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New X-Men (2001)
New X-Men, Vol. 2: Imperial
As protesters lay siege to the Xavier Institute, Professor X lies in a coma, trapped within the shattered form of his evil twin, Cassandra Nova.
Collecting: New X-Men (2001) 118-126
Collecting: New X-Men (2001) 118-126
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
56 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,791 books4,569 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
September 14, 2021
7.3/10
Morrison continues with a strong second volume after the great 'E is for extinction'. The art is all over the place ( not the issues drawn by Quitely ), definitely made the experience less pleasant.
Overall a good story with a very smart villain that seems to know how to defeat the X-Men.
Morrison continues with a strong second volume after the great 'E is for extinction'. The art is all over the place ( not the issues drawn by Quitely ), definitely made the experience less pleasant.
Overall a good story with a very smart villain that seems to know how to defeat the X-Men.
April 13, 2024
Thus truly ends the Cassandra Nova saga, with Grant Morrison's New X-Men culminating post E for Extinction in the school being a school, and a sprawling space saga of the Shi'ar utilizing their superman-esque archetypal antagonists as only Morrison could. I also quite enjoyed the new young characters Angel and Beak. The scifi punk rock aesthetic continues...
September 28, 2016
"Oh my stars and @%#*ing garters."
Let me start with the art. Frank Quitely, Ethan Van Sciver, and Igor Kordey (?) are all over the place. Their style is similar, sketchy, boldly lined and cinematic. But the characters look so unlike themselves and sometimes downright horrible. Wolverine can look fat and Japanese, Xavier like a starved villain, and everyone lumpy, skeletal, or big-headed. This is a long comic run, so the artwork is surprisingly off-putting.
"Welcome to a world where the weird are kings."
Grant Morrison, the beautiful bastard, is one of my favorite writers because his work is so different and intriguing. And he succeeded in keeping me turning these pages. This is hands down the strangest X-Men run I've read so far. Telepathic brains in jars, acidic vomiting, mutant organ farming. It's just a very fun, wacky world he's created here.
So this is a mixed bag. Morrison stays grounded but just weird enough to keep things fascinating. But damn it, the artwork is off. There were rare panels or splash pages that I loved by Van Sciver and especially Quitely, but I mostly complained while reading. I'm curious if anyone else is bothered by the artwork, because I hoped it would improve...
July 1, 2024
Interesting conclusion to the Cassandra Nova arc! I feel like I learn something new about characters every time I pick up a comic. This was interesting and I loved seeing Emma and her girls come through at the end for the entire mutant community. With this conclusion, I’m excited to dive into the 3rd volume and learn more about how this entire ordeal is going to affect not only the Eath, but also the Shi’ar community since Cassandra infected the mind of Lilandra. The storytelling was amazing as expected, but the art was a little too chaotic for my taste. I didn’t enjoy the change in artist. I’m hoping that it becomes more consistent again in the next volume.
November 29, 2021
Grant Morrison has put forth another great addition to this wonderful series, however the artwork (especially the ones by Igor Kordey) are horrible to say the least.
September 3, 2020
Superb!
Highly recommended X-Men run!
Highly recommended X-Men run!
December 16, 2021
„Новите Х-Мен: Имперци“ е 33-ти том от Върховната колекция графични романи на Marvel и е директно продължение на „Новите Х-Мен: „И“ като „Изчезнали““ (том 24). В училището на Ксавие цари смут, след като Професор Х разкрива пред света, че той и учениците му са мутанти, а след това решава да отпътува за космическата империя Ши’ар. Звяра е пребит почти до смърт от едно от децата в школата и лежи в кома, Върколак броди из Щатите в търсене на други отритнати мутанти, а останалите преподаватели в Х-Имението са пипнали странен вирус. За капак на всичко, опасна организация, известна като U-Мен, превръща своя култ към мутантските способности в крайно опасно начинание. А някъде там все още върлува и страховитата Касандра Нова. Как ще се справят Х-Мен с всичко това? Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
February 1, 2018
Definitely a Morrisoneitas read! So I really enjoyed New X-Men, Volume 1: E Is for Extinction, I thought it was a good, straight forward X-Men story, especially coming from Grant Morrison who writes comics that are anything but straight forward. This volume I'm afraid Morrison is back to writing weird stuff nobody can understand (Well at least just me). So the story picks up after Vol 1 left off with Professor Xavier in a coma and the X-Men in disarray. We see the villain from the first volume making a return as the villains true plot all along comes to the fold blah blah. Plus the X-Men are dealing with racist humans who hate them yada yada yada! I won't say too much about the story, mainly because half of it blew over my head (Am I missing something here?), all I can really say is I didn't really enjoy it that much. A lot of it was either making me scratch my head wandering what was going on or plot points Marvel has beaten us over the head with, a 1000 times in X-Men stories.
