Wolverine and the X-Men, Vol. 8

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011)

by Jason Aaron, Nick Bradshaw (Illustrator), Pepe Larraz (Illustrator)

Infinity hits the X-universe as the spacebound Avengers find an unlikely ally against the forces of the Builders: Kid Gladiator! Meanwhile on Earth, the Battle of the Atom is over - but the battle for mutankind's future has just begun! For months, S.H.I.E.L.D. has had designs on the Jean Grey school, and now they've made their presence known! Wolverine takes on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret stockpile of Sentinels...but so does the renegade Cyclops, and it's a toss-up as to who Wolverine hates more! And it all leads up to the end of the school year...but is the Jean Grey School really out forever?! Where do our graduates go from here? And who will have survived the experience? Jason Aaron brings the story of the Jean Grey School to a close!

Collecting: Wolverine and the X-Men 38-42, Annual 1

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, X Men, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

152 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Jason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.

Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.

In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.

Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.

In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.

In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.

After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best volume of this mostly lacklustre series so far as Cyclops and Logan get to finally air their grievances without fighting, Kid Gladiator gets to take part in the Infinity War and at the school graduation day approaches. 7 out of 12, improving Three Star read.
2018

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good ending to this run!
Although, it looks like it continues? Gonna have to check into that...



This doesn't exactly tie off a lot of loose threads, but it still felt like it had that wrapped up vibe going for it.
On of the highlights (for me) was the tentative reconciliation between Cyclops and Wolverine.



That whole thing just made my day! Guess I'm just sappy like that, but I thought it was great.



Also, Quentin.
Love that kid! He's quickly become one of my favorite mutants, which made it a pleasure to see him graduate.



Oh, and I loved that Kid Gladiator was back! Hope we continue to see more of him in the future, as well. The way he secretly loves being at the school, but won't admit it? Good stuff.

You know, I never thought I'd say this, but...poor Toad! I think he coulda been a good guy if that woman hadn't done him wrong. *sniffle*
Who knows, maybe in the future?



There's another tug-my-heartstrings glimpse of the future issue at the end, but I felt like I'd read it (or something like it) before. It kind of had a generic feel to it, if you know what I mean?



Whatever. It was mostly great, and I'm not sorry I finished this title out. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with for these kids next!

[Ｆｒａｎｋｈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the aftermath of the Battle of the Atom (crossover issues of this title are #36-37), both factions of the X-Men (Cyclops' revolutionary team under the New Xavier School for the Gifted, and Wolverine's more lenient team for the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning) may have endured the crisis it brought, but they didn't accomplish this together at all. After Hank McCoy brought back the very first five X-Men from the sixties who then decided to stay in the current timeline (Bendis' All-New X-Men), so many events have been escalating left and right, and certain relationships between each other and with human government agencies, such as S.H.I.E.L.D, have reached a breaking point that trust is hardly something both parties have earned.

While Scott tries to maintain his recruits' faith in their revolution cause (Bendis' The Uncanny X-Men), Logan, on the other hand, as headmaster of JGS, butts heads with head of S.H.I.E.L.D Special Agent Maria Hill who happened to hire a liaison, the mutant previously known as Dazzler, much to the discomfort of her peers.

Of course, the real Dazzler has been abducted midway and was actually replaced by shape-shifter and long-time villainess Mystique who infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D herself to gather intel and steal finances from corporations to fund her place of conquest in Madripoor which she acquired from Hydra. This is where she opened an asylum for all mutants who refuse to integrate to human society and live according to their rules. This story mostly plays out on Bendis' The Uncanny X-Men, so you can follow that plotline in said title instead.

For the eighth and final volume of Jason Aaron's run of Wolverine and the X-Men, issue #38 opens with JGS and S.H.I.E.L.D meeting on school grounds to discuss about boundaries unresolved issues, and Maria Hill expresses her sentiments as a public servant and human being who has to deal with the bad publicity and growing infamy of mutantkind, particularly towards the X-Men. Her exchange with Logan is very important at this point in the game, arguing well-founded criticisms, reservations and fears:



[CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGES]

Meanwhile, issues #39-40 gave us more amazing scenes and plot concerning the new students who just enrolled in JGS; the Brickmore twins known as Tri-Joey and Squidface. After their initiation to the school where Tri-Joey (Joseph) actually enjoyed becoming friends with a lot of the students, the twins were revealed to be moles for S.H.I.E.L.D., and Squidface (Josephine) was adamant in having JGS closed for good. The siblings were actually normal humans who just took mutant growth serum so they can masquerade inside JGS. As they plan their uprising, it turned out that they have been discovered from the start and everyone was simply trying to give them a chance to change their mind about JGS. Quentin, Broo, Idie, Eyeboy, Genesis, Kid Gladiator, Shark Girl and Sprite all agree that they are all strange and weird and odd and although their school has a sentient lawn and a murdering bathroom, and a lot of people are trying to kill them on a weekly if not daily basis...


