Trials of X, Vol. 6

X-Men: Age of Krakoa (Anthology Trades)

by Tini Howard, Alberto Foche (Illustrator), Marvel Various (Writer)

Dangers multiply in the Trials of X! The bosses of X-Corp know it’s impossible to succeed in business without making a few enemies — but Noblesse Pharmaceuticals has sent their most cutthroat team to complete a very hostile takeover! The Marauders point their bow to the stars — but what awaits Captain Kate Pryde’s crew, and why has it sworn vengeance?! In space, no one can hear you bleed! Beast’s best-laid plans invite an enemy close to the heart as Mikhail Rasputin’s secret works are at last revealed! If X-Force can’t root out this invasion, it will be time for Mikhail’s brother Colossus to step in! And the ten kingdoms of Otherworld must decide: Are Excalibur heroes of the realm, or witchbreed to be put to the stake?

COLLECTING: X-Corp (2021) 5, Marauders (2019) 24-25, X-Force (2019) 23-24, Excalibur (2019) 24

Genres: Comics, Marvel, X Men, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2023

Reviews

[Sarospice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume is mostly a blah. X-Corps doesn't need to be. Kitty Pryde being a boxer/Ninja is a bore and doesn't fit the character. She can grow up, but not into this. Black Tom playing fantastic voyage inside Beast is the best part. Excalibur can stop the King Arthur stuff. It's a snooze.

[Paulo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection:
X-Corp #5
Marauders #24-25
X-Force #23-24
Excalibur #24

X-Corp #5
Dr. Madrox powers and creativity just keep getting more and more interesting with each comic. However, Archangel and Penance's performance was very lacking. The twins grabbed each other's hands like 5 times :| and Archangel missed almost every feather he threw at them lmao. And let's ignore the fact we just witnessed, in a way, a mutant genocide.

Marauders #24-25
Now that's cooperative power play! And that issue 25 cover with Emma (which is also this Trials' issue cover) is just *chef's kiss*.

X-Force #23-24
Watching Colossus kill his wife was heartbreaking, especially when they showed the panel in which he was crying about it. The Alien-based plot with Beast was interesting, but that damn ending??? X-Force is always so weird, especially when it comes to Beast, and I don't know if I like it.

Excalibur #24
Can't Monarch just... delete things from existence? Freeze that whole army in place? It would be an "easy way out" for this confrontation, but I want him to showcase his powers in combat! Also, from where did this army that suddenly rallies behind a missing Arthur come from??

[Adam Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tini Howard's X-Corps #5 continues to be a highlight reel of how to tell an interesting X-story without just retelling something from the Claremont era. There's lots of fun character developments and silly mutant power moments (Mastermind trapping a villain in the moment he was falling to his death, and letting him think he's still falling until he loses interest). This series is a joy.

Four stars.

Marauders #24 and #25 continues to be a fun little adventure book, as the pirates deal with space silliness, including an interstellar villain whose ship Emma Frost stole, and who the X-Men are still using, even on this mission. It's a solid romp.

Four stars.

X-Force #23 and #24 mostly team Beast and Black Tom in an Inner Space homage (not quite good enough to be a Fantastic Voyage montage) that serves more as a way to measure Beast's decline in sanity and morality than anything else.

Three stars.

Excalibur #24 completely lost my interest, as usual. This section of the Krakoan books is so dull. I can't wait for this series to disappear.

Two stars.

[Liv]

raising the white flag of surrender (giving up on being a completist and switching to the essential bits of major arcs from here on out while begging for mystique)

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gonna be honest, I totally skipped the X-Corp and Excalibur issues. I've invested far too much time in Excalibur already without ever getting into it, and I'm not going to repeat the same mistake with X-Corp. Leaving two issues each of Marauders and X-Force, all four good. Marauders is basically a fun side mission. Sure, the climax is maybe scientifically unsound, but no more than I expect from a superhero comic. X-Force focuses on Beast, who has been gradually slumping closer to Dark Beast for ages. It's a direction that I think works for the character, though I want him to remain grey, even dark grey, instead of going either more black or more white.

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong 3 stars.

X-Corp - wraps up the storyline but the art is average. While the story is satisfactory, I'm still not interested enough to keep reading and I'm not sure if this is just a short mini or an ongoing.

Marauders - was good. Shows (again) how cool Kitty is.

X-Force - I ended up really liking, even though I've grown to hate the Beast. That's actually addressed a little bit in story. I also love the nesting dolls and this story brings the idea to the extent you could imagine.

Excalibur - this actually feels like a penultimate issue to a finale. It does a decent job of summarizing or at least clarifying who is fighting whom and why.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

The X Corp comic has really grown on me and the story split between Volume 5 and 6 of Trials of X is pretty compelling.

Then this book as a new Marauders adventure, which is always good since it's more time with Emma and Kitty together.

The X Force comic has actually ended up at an interesting place and I respect the build up of this particular antagonist. This nesting doll whatever is just bonkers.

And then we have Excalibur - still such a mixed bag.

[Charles Korb · Rating 3 out of 5]

X-corp: this was a nice little arc. I'm not sure I totally buy all the politicking, but still fun

Marauders: The x-men going to space with the Shi'ar was always little goofy but it is even stranger that now we just have x-men with their own space port and getting into shenanigans with bargain bin Han Solo

X-force: Beast is very foolish here but it's a fun excuse for an incredible journey

Excalibur: it remains difficult to get me invested in the fate of otherworld

[Afreen Aftab · Rating 4 out of 5]

X-Corp (2021) 5 - 3/5
Marauders (2019) 24-25 - 3/5 ( guess the writers forgot lack of oxygen and heat isn't the only problem of being flung into outer space. You'll explode far sooner)
X-Force (2019) 23-24 - 3.5/5
Excalibur (2019) 24 - 4/5

[Bekka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the parts with Beast, really intrigued by the stuff with Colossus, but the X-Corp stuff is still not my favourite.
TW for blood, visuals for inside body parts, violence, near death experiences, war, guns, death.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the look into Beast and the space adventure.

[Chris Karpyszyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Noto's art. Excalibur is a dreadful series.

[Derrick O'Rourke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok volume

This is only an ok volume. I didn't find myself blown away by the stories. X-force is the most interesting and after that it's a bit boring.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

x-corp was kinda a snoozefest im ngl im glad its done.... also CATGIRL MAID GAMBIT !!!!!!!!!!!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weaker chapter in the house of X, only the Beast storyline felt super strong.