Reception
According to Diamond Comic Distributors U.S. estimates for comic specialty store sales in October 2018, X-Men Black one-shots performed well. X-Men Black: Emma Frost ranked 23rd with estimated sales of 55,731 copies, making it the highest-selling title in the line. [16] It was followed by X-Men Black: Magneto, which placed 31st with 49,660 estimated copies sold. [16] This was followed by X-Men Black: Mystique, which ranked 42nd with estimated sales of 43,039 copies. X-Men Black: Juggernaut came in at 45th with 41,092 copies, while X-Men Black: Mojo ranked 52nd, selling an estimated 37,034 copies. [16] AIPT gave the X-Men Black trade paperback, released in 2019, a rating of 7 out of 10, describing it as a "mostly good collection of villain-centric stories that gives the characters actual arcs and makes them feel three-dimensional". [17]
ComicBook.com 's Jamie Lovett gave the debut issue, X-Men Black: Magneto, a rating of 3 out of 5, criticizing Chris Claremont's characterization of Magneto as a villain, which he said "feels all over the place". [18] Lovett argued that Claremont seems forced to justify "every thought and action Magneto takes, painting a picture of the character that feels both incomplete and contradictory". [18] AIPT's Nathaniel Muir gave it a rating of 7 out of 10, noting that while "no one writes Magneto better than Chris Claremont", the story felt "too short and typical" to fully develop its heavy themes. [2] Muir also criticized Dalibor Talajić's artwork, noting that unlike previous depictions that gave Magneto an "air of royalty and power", Talajić made him look like a "feeble man", which he felt did not fit the character's portrayal as a powerful character. [2] Contrarily, The Beat staff found the issue "very long" and unoriginal, noting that some depictions, like Magneto's mutant supremacist trope, were outdated. Talajić's art was praised as "simplistic and minimalist"; however, they also felt that he is not the best choice to illustrate a Magneto solo story. [19] Comic Book Resources ' Matt Lune found that "Claremont and Talajic provide an interesting character focus that, while not necessarily breaking any new ground, reinforces Magneto's situation and pushes him forward with a new objective and a potential new character or two". [4]
For the second issue, X-Men Black: Mojo, AIPT's Muir gave it a rating of 8.5 out of 10, praising Aukerman's writing of the story's "bad boy trying to find love" narrative, describing it as a "success". [9] He noted that the issue employed familiar tropes, creating a sense of "certain comfort in familiarity". [9] The artwork by Nick Bradshaw and André Lima Araújo was praised as it had a "borderline sinister and cold feel to it. As the issue progresses, it becomes more colorful and more cartoon-like to fit the bubbly tale". [9] ComicBook.com's Lovett gave the issue a rating of 4 out of 5, praising the creative team for turning "the lord of the Mojoverse into an effective cipher for the perpetually disgruntled corners of fandom". [20] The Beat staff found the issue "weird" and juvenile, but enjoyable as it progressed. [21]
For the third issue, X-Men Black: Mystique, AIPT’s Muir gave it a rating of 9 out of 10, found it a "great issue" and described it as straddling "the middle ground between the previous two issues, though it definitely leans toward the more serious side" [11] He also praised Marco Failla's artwork, noting his attention to the smallest details. [11] ComicBook.com's Lovett gave it a rating of 3 out of 5, while he praised Failla’s artwork, he criticized how the story lacks a "real standout moment". [22]
For the fourth issues X-Men Black: Juggernaut, AIPT’s gave it a rating of 8 out of 10, Muir described it as a "mixed bag", much like X-Men Black: Mojo, using a "traditional setup " to tell a "great story". He noted that the art is "hit and miss", with some good scenes balanced by "oddly rendered ones". [13] ComicBook.com's Lovett gave it a rating of 3 out of 5, finding it to be a typical issue that adds nothing new. He noted that Shawn Crystal’s art delivers some "stellar compositions and Rico Renzi’s colors aptly differentiate reality from the mental plane but are a bit garish at times, particularly when used on Crystal’s sparse background". [23]
AIPT's Muir gave the final issue, X-Men Black: Emma Frost an 8.5 out of 10, calling it "a great ending to the series of one-shots.. exciting and filled with dark humor that highlights just how great a character Emma is". [3] ComicBook.com's Lovett gave it a 4 out of 5, noting that it progresses its title character in a "new and interesting direction" and calling the issue "essential" reading for fans of the character and enjoyable for all readers. [15] He also praised Chris Bachalo’s "signature sense of design and unorthodox framing techniques", although Bachalo was assisted by a large team of inkers and colorists. As a result, Lovett found it wasn’t Bachalo’s "sharpest-looking work" and noted some inconsistencies but still sees it as "stellar-looking comics". [15] Both Comic Book Resources' Lune and PopMatters ' Jack Fisher praised Leah Williams's portrayal of Emma, as well as Bachalo's artwork. [24] [25]
