Follow fan-favorite Wolverine Laura Kinney as she delves into the seedy Mutant underworld in this review of NYX #2.
NYX #2
Writer: Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing
Art: Francesco Mortarino
Colors: Raúl Angulo
Main Cover by: Sara Pichelli
Variant Covers: Derrick Chew, Maria Wolf
Release Date: August 28, 2024
This review might contain spoilers
“Thirty mutants disappeared off the street in as many days. Mostly young. Unhoused. It ends tonight. It ends with me.”
Laura Kinney’s days are less picturesque than issue #1’s counterpart, Kamala Khan’s. As the Wolverine, she prowls the shadows of New York City, defending mutants from those who would take advantage of them. A string of kidnappings leads Laura to a private nightclub for mutants, run by a fixer known as Local. In an effort to get in his good graces, Laura sacrifices her ethics, proving herself to him by stealing a car and breaking into a college campus. Her behavior is rewarded with an introduction to Local’s boss, the mysterious Mr. Friend. He is anything but.
Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing’s writing demonstrates a remarkable tonal shift between issues 1 and 2. In the first issue, the duo crafts a narrative centered around Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel: wide-eyed, exuberant, and optimistic to a fault. The tone is light and infused with a sense of wonder, reflecting Kamala’s own journey of self-discovery and heroism. Issue 2, however, flips 180 degrees to Wolverine’s perspective: paranoid, weathered, and cynical. What’s impressive is that both stories feel native to the same world, not haphazardly mashed together. The effectiveness of this tonal shift lies in Kelly and Lanzing’s ability to seamlessly adapt their writing style to suit the character’s unique voice and narrative needs, showcasing their versatility as writers.
Likewise, Francesco Mortarino’s rain-drenched streets and neon alleys depart from the previous installment’s manicured campuses and marshmallow clouds. The first page opens with violence, a clear indication of the difference in Laura’s modus operandi. Pulpy action scenes play out quickly, and Mortarino isn’t afraid to display Laura’s graphic healing factor at work. Notice the low-“camera” positioning and canted angles, adding to a sense of the world being unbalanced.
Less at the forefront, but perhaps most enticing to this reviewer, is the dedication to NYX being a New York story. But what that means, ironically, is less about recognizable landmarks and more about what the city that doesn’t sleep represents. At the back of the book, editor Annalise Bissa writes, “Whether you’re young or old, a lifelong New Yorker or someone who’s never stepped foot in the five boroughs, I hope NYX speaks to you as a story about what it means to figure out who you are and where you belong: two themes that are as central to X-Men comics as they are to life itself.” This intimate understanding of youth, Marvel Comics, and the Big Apple is tangible on every page.
Marvel Comics provided The Comic Book Spot with an advance copy of NYX #2 for review purposes. Find more reviews here. If you would like to buy a copy of this title, and help support the Comic Book Spot at the same time, consider purchasing this book at Amazon, My Comic Shop, or from Things From Another World.
