As Marvel’s Avengers versus X-Men event looms on the horizon and Avengers: The Children’s Crusade wrapped up this week, this edition of Standard Deviations takes a look back at the set of variant cover images from 2005’s House of M. The Scarlet Witch’s “no more mutants” spell has been a defining moment for the Marvel Universe and set both of these recent series in motion. While the significance of House of M‘s story is clear, the series was also one of the first high profile examples of the return of variant coves since their hey day in the 1990s speculator market.

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The end is here. The final issue of X-Men: Second Coming is out now and it makes for a very satisfying conclusion to what has been an epic crossover event. After the climactic battle in Chapter 13, the finale is a much more personal issue that surveys the damages inflicted on the X-Men and looks forward to what’s coming next.

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After the one week hiatus at the start of June, X-Men: Second Coming is back in full swing as it enters the final act. The next four chapters are the final issues of each of the titles crossing over before the finale, and first up is Uncanny X-Men #525. Spoilers to follow.

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I suppose there had to be a let down somewhere along this wild ride and X-Men: Second Coming Chapter ø6, you’re it. Spoilers to follow along with a lot a disappointment.

I looked at a preview for this book last week, so I knew I was going to have some problems with it. The problems come from some art choices that were out of place, and must have resulted from a miscommunication among the writer (Matt Fraction), artists (Terry and Rachel Dodson) and editor (Nick Lowe). It’s got nothing to do with the caliber of the work, in fact the issue looks decent although too cartoonish in places for my tastes, but I’ve come to expect this from the Dodsons’ style.

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