X-Men #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

1991's X-Men #1 by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee holds the Guinness World Record for the best selling single issue of all-time. The total number of copies sold is around the 8 million mark. However, I don't think it's a fair attribute. 8 million people didn't buy this book. There were 4 different variant covers that revealed a massive battle scene between the X-Men and Magneto. Add the fervor of speculators who gobbled up first issues by the long box full, and in reality, X-Men #1 was probably only purchased by 2-3 million individuals. 

The new series was a restructuring of the X-Men franchise. Seeing that there were just too many mutants to keep track of,  first, Marvel killed off a few fan favorite characters with a massacre in Genosha. Then they split the roster in half and blue some of the all-time greats together in a sister series. Then, Magneto, who had become an ally of the Xavier's School for Gifted Children, renounced his membership and fled to the ruins of his asteroid compound to create a refuge for mutants. In return, Charles Xavier returned to lead the X-Men after years away. 

Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Beast, Storm, Gambit, and Rogue. Plus support from the mechanic genius Forge. If this sounds like the lineup for Fox's classic X-Men: The Animated Series, you're almost right. Only Jubilee is missing. But over time, she'll be recruited by Cyclops to join what will soon be dubbed 'the blue team.'

As Claremont was winding down his lengthy run as the X-Men's scribe, co-plotter and artist Jim Lee's star was rising. In just a couple of issues, Lee would also become the new writer of the series. But his tenure would be short. Feeling undervalued by Marvel, Lee and about a half dozen other writers and artists from the bullpen broke free from the publisher and founded Image Comics. 

A rotating lineup of talent would write on the new X-Men title, including Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, and Grant Morrison. After a brief 2-issue fill-in by Art Thibert, before eventually setting on Andy Kubert as the regular penciler from issue #14-59. As for the series itself, beginning with the Morrison run, issue #114, it was retitled New X-Men. Issue #157 lost the 'New' moniker before another change at issue #208. Becoming X-Men: Legacy, the title went back to just X-Men in 2012 for the milestone 300th issue. Never cancelled due to dwindling sales, X-Men #300 concluded many storylines and paved the way to seasonal relaunches in hopes of streamlined numbering of titles.

 However, if you have ever read any of my reviews of the more recent Deadpool series with a nearly annual reset back to issue #1, you'll know that I hate this new way Marvel numbers it's books. It's a leading reason that I have stayed away from most Marvel series of the past decade. But I don't seem to be the only one who hates this new method of doing business. However, despite how much we hate it, it doesn't seem like Marvel will be ceasing this way of conducting business any time soon.

Completing this review completes Task #36 ( Work by Jim Lee, Fiona Staples or Alex Ross) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

And with this review, my 2026 Reading Challenge is COMPLETE!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #12

The second, and so far final, miniseries starring the android Vision and the mutant Scarlet Witch, comes to a close. Wanda finally gives birth to her miracle child. But there's a twist! It's twins!

It's a total family affair in this extra-large finale. Vision's spiritual brother Simon Williams- AKA Wonder Man, is on hand for the joyous occasion. So is recently resurrected from the dead evil brother, the Grim Reaper. Plus, there's the zombified body of the real Simon Williams, who for some reason is decked out like Rambo with the arsenal to boot! Oh, and we can't forget grandpa Magneto, who was recently revealed to be the real father of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. 

There's essentially 2 stories going on here. Vision is with Wanda, whose delivery has taken some tricky turns. Meanwhile, on the streets below, Wonder Man and Magneto have teamed up to stop the Grim Reaper and the Simon Williams zombie, who are trying to enter the hospital to kill the expectant parents. 

This issue has got to be the most underrated or understated appearance of Doctor Strange in a comic book. The Scarlet Witch chose him to be her OB-GYN. There's not a single act of magic conducted by the Sorcerer Supreme. Unless you consider delivering twins to be magical. Otherwise, the presence of Stephen Strange just seems unnecessary here. 

Though this issue doesn't take place on Mother's Day, I feel like the holiday theme was at play here. Wanda does give birth in the month of May. And you can't get much more motherly than giving birth. So I guess this issue counts as a Mother's Day issue. Though probably only by technicality.

This was an enjoyable series. Having the holiday themed issues, which except for the Thanksgiving issue, was unexpected by me, was a delight. Steve Englehart crafted a fun maxi-series and having completed it now makes me want to watch WandaVision. Sadly, I know the truth about Wanda's children and I am more than aware of the tragedies that befall the Marvel Universe as a part of that eventual revelation. Avengers: Disassembled and House of M both have their origins here. Required Marvel reading. I just wish things would have ended positively for the starred married couple.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4

The first miniseries to star Vision and the Scarlet Witch comes to a close on the lunar sanctuary of the Inhumans. Vision's mind has been restored after the events that took place in issue #2, thanks to fellow hero, Wonder Man. Now the former Avenger needs to have his arm replaced and Attilan has the advanced technology to do it.

The biggest impact this issue has to the Marvel universe doesn't even involve Vision. In this issue, Wanda and her brother Pietro learn the identity of their real father. That's right issue #4 is the one that confirms Magneto is the biological father of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch!

A key issue for fans of the Maximoffs or Magneto. Maybe also for fans of the Inhumans as Magneto meets his grandchild, the son of Quicksilver and Crystal. But if you are hoping for a lot of the Vision in this book, he's a secondary player in his own miniseries closure at best.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10. 

Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men, Vol. 1

This volume collects the first 10 issues of Marvel's X-Men ever published. I'm pretty sure that I've read most, if not all of these issues prior. But I have never experienced them in such glorious remastered color!

These issues reflect what I think is some of the very best and very worst of the early days of Marvel Comics. These stories debuted starting in the fall of 1963. That's not quite 2 full years of the Marvel Age of Comics yet. While many of the heavy-hitters including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers have already debuted prior to the creation of these mutants, X-Men is really the first Marvel series aimed directly at primarily a teen audience. 

Stan Lee pens these stories and the first 2 or 3 issues show that Stan the Man had zero idea how early 60s high schoolers talked. Spider-Man was great because the kids in the book talked like normal people. Johnny Storm, the first teen of Marvel Comics, used some slang and was annoying. But at least he was only 1 character. Here you've got 5 high school students who despite their mutant abilities, look like kids who would've gone to a prep school and yet they talk like rejects from Blackboard Jungle. 

Thankfully, by issue #5, the bad attempts at 60s teenage language are aborted. But now it's replaced by really bad romantic pinings internally expounded by Cyclops, Jean Grey and even Professor X! Thankfully, Xavier's unrequited love towards his under-aged student, Marvel Girl, is quickly forgotten about. Yet, lots of people complain about how out of touch DC writers were with the youth counter-culture during the 1960s. Sure, the House That Superman Built never could get the generation gap right in their books. However, these early X-Men comics are proof that Marvel was far from perfect when it came to American's youth.

Jack Kirby was the main artist of these 10 first issues. I love Jack Kirby. However, I could tell that the X-Men was definitely a title that Kirby felt at times was beneath him. Some issues, the artwork looks rushed. Especially issues 1,2 and 6. However, when the King got a chance to be less rigid, like the 10th issue which takes place in the prehistoric Savage Lands, you could tell that Kirby had tons of fun drawing all those different dinosaurs and cavemen. Plus, it was really neat getting to see Ka-Zar's re-entry into the Marvel Universe as a teen warrior out of time after having recently reads some of his original exploits as a Tarzan arch-type in the African jungle.

Compared to how the X-Men universe has unfolded today, 1963-64 mutantdom is rather plan. The Danger Room is rather unimaginative. For one training session, Marvel Girl is tasked with telekinetically sewing laces on a practice board! There's no more than a dozen mutants with Magneto being the big baddie and for a character that will one day become a Jewish symbol of resilience and resistance, the X-Men foe sure does have a lot of fascist ideas in the book.

These 10 issues were enjoyable stories. But they definitely were not the best Marvel had to offer at the time. Oddly enough, though X-Men will go on to become the flagship standard of heroes for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the early 2010s, these guys were in serious danger of becoming swept under the rug for their first dozen years of existence. The X-Men don't really gain a devoted cult status until 1975-76 when Len Wein, Dave Cockrum and a neophyte writer named Chris Claremont retool the entire team to being more of a group of international mutants instead of American misfits. Adding a character by the name of Wolverine to their ranks helped a lot with this newfound popularity. 

If I am at all honest, if I was to pick a group of oddball 1960s superheroes to put all my money on, it would be the Doom Patrol. Many, including series creator Arnold Drake and myself included saw the early X-Men as a poor copy of the DP team. I think it helped that the DC team had better and far more original villains than the students at the Xavier School did at the time. Magneto and the Blob are great foes. The Toad, Mastermind, Unus the Untouchable, and siblings Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver are not. (Can anybody tell me why the Vanisher is dressed like a snake?) But I really think the hearts of both Stan Lee and Jack Kirby just weren't in it 100% with this title and the lack of dedication shows as the consistency of Marvel Age quality just isn't noticeable in about half of these reprinted issues.

Worth Consuming, but just barely.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Fox's run on the X-Men movies comes to a close with Dark Phoenix. With some small adjustments, this movie was one of the more faithful-to-the-comics adaptations. However, this was also one of the most boring films I ever sat through.

If you are familiar with Chris Claremont's 'Dark Phoenix Saga', then you have a pretty good idea about the plot. Always troubled by her immense mutant abilities, Jean Grey (Game of Thrones' Spohie Turner) gets possessed by a cosmic force during a rescue mission in space. The entity causes what little command Jean had on her telekinesis to spiral out of control, resulting in a body count. 

It's revealed that Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) had kept a number of secrets from Jean as to how she became a pupil at his School for Gifted Youngsters, mostly through mental barriers established. When the truth comes out, Jean seeks both revenge and answers. Enter the mysterious Jessica Chastain (The Help) who plays an alien with ties to Jean's 'Phoenix force' powers, along with promises to those questions. Now Jean is stuck between the forces of good and evil with control of her new powers with the fragile truce between humans and mutants forged since the previous film hanging in the balance.

I know that I am going to upset a bunch of X-Men fans by saying this; but I really don't like Jean Grey that much. Yes, the 'Dark Phoenix Saga' is awesome, but it's really all of the other characters who make that story so good. It just seems to me that Jean Grey always loses control, dies and then comes back, spending all of her time trying to make amends before going insane with the Phoenix Force yet again.

Then there's the fact that we already had this storyline in 2006's The Last Stand. I didn't feel like I needed to see this plot again so soon, if at all. But I promised my god son we'd go see it. I wish we went to the new Men In Black movie instead...

I thought that the make-up and special effects were quite good. So were the fight scenes. But Dark Phoenix is a movie that is heavy of melodrama and very light on action. I truly think this is the case why the movie had such a steep drop-off at the box office from the first and second weeks. Very few people clamor to see Schindler's List again after first viewing. But they'll jump right back in line for a movie with amazing action and adventure scenes. 

Let's also face the biggest problem with the entire X-Men franchise: the timeline. Everything is just so mixed up. For one thing, this movie occurs in 1992, meaning that in 8 years, Michael Fassbender, who plays Magento, is supposed to look like Ian McClellan and Xavier will turn into Captain Picard! I still cannot figure out how Wolverine ended up back in the Weapon X project after being rescued by Mystique...

One thing is certain, the X-Men are better as a TV show than a movie. X-Men: The Animated Series proved this. There's so many plot threads, that with progression jumping 3-5 years into the future in each chapter, 2-3 hours is no enough time to catch up on all the missing parts. 

This still isn't the worst Marvel movie I've ever seen in theaters (Thor: Dark World wins that distinction). But this also wasn't a necessary film either. I know Fox wanted to milk that cash cow one more time. But with how money hungry Disney is, I am afraid that all Dark Phoenix did was push back an sort of reconciliation of Marvel's mutants with the rest of he MCU back for years to come!

