Review: Cyclops (2026) #1-5

By Dustin Cabeal

Growing up as a fan of the character Cyclops I would always get excited when he would have a solo series or something outside of the core X-Men titles. Cyclops outside of an ensemble cast, means more Cyclops right? Rarely does that prove to be true, real ones already know. This newest solo series introduces some interesting back story, some interesting retro lore only to rely on old characters presented with muddled art. At the end of this comic, it’s less a Cyclops story and more of a reinventing of an old villain. 

The story finds Cyclops using an old quinn jet to fly to the orphanage that he grew up in and see it torn down. There’s an interesting presentation here, but I’m going to save that for after the story recap. One his way back to Alaska the new Reavers shoot down his Quinnjet, his visor breaks and he’s pretty beat up. The Reavers are out chasing Mei, a mutant girl who sadly never looks like a child, but instead a character with a bad perspective on the page. I truly believe that drawing children in comics is a skill and it’s not a skill every artist has. 

Enter Donald Pierce, wearing some new generic armor. Earlier he was spouting out some manifesto about Mutants and embracing change. He’s upset by his idiot Reavers and sends them out to kill the Avengers that they shot down because he’s close to his goal and can’t have them interrupting him. Low and behold they find Cyclops and Cyclops finds them with his punch dimension powers that no one talks about. He teams up with Mei for a little bit and she spouts a lot of exposition about the state of the world with mutants and opinions on Cyclops and whether every mutant needs to be an X-Man. Soon Mei is thrown back into the mining pits where Pierce has other mutant children digging for his goal. Cyclops fights through the forest, blind, injured and carrying a beat up Reaver named Tearjerker until all the parties collide. Does Cyclops recruit the next generation of X-Men? Will Donald Pierce become a villain worth a damn in 2026? Will we solve the mystery of Cyclops’ backstory or see if he can control his mother-loving eyes? The comic doesn’t answer any of these questions.

I was really intrigued by the opening. Cyclops goes to the orphanage, the shitty director of the condemned orphanage presenting the idea that it seemed like this place was built in order to break him. It really seemed like that was going to be the underlying focus or development for Cyclops as a character. It was wishful thinking on my part as we only revisit this in a passing conversation with Havok before Cyclops is shot down. The other thing that was interesting and also completely un-explained is Pierce looking for a metal crafted by Dwarves. When you say the magic words it forms armor around your body. That’s what happens. Pierce is quickly defeated with the armor leaving you wondering what was so special about it? Was it teasing something full of lore, something special, a deep cut from the history of Marvel. Who knows for sure. For a story that loves exposition, it really tapers out here leaving you in the dark.

Now I know that I sprinkled in the bad with the good already, but the purely bad is the reintroduction of the Reavers. It’s been a while since they were relevant, dangerous or interesting and this story is a missed opportunity. Tearjerker is focused on the entire story and they are not a fully fleshed out character. Their few defining traits are for Tearjerker outside of treacherous and annoying. The other Reavers are cannon fodder at best. They are not threatening. There are only four or five of them total including Tearjerker and they die quickly. It doesn’t even particularly come across as if this small group of idiots could handle children with powers. The mutant kid’s fears are not believable enough for the reader to buy into it and see the Reavers as a danger. What’s worse is the character’s logic for becoming Reavers. Peirce cuts a promo to make it seem as if they are strong enough to take on the mutant threat and yet they’re all suffering and in pain as he wires toasters and vacuums to them. 

I’ve touched on the art already, but it isn’t a bad style but it was a poor fit for this book. Mei and her friends don’t look like kids and they are in a large portion of the series. The Reavers are so muddled with details that they never look distinguished or memorable. They’re honestly hard to look at without thinking of a car with a head on it. And Cyclops, oh Cyclops, you can tell they are a fan of the character. He looks good throughout the entire series, but to the point that he’s so good it makes the rest of them look bad or under-drawn. 

Cyclops has some cool moments that ultimately feel out of place for him. This seems like an attempt to change the character but we’re cut so short and left with him doing his usual routine that the goal isn’t reachable from this story. That and it came across like a recycled Punisher story that’s been toned down. Add in dated X-Men villains that desperately need a reimagining and storyline with legs to show that they’re a threat, to establish them as creditable villains and you’re left wanting to return to the core X-Men series. Another missed opportunity for Cyclops who is left blind blowing holes in the side of a mountain and the birth of Tearjerker… the new Donald Pierce. 

Score: 4/10

Writer: Alex Paknadel
Penciller: Roge Antonio
Publisher: Marvel Comics