X-Men Red #5 - The Hate Machine *spoilers*

[Tenebrae]

Begins with Cassandra Nova getting the Polish president to make mutants illegal in the country.

Starts off from the preview where Gambit meets Jean, Nightcrawler and Trinary. As they talk Trinary is able to turn off the Sentinel in the mans head so "waking" him up and he becomes very remorseful about what happened.

They take Gambit to meet up with the others and they all get in the Sentinel together which has been converted into a Blackbird jet with rainbow decal. They're on the way to help some Polish mutants as they try to escape. Battle begins, Jean and Storm hang back while the others protect or chop up soldier guns. Jean makes all the soldiers feel empathy for a second for the mutants, merging their minds briefly, most of the soldiers stop except one. He goes to shoot Jean but is stopped when (cool moment) Namor arrives and warns him they are on the border of his kingdom, (they're on a beach) and to back off.

They help the refugees get away and it ends with a dramatic team pose.

There is a countdown to extermination bit at the end where Jean and her team are fighting in Atlantis, she says everyone at the mansion is dead and there is no where to run.

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Slower than previous issues but also the first issue where the whole team are together. Namor showing up was cool. The art continues to be amazing and will be missed. The dialogue is decent. I also really liked how Storm and Jean just hung out together letting the youngsters do the work (excluding Nightcrawler and Gambit) Hopefully things will ramp up next issue now that everything is established and they'll find out Cassandra is behind it all.

[Anduinel]

Agreed that this was a slower issue, and not the strongest end to the first arc (and I am not thrilled about the Sentinel). But goddamn, I did LOVE Namor's "just try me" moment. XD

[Tycon]

Breath of fresh mutant metaphoric air after Dazzler: Reverse Racism/CisHet Ace Pride.

[Beaubier]

Breath of fresh mutant metaphoric air after Dazzler: Reverse Racism/CisHet Ace Pride.

Wait.. what?

[CGAR]

Definitely getting this in trade

[ariwl1]

Agreed it wasn't quite as interesting as previous issues, but still fun. I like how Jean and 'Ro lay back and chill like co-captains of a team. And Namor's arrival was pretty tight.

And there was that epilogue. Hmmm....

[Ambaryerno]

Got a little chuckle out of Gabby casually mentioning how Remy blew her and Laura up in EotSII.

[Tycon]

Wait.. what?

This might be more appropriate for a Dazzler review thread if there ever is one. But the comic has mutants explicitly antagonizing Inhumans in a way that reminds me of the current Ace Discourse or discussions surrounding """reverse racism""". It throws out the oppression that mutants faced at the Inhumans' hands while treating the NuHumans as the 'Ultimate Victims of An Oppressive System.'

I kid you not, there's a line that has a mutant saying: "You people are sick, you know that? Treating Inhumans like they're us? Nobody's bringing Thor or the Hulk here. Why? Because they're just super-powered humans. Inhumans are just humans, They don't get to colonize our oppression--"

and he gets cut off because Dazzler threatens to blast him to dust. It's...upsetting that this could've been a conversation about the complexities of intersectionality and how different oppressed groups can still be disadvantageous to others while being disadvantaged themselves. Instead, it comes off as an oppressed group trying to get their oppressors out of a safe space, only to be ridiculed and framed as the antagonists of the story. Even with that in mind, if mutants hadn't been framed as metaphors for the LGBTQ+ community, black power, disabled rights etc etc while Inhumans "elitists, xenophobes, colonizers", this comic would've been a fun little read.

So I'm glad that X-Men Red keeps up with having mutants serve as the many groups that still face discrimination today through topical storylines.

[Dementia5]

CisHet Ace Pride

You've GOT to either stop using these newfangled terms or provide a glossary. I'm a tired middle-aged lady and I can't keep up.

[Soulsword323]

NOW the team is fully assembled. Moves slow, but it honestly doesn't bother me. The characters act and behave how I feel they should. Art was very gorgeous, and makes me sad that Asrar won't be rotating with the new artist. Jean continues to really shine in this, and love that her compassion and empathy are constantly put on display by Taylor. Although, Namor was the real MVP of this issue. LOVE his entrance and him getting that soldier to back off.

It was nice to see adult Jean in the tie in at the end, and she gets a pretty impressive moment too.

[Anduinel]

You've GOT to either stop using these newfangled terms or provide a glossary. I'm a tired middle-aged lady and I can't keep up.

Let's please not. Just take it as given that the Dazzler book was as bad it appeared in the previews and let's not invite The Discourse into a totally unrelated review thread.

[The Big G]

You've GOT to either stop using these newfangled terms or provide a glossary. I'm a tired middle-aged lady and I can't keep up.

Im in my late twenties and while i see these words daily on the internet I still don't understand most of them. Your not the only one.

[Askia]

EotSII.

Um...what is that?

[Dementia5]

Let's please not. Just take it as given that the Dazzler book was as bad it appeared in the previews and let's not invite The Discourse into a totally unrelated review thread.

Sorry, wasn't my intention to stir the pot. Just wanted some clarification.

[Ambaryerno]

Um...what is that?

Enemy of the State II arc in All-New Wolverine. Gambit blew up Laura (and apparently Gabby with her) with one of his cards to bring her down from the trigger scent.