When I first heard about X-Men – The Wedding Special #1, I questioned the wisdom of its core concept. Certainly there’s a great story to be told in the wedding of two great villains like Mystique and Destiny. However, I can’t help considering that making such a story the centerpiece of a Pride Month special is in somewhat poor taste.
Thankfully, X-Men – The Wedding Special #1 does not shy away from this point. Indeed, it grabs the issue by the horns, with New Mutant Anole protesting the wedding by printing T-shirts. (Amusingly, Mystique approves of a shirt declaring her a “bisexual menace,” and inquires about printing more as party favors.)
X-Men Wedding Special #1 Should Focus on Wedding
The chief problem with X-Men – The Wedding Special #1 is the same problem with most anthologies. The quality of the individual chapters varies wildly. A larger problem, however, is that two-fifths of the stories have no real relation to the wedding or the central characters.
For instance, “Wedding Gatecrashers” isn’t a bad story, but it is focused entirely upon Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers and what they do before the wedding. There are similar issues with “Get Mystique… A Gift!”, in which Wolverine turns to his students to help him shop for a wedding present. While the message about the importance of supportive teachers to queer students is a good one, it seems somewhat out of alignment with the central theme.
Thankfully, the other stories, which concern the wedding and the happy couple, are far stronger. Of particular note is “Épée is Truth,” in which Emma Frost seemingly offers the gift of couples’ counseling. (Something Mystique and Destiny sorely need, even ignoring their recent arguments in the X-Men comics.) “The Thief’s Surprise” is also amusing, with Rogue and Destiny bonding as they discuss their respective troubled relationships, while Gambit fights his way to the wedding.
The main story, “Something Borrowed, Something Blue,” is the strongest. The art by Rachael Stott is fantastic and the script by Kieron Gillen witty. Fittingly, there is also a quick cameo by Chris Claremont himself. (There is also an interview with Claremont regarding his original plans for Mystique and Destiny.)
X-Men – The Wedding Special #1 seems sure to please die-hard X-Fans. It fizzles somewhat as a Pride Month special, but will surely annoy those triggered by the presence of pronouns on the title page. That, teamed with some truly funny moments and good art, make it well worth reading.
Grade: 3/5.
X-Men – The Wedding Special #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