THEY LOVE THE DAMN PLACE ANYWAY!

It's the one place they are free to be themselves and be accepted no matter what!

The following exchanges are some of my favorities:









As the kids take control of the situation, Wolverine and Cyclops manage to run onto each other when they both decided to kill some Sentinels by their lonesome. It's funny how these so-called opposites often manage to decide on doing the same thing. It didn't go so well and they almost died (especially when Wolverine has been losing his healing factor), but by the end of the day, these two are friends. And they have a lot to talk about. It's gonna get brutal but eventually for the best.



Wolverine finds a medical kit (and some booze) so the two of them decided to hang out a bit as they rest.


Everyone knows alcohol is the best social lubricant!



This was great because, in return, they had their most honest and hurtful but also cathartic exchange:









I would like to thank Jason Aaron for writing down the insecurities that these two have about each other and how he managed to get them out in the open during a grueling discussion. The highlights there have to be the Professor X-Magneto analogy which was something a lot of people started using after Wolverine and Cyclops had a grand falling-out; and the mentions of Jean Grey and the fact that they ended their conversation with a meaningful nod to her memory because even though they have different views and methods of doing things, what will forever bind Logan and Scott is that they love (and were loved) by the same amazing woman who has inspired them to be who they are and commit to the principles they believe in no matter what. Reading about this dialogue gives me hope for reconciliation between these two!



The issues #41-42 and Annual were all character-centric. #41 has Mortimer a.k.a Toad who had been working as the janitor for JGS since this title started. However, he also sided with the Hellfire Club all because of his girlfriend Husk who unfortunately suffered a nervous breakdown and henceforth turned rotten for a while. He eventually did change his mind and assisted Quentin and the others to bring down Hellfire Academy from within, but this just wasn't enough to absolve him of his earlier crimes. Wolverine and the rest of the faculty had to let him go, much to Krakoa's sadness. Husk (Paige) wasn't crazy anymore but she also doesn't remember her relationship with Toad. She was willing to find out why she loved him in the first place, though, and asked to get some coffee with him. Tragically, Toad helped Enrique and Max, former Hellfire Club members, to escape although he did beat up Enrique and left him back in JGS. He and Max then went together, probably to form their own new evil team. AND IT'S HEARTBREAKING! Toad has been reformed villain for a while so it makes me a little angry that he decided that being a villain is all he could ever be so instead of dating Paige again, he returned to his former life of crime. So disheartening, guys!

Meanwhile, #42 is all about graduation and Quentin Quire wasn't happy about this. There are also flash-forward scenes with an old Logan and a grown-up Idie Okonkwo as they discuss about closing down JGS for good. Back in present day, Quentin bemoans how he is officially turned into the good guy while proudly wearing his Dark Phoenix-at-Training shirt around campus where everyone is happy and celebratory. He had a nice conversation with Captain America who was proud of him for changing, and then Wolverine handed him a diploma, much to his depression and shame. Try as he might to deny that he has earned his place as an X-Man, Quentin is actually more afraid of growing up and actually making the right choices as well as being surrounded by friends who deeply care about him and believe in him. It's all nice and fluffy and sweet and Q keeps complaining in his typical fashion how this makes him sick!



Meanwhile, Logan and Ororo are still a couple and she cheers him up by saying this:



I think Wolverine and Quentin Quire have a lot of things in common which was why it was natural for Logan to take him under his wing. Both were considered outsiders who challenged authority and are eager to prove to the world that they must be feared and will never be loved or belong anywhere. Ultimately, both are proven wrong and find themselves on the same side, both grown-up and ready to take on more tomorrows. This is also the last issue of Jason Aaron's run for Wolverine and the X-Men and I love it so much! Logan is finally happy and content, and Quentin has found his place in an unlikely home and with the best people he can be surrounded with!

Lastly, the Annual issue focused on Kubark a.k.a Kid Gladiator who may like to punch his way through galaxies but is a real softie underneath it all. He was sent back to Shi'ar in his old academy during the Phoenix Force crossover event, but he quickly realized that he misses JGS and Earth after all, but is too proud to admit it to himself, especially in front of his classmates and father.



Fortunately for him, Majestor Gladiator, his old dad, is very supportive and understands that his son finally found a place where he can thrive and be exceptional so he agrees to let Kubark return to Earth--but after he punched his way through multiple fights again and earned the respect of his peers. He even got to fight alongside the Avengers! These experiences had been enjoyable for him but he much rather come back to JGS where he is warmly welcomed in, of course. I really found this Annual issue so adorable and unexpectedly touching!



