[BOOK REVIEW] X-Men: Mutant Genesis by Chris Claremont

Title:  X-Men:  Mutant Genesis

Author:  Chris Claremont

Artist:  Jim Lee

Genre: Action / Adventure / Science Fiction / Prejudice


Year Published: 1991


Year Read: 2014


Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 12+ (Violence and Some Fighting Scenes)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads

Introduction:

I have been reading the “X-Men” comics for awhile now, but there was one story line that fans were raving about during the 1990s and that was “X-Men: Mutant Genesis!” Well, the reason why “X-Men: Mutant Genesis” was praised a lot by the fans during the 1990s was because this was the highest selling comic book at the time. It also helped paved way for the famous 1990s cartoon series and it even paved way for an arcade game called “X-Men: Children of the Atom.” “X-Men: Mutant Genesis” was also considered Chris Claremont’s final work on the “X-Men” comics (well at least up until the 2000s anyway). Now, having been introduced to the “X-Men” franchise through the 1990s cartoon series, I had to check out the comic book that helped inspired the cartoon series for myself!

What is this story about?

There are two stories in this volume: one that involves the X-Men fighting against Magneto and the other with Wolverine being kidnapped by the Hand, Weapon X and Fenris.

Magneto Story (Rubicon: Issue #1, Firestorm: Issue #2, and Fallout: Issue #3)

In this story, when Magneto posed a threat to all the humans on Earth, both the United States and Russia decided to blow up his home planet, Asteroid M in order to stop him. At the same time, a group of mutant worshippers, led by Fabian Cortez, become Magneto’s new Acolytes and help him try to find his personal goal. Meanwhile, the X-Men, who have split up into two teams: the Blue team (consisting of Cyclops, Psylocke, Beast, Wolverine, Gambit and Rogue) and the Gold team (consisting of Storm, Archangel, Colossus, Iceman, Jean Grey, and Banshee) all try to stop Magneto before it is too late!

Omega Red Story (The Resurrection and the Flesh: Issue #4, Blowback: Issue #5, …Along Came Sabretooth: Issue #6 and Issue #7)

In this story, Omega Red, Wolverine’s old nemesis, is resurrected by the Hand, Weapon X and brother and sister team, Fenris and is out for revenge on both Wolverine and Sabretooth!  Not only that, but Omega Red is also seeking for a secret weapon that could give him even more strength and only Wolverine knows where the secret weapon is located at!

What I loved about this story:

Chris Claremont , John Byrne and Scott Lobdell’s writing: I must admit that these stories were fun and exciting at the same time and I really enjoyed reading the volume that put the X-Men on the map (at least during the 1990s)!  Chris Claremont’s writing for Magneto’s story was well written and I loved the way that Chris Claremont gave each character a focus in the story, especially showcasing how Gambit and Rogue work within a team.  I also loved the way that Chris Claremont split up the X-Men into two teams, the Blue and Gold teams, not because they had a falling out with each other (which is a story line that is unfortunately used in the recent comics), but because it was a way for the X-Men to do more activity in saving the world by having two different teams perform different missions whenever they are needed.  It was also interesting in seeing Magneto as the villain again since throughout the 1980s, he was working with the X-Men and you can actually see the history he had with the X-Men and how he keeps wondering why the X-Men are fighting him, despite his reasons being destructive. I really enjoyed John Byrne and Scott Lobdell’s writing of the second story that involved Omega Red as it was much more character driven, with some bits of Wolverine’s past being exposed and the blossoming relationship between Rogue and Gambit. I also loved the introduction of Jubilee in this story as she seems to replace Kitty Pryde as the tag along kid of the group and the scenes with her provided so much humor to the story.  I also loved the way that John Byrne and Scott Lobdell portrayed Omega Red as being a villain who is bent on revenge against Wolverine and the scenes where he beats up Wolverine were quite intense.

Jim Lee’s artwork:  Probably the best part about this volume was Jim Lee’s amazing artwork!  Every time I see Jim Lee doing the artwork for a comic book, you know that I will automatically fall in love with it!  I loved the way that Jim Lee drew the characters as they all look truly realistic, yet a bit scratchy in some areas. I also loved the way that Jim Lee drew the action sequences as the explosions really do glow off the pages and I loved seeing the characters actually fighting hand to hand with their enemies (the best ones being of Psylocke using her martial arts skills to fight against enemies as they look amazing)!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I gave this a four star rating was because I felt that the stories moved along too fast and there were not enough character moments in the stories (save for the romantic relationship between Rogue and Gambit and Jubilee providing some fun to the story). Even though most of my favorite characters were in these stories, it felt like they were just there for the sake of action rather than actual character development and many fans have pointed out that the 1990s was a time of mainly action-driven comics.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “X-Men: Mutant Genesis” was a truly fun and exciting read and I would recommend this book to any X-Men fan looking for a comic book that can be read just for the fun of it!

