Scott Summers returns with his classic careful attitude in his new solo series. The issue opens with Cyclops rescuing fellow team members Magik and Kid Omega by using his tactical skills in harmony with his slightly snarky battle dialogue. After the rescue, Cyclops momentarily grapples with his expectations for his team.
Alex Paknadel writes the X-Men leader with his usual stern focus as Cyclops leads the Alaskan team before being called to visit his old orphanage. Simultaneously, Donald Pierce puts his new Reavers — his own cyborgs who follow him like a religion — to hunt mutants. Donald Pierce is chasing after a new mutant, whose powers have yet to surface within this series. Cyclops’ solo mission will most definitely put a stop to Pierce’s plan while also unveiling new details about Summers’ past. Pierce’s plot is reminiscent of the U-Men from Grant Morrison’s first arc in New X-Men, but Pierce is still a promising villain for Cyclops to handle.
Rogê Antônio’s art nails Scott’s lean muscular look in his team uniform, and Fernando Sifuentes’ coloring includes gold highlights in his brown hair. For a Scott Summers look and personality, this creative team is the one to beat. The art throughout the issue makes good use of hard lines and standard coloring, allowing for Cyclops’ ruby-colored optic blasts to really pop in the surrounding environments. The environments themselves are quite lush while still carrying that cold look of the northern state. The issue doesn’t shy away from some gore and blood, raising the stakes before they’re even called.
Looking ahead at variant covers for this series might prove fruitful to any collectors, as the variant covers have some really beautiful and satisfying art of Cyclops. For this first issue, the Godtail variant is a personal favorite.
With this action-packed start, this series already stands out among the other solo X-titles. There’s an appropriate amount of build-up to maintain intrigue without feeding too much exposition all at once or feeling like a deliberate beginning. By dropping the audience into relevant action sequences, readers get a taste of the adventures yet to come.
