Review: X-Men: Prelude to Schism

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Prelude to Schism is about the X-Men standing around and talking for four straight issues. It’s better than it sounds, to be fair…but not all that much better.

The setup is a simple one – as disaster bears down on Utopia, the X-Men are faced with the choice of fight or flight – face certain destruction against the oncoming storm, or flee the place they’ve only just begun to call home. Cyclops has to make a decision that no leader looks forward to making, the future of mutantkind resting squarely on his shoulders.

So, he thinks. And he thinks. And he thinks. While he thinks, he’s confronted by Magneto and Charles and even Wolverine, and we see into their thoughts on the situation as well. It’s good character development – the look into Magneto’s mind was especially interesting, as we learn about his father, his experiences during the Nazi reign in Germany, even his viewpoint in the first battle against the X-Men. As one issue, it would have made an interesting spot for character development. As four issues, it just drags.

There’s nothing wrong with a story having a prelude, but they tend to work best when they’re kept short and sweet, and this is a prime example of why. In four issues, nothing really happens, and the fact that nothing is supposed to happen doesn’t help things. In the end, if you’re deeply looking forward to Schism as a whole, this will help you get some context and see the full picture. Just don’t let the cover art fool you; those pictures of Wolverine, Cyclops, and Magneto posing are all the real action you’re going to get.