What do you think?
Rate this book
Marvel Season One
X-Men: Season One
Welcome to the X-Men's first year - hope you survive the experience!
Professor Charles Xavier has recruited five of the most powerful mutants he's ever seen, in order to save a world that hates and fears them. But there's only one problem - they're teenagers who have to survive hormones and uncontrollable super-powers, all while fighting for their very lives. So right now's the perfect time for Magneto & the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, along with the Sentinels, Unus the Untouchable and more to make their bids for control of the world, right?
The first class of X-Men are forged in the fires of combat in ways you've never seen before. You only think you know the story!
Professor Charles Xavier has recruited five of the most powerful mutants he's ever seen, in order to save a world that hates and fears them. But there's only one problem - they're teenagers who have to survive hormones and uncontrollable super-powers, all while fighting for their very lives. So right now's the perfect time for Magneto & the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, along with the Sentinels, Unus the Untouchable and more to make their bids for control of the world, right?
The first class of X-Men are forged in the fires of combat in ways you've never seen before. You only think you know the story!
144 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2012
96 people are currently reading
1002 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Hopeless
528 books118 followersDennis "Hopeless" Hallum is an American comics writer from Kansas City, Missouri who has written for Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Boom! Studios, Arcana Studio, and Oni Press.
See also under Dennis Hallum
See also under Dennis Hallum
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
September 20, 2021
Season One stuff is very hit-or-miss...mostly miss.
However, this one isn't bad at all.
Jean is the narrator for the majority of the story, so you see most of the interactions through her eyes.
I was pleasantly shocked at how many humorous moments there were, and how little the story took itself seriously.
And, hey...there's a DINOSAUR!
Bobby Drake was a surprise stand-out in this one, to me.
Well, if you can get past the fact that they evidently modeled him after The Beiber.
On the upside...
Yeah, sorry, dude. There is no upside to that one, I'm afraid.
Maybe you can take some solace in the fact that you aren't the kind of gangsta who eggs people's houses, Iceman?
It was a fun look at the origins of the original X-team, and all the teenage drama that went with it.
There was also issue #1 of The Uncanny X-Men at the end, and I have to say, I really liked it!
Surprisingly, this one is Recommended!
However, this one isn't bad at all.
Jean is the narrator for the majority of the story, so you see most of the interactions through her eyes.
I was pleasantly shocked at how many humorous moments there were, and how little the story took itself seriously.
And, hey...there's a DINOSAUR!
Bobby Drake was a surprise stand-out in this one, to me.
Well, if you can get past the fact that they evidently modeled him after The Beiber.
On the upside...
Yeah, sorry, dude. There is no upside to that one, I'm afraid.
Maybe you can take some solace in the fact that you aren't the kind of gangsta who eggs people's houses, Iceman?
It was a fun look at the origins of the original X-team, and all the teenage drama that went with it.
There was also issue #1 of The Uncanny X-Men at the end, and I have to say, I really liked it!
Surprisingly, this one is Recommended!
July 15, 2016
Una primera toma de contacto con estos jóvenes talentos que no me ha entusiasmado pero que me ha gustado.
Una de las mejores cosas de este tomo ha sido sin duda el dibujo, tan claro y colorido. La trama se me ha hecho muy simple y con demasiados flashbacks y flashforwards que hacían que se perdiera el hilo de la historia original.
Los personajes han sido lo que más me ha gustado: esos celos adolescentes, tensión sexual, envidias, enfados... Además, son personajes muy interesantes y cuyos poderes encajan muy bien con sus personalidades. Es una buena introducción, aunque ahora continuaré con la saga Astonishing X-Men. ¡GANAS!
Una de las mejores cosas de este tomo ha sido sin duda el dibujo, tan claro y colorido. La trama se me ha hecho muy simple y con demasiados flashbacks y flashforwards que hacían que se perdiera el hilo de la historia original.
Los personajes han sido lo que más me ha gustado: esos celos adolescentes, tensión sexual, envidias, enfados... Además, son personajes muy interesantes y cuyos poderes encajan muy bien con sus personalidades. Es una buena introducción, aunque ahora continuaré con la saga Astonishing X-Men. ¡GANAS!
November 24, 2016
This was pretty much a rehash of the first Uncanny X-men comic book from 1963, which I believe is the entire purpose of this Season One thing Marvel released. There were subtle changes here and there, but overall, it was the same introduction to the original X-men (Marvel Girl, Angel, Beast, Iceman, and Cyclops) in a more modern setting.
While I end up liking this, I wasn't crazy over it. I thought it was great that Jean Grey was narrator, because God knows how much I love her character. I did appreciate how all the characters were acting like their age, hormones and all that fun stuff, which made them more relatable to readers.
The illustrations were great.
Now comes the part where I tell you why I didn't give this a higher rating.
There was something off about Xavier. I didn't feel that this is the same Xavier that I come to love over the years. He was… cold and distant? I dunno. The way he talks is different. I just didn't feel it.
Also, the love triangle… really? Sigh. I don't like love triangles in books, nor do I like love triangles in comic books. I don't like it in general. I didn't feel it was necessary for the story. I really don't.
Overall, it was good. I just had minor issues with the plot and the dialogue, but other than that, it was a good read.
