Dark X-Men #5

Dark X-Men#5 is a relatively weak finale to an otherwise brilliant story. With an underlying acceptance on the repeated cycles of human nature, the uneasy and solemn final pages of this series seem out of character for what the book had been ramping up to say, but maybe that's just the nature of things. Regardless, I'm very excited to see where Madelyne Pryor goes next, hopefully with Steve Foxe still at the helm. Read Full Review

The artwork remains as appropriately dark as it has been, setting a grim mood, but much of the action feels uninspired, perhaps because the real conflict is in the staredown between the Goblin Queens while other threats previously built up as formidable fall fairly quickly. Read Full Review

Avanvolk

Oct 28, 2025

Oh man...I really loved this. There was so much potential here it's a crime that Foxe wasn't allowed to carry this story and these characters further, but for what he had to work with, I thought he did a fantastic job. It really did give major Hellions vibes and it could have been an extremely worthy spiritual successor to it if the stars had aligned in its favor. Alas, all we got was what we got, but I'm glad we got at least that.

CrazyforRAMU

Jan 05, 2026

This issue--and the title as a whole--featured characters I don't much care about and a tone that doesn't suit my taste. Yet I commend the creators for breaching my subjective walls and delivering a pretty dang enjoyable story. The final battle draws the depth and tension it needs from the conflict between Maddie and her variant. The art remains heavy but powerful. I think the epilogue does a good job of scattering the team to suitable locations. And as it turns out, the Variant Queen's scheme tickles one of my personal fancies. I love the idea of variants teaming up in large numbers--I'm that rare nerd who stans Kashmir Vennema.

Screaming Enigma

Dec 29, 2023

I looked at the lower scores on this issue and was worried this was gonna be very average, but I ended up liking it. Maybe it's just me, but I thought this was a really solid finale to this miniseries. The focus on Madelyne in this issue only worked to its benefit, as I think Foxe wrote her well. While I do feel as though this was a little rushed, it was entertaining for what it was.

Psycamorean

May 08, 2024

This miniseries was fun but ultimately didn't justify itself. It could've been a Hellions but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Kenjamin

Mar 17, 2024

Art: 4/5 Story: 3/5 Total: 7/10

Jawsh

Dec 28, 2023

wop wop wop

derbycomics

Dec 16, 2023

I had such high hopes for this miniseries but alas, Steve Foxe’s finale extinguishes that flicker, leaving behind a pile of narrative ashes and unfulfilled potential. While the cast, outside of Madelyne, of Dark X-Men themselves boast intriguing backstories and potential, they remained underdeveloped throughout the series and this issue made me wonder why this wasn’t just presented as a Madelyne solo-series. The issue squanders the promising premise of the series, delivering a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion. While individual moments show glimmers of what could have been, the overall experience is one of disappointment, leaving me wondering what might have been if the story had provided more breathing room for character development.