Customer Reviews

New X-Men Omnibus

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A problem that has always plagued superhero comics is that of stasis. Marvel's core business is not comics; it's maintaining a stable of properties that can be turned into movies and toys. These properties have to stay recognizable. So if a writer dares to allow characters to grow, to overcome their problems -- the hard-luck college guy ends a string of bad relationships and is happily married, the android develops human emotion, the villain goes straight, a character dies a noble death -- someone else gets brought in and it's "back to basics!" Divorce the wife! Wipe the robot's memory! Make the reformed guy go bad again! Resurrect the dead girl!

Morrison knew this, but didn't care: "Whatever happened before, whatever happens after, I'm writing a BOOK." His entire run, though divided into arcs, is one long story, with a beginning, a middle, and a beautiful Joycean ending. Bits foreshadowing the twists of his thirty-second issue are sprinkled into his fourth... many comics writers slip portentious pages of shadowy figures up to mysterious doings into their stories, but New X-Men offered the delicious pleasure of discovering clues that in retrospect could not be more obvious but at the time didn't even look like clues.

And this isn't form without content. Morrison approached the X-Men from the following angle: "Hey, for the first time in forty years, let's actually use the premise!" No longer is the mutant idea just there as a hook for children's adventure stories (Stan Lee) or teenage melodrama (Chris Claremont); Morrison, arguing that there's no need for the mutant idea to be allegorical to be interesting or relevant, took the idea of a new species beginning to supplant humankind and wrote a science fiction epic around it. And for the first time, Xavier's becomes an actual school, with a faculty made up of several of the 20th-century X-Men and 152 teenage students who take academic classes along with those on mastering one's powers. They're not future superheroes. They're just trying to prevent more genocide in a world that is freaking out about the end of the human race.

Naturally, everything Morrison did was quickly undone. That's the nature of the business. But who cares? Just read this book. It stands alone.

It was the dawn of the 21st Century. The X-Men finally made a successful trip to the big screen, and in the comic world there were to be some shake ups. Grant Morrison, known for his influential and groundbreaking work on JLA, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, and the Invisibles to name a few, was given the task to breathe new life into the stagnant X-Men series, which had become a series of predictable, overblown, mellowdramatic, military-esque stories that were just plain boring. Re-titling the book New X-Men, Morrison re-shuffles the once too big team into the core of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Beast, and Emma Frost; all of whom have their work cut out for them in the first storyarc collected in this massive volume, which finds the mutant island of Genosha and all it's inhabitants exterminated by a giant Sentinel, and the X-Men come face to face with Professor Xavier's evil twin sister Cassandra Nova. As the volume continues, they meet the mysterious mutant healer Xorn, who joins them and has an impact unlike you can imagine. Soon enough, the Shi'ar make their presence felt, there's a riot at the school, Wolverine makes some shocking discoveries about his past, Cyclops embarks on a psychic affair with Emma Frost, and the Phoenix force inside Jean Grey soon rears it's head. All this sets the stage for Morrison's stunning conclusion, beginning with an old enemy back from the dead (sort of) and then hundreds of years in the future as Wolverine leads a new group of fighters against the evil Beast in pursuit of the Phoenix egg. The first thing you'll notice about Morrison's story is how it branches out in so many directions, yet it all comes together as the volume comes to an end. There are new characters introduced all the time, and they all have their own unique impact, while Morrison weaves a strikingly mature tale not seen before in an X-Men book. The spandex costumes are long gone, Cyclops isn't a total boy scout, and Wolverine is the baddest he's been in a long time. If there's any negative thing to say about this incredibly huge book, it's that because of all the different artists, there is a bit of an uneven feel. However, this is only a minor gripe. Because he couldn't keep up with a monthly title, frequent Morrison collaborator Frank Quitely is supplemented by excellent work by Ethan Van Sciver, John Paul Leon, Keron Grant, Tom Derenick, Phil Jimenez, and even Marc Silvestri. Igor Kordey's art however is a major step down from the aforementioned names, and next to Quitely, his work is here more than anyone elses. That aside, this New X-Men Omnibus features the absolute best X-Men stories ever told since the golden age of Chris Claremont and John Byrne, and if you missed out on Morrison's run or any of the previous TPB's, believe me, this is worth every single penny of the list price.

