FCBD 2020 X-Men #1- A Sign of Things to Come

Free Comic Book Day 2020 X-Men is sure to light the speculation fire in many a fan. The first twelve pages serve as a tease for the upcoming event X of Swords. Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard craft a comic that reveals just enough to pique the reader’s curiosity and build hype, while never quite giving away anything concrete. Through a series of tarot cards pulled by Saturnyne, images and interpretations predict possible major players or turning points in the crossover. The second half of the comic focuses on another upcoming out of continuity event, Dark Ages by Tom Taylor. The fast pace preview sets a suspenseful and powerful tone for what will be hitting the shelves come fall.

The art on both stories is incredible, making for a comic that will just be beautiful to flip through. Each tarot card, created by Pepe Larraz with Marte Garcia on colors, that Saturnyne flips show a dynamic scene that leaps off the page due to the stunning artwork. While in the Dark Ages preview, the art by Iban Coello and colors by Brian Reber show the suspense and tension in every panel.

As a prelude to X of Swords and Dark Ages, this issue is sure to serve it well. As a free comic, it definitely is worth the trip to a comic shop to retrieve it. As a comic on its own, it falls a little short. While it may be too much to ask for in a comic for Free Comic Book Day, but the 2006 and 2008 X-Men issues proved that a quick fun character-focused narrative can be done. In the time of Krakoa, a story of a character missing so far or a glimpse behind the curtain to some of the reunions and reconciliations glossed over in the titles could have added a new level of depth. While a promotional story makes better business sense, it weighs against the world-building content that could have occurred.