X-Vengers #2: Growing Pains

Dani Moonstar is a really underserved character in X-Men canon. Positioned early on in New Mutants as the next mutant leader after Cyclops and Storm, Mirage found herself pushed into the background as the 80s made way for the 90s and 2000s. She’s had some spotlight moments here and there, but overall hasn’t had the same prominence that she once did in her heyday. 

X-Vengers tries to once again raise that profile, this time by putting Dani in a leadership role over Earth’s Mightiest (Mutant) Heroes, but the results are a bit underwhelming. That’s not to say that they are bad but the concept of the book is somewhat at odds with the rest of the event. But that seems to be a recurring theme for most of the books here. What need does the world have for the Avengers when Revelation’s Seraphim guard the territories and everything beyond is left to fend for itself? It’s implied that the Avengers are allowed free rein because of Dani’s connections to Sunspot (who leads the Seraphim) and Revelation himself, but its never clearly stated. Dani herself is a good character to follow, and the real crux of this story is her inner battle to reconcile her responsibilities as the leader of the Avengers and Steve Rogers’ successor, as well as her relationship to her former New Mutants family. Few things in this series are implied and having the added context of those New Mutant adventures helps one find footing in this troubling new dynamic, but its not required. 

As for the rest of the team, they don’t really do much in the way of standing out along with her. They pretty much act as you would expect them to in regular world-saving circumstances, though admittedly Cannonball can be a bit TOO happy-go-lucky at times. Though that could just be his way of coping with his current circumstances. There’s also the caveat of them dropping like flies as danger continuously barrels in their direction.

Jason Loo tells a tale that’s much more character-driven than action focused. This really helps get more of a feel of Dani as she tired to lead this team through dystopia. Bits of humor break up the tension, but said tension is a focal point that Loo succeeds in highlighting. 

Sergio Davila’s art straddles that line between cartoonish and realism at times, but not in a way that’s jarring to read. There are also genuine images of horror in this issue due to the techno-organic virus that manage to give slight moments of pause. All around a good looking issue.