I MENTIONED in my first contribution to this column three months ago that I would give my two-cents about Marvel Comics' revamping of the X-Men team books. In light of the success of Bryan Singer's movie adaptation, the comics' aggressive editor-in-chief Joe Quesada made some bold moves to build on the movie's momentum (there is already at least one sequel in the works by Singer, due for possible release late next summer after the Memorial Day opening of the much-anticipated Spider-Man movie, as well as the next "Star Wars" episode). Marvel’s mutants get
multiple face liftsDRAWN & QUARTERED
graphic arts as literature
By Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.comIt all started back in 1963 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the continuing story of a team of young mutants recruited by Professor Charles Xavier to use their superhuman powers to help shape a world where mutants and humans could co-exist peacefully.
But what once was one is now seven. Seven separate team books, each with their own unique take on Marvel's mutant mythology. Whether you've been an avid reader of the X-Men forever or someone like me, who left mainstream superhero comics for about 20 years only to be seduced by the genre's revitalization, there's no ignoring the impact Marvel's mutants have had on the industry. Here is my preference list of the current team titles, starting with what many think is the savviest reimagining of the X-Men concept in years:
1. X-Force (Peter Milligan/writer, Mike Allred/artist, starting with issue #116)
Something way different had to result from this collaboration between Milligan, whose edgy writing developed from his adult Vertigo-line projects, and Allred, whose bold, colorful, clean-line drawings have cartoon-like appeal. This radical revamping of a formerly second-tier title has been nothing less than sensational and controversial. Foregoing the standard-bearing Comics Code of Conduct stamp of approval, let alone readers' expectations to develop a relationship with characters over time, a recent writeup in Wizard magazine pegged it right when it said the creators treat the team "like a major sports franchise."
This wild array of mutants "live like kings in their down time, they're held to an extremely high standard and their shelf life is short," editor Axel Alonso is quoted in the same article. X-Force revels in the hot spotlight of celebrityhood, making like major rock stars. There's amoral sex, major ego clashes and quick deaths during battle -- in fact, more than half the team was killed off in the introductory issue, only to be replaced by other mutants with plenty of attitude.X-Force is a perfect fit for our media-frenzy world, and a very entertaining read.
2. Ultimate X-Men (Mark Millar/writer, Adam Kubert/artist)
This series, now in its eighth issue, takes the prime members that have gone through the team's ranks over the decades -- from original members Cyclops, Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Beast and Iceman to later creations Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler and fan-favorite Wolverine -- retweak their origins and costumes, and let two of the industry's better artist/writer teams loose on them. The result is one of the quality superhero titles available. Ultimate X-Men has sold so well that the first story arc, "The Tomorrow People," has already been collected in a trade paperback.
3. New X-Men (Grant Morrison/writer, Frank Quitely/artist, starting with issue #114)
Two high-profile Scottish creators brought a much-needed creative spark to the genre and subsequently to these "new" X-Men. Morrison's run on DC's Justice League of America (like Milligan, he also is a Vertigo veteran, with his psychedelic apocalyptic series "The Invisibles") and Quitely's expressive, fleshed-out characterizations on The Authority prepared them well for the challenge of this new title. The New X-Men comic book is more of a cyber, science-fiction thriller. And Quitely is quite possibly the most inventive penciller around.
4. Exiles (Judd Winick/writer, Mike McKone/artist)The success of this new title was totally unexpected, but mainly due to deft dialogue by one of my favorite creators, Judd Winick -- whether he's doing superhero titles like this or DC's Green Lantern, or his own independent self-creations like the hilarious Barry Ween, Boy Genius, for Oni Press, his understanding of the medium is truly remarkable -- his band of mutants as rendered by McKone is an appealing, ragtag collection of exiles gathered from different realities and previous X-Men story arcs that make up this rather involved mythology. This is better understood by longtime fans, but can be appreciated for Winick's work.
5. The Brotherhood (X--that's right, X--/writer, Essad Ribic/artist)
This new title is the odd-man-out, because it isn't so much a superhero book as it is a gritty fantasy grounded in the basic conflict between mutants and humans. The Brotherhood is a cabal of revolution-minded mutants -- no Spandex costumes here -- who seek to change society by any means necessary. "Revolution Not Evolution" is their credo. This storyline is the antithesis of X-Force, with a real-world feel and a lengthy plot development. I find it a welcome change from the last two titles.
6. X-Treme X-Men (Chris Claremont/ writer, Salvador Larroca/artist)
Claremont has been one name synonymous with the X-Men for many years, and he's been given the opportunity to leave behind the continuity he created most memorably with artist John Byrne to plot a new storyline with a new cast of mutants (for the record, Storm, Bishop, Beast, Rogue, Thunderbird, Psylocke and a new character, Sage -- geez, my head is spinning!). The mutants are in search of the companion books to the volume of the Books of Truth they have in their possession. An exotic, globe-spanning adventure, it features Larroca's lush, painterly work. But Claremont continues to be a problem for me as he's a bit too verbose for my tastes.
7. Uncanny X-Men (Joe Casey/writer, Ron Garney/artist, starting with issue #394)
The cosmetic revamping of this popular, cornerstone title seemed to have problems from the get-go. Original artist Ian Churchill left after only three issues, citing creative differences with Casey. The initial buzz over Churchill's first cover depicting Jean Grey and Wolverine in a serious liplock has waned due to a rather pedestrian story arc entitled "Poptopia." For the time being, I don't see this book attracting any new readers. In this case, Marvel opted not to tinker too much.
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