s turned around on him, as Magneto uses it as a chance to talk about how mutantkind has changed- a change which Nightcrawler is having trouble accepting. This scene is subtle, but its lesson is clear- the old ways aren’t going to work anymore. Things have changed, and one has to change with them. However, the real crux of this book seems to be that Nightcrawler not only doesn’t want to change but sees no reason to he’s a moral man with a deep respect for life. He’ll accept resurrection, but it’s not a toy. He may have to change, but he’s going to change things as well. That makes this book more interesting than the run-of-the-mill X-Men book because it brings up so much about Krakoa that can be uncomfortable.
Quinn’s art is pretty good. His figure work is mostly solid, his backgrounds are good, the character acting works. Nothing really sticks out as amazing, but then again, this is more of a cerebral issue. The action set-pieces at the beginning are good, but nothing spectacular. It’ll be interesting to see how his art develops over the course of the story.
Way Of X #1 is an intriguing comic. Nightcrawler is one of the best X-Men, and getting a book that focuses on him is a great idea, one that should pay off in the future. He’s probably the best character to look at the spiritual and moral implications of Krakoa’s culture in regard to resurrection and such. Spurrier does a great job throughout this issue of really illustrating how the whole situation has affected Nightcrawler and sets up some interesting things for the future. Quinn’s art is solid but nothing spectacular. Way Of X looks to be a worthy addition to the X-Men lineup.