This was a really amazing finale volume! I'm glad everyone got their happy endings!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is how you end a series. You tie up all the loose ends, bring the characters to a relatively stable place, leave a few threads dangling for later writers, and, above all, you do it in the style to which your readers have become accustomed. And Aaron sums that up beautifully in his author's note at the end: Fun is not a dirty word. That's the formula that's made Wolverine and the X-Men (mostly) such fun to read: these are mostly serious stories with characters that the writer takes seriously, but he isn't afraid to have fun with them, or to let us, the readers, have fun with them, either.

And there are so, so many individual things to love in this volume. Yes, there's fun and jokes and glorious homework, but I think it's the serious moments that will really stick with me. Captain America standing with Quire at graduation. Toad's exit from the book. (And who ever thought that I'd be moved by Toad?) There's the single best and most insightfully written conversation between Wolverine and Cyclops that I've read since AvX, at least. And there's a future scene with a somewhat elderly Logan that's sweet without getting soppy.

I've greatly enjoyed Aaron's run on this series. I understand that it got rebooted with a volume two, with a different writer. I don't know if I'm ready for that, especially if the new series has a different feel.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly neat ending to one of the most inconsistent runs. It goes back to basics, providing both sizeable school and Wolverine content; the stuff I signed up for when I started this journey. With heart, comedy, and action driving the narrative, there are great moments for many of the main line up and a nice little Scott and Logan side escapade. Ending on a high, it's rough journey of ups and downs overall, but with a conclusion that captures the true potential of the series.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well...the time had to come...nothing lasts forever, and one of the brightest, fun-loving, yet still important titles of the last few years has come to a close.

Jason Aaron's run on Wolverine and the X-Men should serve as a how-to guide for DC to reinvent themselves, and re-embrace the idea that you can have fun and still kick ass, laugh and still be taken seriously, and not have to be grey, dark, and gritty to be a great series.

Wolverine leaves the X-Men of Utopia after a philosophical disagreement with Cyclops, and founds a school on the grounds of the old Xavier School. Wolverine as a headmaster and administrator just wrote it's own jokes.

There was so much to love about this series, both from the fun, and the actual important parts too. One of the factors that I HOPE gets carried forward, is that Jason Aaron created some new teenaged mutant characters that I actually ENJOYED reading about. Usually I skim the shit out of that stuff, but here, between Quentin Quire (Kid Omega), Kid Gladiator, Broo, Kid Apocalypse, Shark Girl, Eye Boy, Irie, and the new Hellfire Kids, Aaron has created some characters that have the potential to grow into bigger players in the Marvel U. He even showed us this, by having a couple issues shoot forward in time to see them as the future X-Men, directors of SWORD, Phoenix Entities, Avengers, and educators themselves.

As to the book itself, we start with the return of Kid Gladiator, who was removed from the school by his father a number of volumes back. It was a bit of a loss, as he seemed like an important figure. Here, we get the entire Annual issue focused on him, his time away from the school, fighting in space alongside the Avengers (which he made sure to mention to anyone who'd listen - including Arm-Wrestling Thor, Punching Hulk, and having a blast of a time.) There's also some good (ie. non-sappy) stuff between him and his father about responsibility and growing up, that Aaron is able to actually write very well, which doesn't make it as lame as many lesser writers would.

When we jump back to the series itself, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill and her Mutant Liason Officer Dazzler (actually Mystique in disguise, and NO this isn't a spoiler, as the editing staff tell us right away) arrive to tell Logan and co. that they're being watched. This is a perfect example of combining humour with serious storytelling, which Aaron does perfectly in this whole series:

Wolverine: Nobody does Nothing. Unless I give the signal.
Warbird: And what is the signal?
Iceman: I'm guessing it's "SNIKT, SNIKT, Stab."

See? FUNNY! In a tense situation! And not out of character, trying too hard to be funny either. Using Bobby Drake, a known smartass, works perfectly here. I wish more writers knew that it was OK to be funny, and that the readers will still get the situation is tense, but that jokes are GOOD in COMIC BOOKS!

Back to the plot: S.H.I.E.L.D. has Sentinels, which is NOT cool with mutants of any sort, so Wolverine goes off to investigate on his own. Meanwhile, 2 new students enroll in the Jean Grey School...
At the same time Wolverine goes off, his counterpart gets the same info, and then run into each other in a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base...of course, they've both been set up, to take each other out (thanks to Mystique) which gives us a long awaited showdown between Cyclops and Wolverine.

This may be the best interactions between Scott and Logan since the days of Grant Morrison's New X-Men. The tension is done right, but so is the long long long history between the two, even down to the nearly unspoken mention of Jean herself.
Artist Pepe Larraz deserves a shout out here, as the 2 page spread of Cyclops and Wolverine coming face to face is done beautifully...

