Leah Williams

I haven’t had this much fun reading an X-Men title in a long time. When Dazzler kicks her cheating boyfriend out of her apartment, she calls on Jubilee and Boom Boom to go take her out to help drown her sorrows. That’s when they get kidnapped by vampires, stumble on Wolverine (Laura, not Logan), end up in space, and save some Fae. And kickass and look fantastic while they’re doing it. It’s just as batshit crazy as it sounds, and just as much fun.

Leah Williams’ writing is laugh out show more loud funny, and she captures the personalities of the X-Ladies spot on. Carlos Gomez’s art is slick, stylish, and vibrant; an excellent choice for the story. Bryan Valenza’s eye-searing colors are the perfect compliment to pull everything together. I’m hoping we’ll get some more of this particular combination of talent again with this cast of characters in the future.

Collecting X-Terminators (2022) #1-5

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Leah Williams’ X-Terminators features art by Carlos Gómez, colors by Bryan Valenza, letters by Travis Lanham, and covers by Federico Vicentini & Matt Milla. It collects all five issues of the titular series focusing on a team-up with Dazzler (Alison Blaire), Jubilee, Boom-Boom (Tabitha Smith), and Wolverine (Laura Kinney). The story begins with Dazzler breaking up with her boyfriend and calling Jubilee and Boom-Boom for a girl’s night. As they party, they discover that Dazzler’s ex show more spiked their drinks. When they awaken, the trio find themselves in a fighting arena surrounded by a vampire audience with Wolverine trapped alongside them. Unbeknownst to Dazzler, her ex was Xarus, the son of Dracula. He teamed up with the Collector and plans to add the women to his menagerie.

Leah Williams’ story is absolutely brilliant, full of bombastic action and snappy dialogue. The whole book has the tone of a road trip comedy and she perfectly draws out the essential characteristics of each character. All four – Dazzler, Jubilee, Boom-Boom, and Wolverine – have been through more than their fair share of drama over the many years of X-Men history, which Williams references while showing how they process their trauma through friendship. It’s easy to identify with how they feel like human disasters trying to find joy and companionship in a bleak world. Gómez’s art and Valenza’s colors perfectly capture the tone of Williams’ writing as well as the characters’ identities. Great fun for fans of the characters or of Williams’ writing. show less

I don't know Leah Williams, but I constantly feel incredibly seen by her writing. In a way that feels rude. Like, come on, Williams, get out of my head and my feels!

That out of the way, let's get into reviewing this book. Is it perfect? No. I think editorial did the book and the creative team a massive disservice with the marketing, title and format of this story. It should've been what it is: an incredible X-Factor story arc.

But it's not. Except it is... when you get past the series title show more and the allusions to and baggage from Uncanny X-Men #200 it brings with it.

And it's really really excellent. From the mystery to the resolution(s) to the goals and especially ESPECIALLY the beautiful, heartbreaking, and so beautifully perfect narrations on loss and grieving.

I'm going to keep coming back to the knifing wind of grief from the end of issue 1 forever. It's such a perfect image for how the loss of a loved one affects us and how we learn to live through it.

And that on its own is enough for me to love this volume. But it's not the only wonderful, beautiful or heartbreaking thing about this story. Not by a long shot. show less

Leah Williams continues to be one of my absolute favourite new X-writers. This series is hilarious and fun and so well written and drawn.

It's not often you get called out by a t-shirt in a comic book panel, but when you do, you know the writer is speaking your language. And, well, Leah, you're speaking my language and I'm so mad this book got so few issues. I really hope there's a new Leah Williams penned X-title in my near future, post-X Lives & Deaths of Wolverine, cause I don't know how show more long I can go without her writing for the X-office. show less