What do you think?
Rate this book
All-New X-Men (2012) (Collected Editions)
All-New X-Men, Vol. 3: Out of Their Depth
Collects All-New X-Men #11-15.
The time-displaced young X-Men continue to adjust to a present day that's simultaneously more awe-inspiring and more disturbing than any future the young heroes had ever imagined for themselves. And as Jean Grey pushes her powers to the limit, shaking her and the rest of the X-Men to the core, one of the ALL-NEW X-MEN breaks rank...and leaves to join the adult Cyclops and his revolutionary crew!
The time-displaced young X-Men continue to adjust to a present day that's simultaneously more awe-inspiring and more disturbing than any future the young heroes had ever imagined for themselves. And as Jean Grey pushes her powers to the limit, shaking her and the rest of the X-Men to the core, one of the ALL-NEW X-MEN breaks rank...and leaves to join the adult Cyclops and his revolutionary crew!
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2013
39 people are currently reading
666 people want to read
About the author
Brian Michael Bendis
4,409 books2,574 followersA comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
November 21, 2023
The time displaced team go on their first real mission, in which creator, Bendis captures the time displaced teenagers really well. Mystique is sniffing around trying to stir up trouble. And young Jean gets a surprise love interest! 8 out of 12, Four Star again for this outrageous concept played so well!
2018 and 2014 read
2018 and 2014 read
August 19, 2016
The original X-Kids, like any novice time traveler, continue to struggle with existing in a time and place that they have no business being in.
To recap the basic premise of the series – Hank McCoy, aka The Beast – fetched the kids from the past in the hopes that it would shock miscreant Scott Summers back into a path of reason, not conflict.
Well, it hasn’t quite worked out so well.
First, let’s say goodbye to the dullard of the quintet – Warren Worthington, the Angel.
We won’t keep the porch light at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning on for ya, kiddo!
Second, a version of the Brotherhood of Evil, led by Mystique, is, under the guise of Wolverine and the time-transplanted X-kids (they used mirrors and strobe lighting), been pulling off the heists of the century, which leads to the real X-Kids having a run-in with the Uncanny Avengers and some awkward moments, which include…
…and a poignant one.
Jean Grey seemingly borrows a page from her future self that now exists in the past…
…but needs to learn something about staying out of people’s heads.
Tres awkward?
Bottom line: Bendis had mostly owned the X-books prior to Secret Wars - Jason Aaron had his moments - but Bendis writing had been consistently better over the long haul. This volume is no exception.
To recap the basic premise of the series – Hank McCoy, aka The Beast – fetched the kids from the past in the hopes that it would shock miscreant Scott Summers back into a path of reason, not conflict.
Well, it hasn’t quite worked out so well.
First, let’s say goodbye to the dullard of the quintet – Warren Worthington, the Angel.
We won’t keep the porch light at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning on for ya, kiddo!
Second, a version of the Brotherhood of Evil, led by Mystique, is, under the guise of Wolverine and the time-transplanted X-kids (they used mirrors and strobe lighting), been pulling off the heists of the century, which leads to the real X-Kids having a run-in with the Uncanny Avengers and some awkward moments, which include…
…and a poignant one.
Jean Grey seemingly borrows a page from her future self that now exists in the past…
…but needs to learn something about staying out of people’s heads.
Tres awkward?
Bottom line: Bendis had mostly owned the X-books prior to Secret Wars - Jason Aaron had his moments - but Bendis writing had been consistently better over the long haul. This volume is no exception.
May 17, 2016
Still fun!
I'm just gonna hit a few highlights, because I really want to start reading the next volume. There may be some spoilers in here, so read it at your own peril.
So which one of the kids decided to take off and leave with Cyclops & Co. at the end of the last volume?
Yeah, that didn't come as a surprise to me, but I've been reading a bunch of these X-titles, so I already knew he was buggin' out of there.
However, it causes Jean to throw a tantrum of epic proportions, and she tries to use her evil mutant powers on him to get him to change his mind.
Lucky for her (and everyone else) Kitty is there to give her a little pep talk about Power and Responsibility.
Well, that and the fact that the Stepford Cuckoos squished her brain with their mutant brain squishing powers. But, really?
She deserved it.
The next problem is that Mystique is still out there causing problems for all of the X-men. This time around, she's set the New Kids up to take the fall for several robberies that ended with a pile of dead bodies.