 

[BOOK REVIEW] Uncanny X-Men Volume 2 by Chris Claremont

Title:  Uncanny X-Men Volume 2

Author:  Chris Claremont

Artist:  John Byrne


Genre: Superhero / Action / Adventure

Year Published: 1975

Year Read: 2011

Series: Uncanny X-Men #2

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 10+ (Scenes of Fighting)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 
 


Flashback:

After reading the first volume of “Uncanny X-Men,” I just could not wait to read the second volume of “The Uncanny X-Men” featuring the second generation X-Men!  This time, the X-Men are up against even deadlier foes than before and they will have to fight harder then ever before!

What is the story?

Continuing from the first volume after Jean Grey seemingly sacrifices her life to save the X-Men in space, it turns out that Jean Grey has become the Phoenix!  Oh, and not only that but the X-Men come across new villains such as Juggernaut, Black Tom Cassidy and Magneto!! Can the X-Men defeat these new and more dangerous villains? Read this volume to find out!

What I liked about this book:

Chris Claremont's writing:  Chris Claremont has done it again in this second volume and this time, he gives the X-Men more character and back stories than the first volume.  Chris Claremont made each character much more interesting, especially Storm since I never knew before that Storm had claustrophobia that resulted from her turbulent childhood.  Also, I loved the way that Chris Claremont made the characters interact with each other in interesting ways, especially between Storm and Colossus as they relate to each other about their homelands (Storm missing Africa and Colossus missing Russia) and I also loved the growing loving relationship between Banshee and Moira MacTaggart as this was one of the few relationships I have seen in the X-Men universe besides Cyclops and Jean Grey’s relationship.  Chris Claremont also did an excellent job at making this volume extremely dramatic and exciting at the same time as the X-Men have to face tougher foes than ever before.

John Byrne's illustrations:  I just loved John Byrne’s illustrations in this comic book!  As usual, it is done in an old school style that reminiscent the 70s since this comic was created during the 70s and I enjoyed seeing the original styles of the second generation X-Men  including Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler and Banshee.  I also loved the way that John Byrne draws the X-Men’s shocked expressions as they are fighting various villains throughout this volume and it truly made the characters truly realistic to look at.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this comic:

Even though I did not have a problem with this book, probably the only problem that younger “X-Men” readers might have with this volume is that the illustrations might be too old fashioned for younger readers since this comic was made during the 70s.  Also, there is so much dialogue among the characters in this volume that younger fans of “X-Men” might not understand the dialogue going on between the characters.  Also, when villains like Magneto and Juggernaut were introduced, there did not seem to be enough character development with them since they were just introduced out of the blue and there was no back story being told about these characters.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “The Uncanny X-Men Volume Two” is a truly brilliant sequel to the first volume and I definitely cannot wait to read the next volume of the “The Uncanny X-Men” and learn more about the X-Men franchise!

[BOOK REVIEW] Uncanny X-Men Volume 1 by Chris Claremont

Title: Uncanny X-Men Volume 1

Author:  Chris Claremont

Artist:  Dave Cockrum


Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure

Year Published: 1975

Year Read: 2011

Series: Uncanny X-Men #1

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 10+ (Scenes of Fighting)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository




Flashback:

Now, to be honest, I have grew up with the 90s X-Men cartoon series, so I have not really read any X-Men comics prior to the 90s, so reading “Uncanny X-Men” from Marvel Masterworks was a great look back to the 70s X-Men comics where the second generation X-Men (Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Cyclops, Banshee, Sunfire, and Nightcrawler) are first introduced in the X-Men franchise.

What is the story?

In this volume, Professor Xavier goes around the world to recruit new members for the X-Men team including Wolverine the tough Canadian fighter who has strong claws, Colossus the good natured Russian giant who can turn his skin to steel, Banshee, the Scottish hero who has a supersonic scream, Storm the African goddess who can manipulate weather, Nightcrawler the blue skinned demon, Thunderbird the Native American strong man and Sunfire, the Japanese warrior who can shoot fire out of his hands.  When Professor Xavier recruited this team, he sends them on their first mission on an island where the original X-Men are being held hostage. Can the new generation of X-Men rescue the original X-Men?

