Druig begins to plan for his war against mutantkind in A.X.E.: Eve Of Judgment #1, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Pasqual Ferry, colorist Dean White, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This comic feels like another issue of Eternals, which is good, but that brings its own set of problems.

Druig goes to Domo and asks him for a weapon to destroy mutantkind. He obliges, and they prepare to destroy Krakoa. In Lemuria, Ikaris is attacked by a Deviant, and Sersi helps him end the fight, with Ikaris agonizing over everything he’s done over the years to the Deviants. Druig releases Phastos from the Exclusion into the hands of Ajak and Makkari, who have a request of him. They want to use what they learned in the Celestial seance to build a new god. He says it can be done but won’t help them, saying they’d almost certainly need Krakoan help. He leaves, and Ajak and Makkari reveal they already have a Krakoan, Mister Sinister. Back in Lemuria, Thena and Kro discuss the destiny of the Deviants and their role in the world, Sersi eventually joining their conversation. In Polaria, Druig and Domo prepare their attack, and just as they are about to detonate it, their built-in desire to protect the Earth kicks in, and they stop it, with Druig trying to figure out a new way to destroy mutants.

Eternals was the best thing Marvel was putting out when it was coming out, and this book is basically issue thirteen. That’s a great thing because Gillen’s work with the group was great, and this is more of that. He understands each character, continuing plot lines from the main book, and the book feels like an Eternals book. That’s the good part about it.

However, this book is basically the kick-off for the next big Marvel event. It never really feels like that. Sure, it has Druig’s machination against the mutants, but really calling this A.X.E.: Eve Of Judgment instead of Eternals #13 is pretty much just Marvel cashing in on the upcoming event. This literally should have just been another issue of Eternals, but Marvel’s rather cynical marketing kind of ruins the whole thing. This is a great issue of Eternals. It’s a so-so issue meant to set up an event because it only deals with one facet of the event.

Ferry’s art isn’t exactly the best. His style has evolved a lot over the years, but this feels like a completely different artist. Part of that is the coloring and the line work. It feels like White’s colors don’t really do the pencils any favor, and the profusion of thin black lines just doesn’t work either. The figure work and character acting feel off as well. The battle between Ikaris and the Deviant is good but other than that the art feels strange.

A.X.E.: Eve Of Judgment #1 has a huge problem. It should have been Eternals #13, but Marvel’s zeal for hyping events and using them to pump sales is a huge mistake. Gillen’s writing is on point, but the art by Ferry and White has some problems. All in all, this is a serviceable comic, but it could have been better.

Grade: B-