This X-Men #39 comic review looks at Marvel’s latest chapter in the ongoing X-Men series from writer Jed MacKay and artist Netho Diaz. Tying directly into the DNX storyline, the issue shifts attention away from the larger battle in Philadelphia and back to the X-Men’s home base in Alaska, where John Greycrow suddenly finds himself responsible for defending the Factory.
This copy features the Cover B Derrick Chew Variant, presenting Greycrow and Psylocke in the dramatic, polished style that has made Chew one of the more recognizable modern variant-cover artists.
Comic Book Details
- Title: X-Men
- Issue: #39
- Volume: 7
- Publisher: Marvel Comics
- Release Date: October 14, 2026
- Cover Date: December 2026
- Written By: Jed MacKay
- Art: Netho Diaz
- Cover Variant: Cover B Derrick Chew Variant
- Cover Artist: Derrick Chew
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Pages: 32
- Rating: T+
- UPC: 75960620920003931
- Storyline: DNX Tie-In
Derrick Chew’s variant puts the characters directly into the action. Psylocke dominates the upper portion of the composition with her katana while John Greycrow brings heavy firepower below, surrounded by energy, debris, and explosive color.
Chew’s detailed rendering and strong contrast between Psylocke’s purple tones and the fiery background make this a particularly eye-catching X-Men cover.
X-Men #39 Comic Review: Story Analysis
X-Men #39 takes a different approach from a massive team battle by focusing much of its attention on what happens when most of the X-Men are somewhere else.
While the team is occupied with the crisis in Philadelphia, enemies target the Factory, the X-Men’s base in Alaska.
That leaves John Greycrow facing a situation where backup is not immediately available.
The idea works because Greycrow is a character whose history makes him particularly well suited to a story built around survival and overwhelming odds. Rather than relying on an entire X-Men roster to defend the base, the story turns the Factory itself into the battlefield and gives Greycrow the opportunity to demonstrate exactly why underestimating him is a serious mistake.
As a DNX tie-in, the issue connects to the larger events occurring elsewhere without simply becoming another chapter dominated by the entire crossover cast. Instead, Jed MacKay uses the larger conflict as the reason to isolate Greycrow and put him at the center of the story.
That gives X-Men #39 its own identity while still advancing the broader storyline.
Art and Visual Design
Netho Diaz handles the interior artwork for X-Men #39.
A story focused on defending a single location requires the artist to make that environment feel important. The Factory is not simply a background location—it is the X-Men’s home, and the attack therefore carries consequences beyond another superhero fight.
The action-oriented premise also gives Diaz plenty of opportunities to emphasize Greycrow’s combat abilities and the escalating danger surrounding the base.
For this edition, however, the immediate visual attraction is Derrick Chew’s variant cover.
Chew is known for highly polished character work, and this cover combines that approach with a much more aggressive action composition. Psylocke’s katana and Greycrow’s weaponry give the image two very different forms of combat while the surrounding explosions and energy tie everything together.
Rather than presenting the characters in a simple portrait, the cover feels like a snapshot taken in the middle of a much larger battle.
Character Development
John Greycrow is the obvious focus of X-Men #39.
Grecyrow has spent much of his history carrying the weight of his past, and modern X-Men stories have increasingly allowed him to exist as something more complicated than the villain he was originally introduced as.
Putting him in charge of defending the Factory gives the character responsibility rather than simply another target.
The situation also tests his relationship with the X-Men. He may not always occupy the most prominent position on the team, but when the people and location associated with the X-Men are threatened, Greycrow does not walk away.
That makes the issue an opportunity to show his value through action rather than simply telling readers that he has changed.
The presence of Psylocke on Derrick Chew’s variant cover also reinforces the connection between characters whose histories have increasingly crossed within Marvel’s mutant books.
Collectibility and Market Significance
X-Men #39 has several qualities that make it interesting to collectors.
It is part of the ongoing DNX storyline, focuses heavily on John Greycrow, and continues Jed MacKay’s X-Men run.
Marvel released the issue with several covers, including the Tony S. Daniel main cover, the Derrick Chew variant, and an ACO incentive variant. Penguin Random House Comics Retail
The Derrick Chew Cover B Variant is an open-order variant rather than a ratio incentive, so it should not be treated as inherently scarce.
Its appeal comes primarily from the artist.
Derrick Chew has developed a large following among modern variant collectors, and his distinctive polished character artwork makes his covers easy to recognize.
The combination of Chew artwork, Psylocke, Greycrow, and the DNX connection gives this issue appeal beyond someone simply collecting every issue of the main X-Men series.
As always with a newly released open-order variant, long-term value will ultimately depend on collector demand rather than the variant label alone.
Final Verdict
X-Men #39 uses the larger DNX conflict to tell a more focused story about what happens when the X-Men’s home becomes vulnerable.
Putting John Greycrow at the center of the defense gives the issue a different perspective from a conventional full-team X-Men battle and gives a supporting character an opportunity to carry the story.
Jed MacKay’s setup provides the stakes while Netho Diaz handles the action inside the Factory.
For collectors, the Derrick Chew Variant is an especially attractive version of the issue. Chew’s Psylocke-and-Greycrow composition provides a strong character-focused alternative to the standard cover without requiring the premium associated with the ACO incentive edition.
Recommended for X-Men readers, John Greycrow fans, Psylocke collectors, Derrick Chew collectors, and readers following Marvel’s DNX storyline.
X-Men #39 Derrick Chew Variant is available from Razmataz Comics & Hobbies at razmatazcomics.com while supplies last.