What I loved about this comic:

Chris Claremont’s writing:  Chris Claremont was known as the best writer of the X-Men franchise and this volume truly amazes me!  When I first read this volume, I was surprised that the second generation X-Men did not like each other at first, but when they started working with each other especially after the first mission; Chris Claremont wrote their eventual interactions with each other in such an intense and relating way that X-Men fans will definitely enjoy seeing.  I loved all the interactions between the characters, especially between Storm and Colossus as they seem to have a brother and sister like relationship with each other.  It was also seeing the original X-Men argue a bit with the newer generation and I loved the fact that each new X-Men member are from different countries as I love exploring diversity within a story and this volume did a fantastic job at explaining each character’s different nationality.  This volume also introduced several X-men characters that I was not familiar with during the 90s which included Thunderbird, Banshee and Sunfire and it was great seeing X-Men characters I have not seen before.

Dave Cockrum’s illustrations:  Dave Cockrum’s illustrations are beautifully done as each detail is done to each character such as giving the characters shocked expressions whenever they are fighting foes throughout this volume.  I loved the way that Dave Cockrum drew Storm and Colossus as Colossus’s head is somewhat squared shaped and his dark hair has a blue gleam that makes his appearance truly impressive and I loved his large and muscular appearance that we all know and love.  Storm’s appearance is truly beautiful as she has vibrant and flowing white hair and blue eyes that make her a truly impressive character to look at.  I also loved how Dave Cockrum illustrates the fight scenes as they were impressive, especially when the X-Men were fighting on the island of Krakoa.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

The only problem I had with this book is that there was not enough character development with the characters and it seems a bit too old-fashioned for my tastes.  I guess because I grew up in the 90s, this volume did seem a bit old-fashioned to me with the illustrations.  But, the story was extremely interesting and it was great seeing the X-Men in their original glory, so this was a small issue for me.  Also, I wish that there was more to the characters then just introducing them to the cast as I like to know more about their background history.

Final Thoughts: 

Overall, “The Uncanny X-Men Volume One” was an interesting read for first time X-Men comic readers like me and I really enjoyed seeing the X-Men in their heyday and how they started out. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from the original X-Men comics!

[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)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads
 

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.”

[BOOK REVIEW] Wolverine: Old Man Logan by Mark Millar

Title:  Wolverine:  Old Man Logan

Author:  Mark Millar

Artist: Steve McNiven


Genre: Superhero / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 2009


Year Read: 2012


Series: Wolverine


Publisher: Marvel Comics


Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 
 

Brief Introduction:

Now, everyone knows that I am a huge fan of Wolverine, so when I heard about this unique little story called “Wolverine: Old Man Logan,” I just had to try this comic out!  Luckily, I was not disappointed with this story as “Wolverine: Old Man Logan” was one of the most intense and possibly terrifying stories I had ever read about Wolverine!  With spectacular writing from Mark Millar and dramatic artwork by Steve McNiven, “Wolverine: Old Man Logan” is definitely one comic book you just have to check out!

What is the story?

In the future world, the United States is being ruled by the villains of the Marvel Universe (Dr. Doom, Norman Osborn and the Kingpin) and all of the superheroes were killed off, except for two heroes: Wolverine and Hawkeye!  Wolverine is now living peacefully with his family as he swore off ever using his claws ever again since a horrible incident happened that dealt with him using his claws.  One day however, the evil Hulk Gang wanted their payment in rent from Wolverine and if they do not get their rent money, they will kill Wolverine’s family.  So, Wolverine goes on a cross country journey with his partner, a now blind Hawkeye, to get some money for Wolverine to pay the rent.  Unfortunately, even though Wolverine is trying to live a peaceful life, he will soon realize that in a world ruled by villains, he will always be a target and he might have to compromise his stance on not fighting anymore once his life and family are being threatened!

What I loved about this comic:

Mark Millar’s writing: After reading Mark Millar’s fantastic run on “Ultimate X-Men,” I just knew that I had to give this book a try and when I did, oh my goodness, I was totally blown away by this story!  Mark Millar had done a fantastic job at giving us a really dark and dystopian world where super-villains ruled the United States and Logan decides to give up being “Wolverine” after a tragic event happened in his past.  I loved the way that Mark Millar developed Wolverine’s character and the fact that there would be a day where I would see Wolverine become a pacifist was really surprising to me.  I also enjoyed the back story about why Wolverine became a pacifist and what happened to him in the past was a truly terrifying and emotional moment in this book that will make you really sympathize with Wolverine’s predicament.  I also loved the idea about this being a “what if” story about what would happened if the super-villains ruled the world and all the super heroes were killed?  It rose up so many interesting scenarios in this comic about what the super villains would do once they take over the world and how the world would look like.  Apparently, the world is full of people being killed for no good reason and the endless changes to the United States such as California now being called “Hulkland.”  I also loved the way that Mark Millar portrayed Hawkeye and Wolverine’s relationship with each other as Hawkeye is always cheerful and can still fight extremely well even when he is blind and I loved the fact that they still remain friends after all the hardships of living in a villain ruled world.

