Amazing X-Men #1 Review

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Ed McGuinness

This has been a series that I've been looking forward to for a long long time now, and with the disappointing ending of Battle of the Atom I was even more excited for the release of this issue and the return of my second favourite X-Man.

Plot

Although he's in paradise Nightcrawler can't quite enjoy heaven, and even more so when his father Azazel turns up. Meanwhile Firestar joins the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning and learns that it's not your normal teaching environment.

Review

This was an amazing issue and a terrific start for the series, with the first half being simply perfect. Jason Aaron does a brilliant job of setting the tone for this series, as well as starting what looks to be a great story, as although the issue would become slightly slow during the middle, overall it was extremely exciting and fun, being some of his best X-Men work in a long time. I also loved the character interactions in this issue, as although some would naturally be better than others, they all added some kind of fun or suspense to the issue. There would also be a bit of emotion at the start of the issue that would add more depth and drama to the issue as well.

The artwork on this issue would also be phenomenal and Ed McGuinness would do an outstanding job throughout. The detail in McGuinness' art is simply spectacular being to a very high standard, as well as being consistent throughout. His layouts would also be amazing, being very dynamic and would add a lot of depth and tone to the issue, helping the story to flow smoothly. I also loved seeing McGuinness' unique style showing throughout the characters, and especially with Nightcrawler and Azazel, with the character's facial expressions also adding a lot of tone to the issue. The colours from Marte Gracia were also fantastic and would add a lot of vibrance and tone, heping McGuinness' art stand out even more.

This series would have a lot of hype over the fact that X-Men fan-favourite Nightcrawler would be returning. Now I was one of the many that was excited for this to happen, and with the recent tease in Wolverine and the X-Men I've been even more excited. Nightcrawler in this issue however would be amazing and just as he was when we last saw him, being very lively and emotional, questioning whether being in paradise is what he truly wants. I would also love the change in his tone during the transition from talking about not wanting to go into paradise and springing into action, as it would be very contrasting.

This issue would also feature Nightcrawler's father Azazel, which I was very happy about. Not only has Azazel needed to appear in an X-Men story for a while, but to have him in the story that brings his son Nightcrawler back into the Marvel Universe is something else, and his addition is very appropriate. I also enjoyed that he'd have his own set of Bamfs and the interaction between him and Nightcrawler in this issue was simply amazing and has me excited for his future developments, and how much impact he'll have on this story as a whole.

We'd also see Firestar join as a staff member at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Now I'm not the biggest fan of Firestar, and only really know her basic history, but it was nice to see her added to this series, and especially given the way that she's being used. What I loved most about her addition was that it would show just how chaotic life is at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, and weird their lives are. I also enjoyed some of the interactions she would have with other members, and overall I'm looking forward to seeing more of her in this series.

Final Verdict

A brilliant start to this new series with Aaron showing some of his best X-Men work for a long time. The issue would do an amazing job of re-introducing Nightcrawler, with some very fun and exciting moments throughout, all of which were made even more fun and exciting due to McGuinness' fabulous artwork. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue to both new and old X-Men readers and can't wait for the next issue to come out.

Rating: 10/10

X-Men: Battle of the Atom #2 Review

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artists: Esad Ribic & Giuseppe Camuncoli

Although Battle of the Atom has lasted longer than it probably should have, having some slow moments along the way, it has overall been a very entertaining story. It does however all come down to this ending, as although it's been good so far, a bad ending could ruin the entire story.

Plot

The X-Men and the future Brotherhood go at it one last time, with S.H.I.E.L.D. inadvertently attacking the mutants as well. 

Review

This was a very good issue as a whole, but it had quite a few problems, with the ending being one of the main problems. Also unlike solicited the issue would actually be written by Jason Aaron who did a brilliant job of making the issue very exciting. He did however not didn't do a fantastic job of ending the story, as although a certain part of the outcome was already spoiled, the ending wouldn't give much clarity to the overall story, making it feel rather unnecessary. Aaron would however add a lot of suspense and drama to this issue as well, with there being some very interesting dialogues, though the poor ending still overshadows all this quite a bit.

The artwork on this issue would be the other big problem, as although there were some very talented artists with the main artwork being done by Esad Ribic and Giuseppe Camuncoli, and the epilogue artwork featuring more of Camuncoli's work, also featuring art from Chris Bachalo, Kris Anka and Stuart Immonen. The main problem with the art was that it was clearly very rushed, with it being poorly detailed. There would however be the odd phenomenal panel, and the layout overall was amazing, but the roughness of the art made it very hard to enjoy it, even with the beautiful colours from  Ive Svorcina, Andres Mossa and Guru Efx.

The issue would start straight from where Wolverine and the X-Men #37 left off with the X-Men being attacked by S.H.I.E.L.D. missiles, that were fired by the Brotherhood. Now this would be a very exciting sequence with the fight between all the X-Men and the future Brotherhood taking up most of the issue. During the fight there would be some amazing interactions, but the best would be between Wolverine, Cyclops and  the future Jean Grey.  On top of this the younger X-Men would also add some fun to the sequence with what certain members had to say about the events.

