X-Men: the 198

(Marvel, 2006)
™ and © Marvel Characters, Inc.

When the events of Marvel’s House of M mini-series removed the mutant gene from the vast majority of the Earth’s mutants, the effects were dramatic—and in some cases deadly. Even those left physically unchanged faced emotional consequences that could affect them the rest of their lives. This mini-series deals with the stories of the mutants (whose numbers are estimated at approximately 198 worldwide) left behind to pick up the pieces. At the Xavier Mansion, the remaining X-Men welcome all mutants, including former enemies and mysterious individuals like Mr. M. Have mutantkind’s problems only begun?

This grim and tension-filled series is written by David Hine and drawn by Jim Muniz, with spooky covers by Juan Doe.

— Andy Richardson

From the Comic Buyer’s Guide:

Have you heard? Life sucks for mutants after “M-Day,” when Scarlet Witch whispered, “No more mutants,” and the mutant population was, well, decimated. If you didn’t get that from the ongoing X-Men titles tying into “Decimation” telling you that, or the Generation M and Son of M mini-series, here’s another mini-series to reiterate.

The 198, which refers to the number identified as still carrying the “X-Gene,” is in some ways a natural coda to David Hine’s underrated District X series. That focused on the wacky, weird menagerie of mutants found in the area, and this sees some of them struggle with their newfound normality. It’s a worthy topic for exploration but one that is already being covered well in Generation M. Which raises the question: What is The 198 about? The first issue doesn’t make it clear, other than a mysterious, savior-type figure named Mr. M who shows up at the X-Mansion. Surely, more will be revealed in coming months, but there’s not a whole lot here to motivate readers to get to that point.

— Albert Ching

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