Broken Frontier

The X-Men clash with their greatest nemesis in this one-shot tale aimed at fans both new and old.

As the mutant phenomenon is recognized in society, fear, paranoia, and violence spread. Preparing for the war that is coming, Magneto exacts bloody retribution for a mutant girl who has fallen victim of a hate crime. Meanwhile, Professor Charles Xavier delivers a lesson to his gifted students, both in the classroom and the holographic Danger Room. He dreams of peace but knows they must be prepared for conflict. When Magneto makes his next move, however, Xavier and his students start to question which side of that conflict they are on.

The Mythos comics are primarily directed at casual readers and those drawn in by the Marvel movies and cartoons. As such, we get a hybrid of the X-Men’s classic Silver Age beginnings (blue and gold costumes and all) with modern sensibilities and references. The Mutant Registration Act of the X-Men films is a prominent plot point here, as are such topical elements as the Department of Homeland Security and America’s controversial invasion of another country. Rather than seeming awkward or shoehorned in, these moments give the story a very of-the-moment relevance. After all, when dissent from popular opinion can brand someone a traitor, what hope is there for those who dissent from the "normal" genetic code?

In recent years, I’d largely lost interest in the X-Men as the Merry Marvel Mutants became more and more overexposed. Mythos, however, reminds me of what I love about the characters. The racial/sexuality metaphor of mutants as an oppressed minority is front and center in this issue. In Jenkins’ story, Magneto shows his righteous indignation for the plight of lynched blacks and murdered gay youths, blind to the fact that his war with humanity has made him a hate criminal as well. The ideological clash between Xavier and his old friend provides fodder for excellent dialogue and thought-provoking drama. Jenkins does a nice job contrasting the Professor’s somewhat naïve optimism with Erik Lehnsherr’s wounded anger. He also captures the humorous banter of the young X-Men and presents them as students once again, rather than simply mutant commandos.

The issue is brought to life by the fully-painted artwork of Paulo Rivera. Rivera’s style seems to be somewhere between loose realism and the expressionism of Bill Sienkiewicz. While very striking, there are a few areas where the art and lettering could use improvement. At times, the dark colors give the book a bit of a murky feel, making a few moments of the story hard to discern. There is also one instance when a word balloon is assigned to the wrong character, causing Xavier to seemingly debate with himself (thematically appropriate, perhaps, but not at all what the dialogue intended). What the visuals do conjure quite well is mood, something this issue has in abundance.

Despite a few artistic shortcomings, Mythos: X-Men provides an interesting read for both the casual and longtime fan alike. The X-Men’s fundamental theme of tolerance has as much meaning today as ever.