Customer Reviews

New X-Men, Vol. 1

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Like many people, I stopped reading the X-Men a long, long time ago - around the time Chris Claremont brought back Jean Grey for the umpteenth million time. Lost my faith and interest, but I still occassionally thumbed through an issue just to see what the latest farce was (the most ridiculous being Wolverine regaining his adamantium skeleton - just as the character started to become interesting again).

Then - coinciding with the release of the (generally well-done) movie - I heard Grant Morrison was taking over the writing on the book. I picked up his first issue, and right from the start you knew he'd put in his time rethinking and recreating the X-Men. New costumes; new, more adult problems facing the characters (such as the strain between Scott and Jean's marriage, the Beast's quest for identity); and, oh yes, the little matter of the genocide of all the mutants on the island of Genosha - including Magneto (Morrison has stated he has no doubt Marvel will revive the character someday - but not while he's doing the scripting).

The plot twists from this point are fantastic, and there's no turning back from some: the public revelation of Xavier and what is really going on behind the doors of his school, Logan and Jean Grey resolving their sexual tension once and for all (long over-due), Emma Frost suddenly becoming the absolute most interesting character in the series.

The drawbacks? As every other reviewer here has mentioned, it's the art. Frank Quitely's work is indeed fantastic - a welcome change from the bursting muscles and heroic facades of the past - but the others who fill in A) disrupt the continuity, even if they had been Quitely's equal (or at least in his style), but B) they're not: Kordey's pencils are, as virtually every reviewer has stated, poor, sloppy, amateurish. I don't know if he was given like 14.8 hours to get the job done, but it sure looks that way. On every page. In every panel.

Still, it's a good read despite these flaws; and I'd recommend it higher than anything else going on in mainstream comics right now. A very brave, interesting, and necessary change of pace for Marvel's most popular title.

Grant Morrison's X-Men run is probably the best X-Men run in the last decade. Ironically, it's a little different than other classic runs... and that's what makes it so special.

Without spoiling anything, Grant changes the status quo with the X-Men without really changing core concepts of the X-Men. His stories turn the entire framework for the X-Men on their face. The stories are well-plotted, and this collection really does read like one whole story. There's lots of nice character moments, as well as character arcs that get started here and will be expanded upon in vol 2 & 3 of the collections later on this year.

The only faults with Grant's run are the art and some of his 'big ideas' that sometimes don't seem to pan out. Because of scheduling problems with these issues, Frank Quintly did not draw every issue... so often times you will see different art styles every issue as multiple artists contributed to keep this book on schedule for the regular issues. Nonetheless, most of the artwork is good and the storytelling makes up for this.

This is really awesome work though. Seriously, if you haven't read it - do so. It's better than any of the new TPB's coming out. It contains so much core ideas that make the X-Men what it is today that it's really worth reading.

I'm not your typical comics reader. I collected and read them religiously from ages 10-17, but pretty much quit cold turkey, other than the occasional, brief period of renewed interest. When I saw the first X-Men movie, I was impressed that the producers were able to make these previously-byzantine characters accessible and cool. I picked up one of the countless monthly X-Men titles, to see if their creators were keeping up with this standard. Of course, they weren't; but a few months after the movie, Grant Morrison took over the New X-Men series, and in many ways the comic became more cool than the movie itself.

Morrison is a good writer, and his Invisibles series is one of the few that I've read all of the way through. One thing that always gets me is that Morrison is one of those guys who thinks he's too cool for his own good; while this came off as grating in his previous books, it mostly works with the X-Men. Maybe it's due to the way he reimagined a previously-boring character: Cyclops, refashioned by Morrison and incredible artist Frank Quitely, is now a leather-wearing bad-ass who, in my book, looks cooler than Wolverine will ever be. Morrison saves most of his best lines for Emma Frost however, a new addition to the X-Men roster whom most fans will love. Another character Morrison introduces to the X-roster is Xorn, a mutant healer who looks like the mascot for a heavy metal band.

This hardback book collects Morrison's first year on the title, along with the 2001 annual. The stories are generally arranged in arcs, with the last one, Imperial, mostly the best. One thing the book suffers from is the lack of Quitely; the man takes so long to draw a page that Marvel must always have back-up pencilers in the wings. And the unfortunate thing is that one of these back-ups, Igor Kordey, is perhaps one of the sloppiest artists I've seen. The occasional page is okay, but in general Kordey can make the average character look like a monstrous ghoul. The other back-up, Ethan Van Sciver, is mostly very good, but incomparable to Frank Quitely. Quitely draws half of the stories in this collection, though, and his work here is among his best, just as good as his art in Morrison's Flex Mentallo mini-series.

