| Title | : | X-Men: Mutant Genesis |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0785122125 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780785122128 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 192 |
| Publication | : | First published April 1, 2002 |
X-Men: Mutant Genesis Reviews
-
A new X-Men title, with issue one being the best selling comic book ever at the time with 8 million copies sold! After 25 years
Chris Claremont's swansong introduces Fabian and the Acolytes, and what looks like a return to madness and evil for Magneto!
What else? Dazzler, Lila, Longshot, Maverick, Sabretooth, Fenris, Matsuo and The Hand! Many saw this as a big upping in the X-book genre, I just thought it was OK, but agree that
Jim Lee's art was pretty good, but I found the storylines too much focussed on action and not enough on characterisations. 6 out of 12.
Collects X-Men #1 to #7. -
Introduction:
I have been reading the “X-Men” comics for awhile now, but there was one story line that fans were raving about during the 1990s and that was “X-Men: Mutant Genesis!” Well, the reason why “X-Men: Mutant Genesis” was praised a lot by the fans during the 1990s was because this was the highest selling comic book at the time. It also helped paved way for the famous 1990s cartoon series and it even paved way for an arcade game called “X-Men: Children of the Atom.” “X-Men: Mutant Genesis” was also considered Chris Claremont’s final work on the “X-Men” comics (well at least up until the 2000s anyway). Now, having been introduced to the “X-Men” franchise through the 1990s cartoon series, I had to check out the comic book that helped inspired the cartoon series for myself!
What is this story about?
There are two stories in this volume: one that involves the X-Men fighting against Magneto and the other with Wolverine being kidnapped by the Hand, Weapon X and Fenris.
Magneto Story (Rubicon: Issue #1, Firestorm: Issue #2, and Fallout: Issue #3)
In this story, when Magneto posed a threat to all the humans on Earth, both the United States and Russia decided to blow up his home planet, Asteroid M in order to stop him. At the same time, a group of mutant worshippers, led by Fabian Cortez, become Magneto’s new Acolytes and help him try to find his personal goal. Meanwhile, the X-Men, who have split up into two teams: the Blue team (consisting of Cyclops, Psylocke, Beast, Wolverine, Gambit and Rogue) and the Gold team (consisting of Storm, Archangel, Colossus, Iceman, Jean Grey, and Banshee) all try to stop Magneto before it is too late!
Omega Red Story (The Resurrection and the Flesh: Issue #4, Blowback: Issue #5, …Along Came Sabretooth: Issue #6 and Issue #7)
In this story, Omega Red, Wolverine’s old nemesis, is resurrected by the Hand, Weapon X and brother and sister team, Fenris and is out for revenge on both Wolverine and Sabretooth! Not only that, but Omega Red is also seeking for a secret weapon that could give him even more strength and only Wolverine knows where the secret weapon is located at!
What I loved about this story:
Chris Claremont , John Byrne and Scott Lobdell’s writing: I must admit that these stories were fun and exciting at the same time and I really enjoyed reading the volume that put the X-Men on the map (at least during the 1990s)! Chris Claremont’s writing for Magneto’s story was well written and I loved the way that Chris Claremont gave each character a focus in the story, especially showcasing how Gambit and Rogue work within a team. I also loved the way that Chris Claremont split up the X-Men into two teams, the Blue and Gold teams, not because they had a falling out with each other (which is a story line that is unfortunately used in the recent comics), but because it was a way for the X-Men to do more activity in saving the world by having two different teams perform different missions whenever they are needed. It was also interesting in seeing Magneto as the villain again since throughout the 1980s, he was working with the X-Men and you can actually see the history he had with the X-Men and how he keeps wondering why the X-Men are fighting him, despite his reasons being destructive. I really enjoyed John Byrne and Scott Lobdell’s writing of the second story that involved Omega Red as it was much more character driven, with some bits of Wolverine’s past being exposed and the blossoming relationship between Rogue and Gambit. I also loved the introduction of Jubilee in this story as she seems to replace Kitty Pryde as the tag along kid of the group and the scenes with her provided so much humor to the story. I also loved the way that John Byrne and Scott Lobdell portrayed Omega Red as being a villain who is bent on revenge against Wolverine and the scenes where he beats up Wolverine were quite intense.