I wasn't a fan of the artwork either: Frank Quitely's artwork is serviceable, however it switches every now and then to two other artists. Overall it felt inconsistent and the artwork was just ugly in my opinion. Everybody looks fine for the most part, except Wolverine (My god what did they do to him?!).
Overall, I'm really not trying to sound like a downer, I really did enjoy Vol 1 of this series and I bought Vol 2 with excitement! But I'm now just wishing I saved the money.
I wasn't a fan of the artwork either: Frank Quitely's artwork is serviceable, however it switches every now and then to two other artists. Overall it felt inconsistent and the artwork was just ugly in my opinion. Everybody looks fine for the most part, except Wolverine (My god what did they do to him?!).
Overall, I'm really not trying to sound like a downer, I really did enjoy Vol 1 of this series and I bought Vol 2 with excitement! But I'm now just wishing I saved the money.
October 7, 2017
An excellent wrap-up of the story arc in volume one. Those who say Kordey's art is harder to look at than Quitely's have a point. I always thought Quitely looked semi-underground, but Kordey is one step closer to underground than that. I would post at least one awesome splash page which totally redeemed him, but I can't find it on the Internet.
I will say that I stopped following the X-Men right about the time X-Factor started (Jean Grey lives!), but I did not feel at sea here, much.
I will say that I stopped following the X-Men right about the time X-Factor started (Jean Grey lives!), but I did not feel at sea here, much.
December 27, 2021
Един от най-обемните албуми (съдържа цели 9 броя) в MARVEL колекцията, обаче нещо хич не ме кефят тия мутантски истории - напълно субективно мнение, разбира се... Инак е разнообразен и откъм художници, ама...3,4/5.
April 18, 2013
Just reread this for the first time in a few years. I always remember the standout parts of the Morrison X-run as those illustrated by Frank Quitely, with vol 4's Riot at Xavier's being a jaw-droppingly beautiful piece of work (second only to his contribution to Endless Nights in terms of sheer aesthetics) and vol 1's E is for Extinction as the story that hit the reset button on superhero comics for the new millennium.
But Imperial packs a wallop, doing all the heavy lifting required to expand upon and complete the promises set by EifE. Not only that, but groundwork is laid for the entire rest of the series here; it's incredible how much exposition and setup is being handled in the background of the crazy, self-contained action piece dominating the foreground.
Of course, Imperial also suffers from absolutely abhorrent art when Quitely isn't around -- this tends to be something that follows Morrison from series to series, which makes me wonder if he's difficult for artists to work with. For one of the top writers in mainstream comics, its seems like the talent he's paired with is often pretty lackluster, and it's a shame. Now that New X-Men isn't so shiny and new, I think much of this run is going to feel dated within the next few years due to the second- and third-tier art teams that dominate its pages.
But the setpieces are inspired, the characters are engaging, the stakes high, the drama impactful. The first two volumes of NXM should be read back-to-back as a unified story -- rich, playful, titillatingly weird, uncomfortably probing, and brazenly cinematic in scope.
But Imperial packs a wallop, doing all the heavy lifting required to expand upon and complete the promises set by EifE. Not only that, but groundwork is laid for the entire rest of the series here; it's incredible how much exposition and setup is being handled in the background of the crazy, self-contained action piece dominating the foreground.
Of course, Imperial also suffers from absolutely abhorrent art when Quitely isn't around -- this tends to be something that follows Morrison from series to series, which makes me wonder if he's difficult for artists to work with. For one of the top writers in mainstream comics, its seems like the talent he's paired with is often pretty lackluster, and it's a shame. Now that New X-Men isn't so shiny and new, I think much of this run is going to feel dated within the next few years due to the second- and third-tier art teams that dominate its pages.
But the setpieces are inspired, the characters are engaging, the stakes high, the drama impactful. The first two volumes of NXM should be read back-to-back as a unified story -- rich, playful, titillatingly weird, uncomfortably probing, and brazenly cinematic in scope.
February 23, 2017
3,75 / 5
Charles Xavier lo ha cambiado todo. Tras el anuncio de la existencia de mutantes y la apertura de la escuela de mutantes a todo el mundo, el mundo se pone en contra y son muchos los que se manifiestan contra él. Un volumen muy interesante en el que Jean Grey se pone al frente del asedio que sufre la escuela ayudada por inexpertos alumnos.
Morrison construye su universo potenciando a cada uno de sus personajes, sumando temas y aspectos con mimo y cautela con una trama que engancha desde el primer volumen. Es una pena que F.Quitely no ilustre todos los números, el que cierra el volumen en sensacional. El dibujo de Van Sciver es claro referente del anterior pero no pasa lo mismo con los números que dibuja Kordey, los personajes tienen viñetas que se convierten en verdaderas aberraciones que hacen bajar el nivel del cómic.
Charles Xavier lo ha cambiado todo. Tras el anuncio de la existencia de mutantes y la apertura de la escuela de mutantes a todo el mundo, el mundo se pone en contra y son muchos los que se manifiestan contra él. Un volumen muy interesante en el que Jean Grey se pone al frente del asedio que sufre la escuela ayudada por inexpertos alumnos.
Morrison construye su universo potenciando a cada uno de sus personajes, sumando temas y aspectos con mimo y cautela con una trama que engancha desde el primer volumen. Es una pena que F.Quitely no ilustre todos los números, el que cierra el volumen en sensacional. El dibujo de Van Sciver es claro referente del anterior pero no pasa lo mismo con los números que dibuja Kordey, los personajes tienen viñetas que se convierten en verdaderas aberraciones que hacen bajar el nivel del cómic.
October 18, 2019
This was good. A step up from the first volume. I have some major problems with the art - many characters are lumpy and, well, ugly in a way they have not been before. The costumes are hit and miss as well - I love the leather jackets, but the ribbed outfit Jean Gray is wearing is... ugh.
I loved seeing Wolverine befriend a newly awakened mutant, I loved seeing Emma Frost and the Stepford Cuckoos, and I loved seeing the Phoenix make an appearance. The space part of the story arc was meh and I feel like it is detracting from the forces brewing on Earth.
I loved seeing Wolverine befriend a newly awakened mutant, I loved seeing Emma Frost and the Stepford Cuckoos, and I loved seeing the Phoenix make an appearance. The space part of the story arc was meh and I feel like it is detracting from the forces brewing on Earth.
September 6, 2020
La locura se dispara con la trama de los Hombres U y la vuelta del Imperio Shi’ar; la escuela para jóvenes mutantes copa relevancia a lo largo del relato, pero la joya del tomo es el capítulo "Rescate psíquico en marcha" que protagonizan Jean y Emma. Toda un lujo el haberlo leído al mismo tiempo que "En la tormenta", el homenaje que se marcan Hickman y Dauterman en el número 5 de la nueva serie regular grapa de Patrulla X.
July 6, 2021
As Cassandra Nova actively attacks the Shi'ar Empire by posing as Professor X, her more subtle attack on the X-Men almost breaks then mentally as well as physically.
This volume continues building on the foundation that the first volume set, with Cassandra Nova being a hidden threat. Hidden, because the X-Men thought they had dealt with her in the previous volume. She instead jumped into Professor Xaviers body, and put his mind in her old, dying body. She then proceeds to take over Lilandra, Empress of the Shi'ar, infiltrating via the relationship that Lilandra and Xavier have. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the X-Men discover that the flu that they all have are due to microscopic sentinels that Cassandra released prior to her leaving the planet.
So much going on in this volume, and Grant Morrison juggles it all expertly. The pacing, the characterization, the plot in general, its all masterful and told masterfully by Morrison as he rips through the X-Men's life with all sorts of new threats. I loved how he had Jean step up to be the leader of the school, and showed off her badassery. Also he manages to make Cassandra a legitimate threat by having her do and not have her just say. In other words, she enacts her plans first instead of giving some big speech about what she's about to do. She really does feel like an unstoppable force at times.
The one thing that is a bit of a letdown in this volume is the art at times. Quietly takes some issues off and lets some fill in artists take over, and... it's not the best. A lot of the art seems rushed and/or messy. It didn't take away from my enjoyment because the plot was so strong, but its definitely noticeable.
Overall, this run of the X-Men has an energy to it that just propels you to read further and further. I think Marvel did a really smart thing by hiring Morrison as he delivers on his promise to "shake things up" with the team. Onwards to volume 3!
This volume continues building on the foundation that the first volume set, with Cassandra Nova being a hidden threat. Hidden, because the X-Men thought they had dealt with her in the previous volume. She instead jumped into Professor Xaviers body, and put his mind in her old, dying body. She then proceeds to take over Lilandra, Empress of the Shi'ar, infiltrating via the relationship that Lilandra and Xavier have. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the X-Men discover that the flu that they all have are due to microscopic sentinels that Cassandra released prior to her leaving the planet.
So much going on in this volume, and Grant Morrison juggles it all expertly. The pacing, the characterization, the plot in general, its all masterful and told masterfully by Morrison as he rips through the X-Men's life with all sorts of new threats. I loved how he had Jean step up to be the leader of the school, and showed off her badassery. Also he manages to make Cassandra a legitimate threat by having her do and not have her just say. In other words, she enacts her plans first instead of giving some big speech about what she's about to do. She really does feel like an unstoppable force at times.
The one thing that is a bit of a letdown in this volume is the art at times. Quietly takes some issues off and lets some fill in artists take over, and... it's not the best. A lot of the art seems rushed and/or messy. It didn't take away from my enjoyment because the plot was so strong, but its definitely noticeable.
Overall, this run of the X-Men has an energy to it that just propels you to read further and further. I think Marvel did a really smart thing by hiring Morrison as he delivers on his promise to "shake things up" with the team. Onwards to volume 3!
August 4, 2020
Is zero stars possible? I'm not finishing this, because comics should be FUN, dammit. Instead, this is an exhausting, overly complicated (and often downright confusing) slog with absolutely awful art by Ethan Van Sciver and Igor Kordey - truly some of the worst I've seen. (And I'm not counting the fact that Van Sciver is a Comicsgate POS, and had I known that at the time I wouldn't have even picked this up - thankfully I didn't buy it.) These two are all over the place to the point that characters (Wolverine especially) are sloppy and distorted. I love my X-Men but I don't have time for this, even if it is important to X-Men canon; if I don't understand a footnote in future X-Men stories, so be it. I'm off to watch some X-Men Animated Series to make my eyes stop burning.
April 24, 2016
Didn't like the space parts and the story was just ok... but overall it was a good read with great character and good dialogue. My personal fav: Emma Frost and Beast .
The first book was better. Tho, i want to read vol 3.
The first book was better. Tho, i want to read vol 3.
November 3, 2024
suite et fin (je suppose) de l’arc cassandra nova la grosse connasse
j’avais beaucoup aimé ma relecture de e comme extinction alors je voulais lire la suite et je ne suis pas déçue
l’écriture est bonne, ça se tient, j’apprécie beaucoup Emma et Jean d’ailleurs le chapitre où il n’y a pas de dialogue et on les voit voyager dans la conscience de Charles était génial
l’art style est très bizarre, j’aime pas trop mais en même ça a un certain charme……
j’avais beaucoup aimé ma relecture de e comme extinction alors je voulais lire la suite et je ne suis pas déçue
l’écriture est bonne, ça se tient, j’apprécie beaucoup Emma et Jean d’ailleurs le chapitre où il n’y a pas de dialogue et on les voit voyager dans la conscience de Charles était génial
l’art style est très bizarre, j’aime pas trop mais en même ça a un certain charme……
August 25, 2022
Unsurprisingly, New X-Men is really good. Morrison clearly has a good understanding of X-Men and is trying to include as many classic elements into his revitalization as possible, such as the Phoenix, the Shi'ar, anti-mutant violence, Weapon X, etc., while still including their own new, and in most cases utterly insane, plots and characters.
It's incredibly fast paced and a lot of fun.
It's incredibly fast paced and a lot of fun.
September 14, 2016
"Oh my stars and fucking garters" is Beast's reaction upon finding nano-sentinels attacking the white bloods of our favorite mutants, and unbeknownst to him, that pretty much sums up Morrison's run on this title.
It's like, ya know, X-Men, but with the fuck word. And I don't mean that it's just regular ol' X-Men with cussing. I mean it's gruesome, it's brutal, the characters are a little... uglier, morally and physically. I mean, the newest students at Xavier's are pretty fuckin' gross, which, realistically, in a world of mutants is bound to happen. Frank Quitely's art isn't really doing them any favors, either, it's just making them look all that much grosser.
It's worth noting that this is the same team (Morrison and Quitely) that went on to make All-Star Superman which is anything but gross/brutal/etc. It's Superman being the ultimate boy scout in the absolute best way possible. Whereas this X-Men run is the X-Men fucking up and killing people in the absolute best way possible. Hmmm, maybe we should get these two together more often... (see also: We3)
It's like, ya know, X-Men, but with the fuck word. And I don't mean that it's just regular ol' X-Men with cussing. I mean it's gruesome, it's brutal, the characters are a little... uglier, morally and physically. I mean, the newest students at Xavier's are pretty fuckin' gross, which, realistically, in a world of mutants is bound to happen. Frank Quitely's art isn't really doing them any favors, either, it's just making them look all that much grosser.
It's worth noting that this is the same team (Morrison and Quitely) that went on to make All-Star Superman which is anything but gross/brutal/etc. It's Superman being the ultimate boy scout in the absolute best way possible. Whereas this X-Men run is the X-Men fucking up and killing people in the absolute best way possible. Hmmm, maybe we should get these two together more often... (see also: We3)
November 25, 2019
Germ-Free Generation (#118-120). Morrison's best arc to date. The idea of the U-Man stealing body parts from mutants is entirely cringeworthy, while it really feels like some of our main characters are in serious danger in a very tense action sequence. All around, delightful for both the world development and the plotting [5+/5].
Silence (#121). One of the 'Nuff Said stories. Perhaps, Morrison does better than most, and there's a great revelation about Cassandra Nova in this story, but as with most of these 'Nuff Said stories, a regular story with dialogue would have been better [4/5].
Imperial (#122-126). Morrison closes out his first year by concluding the story of Cassandra Nova on the galactic scale. He makes great use of the Shi'ar and the Imperial Guard, and really uses them to portray the dangerous scope of Nova. We also get more great characterization (including a fun buddy romp with Scott and Xorn). However the best thing may be how Morrison opens up the scope of the school, giving some of the new students, the Cuckoos, a real focus in the story [5/5].
Silence (#121). One of the 'Nuff Said stories. Perhaps, Morrison does better than most, and there's a great revelation about Cassandra Nova in this story, but as with most of these 'Nuff Said stories, a regular story with dialogue would have been better [4/5].
Imperial (#122-126). Morrison closes out his first year by concluding the story of Cassandra Nova on the galactic scale. He makes great use of the Shi'ar and the Imperial Guard, and really uses them to portray the dangerous scope of Nova. We also get more great characterization (including a fun buddy romp with Scott and Xorn). However the best thing may be how Morrison opens up the scope of the school, giving some of the new students, the Cuckoos, a real focus in the story [5/5].
January 15, 2010
Wow...
Morrison really gets it rolling with the X-Men in this book. After introducing a whole new style of X-Men in the first volume ("E is for Extinction"), he plots a groundbreaking new battle in this one.
From mutant obsessed fanatics looking to harvest mutant organs to augment themselves to Professor Xavier's evil twin sister taking control of the Imperial Guard in a plot to destroy mutantkind, this volume forges ahead to a new type of fight for our favorite mutants.
Helped by now superstar artists Ethan Van Sciver and Frank Quitely along with artist Igor Kordey, Morrison gets down an unforgettable chapter in the annals of the X-Men.
If you're a fan of Morrison or of the X-Men YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS.
Morrison really gets it rolling with the X-Men in this book. After introducing a whole new style of X-Men in the first volume ("E is for Extinction"), he plots a groundbreaking new battle in this one.
From mutant obsessed fanatics looking to harvest mutant organs to augment themselves to Professor Xavier's evil twin sister taking control of the Imperial Guard in a plot to destroy mutantkind, this volume forges ahead to a new type of fight for our favorite mutants.
Helped by now superstar artists Ethan Van Sciver and Frank Quitely along with artist Igor Kordey, Morrison gets down an unforgettable chapter in the annals of the X-Men.
If you're a fan of Morrison or of the X-Men YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS.
October 16, 2011
Great story by Morrison involving the Shi'ar, Xorn, Cassandra Nova and introduces the new Angel, one of the worst mutants ever. Unfortunately this arc suffers terribly from inconsistent art: at one end of the spectrum we have the superlative art of Frank Quitely, and at the other we have the eyesore that is Igor Kordey's... "art". Somewhere in between we have Ethan Van Sciver, who can be great as well as not. So the art issues bring down the book's rating to 3 stars.
Still recommended reading and essential just like the rest of Morrison's run, even if some of it was ret-conned by Marvel after he left the title.
Still recommended reading and essential just like the rest of Morrison's run, even if some of it was ret-conned by Marvel after he left the title.
September 29, 2015
New mutants (Angel and the Stepford Cookoos), a battle with the "Third Race", the arrival of Xorn, and the epic battle with Cassandra Nova, who brings the might of the Shiar Empire with her! Jean Grey is amazing here! Bring on the Phoenix! Such a long and action packed Volume! Grant Morrison has breathed new life into the X-Men and I like it!
One negative. I wish the artwork was better, though it's certainly not the worst I've seen.
On to Volume 3... recommend.
One negative. I wish the artwork was better, though it's certainly not the worst I've seen.
On to Volume 3... recommend.
December 5, 2015
Good continuation to Volume 1. Really, the two of them should probably be packaged together. One complaint: The art is inconsistent. Some of the time it's great and then it will randomly be terrible. Issue #121 is a perfect example of this; it looks as though it was thrown together at the last minute to meet a deadline. All in all a good read though.
January 29, 2022
Това вероятно е най-дебелата квига от поредицата досега. Продължение е на преишна, а нещата са повсеместно оклепани.
Сюжетът е детински наивен и с повече дупки и алогизми от лодка, скована от първокласник с поне пет диоптера.
Артът мяза на "Бийвъс и Бътхед" и повече няма нужда да се каже за него.
2,5
Сюжетът е детински наивен и с повече дупки и алогизми от лодка, скована от първокласник с поне пет диоптера.
Артът мяза на "Бийвъс и Бътхед" и повече няма нужда да се каже за него.
2,5
September 6, 2021
This collection really has two stories bundled together in which Grant Morrison continues to push the boundaries.
With mutants becoming more mainstream (but not really assimilated), the first arc spotlights the ugly reality of cultural appropriation. The comics medium allows Grant Morrison to paint a more graphic picture of a phenomenon that can often be more subtle and insidious. John Sublime and his U-Men hunt mutants in order to harvest their organs for a growing market of normal humans eager to have their own superpowers.
Cassandra Nova returns to Earth in the second arc, and she has the full force of the Shi-Ar Empire behind her as she barrels down on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The virus she planted before her departure has weakened the X-Men just as she arrives with Lilandra and the Imperial Guard under her thrall. The public outing of the X-Men has dramatically increased the size of the student body -- and the protesters outside the gates setting the stage for an epic level showdown.
The stories are excellent reads with only two small gripes. I am not a fan of the art. That might be because I am more accustomed to the clean, crisp pages of the 80s and 90s, and I appreciate that the art reflects the chaotic nature of Morrison's new direction. I still found it distracting. My initial reading was less favorable because of the art.
I also noticed that the characters were a little off. They still had their personalities, but they didn't feel like they were the main focus of the stories. The ever-cheerful Hank McCoy is morose and short-fused, Cyclops is more distant, and Jean Gray is a bit paranoid and vengeful. Each case can be easily explained within the context of the story, but I am not sure that they advanced the characters. Emma Frost, on the other hand, was excellently handled adding to the great dialog throughout the entire collection.
With mutants becoming more mainstream (but not really assimilated), the first arc spotlights the ugly reality of cultural appropriation. The comics medium allows Grant Morrison to paint a more graphic picture of a phenomenon that can often be more subtle and insidious. John Sublime and his U-Men hunt mutants in order to harvest their organs for a growing market of normal humans eager to have their own superpowers.
Cassandra Nova returns to Earth in the second arc, and she has the full force of the Shi-Ar Empire behind her as she barrels down on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The virus she planted before her departure has weakened the X-Men just as she arrives with Lilandra and the Imperial Guard under her thrall. The public outing of the X-Men has dramatically increased the size of the student body -- and the protesters outside the gates setting the stage for an epic level showdown.
The stories are excellent reads with only two small gripes. I am not a fan of the art. That might be because I am more accustomed to the clean, crisp pages of the 80s and 90s, and I appreciate that the art reflects the chaotic nature of Morrison's new direction. I still found it distracting. My initial reading was less favorable because of the art.
I also noticed that the characters were a little off. They still had their personalities, but they didn't feel like they were the main focus of the stories. The ever-cheerful Hank McCoy is morose and short-fused, Cyclops is more distant, and Jean Gray is a bit paranoid and vengeful. Each case can be easily explained within the context of the story, but I am not sure that they advanced the characters. Emma Frost, on the other hand, was excellently handled adding to the great dialog throughout the entire collection.
November 27, 2020
In future volumes Grant Morrison really tells some compelling stories about these fascinating characters. But volume 2 of his run seems unfocused and has art that is not fun to look at.
I would have quit after this volume if not for the constant praise this run receives. And I'm glad I'm continuing. Some of the more interesting things that happen in the first two volumes get addressed later on, like X-Men being public, the destruction of Genosha, and the drama of relationships. All of that is great. What isn't, is moving from one crazy thing to the next with no room to breathe or let characters react.
I would have quit after this volume if not for the constant praise this run receives. And I'm glad I'm continuing. Some of the more interesting things that happen in the first two volumes get addressed later on, like X-Men being public, the destruction of Genosha, and the drama of relationships. All of that is great. What isn't, is moving from one crazy thing to the next with no room to breathe or let characters react.
May 17, 2024
I've just now connected the dots that Grant Morrison previously wrote the most well known Doom Patrol run, a team the X-Men is often compared to and accused of ripping off. Kind of cool that Morrison has managed to headline well-received runs of both major comic companies' found family of freaks.
Anyway, volume 2 of New X-Men continues in an upward trend. I like when X-Men stories get into the world of the actual school and its students, the ones with powers not suitable for combat, and I liked the showcase of the Shi'ar Superguardians, whom I wasn't really all that familiar with until now.
The only major criticism I have of these issues is that new major character Angel Salvadore kind of feels like a stereotype, in the same way that impoverished people of color often feel when written by white writers.
Anyway, volume 2 of New X-Men continues in an upward trend. I like when X-Men stories get into the world of the actual school and its students, the ones with powers not suitable for combat, and I liked the showcase of the Shi'ar Superguardians, whom I wasn't really all that familiar with until now.
The only major criticism I have of these issues is that new major character Angel Salvadore kind of feels like a stereotype, in the same way that impoverished people of color often feel when written by white writers.
March 3, 2025
3.5*
it was fun, nothing amazing. little confusing to me in some places, the story is a bit too much for me. but big plus is the mid sequence where theyre in x professor mind? it's so refreshing, no talking only the graphics, the whole narrative is interesting, it was really really good. oh yeah the art looks really good. and i have to add that probably x men series is becoming one of my favourite comicbooks. there is a huge variety of interesting powers / characters, and i really like the state of them in society. being hated, left alone, always in escape. great!
it was fun, nothing amazing. little confusing to me in some places, the story is a bit too much for me. but big plus is the mid sequence where theyre in x professor mind? it's so refreshing, no talking only the graphics, the whole narrative is interesting, it was really really good. oh yeah the art looks really good. and i have to add that probably x men series is becoming one of my favourite comicbooks. there is a huge variety of interesting powers / characters, and i really like the state of them in society. being hated, left alone, always in escape. great!
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