Remember when Uncanny X-Men was a cutting edge comic? When I started reading the X-Men titles in 1990, they had this mystique surrounding them. X-Men was the dangerous superhero team that the "cool" comic geeks followed. Looking back it seems a bit ridiculous. A lot of that mystique came from a single character (Wolverine), dynamic artwork by Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, etc. and continuity so baffling that only the truly obsessive could keep track. Unfortunately the X-Men titles began to slide into mediocrity shortly after I started reading them. Just when I was ready to stop reading them altogether, Marvel decided to really shake things up.

They brought in Grant Morrison. By placing more emphasis on character development and sharper dialogue than on spandex slug-fests, Morrison, along with writers like Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, Warren Ellis, and Garth Ennis, are responsible for what has to be the best wave of comics since Frank Miller and Alan Moore started deconstructing the genre back in the mid 80's.

It says a lot that of the two X-Men Omnibus volumes released so far, one contains Chris Claremont's initial run on Uncanny X-Men and the other is Grant Morrison's entire New X-Men run. Both runs revolutionized their respective titles, smashing the status quo and challenging traditions. Morrison's run introduced a major new villain, unleashed a new wave of Sentinels, destroyed Genosha, killing 16 million mutants, and made Emma Frost an A-list character...and that's just the first four issues! Throughout the run we're treated to a Scott/Jean/Emma love triangle, revelations about the Weapon Plus program that created Wolverine, Xorn, the U-Men, the destruction of the Shi'ar Empire, a riot at Xavier's School, a completely unhinged Magneto, a disturbing vision of the future, and an unforgettable night on the town with Wolverine and Cyclops. Morrison smashes through the X-Men Universe with punk rock-like abandon and uses the shards to put together something new and exciting that would, for a while, make the X-Men an edgy, must-read comic once again. And his movie-inspired uniforms were a huge improvement over the old costumes.

The artwork sadly, is not as consistent as the writing. Nobody managed to stay on the book for more than four consecutive issues, but at least the artwork was (mostly) high quality. I've come to absolutely love Frank Quitely's quirky style, so his issues are my favorites. Ethan Van Sciver (Green Lantern) also shines here, as does Chris Bachalo, who's drawn pretty much every X-book by now. The occasional issue by Leniel Yu, Phil Jiminez, and John Paul Leon are well done, but Igor Kordey's artwork is the low point of the book. His style is just not suited to this kind of title. The final issues were drawn by former X-Men artist (and current Witchblade/Darkness hotshot) Marc Silvestri, who definitely helps end things with a bang.

This is a shining example of what comics in the 21st century can be, and will go down in history as one of the three most important X-Men runs ever. The fact that you can get all of the issues in one mammoth hardcover volume is just the icing on the cake.

I first read some of Grant Morrison's "New X-Men" as he neared the end of his run. I was both intrigued and a bit lost. Characters had changed quite radically (White Queen and the Beast), new characters were ubiquitous (Xorn, Beak, Basilisk), and flashy spandex costumes were gone. I was left wondering what had happened to the X-Men.

That said, I gave this hardcover edition magnum opus of Morrison's work a chance and have been handsomely rewarded. Reading Morrison's genuine development of the mutant story in the Marvel universe was a joy. Morrison knows the characters well and takes their relationships in surprising directions. The book is well worth the Amazon price.

The only drawback to Morrison's run (and thus to this hardcover) is the illustration. I can't give this 5 stars because the illustrators just suck sometimes. Frank Quitely's work is the highlight to the book. His pencil work is the perfect compliment to Morrison's storytelling (check out JLA: Earth 2 and We3 by the same team). Ethan Van Sciver (who did stellar work on Green Lantern: Rebirth) makes a good contribution. Phil Jiminez falls in place right behind Quitely.