Jim Lee’s artwork: Probably the best part about this volume was Jim Lee’s amazing artwork! Every time I see Jim Lee doing the artwork for a comic book, you know that I will automatically fall in love with it! I loved the way that Jim Lee drew the characters as they all look truly realistic, yet a bit scratchy in some areas. I also loved the way that Jim Lee drew the action sequences as the explosions really do glow off the pages and I loved seeing the characters actually fighting hand to hand with their enemies (the best ones being of Psylocke using her martial arts skills to fight against enemies as they look amazing)!
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
The reason why I gave this a four star rating was because I felt that the stories moved along too fast and there were not enough character moments in the stories (save for the romantic relationship between Rogue and Gambit and Jubilee providing some fun to the story). Even though most of my favorite characters were in these stories, it felt like they were just there for the sake of action rather than actual character development and many fans have pointed out that the 1990s was a time of mainly action-driven comics.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, “X-Men: Mutant Genesis” was a truly fun and exciting read and I would recommend this book to any X-Men fan looking for a comic book that can be read just for the fun of it!
Review is also on:
Rabbit Ears Book Blog -
This was a definitive Nineties classic. Marvel Comics launched a new title for artist Jim Lee to actively co-plot. The result was a perfect storm of a bestseller. The great Lee art, the multiple covers, a new number one issue, and comic book speculation, these were all factors that resulted into a genuine Guinness World Record. Over seven million copies of the first issue were sold.
This effectively relaunched the X-Men and defined them for a decade. This trade paperback collects the first seven issues of X-men. This was the best Lee would ever be on the X-Men, and also the last Chris Claremont arc before a lengthy sabbatical from the characters he’s most identified. Granted, the scripting was mediocre, but the art was phenomenal. Whenever I think of Jim Lee’s X-Men, these are the issues that come to mind.
I definitely bought this for the art and I wasn’t disappointed. It was a visually appealing book, I could burn time away just flipping through the pages and appreciate Lee’s impressive technique. The term “superstar artist” fits him like a glove. -
Chris Claremont is the definitive writer of the X-Men comics. He wrote for this series for sixteen years, if you can imagine. The X-Men that I personally grew up with was the animated series version which was more or less based from Claremont's stories.
This is why I chose to read first the 1991-1992 short run of X-Men which only had eleven issues. This volume is comprised of the first seven of that roster with two main story arcs; one about Magneto (#1-3) while the rest is about Wolverine (#4-7) though the latter was more or less satisfying than the former, honestly speaking. Illustrated and co-plotted by one of today's sensational artists Jim Lee, Mutant Genesis started with an epic three-part Magneto-centered arc that never stops making my chest hurt for all the right reasons.
As a kid who grew up in the nineties, these characters are personal to me in the most nostalgic sense and both Claremont and Lee were able to capture what I remember most fondly about them. It's been generally a pleasant experience, particularly with the first three issues which are fucking amazing because (1) It's Magneto in his most tormented, raging self; (2) It's a slice of the poignancy and complicated relationship between Magneto and Professor X who are totally married in mind and spirit whether you see it or not; (3) Jim Lee evens out Claremont's verbosity in writing dialogue by ensuring his visuals are simplistic yet also detailed enough to gloss over
Here are blurbs (with links to the reviews) that I wrote for every issue of this volume. I painstakingly managed to review all seven within three days last week as a form of warm-up since I'll be reviewing tons and tons AND TONS of X-Men comics for the rest of the year. Please pray that my sanity and overall mental health will be able to have a safe voyage all throughout.
