- Written by: Jeph Loeb
- Art by: Simone Di Meo
- Colors by: Simone Di Meo
- Letters by: Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith
- Cover art by: Simone Di Meo (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: November 19, 2025
X-Men of Apocalypse #1, by Marvel on 11/19/25, swoops in with the confidence of a doomsday prophet, promising timeline mayhem, emotional betrayals, and enough mutant melodrama to fry a Cerebro unit.
First Impressions
The first few pages hurl characters into a brawl powered by confusion rather than actual stakes, recycling the classic misunderstanding trope with the efficiency of a washing machine that doesn’t quite get the stains out. It’s as if the comic is terrified you’ll leave if there’s more talking than punching, only to confirm your suspicion that none of it actually matters… yet. The abundance of set-up teases ensures the emotional excitement fizzles, failing to stick the landing for anyone demanding momentum right now.
Plot Analysis
The story opens with Nate Grey, the X-Man, stunned to find himself face-to-face with the X-Men of Apocalypse – mutants from a war-torn universe where Apocalypse conquered Earth after Xavier’s death. Their mission is desperate: correct the fractured timelines so only theirs remains, which, of course, begins with a fight born from distrust instead of actual villainy. After a typical scuffle, the comic slows for a clunky info-dump as the two sides realize who’s who, and the tragic history between these battered mutants. The X-Men’s goal is revealed: locate Charles Xavier, believed to be the source of information needed to “set things right” in the timeline.
As the two teams circle each other, loyalties are tested, especially for Nate Grey, who is torn between a found family and the chance for cosmic correction. The comic invests in internal narration and overwrought reunion moments (especially between Forge and Nate) yet constantly undermines itself by reminding the reader they’re just moving pawns around a timeline chessboard. By the third act, any danger of the conflict feeling urgent is neutered by the realization that the next comic will probably toss it all in a new direction.
The issue closes at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in a different era – a callback meant to stoke nostalgia – but it lands with a thud because the stakes are vague and the scene is more table-setting than plot culmination. Everything is carefully positioned for an upcoming showdown, but any satisfaction is postponed until next issue, with the X-Men left to contemplate their fractured loyalties and uncertain future.
Writing
The first major misstep is the relentless use of the “misunderstanding brawl” trope, which sabotages momentum and makes the entire issue feel like a prologue masquerading as a story. Dialogue veers from utilitarian exposition to groan-worthy melodrama, never letting the characters breathe or sound distinct. The structure barrels through set-up like a checklist, avoiding resolution in favor of more mysteries that feel unearned.
Art
Simone Di Meo’s art pumps up the style through dynamic compositions, bold slashes of color, and a willingness to play with paneling that injects much-needed energy into scenes otherwise stuck in narrative limbo. Action is crisp, with characters kinetically poised in every frame. Occasionally, the layouts get a little chaotic, with details lost in the rush, and the neon palette sometimes overshadows actual mood, trading subtlety for spectacle.
Character Development
What could have been a tense emotional reunion instead reads more like a backstory swap meet. Motivation is mostly relayed in narration or flashbacks rather than through meaningful interaction. While Nate Grey’s pain and Forge’s fatherly instincts get some attention, the supporting cast are more loud props than people, reacting to plot needs rather than growing from genuine stakes. Relatability is sacrificed for rapid setup, leaving the reader with caricatures instead of characters.
Originality & Concept Execution
The “timeline collision” pitch could be gold: mutants forced to choose between worlds and ideals. Instead, it’s played safe, leaning on shopworn multiverse tropes and delaying every payoff for later. Any genuine suspense is sacrificed so the story can hurry up and get to its next potential event, and the promised clash of ideologies gets overshadowed by deja vu brawls and endless exposition.
Positives
If you prize explosive visuals and have a deep nostalgia for alternate-universe X-Men, there’s some value here with art that vibrates with energy, and a willingness to kick up old-school drama, if not actually resolve it. The clash of mutants across timelines does hint at interesting stakes, and there are brief moments where the emotional beats between Nate and Forge almost break through the static.
Negatives
Unfortunately, it’s all flash, little fire. The writing leans so hard on familiar comic book tropes, such as misunderstood hero battles, timeline resets, dropped plot balls that it leaves you both exhausted and unsatisfied. Character depth is traded for exposition, and the issue reads more like a construction site than a finished story, making it tough to care about any of the big revelations or the next tease.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
The Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 1/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 2/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2
Final Verdict
If you’re searching for a first issue that delivers a satisfying story on its own, move along. This one’s busy drawing up blueprints and leaving the actual building for later. With formulaic writing and too much setup, X-Men of Apocalypse #1 is a middling investment that’s tough to recommend unless you really love timeline drama and can forgive another helping of “heroes fight first, ask later”.
4/10
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
Connect With Us Here: Weird Science DC Comics / Weird Science Marvel Comics
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 