Legion of X follows Nightcrawler and his Legionnaires — Fabian Cortez, Juggernaut, Pixie, Doctor Nemesis, Legion, Blindfold, ForgetMeNot, and Lost — as they work to maintain a new kind of justice on Krakoa. Setting up their HQ in The Altar, a bubble reality in the psyche of Legion, they prepare to defend Krakoa on both physical and astral planes. Unbeknownst to them, Mother Righteous — a strange new entity in the Astral plane — has her own plans in place. Nightcrawler also now has horns poking out of his forehead, and he’d like to find out why. Written by Si Spurrier with pencils by Netho Diaz, inks by Sean Parsons, colors by Federico Blee, letters by Clayton Cowles, and design by Tom Muller and Jay Bowen, Legion of X #7 is a mind-bending ride.
There are three main plot threads in this issue: Douglas Ramsey, aka Cypher, and Warlock informing Legion of an astral threat, Nightcrawler investigating his new horns, and whatever Mother Righteous is planning. The astral threat expands on the concept of Phalanx and Technarchies, which were introduced in House of X/Powers of X with huge implications. It’s unclear what exactly Mother Righteous is planning and whether she’s good or bad, but she seems to know a lot and has an uneasy edge. Nightcrawler’s investigation into his new look isn’t entirely fruitful, but it does set the stage for some major changes to the world of mutantdom going forward.
Spurrier does extraordinary work in this issue. The high-concept elements introduced and expanded upon here are dense, and Spurrier navigates them with ease. He weaves explanations together with a masterful display of vernacular. While there are super-serious subjects explored, there is also a great amount of levity sprinkled in. The comedy lands well and feels genuine to each character. This back-and-forth helps keep the book from feeling too overwhelming.
The art in this issue is breathtaking. Diaz and Parsons render the astral plane with incredible detail and continuously remind the reader how otherworldly this setting is. The swirls of powers and dripping liquids convey a sense of weight and motion. Panel layouts maintain a brisk pace and pack in a ton of action per page. While there isn’t a lot of action in this issue, it is still visually exciting. Between character expressions and backgrounds, there’s always something for the reader to admire.
Blee’s colors are outstanding. As fantastic as every element of this book is, the coloring is on another level. Blee brings the astral plane to life with jaw-dropping colors. Blue and yellow hues are a particular highlight, and there’s one double-page spread, in particular, that is worth the cover price alone. Cowles’ lettering is as excellent as always. There are a handful of moments in this issue that are exceptionally exposition-heavy, but Cowles keeps any page from feeling like a block of pure text with intelligent bubble placement. Muller and Bowen’s design blend with Cowles’ lettering for a couple of crucial data pages that expand the lore.
This issue can be somewhat divisive for readers. If some concepts explored here aren’t of particular interest, then some fans definitely won’t be engaged, but for those that are invested in them, this book is sure to stand out. There are a lot of moving pieces to this story, and some elements are coming more clearly into focus. With Legion of X #7, Spurrier and the rest of the creative team deliver a spectacularly compelling and visually stunning issue.