Story & Words: Jonathan Hickman
Story & Art: Russell Dauterman
Colors: Matthew Wilson
Letters: VC’s Ariana Maher
Design: Tom Muller
Storm is dying. Her body has been infected by a form of the technorganic virus that will ravage her body and kill her within a month. That is unless she can infiltrate the World and use the technology within this Weapon Plus artificial environment to separate her from the virus. Joining Storm on this dangerous mission is a very select group of X-Men- Monet, Cypher, Warlock, Fantomex, and Ned- and they are her last and best chance for survival. Welcome to Giant Size X-Men: Storm #1.
One theme through the majority of Jonathan Hickman’s Giant Size X-Men has been the infection of Storm by the technorganic virus by the Children of the vault and then her final fate. First brought up in Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost, a beautiful nearly silent issue by the same creators of this issue, and then pushed forward in the fantastic Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex yet it’s here within Giant Size X-Men: Storm that the final fate of one of the X-Men’s most revered characters is decided. My anticipation for this issue was high as I have enjoyed the return of the Giant Size format to the X-Men and Jonathan Hickman is killing it as the X-Curator and thankfully the issue did not disappoint. The beginning of the book had the feeling of a great action film as Monet puts together the team that will be necessary to penetrate the World and the team that is assembled is fabulous, especially Ned, a disgruntled Aim scientist curled up on his couch ready for a night in while wearing his full AIM uniform. Giant Size X-Men: Storm picks up on many of the story beats from last month’s Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex and the story finally synchs up with where that issue left off and the teams break in to the World and the bat crap craziness that lies within. Once in the world the team is confronted with threats from every direction and it becomes clear why each person was chosen to go along, even Ned. The conclusion is satisfying and leaves open enough questions for another round of Giant Size X-Men next year and no doubt a deeper focus on Storm in the near future.
Giant Size X-Men: Storm was another excellent outing by Jonathan Hickman and Russell Dauterman. The story was fantastic and surprisingly compelling since mutants have conquered death so Storm’s plight shouldn’t be that concerning, yet Hickman makes the reader care. Dauterman’s art continues to impress, although I think his art in the Jean Grey & Emma Frost issue was superior his work here was still stellar and only amplified the tale. These Giant Size X-Men have been wonderful reads and I hope there are more in the future, but if anything comes of this there must be a Fantomex and Ned buddy book in the future… there must be.
Verdict: Giant Size X-Men: Storm is another fantastic Giant Size special and just like in their previous outing Jonathan Hickman and Russell Dauterman have produced a fantastic read and it is a Buy!
