X-Men #20
Mystique goes to the Orchis Forge again to end Nimrod in X-Men #20, by writer Jonathan Hickman, artist Francesco Mobili, colorist Sonny Gho, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Much like the last two issues, this one picks up one of the more interesting plotlines of Hickman’s run and builds upon it. Like the last two issues, this one shows exactly what this book can be.
This comic revolves around Mystique’s quest to destroy Nimrod and get back Destiny. She goes to Forge, and he gives her a unique weapon, one that should destroy Orchis’s Forge. She gets there at an auspicious time- the rebirth of Dr. Alia Gregor’s husband Erasmus in the body of Nimrod. It’s a moment of triumph that’s cut short by his detection of Mystique. She’s able to set the bomb, and Nimrod duplicates, saving his life but losing the memories of Erasmus. Mystique is killed but reborn on Krakoa, where she has to deal with her failure once again.
When Hickman stops messing around in this book and gets down to brass tacks, it’s amazing, and this book is a perfect example of why. Even when he spent so long spinning his wheels in this comic, one of the places where he excelled was with the characters, and this issue is no exception. Here, he turns his pen on Forge. The mutant inventor is only in the issue for a short time. Still, he gets the best speech, talking about technology and the human proclivity to make excuses about their destructive creations. It fits into the book later- Dr. Alia Gregor has created a method of resurrection that strangely mirrors the Krakoan method but uses technology instead of mutation. It’s a miracle, but it’s a miracle that brings Nimrod, the most destructive piece of human technology. It’s a wonderful mirror moment- Alia creates a method of resurrection, but she uses it to bring a terrible weapon to life.
Dr. Devo makes an appearance in this issue, watching the birth of Nimrod, and he gets a good speech, too, talking with Omega Sentinel in the aftermath of the Forge’s destruction. He’s come to the realization- for all of the mutants’ bluster and bravado, they hate humanity…. And fear them. It’s a classic twist on the old line with the X-Men, and while on the one hand, the reader might not want to believe that mutants hate humans, many of their actions prove it. It’s a wonderful little moment, one that Hickman uses expertly. The end of the issue is also great, with Magneto and Xavier going to see Moira as Mystique thinks about Destiny’s words to her about resurrecting her.
Mobili’s art is great throughout. From Forge’s opening speech to the scenes on the Forge to Alia’s face when she realizes she’s lost Erasmus again, Mobili’s character acting really sells the events on the page. If there’s any drawback at all to his art, it’s that his Nimrod doesn’t feel big enough; he has the height but not the size. However, this is a minor complaint as everything else looks amazing.
X-Men #20 ties up another loose end from Hickman’s run on the book as it comes to a close. Hickman does a remarkable job in this chapter. Between this and the last two, it’s hard to say which ones are the best. Mystique has failed again, yes, but Magneto and Xavier are still stringing her along. It’ll be great to see how this plotline develops. Mobili’s art is excellent, almost perfect for this issue except for Nimrod’s size, which is a minor quibble. It’s a shame that after spinning his wheels for so much of his run, issues like the last three come and show just what readers could have had if it wasn’t for the all-tie-ins and crossover events. However, they were a fantastic read, and this issue keeps up the quality from what’s come before.