Astonishing X-Men (2004) #53-56: Rage And Understanding

These four issues comprise a conclusion to the themes presented by Liu, encapsulated in every chapter before #53. While #48-52 followed the theme through one character and a one-shot’ish focused exploration, this time we have the main story run in the sideway, mostly surrounded by group action, some really excellent panel designs – like the one with all of them buried and protected by Cecilia’s shield -, and a tug-of-war with the main villain, Susan Hatchi, Xi’an’s half-sister.  Our group goes to Madripoor after they get threatened with their lives, and that of New York City, to handover Madripoor to the villain.

The tension between Xi’an and her half-sister is the main focal point of this arc. It is the traumatic situations they both lived in during their respective childhood, from their father’s absences to the pain caused by parental neglect represented by their father to the inter-generational responsibility, that gets some especially brilliant (and harsh) moments, like the first couple pages of issue #55, with impressive art in blue and white.

Liu is a professional at narrating different stories that intertwine. For example, we get to feel in these issues Cecilia’s reluctant agreement to use her powers, and her focus on taking care of people in adverse situations (like with the people Susan held captive in issue #53), rather than being a hero. We also start to get a grasp of what’s to come with Bobby, and some questionable (and quite creepy) but on-character interactions between Remy and Tyger Tiger. Plus, the lineal story contained in these issues begins and ends with Kyle and Jean-Paul discussing the events in their usual dynamic.

Each cover (some by Dustin Weaver & Rachelle Rosenberg and some by Phil Noto) doesn’t actually represent the issue overall but some characters and surrounding designs, with more or less success, with special impact in the Phil Noto Karma centered one in issue #55. And similarly, these issues don’t have the thrill and big punch to stand by themselves. It’s only after a long reading (the end of #56), when Logan and Xi’an discuss her trauma, her half-sister and everything that went down, that we get the really great narrative moment.

Liu and Perkins are good at team fighting and long-running narratives, but these last few pages of issue #56 show that where they really shine is in one-to-one interaction. Even if issues #53-55 are sometimes slow, confusing or too filled with plot twists, at the end we get the most powerful emotional conclusion: Xi’an reflecting over her trauma and personal history, over what happened to Susan, over the time in issue #56 where they mind-melt. The reflection of all those feelings on her face is what this run has prepared us for so long, and the detail and care to put a single expression and phrase on each panel and take the time to end #56 shows that an arc is coming to an end.

And we can’t help but hope Karma survives and thrives from all of this.