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Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men #1-4
X-Men Vs. Avengers/Fantastic Four
Written by ROGER STERN, TOM DEFALCO, CHRIS CLAREMONT & STAN LEE
Penciled by MARC SILVESTRI, KEITH POLLARD, JON BOGDANOVE & JACK KIRBY
Cover by KEITH POLLARD
Two titanic tussles for the price of one! First: When Magneto's on trial, he needs all the help he can get - and he finds it in the remnants of his former fortress, Asteroid M! The X-Men aren't sure what his scheme is, but they're positive they don't want the Avengers and the Soviet Super-Soldiers to find out before they do! It's multi-team warfare with the eyes of the world on all three! Then: On the verge of disintegration, Kitty Pryde seems resigned to her doom - but the X-Men will do anything to save her, even bargain with a worse doom...Doctor Doom! What stunning secret prevents Mr. Fantastic and the Fantastic Four from saving the day instead? Is he terrified of failing because his greatest failure - the fateful rocket flight - might have really been his greatest success? Do the answers all come down to wunderkind Franklin Richards? Also featuring the X-Men's fabulous first face-offs with the Avengers and Fantastic Four in Marvel's early era! Collecting X-MEN VS. THE AVENGERS #1-4, FANTASTIC FOUR VS. THE X-MEN #1-4, X-MEN #9 and FANTASTIC FOUR #28.
272 PGS./Rated A
Penciled by MARC SILVESTRI, KEITH POLLARD, JON BOGDANOVE & JACK KIRBY
Cover by KEITH POLLARD
Two titanic tussles for the price of one! First: When Magneto's on trial, he needs all the help he can get - and he finds it in the remnants of his former fortress, Asteroid M! The X-Men aren't sure what his scheme is, but they're positive they don't want the Avengers and the Soviet Super-Soldiers to find out before they do! It's multi-team warfare with the eyes of the world on all three! Then: On the verge of disintegration, Kitty Pryde seems resigned to her doom - but the X-Men will do anything to save her, even bargain with a worse doom...Doctor Doom! What stunning secret prevents Mr. Fantastic and the Fantastic Four from saving the day instead? Is he terrified of failing because his greatest failure - the fateful rocket flight - might have really been his greatest success? Do the answers all come down to wunderkind Franklin Richards? Also featuring the X-Men's fabulous first face-offs with the Avengers and Fantastic Four in Marvel's early era! Collecting X-MEN VS. THE AVENGERS #1-4, FANTASTIC FOUR VS. THE X-MEN #1-4, X-MEN #9 and FANTASTIC FOUR #28.
272 PGS./Rated A
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
8 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Roger Stern
1,555 books111 followersRoger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 4, 2023
This is an interesting collection, because it collects two separate mini-series from around the same time.
X-men vs the Fantastic Four is presented first and is the better of the two. It's very well written and as a kid I felt it was of a much higher quality than the average Marvel book. Reading it again decades later, I feel it hold ups very well. The characters are all well written, the art is very good and the story itself is interesting. It really plays into a lot of things we don't get to see enough, especially Reed Richards doubting himself. He made an incredibly massive mistake and his closest friends had their lives altered forever, and this story plays into the feelings of doubt and guilt that would naturally cause in even the smartest, most confident man. Chris Claremont is known for his epic run as the writer of the X-men, so they are of course handled well here. But Claremont gets the Fantastic Four as well, and he really shines in his depiction of them.
The second story, X-men vs the Avengers, is less successful. It is a good story, but the execution is awkward at times. The first three issues seem like a cohesive story and it's a good enough scenario to showcase the X-men and the Avengers, which at the time had one of the least popular lineups in the team's history. Where things get muddled is the fourth issue, which feels like such a separate entity from the first three issues, complete with penciled change, that it is jarring. A bunch of characters we have never seen before are quickly introduced as the story pivots and becomes something totally different. The first three issues are almost like a prologue to this fourth issue, but then that issue is so packed with moments and characters that it is left feeling rushed and glossed over. I think this would have been more successful had the final issue been expanded over a couple of issues so the concepts and characters could be better developed and fleshed out.
