Uncanny X-Men: Manifest Destiny

The “Divided We Stand” storyline which ran through X-Men comics after Messiah CompleX (see Uncanny X-Men: Divided We Stand and X-Men: Legacy – Divided He Stands) lead to a new home and a new ideology. The “Manifest Destiny” storyline that ran in all of the books right after set up a new beginning. For the X-Men, we see this in Uncanny X-Men: Manifest Destiny.


A prologue of sorts introduces readers who don’t follow New X-Men to Pixie, who begins to take her place as an X-Man. Then, the main storyline kicks in, with the X-Men now in San Francisco, celebrating their new beginning while struggling against a string of hate crimes against mutants, lead by the Hellfire Cult. Also, we see some short stories that explore a number of X-Men as they deal with Messiah CompleX, Divided We Stand, and Manifest Destiny.

Uncanny X-Men: Manifest Destiny contains: Free Comic Book Day: X-Men 2008 (“Pixies and Demons”), Uncanny X-Men #500, #501 (“All Tomorrow’s Parties”), #502 (“Beginning to See the Light”), #503, and stories from X-Men: Manifest Destiny #1 (“Control”), #2 (“Good With the Bad” and “Flaw”), #3 (“Abomination” and “Uncheerable”), #4 (“Mercury”), #5 (“Dazzler: Solo”).

This volume feels a bit broken up, with a number of shorter, self-contained stories of sorts. Free Comic Book Day: X-Men 2008 gives us a story of Pixie at home in Wales, as she realizes that her town is overrun with demons. It is a fun, fast-paced tale, that does a lot for the character (who otherwise I would stare at incredulously, saying “Pixie?!”).

Uncanny X-Men #500 also feels more at home as a standalone. Gala celebrations, a rather racist art display, and the attack of the first villain the X-Men ever faced cap off the anniversary issue, as well as a subplot involving the High Evolutionary that seems to be a holdover from the last Eternals series, and one that gets no mention later in the volume.

The main story begins in Uncanny X-Men #501, with the X-Men exploring their new lives in San Francisco, and dealing with the Hellfire Cult, a group that is perpetrating hate crime after hate crime against mutants. It is a fast-paced and engaging tale.

This is followed by a string of short stories pulled from the miniseries X-Men: Manifest Destiny. These seemed like an odd inclusion, on some parts. Only some of the stories, not all, were bound into this volume. Others were included in the volume X-Men: Manifest Destiny, which focuses solely on the “Manifest Destiny” miniseries. It seems they should have been collected all together, but so it goes. They were pleasant reads, not much to most of them (the obvious exception being “Abomination,” dealing with one young characters abuse at the hands of his father), but a nice end to the beginning of the X-Men in San Francisco.

In the full view, this was a nice volume, likely a great jumping on point for new readers, and one that gives you a lot of little tidbits instead of one long story.

9/10

X-Men: Powerless

Going back a little while, I read the string of issues from late 1999/early 2000 that were being republished, in the volumes X-Men: The Shattering, X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve, and X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse. That segment continues in a brand new volume, X-Men: Powerless.


After the stunning events of The Twelve and Ages of Apocalypse, the team is in shock. Cyclops appears to be dead, Jean Grey leaves the team, and everyone needs a break. The X-Men take a day off, only to receive a most unwelcome visitor, the High Evolutionary, who has drastic news: to save humanity, he has eliminated the ability to use the x-gene, thus turning all mutants into normal humans!

X-Men: Powerless contains: Uncanny X-Men #379 (“What Dreams May Come…”), #380 (“Heaven’s Shadow”), Cable #78 (“I Still Believe I Cannot Be Saved”), X-Force #101 (“Learning to Fly”), Wolverine #149 (“Resurrection”), X-Men #99 (“Oh, the Humanity!”).

