X-Men: Age of Revelation Finale #1 Is a Mixed Bag of Highs and Lows

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Since the conclusion of the Krakoa Era in 2024, the X-Men comics have been undergoing significant changes. With a new editor, Tom Brevoort, the series has been moving forward with the “From the Ashes” storyline, which many fans believe is setting the stage for a return to the X-Mansion to align with the team’s upcoming appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past year and a half, there have been several large story arcs, the most recent being “Age of Revelation.” While the three-month event had its moments, X-Men: Age of Revelation Finale #1 unfortunately embodies the issues that have plagued the story from the beginning.

“Age of Revelation” hasn’t resonated with many readers, leading some to stop buying the X-Men comics. Its clear inspiration from the beloved “Age of Apocalypse” storyline hasn’t helped either. While “Age of Apocalypse” was a huge success with many excellent issues, “Age of Revelation” just doesn’t have the same impact after three decades. Technically, this issue isn’t flawed; writer Jed MacKay does a solid job with the pacing and characterizations, and there are some enjoyable scenes. The issue’s problem isn’t the quality of the writing itself.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Pros Cons
The art is gorgeous Revelation is a weak villain and this story tries to play him as an amazing manipulator and it doesn’t fit
Well-paced and pays off what the story has set up The end of the story’s main plot is ridiculous
There’s really no actual memorable moments in the issue; nothing sticks out

Age Of Revelation’s Finale Continues The Arc’s Trends (For Good & Bad)

The core issues with this story come down to choices made in how it’s been told from the beginning. While others might feel differently, I found the reveal of Revelation’s plan in Book of Revelation #3 to be disappointing, and this issue continues that trend. The idea of Revolution transforming Earth into a living planet similar to Ego is interesting, but ultimately doesn’t quite work.

Honestly, I’ve never really seen Revelation as a compelling villain, and this latest scheme doesn’t change that. It’s definitely different, but that’s about it. As a longtime reader, I actually enjoyed this issue – it felt like everything from the past few months was building to this, and the ending sets up something big for the X-Men going forward. But if you’re like me and haven’t been completely hooked by this storyline, I don’t think this conclusion will suddenly win you over. It feels like the whole thing was just designed to create storylines for the main X-Men book, and nothing more.

Ryan Stegman’s Art Is the Unequivocally Good Part of the Issue

Whether you’re enjoying the story in “From the Ashes” or not, the artwork has been consistently excellent, particularly Ryan Stegman’s contributions. While David Marquez might be the top X-Men artist right now, Stegman has done a phenomenal job, and that’s especially clear in X-Men: Age of Revelation Finale #1. His style really captures the feel of X-Men comics from the 1990s – think artists like Joe Madureira and Roger Cruz – making him a perfect fit for the beginning and ending chapters of this story.

While the ‘Age of Revelation’ series hasn’t quite captured the same feeling as ‘Age of Apocalypse,’ the artwork by Stegman is a perfect match for that style. This issue features consistently strong art – the page designs are well-done, the action sequences are smooth and detailed, and the characters’ expressions effectively convey the story’s emotions. Despite issues with the plot, the art is a definite highlight. Even though I’m not usually a big fan of Stegman’s work – I feel it’s heavily influenced by other artists without offering a fresh perspective – I really enjoyed the art in this issue. Overall, the book looks fantastic.

I really wanted to enjoy “Age of Revelation.” While I liked some of the related series – like Unbreakable X-Men, The Last Wolverine, and Book of Revelation – I didn’t actually connect with the overall story. I was hoping the ending would pull everything together, but unfortunately, X-Men: Age of Revelation Finale #1 has too many issues for me to recommend it. If you’re a fan of this storyline, it provides a functional conclusion and will likely have some impact on the future of X-Men (Vol. 7). However, if you were hoping for a truly satisfying ending, like I was, you’ll probably be let down. It’s not a great comic, overall.

X-Men: Age of Revelation Finale #1 is on sale now.

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2025-12-31 18:42