by Tony Rhea, Reporter
The heat is on, literally, in X-Men Forever #4! The end of the Krakoan age has been divisive for many, so will this issue continue that trend, or will it deliver real depth and lasting impact! Read on, I dare you!
Official Description:
…AND FOREVER!
Our secrets, sinister or otherwise, are over. X-MEN FORVER ends with a question – after everything, do we have Hope or not? From between the pages of IMMORTAL X-MEN and RISE OF THE POWERS OF X, the final secrets of the Krakoan Age are revealed here!
Kieron Gillen is the writer, with art by Luca Maresca, Colors by Federico Blee, and letters by VC’s Clayton Cowles.
Hope, with the help of a gun-shaped Legion and Jean in her mind, continues the hunt for the Phoenix within the White Hot Room. Enigma, not satisfied with where things are headed, heads back to the past in order to manipulate Hope’s mother into aiding him to steer the narrative. As Jean does her part to give Hope a shot (literally), she realizes that things aren’t right, and heads back to cut Enigma off in his efforts. Elsewhere, Destiny decides (with some help from Sinister) to help Mystique, and the two of them battle their way to Xavier. Destiny confronts Xavier, and just in time, because Nimrod isn’t far behind!
It’s hard to discuss this issue without giving too much away. I’ll say that the issue is well-written, and it certainly helps that Gillen is at the wheel for this Hope-centric story. That being said, I can’t say that everyone will be happy with the result. I understand the choices being made, and enjoyed the writing, but the end result will be very divisive. I find it hard to believe that this was the plan for Hope all along, but it’s definitely a bold choice, and the ramifications of it will echo throughout the Marvel Universe. The only criticism I have for Gillen is that the “big moment” of this issue does feel a little lack-luster, given what it means. Given what occurs, it feels like more should have been done, and more should have been said.
The presentation can easily be discussed without spoiling anything, and the team of Luca Maresca and Federico Blee certainly do their job well. No matter what you might think about how events play out, it’s hard to deny that the characters and scenery look great and compliment the story very well. I do think that lighting effects could have been improved to provide greater dramatic effect, but if that’s the only criticism, it’s a relatively small one.
A well-written, yet controversial, step towards the end of this event. If you’re loving the event, this is an issue you can’t miss. If you’re not an absolute fan of the direction this event is taking, this won’t be the issue that swings you on to the other side of that fence.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives X-Men Forever #4 – 3 out of 5 fiery birds.
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