Review: Generation X #1
The Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach has opened its doors and is ready to foster the next generation of heroes and diplomats! But this time around, the X-Men recognize an unfortunate truth: not all mutants are created equal. Some mutants are not made to fight Sentinels or serve as ambassadors on behalf of their kind. Some mutants will just be lucky to survive another day in a world that hates and fears them. And who better to mentor mutantkind’s lovable losers than perpetual sidekick Jubilee? But will Jubilee and Generation X survive the experience??
It’s been many years since we saw Generation X on the comics page, though the concept has lived on in various forms including New X-Men and Young X-Men. Generation X, written by Christina Strain, feels a bit more like the latter than it’s namesake with an issue focused on Jubilee trying to get her act together as she’s tasked to manage a misfit team with mostly familiar faces and one new one as well. There’s numerous references of how much time has passed since the original Generation X and how the former members have grown up and moved on, it’s enough to make readers of that original series feel… old.
The mix of characters present should present Strain more than enough to work with, but overall, the issue feels like something we’ve read before with little new to really hook the reader. There’s an attempt to use the rather overused trope of future flashes to get us interested in where things are going, but as presented it isn’t quite enough to draw me in.
The characters though should be interesting as things progressed as they are very different in personalities and that should set up conflict. But, the big question is how this all differentiates itself from other X-Men series and it doesn’t. It, so far, feels like the “school” version of X-Men: Gold. And mix that in with the fact it feels like the previous series as a whole, the hook is just missing, unless you really dig these characters.
The art by Amilcar Pinna doesn’t help matters. Characters feel off in their presentation, particularly one of the Cuckoos whose eyes are just odd… but a lot fo the characters’ eyes stand out as just not quite fitting. There’s an issue with same face syndrome that permeates things.
I was hoping for more from this first issue and it delivered a rather bland experience that feels retro and not in a good way. While other “X” series has breathed life into the franchise, this one seems to suck that away.
Story: Christina Strain Art: Amilcar Pinna Cover Art: Terry Dodson
Story: 6.0 Art: 6.0 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Pass
Published in 2008 in Wolverine #66-72 and Old Man Logan Giant-Size, the story known as “Old Man Logan” would be one that would go on to impact the character known as Wolverine, and Marvel Comics, 9 years later. Written by Mark Millar with art by Steve McNiven, “Old Man Logan” fuses classic dystopian future X-Men tales like “Days of Future Past” with Mad Max, and western heroes made famous by the likes of Clint Eastwood.
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