The other artists should never have picked up a pencil for this storyline. Croatian artist Igor Kordey is some of the worst pencil work I've ever seen. Chris Bachalo used to be good when he first broke into the business but his work is a caricature of itself. People look silly and cartoony. Finally, Marc Silvestri should have stayed at Image. His early X-Men work was truly uncanny. But he's too obsessed with being a caricature of himself, too.

But go ahead and buy this book. Morrison's fantastic story carries the weight even through the issues of crappy drawing. You CANNOT understand the present Marvel universe or X-Men story without this storyline.

Follow this up with the hardcover collections of "Astonishing X-Men" by Joss Whedon and John Cassidy. You'll be glad you did!

In the world of the New X-Men, the oppressed are not ennobled, but embittered. A sainted martyr is nothing more than a failed tyrant. The heroes are simultaneously corroded from within by their own human failings and assailed from without by the forces of evil.

The Nihilistic setting and gruesome plot are not laced with comic relief, but instead barbed with sardonic humor. Nothing is sacred. Morrison goes so far as to viciously satirize comic book fans in the context of a school shooting. Those of us who have cheered Magneto while dreaming of mutant powers will grimace and chuckle in uneasy self-deprecation. Far from the lighthearted banter seen in other X-Men works, the humor is as twisted as a supervillian's soul.

The stories have the feel of thrillers rather than action movies. The villians are as original as they are disturbing. The empathetic reader is more likely to shudder in revulsion than bristle in righteous outrage. The result is much more emotionally engaging than the usual over-dramatic rush by the "good guys" to defeat the "bad guys" in a flurry of oversized onomatopoeia and droll one-liners.

The characterization is stark and unforgiving. Along with the usual great, tragic flaws, the characters are presented with all cutting edges exposed. Emma Frost particularly shines as a jumble of weakness and strength, selfishness and altruism. With Logan's utilitarian ethics, Jean Grey's telepathy, and Henry McCoy's dry wit, she adds a much-needed "edge" to the X-Men team.

The most brilliant aspect of the New X-Men is also the most subtle. Forgoing the trite and pompous narration employed by most comic authors, Morrison lets the characters' dialogue and actions speak for themselves. With the vividly realistic artwork and seamless, linear layout narration would be an irritating redundancy.

After finishing the New X-Men Omnibus, I had the feeling of waking from a dream, suddenly aware of my physical surrounding for the first time in hours. Only when I emerged from Morrison's world did I realize how thoroughly it had absorbed me.

I remember when I first read this Grant Morrison's New X-men.. I was about to give up X-men cos I was really bored with the whole minority issue and prejudice issues.. as well as long standing plots that never got resolved.. but when I heard that Morrison is coming on board with Frank Quitely.. I couldn't resist.. New X-men simply blew me away.. Morrison really shakes up the status quo.. suddenly there were millions of mutants, genosha destroyed along with magneto(who's death was only a footnote: how cool is that!) You father's X-men never read like this! Morrison portrayal of the team was very fresh with a no holds barred attitude and climatic scenes that sets your pulse racing..furthermore there were controversal issues you never think marvel will allow to be published (like telepathic love making!).. It could have been really the best run ever on X-men but sadly Frank Quitely couldn't handle the pressure and the mood of the story suffers with changing artists.. Also I wasn't really thrilled with the final arc Here Comes Tomorrow set in the future..It felt slightly disjointed but the art by Marc Silvestri more than made up for it.. Although there are rave review on Josh Whedon's run on Astonshing X-men with John Cassady mainly because many people felt that their run is exciting and encompasses the essentials of the X-men Mythos.. I really don't understand the hype cos Morrison's run was much more thrilling and daring.. so daring that no other writer dared to do this kind of stuff when this was originally published.. trust me.. try this book.. it won't dissapoint!