On the plus side, Scott gets to meet his brother, Havoc. And they have a nice bro moment before Captain America tries to arrest our young time travelers. But before he can even read them their rights, Jean has yet another freak-out when she accidentally reads Scarlet Witch's mind.
The whole No More Mutants! thing didn't sit well with her...
Don't worry, it all turns out ok. Sort of.
Hey, did you know that Beast (young Beast) was in love with Jean? Me neither!
Apparently, everyone but Iceman has the hots for that redhead.
I can see why...after all, she's such a sweetie!
I'm just gonna hit a few highlights, because I really want to start reading the next volume. There may be some spoilers in here, so read it at your own peril.
So which one of the kids decided to take off and leave with Cyclops & Co. at the end of the last volume?
Yeah, that didn't come as a surprise to me, but I've been reading a bunch of these X-titles, so I already knew he was buggin' out of there.
However, it causes Jean to throw a tantrum of epic proportions, and she tries to use her evil mutant powers on him to get him to change his mind.
Lucky for her (and everyone else) Kitty is there to give her a little pep talk about Power and Responsibility.
Well, that and the fact that the Stepford Cuckoos squished her brain with their mutant brain squishing powers. But, really?
She deserved it.
The next problem is that Mystique is still out there causing problems for all of the X-men. This time around, she's set the New Kids up to take the fall for several robberies that ended with a pile of dead bodies.
On the plus side, Scott gets to meet his brother, Havoc. And they have a nice bro moment before Captain America tries to arrest our young time travelers. But before he can even read them their rights, Jean has yet another freak-out when she accidentally reads Scarlet Witch's mind.
The whole No More Mutants! thing didn't sit well with her...
Don't worry, it all turns out ok. Sort of.
Hey, did you know that Beast (young Beast) was in love with Jean? Me neither!
Apparently, everyone but Iceman has the hots for that redhead.
I can see why...after all, she's such a sweetie!
November 7, 2017
I’m still enjoying this title in which the original X-Men are doing the time warp again, but I’m starting to wonder how it can possibly continue in a satisfying fashion. The idea that the younger versions are having to face the consequences of choices they haven’t made yet continues to offer lots of story possibilities as does the idea that some of them might start to act out in an effort to change their fate.
The problem is that if this team isn’t eventually sent back to the past then it’d have to disrupt the entire current timeline. So the possibility that anything we see here really doesn’t matter because it’ll have to be retconned out eventually is very much in play. To his credit, Bendis seems aware of this and even plays with that concept by having one of the team seemingly betray and leave them which means that the entire timeline is now in jeopardy. But this also makes Beast’s decision to bring the original team to the future look increasingly dangerous and pointless since it’s done nothing to stop the present day Scott Summers from acting like a wack-a-doo.
It’s still a fun read, especially for interactions like the present day Alex Summers meeting young Scott or the way that Kitty Pryde lays down the law to Jean Grey. However, I can’t help but worry this is something that will either end up being wiped out or devolve into a hopeless mishmash of timey-wimey tricks that make no sense.
The problem is that if this team isn’t eventually sent back to the past then it’d have to disrupt the entire current timeline. So the possibility that anything we see here really doesn’t matter because it’ll have to be retconned out eventually is very much in play. To his credit, Bendis seems aware of this and even plays with that concept by having one of the team seemingly betray and leave them which means that the entire timeline is now in jeopardy. But this also makes Beast’s decision to bring the original team to the future look increasingly dangerous and pointless since it’s done nothing to stop the present day Scott Summers from acting like a wack-a-doo.
It’s still a fun read, especially for interactions like the present day Alex Summers meeting young Scott or the way that Kitty Pryde lays down the law to Jean Grey. However, I can’t help but worry this is something that will either end up being wiped out or devolve into a hopeless mishmash of timey-wimey tricks that make no sense.
December 7, 2015
The Original X-Men continue their tour of the future and one of their own decides to join present Cyclops.
All I keep thinking when I read this is Doc Brown saying it's dangerous knowing too much about your own future. The original X-Men all have learned about their future selves and none of them seem entirely thrilled. Jean Grey particularly is still reacting badly with each new piece of information she learns.
