X-men: Misfits 1 [Paperback]

Raina Telgemeier (Author), Dave Roman (Author), Anzu (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 11, 2009 | Series: X-Men (Book 1)

THE X-MEN GET A RADICAL NEW REMIX IN A STORY ABOUT TEEN ANGST, FIRST LOVE, AND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

High school student Kitty Pryde has always been the odd girl out. A mutant, she was born with strange superpowers, magical talents that make her the class freak. But Kitty’s world is changed when she’s invited to study at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, a special home for mutant teens. There’s just one catch: Kitty’s the only girl at the all-boy school, and she ends up just feeling like a freak all over again.

Then Kitty meets Pyro and the ultra-hot bad boys of the Hellfire Club. They’re the school’s elite–handsome, rich, and totally above the rules. Now Kitty seems to have it all: a dreamy boyfriend, super-cool friends, and the chance to develop her extraordinary talents. But why is her heart telling her that something is wrong? Will Kitty ever find the place where she belongs, or is she doomed to be a misfit forever?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

X-Men is renowned for being one of the most girl-friendly super hero comics franchises, so a shojo (girl's) manga re-boot of the series is not that far-fetched. The conceit of seeing the X-Men redrawn as supercute boys, or in the case of Beast, redrawn as an adorable human-size badgerlike thing, works without a hitch. 15-year-old Kitty Pryde, who has the mutant ability to slip through walls, enrolls in Xaviar Academy, where she meets classic X-men characters, most still in their teen years. By some unexplained twist of fate that could only happen in shojo, Pryde is the only female student (Storm is a teacher). This makes the formerly insecure girl very popular with her peers, so much so that she is asked to join the Hellfire Club, which is hilariously reimagined as a parody of Ouran High School Host Club rather than a sinister organization of wealthy elites. Telgemeier and Roman deliver a delightful script that will appeal to old fans while being friendly toward new readers or fans of the X-Men films. The art by Anzu (TheReformed) is over-the-top shojo parody, with lots of screentone and flowers. (Aug.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; First edition (August 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034550514X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345505149
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for shojo fans and X-Men fans with open minds. August 14, 2009

By Amy M.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a huge long-time fan of both X-Men and shojo manga, so I was extremely excited when I heard this book was coming out!

I knew from the recent Wolverine manga that it would be a reimagining, so I wanted to go into it and not dwell too much on thoughts like, "He wouldn't act like this!" or "This is so wrong!" But I didn't even have those thoughts when I read this one! It was remarkable how most of the characters seemed true to their mainstream selves to a point; the changes that were evident were still really interesting and not too out of left field. (I'm a bit worried that one classic couple won't end up together due to an age difference [?], but they're not together in the comics anymore, either. And then there's Kitty and her classic comic love... Not happening here! My jaw kind of dropped when I saw him in his new form...)

The art was beautiful, unlike a lot of OEL manga I've read. (Which usually have great stories but the manga art seems a little "off.") And the art inside matched the gorgeous cover!

Shojo fans who don't even know about the X-Men will like this and I think X-Men fans who are willing to read it with an open mind may like it, too. Like one of the authors said his sister kind of said, X-Men has always been full of "bishounen" to me--'bout time someone treated the story that way!

I can't wait for the next volume! I want to see what other X-Men are joining the school.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Love Letter to Shojo + X-Men Fans September 27, 2009

By Leah Riley

Format:Paperback

A fresh take on the X-Men, mixing Xavier's School with Shojo manga (a la Ouran). Like a love letter to everyone who loves both.

We follow Kitty Pryde as the only current female student at Xavier's in her first months at the school. It's so fun to pick out each character in their new manga form (Beast is Totoro-like, Cyclops is still sanctimonious, except in teenage version, which means straight edge, ah, beautiful).
I can't wait for volume 2, I hear there will be more female students!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I liked it a lot more than I thought I would August 13, 2009

By K. Burnett

Format:Paperback

the title says it all. As a girl, big x-men fan, and otaku I just could not say no. And I waited for so long with multiple publishing dates that were always changed. Anyway,I figured I'd have my fun laughing at it or maybe even hate it but as a manga it was very well written and the art was very VERY good. I rate it a four out of five all because of Marvel. Why do you create so many different realities Marvel?! Jean Grey is a teacher but Scott Summer's is a student? The robot colossus was on the line of good and bad, the sight of it turned me off but the laugh that followed allowed me to accept it. I wil buy the next volume for sure.
So if you're an x-men fan I suggest this manga. Even for guys who want a good laugh. And the powers/action is pretty good too. The shojo didn't overpower the manga which was good. I liked it a lot