Morrison's stories are great for readers new to the X-Men. In fact, his goal seems to have been grabbing the attention of fans of the film, people who had just been introduced to the characters and might like to see something more of them. You don't need to know very much about the X-Men's history at all; a nice change from the old days, in which you had to keep up with countless back issues just to understand one page of the current issue. Morrison's stories do in fact feature subplots that carry from one story arc to the next, but the main storyline always predominates.

In short, the issues featured in this hardback are cinematic and feel like the two X-Men movies on paper. In fact, Morrison's stories are more edgy than future films could possibly ever hope to be. So even if this isn't on the same level as near-literary masterworks like Alan Moore's Watchmen or Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns, Morrison's 2001-2002 run on the New X-Men is great reading for X-film fans who wouldn't be caught dead in a comic store.

Reprinting #s 114-126 of "New X-Men" (formerly the adjectiveless "X-Men" that returned to its prior title after # 156) and the "New X-Men Annual 2001", this hardcover contains the first year of writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely's run on the book, which continued straight on until # 154. This run of the title was....different. It aimed to reinvent the book while keeping the heart and soul of the concept and the heart and soul of the characters. The run featured fantastic storytelling, it for the most part was highly successful at keeping to the heart and soul of the original and lasting X-Men concepts, and for the characters, it was kind of a 'by-the-individual' basis, in that it succeeded with some, with some they were changed for the better, and on some I thought it kind of missed the boat. I'll try to focus my writeup on just the 13 issues presented here, although it's kind of hard to view things in isolation because these books set in motion some lasting, possibly permanent changes in the Marvel Universe.

It gets off to a tremendous start with the first 3 issues presented, the arc that introduced Cassandra Nova - who with this arc and her next couple of appearances established herself as one of the X-Men's alltime A-list villains, a level it usually takes a character much more than a year or two to attain. This arc also introduces the concept of a built-in 'timebomb' within the genetic makeup of homo sapiens, giving the species a limited shelf life before extinction, as it is. This adds a whole new twist to the 'homo sapiens/homo superior war' angle, which has been perhaps the defining story factor in the X-Men since the beginning: that the X-Men are basically fighting a series of neverending battles (to borrow a phrase from another of comicdom's great heroes) to stop an allout war from erupting between the two factions of humanity. With this new revelation, it's as if evolution itself has entered the battles as a more hostile force than before. Speaking of the 'two species', the 'third species' of humanity is also dealt with in here, non-powered humans who are grafting mutant organs onto themselves to attain superpowers. As you can see, there's no shortage of innovative ideas here.

No shortage of new characters, or of new paths for characters here. Now the first problem: what's covered here in 13 issues should have - in my opinion, and I may be in the minority on this - been covered in maybe 16 or 17 issues. There are places where things feel 'scrunched together' and a bit hurried - NOT in the first 3 issues, which are paced at perfection. But during other times, a larger page count Really would have come in handy. Not to draw out the main thrusts of the plots, where the rapid-fire nature creates a good and invigorating tension, but some of the story sidelines, some of the new characters. In new characters some of those who we basically just glimpse here are given more time to shine in later issues of this and other series, but I personally would have liked to see them a bit more involved in the stories presented here. Also, the 'side plots' - there should have been WAY more detailing the reaction to Xavier's announcement, and throughout the Morrison/Quitely run a number of characters were killed off, which isn't unrealistic, but were done so so quickly, without any buildup or aftermath - or even much of a death itself - to give those characters the sendoff I felt they deserved. I hope this isn't coming off as unduly harsh; basically I'm saying that there was so much great and pivotal stuff happening that it just demanded more space to be highlighted in.

The art is a bit mixed. Frank Quitely is one of the best in comics at drawing unusual creatures and lifeforms - whether monstrous, whimsical, or otherwise (the Beast's new look is Awesome! Drawn perfectly in every panel) - but the depictions of the more 'ordinary' looking humans (mutants included) left something to be desired, particularly in the faces. To Quitely's credit, the designs he did on the new uniforms was exceptional. I was against the idea of ditching, even temporarily, the individual costumes in favor of a more uniform, 'paramilitary' type look, but they turned out so good that it was a bearable change.