It makes complete sense that the original X-Men have no interest in becoming their future selves. The series has been well written overall, but I just don't see why these incredibly powerful individuals are just allowing this to continue happening. A lot of time travel issues aren't being addressed and that bothers me because that should be an enormous aspect of this story.
I don't see where the story is heading with the All-New X-Men. Normally that's a good thing, but in this case it's really annoying me.
All I keep thinking when I read this is Doc Brown saying it's dangerous knowing too much about your own future. The original X-Men all have learned about their future selves and none of them seem entirely thrilled. Jean Grey particularly is still reacting badly with each new piece of information she learns.
It makes complete sense that the original X-Men have no interest in becoming their future selves. The series has been well written overall, but I just don't see why these incredibly powerful individuals are just allowing this to continue happening. A lot of time travel issues aren't being addressed and that bothers me because that should be an enormous aspect of this story.
I don't see where the story is heading with the All-New X-Men. Normally that's a good thing, but in this case it's really annoying me.
March 27, 2014
Perhaps the best thing in this shockingly compelling series is what Bendis is doing with Jean. Taking one of the dullest, most overrated characters (in my opinion) in the Marvel universe and making her interesting and unpredictable? I can work with that. Seeing her chafe against what seems to be her pre-determined part, using her powers in poorly though-out, dangerous, and even ominous ways is a nice jolt to the system. And, given the circumstances, entirely believable. This Jean is, after all, a confused teenager, and think of everything she's discovered, about herself and about her loved ones: the boy she likes will kill her father figure, who had been concealing the greatest part of her power from her. She will die, and live, and die again. She'll have children, in a future that will never happen. That's a lot to take in, almost too much. I entirely buy her reactions, and I actually find myself connecting with and sympathizing with Jean, for the first time... ever? At least since Dark Phoenix. Quite a feat.
It's still not a perfect book. Mystique's game plan is far from compelling, here or over in Uncanny X-Men. There's an awful lot of talking, and little action, which I can deal with. And the Uncanny Avengers (ugh, that name) seem to show up mostly to give Alex a chance to see Scott. That said, I did like that Jean says what it seems like everybody on the X-side is thinking: how does the Scarlet Witch get to come back from attempting mutant genocide by becoming an Avenger? When Jean asks how she just gets to walk around after what she did, I was wondering the same. Maybe this is something that's explored in Uncanny Avengers. I certainly hope so.
It's still not a perfect book. Mystique's game plan is far from compelling, here or over in Uncanny X-Men. There's an awful lot of talking, and little action, which I can deal with. And the Uncanny Avengers (ugh, that name) seem to show up mostly to give Alex a chance to see Scott. That said, I did like that Jean says what it seems like everybody on the X-side is thinking: how does the Scarlet Witch get to come back from attempting mutant genocide by becoming an Avenger? When Jean asks how she just gets to walk around after what she did, I was wondering the same. Maybe this is something that's explored in Uncanny Avengers. I certainly hope so.
September 9, 2019
Is it just me or do these All-New X-Men books just feel so much more, I don't know, CANONICAL than a lot of the other X-Output in recent years?
I think this is because Bendis does a wonderful job walking the tightrope between honouring the Children of the Atom's convoluted continuity while at the same time not being overly beholden to it, and incorporating a sly wink or two along the way.
This volume carries on it that vein and, although it contains some elements that are patently ridiculous but on the whole the character beats rang true and I'm honestly enjoying spending time with Scott, Jean, Bobby and Hank more than I have in years.
Not much to say about poor Warren yet, he hasn't had a lot to do besides going off with the "Bad 'Uns" in a huff. Hopefully he'll get something interesting to do in the next Volume, which I certainly will be reading!
I think this is because Bendis does a wonderful job walking the tightrope between honouring the Children of the Atom's convoluted continuity while at the same time not being overly beholden to it, and incorporating a sly wink or two along the way.
This volume carries on it that vein and, although it contains some elements that are patently ridiculous but on the whole the character beats rang true and I'm honestly enjoying spending time with Scott, Jean, Bobby and Hank more than I have in years.
Not much to say about poor Warren yet, he hasn't had a lot to do besides going off with the "Bad 'Uns" in a huff. Hopefully he'll get something interesting to do in the next Volume, which I certainly will be reading!
September 29, 2015
The continuing adventures of the time-traveling original X-Men, arrived in the modern world as their classic 16-year-old selves only to find out that the adult versions of themselves have turned out very differently than they ever imagined.