What a way to get back to the X Universe!
After being a serious Comic book collector (well over 15 years) I took a break from the medium, since real life i.e.: after college, had put a serious dent both in my time, as well as finances. I left my beloved x men shortly after the Alan Davis run, and never actually red any of the Grant Morrison issues contained in this volume (despite being a big fan of his from his JLA run) I still kept hearing and reading rave reviews on his work, but felt it was too late (year two of his run) to get into it, so I never did. I eventually got back to comics, and to the xmen, with the release of Astonishing XMen, but these were not the characters I remembered; Jean was dead (again) Scott was getting it on with Emma Frost (!) and the beast looked like a Disney character on steroids. I knew that the back-story to this timeline was to be found in the Grant Morrison run, and all I had to do was to start buying the trades...but just last week I found this Omnibus edition. I'm not proud to say that it cost me close to $110 from a local comic book shop, and I guess I deserve that for not checking it here in Amazon, but I can honestly say, from what I've read so far, that it's worth every penny. An absolute marvel in storytelling, both by Morrison & Quietly (and later by Phil Jimenez & other great artists) although the Igor Koroley issues are easily the worst drawn issues I have ever seen, the only thing that saves those issues he does is Morrison's magnificent storyline. Since I never learned much about what was going on in the Morrison run, most of it was new to me, and I can honestly say that the title of this review is true; this is the best the xmen have been since the Byrne/Claremont glory days, and you owe it to yourself if you are the least interested in the xmen to check out this book.

I've been reading comics books since I was 10 but have never really gotten in to X-Men. I've never been a fan of "team" books and tend to read solo titles. But, having heard all the hype about Grant Morrison's revamping of the X-Men and looking to try something new, I decided to pick up the New X-Men Omnibus and give it a whirl. It was exactly what I was looking for. The story was engaging, with Morrison and Quietly weaving an intriguing and suspenseful yarn that really explores who the X-Men are. Aside from the main storylines, I found the de-evolution of Beast to be interesting and would like to hear more of what happens with that. Also, the further evolution of Iceman was a plot device that was introduced but not really expanded upon.

The physical book itself is stunning. Presented in an oversized, coffee-table format allows the comics to be reprinted larger than their originals. The enlargement really allows the reader to concentrate on Frank Quietly's distinctive illustrations and lends itself as a superb guide for aspiring artists.

Overall, Marvel has done an excellent job with their Omnibus books, and this one is no exception. If you can find it for under $100 and are in the market for an excellent read, this is the book for you.

First off, the presentation of all of Morrison's issues here in this hardcover edition is very well-crafted. Marvel has provided quite a bit of bonus material including scripts, unused art, the "Morrison Manifesto" and an introduction by Mike Carey. As for the stories themselves, the arc consists of about 42 issues, and is as well-executed and thought provoking as any X-men run in recent memory. (I hesitate to say "EVER" because comics were quite a different animal in the late 70s/early 80s when Claremont & Byrne were doing their thing.)
The one drawback or advantage, depending on your personal taste, is that the artwork varies over the course of the book; the product of different artists being utilized throughout. I personally did not find this detrimental; it was nice to see characters/situations presented in different styles while retaining the narrative voice. This collection is a breath of fresh air from one of comics' most distinct talents helming one of comics' premier series.

The manifesto by the author in the extra features explains it all: Grant Morrison set out to jumpstart the X-Universe in a way that has rarely been seen before. He succeeds in leaps and bounds. Here, he has all the epic grandeur spawning from the teams 40+ year history. But instead of getting bogged down by all that past, he uses it as "window dressing" for great stories about enormous characters.

HAVING THE WHOLE RUN IN ONE COLLECTION IS A DREAM COME TRUE! The oversized, glossy pages are gorgeous, and this is definitely worth the price tag.

And finally, the thing I like best about Morrison, is he made it suck to be a mutant again. For too long, Mutants were mostly beautiful people filling out sexy spandex that were "cursed" by their gifts. Wah. Characters like beak (a scrawny chicken-boy) and Three-Faced John make it easy to see why mutants are outcast, and that's what makes them so interesting.

p.s. I took off a star cause i'm not the biggest Frank Quietly fan.