We'd also get to see some Sentinels in this issue, though what bothered the X-Men most about this was the fact that they were S.H.I.E.L.D. Sentinels. Now naturally this wouldn't make the X-Men happy, and naturally so. The addition itself was however rather hollow, as it would have been nice to have seen a bit more action involving the Sentinels, as their appearance seems to be mainly to set up the future events of Wolverine and the X-Men. Other than that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involvement in this issue was overall very decent, as although they seemed mainly background characters, they added a different tone to the issue, and overall I look forward to seeing the aftermath of this sequence.

The main story would be followed by four epilogues, two written by Aaron, one written by Brian Wood and the last being written by Brian Michael Bendis. Now I won't go into any detail about these epilogues, but story wise they'd be the best part of the issue, and did a fantastic job of giving a little bit of closure for the characters, setting up the future of the X-Men brilliantly. The epilogue that interested me the most however had to be the final one by Bendis that would see Kitty Pryde air her feelings over the event in a very exciting fashion.

Final Verdict

This was an exciting issue, but due to a poor ending and very rushed artwork it was probably overall the poorest issue in the story, with it making the story feel irrelevant and unnecessary. There would however be some explosive moments, and some shocking developments with the epilogues doing a fantastic job of setting up the future of the X-Men titles, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to overcome the sudden and poor ending. Due to this I'd only recommend this issue to anyone who's been following the story so far, or anyone that loves explosive action, as otherwise it's only essential for the epilogues.

Rating: 6/10

X-Men: Days of Future Past Trailer

Today would see the release of the first Official Trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past. The trailer shows Professor Xavier and Magneto persuading Wolverine to travel back in time and prevent the war against mutants. We also get to see the younger versions of Xavier and Magneto and other cast members from X-Men: First Class again, as well as other cast members from the original three films, and new characters including Bishop and Warpath.

My Thoughts

I personally really liked this trailer, as it had a nice sombre tone to it, not showing too much of the events whilst getting me excited for the films release in May of next year. From what they showed in the trailer I am happy with how they've tweaked to Days of Future Past storyline to fit both sets of movies, as although it's a shame that Kitty Pryde is no longer the person travelling to the past, it makes much more sense for this story that it's Wolverine. It was also nice to see most of the cast members from both sets of films make a small appearance in the trailer as well, as well as seeing some of the new characters like Bishop and Warpath, and I hope that unlike some of the X-Men that were added to the original three films (such as Colossus) that these characters have a key role in the film. I also liked the meeting of the two Xavier's, but question whether this actually happens or whether it's just symbolism. Either way I am very excited about the film and can't wait for May to come.

Wolverine and the X-Men #37 Review

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli

Battle of the Atom has been a brilliant crossover so far, as although there have been times where I've felt that there's been too much set-up and that the story has been a little too long, it has still been very enjoyable, and has had some amazing moments. 

Plot

As both Wolverine's and Cyclops' X-Men regroup from their respective fights with the original group of future X-Men, who are revealed to actually be the future Brotherhood, the Brotherhood take the younger X-Men off in a Blackbird to instigate Plan B.

Review

This was a very good issue, as although it wasn't brilliant, being far from what I expected it to be, it had some very exciting moments and Jason Aaron set-up the final part brilliantly. It is however the fact that this series has been so much set-up that has annoyed me, as although it has still been a fabulous series, if it had less issues, it would have less set-up, which would make it even better. Aaron did however do a great job of adding a lot of excitement near the end, and the dialogue throughout was very interesting, adding a lot of depth to the issue. In saying that the first part of the issue was rather slow, with unnecessary interactions, and if it hadn't ended in the exciting fashion that it did it would have been a very poor issue.

The artwork on this issue was also very good but not brilliant, as although overall Giuseppe Camuncoli did a fantastic job, there were a few things that bugged me. The first was the characters facial expressions and emotions, which were very awkward at times, though that is a usual problem of Camuncoli. The detail in his artwork was however very good considering the amount of characters involved, as although there were a few panels that felt a bit rushed, there were some panels that had a lot of characters that looked phenomenal. The layouts however would also help for that, adding a lot more depth and excitement to the issue, feeling more dynamic than they did in the last issue.

This issue would see the first encounter between Wolverine and Cyclops since Cyclops' team paid the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning a visit in All-New X-Men #11. It's always nice to see the tension between these two, especially since Avengers vs. X-Men, though it felt slightly unnecessary here. It was however the reaction that Wolverine's X-Men had to this new lot of future X-Men that interested me the most, as although it would slow the issue down a bit, it would show the amount of confusion that all the time travelling has caused. I also enjoyed the interaction between the two Quentin Quire's, as apart from being slightly humorous it would also add a WATX feel to the issue which was missing from the last issue.

This issue would reveal that the renegade X-Men from the future are in fact the future Brotherhood. It was nice to finally get something to differentiate the two groups from the future, as it was awkward talking about two different groups of X-Men from the future in the same sentences. I did however feel that this could have been added earlier in the story, when it was revealed that they weren't the true X-Men from the future. The actions of the Brotherhood in this issue would also be interesting, as although again it was mostly set-up it would create some exciting moments, setting up the conclusion brilliantly.