Steve McNiven’s artwork: Steve McNiven’s artwork was just so fantastic in this comic! I loved the way that Steve McNiven made the characters looks extremely realistic.  The characters’ facial expressions are done extremely well as there are shadows on the characters’ faces whenever they are having dark thoughts.  I also enjoyed how detailed the bloody scenes were as blood squirts everywhere whenever the characters are cut up as it gives the scenes a much more frightening feeling.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

~A huge warning for anyone reading this comic~

This comic has oodles and oodles of blood and gore throughout!  I had never seen a “Wolverine” comic that had so many scenes of people being killed in the most brutal ways (being cut up) and anyone who does not like seeing any kind of strong violence in a comic might want to skip this comic.  Also, there is some language in this comic, although not as strong as something you would see in Scott Snyder’s “American Vampire” or Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” series, so for anyone who does not like reading language in a book, they might want to skim over these words.  I took off half a star because I felt that the beginning was moving a bit too slow and it was not until the middle of the story where things really started to pick up.  Also, the story might be a bit confusing for anyone who does not read “Avengers” or any other Marvel comics since it manages to combine most of the Marvel characters into one story (I know I got really confused when the Avengers were mentioned since I barely read the “Avengers” comics (big X-Men fan here).

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Wolverine: Old Man Logan” was a really interesting read for me since I usually do enjoy the usual dystopian future storylines and this one was really creative and unique to read through.  Wolverine fans will definitely enjoy this fantastic one shot story of everyone’s favorite claw wielding mutant!

[BOOK REVIEW] X-Men: Mutant Massacre by Chris Claremont

Title:  X-Men:  Mutant Massacre

Author:  Chris Claremont

Artists: Jackson Guice, Rick Leonardi, John Romita Jr and Sal Buscema


Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 1986


Year Read: 2012


Series: Uncanny X-Men


Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 12+ (Death and Fighting Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 
 

Introduction:

After I heard so many good reviews on this comic, I just had to read this and oh boy, I just have so much to say about this particular comic book!   I know that so many events had happened before “X-Men: Mutant Massacre” happened (as was stated by the characters in this comic), but I wanted to read this so badly that I was willing to skip the last few issues of “X-Men” just to get to this comic! “X-Men: Mutant Massacre” was a first for me in many different ways: it was the first “X-Men” comic book that I read that featured Elizabeth “Betsy” Braddock, also known as Psylocke, the first time I had read about the original “X-Factor,” the first time I had read about “The New Mutants,” the first time I had read “Daredevil” and the first time I had read about the “Power Pack.” With the combined writing of Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, and Ann Nocenti and the combined artwork of John Romita Jr., Terry Shoemaker, Bret Blevins, Walter Simonson, Jackson Guice, Sal Buscema, Jon Bogdanove, Rick Leonardi, Alan Davis, and Barry Windor-Smith, “X-Men: Mutant Massacre” is definitely a story that “X-Men” fans have to check!

What is this story about?

When the Marauders, a group of mutant assassins, started killing most of the Morlock community, the X-Men, now lead by a Mohawk wearing Storm, step in to help out the Morlocks.  Meanwhile, X-Factor, a group of mutant hunters who are actually the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast and Angel) in disguise, try to defeat the Marauders while Angel goes through an emotional trip that would change him forever.  Also, this comic features guest appearances from Thor, Daredevil, the New Mutants and the Power Pack who also try to help out the X-Men in defending the Morlock community!