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Unlimited Access #4

After 3 issues full of members from both the DC and Marvel Universes taking up residence in worlds that were not their own, it finally happened... the Amalgam Universe has returned! Only this is a different mix-up of heroes unlike those unveiled in the previous DC/Marvel cross-overs. 

Since the main baddies of this story are Darkseid and Magneto, the Amalgam characters that are introduced are mostly taken from the X-Men and JLA. I really liked the new Amalgam baddies- the Brotherhood of Evil Gods! 

I'm kinda glad that Karl Kesel decided to come up with his own Amalgam characters and not use the ones created by Ron Marz and Peter David. It helped a story that seemed to be getting a little stale and off the rails somewhat.

This issue marks the general end of the DC and Marvel crossovers. There might have been one or two one-shots still to come after this. But that was pretty much it. Now with Disney in charge of Marvel, it is probably a long shot that any such crossover between these two powerhouses will occur again any time soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

X-Men Apocalypse

In the latest offering from the X-Men film series, an ancient Egyptian mutant is released from his centuries-old slumber. This being, known as En Sabah Nur, is so powerful that along with his four disciples of doom, he can literally change the world. One of Nur's disciples is Magneto, who seeming went straight after the events of Days of Future Past, but is now wishing to unleash his vengeance on the world after the death of his wife and child. 

   Seeking to stop Magneto is his former ally, Mystique. Since she parted ways with Magento at the end of the last film, the shape-shifting mutant has been on a personal mission, secretly savings mutants from humans seeking to exploit them. Mystique's actions in saving Nixon in 1973 has made her a hero in both the human and mutant communities of 1983. So when Nur's Four Horsemen kidnap Professor Xavier, it's up to Mystique to lead a group of untested but equally star-struck mutants to stop En Sabah Nur's plan to unleash the destruction of the apocalypse onto the world.

    X-Men: Apocalypse is my favorite of the new trilogy. It narrowly beats outs First Class and it leaves Days of Future Past lying in its wake. Now whether this film is better than X2: X-Men United is up for debate. 

   Personally, I don't think it outpaces X2, but it's close. To me, the reason why Apocalypse doesn't assume the throne as the greatest X-Men movie ever is because of the character of William Stryker. I thought Stryker died at the end of Days of Future Past what with Mystique impersonating him at the film's end in order to rescue Wolverine from the Potomac. But the evil army officer rears his ugly head once again with no explanation as to his return and possible resurrection. (But if I know director Bryan Singer, this will all be covered in the film's DVD director's cut due out sometime in the next couple of years...)

   Speaking of Bryan Singer, I think he does yet another bang up job at the helm of the X-Men franchise. I heard earlier this week that he's taking a break from directing X-Men movies for a while and some fans cheered. I think they're more upset at the amazing job he has done and how each success keeps Marvel from adding most of the mutant population to its cinematic universe.

     Apocalypse was a fun ride of almost 2 and a half hours of action, adventure, humor, and surprises galore! Seeing the younger versions of Jean Grey, Scott Summers, and Nightcrawler was pretty cool and just wait until you see them in uniform at movie's end. While some feel that the character of Jubilee was underused, I think the real victim was Olivia Munn's Psylocke. She mostly poses for the camera for about 9/10 of her scenes and when she actually does something it's wasn't that impressive.

  With some mild violence, a few swears, with a biggie or two thrown it, it's a good movie for the 12 and up crowd. (My God Son loved it!) And unlike Civil War, I wasn't bored one bit. There I said it, X-Men Apocalypse beats Captain America: Civil War. But it's Deadpool that is still leading as the best Marvel movie of 2016. 
   
  Worth Consuming

     Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Uncanny Origins #2

 

The second entry in this series focuses on the mutant speedster Quicksilver. From the revelations of his true parentage to life with the gypsy family that adopted him and his sister to life on the run with an eventual team up with the evil mutant Magneto, this comic is as much Quicksilver's story as it is his twin sister’s- the Scarlet Witch. Why Marvel didn't make the siblings the costars of this issue is beyond me, unless the powers that be, in 1996, didn't think they could sell an origins story about two people. Or even more, archaic, with a woman costar!