(And once my geek support helps me out, I'll get that pasted here...)

The next few issues follow the rest of their tete-a-tete, as well as the experiences of the new "students" at the Jean Grey School, and what exactly they get up to. It's also another chance for the students to kick some ass.

I don't want to spoil any of the great stuff here, so I'll leave it to you all to read.

The last 2 issues, 1 is all about resolving Toad's dangling plotline, which involves Husk, Hellfire Kids, and Janitorial Services. It's done well considering he's supposed to be a semi-joke most of the time, Aaron gives him a lot of gravitas.

The final issue (of Aaron's run - they continued the series with a Vol. 2, but who knows about that) involves Graduation Day, as well as flash forwards in time to see where people are down the road. It also features an Old, Grizzled Wolverine, who Aaron has featured before. I think he's itching to write his own Old Man Logan (which I would buy sight unseen). It also features a cameo from Aaron himself, in a subtle way...(Roll Tide indeed)
The final few pages are focused on humour, with Doop defeating 2 D-list villains from the past of the series, on the morning after graduation...Using "The Power of the Funk". Yes. Quentin Quire also plays one last trick on Wolverine, and we get to see the venerable Headmaster with a smile on his face at the end.

It's a fitting ending for a great run, a smiling Wolverine, giving advice to kids, but not made entirely toothless, which was important.
The best part for me, is Aaron's letter at the end, which gives us his mantra for the series:

FUN IS NOT A DIRTY WORD.

Take note DC, take note.

Get this review and more at:

[Zack! Empire · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this volume we reach the end of this series. It might be a bit hard to do, since I've read every volume so far, but I'm going to try and simply review this book, and not look at the series overall.
First, I don't usually talk about the covers, but in this case I'm making a exception, because i think the cover is pretty awesome. It's not a cover done just for the collection (anyone remember when they used to do that? Or am I showing my age there?) it's the cover from issue number 38. Boy, does Wolverine look badass on this cover or what? A huge draw for me on this series was the Nick Bradshaw art and this cover will tell you why. Not only does he have an almost Arthur Adams like level of detail, but he just knows how to draw a very powerful and angry Wolverine.
The book starts out with an Annual, which I would say is the best part of the book. It's also the only issue completly drawn by Bradshaw. Kid Gladitor is back in outerspace going to Superguardian school. However, he really wants to get back to the Jean Grey School, though he won't admit it to anyone. This issue takes place during the whole Builders event from the Avengers titles, so we get to see the Sh'iar Empire, which Kid Gladitor belongs to, fighting along side the Avengers to defeat them. However, Kid Gladitor's father, (Papa) Gladitor doesn't want Kid Gladitor joining in the fight. But we all know how much Kid Gladitor loves to punch things and he uses the skills he picked up at the Jean Grey School to defiy his father and join the Avengers in battle. When all is said and done, Kid Gladitor is allowed to rejoin the Jean Grey School, though he tells everyone it's a punishment.
I just really loved the characterazation of Kid Gladitor in this issue. He's always just seemed like the guy who punches things, so it was great to see him given some depth. I also liked how we got to see Bradshaw doing some characters outside of the X-Universe. I paticular liked his version of Thor.
After that we get some issues dealing with the aftermath of the Battle of the Atom event. Mainly it deals with the X-Men being pissed at S.H.I.E.L.D for having sentianels, and Shield (You didn't really think I'd write it out the right way the whole time did you?((Though i did take the time to write out this whole part and that's actually taken longer so maybe i should have just done it?))) dealing with the fact that the X-Men are basically a huge time bomb. It was funny to read Mariah Hill telling the X-Men about how they are always fighting each other. I don't know if they meant for it to be a bit Meta, but it made me laugh. It seemed to me like Jason Aaron making a little in joke, but maybe that's just me.
One thing I did not like during this part of the story was the meeting between Wolverine and Cyclops. During this title's run we have gotten some glimples of the future, and we say Scott and Logan hanging out and not wanting to kill each other. So we can assume that this happens sometime (if Marvel sticks to the timeline they are working on here, which we all know they won't do) but how many times have they actually seen each other since Scott killed Charles? A handful, maybe? And Logan was dead set on killing Scott everytime. So now that Wolverine finally has Scott alone, with no one there to stop him from stabbing Scott in the everywhere, he deciedes to...have a few drinks with him? What? Okay, I'll admit, I don't like the idea that they are making Logan the new Professor X, and Scott the new Magneto, but to just have them start to get along that easy? Seems like a cop out to me.
The graduation issue was really nice. It was cool to see them try and wrap up some of the stories to give the series a sense of closer. It was also just a great way to end the series. It was really funny to see Quentin pissed off because he doesn't want to graduate. He wants to be a rebel, and rebels don't graduate. There was also some more teases about the future of the X-Men, which I really liked. Those were some of the most enjoyable parts of the story.
Overall, this series has just been tons of fun. At times I was a little bit bored with it, and thought some of the stories where lame, but when I look back at it I will always have fond memerios. It was really cool to see how they develop not just the regualr X-Men, like Wolverine, Storm, or Iceman, but also the students. Hopefully all of them stay in the X-Universe for awhile and now that they are active X-Men, we get to see them on some of the other teams.
` JGS forever.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final volume in this series wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good either. We had a solo story focusin on Kid Gladiator and then we had some issues that mainly focused on SHIELD trying to spy on the X-Men. The final issue flashes forward to the future, showng the future of the school.