While I end up liking this, I wasn't crazy over it. I thought it was great that Jean Grey was narrator, because God knows how much I love her character. I did appreciate how all the characters were acting like their age, hormones and all that fun stuff, which made them more relatable to readers.
The illustrations were great.
Now comes the part where I tell you why I didn't give this a higher rating.
There was something off about Xavier. I didn't feel that this is the same Xavier that I come to love over the years. He was… cold and distant? I dunno. The way he talks is different. I just didn't feel it.
Also, the love triangle… really? Sigh. I don't like love triangles in books, nor do I like love triangles in comic books. I don't like it in general. I didn't feel it was necessary for the story. I really don't.
Overall, it was good. I just had minor issues with the plot and the dialogue, but other than that, it was a good read.
March 25, 2015
Up to now, I've pretty much avoided all of Marvel's Season One books. Why do over these old books with modern dialog and art styles? Isn't that kind of the point of the Ultimate books? It just struck me as a cash grab. And maybe many of the other Season One books are, but this? This was pretty spectacular.
It's great in no small part because of Jean's narration. No, really! This is not the boring Jean of later years. She's funny, somewhat irreverent, and actually talks like a normal teenager. So do the rest of the characters, even Scott. And yes, Scott is terribly serious, but it's actually kind of sad to see. A lot of the book revolves around teenager problems, but let's face it: if X-Men had only been about fighting evil mutants, the property wouldn't have lasted this long. It's the soap opera and the relationships that keep us coming back for more.
I also really liked that the book is generally pretty critical of Xavier, even if nothing can effectively be done at this point. I don't buy into the sainthood edit that he often gets. His "let's fight bigotry by creating a small army!" idea is maybe not the most nuanced way to address the issue, and his track record for actually helping individual mutants is somewhat spotty, if you don't count giving them a costume and a codename helping. For a book to actually point this out, and in the voice of one of his earliest "students"? That's pretty awesome to me. Because let's face it, it actually is really iffy that Xavier would use his psychic abilities to force the parents of his "students" to send them to a school that isn't actually a school, because they don't seem to get any kind of education at all.
Right, back to this actual book. Although the interpersonal relationships on the team are the main point, there's still some action and adventure. I'm not sure about everything, but at least the first major outing, fighting Magneto at a military base, is taken directly from early X-Men comics, so I have no doubt the others are, too. Because these aren't the point of this particular book, those adventures are sometimes choppy and lacking in context. Like the Savage Land bit, which is awesome despite missing a beginning and an end. It's like one or two scenes taken from a much larger story. In this case, it didn't bother me, because I was much more concerned with the other stuff going on.
The art is by Jamie McKelvie, so I don't think I really need to say that I loved it. Truth be told, discovering that he did the art was what convinced me to give this a shot. I just really like looking at his work. Turns out, that was a very good choice.
It's great in no small part because of Jean's narration. No, really! This is not the boring Jean of later years. She's funny, somewhat irreverent, and actually talks like a normal teenager. So do the rest of the characters, even Scott. And yes, Scott is terribly serious, but it's actually kind of sad to see. A lot of the book revolves around teenager problems, but let's face it: if X-Men had only been about fighting evil mutants, the property wouldn't have lasted this long. It's the soap opera and the relationships that keep us coming back for more.
I also really liked that the book is generally pretty critical of Xavier, even if nothing can effectively be done at this point. I don't buy into the sainthood edit that he often gets. His "let's fight bigotry by creating a small army!" idea is maybe not the most nuanced way to address the issue, and his track record for actually helping individual mutants is somewhat spotty, if you don't count giving them a costume and a codename helping. For a book to actually point this out, and in the voice of one of his earliest "students"? That's pretty awesome to me. Because let's face it, it actually is really iffy that Xavier would use his psychic abilities to force the parents of his "students" to send them to a school that isn't actually a school, because they don't seem to get any kind of education at all.
Right, back to this actual book. Although the interpersonal relationships on the team are the main point, there's still some action and adventure. I'm not sure about everything, but at least the first major outing, fighting Magneto at a military base, is taken directly from early X-Men comics, so I have no doubt the others are, too. Because these aren't the point of this particular book, those adventures are sometimes choppy and lacking in context. Like the Savage Land bit, which is awesome despite missing a beginning and an end. It's like one or two scenes taken from a much larger story. In this case, it didn't bother me, because I was much more concerned with the other stuff going on.
The art is by Jamie McKelvie, so I don't think I really need to say that I loved it. Truth be told, discovering that he did the art was what convinced me to give this a shot. I just really like looking at his work. Turns out, that was a very good choice.
June 8, 2019
The season one line from Marvel never interested me much when they first came out, because they just seemed like original graphic novels that were pretty much retelling the origins of the title characters in a modern setting. (There was also the price point. Too much for too little) Turns out, that's kinda what this one is, without going too much into the origin. But it's still a fun read.
It's told through the point of view of Jean Grey, who was the last of the original five to join the team. It cuts throughout between their encouters with some early villains and all the teenage drama stuff going on between the team while they're at the school. It was great seeing this through Jeans point of view, since she was new to the team and the only girl so was the most 'outsider' type of the five. The teenage drama stuff is the best stuff, because Hopeless and Mckelvie really capture what it's like to be that age, as well as having to deal with the super powers.
