New X-Men Vol. 1: E is for Extinction (v. 1) [Paperback]

Grant Morrison (Author), Frank Quitley (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (December 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785108114
• ISBN-13: 978-0785108115
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new look at the X-men, April 29, 2002

By 

P. Nicholas Keppler "rorscach12" (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New X-Men Vol. 1: E is for Extinction (v. 1) (Paperback)

Despite their status as perennial mega-sellers, Marvel's two series featuring the superpowered mutants, the X-men, Uncanny X-men and X-men, have been prone to continuous revamping in the past few years. In the summer of 1997, two parallel events, Operation Zero Tolerance and The Trial of Gambit, ousted such popular X-men as Bishop, Cyclops and Gambit and replaced them with newcomers, Maggott, Cecelia Reyes and Marrow. In August of 1998, most of those characters were written out, making room for the return of Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Colossus who augmented a line-up similar to the X-men's classic years in the late nineteen-seventies and early eighties. In April of 2000, another fixture from the team's golden era, writer, Chris Claremont returned, on the condition that he be given complete creative jurisdiction. He oversaw a massive reformation of the X-books, implementing a "time jump," in which the events of April's issues would occur six months after those of March's. Apparently, within this time window the X-men were dramatically changed as the team's line-up was completed altered and each character was redesigned visually.

After every supposedly crucial reformation, though, the books settled back into the mediocrity that had been apparent since Mr. Claremont left in 1991, like vinegar returning to the top of Italian dressing a while after it is shaken. Soon the dangling subplots, ultimate predictability and the relative one-sidedness of each character returned and another epic reformatting was needed to keep the reader's interest.

The cycle may have ended when Joe Quesada became Marvel's editor in chief in 2000. Mr. Quesada was bent on waking Marvel from its creative slumber, eliminating the boring and ultimately inconsequential storylines from its more historied titles, lessening the importance of retroactive continuity and gearing Marvel's titles towards the general young adult audience, not just obsessive comic book devotees or "fanboys." One of the first targets of his renovation was the X-men. Writer, Grant Morrison, who was renowned for his work on dark, edgy titles such as The New Adventures of Hitler and The Invisibles but who had also proven his ability to revitalize long-standing titles on DC Comics' JLA, was tapped to script the new storylines and Frank Quitely, who had worked with Mr. Morrison on a JLA mini-series, was hired to redesign the X-men and their headquarters, the X-Mansion, to better parallel the recent hit X-men film.

So once again Marvel completely altered the X-books, reformatting the titles' covers, changing characters' uniforms, and chopping down the team's line-up (This time to Beast, Emma Frost, Phoenix, Cyclops, Professor Xavier and Wolverine). But alterations had been made to this variation of the X-men that had always been too risky for other reformers. The code of avoiding political hotspots had been broken, as Cyclops contributed to an assisted suicide and the X-men debated over employing capital punishment to reprimand a horrific supervillian. Topics such as Cyclops' and Phoenix's lovelife (including their sexuality) and Beast's insecurity about his monstrous appearance were tackled from new, more psychological angles. And, as a tragedy occurred on an enormous scale when the mutant-hunting Sentinels invaded Genosha and Professor Xavier made a seemingly unthinkable PR decision, readers were assured that this time, there would be no return to the ordinary that had followed other "reformations." Not since the X-men's golden years, when Jean Grey appeared to perish and Wolverine proposed to Japanese aristocratic matriarch, Mariko Yashinda, have readers been given such reassurance that every issue was too important to miss. Mr. Morrison likely completed extensive study on what had been missing from the X-men throughout the nineteen nineties. In his adaptation, the characters seem more complex and fascinating, the plot lines more surprising and the books in general more realistic and adult-orientated than they have in years. It is still too soon to tell but X-men: E is for Extinction, which reprints the first four issues of this latest incarnation of the X-men, may portray an actual revolution of the X-books. Finally.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the modern X-Men, May 20, 2003

By 

Orlando "mcmachete" (Burbank, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New X-Men Vol. 1: E is for Extinction (v. 1) (Paperback)

First and foremost: this is probably not for the casual comic reader or those unfamiliar with the genre, specifically the X-Men. This is not to say it is a difficult comic to understand, or that the concepts and/or art are too different than one might expect. It's that the story is best enjoyed by those who already know the characters and appreciate the situations they are put in.
That said, to put it simply: this is one of the best modern stories of the X-Men. I recommend you pick up previous issues to catch up on the action (a LOT has happened, from secondary mutations to super-sentinels to changes with Beast to the White Queen joining the good guys). It's a good idea to get this story along with the rest as the story-telling is best when view with the "big picture" - the fun comes with the build-up and anticipation.
The story is a grand epic written by Grant Morrison of JLA and Invisibles fame and with art by the very talented (although somewhat unreliable) Frank Quietly. Their run on "New X-Men" (with breaks from Quietly on regular occasion, especially as of late) has been heralded by fans and critics alike, as the New X-Men don a slightly renovated attitude and style.
Dramatic, action-packed, and with plenty of interesting twists, "E is for Extinction" brings great writing and great art together to produce an incredibly enjoyable story. Professor Charles Xavier has a twin sister who's bent on - what else - the destruction of mutantkind. Journey from the recesses of Professor X's mind to the depths of space with the Shi'iar kingdom on an adventure that is definitive Grant Morrison - holds no punches.
I'll leave it at that, as I don't want to give away too much of your fun.
"To me, my X-Men."

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Thinking Person's X-Men, March 20, 2002

By 

Philip C. Crawford (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New X-Men Vol. 1: E is for Extinction (v. 1) (Paperback)

Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly's interpretation of the X-Men is wonderfully strange and intelligent. Morrison's storyline is complex and layered with a level of subtlety and nuance that is rare in superhero comics. Married to this narrative, is Quietly's stylized and unique artwork which renders the X-Men as something more interesting than muscle-bound superheroes in brightly-colored lycra costumes. Together, they have created a refreshingly new interpretation of the X-Men that is unique and well-rendered. Under their direction, the new team consists of Prof. Xavier, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, The Beast and Wolverine. As the story opens, a new villain, Ms. Nova, is introduced who plans to wipe out the human race and create a new world comprised solely of "homo sapiens superior" (aka mutants). The evolution of her plans and the fate of human race unfold in a story that is interesting and exciting. Moreover, the pacing of the story, the visual perspective, and the layout of panels are superbly executed. Longtime readers will witness some uncharacteristically sensitive moments between Cyclops and Wolverine and learn of several new events that will effect familiar characters and places like Prof. X, the Sentinels and Genosha. Arguably one of the most interesting interpretations of the X-Men to have appeared in print, "E for Extinction" is highly recommended and worth reading more than once.