Review of X-Men #6 Comic

Written by: Jed MacKay

Art by: Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons

Colors by: Marte Gracia, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo

Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Cover art by: Ryan Stegman, J.P. Mayer, Marte Gracia

Cover price: $4.99

Release date: October 23, 2024

X-Men #6, by Marvel Comics on 10/23/24, finds the X-Men digging deeper into the cause of adult-onset mutants. Meanwhile, Magik and Temper lend a supporting hand to an underage mutant.

Is X-Men #6 Good?

At first glance, X-Men #6 seems to be going places and building toward… something. Writer Jed MacKay is (too?) slowly building out a mystery surrounding what he calls “adult-onset mutants” as the result of a shadow group called the 3K. For what purpose? Nobody knows. Unfortunately, by the time MacKay gets around to making 3K’s full composition and intentions known, a readers may have tuned out from boredom.

When last we left the Alaska-based mutants in X-Men #5, Quentin Quire and Psylocke entered the mind of the recently-turned adult mutant, Ben Liu, to bring him out of his coma and discover how he became a mutant. The X-Men were faced with Ben’s memories, which formed the basis of his reality-bending powers, as well as their own fears. Ultimately, the psychics were cast out by a mental booby trap set by one of the members of the shadow group responsible for Ben’s mutant-ification, 3K. That member is Cassandra Nova.

In X-Men #6, Temper and Quentin Quire, aka Kid Omega, dully watch a group of protestors outside the Factory, locals who want the mutants gone. Temper suggests Quentin use his psychic protestors to drive them away, but Quentin doesn’t see the point. Before the duo heads inside to attend a meeting chaired by Beast, Temper notices one of the young girls in the protest group giving her the secret mutant gang sign.

The opening scene by Jed MacKay creates mildly interesting tidbits. Temper’s barely-repressed temper (*ahem*) continues to be a growing point of concern. The locals have an adolescent mutant hiding in plain sight, and Scott’s recent attempts to set the local townsfolk at ease haven’t been completely effective.

Inside, Beast provides everyone with an update on his research into what he calls adult-onset mutants. The mutation is not the result of a virus, as some online rumors would have people believe. Ben Liu and Jennifer Starkey, who are temporarily staying at the Factory for want of somewhere to go, are victims of forced experimentation. Hank doesn’t know how or why Ben and Jennifer were released into the wild by the group they now know is named 3K. The likely scenario is that the mutation didn’t present immediately, so 3K released them after presuming the experiment failed.

Beast’s lecture does well enough to provide answers, albeit dryly. Most of the information was known or at least guessable, so MacKay fills in some of the blanks to make the puzzle of the 3K mystery a little less mysterious but not enough to keep interest high.

Later, Temper enlists Magik to learn more about the protestor who gave her the mutant gang sign. After a quick intel search, Magik and Temper teleport to the girl’s house and offer to provide her support.

The issue concludes with Beast and Jennifer mildly flirting, Beast and Magneto bonding over their frustration with Megneto’s condition, and Magik and Temper bringing the girl back to the Factory because she has a (physically) big secret.

What’s great about X-Men #6?

MacKay’s slow-burn approach to 3K gives readers plenty of time to settle into the slice-of-life aspects of the X-Men in their new home. You get a peek into how they handle everything, from training in a makeshift sparring room to handling dishes after Dinner. It’s a nice, relaxing stroll through the life of the X-Men.

What’s not great about X-Men #6?

MacKay has a reputation for not creating compelling villains, and this series (so far) reinforces that reputation. 3K is supposed to be the big bad of this opening to the From The Ashes era, yet they’ve never been seen in full, and we don’t know who is in the group besides Cassandra Nova. We don’t know why they’re creating adult mutants, and there isn’t a drop of urgency in the entire comic.

It’s one thing to lack a compelling villain. It’s another to lack a compelling villain and write a decompressed story that lacks urgency and direction. At this point, it’s hard to deny MacKay is spinning in circles until he figures out something to say, wasting the readers’ time and money in the process.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

X-Men #6 gives readers crumbs of information about 3K and brings more mutants into the Factory, but that’s about it. Jed MacKay’s slice-of-life approach to the X-Men may sound good to Marvel editorial, but it’s not a good way to waste the reader’s money. Wake me up when something happens.

5.8/10

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