Marvel Comics
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales
Cover by Olivier Coipel, Laura Martin
This really is the book I’ve been waiting for. And from the sound of the internet, so is everyone else. An all-female X-Men team with a critically acclaimed and underrated writer. One of the best artists in the business. And did I mention the cast not only all female but the legendary X-writer Chris Cleremont’s best? There was a lot riding on this book. And it blew expectations away.
There was so much great in this book. It’s hard to ignore the powerful image on the cover. The best of the X-Men right there. Spelled out for us is the main cast. Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Marvel Girl, Shadowcat, and Jubilee. These are Cleremont’s ladies. He built them, made them tough, made them badass. Over the years they’ve been taken in many different and difficult places. Now they are brought together when one of the most powerful enemies, John Sublime, returns. Of course, there is much more to the story than that. Case in point: why does Jubilee have a baby?
How great is this book? Remember when I mentioned Cleremont as a legend? This is a second coming of that greatness of the 70’s and 80’s books. When action and story could be contained perfectly in one book and little seeds getting planted for much bigger and shocking storylines in the future. Writer Brian Wood has deftly brought these wonderful characters to today but still keeping with everyone that we’ve loved about them for so many years. They aren’t bickering or in-fighting. They are friends and will stay that way. He has such a great handle on everything in his work that you know it will pay off in a very big way. Thankfully, it looks like every issue is going to have its own payoff too. Oliver Coipel with his always brilliant and gorgeous art cranks out another winner with “X-Men.” This is a massively high profile book with a lot to lose and it doesn’t disappoint. It really amps up with we expected and makes sure you realize you don’t know what’s going to happen next.
Jo