Dialogue - excellent. Characterization - as I said, a mixed bag in my opinion. The differences in Emma Frost make her come off better than she ever previously had; the changes in some of the other characters's personalities and behaviors maybe not quite as much so. I would have really liked to have seen the new characters Morrison and Quitely came up with given more play, not just here but in their whole run. I feel Morrison's always been best with characters he had a hand in creating himself (a brilliant new character like Zauriel during his "JLA" run actually came off Better than classic JLAers like Superman and, especially Martian Manhunter (poor J'Onn went down so easily so often!) or with characters whose recent history was somewhat a blank slate for him to fill in (like "Animal Man" - the comic and the character). This collection had the potential to be one of the alltime great X-sagas (like the "Dark Phoenix" saga, the "Further Adventures Of Cyclops & Phoenix" limited series from '96, - or like "Here Comes Tomorrow", Morrison's last arc on "New X-Men" and a highpoint in both X-history and Morrison's writing career.

So there's a few shortcomings here and there (or perhaps more tellingly, a lack of a few highlights that begged to be there) but overall this is high-quality, high-octane, intelligent stuff that no X-fan should be without, regardless of where one stands on whether the more controversial changes were for the better or the worse in the long run (now There's a subject that would take a lot of wordage to get into!) Recommended highly.

I love almost everything Grant Morrison has done. And this was no exception. While he does an amazing job of giving the X-men a kick into modern times, the art almost hurts to look at. I've never been SO DISTRACTED by the poor quality of the art that I've wanted to stop reading a great story. It also doesn't help the fact the there are 3 different artists. I know that there was nothing that Grant could do about that, but I eventually just goes from bad, to worse.

It is possible to sum up Grant Morrison's run on the X-men with a single phrase: Style over substance. When you take away the annoying action movie-style dialogue (seriously, why does everyone have to keep spouting jokes all the live-long day?) what you're left with are some appallingly weak storylines and completely shallow, unlikeable characters. Take for example Morrison's new villain, Cassandra Nova. Apparently Nova was Charles Xavier's evil twin whom he murdered in the womb (I`m not kidding). Undeterred, Nova's cellular matter got itself a new body (don't ask me how, I don't care) and hatched a ludicrously elaborate scheme to get her revenge on Xavier - even going so far as to bring the intergalactic might of the Shi'ar empire down on the already incapacitated Professor's head. Yawn...Honestly, read that out loud. Does it sound like a good story idea to you? I can't help thinking that if an unknown writer had pitched that idea to the editors down at Marvel they would have shown him the door rather quickly. And that's exactly what they should have down to Morrison. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the fantastic, over-the-top stuff and I enjoy a sci-fi tale every now and then but there has to be some part to the story that makes sense or you think might just be possible. Otherwise, what you've got is just total brainless nonsense. And that's exactly what the Cassandra Nova saga is; total brainless nonsense.

Another great example of Morrison's lame, unimaginative writing is the gratuitous destruction of the island of Genosha and its millions of inhabitants. What purpose did that serve really? None. Was it entertaining? Not really. In fact, in spectacularly lazy fashion, Morrison couldn't even be bothered to go into detail about how such massive-scale death and destruction was actually accomplished. How about the idea that the X-men's greatest foe, Magneto, managed to disguise himself as a mutant with a star for a brain? Is that believable? No. (Understandably, Marvel have since retconned that one)

But Morrison's contempt for the art of logical storytelling is not the only problem. When most writers take over an established and successful book like the X-men they learn from the works of their predecessors and get to know the characters so that they can write them faithfully. Not Morrison. Apparently he doesn't care who Logan, Scott, Jean et al were before he came along, they're all just there to deliver those punch lines! The effect being that not one of the X-men has a personality resembling the one we've come to know over the last thirty years. Not content with insulting the intelligence of his readers, he seems hell bent on disrespecting all writers who came before him.

Essentially, the X-men has always been about civil rights. It was this that gave the book heart and soul and laid a foundation for some of the X-men`s greatest stories (God Loves, Man Kills, for example). But such deep and meaningful issues are out of place here. They're just not cool, and if there's one thing Morrison desperately wants his X-men to be, it's cool. Sure, he touches on the hardships mutants would face but it always seems as if he's poking fun at the whole concept rather than actually trying to say something worthwhile. But hey, forget all that weepy chick crap and check out those slick new leather duds and don't forget the witty banter. That'll keep 'em hooked, right?

Style over substance.

