X-Men #1 (2013)
Writer – Brian Wood
Pencils – Olivier Coipel
One of the things that Marvel has done well with their “NOW” lineup is putting a bigger spotlight on their female characters. One of the “new” additions to the lineup of book is the return of the simply titled “X-Men”. The story still focuses upon Jubilee as it did previously, but now she is teaming up with top tier mutant ladies. The story begins with Jubilee making her way back home after adopting a baby from overseas. This is followed by some filler at the Jean Grey School which moves into some action on a train and into a cliffhanger back on the Jean Grey campus.
The writing is very good and makes an otherwise eventless story become a very enjoyable read. This issue is all setup, but it is enjoyable setup. Each of the iconic characters keep their personalities intact and a surprise at the end brings back an unexpected villain. The concept of Jubilee having an adopted kid seems a little strange, but it works into the story that Wood is writing. Finally, the little scene of two students arguing helps add atmosphere to the school, but hopefully scenes like this will serve a greater utility to the story rather than being ambient filler in future issues.
The artwork is great. The characters are clearly designed and look nice in their new costumes. The backgrounds are mostly well done with some good detailing for the larger shots. There is not much action in this book, but some of the excitement on the train looks pretty good despite some of the random posing that is occurring during the “fast paced train rescue”. While the posing might be a little cheese it does not take away from the book and is not offensive by any means just an odd quirk of the art.
While the concept of an all female X-Men team is just a gimmick this book looks to be able to go past simple marketing. The writing is well done and the setup has already got me excited about issue two. The artwork has a couple quirks, but overall is really good. Like many issue one titles this does have quite a bit of potential, but unlike many issue one titles this one has a staff that can live up to that potential. If this book continues to have this level of quality or better yet surpasses this level then X-Men may just become my favorite of the current run of X-Men titles. If you like the X-Men or have an interest in an all female team book then give this title a read. If you do not like the X-Men or if you think girls have cooties you may still like this book. X-Men is easily one of the best NOW titles that Marvel has released.
Bottom Line:
5 out of 5 – Highly recommended for any x-Men fan