Summer is here, and the school year is winding down. Wait, you mean it’s actually February and freaking cold out? Nobody told the Jean Grey School. Still, final exams have been administered and yearbooks have been signed, as the incredible experiment begun by Jason Aaron and company prepares for summer vacation. Does it pass with flying colors? The answer should obvious by now, but read on to find out.
Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Nick Bradshaw, Pere Larraz, Ramon Perez, Shawn Crystal, Steve Sanders, Nuno Alves, Tim Townsend, and Chris Bachalo
Colored by Matt Milla and Lee LoughridgeSCHOOL’S OUT FOREVER! FINAL ISSUES!
• It’s the end of the year for the Jean Grey school – but where do our graduates go from here? And who will have survived the experience?!
• Jason Aaron, Pepe Larraz & Nick Bradshaw bring the story of the Jean Grey school to a close!
Before I get into discussing the issue, let me tell you a story.
I’m a latecomer to comics, finally giving in to my long time intrigue with the medium my sophomore year of college. After about a year, I was a staunch DC guy. Some of that had to do with what books had fallen into my hands over that time (a lot of Geoff Johns’ “Green Lantern” and Grant Morrison magnificence), but mostly it was because my roommate was an insufferable Marvel nut.
Cut to Fall of 2011, where I’m knee deep in the midst of the New 52. However, I kept hearing all this buzz for Rick Remender’s ‘Dark Angel Saga.’ Not one to turn a blind eye to a good story, I head to my local comic store (which, at the time, was 40 miles away) to snatch up as many “Uncanny X-Force” as I could. While I was there, the guy at the register asked me if I had checked out this new X-Men book; “Wolverine and the X-Men.” I had little prior experience with Aaron or Bachalo, and was by far more of a Cyclops guy. Like a good businessman, he sold me on the book by knocking a dollar off the cover price. That day, an X-fan was made. So, thank you, guy at Kapow Comics in Sherwood, AR, for doing your job well.
Don’t think that my absolute adoration of this title will result in a perfect 10 for its finale. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs with the book, from the everlong “Avengers vs. X-Men” tie-ins, to the frequent artistic shifts that I initially groaned at (then fell in love with), to pesky double shipping that tortured my wallet. I dropped the book more than once, but always came back to the charming setting of the Jean Grey School.
“Wolverine and the X-Men” has always been the most enjoyable when it’s focused on the school and its students. Thankfully, that’s where Aaron and company deemed it fit to leave us.
At its core “Wolverine and the X-Men” #42 is a story about beginnings, disguised as a book about endings. Just like the end of high school, college, or any other life milestone, it is bittersweet, filled with nostalgia and promise for things to come.
The issue alternates between two points; the present, graduation day at the Jean Grey School, and the future seen in previous issues, on the school’s last day. Both segments read as a sort of farewell tour for Aaron, highlighting major highlights from throughout his run. The Bamfs, the future X-Men, Swarm, and Doop all get their nods and waves. Likewise, it’s a love letter to X-Men days of old, with major characters receiving recognition, and more than a few key catchphrases uttered off-handedly.
These two time periods are primarily centered on the book’s biggest stars; Quentin Quire in the present and Wolverine in the future, although there is some interchange there. Aaron highlights just how far both characters have come since the series began. Logan was the the bloodstained Weapon X, fresh from leading a squad of black-ops murdering mutants. Now he’s the (mostly) good-natured headmaster, walking closely in the footsteps of Charles Xavier. Meanwhile, Quentin Quire has evolved from angsty, anarchic, teenage terrorist to begrudging hero, leader, and friend. Aaron has taken these characters to places that few would’ve dreamed of, and has done so powerfully and naturally. It’s working proof that character growth in mainstream comics isn’t a bad thing.
Continued belowAs fun, heartwarming, and enjoyable as the issue is, it isn’t without a few flaws. Aaron has rounded up a who’s who of past series artist, along with a few newcomers. Everyone does a great job overall. It’s a fantastic surprise to see definitive artists like Ramon Perez and Chris Bachalo make a return along series stalwart Nick Bradshaw. Unfortunately some of the styles clash considerably. One section in particular, which jumps from Steve Sanders realistic, portrait-esque style to Shawn Crystal’s exaggerated, Saturday-morning cartooning. The transition is laughably jarring, an unwelcome speed-bump in the issue’s final moments. Furthermore, the issue suffers a bit from Return of the King syndrome, with multiple endings that detract from the sense of finality. Of course, when the book closes out with a preview for “Wolverine and the X-Men” Vol. 2 #1, finality is sort of a moot point.
“Wolverine and the X-Men” is, admittedly, a series steeped in fan controversy. Many have accused Aaron of self-indulgence, of casting out-of-character, taking various X-Men in directions they have no right to go (as if decades old fictional characters have such limits). Those fans will find plenty of fuel in these final pages to keep those fires burning for years to come. However, for those who don’t need their X-Men books to be constantly filled with misery and anguish, “Wolverine and the X-Men” goes out as it began; a refreshing mix of Morrison’s “New X-Men” and a good ol’ Claremont-ian baseball issue.
Congratulations are in order for Aaron, Bachalo, Bradshaw, and to all those who’ve made a lasting mark on the X-Men. The team has left behind a terrific legacy, with a vast well of characters, concepts, and untapped potential to fuel X-Men stories for years to come. Best of luck to the incoming creators, Jason Latour and Mahmud Asrar. I hope you survive the experience!
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy. A strong finish to a spectacular run, marred only by jarring artistic shifts.
