Storm #1 (of 5)

Impulse Gamer

As the story progresses, Storm #1 is likely to give readers more in-depth knowledge about Storm. Seeing her in her own comic book again raises a few questions, but there’s hope that Nocenti will put those questions to rest. Since this is only the first issue of the series, there is no telling how the story will turn out or what new revelations will be revealed in time. If you’d like to follow Storm on her path once again or if this is the first time pick up this issue at your local comic book store. If they don’t have it there, you can find it online or where copies are available.

The Comicbook Dispatch

Storm #1 is cluttered with forced dialogue, 90s character tropes, and surface-level entertainment. The story itself is almost nonexistent while it felt like a summary/ bio-pic of who the character is until the final five pages when a new character was introduced. If you came looking for the current era Storm, you came to the wrong book. If you love the character, I don’t even know if you’d like the issue. The story is flat and the characterizations were so overdone that they almost appeared comical for the time period. There was very little plot to further the story and the art was lacking, to say the least. I’d stay clear of this series unless you’re a diehard Storm fan or collector in love with the mutant weather goddess.

Graphic Policy

Written by Ann Nocenti, the comic takes us through the major change that Storm has recently gone through as she leads the X-Men against Mystique and her Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. While Storm absolutely deserves a series like this, the execution in storytelling and art is rough delivering a reading experience that’ll leave fans wanting. She’s a great character and this period was an interesting one but overall she deserves far better than this. (...) The art by Sid Kotian doesn’t help. It delivers a style that at times warps familiar faces delivering an almost comical art style. It just looks… bad. The comic attempts to go with a retro look in some ways but delivers visuals that range from great to horrible. It’s an inconsistent look that adds to the overall frustration of the comic. There’s a lot underneath the surface of this comic that could make for a very interesting read. The friction between Storm and Kitty over Storm’s recent changes. The recent introduction of Rogue to the team. Storm having to figure out her role and self while having so much thrown at her. It all has so much potential. Instead, we get a comic that squanders its most interesting aspects for a debut for a character that deserves far better.

AIPT

Long before X-Men: Red saw Storm become regent of the Sol system and long after she was a goddess of Kenya, the Windrider was the leader of the X-Men. With skill and the strength of will it took to claim control over the Morlocks, she defeated both Cyclops and Callisto to become the leader she was always meant to be. Ann Nocenti and Sid Kotian return to that era in Storm #1 in the hopes of seeing lightning strike twice. (...) There’s a lot to like about seeing Storm get a book of her own. She’s a great character, and there’s nothing better than getting to see her wrestle with philosophy and the implications of her powers. Still, the story feels somewhat repetitive and the art is likely going to be a controversial element. Storm #1 is definitely worth the read, but it isn’t going to be a world-breaker.

ComicBook.com

Storm #1 is a throwback to the X-Men of the 1980s, and writer Ann Nocenti leans hard into the melodrama that defined the series during that era, with interpersonal conflict around every corner. Rogue is still trying too hard to prove herself a worthy new addition to the X-Men team, and Storm is still finding her footing as their new leader, having lost Kitty's trust entirely by donning leather and getting a mohawk haircut. Though Storm is firmly the lead, the story includes plenty of scenes featuring the other X-Men, giving the issue the feel of a classic X-Men team book more than a solo series. Nocenti does a remarkable job of paring these characters back to who they were during this period in their fictional history. It's a return to these characters' raw, foundational cores upon which much of their present characterizations, with their more modern nuances, were built. Sid Kotian matches his visual depictions of these characters to Nocenti's tone, particularly with Rogue and Kitty in the prime of their rebellious phase. Storm #1 seems likely to primarily satisfy readers with a preexisting affinity for '80s X-Men, as it delivers a kind of X-Men story that Marvel hasn't been focusing on in the Krakoa era and does it well.

Major Spoilers

This is a miss. I love Storm as a character, but I am not the target audience. I think nostalgia is the only reason to pick up this comic. Storm #1 is a 3 out of 5 for me, and I hope for a turnaround next issue now that the exposition section is completed.

Weird Science Marvel Comics

Storm #1 is a stormy issue to get through. Terribly stiff dialog, a script that's almost all setup with very little plot during an established period in X-Men history, and art that's passable in some spots and amateurish in others. If Marvel intended to give Storm a moment to shine in her own series, the forecast calls for gloomy with a good chance of disappointment.