This is a great series that brings back a lot of the classic fun and adventure and humor of the original X-Men, while still staying rooted in the contemporary continuity. Yes, there are a lot of jokes and references that you have to be a long-time X-Men fan to get, but the series also seems aimed at readers who haven't been reading the X-Men forever and only know that these kids are younger versions of today's X-Men.
This volume has a full roster of guest appearances, including the Avengers. (16-year-old Iceman actually wallops Thor upside the head with a snowball!) Mystique is running around causing trouble, with Mastermind (no, not the original Mastermind - Mastermind's daughter) and Sabretooth as her minions. This leads to a meeting with Hydra, including Madame Hydra and the Silver Samurai, and a great big climactic battle in which the X-Men kick butt and take names. Though most of the bad guys get away, of course.
Much of this volume is devoted to Jean Grey's character arc, as she struggles to gain control over her powers, come to terms with what she became in this universe (the Phoenix, and later the Dark Phoenix), and then heads straight into AU territory when she dumps Scott and starts making out with the Beast instead. No, no, you pervs! The younger Beast, not the older blue furry one!
Oh, Kitty Pryde and older Bobby Drake/Iceman are apparently an item too. Which kind of freaks the younger Bobby Drake out.
This is my favorite X-Men series right now, and I really like the art too.
This is a great series that brings back a lot of the classic fun and adventure and humor of the original X-Men, while still staying rooted in the contemporary continuity. Yes, there are a lot of jokes and references that you have to be a long-time X-Men fan to get, but the series also seems aimed at readers who haven't been reading the X-Men forever and only know that these kids are younger versions of today's X-Men.
This volume has a full roster of guest appearances, including the Avengers. (16-year-old Iceman actually wallops Thor upside the head with a snowball!) Mystique is running around causing trouble, with Mastermind (no, not the original Mastermind - Mastermind's daughter) and Sabretooth as her minions. This leads to a meeting with Hydra, including Madame Hydra and the Silver Samurai, and a great big climactic battle in which the X-Men kick butt and take names. Though most of the bad guys get away, of course.
Much of this volume is devoted to Jean Grey's character arc, as she struggles to gain control over her powers, come to terms with what she became in this universe (the Phoenix, and later the Dark Phoenix), and then heads straight into AU territory when she dumps Scott and starts making out with the Beast instead. No, no, you pervs! The younger Beast, not the older blue furry one!
Oh, Kitty Pryde and older Bobby Drake/Iceman are apparently an item too. Which kind of freaks the younger Bobby Drake out.
This is my favorite X-Men series right now, and I really like the art too.
September 10, 2015
[THIS SERIES IS SO GOOD THAT I DON'T EVEN CARE THAT THERE IS NO WAY I CAN TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH I SHIP CHARLES AND ERIK WHILE I'M READING AND REVIEWING ANXM]
This third volume of Brian Michael Bendis' All-New X-Men collects two very notable Jean Grey meltdowns that are so epic and insane in scale that it's almost funny. For me, that is essentially the selling point of Volume 3: Out of their Depth because everything becomes an extra special of clusterfuck whenever Jean Grey loses her shit. It's probably the only natural progression of her character here and I am loving her for being so kooky, emotional, flawed and yet utterly relatable all at once.
I think I would consider this as my favorite collection so far, comprised of issues #11-15 and illustrated by the ever consistently splendid Stuart Immonen with guest artist David Lafuente for the last issue.
Present-day Cyclops is the leader of a new radical mutant movement where a revolution is a necessity that calls for his species' prosperity regardless of the human factor that would play into it. By his side are his on-and-off paramour Emma Frost, the White Queen and formidable telepath; the dark-magic-wielding enchantress Illyanna also known as Magik; and his enemy-turned-ally Erik Lehnsherr, the mutant terrorist infamously known as Magneto. Basically, the perfect dream team, amirite?
So these awesome assholes crashed the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning but not because they want to be dicks--well, maybe just Cyke. He was there to inform any young hopefuls that their dream team (I will now sarcastically refer to them from now on as the "Dream Team") is recruiting, and it would be in their best interest if they join the crusade. Understandably, the more seasoned X-Men like Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and Storm are upset about this, given that the man whom they used to call friend and leader just murdered their beloved mentor, Charles Xavier, back when Cyke was possessed by the Phoenix Force. Cyke makes no apologies and states that "Y'all know if I was in my right state of mind, I ain't have killed the Prof, yo".