  This issue was very informative. I knew quite a bit about Quicksilver from reading the Marvel Saga and early issues of X-Men. But there were a few nagging mysteries about the mutant that I had wondered about for quite awhile. Some of the eternal questions that were finally answered here were things such as ‘why did the Golden Age hero, the Whizzer think for a while that he was Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch’s father?’ And ‘ what led to Quicksilver first becoming a baddie?’

   While most of the fastest man alive in the Marvel Universe’s early history is explored, his time with the Avengers and later the Inhumans is grossly ignored. Plus, his redemption from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is little more than a blurb at issue's end. I guess they ran out of book…

 A great second act that is at times a little uneven in giving a complete origin story of this issue's subject.

  Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Volume 22: Ultimatum

  

 The original Ultimate Spider-man run comes to a close with some of the most thrilling and deadly adventures ever faced by Peter Parker. At first, everything seems to be going the wallcrawler's way. The police love him, the media isn't opposed to his efforts (for once), and he's finally found love with Mary Jane Watson. But you know that nothing ever stays perfect for Parker. Enter: Magneto's Ultimatum!

   I've not read the Ultimatum miniseries yet. In fact, I don't think I own it. But I know that Magneto's beef with humanity finally reaches it's breaking point when the mutant madman unleashes an epic tsunami upon the Big Apple. Heroes will die, friendships tested, and only Spider-man can save the day!

   It took forever for my local library to pick up this volume. I was so tempted to buy the issues that made up this book but I never could find them for a good price and I never gave up hope that my library would complete this collection. The good thing about having taken so long to read this after the 'War of the Symbiotes' is that basically none of those prior events affect this storyline, so I didn't feel lost or having to catch up on past events. 

   That being said, I think the odds of my library ever carrying Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Volume 1 (2009-2011), the next series to star the Parker Spidey (before Miles Morales assumed the role) is probably slim to none. So, add that to my wish list.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Pulse #10

 

 Welcome to the House of M. In this alternate timeline of the Marvel Universe, mutants are the dominant species over the human race. They are lead by Magneto and his two children, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. The House of M is due to the fractured psyche of the Scarlet Witch, who went insane upon discovering that the children she mourned over so passionately were figments of her imagination. Unable to cope with this revelation, the mutant viciously attacked her closest friends, the Avengers, killing several and subsequently this resulted in the team's ultimate disbandment.

  In this House of M crossover, one of the victim's of the Scarlet Witch's assault has returned from the dead- Hawkeye. Possessing knowledge that he shouldn't be alive, Clint Barton infiltrates the archives of the Daily Bugle is order to learn more about this new version of reality. His break-in attracts the attention of a Bugle reporter who assists him in his quest for knowledge. But with anti-human Sentinels closing in, will the reporter be able to continue with Hawkeye in his quest of returning the universe back to normal by killing the Scarlet Witch?  

    I had read the House of M many years ago and I loved that alternate reality mutant thriller. Like with just about any Marvel crossover event, there are dozens of tie-in issues and storylines contained in the pages of the publisher's monthly titles.        

   Maybe it's because I erroneously thought that Marvel only tied in the X-titles. (Silly Madman...) Since I've been trying to collect and eventually read this entire series, this is my first real glimpse at the House of M from a non-mutant point of view.

   The Pulse #10 was very interesting. By making humans second class citizens, the tables have been reversed with the mutants getting the accolades, positions or power, and chance to rule for once. I had always thought of House of M as a dynamic alternate history story. But at its heart, M is a top notch look at civil rights. The added twist is that the majority (humans) are in fact the minority because they do not have special powers.

    Bendis just keeps writing gems like this. I don't know how he does it and I am a little jealous. This story is self-contained enough that you do not have to read House of M to follow or enjoy this issue- but you really should! Also featured really excellent art by Michael Lark (Daredevil) and yet another wicked cover by series artist Mike Mayhew.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

In the not too distant future, the fate of all sentient life on earth rests in the hands of the X-Men. The sentinels, a group of robotic mutant hunters designed by Bolivar Trask have become the de facto rulers of the planet. Originally design to seek and eradicate all mutant kind, the androids turned on humanity when they finally became sympathetic to the mutant plight.