Overall not the best ending of the series but not the worst either.

[Lono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaron really pulled off something a little different with this series. Consistently enjoyable right up to the end. After all of the heavy story lines in the X-titles in recent years, this book has a significantly different tone. It's fun. Something Aaron set out to do from the beginning of his run. Mr.Aaron has helped several other recent authors in giving me a new appreciation for the light- hearted. Even with teenage characters(which I typically detest)this book (as well as the 7 preceding volumes)was satisfyingly captivating from start to finish. This volume wraps up the lingering plotlines and even gives us a glimpse into a potential future for the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Nick Bradshaw and Pepe Larraz share all of the heavy lifting in terms of the beautiful artwork provided and are joined by several others in the final issue. A great series that I'm sad to see come to an end. Thanks Mr.Aaron. Whiskey!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaron's still got a talent for the repartee. I can't wait to see his take on Spider-Man someday:



He just populates the school with such fun side-character moments:





But more importantly, he writes one of the most meaningful, heartfelt, authentic moments between Wolverine and Cyclops I've read in a long time.

Cool to see Quentin Quire calm down a bit - now he only looks like Spider Jerusalem, not like Lex Luthor:



And thankfully, the graduation/farewell issue was suitably ridiculous and touching.

(Plus a cameo by Hope Summers, the long-lost X-person!)


[Where the hell have you been, Hope? You don't call, you don't write...it's like you don't love us]

Soooo grateful that Aaron gave 3.5 years of his career to these ridiculous adventures. No one would've predicted that he was so good and funny at a team-up/mash-up book like this, and dammit if I'll be mad when he doesn't keep writing stuff like this.

Thanks for the warped memories Jason. Here's to you, ya greying old buzzard:

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well what do you know, this thing ends on a hight note. After really enjoying the first two volumes, the run takes a dip and never really recovers until now. There was a lot to be enjoyed here. I loved the return of Kid Gladiator and his secret love for the school. I loved poor Toads arc. Plus one positive note throughout this run was the relationship between Quinten and Logan. Oh also the reunion between Cyclops and Wolverine was worth the price of admission. With some of the stuff that was mentioned in this volume, I now want to track down Battle of the Atom and Uncanny X-men by Bendis.

[Michael Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series has just been so good. The strongest thing about it is the cast. You can't help but be a fan of the new class of X-Men that is Idie, Quentin, Broo, Eye Boy, Shark Girl, Evan, Sprite, Kid Gladiator, and the others. What's really great about this volume is that we actually get to see all of them in action again. More than that, we see them talking and interacting and being students and awesome and lovable.

The plot was good too, though the annual was a little weak in my opinion. It tied into Infinity, which I haven't read, and was very much removed from what had been happening at the school. Plus the panels were hard to follow with little dialogue and some abrupt transitions.

When it gets to the meat of the volume, though, the run in with SHIELD and then graduation, it hits a home run. The story is set up in a way that gives enough action to keep you satisfied while also really zeroing in on those characters we like so much. Logan and Scott run into each other to break out of some of their monotonous grumbling finally, though not entirely. It was a nice closure to where they were with the Schism at the beginning of this series. Then graduation was just a blast. It's a great way to close out this volume of the title.

The art was mostly on, but had a couple of hiccups. Primarily, there were EIGHT artists on the final issue. Some were fine, but others created a very jarring change. Bradshaw still does a great job. His look has become what I think of as the standard for this series now, but Bachalo got to do the last 2 pages and they were the perfect ending. I won't lie, I may have been a little misty-eyed when I read the letter from Jason Aaron and closed the book. I'll definitely remember this title and it's one I highly recommend to any fan of the X-Men.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems bad to say this but I kind of missed how X-Men was in the mid 80's. Before Jim Lee started his own series, there was just Uncanny X-Men. And occasionally, readers could get excited because they published twice a month. But it was just one title and the stories had to count. Now there are so many titles that you cannot keep track of them all. A rational reader has to latch on to a couple of titles and hope we don't have to purchase a lot of other stuff to fill in narrative gaps. Anyway, this title is one of my favorites because it keeps the tone light and the art its usually pretty nice. Unfortunately, this volume had some throwaway material about characters that no one had anything invested in. It's too bad that not all of the stories really matter, like in the good old days of Uncanny. Anyway, that was my nerd vent. Other nerds might disagree, but it's just an opinion. I'll miss Bradshaw's art (he did most of this book), because I don't think he is doing X-titles anymore. But a part of me is relieved that I have one less title to follow.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit irrelevant by the end, but still irreverent. Pretty rad.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly, the volume looks and feels amazing. I don't know what happened since the train wreck from before, but it was worth it. I won't be left with a sour taste in my mouth.

Hill from SHIELD brings a warning to the X-Men to cut down on the destructive behavior. The X-Men complain about the SHIELD sentinels that attacked them. Hill claims they weren't responsible for the sentinel attack, but the two parties are understandibly wary of each other. Wolverine moves against a SHIELD sentinel base and meets Cyclops who also wants to destroy the sentinels. Their animosities are put on hold when they get attacked by sentinels out of the blue. Their powers are weaker, so they are both more vulnerable in the fight, but they win in the end. Bruised, they rediscover the camaraderie they once had, even though they now believe in different things.

Two new students, nicknamed Squidface and Tri-Joey, are admitted to the school which has never looked more impressive. The two are in reality SHIELD agents using mutant growth hormone. They are tasked with infiltrating the school to gather information. Tri-Joey becomes fond of the school, but Squidface forces him to carry out their orders and also shut the mutants down using ordnance they smuggled in. The mutants interrupt them and offer to show them anything they want to learn in the hope they will change their minds. Tri-Joey was on the X-Men's side to begin with, so he stuns his sister and asks for their memories of the time at the school to be erased.

Toad is asked to leave the school, even though the teachers do this reluctantly. Husk offers him the chance to reexplore what made them love each other. His departure is interrupted by news that the Hellfire kids escaped the school. He forces one of them to remember a message only Husk would understand - one in which he apologizes to her for leaving. Toad joins the other kid and they fly off into the sunset.

Quentin refuses to get into a festive mood on graduation day. He can't tell when he became one of the good guys. Years in the future Wolverine regretfully shuts down the school due to not having students any more. Before he can finish, Quentin brings in students from a Negative Zone school. This act breathes new life into Wolverine who continues his duties as headmaster.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series had its major ups, as well as pretty dull downs... but this was a very satisfying conclusion. I really loved it.

It was fun, moving and also pretty badass at times. The team here was pretty rad. This volume really celebrated the friendship and weirdness at play throughout this series.

There were so many moments where I just thought to myself “ahhh! I love these characters!” Quintin Quire, Kid Gladiator... even Toad had a meaningful arc. There was also a priceless scene with Wolverine and Cyclops that had significance extending beyond this title.

All in all, I felt like I got the ending I deserved for sticking with this inconsistent but ultimately worthwhile series.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Mantis (¯ ³¯)♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,3/5 ⭐️

🇵🇱
To była bardzo przyjemna seria, było zabawnie, dostaliśmy masę wątków i nowych mutantów, bitwy i rozjemy
I dyrektora Logana 😅

🇺🇸
It was a very pleasant series, it was fun, we got a lot of threads and new mutants, battles and truces
And Principal Logan 😅

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a victory lap for Jason Aaron's solid "Wolverine and the X-Men" run. The heroes took out their main antagonists in the last volume, so this installment is dedicated to clearing up loose ends and having some fun with the theme as several of the junior X-men "graduate" to unknown futures.

Frustratingly, the series picks up in the aftermath of an X-men crossover, "Battle of the Atom" that jumbles the cast Aaron has been working with. Several of the X-faculty have headed over to Cyclops' rival mutant operation, and it's a little confusing at first if you haven't read the crossover in question.

Still, the big picture hasn't really changed, and Aaron kicks off the volume with two parallel storylines. In one, a brother-and-sister mutant pair arrives at the school to learn how to control their powers...only to be revealed as spies assigned to keep tabs on the school. The brother grows to love the weird institution Aaron has created, though, and agrees for the pair to be mind-wiped and expelled so as not to put it in jeopardy.

In another plot, Wolverine and Cyclops unwittingly team up to destroy a new Sentinel threat, trash-talking each other and sharing a few brews in the process. The interplay gives us some nice lines--and a good tribute to Jean Grey--but the conflict between the two heroes always feels forced by the plot. (Given the damage that mutants have inflicted on the planet over the years, it also seems a little disingenuous for Wolverine to be so upset that the government is keeping a few Sentinels in reserve.)

