Children of the Atom Issue 1

 

Writer - Vita Ayala

Artist - Bernard Chang

Color Artist - Marcelo Maiolo

Letter - VC's Travis Lanham

The debut issue of a series about the next generation of mutant heroes was a fantastic entry into the X-Men mythos.

This story sees a group of young mutants who have fashioned themselves as heroes, fighting crime. Of course, this catches the attention of some powerful opponents as well as the authorities. 

When the X-men catch wind of these young mutants, they're immediately concerned for their safety. With the American government trying to regulate young heroes, and a rising anti-mutant sentiment, this concern is definitely well deserved.

The art in this book is wonderfully expressive, as is the dialogue. I often find writers struggle to capture how young people talk to each other, but here it feels natural and I found it very easy to recognize each character's own quirks. 

At the end of the book, when our team of young heroes is all geared up, ready to step through the portal to Krakoa (where the other mutants are living, safe from human persecution), they all falter and decide to come back another time. 

I found this a great dramatization of how it can feel painful, awkward and frightening to step into adulthood, accept who and what you are, or even come out of the closet. 

X-Men has been able to tell allegorical stories about racism and queerness since the beginning, and I'm really liking where this one is going. Coming of age stories can be really tired and cliche, but this one is shaping up to be one of the greats.