Issue #1 "Rubicon" --> In which Magneto broods over cataclysmic effects from a previous Uncanny X-Men subplot as the X-Men undergo various drills in the Danger Room like any other day in the office. Also otherwise known as the issue where Magneto makes a comeback to earth just so he can nuke some ship, while he gets chased around in air by his ex-girlfriend Rogue who tries to calm him the fuck down. This issue includes Mags being an angry emo.
Issue #2 "Firestorm" --> In which Magneto and the X-Men arrive in Genosha, alternating between trying to make peace and beating the shit out of each other. Also otherwise known as the issue where Magneto rips an entire fucking house where Moira MacTaggert and Professor X were staying in just so he could have a conversation in space. Also otherwise known as the issue where Magneto throws Prof X in space, threatening to choke the life out of him unless Moira confesses to her crimes directed against Magneto. This issue includes a fabulously shippy BDSM Mags/Prof X cover that basically spells out Magneto's unusual penchant for tying up his "best friend" in compromising poses.
Issue #3 "Fallout" --> In which the X-Men fight amongst each other, Magneto tortures Moira by covering her in some kind of skin-tight metal as he proceeds to aggressively interrogate her, and Professor X loses his shit as he tries to convince Magneto that it's not too late, they still could have it allbut totally not in a gay way. Otherwise known as the issue where Rogue captures the essence of their fractured friendship in just two short sentences. Also more importantly known as the issue where Magneto and Professor X leave us with the most depressing and uplifting speeches respectively. This issue made me mutter "Erik, no!" and "Don't do this, Erik!" James McAvoy-style.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This three-issued arc was actually intended to be the very last X-Men piece Chris Claremont ever wrote for the series. That alone makes it something worth reading. It's edgy, dramatic, heartbreaking and gorgeously drawn. I could have made it through an entire week with nothing but this story's aftertaste in my soul. Unfortunately, there are four issues after it that were merely entertaining if not mildly ridiculous and annoying. My high rating for Mutant Genesis as a volume is solely because of the Magneto arc which I will never stop enjoying. It would have received a perfect score if it wasn't for the second arc that was only delightful when it was appropriately campy and cartoonish, and underwhelming whenever it takes the easy route. Claremont did not impress me with these:
Issue #4 "The Resurrection and the Flesh" --> In which Gambit tries to score with Rogue during their first date but Wolverine, Jubilee and Beast decided to be total dicks and turn it into a group hang instead. Otherwise known as the issue of super awkwardness when the gang were sabotaged by a group of armed men and Wolverine was segregated so he can fight a death match with a fucktard character I don't care about. This is also the issue where Moira finally snaps and leaves her boyfriend Sean (Banshee).
Issue #5 "Blowback" --> In which people try to get Wolverine to remember certain things about his forgotten past because this is the point in the comics where Wolverine is perpetually living a blackout where his memories are basically eggshells only the most desperate would step into. Otherwise known as the issue where Wolverine is still one of the best characters ever but this shitty storyline almost made his participation unbearable to read. It has Dazzler and Longshot on the side but nobody cares.
Issue #6 "Farther Still" --> In which Wolverine gets more shit from stupid characters like Matsuo (and his stupid poser hair), Omega Red and German twins called the Fenris who are mostly there to fill the quota of villains. Otherwise known as the issue where Sabertooth appears and makes things entertaining, and Psylocke's telepathy gets used against her for the second time.
Issue #7 "Inside...Out!" --> In which Wolverine gets tortured physically again because he's Wolverine. Otherwise known as the issue where everything thankfully and mercifully wraps up on a happy note at least. This issue features Wolverine and Cyclops having a rather sweet dialogue exchange that makes me almost wish Jean Grey doesn't happen because she just gets in the way for a real friendship to develop between them. This issue actually spares the dipshit Matsuo from the agonizing acid death I've been praying he gets. Goddammit.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ah, who am I kidding? I'm reading X-Men mostly because I ship Magneto and Professor X and I will never stop making cheeky commentary about the nature of their "friendship". Also, because of Rogue. And Storm. And Jean Grey, kindda. And Wolverine, sometimes. And superhero teamwork that makes me want to put on a cheerleader uniform and do a pep rally in the name of the X-Men. Just do yourself a favor and read an X-Men title preferrably this one (but only the first three issues).
