X-Men #19 Review: Hickman Does it Again

Writer: Jonathan Hickman / Artist: Mahmud Asrar / Marvel Comics *Light Spoilers Be Jumpin Off The Data Pages* This comic represents exactly what Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men universe is all about. It stews in its sci-fi glory like curry goat simmering for hours! It leans on the superiority of mutantdom like broken athletes lean on their surgeries, crutches, and physical therapists. It weaves together a story set in motion before the Covid-19 era like Snyder crocheting backstory into Justice League 4.0! Laura, Darwin, and Synch entered The Vault more than a year ago in X-Men #5. 3 months passed outside the vault and Professor X’s best guess for how long they’d actually been in their own version of hell was 537 years…and some change. Cyclops questioned what he’d done to the three extremely durable mutants that he sent in there, but Cyclops’ pain will pale in comparison when he finds out what really happened, and how many agonizing lifetimes his fellow Krakoans were forced to endure on a doomed mission.

Stuck inside, the team has no other option but to observe, learn, survive, repeat. This covert approach to storytelling can lead to mediocrity, but the long-awaited venture into the vault delivers on all fronts. The Children of the Vault glow up details provided some good context and perspective for the “bad guys.” Hickman’s ability to expand on the idea of forever, love, and life in the matter of 28 pages is wild impressive. Oh, you want to get into that character pro…