I guess this one comes down to how you feel about Jamie McKelvies art. I'm one of the people that really likes his style, so it was great to see him do an X-men story were they're in the original costumes. When they're out of costume, he makes them look trendy and sometimes boarders on hipster. But they look how they're supposed to: young people. It's a good companion piece to his Young Avengers work.
*review update*
Rereading this a good few years later, I actually enjoyed it even more than the first time. Partly because I miss seeing McKelvie draw Marvel characters, and also because this is a really good book
It's told through the point of view of Jean Grey, who was the last of the original five to join the team. It cuts throughout between their encouters with some early villains and all the teenage drama stuff going on between the team while they're at the school. It was great seeing this through Jeans point of view, since she was new to the team and the only girl so was the most 'outsider' type of the five. The teenage drama stuff is the best stuff, because Hopeless and Mckelvie really capture what it's like to be that age, as well as having to deal with the super powers.
I guess this one comes down to how you feel about Jamie McKelvies art. I'm one of the people that really likes his style, so it was great to see him do an X-men story were they're in the original costumes. When they're out of costume, he makes them look trendy and sometimes boarders on hipster. But they look how they're supposed to: young people. It's a good companion piece to his Young Avengers work.
*review update*
Rereading this a good few years later, I actually enjoyed it even more than the first time. Partly because I miss seeing McKelvie draw Marvel characters, and also because this is a really good book
December 24, 2013
When Marvel's all new line of graphic novels was announced back in 2011, there was skepticism on whether the company needed to retell the iconic stories when it could surely reprint those Silver Age stories easily. If you could forgive the outdated fashion, hairstyles and figures of speech, those seminal Stan Lee and Kirby stories are the foundation of the Marvel Universe and some of those stories still held held up pretty well after half a century. Still, I understand that Marvel wanted to package their most iconic characters in the spiffiest graphic novels that could capture the essence of these characters in a hundred pages or so and capture a new modern and younger audience.
The first Season One book I read was X-Men: Season One. Writer Dennis Hopeless made Jean Grey the point of view character, which is appreciated. It has been years since Jean Grey was in comics and she is terribly missed by fans. It was a new perspective on the classic stories.
I loved the modern retro chic vibe infused by Jamie McKelvie in the character designs and art. It seemed appropriate because this was early on in the budding careers of the X-Men.
The first Season One book I read and I'm impressed. Marvel could do no wrong rebooting the X-Men First Class title with these two gents.
The first Season One book I read was X-Men: Season One. Writer Dennis Hopeless made Jean Grey the point of view character, which is appreciated. It has been years since Jean Grey was in comics and she is terribly missed by fans. It was a new perspective on the classic stories.
I loved the modern retro chic vibe infused by Jamie McKelvie in the character designs and art. It seemed appropriate because this was early on in the budding careers of the X-Men.
The first Season One book I read and I'm impressed. Marvel could do no wrong rebooting the X-Men First Class title with these two gents.
October 22, 2025
A nice modern retelling of the first 10 or so issues of the first X-Men series, because of the villains appearances mainly and the trip to Savage Land (maybe more than 10 since there's mention of Sentinels which first appeared in #14 but oh well, you can say there were prototypes since before then, especially with all the retcon stuff before the X-Men team was created)
It's the teams first steps into action against Magneto, and we see the bonding of the members with each other while we get a nice storytelling of their lives in the school, while mainly having Jean' point of view throughout the comic.
It's the teams first steps into action against Magneto, and we see the bonding of the members with each other while we get a nice storytelling of their lives in the school, while mainly having Jean' point of view throughout the comic.
September 28, 2016
Unzählige Male ist der Beginn er X-Men aufs Neue erzählt worden, und trotzdem ist SEASON ONE ein herausragendes X-MEN Comic, reine Lesefreude.
Hopeless lässt das frisch gegründete Team nicht einfach die ersten Kämpfe gegen die Bruderschaft der Bösen Mutanten neu bestehen, sondern fokussiert sich auf die Teamfindung der X-Men. Schließlich handelt es sich um Teenager, für die Hormone und Fast Food nicht minder Thema sind als Magneto. Toll erzählt und mit cooler Artwork ist der Band leider viel zu schnell durchgelesen und ich wünschte, Hopeless und McKelvie hätten die Arbeit weiter fortgesetzt.
Comic-Glückseligkeit jenseits der 4,5 Sterne!
(Naja, auch weil ein Riesendinosaurier vorkommt ;)
Hopeless lässt das frisch gegründete Team nicht einfach die ersten Kämpfe gegen die Bruderschaft der Bösen Mutanten neu bestehen, sondern fokussiert sich auf die Teamfindung der X-Men. Schließlich handelt es sich um Teenager, für die Hormone und Fast Food nicht minder Thema sind als Magneto. Toll erzählt und mit cooler Artwork ist der Band leider viel zu schnell durchgelesen und ich wünschte, Hopeless und McKelvie hätten die Arbeit weiter fortgesetzt.
Comic-Glückseligkeit jenseits der 4,5 Sterne!
