Alt 9997, Part 1: Earth X

Grade: C+

Earth has changed, and the heroes of old must come to grips with the new reality as they deal with two new threats. The Inhumans spread the Terrigen Mist across the planet changing everybody into a mutant. The world no longer needs heroes, but a young, powerful, and malicious leader emerges. The Skrull amasses a mind-controlled Army and marches towards President Osborn, and only the disillusioned Captain American stands in his way. To make matters worse -- the Celestials are coming to cast their judgment on the plant.  

Earth X explores some deep topics. Set in a dystopian future, the real theme seems to be regret. The heroes are weighed down by the choices they've made. Their noble intents altered humanity in ways that they had not foreseen, and they have shut down, hid, or isolated themselves from the repercussions. It enabled the world to get worse to a point, and the heroes of old must make even bigger sacrifices which only add to their burden.  

The entire series is a revision of the Marvel Age. They are the classic stories we grew up with but told with a more sinister tone --  a dark "rest of the story" feel. Events, actions, and choices are now seen as unavoidable predestination. It isn't a bad approach and rewards super fans who know the Marvel Age well. I am not that well-versed, so I was struggling trying to keep up.

What I really didn't like were the lengthy conversations that started each issue between Uatu, the Watcher, and X-51 (Aaron/Machine Man). While they set the stage for the stories, these preludes rambled -- a lot. The adage is "show, don't tell", and I would argue that holds especially true for comics. There was a lot of telling which is unfortunate. The premise was solid with relatable, everyday themes of guilt and remorse.

[6-Stars] Earth X (1999) #0

Earth X (1999) #0.5 (Wizard Magazine Special)

[6-Stars] Earth X (1999) #1

[5-Stars] Earth X (1999) #2

[5-Stars] Earth X (1999) #3

[5-Stars] Earth X (1999) #4

[5-Stars] Earth X (1999) #5

[6-Stars] Earth X (1999) #6

[5-Stars] Earth X (1999) #7

[5-Stars] Earth X (1999) #8

[6-Stars] Earth X (1999) #9

[5-Stars] Earth X (1999) #10

[6-Stars] Earth X (1999) #11

[6-Stars] Earth X (1999) #12

[6-Stars] Earth X (1999) #X

Collected in Earth X