S.H.I.E.L.D. would make their second appearance of the story in this issue, and it was interesting that it came in this series as S.H.I.E.L.D. have made most of their recent X-Men appearances in Uncanny X-Men. It was however fitting that they were added to this issue, especially due to the fact that they are going to be a part of the WATX story that follows Battle of the Atom. There appearance as a whole in this issue however didn't really do a lot for this issue, yet again setting up the conclusion, though all this set-up should allow the conclusion to flow smoother.

Final Verdict

This was yet another issue that didn't quite live up to it's potential, as although it went out with a bang, setting up the story's conclusion perfectly, it was slow at the start, having some unnecessary interactions, overall feeling like a set-up issue. It did however have some very exciting moments, and has me very excited for the finale next week, but I can't help but wonder how brilliant this story would have been had it been a bit shorter. Due to this I'd highly recommend it for people who've been following the story so far, but otherwise it'd be best to wait for the trade to come out.

Rating: 7/10

Uncanny X-Men #13 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Chris Bachalo

Battle of the Atom has on a whole been a very exciting story so far, as although it has had a few issues that were slightly disappointing, on a whole it's been very entertaining, with some amazing moments.

Plot

As Cyclops' X-Men and a group of X-Men from the future prepare to take the fight to the renegade X-Men team from the future they are stopped in their tracks.

Review

Though slightly disappointing this was a good issue, and Brian Michael Bendis did a great job of developing the story. I did however feel that there was too much going on for one issue, with too many sub-plots that didn't get enough development time, and cutting some would have probably made the others better. Bendis did however do a brilliant job of adding a lot of excitement and tension to this issue, though the many sub-plots did slightly take away from this. There was however some very interesting interactions, and the the development near the end was very interesting, making the last two chapters of this story look even more exciting.

The artwork that Chris Bachalo has been producing on this series has been overall very good, as although I am not a fan of his work in general, it suits this series brilliantly. I did however once again dislike it, as bar the style continuing not to fit as well as the other artists do, it also didn't help with the storytelling, as the style would make the story feel even more muddled than it already did. I did however as usual like Bachalo's layouts, as although they were partly to blame for the muddled feel at times, they also managed to add a lot of depth and excitement throughout the rest of the issue. I also loved how Bachalo handled the action in this issue, as his art would make the sequences much more explosive and exciting.

There would be two main fights/encounters in this issue, with one being Cyclops' team against Xavier Jr. Although this wasn't my favourite out of the two encounters, it was still very exciting at times, having a lot of tension throughout, also having a brilliant atmosphere to it. It was also very clever at times, as although most of the encounter was very predictable, there were a couple of points that were very interesting, showing that Xavier Jr. isn't a pushover. At the same time this clever development took away the amount of excitement that would be added if Cyclops' team was given a proper chance of fighting back.

The other fight would see the future Deadpool and Molly Hayes go up against Magik and the future version of her brother Colossus, with them both having Soul Swords. This was a much more entertaining sequence, and I really enjoyed seeing the sibling team-up, even if one of them is from the future. I also felt that this sequence was a lot more exciting, having a much better tone and atmosphere, with the dialogue also being much better. On top of that the fight felt much more organic, and spontaneous than the other, with some of the actions feeling very sudden and suspenseful.

Whilst all this is happening the future Jean Grey and Beast, along with Raze (who was revealed in X-Men #6 to be Wolverine's shape changing son from the future, who so far had been masquerading as a future version of Kitty Pryde) would get even closer to their goal of sending the younger X-Men back to their own timeline. Now I won't go into any detail as to what happens here, though anyone who followed the NYCC announcements can guess part of the development. The sequence was however very interesting and dramatic, and the developments were even more interesting, having me more excited for the final two chapters.

Final Verdict

Though not one of the better issues in the story so far, it was still exciting at times, and did a good job of developing the story as a whole. It did however have too much going on, and would have probably been better if some of the sub-plots were cut. There would also however be some very exciting moments, and the issue as a whole would have been much better if not for the amount going on. Due to all this I'd barely recommend it, and especially if you've been following the story so far, but otherwise wait for the trade.

Rating: 7/10

X-Men #6 Review

Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: David Lopez

So far Battle of the Atom has been a very entertaining crossover, and although it took a while to become really exciting, that changed with the last instalment, showing that the story has a lot more to it than it originally showed.

Plot

The future X-Men return to the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning with the three younger X-Men, but when they learn that the younger Beat and Iceman are gone their attitude changes dramatically.

Review

This was yet another brilliant issue in this crossover, and it followed from last weeks instalment perfectly. Over the two issues that Brian Wood has written he has done a fantastic job of managing to both continue on from the crossovers story, whilst also keeping the same tone and feel of this series. Wood also in this issue managed to add a lot of tension and excitement throughout, as although it didn't give too much story development, it made up for that by being action packed. I did however feel that the pacing of the issue was slightly inconsistent, with it being slow, and then suddenly speeding up, though overall it managed to be a very fun and entertaining issue, being much better than the last issue in this series.

The art was also fantastic in this issue, though David Lopez didn't do quite as good a job as he has in the last couple of issues. The detail throughout the issue was very impressive however, as although the backgrounds were a bit plain at times, the character detail was very consistent throughout. The main problem I had with Lopez' art in this issue was how he draws mouths, as although I have never liked his style, it stood out more in this issue, feeling very awkward at times. I did however like the way he showed character emotion in the issue, and especially when Wolverine gets angry at one point. I also liked how Lopez showed that Jubilee was still a vampire in this issue, something that have been wanting to see.

Whilst Wolverine's X-Men and the future X-Men return to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, Wolverine and Rachel Grey talk telepathically, with Wolverine saying how he doesn't trust these future X-Men. Now this is something that I was expecting a while ago, as Wolverine is usually a very mistrusting person, especially when it comes to stuff like time travel, so it surprised me when he didn't question much about these future X-Men. I also felt that the dialogue in this sequence was very well handled, adding a lot of tone, and atmosphere, as due to it overall being a slightly slow sequence it needed that.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THE REVIEW!

Now I don't like giving away spoilers, but this was a development that was too big to not talk about. I am off course talking about the future X-Men's secret being revealed to Wolverine's group. I really enjoyed how Wood's handled this revelation, as although it was already shown in the last issue, this was a much more explosive one. I also loved the sudden change in attitude from these future X-Men, which leaves so many questions about their motives, and why they're now like this. The best part of this revelation however would be the tension between Wolverine and Charles Xavier Jr. just before the revelation, and the Rachel Grey line, "Logan was right!"

This would obviously lead to a huge fight between these future X-Men and Wolverine's X-Men. I really enjoyed this, as it was very exciting, and had plenty of explosive moments throughout. I also liked the surprise that was in store for Wolverine, and how we got to see Jubilee bring the vampire fangs out. On top of that I also really enjoyed seeing the psychic battle between Rachel and Xavier, as well as Psylocke showing her multitasking skills. I did however feel that the fight came a bit suddenly, and ended in the same fashion, but overall that didn't mean much as it was still very exciting and entertaining.

Final Verdict

Yet another fantastic instalment to the story, Wood's managed to keep the tone of this series perfect, whilst also working it into the crossover story. The issue itself also had a lot of action and excitement, which was a very good thing, as overall it lacked story development. It did however also have a lot of suspenseful moments, and was very fun and entertaining. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, and the story so far, but if you haven't been following the story you may want to wait for it too come out in trade now.

Rating: 9/10

NYCC 2013: Amazing X-Men and Marvel Universe Panel

Marvel would make some announcements today at the New York Comic Con with the Amazing X-Men and Marvel Universe Panel taking place. The panellists would consist of Marvel Senior Editor Nick Lowe, X-Factor writer Peter David, Deadpool co-writer Gerry Duggan, Cable and X-Force and Avengers Arena writer Dennis Hopeless, Astonishing X-Men writer Marjorie Liu, Thunderbolts writer Charles Soule, X-Men Legacy writer Simon Spurrier, X-Men writer Brian Wood and editors Jeanine Schaefer, Daniel Ketchum and Jordan D. White.

Lowe would kick things off taking about the upcoming Amazing X-Men series, saying how Ed McGuinness is so happy that he's finally getting the chance to draw Nightcrawler, and that the story will take the team through heaven and hell.

Next X-Men writer Brian Wood talked about his next arc that he'll be working on with Terry Dodson, and how it will be a Lady Deathstrike story. Wood also revealed that he'd be adding Monet to the team, and how she was a character that was on his original list when he started talking about the series.

The panel would move on to show how the new Wolverine and the X-Men arc will involve both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Sentinels, whilst X-23 will be joining the All-New X-Men roster, with a cover showing her kissing a silhouetted man.

Uncanny X-Men will see the series crossover into Inhumanity, with a character debuting that Lowe said, "will have people throwing things at Bendis." It was also revealed that Uncanny X-Men #14 will see the aftermath of Battle of the Atom.

The panel would then go onto talk about Savage Wolverine, and how it will continue to have one arc stories from different creators, with Jock currently working on a three issue run, and Phil Jimenez taking over for a two issue arc showing Wolverine in Madripoor.

The panel then moved onto talk about the current Wolverine arc, "Killable" which will end in December. Schaefer would talk about Sabertooth's involvement, also questioning if Wolverine will get his healing factor back, and how the ending isn't to be missed.

The panel would then see Spurrier thank all the fans of X-Men Legacy for trying and supporting it, and how he wanted to announce something else at the panel, but that unfortunately he isn't allowed to at the moment.

Deadpool co-writer Gerry Duggan would be next to speak, saying how they're playing a long game with the series, and that they've plotted a long way out. He also said how issue 19 will see some real consequences that will change Deadpool, finishing by talking about issue 20 being another inventory issue with art by Scott Koblish.

White also announced that Deadpool Annual #1 written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker with artwork Evan Shaner will answer the question: whatever happened to Deadpool's white caption boxes?

The panel would then go onto talk about a crossover that will involve both Uncanny X-Force and Cable and X-Force in an event called "Vendetta". The event will last over four weeks of January seeing two issues from each series. The crossover will also see the return of Stryfe

Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe would also be announce, with White saying how Longhsot no longer having a mullet in this series.

Marjorie Liu and Jeanine Schaefer would then go onto talk about Astonishing X-Men which has just ended, with Liu considering it as an honour to work on the series.

The panel would then move onto the All-New Marvel NOW! announcements, starting with the already announced She-Hulk series from Charles Soule. Soule would mention how he liked the idea of working on a character who's a lawyer, given the fact that he's a lawyer himself, and how he plans on writing She-Hulk in a way that allows her to interact with character all over the Marvel Universe.

