Broken Frontier

In the fallout of "Children of the Vault," Rogue enlists the aid of S.H.I.E.L.D to save two old friends. What a great time for Exodus to attack!

While this issue stands alone fairly nicely some loose ends are tied up and intriguing new plot threads begin to unravel. Rogue, Cable, and Mystique begin this issue by asking Maria Hill to help them help the Beaubier twins finally escape the insanity that has held them both in check for quite a long time. While the X-Men are trying to save Northstar and Aurora, Exodus appears with a grand scheme that would make Magneto proud.

Mike Carey has done some amazing things with the X-Men of late. While "Covenant" may not have quite the same tone as "Children of the Vault," it nevertheless does pack the same punch. Not only does Carey end the drama that began with Northstar’s "death" in Wolverine a while back, but also he seamlessly ties in the confusion, anger, and angst that make up Rogue and Mystique’s relationship without either plot element seeming forced. Despite all the drama and characterization going on throughout, Carey also manages to throw in some classic comic book brawls as well, cementing his place in history as an X-Men writer that knows not only his characters but also what their fans expect those characters to do in any situation.

Mark Brooks can also be said to know the X-Men. He has been working on New X-Men for some time and has now graduated to the big guns. Taking this assignment in stride, he does not stray from his tried and true formula of manga influenced characters and heavily detailed backgrounds. His art is stylized and electric, an appropriate fit for this tale. But more than that, it also reminds one of the mid-to-late nineties when Marvel was trying to rise from the ashes and a whole slew of artists with Brooks’ type of flair popped up. It may not be a coincidence that an artist like Brooks would showcase the return of Exodus, Random, Cargill, and one other intriguing villain everybody loves to hate.

Carey and Brooks clean up some messes and make a few of their own in this annual, giving the readers a sense of closure and trepidation. Clearly, for any X-Men fan, everything is as it should in the world of Marvel’s Merry Mutants.