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS IN THIS SITE
-
This was a blast from the past of Jim Lee’s debut X-Men title to was published in 1991. This collected volume contained issues 1-7 & have been recoloured from their original. These issues cover Magneto & Astroid M to Wolverine & the return of Omega Red. Even after all these years these stories still hold up due The the magnificent writing of Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, & Scott Lobdell. This contains the ultimate pencilling of Jim Lee’s art making the X-Men larger than life.
If you’re a X-Men fan & want great storytelling without the Disney effects then this is for you. -
A bit of nostalgia might be coloring my rating, since this era of the X-Men is the one that I remember most from my teenage years, but I still find these issues pretty great. The art is fantastic, Omega Red is an awesome (and far too underutilized) villain, and there is just the right mix of action and soap opera going on here.
-
Hey Remember when Magneto was a straight villain? Remember when Gambit had a crush on Rogue? Remember when Wolverine would slash first and ask questions later? Remember when there was a gold team and blue team for X-men? Finally do you remember when X-men was actually really good. I just could not wait to get my hands on this piece of X-men nostalgia which just reminds me that Marvel just does not understand the X-men anymore in comics. Jim Lee's artwork was at its height of fame during 90s. I was very pleased with this refurbish and enhanced version of X-men: Mutant Genesis which collects the first 7 issues of the fame 1991 X-men series. I remember these issues like yesterday. I was a middleschooler who loved the Batman the animated series, Teenage Mutant ninja turtles and of course the X-men animated series which looks and feels like this piece of comic goodness. There is so much to like here. The colors are vivid there some amazing splash pages. I can not wait to buy a copy of this for myself. I really hope that Marvel will so back a republish other Chris Claremont and Jim Lee runs from the 90s. The stories here are timeless. The first story sees the X-men confronting Magneto who has built a mutant safe haven above the Earth that has put fear of mutants at all time high. Can the X-men talk him down or will Magneto ignite a human vs. mutant war? Next Wolverine comes face to face with is hidden past when fan favorite foe Omega Red is resurrected and has revenge on his mind against our Weapon X claw cutting hero. This was a truly enjoyable comic book and I want to read more.
-
Un recopilatorio que es pura acción con uno de los mejores equipos de mutantes(Mariposa mental, Picara, Lobezno, Tormenta, Ciclope y Coloso) y con dos autores Claremont y Lee que lograron que el primer número de esta serie continue siendo el más vendido de la historia de X men. Casi nada.
-
Four stars? Three?
It's a little late in the day to catch up on X-Men from 1991,
but I stopped reading shortly after John Byrne left.
Incidentally, the story scripted by Byrne, and plotted by Jim Lee, after Claremont's final story... the worst. I realize it's supposed to be an epilogue and prologue between two story arcs, but it was annoyingly non eventful.
Also, I'm not supposed to say this, but Rogue and Gambit really are the trashiest "wrong side of the tracks" kind of mutants. Was the X-Men really too exclusive before? -
Good art and good story but wayyyyy too wordy. CC must not have trusted JL’s art to be able to help tell the tale.
-
4.5 rounded up. Owned/read some of these issues as a kid and they are still so fun 😭
-
great artwork but the story didn't grasp me.
-
Since the new X-Men title X-Men Forever picks up in the middle of this story, I figured I should re-read it. It's been ages since I last did and I couldn't remember what had happened.
The story is a bit convoluted (but then what Claremont story isn't?), but it was interesting and enjoyable. I really like Magneto's internal conflict about his own destiny; he's swiftly becoming a favorite character as I re-read old issues. The second half of the story, which deals with Wolverine being kidnapped by the crazy German twins and the Japanese dude with the crazy mullet, was also pretty interesting, and I like seeing the flashes of memories starting to emerge.
