Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #1 Review: X-Men Hero Deserves Better

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There’s an old saying about comics writing often attributed to Stan Lee – “Every comic is someone’s first.” Generally, this is taken to mean that writers should make stories accessible to new readers. Either through the dialogue or a blurb summing up the story so far. This is particularly important in first issues centered around popular characters or long-running franchises like X-Men, which are presumably aimed at new readers. Unfortunately, Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #1 fails this classic standard.

If you only know Storm from the X-Men films, you might be surprised by what she’s been up to lately. Over the past couple of years, she’s moved away from the X-Men, first becoming a solo hero and then joining the Avengers. She’s even ascended to a god-like status, getting Earth ready for a massive battle called the “Thunder War” against other gods who control the weather.

The first issue of Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant attempts to set up the story, but the initial events feel disjointed. The plot itself jumps around quickly, touching on various elements like Storm battling a new global threat, a short alliance with the Avengers, and the sudden death of a character named Death Siren. Unfortunately, Death Siren’s death doesn’t really contribute to the story, and mainly exists to create emotional conflict for Storm.

Meanwhile, a couple in Little Rock, Arkansas, unexpectedly die in a gruesome way – their heads explode. It’s unclear how this connects to Storm, but it leads to a brief appearance by Scarlet Witch. She investigates the scene and, at the end of the story, appears outside Storm’s window, questioning her about the cause of this disaster: “Storm – what have you done to bring this upon us all?”

New Storm title too heavy on exposition

Murewa Ayodele is a talented storyteller, but Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant feels overly complicated. It’s as if she’s trying to juggle multiple storylines at once, which made it confusing even for someone familiar with her previous work. The book’s high ranking seems more about driving sales to collectors than reflecting its quality, and it doesn’t read like a typical first issue.

The art feels inconsistent. Federica Mancin is clearly skilled at detail, but the way the panels are arranged in this issue is strange. Fast-paced action is broken up into many small panels, while quieter moments get full-page spreads. Additionally, some of the characters’ expressions in Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #1 don’t quite match the mood of the scene.

Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #1 unfortunately suffers from many common first-issue problems. The story relies heavily on existing knowledge and feels like you’re jumping into a story already in progress. The artwork is unclear and strangely arranged. While long-time readers of the previous Storm series might appreciate it, new readers will likely find it confusing.

Grade: 5/10

Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #1 is now available in comic shops everywhere.

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2026-02-04 21:38