X-Men United #1 (Marvel Comics)
Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I'm going to be reviewing the FIRST issue of X-Men United from Marvel Comics!
If you build it, they will come. At least that’s the idea anyway! And after Charles Xavier said, “Build a school” that’s just what has been done! So will it usher in a new age of learning and knowledge? Or will it all go sideways as it usually does? Let’s jump into it!
Credit: Marvel Comics // X-Men United #1 by Eve L Ewing (Writer), Tiago Palma (Artist), Brian Reber (Color Artist), VC’s Joe Sabino (Letterer), Stefano Caselli & Federico Blee (Cover Artists) is a fantastic start to the series that hits the ground running!
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The Story
I’ve really enjoyed what Marvel and it’s various writers have done with X-Men & it’s various related properties when it comes to comics the last few years and the reinvigoration that has been done to the franchise. So when Krakoa a few years back, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would mean for the future of the X-Men & mutants. It’s safe to say that this series, along with the other X-Men series out at comic shops, continues the tremendous writing we’ve been seeing.
The story starts with a call to arms, sort of. Emma Frost is seen telepathically communicating with mutants across the globe and inviting them to a place called Graymatter Lane. Just what is Graymatter Lane? Put simply, it’s going to be the new learning place for mutants to train and hone their skills. Frost claims that it will only be accessible to “those mutants who possess the telepathic key.”
It’s an interesting idea that will be intriguing to see how this all plays out. You have a LOT of volatile personalities under the same roof together, and Rogue even brings this up saying “Everybody in this room has hurt everybody else at some time or another.” All the while Emma Frost tries assuring the group Graymatter Lane is impenetrable, Cyclops isn’t convinced. He spells it out quite plainly saying, “We all know what happens when mutants gather together in large numbers. We’ve all lived it. We’re sitting ducks.” And I have to say it’s hard to disagree with Scott on this one because while yes he has been hard headed and on the wrong side more than his fair share the last decade plus, he’s seen his fair share catastrophic events involving mutant-kind.
We get a glimpse at what daily life will be like for the students, and honestly who wouldn’t love to get combat lessons from Logan and Laura Kinney? We also get a look at the new recruiting method the group will use, and honestly I really like the subtly of it. These moments breakup the tension nicely and give some glimpses of daily life in this new setup they’ve got.
Of course, then you get to the ending. Where Cyclops is talking to Glob about what’s been going on and you get to the final page. I won’t spoil what it is or what happens, but if you’re at all familiar with Cyclops the last decade plus then you’ll not be surprised at all by what happens. It makes more a VERY compelling conclusion and what’s sure to be a very interesting series.
The Artwork
Tiago Palma & Brian Reber are in charge of the artwork for this issue and I really enjoyed the job they did with it. The use of color was tremendous and really popped off the page incredibly well, and the way it was drawn was really intriguing. It has a unique & distinct style that helps it stand out from other series. There’s also a sense of familiarity with the way it’s drawn that makes it easy for any fan to jump into this series and read if they haven’t kept up with everything X-Men lately.
FINAL POINT: As far as starts to a series go, this is a great a start as you could expect. Eve Ewing gets things started with an incredibly compelling story that is sure to keep readers wanting more! Together with stellar artwork, this is an issue that you do NOT want to miss out on!
Overall Grade: 9/10
Thank you for taking the time to check out my review. Be sure to reach out to me on Twitter, and let me know what you thought of the issue!