One immediate downside: the main storyline is carried just in the X-men books. While Cable, X-Force, and Wolverine deal with the effects of the High Evolutionary’s blocking of mutant abilities, they have no real tie to the main story. Thus, after one chapter to kick off the event and start the main story, we leave that story for half of the book. That jump felt abrupt, and meant going a long time without any real meat to the plot, just more day in the life scenes. Also of note, the issue of Cable was more an epilogue to X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: The Ages of Apocalypse. The Powerless storyline doesn’t arrive until the very last page, in a full page panel. No other attachment. I imagine that these issues were included because, in order of least to most important, A) they do show the effects of the loss of powers, B) it fills out the book to a normal size of six issues, and C) it makes a nice capping point, before the Revolution event and the return of Chris Claremont.

On the plus side, the story is fun. The Cable issue drags a bit, but it was nice to see some closure from The Ages of Apocalypse. X-Force was a nice standalone piece that explored bullying, a common theme for X-Men comics. Wolverine was nothing but a robot slaughter, guest starring the New Warriors (including Nova, who has risen to some prominence lately). Action? Yes. I good story? Any real plot worth following? Not really.

The issues of X-Men and Uncanny X-Men tell the overarching story, and it is one that is much better than the three standalone pieces. The idea of blocking mutants to make everyone human raised questions of making the whole world white to stop racism, or to make everyone heterosexual to stop homophobia. This event made a nice parallel that was also explored in the issues by characters in dialogue. The pace was right, and the story a nice, fun, short one after the epic length and time scale of X-Men vs. Apocalypse.

The X-Men story is a plus, and the other three issues a not-so-much, but all-in-all this was still a fun volume. Consider just reading the X-Men issues. You won’t miss anything important to the story.

7/10

X-Men: Legacy – Divided He Stands

X-Men: Messiah CompleX changed a lot. The team’s old headquarters were destroyed, and they made a major move to a new home in Uncanny X-Men: Divided We Stand. However, even more changed for Professor X. His story is found in the newly-re-titled X-Men: Legacy, the first volume of which is X-Men: Legacy – Divided He Stands.


After what should have been a fatal injury at the end of Messiah CompleX, Xavier is on the brink of death when he is rescued by, of all people, the villain Exodus. Exodus uses his powers to repair Xavier’s broken body, but he needs the help of Xavier’s long-time friend and archenemy Magneto to repair Xavier’s fractured mind. And just as that situation seems to be resolved, Xavier discovers a dark secret buried in his past.

X-Men: Legacy – Divided He Stands contains: X-Men: Legacy #208 (“From Genesis to Revelations”), #209 (From Genesis to Revelations, Part Two”), #210 (“From Genesis to Revelations, Part Three”), #211 (“Sins of the Father, Part One”), #212 (“Sins of the Father, Part Two”).

While X-Men: Legacy isn’t the action fest that Uncanny X-Men is, Mike Carey’s story is incredibly gripping, as he weaves huge amounts of the X-Men’s and Xavier’s past into the story. Xavier’s quest to save his mind and rediscover his memories is one that leads to a lot of dark places in X-Men history, and each is explored in a wonderful tapestry that all fits back together into the frame narrative.

There is plenty of character exploration, and lots and background. The story is an excellent character piece about Xavier, and what he went through and accomplished as head of the X-Men, both good and bad. Solid work.

Things that might perturb readers: The story is definitely continuity-heavy, so some new readers may not get all of the references. This isn’t necessary to enjoy the story, but it may still bother some. Also, while all volumes of X-Men are part of a larger story, and those no true, definite “end” is ever there, the wrapping up of the current story provides that end piece. This volume ends mid story, so it isn’t the best for those looking for a one-and-done book.

9/10

Uncanny X-Men: Divided We Stand

Continuing my exploration of X-Men, I finished X-Men: Messiah CompleX, which did much to really revolutionize the status quo of the series. Following on from that story, I will be picking up the threads with Uncanny X-Men and the newly retitled X-Men: Legacy, as well as occasional interlinked stories not from those titles, and of course work on building up the back catalogue. Lots of work ahead! To start down that road, I picked up Uncanny X-Men: Divided We Stand, which picks up the pieces for the X-Men team after X-Men: Messiah CompleX.


