Fallen Angels #1 (2019) second print

As someone who hasn’t been as thrilled with the new direction of the X-Men as everyone else, Fallen Angels turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Okay, pleasant might not be the right word as the book gets pretty dark, both figuratively and literally. Whereas the other X-Men books have all been relatively bright and colorful, Szymon Kudranski's art is considerably more moody and intense, reminding me more of the late 2000’s X-Men stuff (Messiah Complex, Second Coming, etc.) than anything recent. It sets the tone nicely for Bryan Edward Hill. Between this book and Batman and the Outsiders, he seems to have carved out a nice little niche for himself, that niche being dysfunctional teams of outcasts, backed by the morally dubious, taking on a shadowy evil force. It’s a familiar but always enjoyable set up for these kinds of things. The character work is strong, giving us a good glimpse into our “new” Psylocke and her dynamic with the other mutants, and the plot the book establishes is both compelling and different enough from the rest of the current slate of X-Men titles to stand out. I would highly recommend giving it a try."