    Professor X, teamed with former foe Magneto has a plan. He will transfer his consciousness back in time into his younger self in order to prevent Mystique from killing Trask and initiating the Sentinel Program. However, Kitty Pryde has never sent anyone back into time more than a few days and she doesn't believe that Xavier's highly developed brain can stand a 40 year trip through time. Thus, the rapid healing Wolverine is sent back to 1973 in order to reteam Xavier with Magneto in a combined effort to stop the shape-shifting mutant.

 Days of Future Past is based on the 1981 Uncanny X-Men storyline of the same name developed by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Except for possibly the Dark Phoenix Sage, that time traveling adventure is perhaps the most iconic X-Men tale of all time. I know the cover for Uncanny X-Men #141 surely is the most copied and tributed cover to feature Marvel mutants. Quite a bit of that seminal work is used in this film. But since when has Kitty Pryde had the ability to send people back in time? I've never seen this occur in any X-Men title and I've read my fair share!

  The film is heavy on action and adventure. I saw this film on DVD and unlike Amazing Spider-Man 2, I didn't feel like any of the CGI special effects looked fake. Even it's choreography was quite good. Especially, the character Blink and her ability to create portals in order for mutants to evade the sentinels. It was like watching poetry in motion.

   One aspect that this film got a lot of grief was over some of the casting. While we get the best of both X-Men series in this movie, including the younger and older versions of Professor X and Magneto, along with fan-favorite Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus, many hated the character of Quicksilver. The character, played by Evan Peters was criticized for being too young and immature. But, that kinda was the point of the character and his super-speed abilities were really needed to help speed up a very stagnant part of the movie. Plus, I liked that it's alluded to the Magneto might be Quicksilver's dad as in the comics.

   While I overlooked the casting choices, I did have some issues with plotting. The futuristic parts of Days of Future Past are set some time after the events of X-Men 3. We know this because, in one scene, Wolverine has flashbacks to having killed Jean Grey at that movie's end. So, how come Professor X is alive and in his Patrick Stewart body?  Didn't Jean vaporize him into a billion atoms in X3? I know that it's hinted in X3 that the Professor X took over someone else's body during the chaser scene, But wouldn't he then look different? To the film's fault, it's never explained how he got his new body back.


   There is supposed to be a director's cut of this movie, called the ' Rogue Cut' as a good 20 minutes of the character Rogue played by Anna Paquin was cut out due to time constraints. (The film is almost 2 and a half hours long.) So, maybe Xavier's return along with Magneto regaining his magnetic powers are going to be revealed in that edition on the film. I look forward to it when it drops sometime this summer.

    The ending of this film takes the X-Men franchise into two different directions. The New Class cast is due to appear in a third film, rounding out that trilogy. But I feel that the story of the original X-Men film trilogy's cast isn't over. Since Wolverine was essentially the main character link between both film franchises, hopefully, Hugh Jackman's swan song as Logan will explore just how the timeline has changed. (I hope not to spoil too much but I will say that if like me, you were angered by a certain character's death in X3, then you're going to love the end to this film.)

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Uncanny X-Men, Volume 3: The Good, the Bad, the Inhuman (Marvel NOW!)

A few days ago, I had reviewed the original graphic novel X-Men: No More humans. In that review, I wondered when and in what book do the Original X-Men leave the Jean Grey School and join with Cyclops’ New Xavier School. Well, I got my answer, kinda.

While the team do start up with Cyclops and his band of mutant ‘outlaws’ the reason for why Kitty Pryde and the original, time stranded X-Men isn’t revealed here. However, I now know that for whatever reasons, the events that lead to the split occur in the cross-over event: the War of the Atom. While some of that series occurred in the pages of All-New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and others, the 10-part story was collected in a book entitled X-Men: Battle of The Atom. So, it’s good to know that I haven’t skipped a volume or something. I just have yet to come across this one.

