Messiah War is the second of three key books in X-Men chronology. The first, Messiah Complex, tells the story of the first mutant birth in years, as the X-Men race to find and protect the child. The third in the series is called Second Coming, but this book bridges the gap between the two and details how Cable seeks to protect the child - named Hope - as they travel through time.

The pair are trying to escape Bishop, the former X-Man who believes Hope will bring doom to the mutant race and seeks to kill her. Along the way they meet up with X-Force, a black-ops team led by Wolverine, and more than one well-known villain from the X-Men universe.

The early chapters, where Cable and Hope struggle to survive in an empty wilderness, are surprisingly entertaining thanks to smart writing and believable characters. Then the action begins, as Bishop, Deadpool, Wolverine and X-Force all show up.

As well as the main storyline, the book contains a second story revealing new details about Bishop's past. Although interesting, it feels like a bit of an anti-climax compared to the main action.