After the shocking events to close out Messiah CompleX, the X-Men are on a bit of a hiatus. Scott Summers and Emma Frost are in the Savage Land on vacation, while Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler are in Russia, trying to help Colossus get over the grief of the apparent death of his love, Kitty Pryde (over in Astonishing X-Men, which isn’t reviewed here), and Angel, Iceman, Warpath, and Hepzibah head out west on a mission that is rather mysterious. However, no one gets the full relaxation that they need, as old enemies try to take advantage of Colossus and his friends, while the team that headed to San Francisco meets a powerful mutant force that seems to have turned the city back into the sixties.

Uncanny X-Men: Divided We Stand contains: Uncanny X-Men # 495-499

After the big blow-out extravaganza that was Messiah CompleX, the X-Men needed some down time. That was one of the highlights of Claremont’s run, showing us some of the time off for the X-Men. However, in Divided We Stand things don’t work out quite as well. The Summers/Frost storyline quickly pulls back to San Francisco, where the whole flower-power scene gets a little old after a while. The storyline just wasn’t as engaging as I would have liked it. However, it does come to a satisfying conclusion that sounds the call for a new home for the X-Men.

The Wolverine/Colossus/Nightcrawler story was much more engaging of the two, with great dialogue and good action. The story as a whole felt rather unimportant as a whole to the furthering of the X-Men storyline, but it was fun, and worth the read.

All-in-all, this one isn’t the best of the collections out there, but it is worth a pick up for fans of the series.

8/10

X-Men: Messiah CompleX by Ed Brubaker, Peter David, Craig Kyle & Chris Yost, and Mike Carey

Luke Reviews just explored Uncanny X-Men: The Extremists as we get caught up with today’s X-Men. The Extremists builds up to a major event that sets up a new status quo that informs the stories for the next few years, up through the just-finished X-Men: Second Coming. That event is the birth of a new mutant baby, the first after the events depicted in House of M. Thus begins X-Men: Messiah CompleX.


In Alaska, a baby mutant is born. The Reavers (focused on more in the X-Men series written by Mike Carey) and the Purifiers (seen predominantly in Craig Kyle & Chris Yost’s New X-Men) make the Alaskan town a battle zone in a fight to recover the baby, with the Purifiers wanting to kill the child as an act of religious fervor, and the Reavers wanting to use the child to further their mutant-dominant agenda. The X-Men find out about the birth, but arrive too late to get the child, instead trying to save the people hurt during the battle. As things play out, all of the major X-Men teams come together to try and save the baby, and give mutants and humans alike hope for the future.

X-Men: Messiah Complex contains: X-Men: Messiah Complex one-shot, Uncanny X-Men #492-494, X-Men #205-207, New X-Men #44-46, and X-Factor #25-27.

Crossovers hold a rather infamous place in X-Men and comics history, frequently being nothing more than a way to sell extra books, and having rather pointless storylines that are confusing if you aren’t reading every single x-book out there. Messiah CompleX proved to be the exception rather than the rule. While it is obvious as you are reading through that things have been building up in the other comics (especially in X-Men and New X-Men, it seems, far more so than in Uncanny X-Men), the major points and bits of information are covered, leaving even new readers with a good understanding of what is going on. While some background is necessary to enjoy this, being totally up-to-date on every book isn’t required.

The story is fast-paced, working through a huge number of different plot threads, yet managing to tie them all back together very nicely at the end. Everyone gets some face time, each of the teams plays a role, and the story flows right along without a hitch. The large cast of characters may seem overwhelming, but it works out well in the end, and is a lot of fun.

Those looking for a crossover with actual implications will find it here as well. New X-Men ended, and spawned the short-lived Young X-Men, while X-Men changed its name to X-Men: Legacy. We see the creation of X-Force, which gets its own series, X-Force, and Cable returns to a prominent role, entering his own new series, Cable. The whole status quo is revamped, and things are all-new all over again.

If you are looking for a fast paced story that wraps up old plot-lines and starts new ones, this is the place to be. Although perhaps not the best book for first-timers.

8/10

Uncanny X-Men: The Extremists by Ed Brubaker

Continuing the reading of X-Men, I finished Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire, which I loved. The ending left plenty still up in the air, with the team divided and the Shi’Ar Empire under new leadership. Those interested in following the story in space should check out the now out-of-print X-Men: Emperor Vulcan, then move on to X-Men: Kingbreaker, which is contained in War of Kings: Road to War of Kings, then move on to War of Kings and Realm of Kings. I moved on instead with the main X-Men group, and so continued on in Uncanny X-Men with Uncanny X-Men: The Extremists.


