There are a lot of X-Men comics out there, but every once in a while one rises above the rest and cements itself as a Marvel masterpiece. 2018 saw writer Tom Taylor (Injustice, All-New Wolverine) and his artistic collaborators like Mahmud Asrar and Carmen Carnero capture lightning in a bottle with their riveting, witty and emotional series, X-Men Red See it on Amazon ). Now that it's wrapped up, it's clear to see they created an instant classic. Much like the ‘90s Uncanny X-Men and the ‘00s Astonishing X-Men, this comic speaks to the times via the mutant metaphor and cuts to the core of what it means to be an X-Man in stunning fashion.

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You may have heard of the X-Men’s Blue and Gold teams, but this new Red squad is led by Jean Grey, who as you’re probably aware has been dead for years. But now Jean is back among the living and unbound from the Phoenix. Death has given Jean a fresh perspective on life and she returns to see our world in peril, divided by the one thing the X-Men have never been truly able to defeat: hate. And so with her original pink glowy mind powers and a new X-Men team under her command, Jean confronts that seemingly unsolvable problem head-on.It’s been the status quo of the X-Men since the beginning that they fight to protect a world that hates and fears them because they were born different, but the creative team applies that philosophy in a meaningful way that feels ripped from the headlines.An old X-Men villain named Cassandra Nova has come back, and being the evil twin of Professor Xavier she has insane mental powers that make her a threat to even the Omega-level Jean Grey. Nova’s goal is to eradicate all mutants -- which, yes, isn’t an original plan by any measure -- but the way she goes about it strikes an uncomfortably true-to-life chord as she taps into the prejudice humans have against The Other and enacts a deadly plan to fan that flame.Nova is a uniquely fitting nemesis for Jean Grey not only because she’s a fellow psychic but because of what she represents. She’s a twisted version of Professor X, and while Jean is fighting for Xavier’s dream, Nova is working to bring about Xavier’s worst nightmare. For Jean, trying to persuade humanity to embrace their best qualities rather than let Nova exploit their worst is no easy task.But X-Men Red isn’t just a battle for humanity’s figurative soul. For all of its weighty stakes, it proves to be one of Marvel’s funniest comics in recent memory while also delivering rousing action scenes with high emotional stakes. Though it is an X-Men team book that also features the likes of Gambit, Nightcrawler, and the all-new Wolverine with her little clone sister Honey Badger, it truly does test the freshly resurrected Jean Grey in new ways. She’s framed for murder, she has to confront with an anti-mutant rally complete with tiki torches, and, thanks to Nova’s meddling, she’s forced into a one-on-one battle with Storm.The series also introduces a fascinating new mutant named Trinary, who has the power to communicate with machines. Learning about who Trinary is, where she comes from, and her unique point of view in our modern, technology-obsessed age makes for a cutting social commentary, not to mention she’s responsible for one of the best new additions to the X-Men team lineup: a Sentinel reprogrammed to fight for good and protect mutants -- and to make it even better, Honey Badger paints it with rainbows and flowers to make it a truly imposing and fabulous sight to behold.For those adverse to buying a comic for fear of needing to also read a crossover and eleven other comics first, worry not because X-Men Red is just 11 issues that have been combined into two volumes and tells a complete story. It tells you everything you need to know and is an incredible read from start to finish.

Joshua is Senior Editor of IGN Comics. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN