Marvel, $3.99
Story: Paul Cornell
Art: Leonard Kirk, Jay Leisten, Brian Leber

Norman Osborn’s own band of merry mutants get yet another miniseries. As with much of Marvels’ Dark Reign related material, it’s decently written, nicely illustrated… but somehow feels completely unnecessary.

Whereas the central plot element of the Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men Utopia crossover was whether Emma Frost would indeed betray Scott Summers and company, Paul Cornell struggles to find any such hook for this book. Not that he can be blamed; the delectably sadistic Dark Beast withstanding, the remaining Dark X-Men team members (Mimic, Omega, Mystique) all feel like leftovers from the Utopia event. Which they essentially are.

That said, the resurgent of a certain X-Man on the final page may just send this series in a far more interesting direction.

6/10