Amazing X-Men Annual #1 Review

Why has a new Inhuman named Meruda got a vendetta against Storm? Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

• Storm and the Amazing X-Men go to Africa!
• A death in Storm’s family sheds light on a new threat to the X-Men!

If one does of Amazing X-Men isn’t enough for one week why not get a second helping as alongside #8 we also get the series first Annual. The story sees on of the new Inhumans set out on a vendetta against Storm for past casualties. We also get a short back-up story centred on Firestar showing how this popular hero is viewed by the community around her.

Monty Nero handles the main story with up-and-comer Marguerite Bennett handling the back-up story. Nero does a decent job of developing a story of vengeance and retribution, fleshing the story out smoothly. I did however feel that he was rather restricted due to the short length in which to tell this story, as it didn’t leave much room for intensity or suspense. Nevertheless it was a entertaining one-shot and barely worthy of this Goddess. Bennett’s back-up story on the other hand failed to impress me as though I enjoyed the diverseness of it, it didn’t really do much for me feeling a little too random.

The artwork for this Annual is handled by the ever talented Salvador Larroca who never fails to impress no matter what the series is. The beauty and detail of his artwork makes it a joy to view with the dynamic layouts also allowing the story to flow much smoother. Larroca also adds excitement during the action sequence with the characters body language and facial expressions adding a lot of tension and impact to the issue. We also get a varied selection of art from Juan Doe to compliment the divers back-up story.

Overall Amazing X-Men Annual #1 is a great read but the $4.99 price tag makes it hard to strongly recommend this issue and unless you’re an avid fan of either the X-Men or Storm you should leave it on the shelf.