(Naja, auch weil ein Riesendinosaurier vorkommt ;)
December 26, 2015
A little silly at times and the first half was really weak in my opinion. It redeemed itself in the second half, but this probably wasn't the best jumping off point for me to get into X-Men.
But that new Deadpool trailer today... can't wait for that movie. Then X-Men Apocalypse.
Hateful Eight comes out soon. That DiCaprio movie next year. Joy opened today. Star Wars happened. Is happening. It's a great time to be a movie fan right now.
Does this count as a review?
But that new Deadpool trailer today... can't wait for that movie. Then X-Men Apocalypse.
Hateful Eight comes out soon. That DiCaprio movie next year. Joy opened today. Star Wars happened. Is happening. It's a great time to be a movie fan right now.
Does this count as a review?
December 1, 2025
i’m trying to get through a chronological list of everything jean grey, and this is my starting point 🌸 i thought it was cute! nothing particularly special, so i might go back and read the 1963 original (this is based on that apparently?), but i will say i liked it much more than the waid reboot of the teen titans. and tbh overall, i think i do like the x-men rather more than the teen titans...
December 25, 2025
Only superhero comic book I’ve ever read and liked lol 😆
July 16, 2014
So I'm not really a Marvel guy, but listening to Rachel and Miles X-Plain the X-Men has created this burning desire to catch up on at least the x-titles in this universe - which is really strange to me, because even when I was paying attention to Marvel very briefly in my youth, the X-Men were probably the least interesting to me (I was always a Peter Parker kind of guy). I'm a bit of a completionist, so one thing that's intimidated me about delving into Marvel (besides the enormous amount of camp) is the enormous amount of retconning and the frequency for crossover events that the franchise has. The X-Men seem to suffer from the revolving door of death more so than any other title in comics, so getting up to speed with them seems more complicated than with other titles. Plus, there are a massive number of affiliated titles from Wolverine and the X-Men to New Mutants and X-Calibre, so keeping track of all the threads seems downright impossible. A quick google search for X-Men Chronology turns up a host of different sites that are incredibly thorough and impossible for the uninitiated to follow. Enter Rachel and Miles. Their podcast is in the midst of a near-sequential recap of the X-Men's history and they just wrapped a couple on the Dark Phoenix Saga (which I remember from the 90s cartoon days) and they're constantly flooded with questions like mine. Where do I begin?
Season One is a retelling of the aggregation of the classic Silver Age team - Cyclops, Jean Grey, Ice Man, Beast, and Angel. The title sticks with the spirit of the history and updates the re-telling for the modern age. Hopeless narrates the early days through the eyes of Jean, who's the newest addition to the Xavier School for Gifted Children, and I have to say, it was a pretty wonderful choice. The X-Men are teenagers and crazy shit is happening to them, and to Hopeless's credit, they react in typically teenage fashion - they squabble, form love triangles (or confused quadrangles), they deal with crushing self-doubt and identity issues, they eat a ridiculous amount of fried foods. This title is absolutely fun and is more about the early dynamics of the group and adolescent coming of age than strict continuity and as someone looking to discover ties to the franchise after having tepid feelings about the group at best, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's funny, it's touching and it exposed me to the original crew in a memorable way. (For me the "original" crew will always include Storm, Colossus, Wolverine and Jubilee.) Of all the characters I think I liked Iceman the best. Iceman fulfills the role of the "heart" of the team and there are several wonderfully poignant moments where the character supports and encourages the growth of the more well-known and "powerful" team members. He's a bit of an air head, but you gather by the end that it's also a bit of an act as he seems more emotionally in-tune with the team than any of its other members - including Professor X, who contrary to his portrayal in the 90s cartoon, is more than a little bit of an asshole. This manipulative adult co-opts impressionable young people at the fringes of society who are at their most vulnerable to his crusade and I liked that the book didn't shy away from that. In the end, Xavier is just as manipulative and detached as Magneto. He's demanding, unsympathetic, and kind of creepy. In Jean's words, "He's a manipulative and snobby fake. He loves hearing himself talk. And I'm pretty sure he reads our minds way more than he says." Not to mention his undue interest in Jean's love life. Ultimately, Hopeless creates a zany and crazy world into which he thrusts ordinary teens and creates an atmosphere of mutual aid and support. A family. Well done.
The only real question is: where do I go from here? I have no interest in reading Silver Age stuff and a lot of the current political stuff involving the schism does interest me, but it seems sufficiently complex to the point where I don't feel like just jumping in and I don't think Rachel and Miles are going to get there any time soon. Suggestions?