Soule's "Sinners" teaser would be up next, with the revelation that Ghost Rider would become a member of the Thunderbolts. Soule would go onto say how this is Johnny Blaze, and that he's the perfect fit for the team. The story arc will be called "No Mercy", and will start with Thunderbolts #20.NOW.

It was then announced that the "Wrath" teaser that has Richard Isanove attached will (as I predicted) see him take over the Savage Wolverine series starting with Savage Wolverine #14.NOW with the story being set in the 30's.

Brian Michael Bendis "Trail" and Judgement" teasers would be revealed next, as Lowe revealed an arc called "The Trial of Jean Grey" that will be a crossover of both All-New X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy, consisting of three issues from each series. It was also revealed that due to this the original X-Men won't be going back to their own time at the end of Battle of the Atom.

The "Corporate" teaser written by Peter David would be revealed next as a new series title All-New X-Factor. David would then start speaking, saying how happy he was to everyone that arrived, and that Quicksilver and Gambit will feature in the first issue.

The panel would then close with a fan Q&A session.

All-New X-Men #17 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Stuart Immonen

I have been very excited about Battle of the Atom throughout the crossover so far, as although it has not had a great deal of progression over the first half, it showed plenty of promise at the end of the last instalment, renewing my excitement and having my hopes raised for the second half of this crossover.

Plot

Magik has taken the younger Beast and Iceman to the future to confront the real future X-Men. Also it is revealed the events that have caused the other future X-Men to come to the present.

Review

This was a brilliant issue and the series has finally returned to the high quality that it started with. Brian Michael Bendis managed to bring some life back to this crossover, as although it has been good throughout, it has been a little slow since part three, whereas now Bendis has turned it back into the exciting and entertaining crossover that it promised to be in the first two parts. The issue was also very dramatic, having some very mysterious moments that kept the story interesting. The dialogue throughout the issue was also very perfectly, being very dynamic and entertaining, having a brilliant tone throughout, and if it's this exciting for the rest of the crossover it could become something phenomenal.

The artwork on this issue was also fantastic, and Stuart Immonen did a fantastic job. The detail of his art was simply amazing, as although some minor imperfections, it was relatively consistent throughout. The layout of Immonen's artwork was also handled perfectly, being very dynamic and at times impactful, adding a lot of depth and drama to the issue. The character's facial expressions and emotions were also handled brilliantly, adding even more depth, as well as making the story more dramatic as well, also adding suspense at times. There would also be some rather extravagant sequences throughout this issue which Immonen handled fantastically, as they were extremely exciting and explosive.

This issue starts by showing the future, with Dazzler running to become the first mutant president. Now I won't go into much detail about this sequence as to avoid spoilers, but I will say that it was extremely dramatic, and eventually got really exciting. I also really enjoyed seeing this possible future, and how it would make the mysterious parts of this story a little more clearer. I do however question whether this is actually Dazzler, or if Mystique would keep impersonating her for a long period of time? I do hope that this is answered sometime as it would be slightly annoying otherwise.

Magik and the younger Beast and Iceman would confront the "real" future X-Men in this issue as well, and the things they said about the group that has returned to the present makes things very exciting. I'll start off by saying that it was interesting to see how the other X-Men had changed over the years, having much different looks. I especially liked the new look for Jubilee, with her still appearing to be a vampire, looking more like one than she does the now. Besides that I found it funny to see Colossus with a moustache, and the interaction he and Magik would have was extremely interesting.

What does this mean for the future of the crossover? Without going into any details about the major developments in this issue, it has really opened the storyline up, leaving a lot of different possibilities. It also has left a ton of new mysteries, with a lot of questions, like who's in the right, and what should actually happen. Put it this way I expect that the story will get even more exciting from now on, and I for one look forward to seeing it. I also look forward to seeing more from these real future X-Men in the future of the story, and how the other future X-Men react to the interaction they had with Magik.

Final Verdict

This was a fantastic issue that has gotten the crossover back to the level of quality that the first couple of issues showed. It also had some very exciting moments, as well as having plenty of mystery drama, suspense and emotion. There were also some brilliant interactions, and the future of the story looks very promising. Due to all this it's easy to recommend this issue and I can't wait for the next part.

Rating: 9/10

Wolverine and the X-Men #36 Review

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL SPOIL THE EVENTS OF BATTLE OF THE ATOM SO FAR!

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli

I have really been enjoying Battle of the Atom so far, as although it has dropped slightly over the last few issues it has still been a very good story, being both exciting and interesting. This series has also been good as of late as although it has been very inconsistent over the thirty five issues prior to this, it is certainly starting to get better again.

Plot

As the future Jean Grey psychically battles her younger self, Emma Frost and the Stepford Cuckoos the other X-Men battle between each other over whether the younger X-Men should stay or go back to their own time.

Review

This was a very good issue, and although it isn't one of the better issues in this storyline so far it was still a brilliant issue, being slightly better than the last instalment. Jason Aaron does a good job of continuing the story in this issue, but for the most of the issue it felt slightly laggy as although it was very exciting and dramatic it didn't seem like a lot was going to happen for most of this issue. I also didn't really feel the Wolverine and the X-Men vibe in this issue as all the other issues managed to both follow the story whilst keep the same feel, and although we got to see Broo in this issue, it still didn't feel much like an WATX issue. It did however have brilliant suspense and a bit of mystery, and overall it was a very good issue.

