In previous years, the Hellfire Gala comics typically kicked off a big X-Men event. The X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1 special is more laid-back and thoughtful, offering a spirited sampling of Marvel Comics‘ current crop of Mutant-focused comics. Unfortunately, some of the stories contained within this anthology seem disconnected from the larger narrative and it hurts the overall presentation.
The setup for the Hellfire Vigil special is simple enough. It has been one year since the last Hellfire Gala ended in violence. However, the X-Men will not be frightened into hiding and commemorate the event and the fallen with a vigil. The event is closer to a wake than a vigil, however, featuring a benefit concert held by Dazzler.
Unfortunately, the forces of Mutant repression are ready to ruin the party. Thankfully, there are X-Men, like Cyclops, who are ever vigilant and ready for trouble. Unfortunately, even with some heroes standing watch, not everyone may make it out of the Hellfire Gala free and clear.
Hellfire Vigil shows off all the current X-Men comics, for good and ill
The Hellfire Vigil special suffers from the same problem as many comics anthologies. It accomplishes its goals of highlighting the variety of X-Men titles and showcasing the creative teams and characters. Unfortunately, some of these sections suffer for how weakly they are tied to the core concept.
The vignettes based around Phoenix and Storm are the best examples of this. We see Jean Grey trying to return to Earth for the vigil. However, she is distracted by a cosmic mystery. This section is well-written, but is entirely separate from the central storyline.
The section centered around Storm at least shows Ororo Monroe putting in appearance at the vigil. However, most of her story centers around recent events from her solo series that are not well-explained. This is a major problem for a book presumably meant to attract new readers.
Thankfully, most of the issue is devoted to highlighting the newest X-Men and their interactions. Scenes such as Emma Frost‘s students shopping for concert merch are much more representative of what the X-Men franchise has to offer. There are also some fun subplots involving a blooming romance between two Mutant teens, who met on-line and agree to meet at the vigil.
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Your enjoyment of X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1 may come down to how involved you already are in the associated series. As an introduction to the current status quo and sample of the series, it isn’t bad. However, it is disappointing how roughly a third of the book seems like a distraction from the title event.
Grade: 7/10.
X-Men: Hellfire Vigil #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on July 2, 2025.
