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Welcome back to the latest edition of The All-New Uncanny X-Piles! Where it’s all about the Children of the Atom at all times. Now, if you’ve been keeping up with their exploits lately then you know some huge changes are on the horizon. Courtesy of Jonathan Hickman’s House of X and Powers of X that will establish a new status quo when it’s all said and done. So we’ll be taking a look at both titles and see if this attempt to shake things up is worth your hard earned money and time!

There are some spoilers below so proceed at your own risk!

House of X #2
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Pepe Larraz
Colors: Marte Gracia
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia

Delivering the biggest “HOLY $#@!” moment in X-Men comics this year, Hickman has literally changed the game on what we thought we knew about Moira McTaggert. An X-Men affiliate whom at one point couldn’t be any less important if the story didn’t involve Proteus (or maybe Legion), has now been revealed to be a mutant all this time. And not just any mutant, but one with the power of reincarnation who has played several major parts in the histories of not just the X-Men but mutantkind as a whole. 

If you’re one of those people who have no idea who Moira is, Hickman makes sure this introduction is all you need to grasp the scope of this issue. Making it not just a well done intro to the character but a great re-introduction for those readers well versed in X-Men lore. Her powers give her a unique advantage in that she has the opportunity to “get it right” and it’s interesting to see the lengths she goes to to ensure mutantkind survives. These events could have just devolved into a sort of groundhog day-like story but this is Hickman and with each life it’s an entirely different story being told. From attempting to achieve peace through the dreams of Professor X to the extremes of murdering an entire human’s bloodline from existence in an attempt to prevent war. And just when you thought things weren’t strange enough, there’s a missing life from the ten which adds yet another layer of mystery to Hickman’s story here. 

The visual storytelling will continue to be excellent with Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia moving this story along. But instead of raving about the entirety of the issue we’re going to focus on this one part that is just as powerful an serves as the catalyst for Moira getting her $#!% together and trying to do some good. That would be the talk she has with Destiny. This entire sequence builds so well on an emotional level as the meat of the conversation takes place in a nine panel grid which heightens the tension. Destiny has never been scarier as her words paired with the expressionless masked face drive the point home. Gracia’s fire builds in the background of several panels during the conversation but the payoff in that last one was a profound moment and such a visceral way to end that sequence. 

There’s a mystery here and Moira might be the most important person in this story. The infographic included here shows the timelines of her lives and the missing one is probably the most important but until it’s revealed just know that this issue is a must have. 5/5

Powers of X #2
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: R. B. Silva
Inks: R. B. Silva & Adriano Di Benedetto
Colors: Marte Gracia
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Yasmine Putri

As Moira breaks the rules and tries something new to help mutantkind, we find out what exactly was on that drive Mystique, Toad, and Sabertooth stole in House of X #1. It’s this information that kicks off this story as we see that regardless of how peaceful the mutants tend to be that the humans always go the extra mile to eradicate them. Prompting the mutants to go even further to ensure their own survival and the cycle continues. 

Powers is once again told over four specific time periods in the lives of mutants and each one provides at least one great moment that hurls the narrative forward. The dialogue between Charles, Cyclops, and Magneto was perfect. It shows that regardless of how capable Scott has been shown to be as a leader, that in the presence of these two he’s very much a student and eager soldier. As Hickman walks us towards the future we’re once again introduced to Nimrod who is a much different character here from what some may remember from the Claremont days. He comes off like a spoiled child with too much power at its disposal but it still makes for one of the lighter (though dark) sequences in the issue. However, it’s the brief moment of vulnerability shown in Apocalypse that was truly surprising. Hickman captures a feeling of anyone who has been “othered” their entire lives in one question asked by the great En Sabah Nur and it hits pretty hard. While continuing towards the future, entities known quite well to longtime X-Men fans like Phalanx and Technarch are mentioned. Once again throwing the doors open for whatever theories and questions we may have. 

Powers of X #2 opens up this story a little wider and sheds some light on the previous three issues by connecting some threads. Though I feel that with this story in particular there is the benefit of knowing a little more regarding the Phalanx and Technarchy that makes for a bigger pay-off with the cliffhanger. This is no slight to Hickman’s writing but just as observation after speaking with people who had no idea who those characters were before picking up this issue. 4/5

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