... Extermination #3 ...

Extermination #3 
Nonstop suspense and gorgeous visuals make this an X-Men event you’re hooked to from beginning to end. By Chris Hassanon

You know, a comic named Extermination, designed to do away with my beloved original X-Men, shouldn’t be so much fun to read. And yet, I couldn’t help but finish Extermination #3 thinking about what a great time I had reading it! For me, the surprises didn’t end there, which is a credit to writer Ed Brisson and artist Pepe Larraz for crafting a comic more than worth its price tag.

While Extermination has been pretty action-packed from the get-go, its third installment, especially, goes heavy on the fight scenes. No complaints here, because Larraz is back penciling the hell out of it all. I said it in my review of Extermination #1, I said it in my review of Extermination #2 and you better believe I’m going to say it again–this artist is a star! There’s just so much to love about the visuals, which are only elevated by colorist Marte Gracia. The details on Old Hound Logan’s set of bone claws (yes, Ed Brisson, I give you permission to use Old Hound Logan) to breathtaking battles on land, sea and air, every single page in this comic is a feast for the eyes.

Extermination may also be the first time I’ve ever thought Ahab looked cool.

Speaking of Ahab, he’s pretty much the driving force behind this issue’s action. The mad mutant from the future wants those original five X-Men, and he’s got a few secret Hounds to lend a hand. How he got the upper hand on Marvel’s mutants is pretty inventive and it helps solidify Ahab as a force to be reckoned with so long as Brisson’s writing him.

Kid Cable, the mini-series’ other antagonist, continues to be a real a-----e… and a lot of fun to follow. Just wait until you see what he needed Mimic for. Teenage Nate Summers is going to some pretty extreme lengths to #SetItRight and, though pretty twisted, it’s also crazy fun to watch.

But without a doubt, the most fun in this issue comes from the team-up between the original X-Force and teenage Jean Grey (no wonder it landed on the cover!). I’ll be honest, I read a lot of the classic X-Force series when I was younger, and pretty much just read it because it had an “X” on the cover. I don’t remember much about the stories and, as a result, I’ve never cared much about that iteration of the team. However, after reading Brisson’s take on Domino, Warpath, Shatterstar, Cannonball and Boom-Boom, I’d be lying if I wasn’t a lot more interested in reading Marvel’s upcoming relaunch spinning out of this title.

This crew is full of badasses, but they may have met their match in teen Jean. Clearly, they haven’t been following her modern adventures the past few years. This issue’s final page has me very excited to see what happens next.

Three issues in, Extermination has far exceeded my expectations for a mini-series that could have been nothing more than an uninspired, by-the-numbers clearing of the board ahead of November’s Uncanny X-Men #1. Every issue features surprises that guarantee this event will keep me guessing until its very last page.

... Jean Grey's Newest Enemy ...

Jean Grey's Newest Enemy Is Also Her Most Powerful - And Personal by Renaldo Matadeen –  in CBR Exclusives

X-Men Red has been pivotal in detailing Jean Grey's adjustment to being alive once again following her return in the Phoenix Resurrection miniseries. Her main task as the new mutant messiah is to safeguard her species while achieving peace with mankind; a dream identical to that of her former mentor, Charles Xavier.

However, she meets resistance (as expected) in the form of another powerful psychic, Cassandra Nova -- who happens to be Professor Xavier's evil twin sister. Cassandra's intent is to commit mutant genocide and thus ruin her brother's legacy, with the added goal of making sure Jean feels responsible for the extinction of her people along the way.

As Cassandra gathers her arsenal, X-Men Red Annual #1 reveals she's lined up an extremely powerful rival to be Jean's enemy in the form of the X-Men leader's daughter from an alternate timeline, Rachel Grey.

... X-Men: Gold #35 ...

X-Men: Gold #35

Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Penciler: Giovanni Valleta, Simone Buonfantino
Cover Artist:Phil Noto

The X-Men versus the undead! Goddess versus god! Storm’s final battle?

... Extermination #2 ...

An X-Men Reunion in EXTERMINATION #2
By Aaron Berkowitz

EXTERMINATION #2 backs away from the, admittedly successful, shock tactics in the first issue. Brisson slows it down just a bit in order to let the entire X-family, including former members of X-Force, know about the shocking events of last issue. Ed Brisson continues making this series feel, in spirit, like the many X-events of the ‘80s and ‘90s. It feels like a return to form for the X-Men, and I still greatly enjoy it. This issue fleshes out the internal conflict between young Scott Summers and the X-Men, as well as the ruthlessness of the younger version of Cable. Artist Pepe Larraz and, especially, colorist Marte Gracia add in moments that look downright beautiful.