Claremont's writing... sigh. All of the internal narration drives me batty, but at the same time, it is kind of entertaining. And I can't help but like Jim Lee's art. It's iconic at this point.
If you're picking up X-Men Forever, I'd definitely recommend reading or re-reading this collection, just to brush up on Claremont's 'verse. -
Honestly, I do not understand why this graphic novel gets so much hype.
It is really divided into two sort of linked stories. The first story is a bit of a confused jumble, with Magneto at the center, but his goals a muddled mess, and the X-men's goals also pretty poorly explained.
At one point the X-men get brainwashed, but it doesn't even really explain how...
This is a shame, because there were hints of a good story here, but it just ended up being long, chaotic, and unfulfilling.
The second story was clearer, and fun, but not terribly deep. With Wolverine captured, and Omega Red being the "main" bad guy. The X-men have to go rescue their captured buddy. There is some exploration of Wolverine's sordid past, but largely this story was pretty shallow.
The artwork is awesome, and the fights and powers are wonderfully illustrated. It is just a shame that a writer as talented as Claremont couldn't accompany it with something great. -
This is the best X-Men book that I have ever read! Seeing the X-men in their Jim Lee's outfits reminds me of the animated series! I feel so nostalgic! Plus, I learned about the original Gold and Blue teams. Chris Claremont was meant to write X-men.
-
Los últimos capítulos de los X-Men guionizados por Claremont, el que consiguió relanzar a la asombrosa Patrulla X consiguiendo que pasarán de ser unos más en el catálogo de Marvel a convertirse en uno de los puntales de la editorial.
La razón por la que me gusta esta serie y en concreto la época de Claremont es que a pesar de ser un conjunto no muy bien avenidos de personajes dispares, de diversos orígenes y "poderes" en ocasiones absurdos, la tesis en la que redunda una y otra vez Claremont en su etapa es que únicamente la unidad de todos ellos como equipo les permitirá solucionar los problemas a los que se enfrentan. Todo eso unido al trasfondo de persecución "racial-genética" que tiene otras lecturas más acordes con la realidad social de nuestro mundo.
Además, la Patrulla X tiene a Lobezno en sus filas. No hay más que decir. :-) -
Oh, que golpe...yo de la epoca de Jim Lee y Claremont solo tenia dos números, en uno, un grupo mutante se infiltraba en una nave y había peleas entre mutantes, Gladiador peleaba con Gambito y nos regalaba uno de los mejores mutantes del francés, mientras en la otra, los mutantes se metian a Genosha, Arcangel peleaba con Wolverine, y Logan peleaba contra Havok y el Havok de Jim Lee era una cosa hermosa, ¿como no hacerme a un tomo con mas de eso?, pues mira, es la recolección de X-MEN, no de Uncanny X-Men, acá todo apsa a trompicones, aca Jim Lee quiere meter a Magneto, quiere meter muchos mutantes, que salgan en vestido de baño, quiere meter a Sabretooth, ninjas,naves espaciales, crea a Omega Rojo,y mas cosas, pero hombre, Jim Lee al momento, el dia de hoy, eso de escribir, muy poco, y ponle hace casi 30 años...pues nada, no hay tensión, no hay épica, solo un dibujo hermoso, y eso, porque el tipo ha visto mejores momentos con los mutantes y agarrate, el recoloreado digital daña esas paginas hermosas d elos 90´s, lo de Thomas Mason es de carcel , todo lo deja brillando, como con grasa, y no, daño algo hermoso.