This collection also includes a couple of silver age issues that shows the first meetings of both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers with the X-men. Like most Marvel comics from the early 60s, they are fun although very dated. The main attraction of the collection, the two mini-series, hold up much better, especially the first one.
I would easily give X-men vs the Fantastic Four five stars. X-men vs the Avengers I would give three stars, or possibly three and a half because of the excellent potential of the situation. For a volume collecting both stories, I will split the difference and go Four stars out of five.
X-men vs the Fantastic Four is presented first and is the better of the two. It's very well written and as a kid I felt it was of a much higher quality than the average Marvel book. Reading it again decades later, I feel it hold ups very well. The characters are all well written, the art is very good and the story itself is interesting. It really plays into a lot of things we don't get to see enough, especially Reed Richards doubting himself. He made an incredibly massive mistake and his closest friends had their lives altered forever, and this story plays into the feelings of doubt and guilt that would naturally cause in even the smartest, most confident man. Chris Claremont is known for his epic run as the writer of the X-men, so they are of course handled well here. But Claremont gets the Fantastic Four as well, and he really shines in his depiction of them.
The second story, X-men vs the Avengers, is less successful. It is a good story, but the execution is awkward at times. The first three issues seem like a cohesive story and it's a good enough scenario to showcase the X-men and the Avengers, which at the time had one of the least popular lineups in the team's history. Where things get muddled is the fourth issue, which feels like such a separate entity from the first three issues, complete with penciled change, that it is jarring. A bunch of characters we have never seen before are quickly introduced as the story pivots and becomes something totally different. The first three issues are almost like a prologue to this fourth issue, but then that issue is so packed with moments and characters that it is left feeling rushed and glossed over. I think this would have been more successful had the final issue been expanded over a couple of issues so the concepts and characters could be better developed and fleshed out.
This collection also includes a couple of silver age issues that shows the first meetings of both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers with the X-men. Like most Marvel comics from the early 60s, they are fun although very dated. The main attraction of the collection, the two mini-series, hold up much better, especially the first one.
I would easily give X-men vs the Fantastic Four five stars. X-men vs the Avengers I would give three stars, or possibly three and a half because of the excellent potential of the situation. For a volume collecting both stories, I will split the difference and go Four stars out of five.
January 1, 2023
Interesting stories!
The FF story ties right into the Mutant Massacre event and is required reading for that. Great artwork and interesting to see Reed's questioning and questionable motivations.. Doom plays an interesting role too! The classic FF story was a great addition.
The Avengers story was even better, and it's important to be "current" on the X-Men at the time (ie to have read at least Uncanny #200). Silvestri's at its great and the story is a well done one! The classic X-story was very dated and more as good as the FF one, but still a fun read.
All in all, a great collection!
The FF story ties right into the Mutant Massacre event and is required reading for that. Great artwork and interesting to see Reed's questioning and questionable motivations.. Doom plays an interesting role too! The classic FF story was a great addition.
The Avengers story was even better, and it's important to be "current" on the X-Men at the time (ie to have read at least Uncanny #200). Silvestri's at its great and the story is a well done one! The classic X-story was very dated and more as good as the FF one, but still a fun read.
All in all, a great collection!
August 24, 2016
Solid little mini-cross-overs. Not necessary reading but good supplemental 80's material. The vs. Avengers is the stronger of the two. Not surprising as it's scripted by Stern and features his line-up of Avengers.
June 21, 2017
I enjoyed this look back at the X-Men's clashes with two legendary super-teams, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. For each team, there was a recent story and one from the 1960s, when all three of these teams were new to the world of comic books.