Season One is a retelling of the aggregation of the classic Silver Age team - Cyclops, Jean Grey, Ice Man, Beast, and Angel. The title sticks with the spirit of the history and updates the re-telling for the modern age. Hopeless narrates the early days through the eyes of Jean, who's the newest addition to the Xavier School for Gifted Children, and I have to say, it was a pretty wonderful choice. The X-Men are teenagers and crazy shit is happening to them, and to Hopeless's credit, they react in typically teenage fashion - they squabble, form love triangles (or confused quadrangles), they deal with crushing self-doubt and identity issues, they eat a ridiculous amount of fried foods. This title is absolutely fun and is more about the early dynamics of the group and adolescent coming of age than strict continuity and as someone looking to discover ties to the franchise after having tepid feelings about the group at best, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's funny, it's touching and it exposed me to the original crew in a memorable way. (For me the "original" crew will always include Storm, Colossus, Wolverine and Jubilee.) Of all the characters I think I liked Iceman the best. Iceman fulfills the role of the "heart" of the team and there are several wonderfully poignant moments where the character supports and encourages the growth of the more well-known and "powerful" team members. He's a bit of an air head, but you gather by the end that it's also a bit of an act as he seems more emotionally in-tune with the team than any of its other members - including Professor X, who contrary to his portrayal in the 90s cartoon, is more than a little bit of an asshole. This manipulative adult co-opts impressionable young people at the fringes of society who are at their most vulnerable to his crusade and I liked that the book didn't shy away from that. In the end, Xavier is just as manipulative and detached as Magneto. He's demanding, unsympathetic, and kind of creepy. In Jean's words, "He's a manipulative and snobby fake. He loves hearing himself talk. And I'm pretty sure he reads our minds way more than he says." Not to mention his undue interest in Jean's love life. Ultimately, Hopeless creates a zany and crazy world into which he thrusts ordinary teens and creates an atmosphere of mutual aid and support. A family. Well done.
The only real question is: where do I go from here? I have no interest in reading Silver Age stuff and a lot of the current political stuff involving the schism does interest me, but it seems sufficiently complex to the point where I don't feel like just jumping in and I don't think Rachel and Miles are going to get there any time soon. Suggestions?
November 7, 2014
SO GOOD BUT WENT SO FAST
August 10, 2016
Okay, so I wondered why an X-Men book so clearly marketed to younger, new fans wouldn't have a higher rating? I thought I'd love it and there's art by Jaime McKelvie, one of my top 5 artists. No way I wouldn't love this, right?
Wrong.
My problem with some of the X-Men books I've read, and even some Avengers books, is the focus on the dudes. Don't get me wrong, a lot of my faves are dudes but I roll my eyes when we get the dreaded sea of dudes with 1 girl line ups. The original X-Men team was Angel, Iceman, Beast, Cyclops and Jean. I get that but you have an opportunity to scrap that and add some more ladies. Instead, they stay true to the 20% female ratio but changed everything else about the period.
Let's get into the story, this book takes the original X-Men origin story and pushes it into 2013? 2012? I'm not sure. Anyway, you have characters from the 60's holding iPhones. It was a bit jarring. You know the drill, Jean comes to Xavier's after her parents get mind whammied a bit. I'll get into how all over the place Jean's characterization is.
The team consists of Angel, a pretty rich boy. Scott, the usual self-conscious and angsty team leader (I love him - if you couldn't tell). Hank who's dialogue threw me off from the beginning but I couldn't tell if I just never paid any attention to him before or this was the first time I really read him well characterized? Bobby is probably the weakest here - not in terms of power but he seemed to just be comedic relief, furthering the plot through other people's conversations and reacting to things. I'll go into that a bit more later. Charles is barely here. He gets some good moments but he's not a badass like in Morrison's run or a martyr like in most events I've read where the children are in danger.
Magneto and his children make a much too brief appearance. Wanda and Pietro were drawn so beautifully that I almost cried over my children. I get a huge kick out of family members actually being drawn to look like each other (I love McKelvie but Billy and Tommy didn't look that similar in YA. Like, at all) and they not only drew a Pietro that looked like Tommy Shepherd but he even looked like Wanda and Magneto. A++ there.
I'm gushing about art because that was the best of his book. Sorry. The story wasn't weak exactly, just bland.
It starts with Jean wanting to go off to college but she's kind of made(?) to enroll at Xavier's. You get the typical boarding school introduction in a teen film where she bumps into her future love interest (Scott) and he grumps at her because he lost his glasses. He's a bit of a jerk, I'll admit. She kind of whines about missing her chance to go to a real school. I get that, mutant or not, she gave up the idea of college which is something everyone thinks about while growing up. It's a bit fucked she couldn't go. Just saying.
She sees the team in action, is skeptical because, hello: Charles is building a child army. She's not sure she's down with that and that is literally the last of Jean's involvement and character development until the very end. After that beginning, she is set dressing. She speaks but it's always about other people or her short lived, ill advised crush on Angel.
The boys are driven by plots involving the team, besides Angel. Bobby is a part of the team. End. Okay, that may not be fair. He has a tiny plot where he volunteers to help Scott practice leadership. Scott practices on his own with fake X-Men and that's so Scott. He's self conscious and doubts himself and I love him for it. Beast struggles after a racist (speciesist?) encounter with the locals at a fair and quits because he wants to be known for his brain. Charles barely guides in this book. He's more focused on his chess dates with Magneto and, related to the plot or not, I wanted more of that.
Plot is this, Bobby catches sight of Magneto and children going into a secret hide out and enlists the teams help to investigate. Beast goes and they catch Xavier meeting up with Magneto and not treating him like an enemy. Beast calls him out on it and quits the team. Xavier explains to Jean that he can't give up on Magneto because he was good once. Magneto later comes back and attacks the kids.
