The X-Men’s oldest rivals are back to take over Mars

The world of the X-Men has been a place of great upheaval in the past years. Marvel’s Merry Mutants have gone from superheroes who teach at a school sometimes to stewards and ambassadors of their own sovereign living nation. At a time when explaining what’s going on with the X-Men right now involves high-concept stuff like the singularity, terraforming, and a woman who gets to reset the timeline and do it all over when she dies, it’s nice to take time to appreciate the simple things.

Like Storm going back to her mohawk look, getting a hot new costume, and reforming the Brotherhood of Mutants to be the X-Men of Mars. That? That rules.

What else is happening in the pages of our favorite comics? We’ll tell you. Welcome to Monday Funnies, Polygon’s weekly list of the books that our comics editor enjoyed this past week. It’s part society pages of superhero lives, part reading recommendations, part “look at this cool art.” There may be some spoilers. There may not be enough context. But there will be great comics. (And if you missed the last edition, read this.)

X-Men Red #1

Image: Al Ewing, Stefano Caselli/Marvel Comics

As regent of all of Mars and high leader of a fractious council of isolationist mutants who’ve been away from earth for several millennia, Storm has been reassessing her personal identity, a very classic mood for the character who’s been a street urchin, a goddess, a teacher, a superhero, and a winner of underground knife fights. Meanwhile, Sunspot and Magneto, founder of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in the first place, are pretty sure they’ve found a traitorous mole on Mars.

Storm’s solution? Mars’ fractured alliances need more than the X-Men. They need a Brotherhood — and thanks to a new Russell Dauterman costume, she’s gonna look rad doing it.

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #2

Image: Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gene Ha/DC Comics

There are about three different discrete oomph moments in Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #2 I could have highlighted today, but I’ve settled on the utter longing writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Gene Ha (not to mention letterer Clayton Cowles, with that slight change in font size) pour into this momentous exchange. An aria in a single panel. So good it makes me angry.

Black Widow #15

Image: Kelly Thompson, Elena Casagrande, Rafael T. Pimentel/Marvel Comics

I really liked the button the folks behind Black Widow put on this solid run of the series for its final issue. After evacuating a fancy rich people gala due to supervillain threat, our heroes realize that the threat is over, the rich people are gone, and nobody’s touched the buffet. A comic that ends with a bunch of superhero friends in a wrecked ballroom noshing on high-end eats and shooting the shit is a comic that ends well.

Devil’s Reign #6

Image: Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto/Marvel Comics

Devil’s Reign, the Daredevil crossover, has come to a conclusion, and I guess some stuff happened with Fisk and Matt Murdock and Matt’s twin brother and Elektra — but I know what everyone’s really here for is Luke Cage becoming mayor of New York City. I can’t wait to hear how he feels about MTA funding, Open Streets, bike safety, restaurant sheds, and congestion pricing.

She-Hulk #3

Image: Rainbow Rowell, Rogê Antônio/Marvel Comics

I’m a simple woman. You put Awesome Andy (formerly the Awesome Android, Frankensteinian creation of Fantastic Four villain the Mad Thinker) in your She-Hulk comic to be her law clerk again, and I will love your She-Hulk comic.