Planet-Size X-Men #1
Krakoa makes its most provocative statement yet in Planet-Size X-Men #1, by writer Gerry Duggan, artist Pepe Larraz, colorist Marte Gracia, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This issue feels like it’s the centerpiece of the Hellfire Gala and also ties into X Of Swords and is well done. That said, one’s enjoyment of it depends highly on how much one enjoys the current direction of the X-Men books.
Basically, this issue sees the mutants of Krakoa combine their powers and make Mars habitable and then place Arakko there. That’s the entirety of the whole thing. Working together, mutants like Magneto, Hope, Quintin Quire, Marvel Girl, Exodus, Storm, Iceman, Monarch, and several Arakko mutants transform Mars into the perfect home for the mutants of Arrako and a new capital for the Sol system.
Duggan captures the creation of a planet in poetic terms. The way he uses the disparate mutant powers of the Krakoans to make Mars into something that can sustain life is breathtaking and worth the price of admission alone. One of the things that the X-Men books have been talking about lately is something called mutant technology- mutants using their powers in concert to do things that would otherwise take machinery to do. This is the ultimate expression of that, and it makes for some nice reading.
It also feels both extremely convenient on a plot basis and a terrible decision. For one thing, the disposition of the mutants of Arakko has been an important question. Beyond a few examples, the mutants of Arakko have been a non-issue, and putting them on Mars is the ultimate way of not having to deal with them. Mutants from Arakko are known for being warlike and destructive, so putting them far from the Earth, where this issue reveals there have already been problems, is a prudent choice. However, it’s also a way to really anger humankind at a time when Krakoa is relatively weak. Making it even worse is the way the mutants declare the new planet Arakko the capital of the solar system as if that’s not going to cause huge problems. Krakoa and its government keep making aggressive moves against humanity. This just seems like another way of setting society against them. It’s also a convenient way for writers to pretty much forget about the mutants of Arrako, putting them in a place where they will be a non-issue until otherwise needed.
Larraz is quickly becoming the X-Men du joir, and this issue shows off why. The imagery within is frequently breathtaking and perfectly fits Duggan’s prose, showing the mutants using their powers to bring Mars to life. There are a lot of great pages and panels, but the best is the double-page spread of the Arrako mutant known as Lactuca helping to guide Arrako and everything on it on a teleportation trip to Mars.
Planet-Size X-Men #1 is a great read. Duggan and Larraz give readers a breathtaking look at the re-creation of a biosphere, and it’s a move that looks to have massive repercussions on human-mutant relations in the future. That said, it’s a little too convenient for the plot and actually one of the least intelligent moves Krakoa could make. All in all, it’s a good comic.