The recent Fantastic Four story took place not long after the Mutant Massacre. The team was Storm (without her powers), Wolverine, Havok, Dazzler, Psylocke, Rogue and Longshot. It focused on Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat and the injury she suffered at the hands of Harpoon. His energy spear disrupted her molecular cohesion and trapped her in a phased state. At this point, she was in danger of discorporating beyond anyone's ability to bring her back. The X-Men asked for Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four to help- his recent invention sounded like just what was called for to save Kitty's life. Unfortunately, Reed was having a crisis of faith at the time, precipitated by the appearance of a journal that claims he deliberately allowed himself and his friends to be saturated with cosmic rays instead of it being an accident. The X-Men turned to Dr. Doom in desperation, and he was glad to have the chance to succeed where Reed failed. I enjoyed watching the cat and mouse games and seeing Reed triumph over his inner demons. It was also good to see the She-Hulk with the FF for this adventure- they needed her perspective as one outside of their family to stay on focus. Franklin Richards' dream powers proved necessary to the resolution of Kitty's life or death problem as well.
In the '60's story, the Mad Thinker used the Puppet Master's skills to take over Professor X's mind and use him to have the X-Men attack the Fantastic Four. The young original X-Men (Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel and Marvel Girl) acquitted themselves well against a more powerful and more experienced team of heroes.
The same team of X-Men fought the Avengers (Captain Marvel, Captain America, She-Hulk, Dr. Druid, Black Knight and Thor) and the Soviet Super-Soldiers (Vanguard, Darkstar, Ursa Major, the Titanium Man and the Crimson Dynamo) to protect Magneto. The Soviets targeted him for death, and when part of his Asteroid M crashed on Earth, they set a trap for him there. It was something of a free-for-all- the Soviets wanted to kill Magneto, the Avengers wanted to capture him so he could complete his aborted trial before the world court (from X-Men 200) and the X-Men sought to protect him from persecution as a fellow mutant and as their current leader in the absence of Professor X. In the end, the Soviets were forced to back off (and to condemn the methods of the Crimson Dynamo, who endangered civilian lives trying to stop Magneto).
The '60's story was the X-Men responding to a call from the professor to help him against Lucifer, the man who cost him the use of his legs. The Avengers detected the energies Lucifer unleashed, but the X-Men warned them off- the professor needed them not to interfere for various reasons. The X-Men were grossly overmatched, but they stood their ground anyway. The original five X-Men against Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Giant-Man and the Wasp was unfair to the X-Men, but they did well and eventually convinced the Avengers to back off and let them handle the situation.
February 17, 2018
Long before the 2016 election, the accusations of collusion, the special counsel, and the indictments, there was another Russian / American political fiasco that nearly rocked the world to its core. The year was 1980something, and the old remains of Asteroid M had just entered the atmosphere, hurtling down to the earth. One set of debris is on a trajectory towards Mansfield, Ohio, where Captain America and Doctor Druid frantically evacuate a Kmart (believe it or not, back then there could be more than 12 people in a Kmart at a time). The other set will land in an unpopulated area in southeast Asia, where Magneto, clad in his good guy era tacky pink jumpsuit, and unbeknownst to his former enemies but current allies the X-Men, is on route to collect the remains of his old base. Just what is he trying to find there? Will the technological secrets of his past tempt him to his former ways? Things get complicated when it turns out it's all a trap laid by a group of super powered Russian patriots. Will the X-Men get there to save him in time? Or will the Avengers get there first, and bring the former criminal to trial at the world court? (Spoilers: they get there roughly the same time and fight)
Reading vs Avengers, I found out that:
1) Storm, even without her powers, can fight a LITERAL BEAR to a standstill. There is a Russian mutant named Ursa Major who is a guy who can transform into a bear. A powerless Storm goes toe to toe with him in like 2 or 3 panels. That's pretty badass.
2) Roger Stern wasn't as sympathetic towards Magneto's redemption arc as the Marvel editors maybe wanted him to be. While debating whether to stop the Russian supergroup from killing Magneto, the Avengers spend a full two pages listing his rap sheet of murder, terrorism, and acts of torture before Captain America says yeah but I guess everyone deserves a fair shot, shrugs, and proceeds to chant USA (paraphrasing). Ultimately Tom Falco took over writing the final issue, since in Stern's original script Magneto gives one of the judges at his trial a stroke in order to get himself off scotch free.
