Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Wolverine and the X-Men #1

The first comic I'll be checking out this week isn't my Pick of the Litter, as is usually the case, it's the first issue of Wolverine and the X-Men. I'm REALLY curious to see where things head in this series, as we already have a pretty good idea as to what Lord Summers and the rest of the villainous Uncanny X-Men will be doing. On the other hand, besides reopening the school in Westchester, the story here is a complete mystery to me. Anyway, without further ado, here's Wolvie!

Wolverine and the X-Men #1:

Summary: This issue opens a day prior to Wolverine opening the soon-to-be Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. As final preparations are being made to ready the place for the first day of classes the following day, Wolvie is meeting with Prof. Xavier, who gives Wolvie a few pieces of advice before heading off. With that, the next day arrives, and Wolvie(as the Headmaster) and Shadowcat(as the Headmistress) meet with two representatives from the New York State Department of Education to get the go-ahead from the State to run the school. Needless to say, the tour faces one calamity after the other, as the school board reps aren't exactly enamored with Wolvie and Kitty's credentials, happen across two classes(being taught by Rachel Grey and Husk) that aren't exactly what you'd look at as “normal”, and run into Beast, who is in a particularly foul mood due to some sort of troubles plaguing various parts of the school. During the tour, Iceman(who is BRILLIANTLY the school's bookkeeper, remember, he WAS an accountant!) tells Wolvie that some kid was at the gate of the Mansion wanting to see him. Wolvie heads outside and meets up with Kade Kilgore(!), who announces himself as the new Black King of the Hellfire Club. Wolvie figures he's just some crazy kid, until Kade details all of the stuff that he did during Schism, which proves to Wolvie that Kade must indeed be who he claimed to be. Wolvie is ready to attack Kade, but the school board reps and Kitty leave the building at that very moment, with the reps complaining about how this was the worst school they'd ever seen in their lives(HA!). Kade warns Wolvie that he wouldn't stand for the school, since a school that promoted peaceful human/mutant relationships would hurt his company, which was in the Sentinel building business. With that, Kade leaves and this issue ends with a giant creature emerging from underneath the school, apparently to eat it(!).

Thoughts: This was a great comic book. To be honest, if not for the art, which made things confusing from time to time(especially the last page), I probably would have given it a 10. There's so much to like here... I mean DOOP is the school secretary! DOOP!!! Besides that, this entire issue was written in a very fun manner, something the X-books haven't been written in since...... sheesh, I don't even remember... It's been doom and gloom for so many years now, this issue was a wonderful change of pace. Seriously, I actually found myself liking Kitty here, who's always been my most hated X-character. Jason Aaron has seemingly done what no other X-writer has ever been able/wanted to do, actually had Kitty grow up. No longer is she the annoying teenager who's uber-emotional/bitchy, she was actually written like an honest to goodness adult! Wolverine fit nicely(or as nicely as Wolverine COULD) into his role as Headmaster, and there were MANY other little things here, from Husk, to Kid Omega, the weird little Nightcrawler things, to Hellion showing up that I loved. Right now, after the first issue, THIS is my favorite X-book on the market. Now let's see if Aaron can keep it that way.

Score: 9 1/2 out of 10.This series has SO much potential...

13 comments:

  1. I'm so looking forward to this series, and you've just built on the excitement. I buy my comics online so I really should wait to read your reviews until they're delivered, but I just can't help myself, you put the best spin on every issue!

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  2. who they hell are the people in the pic
    u didnt mention them in the synopsis so just curious
    yeah i agree screw the art

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  3. Thanks for the kind words, B-Guymer, they are very much appreciated! Before a comic shop opened up near my home I used to do the same, order online and then wait those agonizingly long days before I got my books, so I feel for you! It used to be torture to try to avoid spoilers to the books I REALLY wanted to read... Of course most of the time I wound up peeking at the spoilers anyway! :D

    Yeah, that was kind of stupid of me, Movieartman... I din't even realize it until after I published the post. They came from the Shi'ar to bring some extra Shi'ar tech to Wolvie, the guy is/could be/possibly is Gladiator's son, which was the impression I got. I didn't know Gladiator even HAD a son, but there you go. The woman was his bodyguard I believe.