Once again my library hooked me up with these continuing adventures of the Uncanny X-Men. In this volume, the students have butterflies waiting for the original X-Men to show. Then the girls of the New Xavier School have a night out of the town and discover that a series of Terrigen mist bombs have been detonated and are turning people with latent Inhuman DNA into bizarre creatures. (I’m sorry, but that storyline has been done already during the DC Comics Bloodlines storyline of the 1990s. I’m glad that only one issue was devoted to that ‘original’ idea despite this volumes cover having the word ‘Inhumans’ in the title.)

After the girl’s had their fun, we see where Magneto went and he’s not happy with what’s been going on in Madripoor. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the anti-hero so vicious. But it’s a great story. But it’s not as good as the issue in which various members of the All-New X-Men get a chance to air some grievances with the adult Cyclops. It’s perhaps the best issue in the entire run of both series thus far!

Lastly, a student is kicked off the team but the Uncanny X-Men lose much more than that when the events that kicks off the All-New X-Men/ Guardians of the Galaxy crossover! I’m syked. I was looking forward to the tale at the end of No More Humans and here, I got a little taste of it.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Fantastic Four: Big Town #3 (of 4)

‘Big Town’ comes to a dramatic close. The city is supposed to be celebrating the upcoming nuptials of Johnny Storm and a young girl whose also the head of the FFs public relations department. But a hack job into the Manhattan main frame by Ultron has put a timer on the life of the city and ultimately the world. The Red Skull, Magneto, Sub-Mariner, and even the Hulk have declared that unless all super heroes stand down, the mainframe creation of Reed Richards and Tony Stark will go critical and destroy the Big Apple. (Also, this will set off a chain reaction in which the power grids of the world will also power down, thus placing the planet back into the middle ages.)

  The ending was both shocking but predictable with one exception. I’m actually not 100% sure if the Big Town survived or went critical. I don’t want to give away too much, because I feel like this is a hidden dollar box gem that people really should take notice of because of how similar situations in the Marvel NOW! books are to ‘Big Town.’ But I really am not sure if everybody died and the city’s squad of robot maintenance workers started to clean up automatically or if the final page takes place centuries in the future in which humanity no longer exists only the automation of Mr. Fantastic and Iron Man’s utopia still function without masters. Either way, the book ending on a note similar to Wall-E or some Twilight Zone episode about the potential dangers of technology.

I hate it when books end ambiguously and that’s the main reason I give this final chapter such a low mark. But the series itself is good and some readers love endings in which you get to come up with your own ending. I just happen to not favor those type of stories.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Overall series rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Fantastic Four: Big Town #2 (of 4)

In the distant future, Manhattan has virtually eliminated crime and poverty thanks to Reed Richards and Tony Stark. While the rest of the world has benefitted from their achievements, the Big Apple has reaped the most rewards thanks to the oversaturation of superheroes living in the city. A cabal of some of the Marvel Universe’s biggest and baddest enemies have struck an uneasy truce in hopes of destroying their adversaries under the banner of equal access to technology for all of earth’s peoples.

   The concept behind Big Town is starting to round out. It’s basically an allegory to how technology, often seen as societies’ savior can become humanities worst warden. I also think there is a little bit of commentary on the gap between the lower and middle class versus the upper class. Think about it, Stark and Richards are billionaires, who live in penthouse apartments looking down on the peon citizens that they’ve taken upon themselves to ‘benefit’ through their technological advances. The heroes seem charitable but at what expense to the evolutionary process of humanity. Plus the people living in Queens live like paupers compared to the super heroes in Manhattan.

Thus it’s easy to see why people are standing up behind the likes of Doctor Doom, Magneto, and the Red Skull. It’s like in the film “The American President” if people are thirsty enough and nobody will lead them to water, then they’ll listen to the person shouting loud enough “Drink the Sand” and the masses will!

Big Town was published in 1999-2000 and was meant to take place in the not too distant future. With Occupy, Obamacare, and the constant struggle to make ends meet with food prices getting higher and higher while the amount of our annual raises get smaller and smaller, it’s a little eerie how familiar this comic is. Did somebody have a crystal ball or has it finally reached the boiling point?