The last issues of the series are the strongest, though, as several of the young X-men graduate, one to his surprise. We then flash forward to the finale, which sees the Jean Grey school in its twilight years, offering a quick vision of what its students have accomplished as well as a nice coda where one of the most obnoxious alumni revitalizes the place in the brattiest way possible.

Over his run, Aaron did a great job establishing the Jean Grey school as a weird, living, fantastical institution. He also did nice work building a juvenile cast of X-men, something that's proven to be a bit of a Sisyphean task over the years. The entanglements with various crossovers were frustrating, and I was never fully behind the core group of villains, but I did enjoy the energy and personality he brought to the series.

Read digital issues.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last comic, page 30. I saw the writer. He's kinda hard to miss with that beard and bald head.

This volume was sweet and bitter-ish. What can I say? I like Quentin. He easily beats out Eyeboy or Idie. Maybe not Broo, or not by much.

Wolverine, on the other hand, is one character I can't really see growing old. It definitely beat seeing an island bawl tears of lava at seeing Toad leave.

What a trip this was. I can honestly say I feel nostalgic, and wasn't that the whole point of this volume? Absolutely. It wins!

[M. Ashraf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this version very much, Coming to its end, the Jean Grey school, the new kids, Wolverine as a headmaster :)... watching Kid Omega from a terrorist to a graduate and sometimes glimpses from his Phoenix future! All of it was great!...I hope the new version have the same core ... starting again with issue #1

Covers and Spoiler

[Lionel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice for a good title. It is nice to see evolution in the characters, especially Quire. Most X-Kids just stay kids or get dead, so it is a change to see them graduate

[christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this run of Wolverine and the X-men. The student characters were a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed this last volume.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 3 out of 5]

Y llegamos al final de la etapa de Jason Aaron en Lobezno y la Patrulla-X, acompañado de su habitual dibujante, Nick Bradshaw, y con Pepe Larraz haciéndole las coberturas al dibujante. Para despedirse de la serie, Aaron lo haría con una historia corta que, al tiempo que trabaja parte de las consecuencias de La Batalla del Átomo, sirve también de preludio al arco X-Men vs SHIELD de la Imposible Patrulla-X, y es que como ya habíamos visto en esta colección, María Hill andaba bastante nerviosa con la actitud de Cíclope y las posibilidades de una revolución mutante. Y mientras Lobezno trata de investigar a los Centinelas que les atacaron en la última ronda de la Batalla del Átomo, dos nuevos alumnos llegan a la escuela, Tri-Joey y una especie de chica langosta... que resultan ser agentes de SHIELD infiltrados. Por un lado, tendremos a Lobezno, que por primera vez en mucho tiempo coincide con Cíclope para algo que no es darse de ostias a mano abierta, sino investigar a los centinelas; y por otro lado, desde la perspectiva del recién llegado Tri-Joey, tendremos una nueva perspectiva sobre las actividades de la Academia Jean Grey y sus alumnos, ya que poco a poco Aaron había ido reemplazando a los antiguos "nuevos mutantes" por aquellos que él mismo había ido creando o recogiendo de otras colecciones, manteniendo a Quentin Quire y a Idie, pero dando gran importancia a Nydo, Génesis, Chico Ojo, Chica Tiburón, Kid Gladiator (de vuelta tras los acontecimientos de Infinito) o Espíritu.

Después vendría el número de despedida, con varios dibujantes y el paso de curso de los alumnos, muy centrado en Quentin Quire, que sirve para que Aaron cierre una de las etapas más divertidas de los mutantes. A Aaron y Bradshaw les sustituirían Jason Latour y Mahmud Asraf, pero las cosas como son, en su momento me bajé de la serie tras su primer arco, así que ni lo recuerdo con especial cariño ni debió ser muy bueno. Me quedo con la etapa de Aaron, y para mí, esta serie acaba aquí.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chciałoby się rzec: "wreszcie". Ale nie takie "wreszcie" gdy wykładowca kończy nudny wykład. To :wreszcie" obrazuje naprawdę dobrą i zabawną produkcję, pełną smaczków i mrugnięć okiem. Ósmy i zarazem ostatni tom spod pióra Aarona to już bezpretensjonalne pożegnanie się z postaciami, które dało się naprawdę polubić.

Mój ulubieniec, Kid Omega, czyli Quentin. Jak ja go dobrze rozumiem, bo sam miałem takie problemy. Ukończenie szkoły, wybór studiów. Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna. I sukces Wolverine'a. Bo widzimy, że dało się te dzieciaki wychować. Zwłaszcza gdy ponownie mamy tą przyszłą linię fabularną, gdzie zmęczony Logan, wspominając przeszłość, ma zamiar zakończyć funkcjonowanie szkoły i popija whisky z bamfami.