-
Not bad, worth a read
Chris Claremont and Jim Lee are the legendary X-Men combo that I grew up with and always remember. This collection isn't bad, the art is fantastic but the story leaves a little to be desired. I enjoyed the second narrative involving Omega Red but in general both stories are a little dry and relatively unrelated. Not a terrible X-Men comic, but not the best. I love this X-Men line up though, again, these are the X-Men I grew up with so I love seeing all my favorite characters together. -
The best part of this graphic novel is that most of the characters get pretty equal time as the main focus, which is no easy task considering how many characters are involved in the X-Men universe. What I liked even better was the frequent focus on Rogue, who's my personal favorite of the X-Men. There was one storyline, however, that just kind of popped up a couple times, but had no real resolution and didn't really seem to fit the rest of the narrative.
-
A decent story
Though I'm not a big fan of the splashy artwork that was the norm in the nineties. Still, the X-Men were passable, barely. Right before they went downhill for a decade. -
When I picture comics, I picture 90s X-Men.
-
So much talking, endlesly talking about stuff no-one cares + so much mixed-up memories of Wolverine. Basicly just like everty other 90s X-men comic. Although, Lee drew some really funny heroic poses.
-
Redactată - TBC
-
everything claremont and jim lee do is an absolute masterpiece and i will always sustain that jim lee’s 90s x men is by far the best when it comes to graphics
-
This one took me back to the halcyon days of the early 90s with the vibrant over the top artwork. The last of Claremont's legendary run as well.
Ahh...memories. -
"Magneto!?!"
--Xavier and Moira
That the #1 of this collection was the highest selling individual comic of all time, and is so indescribably bad, emphasizes that comic book speculation buying had run out of control.
It feels sacrilegious to say this, but Lee's artwork in the first 3 issues is especially amateurish, and works at cross purposes with Claremont's storytelling. Lee broke up the typical panel layout structure. Normally, in the hands of another artist at another time, this would be adventuresome and, if done well, praiseworthy. Typically this approach can be effective in conveying a large fight scene or a wide-shot landscape. But Lee often chooses such cross-page panels to depict several characters exchanging dialogue, or Magneto giving a long speech, in static poses doing nothing interesting, really.
The lettering is also odd, with dialogue frequently broken up with ellipses, or placed across 2 panels to connect them; in fact, the main concern seems to be to place the bubbles so as not to cover up the artwork, rather than to make them easy to read. Too, the story itself is lackluster, with Magneto popping in and out of scenes willy-nilly. I get that he can use his power to fly, but he shuttles back and forth between Asteroid M without any concern for oxygen or radiation exposure, and knows exactly where Xavier and Moira are to kidnap them. Events and appearances seem to happen randomly like that. Altogether, it's a messy and incoherent tale, and to make matters worse, Psylocke's visual depictions are notably gratuitous, tasteless, and juvenile.
The Omega Red story was marginally better, inasmuch as the paneling and layouts are coherent, but ultimately shallow and disconnected from the prior 3 issues. There are a bunch of fight scenes, flashbacks, and a subplot involving Mojo, none of which made much sense or added up to much.
It's incredible to believe that these were seen as good on their artistic merits. That Marvel could sell so much of this garbage and make so much money is surely a sign that the industry at the time was setting itself up for a fall. For that reason alone, a student of comic book history can look at these for some perspective, as they reveal something about their historical moment and shed some light on industry practices then, and perhaps even now. -
So I grew up loving the X-Men and even watched the 90's cartoon religiously. This trade just didn't do it for me. I was especially surprised at how much I didn't like Jim Lee's art, as most people talk about it as if it should be hanging in a museum somewhere. I found that Lee consistently poses characters in the most awkward positions. Psylocke being the most obvious example, always flying in and attacking with her crotch. The first story arch set Magneto back from previous character development and the second involved Omega Red in a plot I barely cared for (or remembered.) Simply put, I was ready for the end long before it arrived. This is disappointing, as I have enjoyed many of the story lines in the X-Men series.
-
2 words: Jim "AMAZING" Lee. Great art and good storytelling yet again! This was a great new beginning for the X-men with the division of Blue and Gold teams. The glory days..
-
This is the X-men of my childhood! So great to take this Jim Lee/ Chris Claremont ride again. The nostalgia alone brings a smile to my face.
High recommend
