Midnight X-Men #1: Review and Verdict
The X-Men universe is no stranger to its dark tales and horror-adjacent stories. From Wolverine having his adamantium torn from his skeleton to the ongoing Mutant experiments conducted by Mr Sinister. The Midnight line takes that idea and remixes beloved characters into their own terrifying horror selves. The Midnight X-Men series takes that idea and drops the reader into the very heart of Earth-1031. An adjacent, alternate universe to the usual Earth-616 continuity that we’ve become so accustomed to. Midnight X-Men’s writer, Jonathan Hickman, is no stranger to upending worlds. East of West. The Manhattan Projects. Krakoa. With Midnight X-Men taking us through the murky depths of its dark horror pipeline.
In the initial pages, we’re introduced to Cardinal Stryker arriving at a cathedral in New York City to meet with Nightcrawler. The alternate version of a highly recognisable antagonist responsible for many of the X-Men’s woes over the years. After an exchange of thinly veiled Catholic barbs, it’s revealed to us that the Cardinal and his men have returned to New York to kill vampires – in the name of the Lord. Two beautifully rendered pages follow this scene, courtesy of Matteo Della Fonte (artist) and Arthur Hesli (colorist), one which shows a cinematically savage sequence of a Vampire-Storm feeding upon Phoenix. With colours that’ll satisfy even the most avid late 70s horror aficionados.
As the issue progresses, a shadowy organisation led by Citizen Tilby, breaks into an underground facility housing four mutant vampires in the middle of hibernation. Things don’t exactly go well for them when they break out and tear apart the rest of Tilby’s team. Della Fonte does a good job to make sure the gore isn’t over the top as the vampires feast on the dead. Anchored by Hesli sterile blue floor against the crimson red spilling all over panel.
Unfortunately for this cybernetically enhanced vampire quartet, they’re soon interrupted by this ragtag group of familiar faces who are doing some hunting of their own. Dubbed “Empyres” by Hickman from the sound of “M” as in Mutant and pyres as in the latter half of vampyres. Moronic naming conventions aside, vampire Gambit, Psylocke, Glob and Empath make fast work of the vampires that attacked Tilby and her group.
Then you quickly start to realise that Hickman has dumped us in a universe where two factions are battling to destroy the other. The Empyres and the Vampires. It’s not unlike Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld film franchise where the Werewolf and Vampire clans are engaged in a centuries long war. Aesthetically, there are even some similarities.
It’s revealed the Empyres were there to obtain the electronic pod-shaped coffins the vampires escape from. Although, we don’t why this is important. But knowing Hickman, this’ll be revealed in about 4 or 5 issues time. What really elevates this debut from good to great is the introduction of a battle hardened Cyclops who takes on all four Empyres and lays waste to the group. Setting Gambit and Empath on fire, leaving Glob and Psylocke to pick up the pieces while Cyclops escapes with Citizen Tilby into the sunlight.
Despite the undead savagery, there’s brief moments of emotion, given time to breathe. The brief moments after Tilby is saved, she mentions her name is “Hope”, which is a double fisted gut-punch to Cyclops. Representing the Hope who was his daughter and the hope he’s lost. Then there’s vampire-Storm, at the end of the issue, who briefly appears to Nightcrawler. Showing that the love they have for one another transcends their two races.
But if there’s one thing that’s clearer than anything else: it’s that Jonathan Hickman is gearing up for another jaunt of X-Men world-building. Borrowing ideas from the Krakoa timeline in the infographic pages we’d see in House of X and Powers of X. The ominous “The Peace Must Hold” page that separates the scene of Storm feeding on Phoenix from Citizen Tilby’s team breaking into the vampire lair. This is reinforced by a brief scene at X-Men headquarters, dubbed “The House of X,” where Polaris, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Havoc are arguing over how to handle the existence of vampires beneath the watchtower.
Indicating a greater Mutant/Vampire socio-political element is at play. Then finally, an infographic rears its ugly head in the form of a chart explaining the difference between vampires and vampire mutants. Classic Robert Hickman world-building strategy.
All in all, it’s a great debut in an alternate X-Men universe. Of all the themes presented here, I engaged most with the idea of a battle-hardened Cyclops working as a lone wolf. Taking on a Vampire Slayer persona, of sorts. Laying waste to the undead. The battle in the lair did lots for me and it demonstrated that Hickman and Della Fonte aren’t afraid to hold back on the gruesome when it calls for it. Let’s hope the pay-off is as good as the setup.