After an accident in the underground tunnels that are home to a group of grotesque and deformed mutants, one young mutant is kidnapped, while another barely survives, and makes his way to the home of the X-Men. His arrival leads to a team of X-Men, including “guest star” and returning X-Man Storm, heading underground to confront a secret mutant terrorist cult that wants to reassert mutants as a dangerous threat.

Uncanny X-Men: The Extremists contains: Uncanny X-Men #487-491

Brubaker follows up his epic-scale space opera with a much shorter tale that lies closer to home, featuring the return of a number of characters. This tale manages to be fun, although it also at times feels like a short tale to fill the space between Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire and X-Men: Messiah CompleX, working as a bridge that moves the different characters where they need to be for the next major confrontation.

Regardless of that, however, Brubaker delivers a tale that is fun and a fast read, and will leave you excited for the next installment.

8/10

Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire by Ed Brubaker

As Luke Reviews fans know, I’m digging into X-Men, trying to get caught up to the current releases, and exploring the stuff I loved at a much younger age. My last stop was Ed Brubaker’s X-Men: Deadly Genesis, which was good, if not great, but seemed to do quite a bit to set up Brubaker’s run on Uncanny X-Men. After wrapping up Deadly Genesis, it was time to see the next title, Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire, Brubaker’s first under the Uncanny X-Men banner.


After the events of X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Vulcan flies out to space, intent on wreaking revenge on the man who killed his mother: D’Ken, the comatose former emperor of the Shi’Ar Empire. Professor Xavier doesn’t want to add more carnage to the wrath of his greatest mistake, so he gathers a team of X-Men consisting of Marvel Girl, Warpath, Nightcrawler, Havok, Polaris, and Darwin (introduced in Deadly Genesis) to race against time to warn Empress Lilandra that her Empire will soon fall under attack from one of the most powerful, and most dangerous, mutants alive.

Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire contains: Uncanny X-Men #475 (“Plan B”), #476 (“The Things They Left Behind”), #477 (“Vulcan’s Progress”), #478 (“Castaways”), #479 (“Double-Edged”), #480 (“Vulcan’s Progress (Redux)”), #481 (“Crossing the Rubicon”), #482 (“Imperial Rescue”), #483 (“Vulcan’s Descent”), #484 (“In Exile”), #485 (“The End of All That Is”), #486 (“Endings and Beginnings”), as well as sketches, a diagram of the ship used by the X-Men team, and an interview with Ed Brubaker and artist Billy Tan from an uncredited issue of Marvel Spotlight.

After the okay but not stellar performance in Deadly Genesis, I was a little hesitant about diving into this rather large story, but it turned out that I had absolutely no reason to be. Brubaker has created a fast-paced story that still maintains an epic scope. His storytelling is spot on, throwing wrenches into the plans of the X-Men at every turn, mixing action and solid plot together very well.

His characterization is also spot on. He reworks old character Warpath, and makes him a very engaging and exciting person to follow, and his work on new character Darwin is also top notch, making him a solid addition to the X-Men team, and very much an individual. His exploration of Vulcan gets a bit better, although it still felt a little weak for a villain taking up such a huge amount of the X-Men’s time.

Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire is space opera at its most fun, with an engaging cast of characters, plenty of space flight, and no lack of action and excitement. A very fun read.

9/10

X-Men: Deadly Genesis by Ed Brubaker

Everything is all about energy. So when millions of mutants with the power to alter and control Earth’s energies lose their abilities, where does all of that energy go? This was hinted at in the final pages of Brian Michael Bendis’ House of M, and Brubaker’s first story as scribe of the X-Men picks up right after House of M, with that same question, and its dark answer.


