Marvel’s ambitious DNX crossover event, pitting the X-Men against the Fantastic Four, has opened with a debut issue that critics are calling uninspired and exposition-heavy. Released as part of the publisher’s already crowded slate of simultaneous crossovers—including Avengers: Armageddon and Queen in Black—DNX #1 has drawn mixed reactions from readers who expected a high-stakes clash between mutant heroes and the supervillain cabal known as 3K. The event, rooted in writer Jed MacKay’s ongoing X-Men series and last year’s Age of Revelation crossover, aims to bring the simmering conflict between Cyclops and the corrupted Beast to a head, but the first issue has left many feeling the story barely got started.
A Premise Built on a Shared Vision
The conceptual foundation of DNX traces back to MacKay’s X-Men run, where both Cyclops and White Beast—the original, corrupted version of Hank McCoy who now commands the villainous 3K organization—have glimpsed a future in which a devastating virus transforms humanity into mutants. In that vision, Cyclops seeks to prevent the catastrophe from ever coming to pass, while White Beast aspires to seize and own that future for himself. Now the long-simmering war between the X-Men and 3K is set to reach its boiling point, with the Fantastic Four woven into the larger conflict. The premise offers a natural bridge between Marvel’s two most storied mutant and superhero franchises, though the execution of that bridge is where the first issue struggles.
Frankly, I wish this issue were as efficient in laying out the scope of the conflict. But instead, the script gets very bogged down by exposition right from the get-go.
Reader review of DNX #1
The result, according to early reactions, is a story that spends its opening pages summarizing recent X-Men events and explaining the stakes rather than diving into the actual confrontation. With Marvel already juggling multiple major crossover events at once, DNX was expected to make a stronger case for itself from the outset. Instead, the Fantastic Four themselves feel somewhat superfluous to the proceedings. The Richards family enters the narrative through a subplot involving regular Beast turning to Mister Fantastic to cure Magneto of his ongoing genetic malady, but the integration never quite feels organic.
When the Focus Shifts, the Book Comes Alive
Despite the uneven setup, the issue finds its footing when it turns its attention to the 3K roster. Any team forced to work together—including heavyweights like Cassandra Nova and Magneto’s clone, Joseph—is bound to be a flimsy arrangement at best, and MacKay reportedly makes the most of that dynamic. Readers who connect with the X-Men line have noted that the book works best when it centers on these villainous figures, with White Beast left to hold the enterprise together through sheer force of will as his deceitful allies snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The visual presentation also receives praise, with artist Federico Vicentini and colorist David Curiel doing their best to spice up what is otherwise a dialogue-heavy first issue. Vicentini’s figure work is described as inconsistent at best—particularly when rendering character faces—but he brings a palpable energy to the page that helps offset the plodding script. His work includes a standout visual flashback to the Fatal Attractions crossover and a psychic battle between Quentin Quire and Cassandra Nova. Colorist David Curiel gives everything a vivid look, though some critics note the panels lean too heavily on Dutch angles.
Looking Ahead
As the DNX event moves forward, the question is whether the series can overcome its sluggish start and realize the potential of the X-Men/Fantastic Four pairing. The creative team has clearly identified promising veins to mine—2012’s Age of Ultron demonstrated the viability of exploring an unlikely partnership between mutants and the Richards family, with the Wolverine and Invisible Woman alliance serving as a precedent. If DNX can build on that foundation and lean into the 3K characters that resonate most with readers, the crossover may find its footing in the issues ahead.
For now, though, the debut issue leaves the event’s promise unfulfilled. With Marvel’s slate already packed, DNX #1 has little to suggest the publisher really needed a third major crossover at this moment, and the series faces the task of earning its place in the lineup.
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