That's kind of it. Much like older comics, they don't tell a lot about why exactly the Big Bad is, well, Bad. He wants to recruit the kids or kill them? He didn't do much to try to kill them.
Anyway, Charles and Magneto are pretty well fleshed out in the background. Magneto wants to take over the world and have mutants in power. Charles isn't down with that.
The slightly parallel plot here is Beast wanting to hide from the humans because of his mutation and Bobby isn't down with that. There's a long ass plot of a triangle between Jean, Scott and Warren (that Angel didn't know about) and I'm more interested in why Bobby and Hank aren't dating.
Jean. Jean I love in most things but here, when she's not calling Charles out and being skeptical of children fighting (both valid actions) she's trapped in a love story where men try to agree on who gets her. She likes Warren, god knows why seeing as the only qualities he seems to have here are money, adorableness and humor (?). Scott likes her and always screws up talking to her because he's awkward and Scott. Warren misinterprets what she means when she advises him to date someone "like them" and dates another mutant girl. It all comes out when she's trying to say she's over him, he kisses her and Scott sees. In the end, Jean finds out Scott feels and they hook up. I was bored.
Anyway, the storyline where Warren was dating a non-mutant girl and ditched her when she wanted to go swimming was a really great story. I would have rather had more of his feelings on that instead of seeing him become more of a shallow character in this book.
Long story short, this was a 3.4 for me. There wasn't anything to sink my teeth into, what I wanted more of was not here and Jean was barely present as well. It ends on a cliffhanger and then they pasted issue #1 of Uncanny X-Men and I'm thinking that was an apology.
Wrong.
My problem with some of the X-Men books I've read, and even some Avengers books, is the focus on the dudes. Don't get me wrong, a lot of my faves are dudes but I roll my eyes when we get the dreaded sea of dudes with 1 girl line ups. The original X-Men team was Angel, Iceman, Beast, Cyclops and Jean. I get that but you have an opportunity to scrap that and add some more ladies. Instead, they stay true to the 20% female ratio but changed everything else about the period.
Let's get into the story, this book takes the original X-Men origin story and pushes it into 2013? 2012? I'm not sure. Anyway, you have characters from the 60's holding iPhones. It was a bit jarring. You know the drill, Jean comes to Xavier's after her parents get mind whammied a bit. I'll get into how all over the place Jean's characterization is.
The team consists of Angel, a pretty rich boy. Scott, the usual self-conscious and angsty team leader (I love him - if you couldn't tell). Hank who's dialogue threw me off from the beginning but I couldn't tell if I just never paid any attention to him before or this was the first time I really read him well characterized? Bobby is probably the weakest here - not in terms of power but he seemed to just be comedic relief, furthering the plot through other people's conversations and reacting to things. I'll go into that a bit more later. Charles is barely here. He gets some good moments but he's not a badass like in Morrison's run or a martyr like in most events I've read where the children are in danger.
Magneto and his children make a much too brief appearance. Wanda and Pietro were drawn so beautifully that I almost cried over my children. I get a huge kick out of family members actually being drawn to look like each other (I love McKelvie but Billy and Tommy didn't look that similar in YA. Like, at all) and they not only drew a Pietro that looked like Tommy Shepherd but he even looked like Wanda and Magneto. A++ there.
I'm gushing about art because that was the best of his book. Sorry. The story wasn't weak exactly, just bland.
It starts with Jean wanting to go off to college but she's kind of made(?) to enroll at Xavier's. You get the typical boarding school introduction in a teen film where she bumps into her future love interest (Scott) and he grumps at her because he lost his glasses. He's a bit of a jerk, I'll admit. She kind of whines about missing her chance to go to a real school. I get that, mutant or not, she gave up the idea of college which is something everyone thinks about while growing up. It's a bit fucked she couldn't go. Just saying.
She sees the team in action, is skeptical because, hello: Charles is building a child army. She's not sure she's down with that and that is literally the last of Jean's involvement and character development until the very end. After that beginning, she is set dressing. She speaks but it's always about other people or her short lived, ill advised crush on Angel.
The boys are driven by plots involving the team, besides Angel. Bobby is a part of the team. End. Okay, that may not be fair. He has a tiny plot where he volunteers to help Scott practice leadership. Scott practices on his own with fake X-Men and that's so Scott. He's self conscious and doubts himself and I love him for it. Beast struggles after a racist (speciesist?) encounter with the locals at a fair and quits because he wants to be known for his brain. Charles barely guides in this book. He's more focused on his chess dates with Magneto and, related to the plot or not, I wanted more of that.
Plot is this, Bobby catches sight of Magneto and children going into a secret hide out and enlists the teams help to investigate. Beast goes and they catch Xavier meeting up with Magneto and not treating him like an enemy. Beast calls him out on it and quits the team. Xavier explains to Jean that he can't give up on Magneto because he was good once. Magneto later comes back and attacks the kids.
That's kind of it. Much like older comics, they don't tell a lot about why exactly the Big Bad is, well, Bad. He wants to recruit the kids or kill them? He didn't do much to try to kill them.