After the drastic change of the status quo of the Marvel Universe, a large wave of energy is released, the culmination of the powers lost by the former mutants. This wave tears into a space shuttle, killing everyone, but also has an effect less apparent at first. It hits a large mass in space, and awakens someone living inside it. Shocked at the date, he heads to Earth. The X-men, meanwhile, are still living with the realities of a post-House of M world, and things begin to heap upon them as ghosts of the past appear before their very eyes. After reading a strange energy source, a team heads out to find it, and finds far more, starting a fight that will tear open old wounds, expose betrayals, and set up a new era for the X-Men.

This volume collects X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1-6, which includes the main story, plus five back up stories that add more depth and character background to the new characters introduced, “Petra,” “Darwin,” “Sway,” “Kid Vulcan,” and “What Emma Doesn’t Know.”

Brubaker has gradually been garnering a name for himself in the comics world, so there was a lot of excitement when it was announced that he was moving to Uncanny X-Men. He wanted to start things out with a bang, shaking up the major mythos of the X-Men canon with his opening mini-series. While he has indeed done that, digging back to old storylines from decades ago, it wasn’t the smoothest work it could have been.

Vulcan comes across as a very flat villain, no real emotional rationale for his actions. He seemingly takes on all of the X-Men simply because he is angry with one person, and his plans seem a touch contradictory at times.

However, the story itself is fun, doing a good job of getting new readers up to speed, and reacquainting old readers with the status quo. The characters seem to stay in character, the action is fun, and there is plenty of drama to keep the story moving along, while at the same time introducing a number of new characters.

The story does end without a very solid conclusion, which works well to start the next installment, Uncanny X-Men: Rise & Fall of the Shi’ar Empire, but means that this one doesn’t stand alone very well.

A fun story, and a nice introduction to a new run on Uncanny X-Men, although not the best work from that series. Worth a look to get started on the road to getting caught up.

7/10

House of M by Brian Michael Bendis

Those of you who read my essay, “The Post-X-Men vs. Apocalypse X-Men,” will recall that this is where I proposed to start my project of getting caught up with X-Men. Many people seem to have low opinions of X-Men because of its status as a comic book, but it tells stories just as engaging and entertaining as most of the novels I read, and at times (such as the brilliant God Loves, Man Kills written by Chris Claremont) really reaches towards the best of storytelling, regardless of genre or format. So, with plenty of excitement, I dove into the event that in large part launched the last few years of X-Men comics, House of M.


Magneto’s daughter Wanda is slowly losing her grip on reality, and her powers are just enough that this is a big problem. The first time she lost her grip, three people died. Under control again, the X-Men and the Avengers join together to decide the fate of their friend and former hero. However, before they can make a choice, tragedy strikes, and in a flash of white, the world changes. Magneto is king of the most powerful nation in the world, mutants are the upper class, and the X-Men and Avengers don’t exist. However, one man remembers the truth, and sets out to overthrow an entire world, and set things back on the right path.

Brian Michael Bendis is a very solid storyteller, and he doesn’t falter here. His sweeping story manages to showcase the drastic new direction the world has taken, while at the same time giving us a cast of characters to follow. He manages to hit some interesting depths as well, including a discussion on the ethical “rightness” of destroying one world, even if it is artificially constructed, for the sake of returning things to the original world. Combining action and a great plot, Bendis makes this one a real winner, and a great jumping on point for new readers. A great start to my surge into the newer X-Men series.

9/10

X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse by Karl Bollers, Ben Raab, Alan Davis, Terry Kavanagh, Joe Pruett, Erik Larsen, and Joseph Harris

Having read the first half of X-Men vs. Apocalypse, I knew I didn’t want to leave it at the cliffhanger ending for long, so I dove right back in with the second half, X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse.


The second book picks up where things were left at the end of X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve, this book contains three major stories. The first follows those who were left behind after the fight to save wolverine, as they find that someone is hacking the databases and gathering information on killing the X-Men. Next, we see the “Ages of Apocalypse” storyline, where, after the end of Volume 1, the time stream has been distorted in an attempt to give Apocalypse the victory he has nearly in his grasp. The final story, “The Search for Cyclops,” deals with the after-effects of the battle with Apocalypse, months after the fact, as Phoenix and Cable try to save an X-Man.

X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse contains: X-51 #8(“Aftermath”), Uncanny X-Men #378 (“First & Last, Part 1”), Annual 1999 (“Utopia Perdida”), Cable #77(“Falsehoods”), Wolverine #148(“Same As It Never Was”), X-Men Unlimited #26(“Day of Judgement”), X-Men #98 (“First & Last, Part 2”), X-Men: The Search for Cyclops #1 (“Lost”), #2 (“Hunted”), #3 (“Am I Evil?”), #4 (“Found!”).

The storyline continues to be quite fun, although a little convoluted, in part due to the need to make two books similar in size that end at thematically appealing sections. The group left behind is hoping to make it to the main battle in Egypt in time, but based on the final chapter from Volume 1, we know they won’t. There is a months-long gap between the end of “The Ages of Apocalypse” and “The Search for Cyclops,” a time in which I know upcoming stories are set, making this one a little disjointed, if still an apt coda to the story. This book feels a touch episodic, with its three distinctly different storylines, rather than the two threads that were tightly inter-woven in the first book.

However, each manages to be entertaining in its own right. The members left behind manage a suitable series of battles in their attempt to race to Egypt, while the “Ages of Apocalypse” plays with a series of altered realities, both present and future, before wrapping up to tie back into the first storyline in this book, reuniting the team. The final portion narrows its focus to just a few main characters, and is interesting both in its tale of searching for a lost friend and in its eventual impact down the line in the X-Men series.

All in all, this is a fun book. It works as a satisfying conclusion to the plot arc, although it doesn’t maintain the suspense and epic plot of the first volume. It sometimes made it feel like the main climax was in the first book, with this just an extended denouement, but it does act as a nice in-between book, foreshadowing future events. This line of X-Men collections continues in X-Men: Powerless, released August 10.

7/10

X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve by Erik Larsen, Joe Pruett, Terry Kavanagh, Alan Davis, and Fabian Nicieza

After really enjoying X-Men: The Shattering, I knew I needed to pick up the next book in line, X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve. It picks up right where the previous volume left off.


As the mystery of The Twelve and Death’s true identity deepen, this volume opens up focusing on a few plot threads that are new to readers of the previous volume. As Cable, a man from the future sent to the past to prevent it, is stalked by Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Wolverine is struck by his inner demons. After they get caught up to the beginning of The Twelve, we return to the X-Men from the previous volume, now joined by the others, as the entire plan, spanning the entire history of the X-Men, comes to fruition. All of the future is in jeopardy as a dark god of humanity’s past plays his part in the prophecy, and threatens to destroy everything the X-Men have ever fought for.

X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 1: The Twelve contains: Uncanny X-Men #376(“Filling in the Blanks”), #377(“The End of the World As We Know It”), Cable #73(“Pestilence!”), #74(“Mindgames”), #75(“Who is Worthy to Break the Seals..?”), #76(“In My Eyes”), X-Men #96(“The Gathering”), #97(“The End of the World As We Know It, Part Two”), Wolverine #145(“On the Edge of Darkness”), #146(“Through a Dark Tunnel”), #147(“Into the Light”), and two pages from X-Man #59.

Like its predecessor, this is a fun book. There is a huge cast of characters, which may be off-putting to some, but for the most part it is well handled. The beginning of the book, which strays from the original X-Men plotline, also can be a bit of an abrupt switch, but it does a nice job of telling a fluid tale that brings all of the important characters up to the beginning of the major storyline, “Apocalypse: The Twelve” (although it should be noted that one of the issues collected references X-Man #60, which isn’t included; that seems like an odd piece to leave out). Everything draws together quite nicely, taking a large number of plot threads and pulling them down into one major one, before branching out a bit at the end to two. The first half of this large story flows well, and really builds the tension for the second volume, X-Men vs. Apocalypse, Volume 2: Ages of Apocalypse. I won’t miss it.

8/10

X-Men: The Shattering by Alan Davis, Terry Kavanagh, Jay Faerber, and Mike Raicht

Every once in a while, in a fit of nostalgia, I go back to look at the joys of my youth, so to speak. One thing that was ever present in my formative years were comics, in particular (and my favorite) X-Men. Now a days, collections of these comics are being put out, and finding some from when I was younger, I decided to pick up a collection and see how it read. X-Men: The Shattering is the beginning of a string of collections of consecutive comics, continuing in X-Men vs. Apocalypse Volume 1: The Twelve. Much of this volume works as a prelude to that next volume.


