Dead X-Men #3 - Review/Spoilers

[JB]

Oof my brain. Time travel stuff is always a bit confusing to me so I was holding on for dear life here, haha. Fun issue though!

We open with the preview pages, the team dropping into Moira's ninth life in Egypt. They walk through some corridors until they face Apocalypse and Moira sitting on their thrones. He tells Moira they need to cull the guards for allowing the intruders in and summons "the Host" an army of Archangel's with gold faces. As the team runs from this frightening sight Cannonball calls for Rachel and she opens a portal getting them out just in time.

Back on Atlantic Krakoa in the WHR Prodigy calls for Rachel to send them out again. Sam tells him to take a second to catch his breath and that Rachel might need a moment too. David says they don't have a second to spare as that was Moira's ninth life and he didn't pick up anything about a Dominion, which means they need to find and stop the cyborg Moira who has been traveling through her lives.



We see cyborg Moira going through her lives, watching as Cyclops is led into his trial in life 10, as Moira is congratulated for her mutant cure in life 3. Rachel is annoyed that the team didn't tell her about cy Moira but the team argues that they didn't know what cy Moira was planning until they saw the aftermath of her 7th life when she killed Gyrich. Rachel says she's not mad at them, that they couldn't have guessed that a crazed future version of Moira would become capable of ripping through time and space.

David says maybe not but the team being present is what caused her to get the mysterium so they are partially responsible. Rachel says the timing of all of this couldn't be worse as Xavier is speaking to Moira in her 10th life right now. "Everything depends on him getting through to her and changing her mind. It's our best chance." If cy Moira affects her own past, or finds her way to Xavier right now, everything they've been trying to pull off could be screwed.

More panels of cy Moira visiting past lives, watching the plane carrying Moira in life 2, the O5 fighting Magneto in life 4. David says that's why Rachel has to send them back, to stop crazed Moira. Rachel reiterates that targeting these past lives is very difficult, even more so as No-Place X is under attack once again. Mother Righteous offers to help Rachel if she lets her out but Rachel says no. More talk and Rachel is like we're trying to make logic out of the impossible so let's not. David said they know cy Moira is trying to get back to her first life, the very beginning. That's where they need to go.

We get a great double page of cy Moira in life 6 confronting Logan in The Preserve, year 999, about to kill him.

Dazzler says they're all in agreement, the life 1 it is. She notes that the WHR is not looking good as the skies are growing darker. Rachel says things are not looking good anywhere. She's exhausted as she says she needs to go check on Xavier as he's been gone for some time and Rasputin is outside defending NPX. Mother Righteous taunts her and Rachel verbally slaps her back.

We're now at a base called Faraway on earth's moon. Dr. Reyes and Beast are looking over/studying a comatose Moira. Reyes says Moira's vitals are stabilizing and soon they'll attempt another psychic probe. Suddenly the base's alarm sounds stating there's an unpermitted teleportation on the grounds. Cecelia thinks it's another Sentinel attack and Beast says they're prepared this time. It's not Sentinels of course but rather our team. Dazzler right away realizes this isn't Moira's 1st life (which should have been uneventful and short). An off-panel voice says, "Normally, we'd extend a warm welcome to any and all mutants..."



The two teams battle and we learn Cyclops and Psylocke are married in this life. Ha. Sway uses her powers in a cool panel to slow down/stop Cannonball midair. Betsy and Frenzy tussle until Betsy gives her the psychic knife. Frenzy tells her to go ahead and read her thoughts so she can see her team is not there to hurt these alternate X-Men. As Frenzy falls to her knees Cyborg Moira appears. Betsy is confused as she says, "You... you're out of your coma? But..."

[jwatson]

This was a fun read. Liked the art but then i was a fan of cota. i did not read issue 1 or 2 and read this without feeling like i missed a thing so that's either good or bad but i found it good. Definitely getting the next issue. Also really like how Rachel was manifesting in the issue.

[JB]

This was a fun read. Liked the art but then i was a fan of cota. i did not read issue 1 or 2 and read this without feeling like i missed a thing so that's either good or bad but i found it good. Definitely getting the next issue. Also really like how Rachel was manifesting in the issue.

Glad you liked it! The team's mission statement keeps changing so yeah you kinda don't have to read the first two to get what's going on here, haha. But they're fun issues also and the visits to alternate timelines showcase interesting takes on characters we know and love. All in all a very fun romp and my favorite part is how Foxe always has the team talking things out together as they plan their next moves.

[Kingdom X]

I LOVE this colorist for Baldeon! His artwork has never looked better to me.

Honestly same feeling as last issue. Love the cast and their dynamic, but wish the book had sorted out the mission earlier so we wouldn’t have to spend each issue on time travel exposition.

[Master of Sound]

Great that they used Sway, for a change.

Really wonder how this will end. Only one more issue , right?

[MythicalChicken]

Quick read, and I was a little "meh" on it but not because the mission statement keeps changing -- I appreciate people dealing with a crisis are actually dealing with a crisis, because it's always changing, actually -- and I don't find it especially confusing, though it helps even the cast is like "ugh time travel." Even as it tries very hard to communicate stakes, it just doesn't feel like there's any. I'm having trouble articulating this -- perhaps its a pacing thing, or lack of character stakes?

[Kwannon]

Oof my brain. Time travel stuff is always a bit confusing to me so I was holding on for dear life here, haha. Fun issue though!

We open with the preview pages, the team dropping into Moira's ninth life in Egypt. They walk through some corridors until they face Apocalypse and Moira sitting on their thrones. He tells Moira they need to cull the guards for allowing the intruders in and summons "the Host" an army of Archangel's with gold faces. As the team runs from this frightening sight Cannonball calls for Rachel and she opens a portal getting them out just in time.

Back on Atlantic Krakoa in the WHR Prodigy calls for Rachel to send them out again. Sam tells him to take a second to catch his breath and that Rachel might need a moment too. David says they don't have a second to spare as that was Moira's ninth life and he didn't pick up anything about a Dominion, which means they need to find and stop the cyborg Moira who has been traveling through her lives.



We see cyborg Moira going through her lives, watching as Cyclops is led into his trial in life 10, as Moira is congratulated for her mutant cure in life 3. Rachel is annoyed that the team didn't tell her about cy Moira but the team argues that they didn't know what cy Moira was planning until they saw the aftermath of her 7th life when she killed Gyrich. Rachel says she's not mad at them, that they couldn't have guessed that a crazed future version of Moira would become capable of ripping through time and space.

David says maybe not but the team being present is what caused her to get the mysterium so they are partially responsible. Rachel says the timing of all of this couldn't be worse as Xavier is speaking to Moira in her 10th life right now. "Everything depends on him getting through to her and changing her mind. It's our best chance." If cy Moira affects her own past, or finds her way to Xavier right now, everything they've been trying to pull off could be screwed.

More panels of cy Moira visiting past lives, watching the plane carrying Moira in life 2, the O5 fighting Magneto in life 4. David says that's why Rachel has to send them back, to stop crazed Moira. Rachel reiterates that targeting these past lives is very difficult, even more so as No-Place X is under attack once again. Mother Righteous offers to help Rachel if she lets her out but Rachel says no. More talk and Rachel is like we're trying to make logic out of the impossible so let's not. David said they know cy Moira is trying to get back to her first life, the very beginning. That's where they need to go.

We get a great double page of cy Moira in life 6 confronting Logan in The Preserve, year 999, about to kill him.

Dazzler says they're all in agreement, the life 1 it is. She notes that the WHR is not looking good as the skies are growing darker. Rachel says things are not looking good anywhere. She's exhausted as she says she needs to go check on Xavier as he's been gone for some time and Rasputin is outside defending NPX. Mother Righteous taunts her and Rachel verbally slaps her back.

We're now at a base called Faraway on earth's moon. Dr. Reyes and Beast are looking over/studying a comatose Moira. Reyes says Moira's vitals are stabilizing and soon they'll attempt another psychic probe. Suddenly the base's alarm sounds stating there's an unpermitted teleportation on the grounds. Cecelia thinks it's another Sentinel attack and Beast says they're prepared this time. It's not Sentinels of course but rather our team. Dazzler right away realizes this isn't Moira's 1st life (which should have been uneventful and short). An off-panel voice says, "Normally, we'd extend a warm welcome to any and all mutants..."



The two teams battle and we learn Cyclops and Psylocke are married in this life. Ha. Sway uses her powers in a cool panel to slow down/stop Cannonball midair. Betsy and Frenzy tussle until Betsy gives her the psychic knife. Frenzy tells her to go ahead and read her thoughts so she can see her team is not there to hurt these alternate X-Men. As Frenzy falls to her knees Cyborg Moira appears. Betsy is confused as she says, "You... you're out of your coma? But..."

Haha, alternate Betsy is married to current Betsy’s girlfriend’s dad? What a funny and playful nod to the Betsy-Summers history. Love it.

[JB]

Great that they used Sway, for a change.

Really wonder how this will end. Only one more issue , right?

Yeah one more issue to go. I wonder if Cyborg Moira is going to do something that will have lasting impact on what Xavier is doing in Rise. They're concerned she's going to ruin his efforts to get to life 10 Moira so I think something like that may happen.

[danielsan52]

Great that they used Sway, for a change.

Agree. That was the highlight if the issue for me and they made her power look cool.

Three X-Men still dead - Changeling, Petra, and Sway. Bring them back. They should have been revived along with John.

[Luckystar.]

Pretty fun! But I do feel like Foxe ejoys writing the guest stars better than the Dead X-Men themselves.

And yay for more Diassembled Betsy with gorgeous hair next issue!

[CGAR]

who are the artist for the final issue. This was ok.

Just already fatigued by how bad FotHoX has gotten. So ready for this to be over.

[JB]

who are the artist for the final issue. This was ok.

Just already fatigued by how bad FotHoX has gotten. So ready for this to be over.

The final issue has Vincenzo Carratu, David Baldeon, and Bernard Chang listed. So we should be getting more Betsy, another timeline (life 1?) and I believe Chang does the WHR scenes.

[Tank]

This book is horrible. Does anyone feel the stakes because it felt like there were none to me.

If this book didn’t happen nothing engaging would be missing from the narrative

[Master of Sound]

This book is horrible. Does anyone feel the stakes because it felt like there were none to me.

If this book didn’t happen nothing engaging would be missing from the narrative

It has Jubilee, Frenzy, Dazzler and Cannonball and you still hate it? I just wish it will become an ongoing, though with just on artist.

[CGAR]

I think Foxe wanted it to matter so he partnered with Gillen. I think he' doing the best with this team and the time he had left to dial down the story.

I do wish it was a little more streamlined BUT the plus I have for him is at least he is a writer that tries to give everyone on the team something to say or something to do.

I HOPE HOPE HOPE we get a few pages of Vincenzo Carratu Betsy Braddock.