[BOOK REVIEW] X-Men: Proteus by Chris Claremont and John Byrne

Title:  X-Men: Proteus

Author: Chris Claremont and John Byrne

Artist: John Byrne


Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 1979


Year Read: 2013


Series: Uncanny X-Men


Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 11+ (Scenes of Fighting and Some Disturbing Imagery)

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Introduction:

When I heard so many good things about one of the most iconic “X-Men” stories, next to “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and “Days of Future Past,” “Proteus,” I just had to give this comic a shot!  Now, I actually first heard about the Proteus storyline through the “X-Men” cartoon series that came out during the 1990s and ever since then, I was interested in seeing how this popular storyline unfolded in the “X-Men” universe and now, I finally got a chance to read it!

What is this story about?

In this story, after the X-Men’s intense battle with Magneto, each of the members believed that the other was dead.  However, when Moira MacTaggert’s mutant son, Proteus, suddenly breaks out of his prison, the X-Men are reunited again and they have to fight this new menace that not only is out to get Moira MacTaggert’s estranged husband, Joe MacTaggert, but Moira herself! Can the X-Men defeat this new foe?

What I loved about this story:

Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s writing: As a long time “X-Men” fan, I was always interested in Chris Claremont’s writing during the early years of the X-Men and this comic was just as interesting as the stories “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and “Days of Future Past” were! I loved the way that Chris Claremont wrote Proteus as being a mysterious and frightening character that has a deep grudge against Moira MacTaggert and her estranged husband Joe MacTaggert as it made his character extremely interesting to read and I was actually scared of Proteus’ ability to warp reality to his will while possessing any body he comes across!  I also loved seeing how the X-Men had to work together to defeat this foe while going through some personal issues to complete this job.  One of the most memorable and intense scenes I had seen in this comic was when Proteus warps Wolverine’s mind and Wolverine ends up being terrified of Proteus.  This moment stood out to me because Wolverine is usually shown as being a “tough as nails” character and to see a villain actually break down Wolverine emotionally was terrifying to see.  I also liked the fact that this story was not as lengthy as Chris Claremont’s work in “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and “Days of Future Past” as we still get a really effective story while the story was extremely short enough to explain the characters’ personal feelings on this situation.  I also loved seeing Havok, Polaris and Multiple Man (Jamie Madrox) appear in this story and actually help the X-Men out with Proteus, since

John Byrne’s artwork:  John Byrne’s artwork in this comic is truly beautiful and it really captures the spirit of all the characters.  I especially loved the images of the X-Men themselves, especially of Jean Grey whenever she goes into Phoenix mode and you can see the powerful aura surround Jean Grey as it shows how powerful she is in her Phoenix form.  I also loved the images of Proteus using his reality warping powers against the X-Men as the images look so surreal and distorted and it really gives off the creepy feel of Proteus’ powers.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

Not much was really wrong this story, but anyone who does not like seeing surreal imagery used in a disturbing way might feel uncomfortable of the scenes where Proteus warps Wolverine and Nightcrawler’s minds.  The imagery during these scenes is extremely distorted and that might frightened anyone who does not like surreal imagery.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “X-Men: Proteus” is a truly fantastic story that all “X-Men” fans should check out!  Also, in the edition I got, there are three extra stories in this volume that are just as interesting as the main story and they are called “Shreds of Humanity,” “So Good it Hurts,” written by Ann Nocenti along with artwork by John Bolton and “Outside In.”