This graphic novel contains stories from:

Uncanny X-Men (issues #210 – 214)

X-Factor (issues #9 – 11)

New Mutants (issue #46)

Thor (issues #373-374)

Powr Pack (issue #27)

Daredevil (issue #238)

What I loved about this story:

The story:  Usually, I do have problems with reading crossovers in comics because the stories almost never match up as long as you have different writers writing each story, but for a crossover, I found this story pretty impressive!  I liked the fact that all of the stories mentioned in this graphic novel actually flowed well together and it felt like we were getting one cohesive storyline instead of having several different things happening all at once and it made me really enjoy the storyline!  I really enjoyed the way that each different writer had a different take on the Marauders attacking the Morlocks as we see the attacks on the Morlocks from the X-Men, Thor, the Power Pack and Daredevil’s viewpoint.  The stories that I really enjoyed in this graphic novel were the stories written by Chris Claremont as he wrote the stories for “Uncanny X-Men” and “New Mutants.”  I loved the way that Chris Claremont made the story extremely dramatic and intense as we witness many Morlocks being killed in brutal ways and the X-Men characters dealing with the tragedy emotionally.  I really enjoyed how Chris Claremont handled Storm’s character as we see her being emotionally affected by the situation and how it affected her position as the leader of the X-Men and it was truly moving seeing Storm struggle with being the leader of the X-Men.  I also enjoyed seeing Storm as the leader of the X-Men since it was rare of me to see her in such a position.  I really enjoyed Chris Claremont’s writing in “New Mutants” as the characters were really interesting, especially Illyana Rasputin (Magik), Warlock, Danielle Moonstar (Valkyrie) and Samuel Guthrie (Cannonball) and it was great seeing a younger generation of X-Men step up the plate in this tragedy. Louise Simonson’s writing for “X-Factor” was fantastic as it was interesting seeing the original five X-Men work together again and I enjoyed seeing how the murdering of the Morlocks affected them and how the mutant community looks at them as they were disguised as the mutant hunting team “X-Factor” even though they were trying to help the mutants.  I also enjoyed Louise Simonson’s writing in “Power Pack” as it was hilarious and intense at the same time as I really enjoyed seeing the adventures of Franklin Richards and the Power Pack as it is rare that I see a comic book with small children being superheroes, which I thought was really cute!  I really like Ann Nocenti’s writing in “Daredevil” as the fight between Daredevil and Saber tooth was really intense and I enjoyed the inner monologues of Daredevil as it really defined his position in being a superhero.

The artwork: Out of all the graphic novels I had read, “X-Men: Mutant Massacre” probably had the most artists I had ever seen out of any graphic novel!  Each artist had contributed greatly to this storyline and I had enjoyed each one!  My favorite artwork in this book came from Jackson Guice’s artwork in “New Mutants,” Rick Leonardi’s artwork in “Uncanny X-Men,” John Romita Jr’s artwork in “Uncanny X-Men,” and Sal Buscema’s artwork in “Daredevil.”  (I know that there is some hate on John Romita Jr.’s artwork in current comics, but I enjoyed the scratchy artwork he created for this storyline).

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I gave this book a four star rating was because I felt that Thor’s side of the story was a bit of a distraction for me as it focused too heavily on Thor and I am not used to the “Shakespearean” dialogue that Thor usually talks in.  Also, you can tell that so much has happened before this storyline, so anyone (like myself) who just jumped in to read an X-Men comic might be wondering about how half of the events that happened to the characters happened in the first place.

This was back in the days when continuity was important in comics.

This comic also deals with the theme of death and sorrow as many characters are killed in this graphic novel and that might upset sensitive readers.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, despite the four star rating (the “X-Men” storylines alone are five stars in my book), “X-Men: Mutant Massacre” is definitely one of the darkest yet most invigorating series I had ever read and anyone who is a huge fan of the X-Men will definitely enjoy this book!

[BOOK REVIEW] Wolverine by Chris Claremont

Title:  Wolverine

Author:  Chris Claremont

Artists:  Frank Miller and Paul Smith


Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 1982


Year Read: 2012


Series: Wolverine


Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 11+ (Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

KILL BILL!

Or at least that is what I think of when I read this story since both main characters (Wolverine and the Bride) had to go to Japan to fight off their rivals.

Brief Introduction:

When I was looking through the comic book boards and I wanted to know what the best “Wolverine” story was, many fans declared that “Wolverine” which was written by Chris Claremont along with artwork by Frank Miller was considered the best “Wolverine” story out there.  So, I went out and got this graphic novel and I have to agree with the fans that this was indeed one of the best “Wolverine” stories out there!  This also features the first four issues in Wolverine's new solo series during the 1980s which I was so impressed at seeing for the first time! Never have I have seen so much drama, romance and action contained into one graphic novel and because of that, “Wolverine” has remained to be one of my all time favorite “X-Men” stories about Wolverine!

What is the story?