After a string of trying exploits taken them from one of their greatest upsets to the edges of space, our band of mutants return home, only to find their leader and mentor, Professor Xavier, has seemed to snap, disbanding the team. The group breaks into three pieces, each setting out on their own new adventures, only to find out that a common foe is behind the breakup of the team and their latest problems. But after one of their own is killed before their eyes, can the X-Men recover in time to stop a threat that may have catastrophic consequences for the entire universe?

X-Men: The Shattering contains: Uncanny X-Men #372(“Dream’s End, Chapter One: Rude Awakenings”), #373(“Beauty & the Beast, Part One: Broken Mirrors”), #374(“Beauty & the Beast, Part Two: You Can’t Go Home Again”), #375(“I am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever Been…”), X-Men #92(“Dream’s End, Chapter Two: Pressure Points”), #93(“Hidden Lives, Part 1 of 2: Open Wounds”), #94(“Hidden Lives Part 2 of 2: Pandora’s Box”), #95(“Do Unto Others”), Astonishing X-Men #1(“Call to Arms!”), #2(“The Trouble with Mannites”), #3(“In the Shadow of Death”).

The story is fast and fun. Despite the multitude of creators with hands in on this one, the story remains cohesive, and it is organized in this volume to give us the story in the smoothest possible way. A very entertaining volume. There are a lot of characters being handled in this one, some I wasn’t too intimately familiar with, but they were introduced and integrated into the story quite nicely, without too much trouble at all.

The only possible major drawback would be that, as stated above, this isn’t so much a stand-alone story as a prelude to the two volume X-Men vs. Apocalypse series. If you want a one volume complete story, this one won’t be for you. However, after finishing this one, I know that I can’t wait to dive into the next book. The Claremont era (the original one, at least) was over in X-Men, and with it some of the deep stories that delved into religion, racism, and the like. This volume doesn’t try to attain that, but instead is just geared to give a fun story, and in that regard, it certainly succeeds.

8/10

Wolverine: Tales of Weapon X by Fred Van Lente and Marc Sumerak

In honor of the new movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine (which I thought was a lot of fun) I picked up this compilation graphic novel from my shelves to peruse.  It seemed like a nice, easy prelude to diving into the very thick Ravenor: The Omnibus, which I am currently reading.  As it is more of a collection of a few stories, below are mini-reviews, a la a collection or anthology.

"Weapon X: First Class" by Marc Sumerak: In a retelling of the classic Barry Windsor-Smith Weapon X, but in an all ages variant, we are introduced to the entire gruesome history behind Wolverine, as Professor X helps Wolverine delve into his deep, forgotten past.  While the all ages factor limits some of the dark story's potential, it still was well done.  However, of exceptional note are the three very short back-up stories included with this main tale, "The Recruit," "No Class," and "The Job," all of which were very well done vignettes that really seemed to be the cream of the crop.

"The Buddy System" and "Surprise" by Fred Van Lente: Continuing the all ages focus of the book, we move to two stand alone stories from the new ongoing series Wolverine: First Class, which pair Wolverine with Kitty Pride, back when she had just joined the X-Men.  Both of the tales have a great focus on character interactions without hurting the story or taking away action, and they both really use the all ages format well, avoiding excess violence or adult situations without making it obvious.  Very well done.

"Kickin' It Old School" by Marc Sumerak: The second story in the series Wolverine and Power Pack, this one doesn't really fulfill the claim on the back of "tales from Wolverine's mysterious past," as this one is rather modern, but it was still a fun, light way to wrap up the collection, and certainly introduced me to a series I would have avoided like the plague before.  I still don't know if I will pick up any collections of Wolverine and Power Pack, but it was fun enough.

Overall, Sumerak and, especially, Van Lente do great jobs of playing with the all ages format, pulling out stories that have emotional depth while not ratcheting up the violence or excessive gore.  A good collection for X-Men fans of any age, this was a fun way to relax before a much larger venture.

8/10