In early 2000, Marvel managed to wrestle Grant Morrison, arguably the most influential writer in comics (moreso than Alan Moore, in my opinion), and gave him the flagging X-Men title.
In the first arc, he destroyed the mutant country of Genosha, created an ultra powerful foil to Professor Xavier, put the X-Men at odds with the Shi'ar empire, saved the world, and started to degrade and destroy the relationship that Jean and Scott had.
Morrison's stories in the volume are big, operatic, and loud, much like his material from his run on JLA, but grounded in team dynamics and the fragile nature of how lives can change in the blink of an eye.
On the art side, frequent Morrison collaborator Frank Quitely turns in good work, bolstered by the inks of Tim Townsend, and later on, Ethan Van Sciver and the infamously rushed work of Igor Kordey.
Overall, Morrison plays with the various aspects of the 30 years of X-Men continuity while managing to keep it fresh and forward looking. The art, however, is the weak point of the volume and the entire run. The fill-ins lack of a firm visual continuity, and the bevy of different artists hamper the total impact of the collection.
All in all, even with the uneven art, I still heartily recommend this collection of my favorite Marvel Comic.

Grant Morrison is the only person in comics today who can write both deeply moving stories (as in The Mystery Play) and tightly paced, cosmic action adventure (any of his JLA books). He tried to combine the two in The Invisibles, to my mind successfully, but not in a way that could gain mass acceptance. Jodorowsky does a better job there. So for the X-book he just produces the action adventure plots. But what plotting! The fate of the universe hangs in the balance all because of something Prof X did as a foetus! The only other person doing cosmic stuff at this pitch of insanity in the Marvel universe is Jim Starlin. But because Morrison understands the post-modern and New Age esoterica better, his story's a lot more intense.

As for the art. I say to you comics fans who didn't like Kordy's art: you're the same one's who didn't like Kirby's art in the Fourth World series. You lack vision. Expressionism needs an outlet in commics. There is no better place for it than in the adolescent daydream playland of the X-Men. Quitely is quite good in a non-quiet way. Though I find his women's faces sometimes look masculine. Van Skiver's art was also quite stunning. Oo-la-la some of those drawings of Emma Frost look like they came from Playboy.

And Marvel needs to be congratulated on the format of this book. Because (a) it's hardcover and collectible (they have limited print runs from what I understand) and (b) it's not a throwaway chapbook and (c) the art is 100% visible and up front. Which means that comics are collectible in a serious way, unlike the late 80's and early 90's where comics were collectible merely because we were told they were. Probably the smartest thing they've done since the days of Lee, Kirby and Ditko.

Overall, these books are very good, from Volume 1-6...

The only thing that affect dramatically these books is the art, when It's drawm by Igor Kordey.

For me, on a comic-book, the art is as important as the story and definitely, the decision of choosing Mr. Kordey for the art on Morrison stories was a disaster. Because Mr. Kordey's art obviously is not for these comic books. (His style probably applies to other kind of works, but for a comic-book, to me, is just horrible.)

If you don't mind the art on these books, go ahead and buy them all because the stories are really good.

But if you are like me, that I enjoy the art as well, I suggest you to take a look first before buying the volumes with Mr. Kordey's work.

Jose Carlos Vázquez

Madrid, Spain

For years the X-Men have claimed to be advancing mutant rights, but what have they actually accomplished? They've defended against threats, sure--but they haven't really done much beyond that. Finally, the X-Men get proactive in their mission. Writer Grant Morrison, with a host of artists including the ultra-talented Frank Quitely, Leinil Yu, and Ethan Van Sciver, reinvents the X-Men as an elite mutant search-and-rescue unit whose main priority is teaching the next generation of mutant youths the skills they need to survive in a world that hates and fears them.

In this volume, the X-Men face Cassandra Nova, Charles Xavier's evil twin sister intent on destroying her bother and his legacy. Nova draws the Sentinels and the Shi'ar Empire into the fray and things get worse from there. Genosha, an island nation of mutants, is destroyed and Jean Grey, the premier psychic of the X-Men, is slowly regaining her Phoenix powers.

Morrison & Co. offer a revolutionary look at the X-Men. Instead of reacting to events, they are beginning to take matters into their own hands as they push for mutant rights. But there's still enough high-scale action equations and soap opera melodrama to keep everyone happy. However, the art does vary and Igor Kordey, though normally quite talented, was rushed during production and his pencils suffer for it.

Still, this volume presents the X-Men at their best and offers a truly fresh take on Marvel's band of mutants, something that has been missing for quite a while. Since Morrison left the X-Men, they have largely reverted to their original state (with some exceptions), which is a shame, since what has been offered here is truly inspired.