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  4. The class list in the end was hilarious.

    I want to see the inaugural flag Football Game Against Avenger Academy!!

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  5. I am REALLY happy to see the score for this issue. Especially since I'm Team Wolverine lol. And I totally agree with B-Guymer, you definitely built up the excitement for this issue.

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  6. I loved the class list at the end of this one, Alien! It was such a smart way to help new fans know who was who. And I'd pay GOOD money to read a comic with the Avengers Academy kids squaring off with the Grey School students in a game of flag football! I really would!

    Thanks Lisha! I just wish Marvel knew all of the work I do promoting them, maybe they'd offer me a job! :D

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  7. Questions here.

    1)Why in a world full of superhero teams the mutants are hated and the FF or The Avengers not?
    2)Why Xavier seems to be retired?
    What is he doing?
    3)Did I understand wrong or Kade Kilgore declared Himself a Mutant?
    (Kilgore was more interesting here that in Schism to me)

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  8. Ah yes, the old "Mutants are hated, but other heroes aren't" question. In the Marvel U, mutants seem to be hated and feared mainly because anybody could be one. For heroes like the Avengers or the FF, they gained their powers by accidents or other ways, mutants gained their powers by a fluke of nature, meaning anybody could be one... Your neighbor, friend, co-worker, it makes it kind of scary, I guess. Plus the fact that the Avengers and FF are public heroes while the X-Men always stayed hidden away probably didn't do them any favors. On top of all that, there's the religious connotations that have been popping up more and more frequently in the Marvel U... If humans were created in God's image, what are mutants? Demons? So mutants are also frowned upon by religious fanatics(like the Purifiers) for being somehow against God's master plan for humanity. I think the average citizen in the Marvel U fears mutants but accepts other types of heroes because mutants seem so secretive, mysterious and powerful. Or at least that's the best I can figure... I never really got why mutants were so hated in the Marvel U while other heroes were embraced.

    As for Xavier, I'm not 100% sure what the deal is with him... I think he was in the X-Men Legacy series which I refuse to read until Mike Carey is off that title, so I'm not quite sure what the deal with Prof. X is... I mean he would have fit this title really well.

    Did he? If he did I totally missed that. Can you remember when he says it so I can pull this book back out and give it a look, Alien? I don't remember him saying that, but it would make sense... Even if he didn't, I can't help but think as he gets older he WILL wind up being a mutant because it would be so deliciously ironic.

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  9. Hey Thanks to be so.. I dont find the word.. Helpful? Dedicated to your readers? btw..

    About my doubts with Kade I ask cuz maybe I am confuced with the translation.
    is in page number 24 box 6 and he says this

    "It was all part of my plan to gain control of the hellfire club, wich i did. And to make a ridiculous amount of money building new sentinels for a word that hates and fears mutants more than ever, which I currently AM..."

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  10. No problem at all, Alien. I'm happy to answer any questions, whether I know the answers or not! :D

    Hmm, I missed that... I'll have to re-read that part of the comic to see what the context is. That could be really interesting though.

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  11. Ok let me know later if I understood it correctly..

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  12. I think he is saying that he is making a ridiculous amount of money building new sentinels, not that he is a mutant. I know when I first read the sentence I thought it was awkward but didn't put too much thought into it. But I am sure that he is just listing off all the things he has done.

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  13. Yeah, after rereading that scene, Alien, I'm kind of in the same boat as Jermox. I think Kade was saying that he was making a crazy amount of money in that scene. Since these baby Hellfire Club members are so young I still like the idea that one of them(Kade for example) winds up becoming a mutant and ends up going to Wolvie for help from the other HF Club members.

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