The original X-Men returns this week, which is a welcome surprise given how different the X-Men line has been since they were returned to their timeline. This isn’t just any one-shot, but a chance to revisit the characters and start something new. Don’t just take my word for it – read Christos Gage’s thoughts from X-Men Monday. Something is coming out of this series you won’t want to miss.
The zany sci-fi aspects of X-Men come through strong in this new one-shot. It’s also heavily Jean Grey-focused. The issue opens with the original team (Iceman, Beast, Jean, and Cyclops) fighting Plantman when things are more straightforward for the team. Soon, a multiverse-traveling Phoenix visits them, giving back their memories of when they rocketed into the future and setting them on a new mission. The mission: To stop another evil, multiverse-traveling Phoenix!
The story gives Gage the chance to pen a fun, done-in-one romp while establishing a new multiversal threat. It also lets this younger team meet some familiar faces and play off the alternate realities of it all. It’s pretty clear there’s a lot of potential to use these younger X-Men, and Gage uses it to full effect. Beast might be my favorite in this issue as he gets to say his usual lines but is also the logical and hopeful type. Iceman gets to crack, and Cyclops is ever serious. It’ll bring you back to the old days.
Plantman stans, rise up!
Credit: Marvel
As far as the villains–and the fact that Jean has to understand she’s quite evil in other timelines–the story is a little less giving. That might be because the main villain is more of a tease for more to come, but the evil Jean is also somewhat simplistic. That’s more due to the lack of time with her and the likely attention to the OG team more than anything else, though. There’s a lot they could have done, but only so much space.
Greg Land brings his customary super clean art style with excellent dynamic range. You’ll have seen many of these facial expressions before, but he brings some very dramatic beats to a strong visual conclusion. Jean’s eyes freezing, for instance, is great, and when Beast fights another version of himself, it’s all kinds of fun. The best stuff comes in a cool montage of an evil Phoenix reigning supreme. Her delight in killing a significant villain or her rage as she takes apart another is great visually.
Colors by Frank D’Armata sell the Phoenix scenes, which are wrapped up in flames for the most part. Lighting is the strongest element of these colors, which brings a lot of dynamic focus, especially when Angel pops up.
The Original X-Men is a fun one-shot that revisits the younger X-Men while promising a new adventure. For tales like this, making it matter is key, and Gage and Land pull that off.
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