Anyway, Charles and Magneto are pretty well fleshed out in the background. Magneto wants to take over the world and have mutants in power. Charles isn't down with that.
The slightly parallel plot here is Beast wanting to hide from the humans because of his mutation and Bobby isn't down with that. There's a long ass plot of a triangle between Jean, Scott and Warren (that Angel didn't know about) and I'm more interested in why Bobby and Hank aren't dating.
Jean. Jean I love in most things but here, when she's not calling Charles out and being skeptical of children fighting (both valid actions) she's trapped in a love story where men try to agree on who gets her. She likes Warren, god knows why seeing as the only qualities he seems to have here are money, adorableness and humor (?). Scott likes her and always screws up talking to her because he's awkward and Scott. Warren misinterprets what she means when she advises him to date someone "like them" and dates another mutant girl. It all comes out when she's trying to say she's over him, he kisses her and Scott sees. In the end, Jean finds out Scott feels and they hook up. I was bored.
Anyway, the storyline where Warren was dating a non-mutant girl and ditched her when she wanted to go swimming was a really great story. I would have rather had more of his feelings on that instead of seeing him become more of a shallow character in this book.
Long story short, this was a 3.4 for me. There wasn't anything to sink my teeth into, what I wanted more of was not here and Jean was barely present as well. It ends on a cliffhanger and then they pasted issue #1 of Uncanny X-Men and I'm thinking that was an apology.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2018
No sé por qué me compré esto. Cierto es que como primera toma de contacto con la franquicia puede ser bueno, pero intenta ser tan moderno que se carga algunas cosas de las historias originales (véase la primera vez que Jean Grey se encuentra con Cíclope, totalmente fuera de personaje por parte de la pelirroja) o te sacan un poco de la historia (¿Heihachi Mishima en la Sala de Peligro?)
Jamie McKelvie me agrada como dibujante, pero aquí lo noto algo soso con los fondos y con las perspectivas.
Sale más a cuenta leerse los primeros números de Stan Lee, los últimos números de Neal Adams y saltar a Claremont antes de leer esto, en mi humilde opinión.
Jamie McKelvie me agrada como dibujante, pero aquí lo noto algo soso con los fondos y con las perspectivas.
Sale más a cuenta leerse los primeros números de Stan Lee, los últimos números de Neal Adams y saltar a Claremont antes de leer esto, en mi humilde opinión.
June 11, 2019
I may have mentioned it a time or two, but did you know how much I adore Xmen??? A LOT. TO INFINITY AND BEYOND (oh sorry, that is another franchise :P)
I decided it was about time I started reading their comicbooks in a somewhat orderly fashion. So using this as a guide I started my journey with this book.
Xmen season 1 is loads of fun! It follows the early days of Jean Grey at Xavier's school and introduces as to many beloved characters and storylines.
It is a really good introduction to anyone that wants to get into the Xmen universe and doesn't know where to start.
I decided it was about time I started reading their comicbooks in a somewhat orderly fashion. So using this as a guide I started my journey with this book.
Xmen season 1 is loads of fun! It follows the early days of Jean Grey at Xavier's school and introduces as to many beloved characters and storylines.
It is a really good introduction to anyone that wants to get into the Xmen universe and doesn't know where to start.
April 9, 2023
The art was really cute but the story was lacking some magic.
December 6, 2018
FINALLY, someone gave Jean a personality.
April 8, 2012
There's nothing new here with the story, but, I mean, it's SUPPOSED to be a retelling of stuff we already know, so that's all right. I like the random teen drama, because that's what made the X-Men so fun in their early years, and I like the change-up in the Warren/Jean/Scott thing. I loved the characterization on all five and the script was fun entertaining. Also love that Jean is effectively our PoV and all, "So, Xavier's creepy and these boys are dumb." <3 <3 <3
I wish we could've seen more about Bobby and Scott's life before. Feels like we at least got glimpses at Warren, Jean, and Hank's. I dunno, that's probably pretty random, but I feel like it made Bobby and Scott flatter than the other three, which they totally are not. (And again, characterization was perfect.)
That said, it art is f#@kin' glorious and gets it an extra star. Admittedly I am biased because McKelvie's wizardry with body language and his beautiful, clean lines have long since predisposed me toward his art. But hey. Whatever.
This'd be a great intro for people unfamiliar with the X-Men. I really like the First Class comics, but just as a sort of "classic" version, this is where its at.
Extra points to Marvel for giving us a download code for the Marvel app with the hardcover buy. Thanks, y'all. Made my day.
I wish we could've seen more about Bobby and Scott's life before. Feels like we at least got glimpses at Warren, Jean, and Hank's. I dunno, that's probably pretty random, but I feel like it made Bobby and Scott flatter than the other three, which they totally are not. (And again, characterization was perfect.)
That said, it art is f#@kin' glorious and gets it an extra star. Admittedly I am biased because McKelvie's wizardry with body language and his beautiful, clean lines have long since predisposed me toward his art. But hey. Whatever.
This'd be a great intro for people unfamiliar with the X-Men. I really like the First Class comics, but just as a sort of "classic" version, this is where its at.
Extra points to Marvel for giving us a download code for the Marvel app with the hardcover buy. Thanks, y'all. Made my day.