3) Wolverine's adamantium claws and the legendary sword Excalibur are roughly an equal match. Seems right.
Overall, the vs Fantastic Four part is a better read than the vs Avengers part, despite featuring words like "compuscanalysis" and lines like "Careful, sugah. If our flesh touches, ah'll absorb your psyche an' powers." (We get it, Rogue, you have a sad, sad life). The reason is Chris Claremont's ability to take even the most ridiculously and garishly garbed character and make him/her multifaceted and wholly human. He takes what could have been a pointless slugfest with a bloated plot (see the Avengers portion) and weaves a wonderful tale about doubt, responsibility, and family. The four stars are mostly him, although credit needs to be given to the art teams on both series: Jon Bogdanove, Terry Austin, Tom Orzechowski, and Glynis Oliver on vs Fantastic, and Marc Silvestri, Josef Rubinstein, Joe Rosen, and Christie Scheele on vs Avengers. Less than stellar panels were few and far between throughout.
In conclusion, I had fun reading this. But perhaps not quite as much fun as I had writing this review.
Reading vs Avengers, I found out that:
1) Storm, even without her powers, can fight a LITERAL BEAR to a standstill. There is a Russian mutant named Ursa Major who is a guy who can transform into a bear. A powerless Storm goes toe to toe with him in like 2 or 3 panels. That's pretty badass.
2) Roger Stern wasn't as sympathetic towards Magneto's redemption arc as the Marvel editors maybe wanted him to be. While debating whether to stop the Russian supergroup from killing Magneto, the Avengers spend a full two pages listing his rap sheet of murder, terrorism, and acts of torture before Captain America says yeah but I guess everyone deserves a fair shot, shrugs, and proceeds to chant USA (paraphrasing). Ultimately Tom Falco took over writing the final issue, since in Stern's original script Magneto gives one of the judges at his trial a stroke in order to get himself off scotch free.
3) Wolverine's adamantium claws and the legendary sword Excalibur are roughly an equal match. Seems right.
Overall, the vs Fantastic Four part is a better read than the vs Avengers part, despite featuring words like "compuscanalysis" and lines like "Careful, sugah. If our flesh touches, ah'll absorb your psyche an' powers." (We get it, Rogue, you have a sad, sad life). The reason is Chris Claremont's ability to take even the most ridiculously and garishly garbed character and make him/her multifaceted and wholly human. He takes what could have been a pointless slugfest with a bloated plot (see the Avengers portion) and weaves a wonderful tale about doubt, responsibility, and family. The four stars are mostly him, although credit needs to be given to the art teams on both series: Jon Bogdanove, Terry Austin, Tom Orzechowski, and Glynis Oliver on vs Fantastic, and Marc Silvestri, Josef Rubinstein, Joe Rosen, and Christie Scheele on vs Avengers. Less than stellar panels were few and far between throughout.
In conclusion, I had fun reading this. But perhaps not quite as much fun as I had writing this review.
March 18, 2019
Really really good and not as gimmicky as the title suggests.
The first story is the real gem.
Chris Claremont really shines. The way he handles the Fantastic Four makes me want to check out his forgotten Fantastic Four run. He writes these characters with such complexity, nuance and maturity. Their internal conflicts and hidden motivations really carry the story. I also found myself really enjoying the artwork (dated as it may be) Sue Storm’s face was emotional and on point, and the colors had a very pleasant, classic Liechtenstein vibe to them.
The second story is good, but not as good. Enter Roger Stern. It was a decent character study of the now reformed Magneto... but not much else. A good chunk of it was straight up boring. The Russian Avengers didn’t need to be there. The whole thing was a but of a slog. My favorite part was the end, where Magneto goes on trial. Even then, it could have been better.
Overall, this is good stuff... but only for die hards. I can’t see a casual fan with a modern pedigree getting much out of this. 3.6 stars (which rounds to 4.)
The first story is the real gem.
Chris Claremont really shines. The way he handles the Fantastic Four makes me want to check out his forgotten Fantastic Four run. He writes these characters with such complexity, nuance and maturity. Their internal conflicts and hidden motivations really carry the story. I also found myself really enjoying the artwork (dated as it may be) Sue Storm’s face was emotional and on point, and the colors had a very pleasant, classic Liechtenstein vibe to them.
The second story is good, but not as good. Enter Roger Stern. It was a decent character study of the now reformed Magneto... but not much else. A good chunk of it was straight up boring. The Russian Avengers didn’t need to be there. The whole thing was a but of a slog. My favorite part was the end, where Magneto goes on trial. Even then, it could have been better.
Overall, this is good stuff... but only for die hards. I can’t see a casual fan with a modern pedigree getting much out of this. 3.6 stars (which rounds to 4.)
September 28, 2020
A revisit. Both of these series are staked out in my childhood, taking up real estate, but this volume did two new things for me: In the Avengers/X-Men limited, there are some notes in the back of this volume explaining that DeFalco was going to take Magneto back in a more villainous direction, but that the ending (which has always felt rushed to me) was changed due to Marvel's editorial having more redemptive plans for the character. Second, I needed an adult perspective on Reed's suffering during the FF/X-Men limited. I'm not sure that his personal internal journey has ever made real sense to me until now. These are both worth a revisit; I'm partial to the pacing and drama of the FF/X-Men, but the Avengers/X-Men is good, too. (And shows why Dr. Druid *used* to be a cool character, too.)
February 8, 2023
During the 1980s two limited series came out, Fantastic Four vs. The X-Men and vs. The Avengers. The X-Men team at the time for both series was in flux as the Mutant Massacre just occurred and the team was going through changes. Kitty's power was disrupted thus the X-Men seek help from Reed but then the team turns to Doctor Doom when Reed hesitates. In the 2nd series pieces of Magneto's asteroid base falls to Earth and Magneto has plans. The Avengers, the Soviet Super Soldiers, and even his own teammates aren't sure what he's up to thus fighting ensues.
Haven't read either series in SO LONG. Nice to take a trip down memory lane.
Haven't read either series in SO LONG. Nice to take a trip down memory lane.
March 3, 2022
Claremont writes complex characters in an engaging way: Magneto, Doom and The Thing are clearly at their best as they balance between heroics, doubt and brutality. The pacing of the story, however, is that of slow and heavy melodrama with meaningless stunts as interludes.
September 30, 2022
I didn’t know the X-Men had a habit of getting into fisticuffs with their peers. Can somebody say, “sibling rivalry”? So, this is what superheroes do when they don’t have a villain to keep them entertained.
August 20, 2020
Terrible
April 24, 2016
This book collects two four mini-series from the 1987 when Magneto had (temporarily reformed) featuring the X-Men in Fantastic Four vs. X-Men as well as X-Men vs. Avengers as well as the first crossover of FF and the Avengers in Fantastic Four #29 and X-Men #9.
Fantastic Four vs. X-Men has its moments as Reed initially agrees then backs out of saving the X-men's Shadowcat. The story actually works mostly as a character piece about the FF as they face the discovery of a journal that calls in to question whether Reed anticipated the accident in the FF's fateful voyage.
The height of the story is Issue 3 when Reed and the FF have to face their fears and decide what they really think. The X-men end up turning to Doctor Doom to help Shadowcat when Reed bails and that's their main part. For a "vs" comic, there was no real battling except a bit in Issue 2 and Issue 4. The story had some moments of being overwrought moments including dream sequences and Franklin Richards played a big part in it but sounded very inauthentic as a child.
X-Men vs. Avengers was another tale altogether and far more substantial. The Avengers decided to bring in Magneto to stand trial before the World Court. However, they're opposed not only by the X-men but also by a Soviet superhero team that wants to eliminate Magneto on the strength of a Soviet court ruling.