Jest tu też kilka naprawdę złotych dialogów i scen, a dotyczą one połączenia sił przez Cyclopsa i Wolverine'a. Walka, a potem pogaduszki przy winku i piwku, takie z tych głębszych, od serca, aby wyjaśnić co kogo boli. Niby proste, ale jakże szczere i potrzebne. To nadal przyjaciele i mimo, iż się nienawidzą to nie odmówią pomocy.

Szkoda mi było wątku Toada. Reakcja Kroaki bezcenna. Naprawdę, jestem ciekaw jak to się dalej potoczy, aczkolwiek całe to zamieszanie z szpiegami od SHIELD było słabe. Podobnie zresztą jak annual, gdzie przyszło nam obserwować co robił Kid Gladiator, gdy jego ojciec zabrał go z powrotem na akademię Shi'ar.

I choć coś się tutaj kończy, to tak naprawdę nie mamy zbytniego poczucia, że to jakieś zamknięcie. Przeciwnie, tu wszystko się zaczyna i chwała Aaron'owi za to. Że dał X-menom trochę więcej luzu, zwłaszcza po wydarzeniach z AvX.

Graficznie mieliśmy istną mieszankę, bo każdy kto miał styczność z serią, chciał zostawić po sobie jakiś ślad, co widzimy przy okazji ostatniego zeszytu. Najbardziej podobał mi się chyba talent Larraz. Mocne 4/5. Aż żal, że to koniec mimo spadku formy w połowie serii.

[Nate]

Aaron brings everything full circle in the last volume, one of the absolute best of the series. I’m genuinely going to miss reading about Wolverine’s mutant school. I liked what Aaron did with old characters, the new additions were great, and a sense of fun was always there. The last issue is a perfectly emotional ending.

Before that, we get a solo story about Kid Gladiator missing the school while off fighting in space. Then there’s a story about Mystique (by way of S.H.I.E.L.D.) infiltrating the school with new mutants in disguise, who are classily handled by the students. This arc has an extended conversation between Wolverine and Cyclops that gets to the heart of the their relationship. After that, we get a nice coda to Toad’s story.

So yeah, this is how you close out a series. I didn’t think I’d be doing a big X-Men dive this year, but this series and Aaron’s Wolverine solo stuff has made want to read more about Marvel’s mutants.

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is the last volume of one of the most fun versions of an x-team, certainly of more modern times.

Jason Aaron's run I think will be remembered because not only does it do the usual X-Men stuff very well - fighting, arguing, going into space, etc... - but also does it with alot of humor thrown in. And while this isnt really new to the X-Men, there's always been a lightheartedness here and there, but Jason Aaron really put a spotlight on the more lighthearted side of things within the X-Men, to great effect.

But Jason Aaron also deals with the bigger issues. Things like acclimating to a new school - both as a teacher and as a student, interpersonal relationships, and the biggest one going on at Marvel at the time - the rift between Cyclops and Wolverine. Jason Aaron takes the time to give us an issue where they basically team up against a bunch of Sentinels, then have a heart to heart over a few beers. And it was awesome. First, to see them as a team again was very cool - but the conversation itself was heartfelt and built upon so many years of resentment and anger but also friendship and camaraderie. Aaron hits the perfect tone for that conversation.

Overall, this was a very entertaining series - even in it's more sillier moments. However, if you are a fan of the X-Men, I definitely recommend giving this series a read.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason Aaron, who I always think of as a gritty story teller, shows his versatility with this entire series. There is so much heart and warmth in these young heroes and its clearly evident in this final chapter. The series ends extremely well as a send off to old and young alike. Cyclops and Wolverine's issues are dealt with here (not finished though) and its perfect. The Jean Grey School is showcased and its pretty wonderful. The art got a little too cartoony at times but it wasn't bad. Overall, a very good read.

[Adam Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid ending to a mostly solid run of X-comics. Some character growth, some chess pieces moved to an entirely different X-board, and the conventional trip to the future to see how the author envisioned the main characters of the series a generation or so later. Unlike many of the "let's check in on the team in the future" issues, this one felt earned and it didn't try to do too much.

I wouldn't recommend it to someone who hadn't read any of the previous volumes, but if you did spend even a volume or two with the case of this series, this finale is worth picking up.

[Rangga Sukmawijaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Episode terakhir dari serial Wolverine and the X-Men ini tampaknya membawa dua isyarat tentang kelanjutan kisahnya: pertama munculnya S.H.I.E.L.D. sebagai musuh baru mutan dan peristiwa Infinity yang dimunculkan dalam nomor Annualnya. Sementara itu, pertanyaan yang masih menggantung adalah: apakah para mutan akan akur kembali setelah di episode terakhir ini ditunjukkan kolaborasi antara Logan dan Scott Summers?