X-Men #1
That’s it. The much anticipated adjectiveless X-Men, starring an all female roster, written by Brian Wood and penciled by Olivier Coipel is certainly reading expectations (if not exceeding some). We did it X-Men fans, we’ve reached a high point that promises to go higher and we’re about to embark on a great journey.
Writer: Brian Wood | Artists: Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, & Laura Martin
Cover: Coipel & Martin| Publisher: Marvel
I have nothing to say beyond words of gushing enthusiasm for how X-Men’s debut issue has left me feeling. For a while, I’ve been riding on Wolverine and the X-Men to leave me with that satisfaction that reading an issue of X-Men should. Now, it’s finally going back to its rightful place, a solid X-Men series (they’re not Astonishing, or Uncanny, or All New, but in the basest of senses they’re simply X-Men). The idea of it being an all female team whether intentional or not isn’t a question that comes into play as you read it. The choice of teaming together Rachel Summers, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Storm, Psylocke, and Jubilee, is incredibly natural. It’s basically a team up of everyone’s favourite X-Men (at least one of them is bound to be a favourite). The X-Men beyond its First Class days have always had amazing female characters, and they’re certainly not outnumbered so to have a team up composed of just females, at least in the realm of X-Men, it makes sense. No questions about it.
It’s nice to have Jubilee back in more of the spotlight, and while she’s still a vampire (at least to the extent of my knowledge), it’s not the main topic of conversation surrounding her—in fact, she’s bringing a new topic of interest with her. With her coming home to the Jean Grey School, we’ve gone back to the roots it feels like, of a mutant academy in Westchester, but we can also witness it’s progression as the students become the teachers—but I’m sure they’ll come into some lessons to learn for themselves.
In terms of the creative team, Wood and Coipel hit it out of the park. Coipel’s talents certainly reflect Wood’s storytelling in an extremely complementary way, while also encompassing how I would personally expect an X-Men series to feel. Engaging paneling, expressive characters, bright colours—giving the story a fun, yet action packed tone. Wood has also set up his story, while this was the first of a three part arc to take us into his world of X-Men, there are seeds of ideas that seem to be likely to carry on throughout the series as well. He’s built his story greatly, there are fascinating characters being put into play here which one can only hope means for a great story.
With the Marvel universe being a slight hey-day with certain mutants crying revolution and most living out their own interpretation of Xavier’s dream of peace, there’s a lot of serious drama that seems to be happening, and it’s nice to go to a series that seemingly focuses a little less on being right in the determination of what mutants should and shouldn’t be doing, and simply being X-Men, being there for each other, saving the world, and doing what any good being would do in their circumstance.
X-Men is exactly what being an X-Men is about.
Writer: Brian Wood | Artists: Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, & Laura Martin
Cover: Coipel & Martin| Publisher: Marvel
I have nothing to say beyond words of gushing enthusiasm for how X-Men’s debut issue has left me feeling. For a while, I’ve been riding on Wolverine and the X-Men to leave me with that satisfaction that reading an issue of X-Men should. Now, it’s finally going back to its rightful place, a solid X-Men series (they’re not Astonishing, or Uncanny, or All New, but in the basest of senses they’re simply X-Men). The idea of it being an all female team whether intentional or not isn’t a question that comes into play as you read it. The choice of teaming together Rachel Summers, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Storm, Psylocke, and Jubilee, is incredibly natural. It’s basically a team up of everyone’s favourite X-Men (at least one of them is bound to be a favourite). The X-Men beyond its First Class days have always had amazing female characters, and they’re certainly not outnumbered so to have a team up composed of just females, at least in the realm of X-Men, it makes sense. No questions about it.
It’s nice to have Jubilee back in more of the spotlight, and while she’s still a vampire (at least to the extent of my knowledge), it’s not the main topic of conversation surrounding her—in fact, she’s bringing a new topic of interest with her. With her coming home to the Jean Grey School, we’ve gone back to the roots it feels like, of a mutant academy in Westchester, but we can also witness it’s progression as the students become the teachers—but I’m sure they’ll come into some lessons to learn for themselves.
In terms of the creative team, Wood and Coipel hit it out of the park. Coipel’s talents certainly reflect Wood’s storytelling in an extremely complementary way, while also encompassing how I would personally expect an X-Men series to feel. Engaging paneling, expressive characters, bright colours—giving the story a fun, yet action packed tone. Wood has also set up his story, while this was the first of a three part arc to take us into his world of X-Men, there are seeds of ideas that seem to be likely to carry on throughout the series as well. He’s built his story greatly, there are fascinating characters being put into play here which one can only hope means for a great story.
With the Marvel universe being a slight hey-day with certain mutants crying revolution and most living out their own interpretation of Xavier’s dream of peace, there’s a lot of serious drama that seems to be happening, and it’s nice to go to a series that seemingly focuses a little less on being right in the determination of what mutants should and shouldn’t be doing, and simply being X-Men, being there for each other, saving the world, and doing what any good being would do in their circumstance.
X-Men is exactly what being an X-Men is about.
A Look Inside
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