Customer Reviews

X-Men: The Movie

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It is always interesting to see the official comic book adaptation of a movie that is based on a comic book in the first place. Ralph Macchio has the honors of adapting the screenplay, with penciler Anthony Williams and inker Andy Lanning handling the artwork. Obviously this is really no place to talk about how the X-Men comic was adapted to the silver screen, but rather how it makes the transition back to its original art form. My criticism boils down to one basic comment: 48-pages is not long enough to tell this story. Macchio gets all the words in but Williams is pretty much handcuffed from turning the movie into a "real" comic book. Entire scenes are crammed into a couple of pages and outside of a few splash panels there is no opportunity to use the medium to the advantage of the story. Look at what the big fight between Sabertooth and Wolverine boils down to. We have seen entire comic books devoted to epic fights between a single superhero and a single supervillain. This is just too crammed into this few pages and despite Williams's efforts you know he could have done better with half again as many pages with which to work.

Also included in this collection are reprints of a pair of X-Men issues focusing on Magneto and arguably their best confrontation, #112 "Magneto Triumphant" and #113 "Showdown" (both illustrated by John Bryne), as well as #171 "Rogue," penciled by Walt Simonson and finished by Bob Wiacek. There are also pages from Marvel Comics Presents #72-75, which was the Weapons X storyline focusing on Wolverine and drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith, who drew the worst looking X-Men comic of all time as one of his first gigs at Marvel (he drew it on benches in the park). Of course, these efforts showcase some of the better examples of comic book storytelling and artwork and you have to wonder what it would be like if the movie adaptation was twice as long and half of the reprints were jettisoned. Final note of curiosity: So how much the credits are only provided for one of the four reprints? Hmmmmm.

This story is based around two mutants who's names are Wolverine and Rogue. They have just recently discovered their powers, and are confused at why the world hates them. They discover a school for mutants run by Professor Xavier. There they meet some other mutants who feel the same way they do. Cyclops: A mutant who shoots lasers out of his eyes. Storm: A mutant who can control the weather. Jean Grey: A mutant who has special telekinis powers. She can move things with her mind.

This is not the only team of mutants around. Another team of mutants, called the brotherhood, have devoted their powers to destroying the humans that hate them. This team consists of Magneto: The leader of the team. A man who can move things with his mind. Msytique: A shapeshifter, that means she can change in to any form she comes in contact with. Sabertooth: A mutant who has a keen sense of smell and can heal himself in a matter of seconds. Toad: A mutant who has a long sticky tounge and can leap to great lengths.

Soon, the people's only hope is that of those whom they hated: Professor Xavier's X-Men.

Based upon the cartoon show and the comic book series, this book is extremely well written. It has a great plot, and I'm sure the movie will be good as well. This book is definitaly a "must have".

The first half of the book, which is the adaptation for the first X-men movie, is horrible. It feels like the writers didn't have much space, so they crammed the movie into a handful of pages. It gives some of the action a jerky, incomplete feel that leaves you wondering what just happend. The dialogue in places is some of the corniest I have seen in a long time. Characters state the obvious very eloquently during tense moments. Finally, the artwork is so dark overall that I find myself wishing there was a magic light switch to make the pages brighter.
The second half is worth the buy though. A few of the older comics are included after the first one, and they have class. They are intelligent, funny, suspenseful, and great for people who are just getting in to the x-men universe. They are what made me glad I purchased this book.

First installment of the X-Men movie trilogy. Characters are very close to the comic books with minor exceptions to continuity. The authors provide and excellent storyline filled with mutant mayhem which is sure to entertain. As a long time X-Men fan, the book is well written despite changes from the well known stories of the comics.

(First, to answer the other person's [SHOUTED] question about why this book costs twice as much for fewer pages: This is the graphic novel, with the three "Prequel" comics and the Graphical adaptation of the movie. The 233-page book is a normal novelization with words -- no four-color pages.)

The graphic novelizations were disappointing. Rogue's, at least, didn't follow either the movie or the comic book, so it wasn't particularly helpful, and the movie part of the book was by no means complete. I didn't even really like the artwork, because they had to try and make the drawings look like the actors. Just read the comics separately.

This book is fantastic! I love it. The characters are all great and well-balanced, the plot is totally fun, and best of all, well, even though it's just a novel, it really hits the truth of what it's actually like being a mutant or a person with special powers and gifts. The book focuses on Rogue and Wolverine and how they deal with being new and young super heros.

Sure, some of you might think the idea of super powers is nothing other than comic book and cartoon stuff (after all, that's what the X-Men are most known for) but the totally cool thing is that if you dive into some of the magical esoteric arts like Chi Gung, Shamanism, Wicca, Voodoo, Christian Mysticism, Kabala, and even the lives of Saints and Mystics in virtually all faiths, you'll see that perhaps, just perhaps, this fun book actually has more truth to it than fiction. I guess that's why I love this book so much because it really shows how much of a personal struggle it really is to be blessed with certain unusual gifts. Reading this book gives you a clearer perspective on whether or not you would really find having super powers or mutant abilities to be a blessing or a curse.

Lily of the Valley Carnie, author, Chi Gung: Chinese Healing, Energy, and Natural Magick

I loved the movie and I just HAD to buy the book! Wolverine was SOOOOOO awesome I was hoping Bryan Singer wouldn't dissapoint and he and Hugh Jackman certainly didn't!

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHY THE BOOK "X-MEN: THE MOVIE", WHICH HAS 144 PAGES, COSTS FIFTEEN DOLLARS, WHILE THE OTHER BOOK, WHICH IS SIMPLY CALLED "X-MEN" AND HAS 233 PAGES, (SAME STORY AS "X-MEN: THE MOVIE")COSTS JUST SEVEN DOLLARS?

I saw the movie and just had to read the book. I loved the animated series and comics when I was young. Hugh Jackman is a wonderful wolverine, better than I expected. In fact everyone was cast perfectly. Missed the Beast and Gambit, but hopefully they will be in the sequel. I hope the hard-core fans liked it as much as those who have never heard of the X-men. Surely no one can deny, it's Excellent.

IF THE BOOK IS THIS GOOD, THEN THE MOVIE IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH BETTER. THE PERSONALITIES OF THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING. FROM PROFESSOR X TO TOAD, THEY ARE REALLY IMPRESSIVE. BY PORTRAITING A YOUNG ROGUE, YOU CAN SEE THAT SHE HAS SOME GROWING UP TO DO IN THE FUTURE. WOLVERINE IS EVERYONE'S HERO AND HE PROVES JUST WHO IS IN CHARGE. CYCLOPS IS A LEADER ALONG WITH STORM THEY ARE AT THE HEART OF THE XMEN. I JUST LOVED THIS BOOK AND I AM SURE I WILL LOVE THE MOVIE.