Wolverine heads off to Japan to find the love of his life, Mariko Yashida, who is the daughter of Lord Shingen who is the Lord of the Clan Yashida, but discovers that his lover has married someone else, which breaks his heart.  Along the way, Wolverine meets up with a mysterious assassin named Yukio who seems to know about Lord Shingen’s plans to take over all of the major crime gangs in Japan.  Wolverine must put a stop to Lord Shingen’s evil plans to rule as the ultimate crime lord of Japan before it is too late!

What I loved about this comic:

The premise and Chris Claremont’s writing:  I will admit that when I heard about this graphic novel, I did not know what to expect from another book about Wolverine and I actually thought that we would get another “Wolverine” book that is all about the fighting and Wolverine acting tough.  However, in this graphic novel, what we got was an extremely thought-provoking and heartwarming tale about Wolverine’s romance with Mariko and his inner struggles with dealing with his “animal” side.  I loved the way that Chris Claremont has shown us a more sensitive side to Wolverine as he struggles to get the love of his life back while dealing with the customs of her family, which the importance of honor and pride plays a huge role in his story.  I also loved the intense kung-fu atmosphere of this story as it gave this story a more creative approach to Wolverine’s time in Japan and made the story exciting to read through.  Chris Claremont has done an excellent job at writing this story from Wolverine’s point of view on the situation as we are able to see how Wolverine reacts to the situations he gets involved in Japan whether he is confessing his love for Mariko or fighting ninjas out to get him.  It was also interesting seeing how Wolverine viewed himself and Chris Claremont does a brilliant job at portraying Wolverine’s insecurity about being seen as an animal as he usually uses violence to solve his problems. I really enjoyed the tone shift that Chris Claremont had provided when he introduced the other X-Men (Colossus, Storm, Cyclops, Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler) in the second story that was apart of "Uncanny X-Men" as Wolverine’s solo series was dark, while the "Uncanny X-Men" storyline was a bit light toned.

Frank Miller and Paul Smith’s artwork:  When I heard that Frank Miller was doing the artwork for this graphic novel, I was actually blown away by this information because before I read this graphic novel, I was reading “Batman: Year One” which was a graphic novel that Frank Miller wrote himself and I was surprised that Frank Miller has actually done some artwork during his time at the comic book industry.  Frank Miller’s artwork was fantastic as they greatly captured the fight scenes in this story.  I loved the colorings that were done whenever the characters were in shadows as there are dark colorings shadowed on the characters’ faces which really gives off a foreboding feel to the situation.  I also loved Frank Miller’s artwork on the fight scenes, especially the scenes where Wolverine is fighting a group of ninjas and the scene where Wolverine is punching the ninjas is effectively done.  In the “Uncanny X-Men” issues of this graphic novel, Paul Smith did a brilliant job at detailing the fight scenes and the characters’ facial expressions and I loved the way that the colorings are much brighter in these issues than in Frank Miller’s artwork in the “Wolverine” issues.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

The only problem that some readers might find with this graphic novel is that there is some violence in the fight scenes.  The violence usually has Wolverine cutting into another character and you can see some blood squirt out of the wounds.  Now, the violence is actually pretty low-key here as sometimes the blood is not as realistically shown as it usually is in current comics, but the scenes of Wolverine cutting into people might upset some readers.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Wolverine” is definitely one of the best stories dealing with Wolverine and anyone who is a fan of Wolverine or the X-Men in particular; I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this graphic novel to any comic book fan!

[BOOK REVIEW] X-Men Powerless! by Alan Davis, Joe Pruett, Joseph Harris, and Erik Larsen

Title:  X-Men Powerless!

Authors: Alan Davis, Joe Pruett, Joseph Harris, and Erik Larsen

Artists: Tom Raney and Graham Nolan

Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 2000


Year Read: 2012


Series: X-Men


Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 12+ (Some Fighting Scenes)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads
 

Introduction:

Imagine what would happen if the X-Men actually lost their powers.  What would the X-Men do now that they no longer have their mutant powers at their disposal?  Well, that is what happens in this graphic novel called “X-Men: Powerless!” where a strange occurrence causes the X-Men to lose their powers and deal with the fact that they might never fight evil again.

What is this story about?