Cable Gets Desperate
In the last issue, Ahab, a time-traveling mutant hunter from an alternate future, killed Bloodstorm and attempted to kill young Cyclops. Shortly after, a younger version of Cable killed his older counterpart and kidnapped the younger Iceman. EXTERMINATION #2 deals with the fallout of these events. Scott feels utterly hopeless after Bloodstorm’s death and questions if the Original Five ever really accomplished anything in their long trip to the future.

Meanwhile, Kitty Pryde calls a meeting of all currently living X-Men in order to discuss the many-sided threats they’re facing. Rachel Grey lets them know that Ahab means business and that the X-Men must stop him before he kills the Original Five. Kitty suggests that each member of the five splits up with a team of X-Men. They’ll take each member to a safe house until the danger subsides.

Scott, angered that he won’t be able to fight his own battle, storms off. Outside the mansion, Cable ambushes the younger versions of Cyclops, Beast, and Angel. He manages to tranquilize both Warren and Hank, but Hank pulls his tranq out before the full dosage could inject. Jean fights Cable off, and he takes Warren with him. Older Hank surmises that Cable wasn’t being bold by fighting the X-Men on their home turf; he was desperate. Is this the only danger the X-Men will face this issue? Read EXTERMINATION #2 and find out!

... X-Men Gold #33 & 34...

X-Men: Gold #33

Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Penciler: Michele Bandini
Cover Artist: Phil Noto

Storm returns to the Kenyan village that once worshipped her as a goddess! But now, with her Stormcaster hammer, it’s true…isn’t it? The truth about Storm’s Asgardian hammer is revealed here!

  

X-Men: Gold #34

Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Penciler: Michele Bandini
Cover Artist: Phil Noto

Storm must battle a mysterious figure from her past! But with the true nature of Stormcaster revealed, can Storm trust her powers anymore?

... Extermination ...

What to know about Extermination, the end of X-Men’s time-traveling odyssey

What you need to know about X-teams new and old before this grand finale
By Kieran Shiach 

Over 50 years ago, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced us to these five teenagers with amazing powers gifted to them by a quirk of genetics. Dubbed “mutants” by the general public, but molded into the X-Men by their mentor, Professor Charles Xavier, they dedicated their lives to protecting a world that hated and feared them; then, they grew up and grew apart. In the pages of X-Men comics, readers got to see these heroes grow from teenagers to adults and students to teachers. They fell in love and were married. They died and were reborn. Decades after their introduction, each character was significantly different from their original incarnation.

Five years ago, Marvel Comics brought the original five teenage X-Men to the present through time-travel hijinks, and there have been two sets of founding X-Men running around the Marvel Universe ever since. This week’s Extermination #1, by Ed Brisson, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia and Joe Sabino. is billed as the end of their story, but as is often the case with X-Men comics, the continuity and the history of the stories that got us to this point can be daunting to say the least. Before you check out Extermination, we’ve put together a crash course on the time-displaced mutants so you know who they are, why they came to the present, how they’ve changed while there, and why it’s such a big deal that they’re going away.

... X-Men Gold #32 ...

X-Men Gold #32 Review: The Tragedy of the Phoenix
Posted by Joshua Davison

Rachel Summers, aka Prestige and formerly known as the Phoenix, has been driven into a frenzy by Mesmero. She has already downed Colossus and Kitty Pryde, and Magik and Storm follow soon after. Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Iceman, and Pyro are the only ones left to calm Rachel down, but, after Prestige so easily incapacitated the other X-Men, can these four X-Men save the day?

After the Days of Future Past retread that was X-Men Gold #31, X-Men Gold #32 shows that this could have really been wrapped up in a single issue. That said, this was still a solid read, and it would have been nice for it to not have been proceeded by a truly pointless read.

But we’re here to talk about #32, not #31. It’s not a brilliant installment, but it has many nice moments that keep it engaging enough to carry through to the end. Magik lamenting what she feels she has done to Kitty and Piotr’s relationship is a nice character moment. Nightcrawler and young Cyclops putting everything on the line to get through to Rachel reminds the reader what sets the X-Men apart from other superhero teams.