The art in this issue was overall very good and Giuseppe Camuncoli did an amazing job. I was actually slightly dreading how his artwork would be, as although I've enjoyed it on Spider-Man and Batman stories in the past I've never been the biggest fan of his X-Men artwork. The detail in his artwork was simply brilliant, with it being very consistent throughout. I also really enjoyed the layout of Camuncoli's artwork, though I did feel that the backgrounds were a bit plain at times. The other thing that bugged me about the art (which is something that usually annoys me about Camuncoli's art) was the facial expressions which looked a bit awkward at times, as although it suited Wolverine, it didn't suit the other characters.

One of the big things that I was looking forward to during this issue was seeing the future Jean square off against Emma in a psychic battle. Now the battle itself was very exciting and dramatic, but following the dramatic way that it was set-up at the end of the last instalment it didn't quite live to my expectations. I did however really enjoy the interaction throughout this battle, and felt that it added a lot of depth and drama to the sequence. I also liked how both Emma's group and future Jean were split by psychic colour, as although I didn't quite know why they needed to be different, it added some vibrancy to the fight, as well as helped to separate the two sides.

Whilst this was happening the rest of the X-Men would be fighting amongst themselves to a certain extent as to whether the younger X-Men should return to the past or not. Now most of this was rather dull and tedious, feeling like the same old argument that has been going on throughout the story so far. I did however find a couple of moments to be rather interesting, and enjoyed the interaction between Wolverine and the two Cyclops'. I was also happy to see the younger Beast and Iceman during this issue, and was happy to see Shogo with them.

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD!

Now I don't like giving away spoilers for comics, and still won't give too much away in this spoiler, but this was something that I wanted to talk about as it was the most interesting part of the issue. Now near the end of this issue it would be revealed the future X-Men haven't been totally honest with what they said. Now I won't go into any more details, but I found this extremely interesting and it was the perfect development point to keep this story going as I was starting to worry that it would drag along till the end of the storyline.

Final Verdict

This was a very good issue and the second half of this story has been set-up perfectly. The issue itself was however slightly laggy, as until the end it felt like there wasn't going to be much progression in this issue. It was however still exciting at times, also having some mystery to it. Due to this I'd recommend this issue as although it wasn't the best in the story so far it has set-up the next part perfectly.

Rating: 7/10

Uncanny X-Men #12 Review

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL SPOIL THE EVENTS OF BATTLE OF THE ATOM SO FAR!

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Chris Bachalo

Battle of the Atom has been the crossover that I was looking forward to for a long time, and so far it hasn't disappointed, as although it's still to hit top gear, it has been extremely fun, and entertaining, and I'm always excited between each instalment.

Plot

The younger Cyclops and Jean Grey have reached Utopia where they try and gain the help of older Cylcops' X-Men.

Review

This was yet another great addition to the Battle of the Atom storyline, tough also the worst so far. Brian Michael Bendis did a great job of continuing from where X-Men #5 left off, but the issue itself didn't do a great lot to help the stories development. It did however still have some brilliant sequences, with yet again more amazing dialogue from Bendis, which added a lot of drama, and excitement. It did however also lag at times, trying to do too much set-up with nothing really paying off in this issue. Bendis did however leave the issue with a brilliant cliffhanger, and I really hope that this is followed-up properly in Wolverine and the X-Men #36, and that the series finally reaches a higher gear.

Although I've never been a huge fan of Chris Bachalo's artwork, I have been enjoying it on this series. I did however really dislike it on this issue, as a lot of the art reminded me of why I disliked it in the first place. For starters his artwork doesn't really go well with any of the previous artists in this story, and although I already knew this, seeing it made it more obvious. I also hated Bachalo's artwork on the future X-Men, and especially the future Beast and Deadpool. I did however once again love his layouts and colours, as the layout adds a lot of depth and tone to the issue, whilst his colours also added more tone and depth, being the best thing about his artwork.

This series has seen S.H.I.E.L.D. have a huge involvement in it, so it was no surprise that it would be the issue to introduce them to this storyline. Now to be honest I feel that it's a good thing to add S.H.I.EL.D., as it adds some diversity, giving a different possible path in the future stages of the story. At the same time I also liked how it was condensed in this issue to nothing more than set-up, as although I complained slightly about the issue having too much set-up, and not enough payoff, this is something that needs setting up whereas some of the other things could have lead into a payoff in the same issue.

The main focus of this issue would see Cyclops contemplating whether to help these younger X-Men, or to help the others in sending them back to their own time. To be honest I thought given the close call in X-Men: Battle of the Atom #1 that it'd be a no-brainer, but the way Bendis handled this decision was brilliant, showing that it wasn't actually as easy as you'd initially assume. Besides this I also loved seeing the different opinions that the other X-Men members had, and how this would show how much friction this situation has caused.

Whilst this was happening the future X-Men, along with Wolverine's X-Men would continue searching for the two younger X-Men. The sequence itself was interesting, but I would have much preferred them to have been closer to actually doing something a little more productive, as although I don't want things rushed, their search has been a little slow. I did however enjoy the interaction between certain characters, as well as the fact that the present Kitty Pryde still wanted them to stay, seeing her older self as something she doesn't want to become.