After the death of Cyclops, Professor Xavier decides to leave the X-Men to help the skrulls find a place to live and the X-Men are left to decide what they should do now.  Suddenly, the High Evolutionary comes by and tells the X-Men that he is taking away their powers because he wanted peace on earth since he thought that there would be no more fighting between the humans and the mutants if the mutants are like the humans.  Unknown to both the High Evolutionary and the X-Men, there is a darker force behind here that is pulling the strings of this plan and the X-Men may have to stop this menace without the help of their powers!  There are a total of five comic book series in this volume and they include:

Uncanny X-Men – Issues #379 (What Dreams May Come…)-#380 (Heaven’s Shadow): written by Alan Davis along with artwork by Tom Raney and coloring by Brian Haberlin

Cable – Issue #78 (I Still Believe I Cannot be Saved): written by Joe Pruett along with artwork by Juan Santacruz and coloring by Gloria Vasquez

X-Force – Issue #101 (Learning to Fly): written by Joseph Harris along with artwork by Steven Harris and coloring by Matt Hicks Harris

Wolverine – Issue #149 (Resurrection): written by Erik Larsen along with artwork by Graham Nolan and coloring by Marie Javins

X-Men – Issue #99: written by Alan Davis along with artwork by Terry Kavanagh and coloring by Hi-Fi Design

What I loved about this story:

Interesting concept: When I first picked up this graphic novel, I was thinking to myself about what would the X-Men do if they lost their mutant abilities? Would they try to go back to their normal lives if they do not have to fight anymore enemies now that their powers are gone?  I must admit that this concept did pique my interest and I was willing to give this comic a shot.  Since there are five separate comic series in this volume, there are many different perspectives on how the characters deal with the issue of losing their powers and I enjoyed seeing those different perspectives, especially with the X-Force team and the X-Men themselves as they are shocked about what happened and even though they tried to go back to their normal lives, they found out that their mutant abilities have become apart of who they are.  I loved how each writer (Alan Davis, Erik Larsen, Joseph Harris, and Joe Pruett) all put their own input on how the mutants have to deal with the situation about them losing their powers as it brought creativity to this volume and so many different perspectives on the situation that I enjoyed with great relish!

Tom Raney and Graham Nolan’s artwork: I really enjoyed Tom Raney and Graham Nolan’s artwork in both “Uncanny X-Men” and “Wolverine” as they both bring a really interesting and “classic nostalgia” spin to the volume!  Tom Raney’s artwork in “Uncanny X-Men” really takes me back to the older X-Men comics as the characters body proportions are appropriately drawn and the characters’ facial expressions are drawn beautifully as you can see the shock and anger on the characters’ faces.  I also loved the coloring done by Brian Haberlin as it made the characters truly stand out and I loved the details being put into Iceman’s ice armor as it literally shines making his ice form truly dazzling to look at.  In the “Wolverine” comic, I loved the way that Graham Nolan gives the story a more crime-noir feel as the artwork is slightly scratchy, but it is in that old-style comic book feel from the 1990s that just makes me feel so nostalgic right now.  My favorite image was at the beginning of the story when Wolverine enters a diner and he is wearing a dirty looking jacket and blue jeans while having a dark and mysterious look on his face that looks like he is having a rough time dealing with the loss of his powers.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

Even though the concept of this volume was extremely interesting, it feels like the story is not really filling in the gaps with some of the characters mentioned and the plot moves a bit too slowly for my tastes.  I am always obsessive when it comes to having good character development in stories in general and even though we get a good glimpse at how the X-Men felt about losing their powers and trying to live a normal life again, there is not really a lot action in this volume and I felt like just skimming through this volume just to get to the action scenes.  I usually like a good balance between action and character development in the stories I read and if there are too many scenes where characters are just talking, then it will get boring but if there are too many action scenes in a story, then we would not be able to understand about what the purpose of the action scenes are for.  That is why writers like Joss Whedon and Chris Claremont have a good grip on balancing character development and action scenes so that way we would not be too bored with the story.  Also, in this volume, I felt that Cable’s and Wolverine’s comic issues were not really important to the main plot since it feels like I am reading two different comics whenever I am reading Cable’s comic and Wolverine’s comic in this volume and even though both comics dealt with how the main characters lost their powers, it still feels too different to the main story of all the mutants losing their powers and trying to get to the High Evolutionary to get their powers back.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “X-Men: Powerless” was an above average reading that would be enjoyable if you want to see how the X-Men deal with the idea of losing their powers.  The concept is really enjoyable, but the story could have been better if there was more action and more involvement from the other mutants besides the main X-Men, hence the three and a half rating I gave this volume.

      

[BOOK REVIEW] X-Men: Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont

Title:  X-Men:  Days of Future Past

Author:  Chris Claremont

Artist:  John Byrne


Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 1981


Year Read: 2012


Series: Uncanny X-Men


Publisher: Marvel Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 11+ (Death, Fighting Scenes and Some Intense Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 
 

Brief Introduction:

As I read through these older X-Men stories originally written by Chris Claremont, I wondered to myself about how the X-Men stories were like back then versus how they are now.  The stories back then seemed to flow together nicely and the character interactions were fantastic and reading some of the newer X-Men stories currently being made, they seem to lose that magic that made them great in the first place.  But enough about my little rant on the state of the “X-Men” comics nowadays, this is about the most popular story in “X-Men” history since “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” “Days of Future Past.” This graphic novel does contain the popular story “Days of Future Past” written by Chris Claremont with artwork by John Byrne, but it also contains issues 138 – 143, so there are multiple stories in this collection that were quite enjoyable!

What is the story?

This collection of stories takes place after the events of “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and the X-Men get into more adventures which includes the inclusion of a young Kitty Pryde into the X-Men! There are a total of six issues in this collection and therefore there are six stories that include:

Elegy – After the events of “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” Cyclops decides to leave the X-Men in order to cope with Jean Grey’s unfortunate death.

Nightcrawler’s Inferno – When Nightcrawler’s soul is stolen by an evil force in the Inferno, the X-Men along with Doctor Strange journey to the Inferno to save Nightcrawler’s soul from the evil forces of the Inferno.

Something Wicked This Way Comes and Rage! – Wolverine and Nightcrawler journey to Canada and not only meet up with the mutant team Alpha Flight, but they also discovered that a monstrous beast named Wendigo is on the loose in the Canadian wilderness!

Days of Future Past and Mind out of Time! – In this classic tale, Kate Pryde (who is Kitty Pryde in the future) goes into the past and takes over Kitty Pryde’s mind in order to warn the X-Men about the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants’ attempt at assassinating Senator Robert Kelly that will unfortunately cause a terrible chain of events that will cause the Sentinels to kill all the mutants in the future.  The X-Men then try to stop the Brotherhood of Mutants from killing Senator Robert Kelly in order to prevent this terrible future from happening!

Demon – On Christmas Eve, all the X-Men left the Institute to spend the holidays with their families, leaving Kitty Pryde by herself.  Unfortunately, Kitty Pryde will soon realize that she is not alone in the Institute when a frightening demon comes to the Institute and tries to attack Kitty!

What I loved about this comic:

Chris Claremont’s writing: As usual with most of the older “X-Men” comics written by Chris Claremont, Chris Claremont’s writing was truly excellent and exciting!  I loved the way that Chris Claremont makes sure that the readers understand what was happening over the years that the characters spent their time as the X-Men, especially in the first story of Cyclops telling readers about the events that happened while he was with the X-Men from the day he first became an X-Men to the death of Jean Grey when she turned into the Dark Phoenix.  I also loved the way that Chris Claremont portrayed the relationships between the X-Men, especially between Storm, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Wolverine and Nightcrawler as all of these members have an extremely close relationship with each other and it was hilarious seeing the witty banter that takes place between Colossus, Wolverine and Nightcrawler.  I especially loved the way that Chris Claremont wrote the story “Days of Future Past” as it was the first X-Men story where the X-Men deals with an apocalyptic future that would soon inspire many other apocalyptic themed stories in the future and the dark and dreary mood of the dystopian world that that X-Men would face in the future was done extremely well and I often felt so much remorse for the X-Men as they had to survive in a world where mutants were becoming extinct.  I also loved the story “Nightcrawler’s Inferno” as Chris Claremont clearly showed the close relationship between the X-Men and Colossus was just so awesome in that story!

John Byrne’s artwork:  John Byrne’s artwork was so fantastic and beautiful and I especially loved the appearances of most of the characters, especially of Kitty Pryde herself having a cute face and long and wavy brown hair (even though I often wonder why she is drawn with having a long face). I also loved the way that John Byrne illustrated the dystopian future in “Days of Future Past” as the world looks dark and dreary with images of buildings being worn down and Sentinels occupying everything in its mist.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

The only problem with this collection of stories is that each story is a bit too long to read through as the pages are littered with information about what happened in past events and the characters are constantly talking about the limits of their powers and how they plan on defeating their enemies.  Now, I love stories where there is so much information about the characters, but in a graphic novel or comic format, it might be a bit too much for new readers to handle and you might get a “brain burn” after you try to read all the information about the characters and the story itself.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Days of Future Past” is easily one of the most memorable “X-Men” stories next to “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and “God Loves Man Kills” and I am definitely sure that “X-Men” fans will take delight in reading this story!