Inhumans vs. X-Men #5 Review – It’s All Coming Together
It’s almost getting difficult to keep track of the various goings-on with the battle between the Inhumans vs. X-Men. I read somewhere when the mini-series started that readers would be able to enjoy this comic solo, without reading any of the others. I’m going to say that’s not true. Without the All-New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and Extraordinary X-Men, I would have been completely lost. I’m also a little curious at how much Uncanny Inhumans brings to the table. I have a feeling it goes into a little bit more with Ms. Marvel and the younger inhumans, and perhaps the inhumans’ point of view on the New Attilan attack.
Point being, since there are so many separate storylines going on within this war, I’ve really needed the other comics to bring them all together. Not all the extraneous comics were necessary to follow along (like a few issues of Extraordinary X-Men), but they filled in numerous gaps. I can say the same thing vice versa; IvX has cleared up many confusing stories in the peripheral series. In issue #5, many of these storylines are starting to come together, and I expect that this week’s final issue will be explosive at minimum.
In one corner, you have Fantomex, Karnak, and Jean Grey all battling to get Karnak back under control on the World. Karnak is having none of it. They tell him there’s no way he can escape, and yet, both are quite eager to get him back under Jean Grey’s control. At least Karnak isn’t trying to kill either of the mutants. Perhaps he senses that they aren’t out to kill him, just capture him. He continues to run through the World, knowing there has to be a way out, which there is. The mutants kept Lockjaw, the inhuman dog (I really don’t want to know) who can teleport anywhere, trapped on the World as well. All Karnak has to do is wake the pup up.
In another corner, you have the inhuman Royals who have just managed to escape their prison. They’re still on X-Haven in Limbo, but that’s a trivial detail. They’ll find their way out, but after they pick up Black Bolt. Colossus is guarding the mansion, so Gorgon agrees to take Colossus on while the rest find Black Bolt.
Alex Summers, Havok, is guarding Black Bolt within the Mansion, and he threatens to kill Black Bolt on the spot if they come any closer. Medusa asks him if it’s to avenge his brother, and Alex instantly relents. He walks away, saying that he owes his brother something, but killing Black Bolt for him is not it. Recall that Alex is one of two others who know what really happened to Scott. Well, the Stepford Cuckoos and young Scott know now too, but they didn’t hear it directly from Emma Frost’s mouth.
Karnak and Lockjaw conveniently show up and take all of the inhumans (except for a defeated Gorgon) away. They try to track down where the other inhumans are, not realizing that the ones who escaped have agreed to help Forge and young Scott rebuild Forge’s machine and destroy the Terrigen cloud.
The Terrigen cloud has moved to Iceland, which is exactly where this unlikely team goes. Guess who else is there? The rest of the mutants. Do they talk about what they’re doing? Of course not. Emma Frost comes out swinging, but she’s not prepared for Scott to fire back. Before the skirmish can get too heated, Magneto pulls the Dad card and tells them all to stop or he’ll drop the Blackbird on them.
Two things need to happen next issue:
- Emma Frost gets hers.
- The Royals come around and help destroy the Terrigen Cloud.
I do wonder how much of this could have been avoided if they simply talked to the inhumans. Maybe they would have said, “Too bad, so sad,” or maybe they would have understood and offered help.
Either way, I do know that once this is over and Emma Frost’s secrets are laid out on the table, Scott Summers will finally be able to rest in peace. Not only that, but young Scott will also be at peace with his older self. The psyche of the Cyclopes need this more than anyone involved.
Our Rating: YUS
Author: Jeff Lemire
Artists: Charles Soule, Javier Garrón, and David Curiel
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Publish Date: 02/22/2017
Acquired via Purchase