Final Verdict

Although this is the worst issue of the crossover so far, it was still very interesting, setting up things brilliantly. At the same time it was just a little too much set-up, and although this will probably help the story as a whole in the long run, it hurt this one quite a bit. I would however still recommend it, as it shows that the story still has a lot to give, and I'm sure the next instalment will be outstanding.

Rating: 7/10

X-Men #5 Review

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL SPOIL THE EVENTS OF BATTLE OF THE ATOM SO FAR!

Writer: Brian Wood

Artist: David Lopez

Battle of the Atom kicked of last week, and boy was it one brilliant start, and has made me even more excited about this series than I've already been. This series has also been extremely amazing itself, having four outstanding issues, with this also being the first part of Battle of the Atom not to be written by Brian Michael Bendis.

Plot

The X-Men along with the future X-Men head off in search of the younger Cyclops, and Jean Grey.

Review

This was a fantastic issue, and although not quite as good as the first two parts, a brilliant continuation of the story. Brian Wood has been doing an outstanding job on this series, as even with little time to get the series rolling prior to Battle of the Atom he still has managed to make this one of the best series out the now. I also loved how Wood has managed to step slightly away from this all female cast (it had to happen for this story), whilst still managing to show elements of the concept by having the women play a huge role in the issue. I also felt the issue as a whole had a lot of drama, and depth to it, and that the characteristics were spot on, with the developments being handled fantastically.

The art in this issue was also outstanding, and although I probably preferred Frank Cho, and Stuart Immonen's from the previous parts, David Lopez did an amazing job. I really loved the detail to Lopez' art as although the backgrounds were a bit plain at times, the characters looked amazing. I did however feel that their facial expressions were a little awkward from time to time, but that they still showed plenty of emotion. Lopez' layouts were also fantastic, adding a lot of depth, and tone to the issue, and are only slightly let down by the plain backgrounds. I did however also really enjoy the action sequences in this issue, and Lopez handled them perfectly, as although they weren't spectacular, they were exciting.

The last part of Battle of the Atom would see the younger Cyclops, and Jean run away from the X-Men, not wanting to get sent back to their own timeline. Now this was a brilliant way of making the story last it's ten part length, and although it wasn't the most exciting development that I've ever seen, it was still very interesting. This issue would see them continue their journey, trying to avoid the X-Men, and reach a safe place. I really enjoyed this as it would show how much these characters dread going back to their timeline, and do you blame them considering what they know will happen to them.

So far this series has seen Jubilee as it's centre character so I was expecting her to appear in this issue. I did however not expect her to appear from thin air. I say this as she hasn't appeared in the story so far, but suddenly is in the same room as the X-Men whilst Cyclops, and Jean escape. Don't get me wrong I'm very happy she's in this story, and she along with Shogo would add some humour to this issue, but it could have been handled slightly better.

This issue would also see Kitty Pryde left with a lot of conflict, as although she knows that sending the younger X-Men back to their own time is probably the right thing, she also doesn't want to lose them as students, or force them into doing anything. I found this to be a very interesting development, and although it wasn't unexpected due to future solicits it was still very well handled, and the interaction between her, and Rachel Grey was extremely interesting, and very dramatic as well.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing issue, and although technically the worst in the crossover so far, still very entertaining, showing just how good the story's been so far. It has some fun, and excitement, as well as interesting encounters, setting up the next part of the story perfectly. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, and the story so far, and can't wait to read the next part.

Rating: 8/10

All-New X-Men #16 Review

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL SPOIL THE EVENTS OF X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM #1!

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Stuart Immonen

We aren't just lucky enough for Battle of the Atom to have started, but we get two parts in one week, as following X-Men: Battle of the Atom #1 this is the second part in the storyline that I personally have been looking forward to for quite a while.

Plot

Following Cyclops' near death experience a team of future X-Men come back to warn the X-Men of the consequences should the younger X-Men stay.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and although not quite on par with the first part, it was still extremely enjoyable, and very interesting. Brian Michael Bendis is certainly on a role, as given his last issue of Uncanny X-Men was slightly mediocre I was hoping that it wouldn't flow into Battle of the Atom, which it hasn't, with Bendis bouncing back brilliantly. The dialogue in this issue was simply amazing, and with the issue being mostly all talk, with little action it needed to be. Besides that Bendis managed to add a lot of atmosphere to the issue, with there being some light humour, and excitement as well. I was however not overly happy with him repeating parts, but that wasn't a huge deal, and was probably needed.

Stuart Immonen did a fantastic job of the art on this issue, as although it's not the best work that I've ever seen from him it was still amazing. The detail was however slightly inconsistent, as although most of the issue was very highly detailed, there were a few imperfections throughout, and especially near the start of the issue. His layouts were however as usual perfect, adding a lot of depth to the issue, as well as helping the story to flow smoother. I also felt that Immonen's art was very dynamic, helping create a brilliant atmosphere for the issue. I also loved how Immonen handled the characters emotions, as with the lack of action it was really needed, and Immonen didn't disappoint.

