Review: X-Men '97 #1

Finally I got to reading Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 comic run. Currently there are 3 issues out with the 4th issue releasing on June 26th. Since the animated show having ended, I’ve been putting off reading these issues as a way to expand the relevancy of X-Men ‘97. The first season was so good I didn’t want it to end. The comic certainly isn’t a 1:1 exact match to the show but it does share some similarities. 

Now initially I was unable to get issue 1 when it first came out and was pretty bummed. Instead I opted to just get issue 2 with hopes of finding the first issue somewhere else. A week or so passed and I decided I wanted to get another copy of issue 2. I went back to the shop and they had the reprints of the first issue available! I was stoked, picked it up along with the extra copy that I’m going to use to create some custom bookmarks.

Reminder of how these blog posts go:

• Cover Art

• Story

• Overall Rating 5 star rating system from Comic Geeks App

Cover

Unfortunately as I mentioned previously, I was unable to get the first issue, but I did manage the second printing of it. Overall I like the cover, the colors, the sunset mood, it’s all great. The only thing that makes it seem a little out of place is Jubilee drinking a beverage and eating popcorn. Had the setting been within the mansion, then I think that would make a lot more sense. But it just makes her seem a bit out of place cause the rest of the X-Men are all striking a pose. The little bits of detail like Gambit’s card aura and Bishop’s purple veins were sweet little additions.

Pretty fun action packed intro that made me question if this was actually going on…

Story

So the main question that a lot of people had with this is does the animated show have any tie in with the comic run? As of right now, I can’t really tell. From what I’ve seen on social media is that this is all leading up to where the show starts. So it kind of makes sense, since the little overview message at the beginning states that we know Henry Peter Gyrich has attacked Professor X. 

Then we jump right into it. I was really surprised because I thought the comic was going to be like a retelling of the animated show. But not quite. There is some good action that starts off with Wolverine breaking formation and trying to take on Magneto by himself. He is tossed aside like a ragdoll. The entire mission is a failure as Cyclops also struggles to keep control of his team and take down Magneto. Jean ends the Danger Room session because she is worried someone will get hurt. 

Right away we get an understanding that the X-Men are having a tough time trying to keep it together and clearly lack the leadership of Professor X. Cyclops and Wolverine are fighting, while everyone else doesn’t know who to follow. At this point the main plot of the story takes place, Dazzler has been kidnapped and it was caught live on TV. The X-Men meet up with Rogue and Gambit to take on a terrorist group of Friends of Humanity. They end up rescuing Dazzler just in time for her to perform the memorial concert for Professor X. We get our first introduction of Valerie Cooper as she shows up to arrest the Friends of Humanity punks. Wolverine though is suspicious about an agent named Denti, I wonder what that’s all about. 

Wish we got more of Wolverine and Cyclops fighting…

The rest of the issue pertains to more struggles of leadership as well as Jean unable to get some time alone with Cyclops to let him know she’s pregnant. Storm can obviously sense there is something wrong with Jean and opts to stay behind instead of going to see Dazzler perform. Jubilee ends up taking Bishop while Storm goes to comfort Jean. 

Absolutely loved the fact that Wolverine and Cyclops go head to head and fight. They clearly have a bone to pick with each other, I just wish we got to see more of it. Cut to the performance of Dazzler and we encounter another group trying to take her down or kidnap her. Luckily the X-Men are there, Bishop, Jubilee, Rogue and Gambit all spring into action to help out Dazzler. They end up getting away and we find out they were working for Mister Sinister. Who then punishes them for trying to apprehend Dazzler in such a public space. 

Mister Sinister ends with saying he needs to enlist some new help. Who will it be?...

Overall 4 / 5

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X-Men '97 | Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 3

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I honestly didn’t think we’d get something this awesome for a season finale. It was so damn good. I figured I would write a blog post and get my thoughts out without spoiling it for people on Threads that are just checking their feed in the morning. So if you’re here and haven’t watched the final episode of Tolerance is Extinction, turn around now! If you have, let’s discuss.

I really liked how in the last post I did a “burst” of first thoughts that came to mind of the episode, so let’s do that!

• Seeing Professor X and Magneto as their younger selves?! 

• Portrayal of Magneto’s mind was creative

• Prof X Mind Hijack was sickkkk

• Love the cameos, done very tastefully and not just thrown in

• “How’s your mommy Sebastion?” LOL!

• Phoenix! Hell yeah!

• Bastion character design and evolution looked badass

• Cyclops & Jean farewell, so heartfelt

• Cyclops tearing up after saying bye

• The X-Men are dead?!

• Bishop! Where you been man?!

Phew lots to take in and quite frankly I’m sure I’ll be rewatching this episode over and over. 

Loved seeing them discover being mutants

I felt like all of the cameos we saw were in great taste and nothing like, “oh that was stupid” type of cameos we are so used to getting in some MCU movies. The creative ways they go about portraying mind, emotions and conflict have been so cool to see and experience. For instance the way they make Magneto’s mind an enclosed area taking on water. That was dope. 