November 19, 2019
So this was easily the best of the Season One series. But that's not exactly saying a whole lot.
The story was very easy to follow and lays out the X-Men world in a very basic way that would be great for starters. But it doesn't go any further than that which is demonstrated by the way it ended.
The dialogue was okay and nothing outstanding. Usually with X-Men you get grand speeches from Cyclops, Xavier, and Magneto but not really here and I suppose that's okay.
The art was good. It is a very clean style. In fact, it reminds me of the TV series Archer. The only thing I had a hard time with was Iceman. He reminded me too much of a young Justin Beiber. I won't hold that against the artist though.
The story was very easy to follow and lays out the X-Men world in a very basic way that would be great for starters. But it doesn't go any further than that which is demonstrated by the way it ended.
The dialogue was okay and nothing outstanding. Usually with X-Men you get grand speeches from Cyclops, Xavier, and Magneto but not really here and I suppose that's okay.
The art was good. It is a very clean style. In fact, it reminds me of the TV series Archer. The only thing I had a hard time with was Iceman. He reminded me too much of a young Justin Beiber. I won't hold that against the artist though.
June 17, 2015
Story is good, art is fantastic with McKelvie+Wilson super-combo. Nice read overall.
May 6, 2017
This was good updated origin story, comparable to "The Fantastic Four" that was also in the 'SO' series.
January 25, 2020
I’ll give it a 2.5.
It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t anything great either. Pretty average down the line, art, story, etc...
It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t anything great either. Pretty average down the line, art, story, etc...
May 2, 2021
*3.5 stars*
This was pretty solid. Really fast read and simplistic. It lacks in plot, or good ones. But where it shines is seeing the X-Men in this more modernized, teenage lens. I really liked the way Hopeless wrote every character and their personalities. I’ve only read Whedon and Cassaday’s run so it was nice learning more of Jean’s backstory and troubled home growing up as well as Hank’s. Cyclops I thought was also well-written in this — I’m a huge fan so maybe we don’t get enough of him — but I loved his arc and how he grows into a leader. Jean’s development is obviously strongest as she is the main character and narrates it — her arc going from “I don’t wanna be here, I want my old school back” to “this is the best school I could ever ask for” was nice to see and it was her conversation with Hank as she calls him out on his selfishness that really sells it. I did not mind the love triangle between her, Warren, and Scott at all, matter of fact, it was one of the main threads that kept this entertaining. I’d love to read Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s X-MEN #1 now as I’ve never read it, to see what this keeps and expands upon.
This was pretty solid. Really fast read and simplistic. It lacks in plot, or good ones. But where it shines is seeing the X-Men in this more modernized, teenage lens. I really liked the way Hopeless wrote every character and their personalities. I’ve only read Whedon and Cassaday’s run so it was nice learning more of Jean’s backstory and troubled home growing up as well as Hank’s. Cyclops I thought was also well-written in this — I’m a huge fan so maybe we don’t get enough of him — but I loved his arc and how he grows into a leader. Jean’s development is obviously strongest as she is the main character and narrates it — her arc going from “I don’t wanna be here, I want my old school back” to “this is the best school I could ever ask for” was nice to see and it was her conversation with Hank as she calls him out on his selfishness that really sells it. I did not mind the love triangle between her, Warren, and Scott at all, matter of fact, it was one of the main threads that kept this entertaining. I’d love to read Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s X-MEN #1 now as I’ve never read it, to see what this keeps and expands upon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2025
As I get older, I sometimes look back on elements of my youth and cringe a little, as things which were fine then now feel dated and sometimes even inappropriate. This is no less true for comic books: as artifacts of their time, they embody the standards of their age. It's why Dennis Hopeless's modernization of the beginnings of the team such a welcome one. In it, he revises the story to make it one more in keeping with both modern sensibilities and the more nuanced interpretations of popular characters. Gone are such elements as Magneto's mustache-twirling labeling portrayal as an "evil mutant," Iceman's look as a sentient snowman, and Professor Xavier's lust for one of his teenage students. In its place we have a story told from Jean Gray's perspective as to how she came to attend Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and to embrace his goals of mutant-human coexistence. It's a more mature tale that is an excellent starting point for anyone new to the comics, and one far less tonally jarring than the original story is for readers today.
July 17, 2018
So much fun. My first experience reading anything with original five, Dennis Hopeless gives such personality, making them seem like real teenagers.
This, combined with atom Taylor’s X-Men Red run has cemented Jean Grey as my top X-Man.
Will definitely be trying to check out more by Hopeless!
This, combined with atom Taylor’s X-Men Red run has cemented Jean Grey as my top X-Man.
Will definitely be trying to check out more by Hopeless!
July 4, 2017
I tried starting X men from the actual beginning but their treatment of Jean Grey was just too reflective of the times in which it was written for me to get into it. This was a much more accessible starting point and I recommend reading it, then jumping into the Chris Claremont era.
September 9, 2017
I thought this was fantastic! Great introduction to the X-Men, and the art is so pretty!! 5/5 stars!
May 28, 2020
Apparently I used quarantine to get really into the X-men.
July 27, 2023
The ending is the only thing saving this from a one-star. Too much relationship drama.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews