Tomb of Apocalypse #1 – Exiles No More

Apocalypse had a dream to ensure that only the strongest and fittest mutants would survive. Now, in the Tomb of Apocalypse, a new task awaits. One that even En Sabah Nur can not complete on his own. Unable to complete the deadly task, Apocalypse must turn to those who sought to stop his dream and championed his exile to space, The X-Men.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Ashley Allen
Artist: Domenico Carbone
Color Artist: Fernando Sifuentes-Sujo
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: Rod Reis

Writing

Megan: Another banger from Ashley Allen, which isn’t a surprise in the least. I was skeptical about Tomb of Apocalypse #1 until I saw who was writing it, then I knew I’d love it. Allen has a way of understanding these characters on a level that goes beyond just being a fan. She understands feelings that have been pent up and has been hinted at, and that’s what we see in Tomb of Apocalypse #1.

In this comic, it’s very Jubilee-centered. Jubilee has an inner dialogue throughout the comic that tells us exactly where her head is at and it’s very refreshing to see her thinking the same things I’ve felt about the character on more than one occasion. Jubilee is sick of feeling like the child of the X-Men. After all she’s been through in her life, it’s wild to me that she’s still treated like one of the kids. This is the character that’s been at the X-Men’s side for all the major events, even with major events of her own. It wasn’t until recently in Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men where it felt like she was treated as an equal, and I love to see Ashley Allen give Jubilee a voice to make these feelings known.

I also love that we get to see a team up from Wolverine and Jubilee, who have a beautiful father/daughter relationship in their history in the comics. We get to see qualities of that relationship shine brightly in this comic where Wolverine voices his concern for her, which is met with annoyance and a sense of independence. I have no idea where this miniseries is going, but I can say that the first issue was fantastic all around!

Shawn: Ashley Allen continues to be the person you call when you need well-loved X-Men who often don’t get the time on the panels they deserve. She did it with Magik, Colossus, Dani Moonstar, and now Jubilee. Right out of the gate, Allen shows us she understands the emotions that Jubilee carries from her long standing roll as “second fiddle” in the X-Men. This has become a hallmark of Allen’s writing style. She climbs into these characters and thinks about how they feel and what burdens they carry, and then brings that to the page. Not content with a strong opening, Allen jumps right into the action bringing Wolverine along for the ride with Jubilee.

Seeing Apocalypse back, even in the way we see him, just sends shivers down your spine. His speech patterns, his unbridled arrogance, his sinister smile- Allen perfectly captures all of that in Tomb of Apocalypse #1. I loved that we really got to see how much Jubilee has grown as well as how her powers have grown over time. Allen shows us that this isn’t the same old Jubilee anymore. While she may still be the “kid” of the X-Men, Allen builds Tomb of Apocalypse #1 as a sort of coming out party for her as we get to see her in a whole new light.

Art

Megan: Goodness gracious, the artists came out swinging in Tomb of Apocalypse #1. Domenico Carbone, Fernando Sifuentes-Sujo, and Joe Sabino all brought something bold and beautiful to the pages with their own artistic talents. The comic’s art sets the tone immediately with some of our favorite characters going through a vibrant portal. You can already tell how excellently detailed each character will be thanks to Domenico Carbone. What I loved that Carbone did was put the character’s emotions on full display with their facial expressions. You can see so many of Jubilee’s thoughts and feelings written all over her face.

Along with the incredible drawings are the vibrant colors that make each page an absolute masterpiece. This is all thanks to Fernando Sifuentes-Sujo, who brings a huge amount of vibrancy that perfectly contrasts with the darker tones of the artwork. Joe Sabino handles the lettering and really nails the different tones of the characters through the dialogue. He captures Wolverine’s concern excellently, Jubilee’s differing emotions perfectly, and Apocalypse’s menacing tone is picture perfect.

Shawn: Domenico Carbone, Fernando Sifuentes-Sujo, and Joe Sabino hit this story right out of the gate. Carbone captures Jubilation Lee beautifully. The linework in both Jubilee’s use of her powers and the close-up panels of her face is stunning. I really loved the way that Carbone captured Apocalypse. You truly feel the weight and power of the character in this issue. Carbone does a stupendous job capturing both the cosmic nature of this story with Apocalypse being exiled in space, and the grounded X-Men story.

Fernando Sifuentes-Sujo may be one of my favorite color artists working right now. There is an absolutely killer panel in this issue of Wolverine that is so perfectly colored you can feel the ferocity through the page. The shadows contrast so beautifully against Wolverine’s claws. There’s often a lot of talk about how color artist use colors, but it’s clear that Sifuentes-Sujo understands that being an effective color artist also means knowing when it’s better to let shading and darkness tell the story. Joe Sabino helps track the story beautifully letting the story speak through the panels.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 10/10. Tomb of Apocalypse #1 is the perfect example of starting a series off with a bang. The creative team had me hooked in from the first page and didn’t let me go until the end.

Shawn: 10/10. Another home run first issue for Ashley Allen. Tomb of Apocalypse #1 feels like the start of a series that is both exhilarating and terrifying. I love Jubilee getting a chance to shine.

Overall Grade: 10/10

What did you think of the first issue? Let us know in the comments