I’m still not sure if this book is meant to be future Marvel universe canon or an imaginary story, but I like it. Big Town is full of action, excitement, and at the bottom line- it makes you think. Stan Lee must’ve been proud with this one.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Uncanny X-Men, Volume 2: Broken (Marvel NOW!)

As the Uncanny X-Men save more new mutants popping up after the AVX event, public opinion is beginning to shift in their favor. The media and government still want their heads, but the masses see them as purveyors of peace and equality. So what if they killed Charles Xavier and almost destroyed the world with the Phoenix force?

In a great twist, the Uncanny X-Men take a visit to upstate New York, offering to train some of students at the Jean Grey School. Shockingly, one of the time-displaced original X-Men will accept the offering. But what’s there angle? I’m eager to find out more and I suspect the answer is found in the pages of All-New X-Men volume 2 (which I’ve yet to find or read.)

There’s lots of great action, adventure, and story in this book; although the battle between Cyclops and Magneto is surprisingly tame compared to the cover of this book. It’s a bit of a downer. Also, for those who enjoy supernatural elements to their comics, Magik must take back her dominion in limbo from a famous foe of Doctor Strange and the new ‘rogue’ Sentinels return for more carnage.

Much of the art in this book is gritty and unique. It’s like a darker version of Mike Allreds’ stuff. I liked it very much and I hope to get to come across more of it in future Marvel NOW! reading.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

 

 

 

 

X-Men: First Class: Class Portraits

This edition contains a series of one-shots that take inspiration from the X-Men: First Class series. Some stories are prequel tales like Magneto’s first visit to the Big Apple and a glimpse into the trauma that haunts Jean Grey. A couple of tales are ‘untold’ tales of the original X-Men, including Iceman and Angel’s spring break adventure and Cyclops learning how to have fun by trailing Batroc The Leper and his merry band of misfits throughout Manhattan who are on a sort of working vacation. The last couple of tales aren’t even under the ‘First Class’ imprint but taken from Marvel Adventures publications.

   Both of those stories guest star Spider-man. In the first story, Peter Parker and Bobby Drake race through Queens in hopes of snagging the last open table at a chic sushi restaurant for their valentine’s dates. In the second story, SHIELD has recruited Spider-man and Marvel Girl into babysitting Bruce Banner during a day out in the big city. But with a host of calamities getting in the way will Banner be able to stay calm or will he unleash the beast within?

Speaking of Beast- other than a couple of panels in the Cyclops story, he is noticeably absent from this book. Why? He’s such a great character and I think it’s a crime against mutant-kind that Marvel didn’t do a one-shot starring him! I even think Professor X should’ve gotten a one-shot other than Magento but I can understand that so much has been revealed about his origin that maybe Marvel decided to focus on a villain instead. But to slight Hank McCoy- I cry foul!

Worth Consuming, but I want a Beast one-shot!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Fanfare #33

This issue is devoted to an unused chapter of a little known Marvel miniseries called Questprobe. In this never before published tale, the X-Men have become allies with Magneto and are enjoying themselves while Magento moves his stuff from a raised Atlantis to become the headmaster of Xavier’s School for Gifted Mutants.

Did I miss something? I’m not used to Magento being a good guy and clearly this takes place during a period of X-Men history in which I’ve not read- YET!

But, the story is classic Chris Claremont. The art is pretty good for late 80s Marvel, too. But, because of certain plot points to which I am not familiar with, like the good Magneto, it wasn’t my favorite X-Men story.

However, it was good enough to add all three issues of Questprobe to my wish list. I really do want to know how that story line ends.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

What if... (Volume 3) Magneto and Professor X had Formed the X-Men?

NOT WORTH CONSUMING

This book is proof that the work Chris Claremont did for almost 20 years on the X-Men is perfect and should never be tampered with. Written by Claremont, What if… proves he (and Stan Lee and Roy Thomas before) did just fine making Magneto a bad guy and not trying the whole mutants getting along idea. Not worth reading, the possibilities, while endless, are not worth consuming!