Way Of X #5
As revelations are shared, Onslaught strikes in Way Of X #5, by writer Si Spurrier, artist Bob Quinn, colorist Java Tartaglia, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This is the final issue of this book, and Spurrier and company pull out all the stops to not only give it a good ending but also to build up the upcoming Onslaught Revelation.
The main crux of this issue takes place on Arakko, as Xavier, newly resurrected, confronts Legion, and Nightcrawler tries to get Lost and Cortez to work things out. The whole time he’s in communication with Legion, who’s figured out how Onslaught has gotten into everybody- through resurrection. Nightcrawler gets fed up with Lost and Cortez fighting, so he teleports them ten kilometers above the surface when Onslaught attacks, forcing them to almost kill each other and pulling down Phobos to destroy everything on Arakko. With Cortez’s help, Nightcrawler is able to save the day at the cost of his own life. He resurrects without his memory and is shown Cortez, in a catatonic state, who is being blamed for the whole thing.
Spurrier has done a remarkable job throughout this book of getting both Nightcrawler and Legion right. They’re a very interesting duo; Legion wants to help everyone for once in his life and has to deal with the stigma of being the bad guy for so long. Nightcrawler is trying to find his way on an island where death means nothing. Each one is different than they’ve ever been before, and Spurrier gets that across. In fact, one of the best things about this issue is that it deals with people doing things differently than they otherwise would have- Nightcrawler is trying to get Lost to forgive Cortez, as little as she wants to and get Cortez to ask someone else for help. Xavier, who has been so confident and secure since the establishment of Krakoa, has lost control because of Onslaught. The whole issue is about people being pushed into new situations.
Spurrier builds the tension of the issue very well, cutting between the Legion scenes and the Nightcrawler ones, building the plot with each cut. Both men are dealing with two different situations. While one seems more important than the other, they end up being just as important- Legion figuring out how Onslaught is doing what he’s doing and Nightcrawler getting Lost and Cortez to make peace work together to save the day. It’s lovely the way Spurrier takes these two disparate plots and elevates them to the same level.
As good as Spurrier’s script is, without Quinn and Tartaglia’s art, it would never fly. This is a good-looking comic. There are so many standout panels that it’s hard to really pick a few to highlight, but the ones where Nightcrawler stops the falling moon are, of course, amazing. They kind of have to be this is action set piece of the issue. Quinn and Tartaglia nail it, just like they nail everything else in the book.
Way Of X #5 is yet another X-book that feels like it’s ending before its time. Spurrier has done a bang-up job with Nightcrawler and Legion, threw love to lesser used characters like the Xorn twins and Doctor Nemesis, and built a great plot with Onslaught. While the book is getting its own ending, these characters and their stories are too interesting to lose right now. It’ll be a shame to see this book go, but it’s been a great ride so far. Quinn and Tartaglia have really stepped on art, making the book look as good as it read. It will be interesting to see how everything pans out, but it would be better if the book was continuing.