Like I did with the Moon Knight review, I will quickly provide my thoughts on the first volume so that we're on the same page when I get into the contents of this book. I thought the first volume gave us some really good stuff, (particularly for Magneto, Storm, and Sunspot) but it ultimately didn't wow me beyond a couple of scenes. I would give it an 8.5/10.

Getting into this book, it took everything I liked about the first volume and improved upon it. Stefano Caselli's art continues to be good, and Ewing's characterization of the afformentioned characters and Arakko continues to be one I find interesting. Plus, this volume more directly involves characters from his S.W.O.R.D. run, such as Cable, Manifold, and Khora of the Burning Heart, which creates a fun recontextualization of the two books as one long story.

And there are even connections to other cosmic books he's written without feeling like pointless fan-service. Nova is in the book, but his inclusion feel natural. The Progenitors return, but it doesn't feel out of place in the context of the story. And there's an unexpected reference to a joke from New Avengers Vol 4 that is actually used as a reveal for a character's role in something in the final issue of the volume.

But now let's talk about the story, because that's what I have the most to say about. With that in mind, MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING BOTH FOR THIS BOOK AND FOR JUDGMENT DAY. For those who don't want spoilers, I would give this volume a 9.5/10.

I love the way this book explores Magneto's death, Isca's betrayal, and Uranos' massacre on Arakko. It provides so much more depth to those events that Judgment Day just didn't have time for. And it further cements Magneto's death as a great exit that was handled so well that I would be fine with it actually sticking.

Once we get past the events of Judgment Day and move into the conclusion of the Abigail Brand story, the book flows incredibly well. I really liked the decision to connect Weaponless Zsen into Cable's investigation of Brand. She was a fun character for her time in Legion of X, and it was cool seeing her appear somewhere else.

And this allows me to get to the elephant in the room, and the one thing preventing this book from being at a 10/10 for me. Abigail Brand's betrayal.

It's a weird choice. I understand the motivation for the decision, and it's explored in a way that isn't bad, but it still feels like a very strange writing decision.

But despite the weirdness of the decision to make Brand a traitor, it was still incredibly interesting to see Cable and Sunspot working against her with their own spy schemes in this volume. And it helps that Sunspot has a very fun personality that gives him a lot of character.

The use of Vulcan was an inspired choice when working out what Brand's big play would be. And they did a good job explaining what has happened with him from his last appearance to now in a way that not only fits with this story, but still works with what we knew from the Hickman run. And the fight between Vulcan and Storm at the end was oh so satisfying.

Orbis Stellaris was a bit of an odd inclusion since his arrival in S.W.O.R.D.. And while I don't believe that the reveal of him being a Nathaniel Essex clone was always what was intended, I'm interested to see where it goes in the pages of Sins of Sinister and beyond.

Overall, I think that this volume was nothing but an improvement on the first, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing where this series goes in the future.

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it?