Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Chris BachaloSpinning directly out of X-MEN: SCHISM, the X-Men are split in two. In the oversized debut issue of the new ongoing flagship X-series, Wolverine takes one half of the X-Men back to Westchester to start over again. But the new Hellfire Club outlast its first day ? Join Marvel Architect Jason Aaron (X-MEN: SCHISM, WOLVERINE) and legendary X-Artist Chris Bachalo (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, GENERATION X) for a brand new action-packed take on the X-Men that will set a new standard for the Children of the Atom.
Schism is over! The School is open! Wolverine is the headmaster! Yeah buh whaaaaaa?! That’s right; the rebel without a cause is now the suit in charge of the whole shebang! Accompanied by fan favorites Kitty Pryde and Beast, he’s hoping to usher in a new/old age of awesomeness for the young mutants out there.
Check the cut for my thoughts on the inaugural issue of the new X-Men book, Wolverine and the X-Men!
When it comes to buzz in the comics industry, this book holds a near monopoly on books that aren’t published by companies that have a D or C in the name. While everyone freaked out over the new DC Line, Jason Aaron wrote a stellar event that split Marvel’s Merry Mutants down the Middle (Holy Alliteration Batman!). In doing so, he and Gillen breathed new life into the popular yet flagging franchise. Everything with the X-Men felt familiar, but at the same time, it was new and interesting again. Lines have been drawn, choices have been made, and everyone has to live with them now.
Moreover, if we’re talking about choices, I’m damn proud of the fact I picked up this book. No, it wasn’t on my list from yesterday, and if I could change that, I would. An X-Men book hasn’t been this fun in ages. Since House of M (which I found to be a terrific book, mind you), the X-Books have gotten bleaker and bleaker, which meant the superheroics took a back seat to the struggles of a fledgling (and illegal) nation that had threats attack them regularly. There’s not much time for being a superhero when you’re busy worrying about, well, yourself all the time. Wolverine and the X-Men brought that dynamic back, and with a vengeance.
Aaron’s grasp of the X-Men universe is incredibly encyclopedic, and the way he chose to introduce this book was as unique as you can get. Instead of your standard roll call, Aaron introduces the New York Board of Education. They’re coming to inspect the school to determine its value as a school for youngsters. Doing so gives an outsiders perspective of the book, and adds a lot of unpredictability to the book. Instead of knowing Beast as the lovable nerd, he seems to be just a little out of touch with humanity, and it’s a bit scary for the auditors, a mad scientist, if you will. A set up like this might help explain why humans fear mutant, since they are so consistently referred to as the “Other” in comics ever since their inception. One of my favorite bits of the book is Toad’s inclusion as the janitor of the book. He clearly wants to be more than he currently is, so you can expect a relevant character arc coming from one of the most misunderstood mutants.
Furthermore, like a true creator, Aaron introduces new character in addition to the old ones we’ve come to know and love. Keep an eye out for Kid Gladiator, the Shi’ar Emperor’s son to be the new Quentin Quire of the school, or at least everyone’s favorite mutant hipster’s best friend. He could even possibly be Quentin’s rival. Kid Gladiator is probably the most fun new character with the most potential in the entire book, and that’s saying something. As for the vaunted Nightcrawlers that have been popping up in the solicits: there hasn’t been much on them yet. More is definitely coming, but if the school class catalogue is any indication, they’ll be under the care of Hank McCoy as opposed to Kurt Wagner’s best friend, Logan.
Continued belowInterestingly enough, while I’ve liked Jason Aaron’s work as long as I’ve been aware of it, I’ve never been a fan of Chris Bachalo’s art. It always reminded me of other work that I never liked, with boring pseudo-anime styles that exaggerated facial expressions or actions in a less than engaging way. In fact, it felt like parody, which I wasn’t down with. However, in a strange twist of fate, I REALLY loved his art in this book. Part of it may have been due to the fact Aaron is playing to the strength’s of his collaborator. The comedy in this issue is the strongest portion. Even the bad guy is portrayed as a snarky character who, despite being 12, is the nearly the same height as Logan. That kind of detail is welcome, as everyone seems to draw Logan taller than he is. Thank YOU Hugh Jackman.
To close, this book is just about as good as you can get in a comic starring Wolverine. I’m so glad Marvel decided to drop the literary equivalent of shovelware with who is arguably their most popular character out there. Even if you’re not a fan of James Howlett, you should pick this book up.
Final Verdict: 9.0 With Honors at The Jean Grey School For Gifted Youngsters
