Tomb of Apocalypse #3: Gilded Chambers

A giant robot from the future is all that stands between the mutants and the treasure room of Apocalypse’s tomb. As the reluctant treasure hunters inch closer to their destination, Apocalypse’s true goal reveals itself in shocking fashion.

This middle installment of ToA is all action from start to finish with a big reveal, but still a bit bare on the narrative front. The spectacle is nice to look at, but it doesn’t help that the titular character is content on being a holographic troll instead of getting his own hands dirty, at least until the end.

Ashley Allen is a talented writer, but this series struggles showcasing her talents in a way to generate real excitement. There’s one or two interesting moments here (Apocalypse summoning Horsemen from different eras was pretty cool), but the overall package doesn’t do much to make it past just passable. Rictor’s character arc comes full circle well enough, and Jubilee continues to be the star, but Shatterstar and Wolverine feel like they are here to just stab things. Apocalypse’s master plan is finally revealed, but its so basic that the only words I could muster when it is laid out is “That’s it?”.

Domenico Carbone’s pencils are highly kinetic in this issue, but the panels during the action scenes lack a bit of cohesion that makes them hard to follow at times. Fernando Sifuentes’ colors are rich and vibrant which help iron out some of the kinks.