I was not sure what was going to happen here.

The entire evolution and the reasoning for Sebastion was very well done. The actual character design when he evolves after taking on Cable’s arm was clean and not some ridiculous looking design.

Great variety of awesome cameos like this one of Pyslocke.

Here are my favorite parts of the show. Feel free to use these screenshots for your posts just be sure to also include spoilers if you are posting early. You can get those here and here.

Iron Man and Captain America show up briefly!

Daredevil looks sick!

Black Panther!!!!!!

Doctor Stranger, why aren’t you fighting??

All really great cameos that I was extremely pumped about seeing. I want more hahaha.

The goodbye from Scott to Cable was another good emotional scene that offered closure and really spoke to me.

Emotionssss

Cyclops fighting after saying goodbye to his son, feelings

How’s your mommy Sebastion?” LOL

This was pretty epic

Once we cut to the board showing the missing X-Men I had no clue what was going to happen.

The X-Men are gone..

Bishop!

Hell yeah! Bishop is back, but what is going on? The X-Men are lost in time??

Apocalypse is coming

One cameo I did not expect at all. Apocalypse is coming.

Can’t wait for the next season.

Overall 5 / 5

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X-Men '97 | Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 2

This is my first time writing a blog post about a show because holy fuck that was amazing. It’s currently 2:18 am and I’m in bed still processing what I just watched. I figured I would write a blog post and get my thoughts out without spoiling it for people on Threads that are just checking their feed in the morning. This way, if anyone wants to read ahead they can!

Ok, so gun to my head these are the first thoughts that come to mind of the episode!

• HULK! Fuck yeah that was so awesome to see him!

• Did NOT expect Roberto/Sunspot to join Magneto and Rogue

• The old suits fucking SLAP!

• Saw Wolverine in yellow & brown in WWIII yesterday, now in animation, wow

• HOLY FUCK MAGNETO DID THAT!

Ok, Ok let’s take a deep breath. That was AMAZING! Like many other millenials I grew up watching all the X-Men movies produced by Fox and the reign that Hugh Jackman has over Wolverine. Though I did not watch the animated show growing up nor was I into comics or superheros as a kid. I was a Dragon Ball Z kid growing up, so what am I getting at?

Well all of this is extremely new to me. The show runner Beau De Mayo, recommended reading a certain comic issue called Fatal Attractions in which Magneto removes the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton. I sure am glad I didn’t do that because watching it without knowing that was absolutely epic. “This feud is over.” CHILLS.

First off, absolutely loveeee the new outfit for Storm and finally see a good still of it since it seems like Storm has been flying around for what seems like a whole episode.

Storm is serving up looks this episode.

The episode starts off with the human sentinels continuing to threat the mutant population. Storm and Forge arrive to help out Jubilee and Roberto/Sunspot. Professor X surveys the destruction and chaos at the mansion, including his hoverchair that leaves him to use a wheelchair to move around.

Magneto looks so badass confronting the X-Men

During the time that the X-Men are figuring out what to do, Magneto is lifting a giant ass asteroid out of the ground and seems to want to use it as a weapon. The Master of Magnetism confronts Professor X and the X-Men at the mansion and pretty much says enough is enough, join him.

I did not see this coming!

To my surprise, Roberto/Sunspot joins. I totally saw Rogue joining not Roberto, but after the treatment he received from his own mother, I can see why.

Jubilee going back to her original black jumpsuit just fits

The X-Men retreat to a new base and gear up to go take on Bastion. We get a glimpse at some of the original X-Men suits, like Wolverine’s yellow and brown getup. While one team confronts Bastion, another team heads to fend off Magneto and talk some sense into him.

Hulk Smash! Morph Smash*

When the team takes on Bastion and his army of sentinels, Morph turns into Hulk and Morph Smashes! Haha that was awesome to see.

HULK BABY! Great “cameo”

Both teams are struggling to get their objectives complete. Storm and Forge are blasted out of the air by Sentinels. Magneto is holding off Professor X but not for long as Wolverine gets his helmet off for Professor X to take control.

I felt like this was the climax of the show.

We get some awesome sequences of Wolverine fighting Magneto, removing the helmet, stabbing Magneto, then Professor X using his mutant powers to over power Magneto.

This was such a sick sequence!

But at that moment Cyclops blasts Professor X because Gold team still needs time to complete their objective. However this was a horrible decision because Magneto goes super saiyan and puts his helmet on Xavier’s head and proceeds to crush it.

Oh man, I was at the edge of my seat here.

I got some major “Krillin’ is about to be exploded by Freiza” vibes when I saw this still of Wolverine. It was a look of helplessness. Brutal.

Fun fact, this scene of Krillin is tattooed right by armpit, ouch

But as Magneto is torturing Xavier, Wolverine comes up behind him and SLICE, the sextuple puncture wound, as Deadpool would call it. Magneto is stabbed by Wolverine but just as we thought things would settle down, Magneto turns around and RIPS the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton! FUCKKKK.

Can’t wait for the next episode.

Overall 5 / 5

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