It’s a wonderful time to be an X-Men fan. Hasbro has been spitting out articulated figures that look like they jumped right out of the 90’s comic books. The movie rights are back with Disney so we can expect them to start popping up in the MCU soon. They are also gaining momentum in the comics under the creative writing of Jonathan Hickman.
This led me to reread some of the X-Men stories under another talented writer – Grant Morrison (he’s done great work on Batman, JLA, and All-Star Superman to name a few). The artist joining him for his New X-Men run is Frank Quitely who’s done work on All-Star Superman as well as Batman and Robin. Instead of trying to track down the numerous single comics or the various collected editions, I chose to read the New X-Men Omnibus which collects basically the entire run in a single oversized book (hehe I’m a completist when it comes to comic books – I don’t wanna turn a page and wonder what the heck happened because a significant plot point took place in another title).
The New X-Men era was a very interesting time in mutant history. Gone were the colorful spandex costumes which represented a brighter heroic age – the X-Men started wearing black leather to rightly match the darker times mutants suddenly found themselves in. Just how dark were these times for mutants? Well the book basically starts by the genocide of 16 million mutants in Genosha. The X-Men had to change the way they dealt with outside threats, and this grimmer approach paved the way for the latest addition to their group – the once-villainous White Queen, Emma Frost.
As a former teacher at Genosha, Emma Frost would provide a darker (and much needed grittier) approach to the X-Men’s problems. She is a stark contrast to Jean Grey, and this would prove to be a major storyline in their love triangle with Cyclops. As teachers to a new generation of mutants, it was very interesting to see the beginning of “Professor Wolverine” as well as the more bestial mutation of Henry McCoy. This is also where we get to meet characters such as Cassandra Nova and Xorn. Without spoiling the story too much, this book is extremely important since it will set the status quo of X-books (as well as its leadership) for years to come.
All in all, this is a fun read as Morrison has proven time and again that he is full of big reveals and nasty plot twists. I actually enjoyed this run, as it allowed us to step away from the Universe-saving stuff (albeit for a short time) and focus more on the interpersonal conflicts between the different characters of the book.
TOY ASYLUM’S RATING (OUT OF 5 STARS)
OVERALL DESIGN - 3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
- Grant Morrison’s work is always interesting to read, although sometimes I feel like Quitely’s art doesn’t always capture the heat of the moment.
PLAYABILITY - 3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
- On one hand, it’s harder to read an omnibus because of its size... But then again you would never have to worry about missing comic singles and story lines (it’s all there!).
DURABILITY - 4 OUT OF 5 STARS
- As with the more recent Marvel Omnibus releases, the hard cover as well as the book spine are sturdy and definitely built to last.
RARITY - 3 OUT OF 5 STARS
- Not really hard to find the omnibus, although finding one at a decent price is a bit more difficult.
*Not all of the pics are mine so a BIG thanks to the owners (and congratulations for a wonderful collection!).
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