The story has two nice features: First, there are some distinctly 80s comic book features particularly the Soviet team. Also, Monica Rambeau is very good in this as the Second Captain Marvel and I enjoyed her a lot more here than in Secret Wars. The Avengers team features not only Monica Rambeau, but also has She-Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. Though to round out the obscure, it features Black Knight and Doctor Druid (who actually does play a role in the story.)
There's also a great deal of intrigue. Magneto is fascinating throughout this. Roger Stern (who wrote Issues 1-3) is very capable here as some intimately familiar with both Captain America and the Avengers. The trial in Issue 4 (by Tom DeFalco) is a fascinating story with several nice twists involving Captain America.
The classic issues are just okay. They're trasparent in beig written as forms of cross-promotion. The X-men are manipulated to fighting the FF in FF #29 and then the X-Men have to fight the Avengers to save the world from a character named Lucifer. It's also intramural stuff for Marvel to say to readers of one comic, "Don't these characters look interesting. Why don't you put down 15 cents for their comic." On the upside, both were also drawn by Jack Kirby and written by Stan Lee, so there's some and playfulness.
As an aside, I have to note that the X-men come off well in either of these two stories.In Fantastic Four vs. X-men, they basically become tools of Doctor Doom in his war against Reed Richards. In Avengers v. X-Men, they try to stop Magneto from being brought to trial because he's a mutant. Why is it in every crossover the X-Men come off as only concerned with their own special interests and willing to align with the biggest evil around if it serves their interests?
Nothing here is essential, but X-men v. the Avengers is pretty darn interesting and makes the book worth reading.
Fantastic Four vs. X-Men has its moments as Reed initially agrees then backs out of saving the X-men's Shadowcat. The story actually works mostly as a character piece about the FF as they face the discovery of a journal that calls in to question whether Reed anticipated the accident in the FF's fateful voyage.
The height of the story is Issue 3 when Reed and the FF have to face their fears and decide what they really think. The X-men end up turning to Doctor Doom to help Shadowcat when Reed bails and that's their main part. For a "vs" comic, there was no real battling except a bit in Issue 2 and Issue 4. The story had some moments of being overwrought moments including dream sequences and Franklin Richards played a big part in it but sounded very inauthentic as a child.
X-Men vs. Avengers was another tale altogether and far more substantial. The Avengers decided to bring in Magneto to stand trial before the World Court. However, they're opposed not only by the X-men but also by a Soviet superhero team that wants to eliminate Magneto on the strength of a Soviet court ruling.
The story has two nice features: First, there are some distinctly 80s comic book features particularly the Soviet team. Also, Monica Rambeau is very good in this as the Second Captain Marvel and I enjoyed her a lot more here than in Secret Wars. The Avengers team features not only Monica Rambeau, but also has She-Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. Though to round out the obscure, it features Black Knight and Doctor Druid (who actually does play a role in the story.)
There's also a great deal of intrigue. Magneto is fascinating throughout this. Roger Stern (who wrote Issues 1-3) is very capable here as some intimately familiar with both Captain America and the Avengers. The trial in Issue 4 (by Tom DeFalco) is a fascinating story with several nice twists involving Captain America.
The classic issues are just okay. They're trasparent in beig written as forms of cross-promotion. The X-men are manipulated to fighting the FF in FF #29 and then the X-Men have to fight the Avengers to save the world from a character named Lucifer. It's also intramural stuff for Marvel to say to readers of one comic, "Don't these characters look interesting. Why don't you put down 15 cents for their comic." On the upside, both were also drawn by Jack Kirby and written by Stan Lee, so there's some and playfulness.
As an aside, I have to note that the X-men come off well in either of these two stories.In Fantastic Four vs. X-men, they basically become tools of Doctor Doom in his war against Reed Richards. In Avengers v. X-Men, they try to stop Magneto from being brought to trial because he's a mutant. Why is it in every crossover the X-Men come off as only concerned with their own special interests and willing to align with the biggest evil around if it serves their interests?
Nothing here is essential, but X-men v. the Avengers is pretty darn interesting and makes the book worth reading.
