An X-Men team consisting of Wolverine, Deadpool, and Cable is destined to have a healthy Q rating, but does it have a reason to exist? That’s the question posed by Weapon X-Men #1. Marvel’s line of X-Men comics continues to expand with Weapon X-Men, featuring a cast of fan-favorite mutants who have to put their differences aside to work together for mutantkind. The makeup and title of the team mixes the best aspects of Weapon X and X-Force but with a fresher name attached to it. It’s par for the course at Marvel, but it takes more than A-list characters to make a comic that people will want to pick up and read month to month.
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Weapon X-Men #1 is helped by having some clean art from ChrisCross, Mark Morales, Yen Nitro, and VC’s Clayton Cowles. Each page is filled with bright, colorful characters, and the decision to open with Wolverine is a smart one. Logan serves as our entry point into the story, and following his journey allows for each additional cast member to be introduced while also keeping the larger story moving. Not being bogged down in convoluted artwork or hard-to-follow panels across multiple pages is welcomed and appreciated.
Going back to the characters, Deadpool, Wolverine, and Cable are the headliners, but I’m more interested in following Chamber and Thunderbird’s journey in Weapon X-Men. They are two under-utilized characters that have a devoted fanbase, so it’s impressive to see them being used here. The reason why Cable wants Chamber on his team remains a mystery, along with what Thunderbird is doing in Latveria, but those are the types of mysteries one expects from superhero comics. It should be revealed in the not-too-distant future.
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Of course, we can thank the meta-breaking Deadpool for coming up with the Weapon X-Men name. At least an explanation is given for why the comic is named the way it is, even if it comes across a bit cheesy. As with most team books, the dynamic of the cast is one of the more interesting aspects for readers. How they interact with each other, who gets along, and who is already at each other’s throats. Deadpool helps cut through any tension or awkward moments with his signature comedy, and there’s even a moment where he takes us by surprise with what he does to Wolverine.
Weapon X-Men #1 is fine overall, but I’m left wondering what the point of the team is. We already have an X-Force title, and the X-Men line is already filling up with more and more comics. They’re all supposed to whet the appetite of different X-Men fans, so in theory, Weapon X-Men is for diehards who want to see Wolverine, Deadpool, and Cable all together in one series. But they could also get two-thirds of that in the newly launched Deadpool/Wolverine. Hopefully, Weapon X-Men #1 finds a more compelling reason to stick out on comic book stands.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Published by Marvel Comics
On February 19, 2025
Written by Joe Casey
Pencils by ChrissCross
Inks by Mark Morales
Colors by Yen Nitro
Letters by VC’s Clayton Cowles