This issue followed roughly on from the opening issue, with Cyclops' X-Men back at the New Charles Xavier School for Mutants. This sequence would show how much the events that occurred in the last part have affected Triage, as he's pretty messed up over the events, and how he managed to bring the younger Cyclops (and hence the older Cylcops as well) back from the dead. This conversation was very interesting, and it showed the reality of the situation, as well as bringing home the fact that the X-Men seem to shrug off time travel incidents due to how frequent they happen.

The first part of Battle of the Atom would introduce a X-Men team that has came from the future to make sure that the younger X-Men get send back into the past. Now this was something that was already established to happen, and although their entrance in the last part was amazing, I found their appearance in this issue to be much more interesting. The team line up was amazing, and I especially loved seeing the changes that the years have caused to Deadpool, and Beast, though I do question why Deadpool is a member given the fact that he's not a mutant. I also found the other members interesting, and loved the reactions the X-Men had to these future X-Men, especially both the younger, and current Iceman's reactions.

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD!

During this issue the younger Jean Grey, and Cyclops would make a drastic decision and leave the group, with Jean fearing that sending her back in time is virtually a death sentence. As I said earlier the repeating of events didn't appeal to me, but they allowed this development to go in a very unique, and interesting manor. I also loved the interaction between Jean, and Cyclops during this, though I did slightly question why Cyclops didn't need persuaded. I do however feel that this is the perfect way to allow this story more time, and look forward to seeing how things will progress in X-Men #5

Final Verdict

This was a great continuation to the Battle of the Atom story, as although not quite as good, it was still very exciting, and interesting, having some shocking developments, as well as a brilliant ending. It also had some outstanding dialogue, as well as some amazing humour, making me want the next part to come out even sooner. Due to all this it's extremely easy to recommend this issue, but naturally you'll need to read X-Men: Battle of the Atom #1 first.

Rating: 9/10

X-Men: Battle of the Atom #1 Review

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Frank Cho & Stuart Immnonen

Finally Battle of the Atom is here, and we are lucky enough to have both part one, and two out in the same week, with All-New X-Men #16 being the second part. I for one have been looking forward to this for a long time, and am glad that it's finally here.

Plot

After finding a powerful new mutant on Cerebro, Kitty Pryde takes the younger X-Men to help recruit her.

Review

This was a fantastic issue, and a phenomenal start to this event. Brian Michael Bendis did a brilliant job of kick starting this event, showing just why most X-Men events are good. The way he made this fun, yet exciting, and dramatic was brilliant, which was truly amazing. The action in this issue was also outstanding, being very explosive, and exciting, adding a lot of energy to the issue. I also loved how due to this it quickly got into the classic X-Men tone, by putting the characters in a dangerous situation that they utilise to have fun. I also loved the dialogue in this issue, as it was very dynamic, and entertaining, adding to the tone of the issue.

The art in this issue was also amazing, as although there was the odd imperfection here, and there, it was overall brilliant, and Frank Cho did a fantastic job. The detail for the most part was outstanding, standing out beautifully, being very vibrant. I also loved the layout from Cho, as it was very dynamic, also adding to the tone and atmosphere of the issue. The action, and emotion in this issue was also perfectly handled by Cho, with the action being very exciting, and entertaining, and the emotion adding to the drama, and depth of the issue. This issue would also have some art help by Stuart Immonen, and although I usually love his art, I don't feel it helped this issue, as his style is much different to Cho's.

This story would start with Kitty getting a message informing her about a powerful, and potentially dangerous new mutant, taking the younger X-Men to try and recruit her. I found this to be an interesting way of starting the crossover event, as with both sets of X-Men trying to recruit as many of the new mutants as possible it's the best scenario to bring the two teams together. The new mutant herself was also interesting, as although her personality wasn't that interesting, her actions were, and I loved how for a change it was someone who isn't necessarily good getting powers, as so far all the other new mutants have been good people.

This issue would also feature Sentinels, with the younger X-Men, and Kitty having their hands full against them. Now I have been extremely happy about the Sentinels returning to the comics, as although they pop up every now and then, it's always nice when they do, as it reminds me of how I was first introduced to the X-Men through the 90's Animated series. The way that the Sentinels were introduced in this issue was simply outstanding, as although they have been making appearances lately, this was still very dramatic, and I loved how it appeared that they had the edge over the X-Men. I also loved Cho's art during this sequence as it was simply phenomenal.

Kitty and the younger X-Men weren't the only X-Men to feature in this issue as Cyclops' X-Men would make an appearance, lending a hand to the other team. Now I don't have much of a problem with both teams banding together on a common problem, and to be honest I kind off expected it to happen. I was however slightly disappointed as to how it was handled, as it was just too friendly in my opinion. Fair enough Wolverine wasn't there, and Kitty is a much calmer person, but I still expected a little bit of animosity between them, which we didn't get. I did however enjoy seeing the two teams work together besides that, and look forward to seeing what directions they'll go in as the story continues.

Final Verdict

A terrific start to what I hope will be a brilliant event. As is expected from a X-Men event, this issue had plenty of excitement, and drama, as well as being very fun, and entertaining. There was also some mystery as well, having a great atmosphere, and brilliant action. Due to all this I'd easily recommend this issue, and am going straight onto All-New X-Men #16 next.

Rating: 9/10