Immortal X-Men #11
Storm steps into the power vacuum of the Quiet Council in Immortal X-Men #11, by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Lucas Werneck, colorist David Curiel, and letterer Clayton Cowles. Storm is becoming a Krakoa Era MVP, and this issue shows why.
Storm deals with being in charge of the Quiet Council. She has Rasputin IV bring Xavier, Frost, Hope, and Exodus to Forge. He’s figured out how to undo Sinister’s manipulations, but he can’t be entirely sure, as Sinister messed with them in more ways than genetics. From there, the issue follows Storm as she questions Destiny, and a bunch of secrets from that time are revealed - why Destiny let the timeline go on so long even though she could see the future, and Hope finds out about Exodus killing her. A confrontation with Emma causes Storm to question her roles in Krakoa and Arakko. Righteous and Shaw make a new deal while Storm gives her proxy vote to Colossus.
Storm has come into her own since the debut of X-Men Red, and she finally gets her chance to star in an issue of Immortal X-Men. With the power quartet of the Quiet Council down because of SoS, Storm is the perfect character to step into the vacuum. It’s fantastic to see Storm, the one hero throughout SoS, clean up the mess of everyone else. Her verbally sparring with Destiny is worth the price of admission alone, but Immortal doesn’t stop there.
Hope and Exodus’s falling out was inevitable and completely fits what readers know about Hope. She is definitely the type to hold a grudge from another universe full of mind-controlled people. Storm giving Colossus her proxy vote when she’s away is such a climactic moment, one that has been years in the making. Gillen writing Storm is a match made in heaven.
Werneck and Curiel are amazing together. This is the first time they’ve worked together in months, and it’s wonderful. The character acting, the detail, and the linework are top-notch. The colors are beautiful. It’s a hard book to pick one moment from, but the fights between Hope and Exodus are pretty great, as is the last page reveal.
Immortal X-Men #11 is a welcome return. The creative team is firing on all cylinders, playing in this new era of the X-Men. Storm was an excellent choice for a main character, and it elevates this issue.