A.X.E.: Judgment Day #3
As judgment begins, everyone tries to come up with a way to stop it in A.X.E.: Judgment Day #3, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Valerio Schiti, colorist Marte Gracia, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Yet again, the creative team hits another one out of the park.
Judgment day begins with Cap found guilty, which isn’t a good sign for everyone else. The Eternals renew their assault on Krakoa, as the Avengers, Makkari, Ajak, and Sinister discuss how to take out the Celestial. Sinister clues in the mutants, who go on the attack despite the dangers to the rest of the world. It goes badly, but it’s just an illusion the Celestial used to show the world the consequences of attacking it. The Avengers try to figure out a way to make the world show their best face. In Olympia, Sersi gets someone out of Occlusion that may be able to help.
Gillen just keeps the hits coming with this issue. Right off the bat, Cap getting found guilty and unworthy is a big red flag for everyone. The best part is the reason: as much as Cap tries to be an exemplar, the country he represents is still failing at being what he thinks it is. It’s not only a cool little bit of social commentary from a creator who looks at the US from the outside, but also something that Cap always wrestles with. It’s an adroit little piece of writing that really underlies the threat of the Celestial. He isn’t judging people just on how good they are. It goes so much deeper than that. The peanut gallery of humans from the last issue returns in this issue, and one gets the feeling that Gillen is using them to make a point as well, about humans and the way they look at the world. It’s a slice of life that readers never get out of these big Marvel events, and it’s great.
The rest of the book is pure action, peaks and valleys. Ajak and Makkari are priests but Phastos is a pragmatist who is done with the Eternals, so he tells Iron Man to try to destroy the Celestial as quietly as possible. Sinister gets in touch with Destiny to let the Quiet Council know how to kill the Celestial and she tells the truth: their actions don’t destroy the world, but she doesn’t really go into it farther. The Deviants are able to walk through Krakoan gates, as they team up with the mutants to fight the Eternals. So many wonderful little plot points in one issue, and Gillen juggles them all perfectly before dropping an ending that no one would see coming.
Schiti and Gracia are the best artists for this book. There’s really no other way about it. From the character acting to the action to the figure work, this issue looks amazing. Gracia’s colors are especially good. Schiti is a brilliant penciler and Gracia’s palette brings out the best in him. From the way scenes are lit to the energy effects to the way the costume’s colors pop, Gracia can make any artist look a thousand times better. He’s been the X-Men’s books secret weapon for years now and getting him to color Schiti for this event was an amazing idea.
A.X.E.: Judgment Day #3 continues to be amazing. There’s really no other way to describe it. Gillen, Schiti, Gracia, and Cowles are making the best event books since 2015’s Secret Wars and there’s no two ways about it. This story continues to go in exceptional new directions, ones that no one would have figured when it was announced, which is why it’s so great.