September 6, 2014
A good collection of two like-minded limited series comics that both failed to live up to their potential. The FF crossover is highlighted by a seemingly momentous crossroads of the family super team, but bogged down by a deconstruction of Reed Richards that simply doesn't pass muster as a reasonable plot. The Avengers crossover also has moments of high potential, perhaps the best being Silvestri's early pencil work, but has a lumbering plot that fizzles when Marvel finally hatchets Stern from Avengers and has Defalco (a writer and editor I never cared for) weakly put out Magneto's storyline with a splash of cold water.
The collection includes some of the updated artwork used for the premium hardcover editions and also nicely includes the original Stan Lee and Jack Kirby meetings of the three superteams (a great comparison of where the medium was at in the 60's and 80's respectively). There are snippets of greatness when you look at all of the artists represented in these various reprints, but as a whole most readers will be disappointed regardless of their expectations. I bought most of these comics when they came out, but never completed the series at the time because of my growing disinterest in comics. Although that was largely due to my maturing adolescence at the time, in retrospect I can see how the direction that the writing was going in during 1987 (and so shortly after the excellent Mutant Massacre!), there was very little happening at Marvel that would excite me for many years to come.
The collection includes some of the updated artwork used for the premium hardcover editions and also nicely includes the original Stan Lee and Jack Kirby meetings of the three superteams (a great comparison of where the medium was at in the 60's and 80's respectively). There are snippets of greatness when you look at all of the artists represented in these various reprints, but as a whole most readers will be disappointed regardless of their expectations. I bought most of these comics when they came out, but never completed the series at the time because of my growing disinterest in comics. Although that was largely due to my maturing adolescence at the time, in retrospect I can see how the direction that the writing was going in during 1987 (and so shortly after the excellent Mutant Massacre!), there was very little happening at Marvel that would excite me for many years to come.
August 27, 2016
These are two very different miniseries and they make an interesting package. The Fantastic Four miniseries is written by Chris Claremont, who demonstrates a very good grasp of the personalities for that group, writing a very interesting and gripping little thrilled. Drawn by Jon Bogdanove, it is easily his best work I've ever seen. The second has a stronger creative team in Roger Stern and Marc Silvestri, but it's a more straightforward action piece without the layers of the FF story. Plus, the last issue was rewritten and redrawn by new creators and doesn't fit the tone of the preceding issues. It's a very disappointing ending to the series.
April 10, 2014
Negli anni 80 Stern realizzò le sceneggiature per queste due mini: in una, riuscita molto bene, gli X-Men si confrontano coi FF e con un Destino più sottile e subdolo del solito. Nell'altra cercano di difendere Magneto, ora uno dei loro, dalla conclusione del processo per l'affondamento del Kursk, sottomarino russo, avvenuta nel mitico X-Men 150, dal tentativo d'arresto dei Vendicatori e di giustizia sommaria dei super eroi sovietici. Meno riuscita come storia, ma comunque da 3 stelle.
July 16, 2012
I have to be honest here, the art really doesn't excite me in any way. The story is okay, mostly about the XMen and the Avengers fighting over Magneto. This, I believe is the first fight between the Avengers and the XMen. The fight scenes are kinda lame, but i think it's excusable, the story compensated for it.
December 15, 2013
This Magneto sure is strange. Indeed, the teams are all strange.
I think there's just something about the whole aesthetic that doesn't work. Franklin Richards's costume . . . the misleading covers . . .
But otherwise these are some darned good crossovers.
I think there's just something about the whole aesthetic that doesn't work. Franklin Richards's costume . . . the misleading covers . . .
But otherwise these are some darned good crossovers.
April 20, 2012
Wow, comic book writing used to be so bad. Mostly because it was geared towards little kids.
January 20, 2015
This is actually a very good book. I even like the fact that they add the old school X-Men vs. Fantastic Four and X-Men vs. Avengers in the graphic novel.
December 28, 2015
A bunch of stories from comics covering several different years. Not too bad at all.
December 18, 2016
Terrible
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