The OCF (Original Core Five) just stood there, absolutely horrified and dumbfounded as the Dream Team stated their objective and a few words were exchanged between Cyke and Beast, and then Beast and young Scott, and then finally Scott and Scott which were all insightful dialogue exchanges. The only people who joined the recruitment were Emma's creepy triplet apprentices whom no one is going to miss anyway. As Cyke gives some last-call announcement, an unexpected individual steps into the spotlight and declares that he will join the Dream Team.
AND IT'S NO OTHER THAN THE YOUNG WARREN A.K.A ANGEL OF THE OCF!
She freaked the fuck out about ut and used her telepathy to manipulate him to stay, so Emma had to discipline her the hard way. Once the dust of that has settled, Kitty made Jean promise that she will never dig through people's thoughts again or lose her shit. Jean acquiesced and all seemed to be right again. Now the OCF with Kitty and Wolverine are going to the city to stop Mystique from her own ongoing clusterfuck but they were interrupted by the Avengers' timely appearance.
Alex and Scott had a nice brotherly moment, whilst Wolverine and Captain America exchanged some arguments in the background regarding whatever is happening in the city. Jean's attention turned to Scarlet Witch (whom they cannot believe is now an Avenger) and as she read her mind, she gets this shocking news of her life which she did not react well to...again.
But the gravity of this revelation is a hefty one so I think Jean's second freak-out was justifiable. It was tough for her to learn that the woman standing before her just committed mass genocide on their own people. After all, this young Jean has not been hardened by her adult experiences in the future yet. This is a teenager who lived in an idyllic time when she's still young and hopeful enough to believe that things for mutants can never get worse. In light of recent events, discovering who she becomes (the Dark Phoenix) and what happened to Scott, the boy she loves, when he became a man was rattling enough. Losing a friend like Warren because of her own damn fault made her guilty. And now she learned about the mutant decimation which is the most bitter pill anyone in her already vulnerable position can swallow. Once again, we have young Jean Grey going ballistic. They eventually did get her to settle down but Jean was adamant in making Scarlet Witch guilty which was a mission accomplished. I feel bad for the both of them in this situation.
The OCF with Kitty and Wolverine travel in the Blackbird to confront Mystique even though Captain America was adamant last issue for them to stay low and barricade themselves in the school so the Avengers can take care of business. They got to the site and Jean was able to handle the camouflage for at least a good ten minutes before she failed and got them almost shot down by the police who were guarding the place. Mystique after all had Lady Mastermind disguise them as the OCF while the three committed their felonies so as far as the human agencies are concerned, the OCF are the main suspects and have to be apprehended. They got back into the Blackbird safely and now know where they should be heading after Wolverine caught scent of their targets. They start talking about Alex Summers' speech in the news about the use of 'mutant', claiming it should officially be a "hate word", a derogatory term that should never be used so casually ever again. Alex argued that they are all humans and so mutants should not define themselves based on their genetic distinction and focus more on their identity as part of the human race, even though they are the more evolved species. It's a great thought but Kitty justified that such a line of thinking does not resonate with her.
The real centerpiece of this collection was all about OCF, Kitty and Wolverine against Mystique, Sabreooth and Lady Mastermind. It was really amazing to see the OCF hold up well on their own even though they did poorly during their Danger Room simulation with Kitty. That goes to show that when it came to actual combat, these kids were well-trained by the professor and were coordinated enough to mix up their fighting strategies, especially Hank and Scott who really shone during their fight scenes. Their coordination and camaraderie were so nice to read, considering that their present-day counterparts are completely hate each other. It's great to see their teenage versions being able to fight together and enjoy themselves in the process. I'm so relieved that Jean just faked her meltdown because seriously, let's put the brakes on those freak-outs. It also looked as if Jean is learning and taking things in perspective better which is good for her and bad news for someone like Lady Mastermind who expected she could beat her just because she was young. Even teenage Jean is a force to be reckoned with. The tonality of the fourteenth issue was quirky and humorous. There was little seriousness all throughout which helped me enjoy the physical confrontations among the mutants. There are comedy gems too; notably Jean making Sabretooth whine in pain as he lay on his back defeated (very immature but it made Logan smile); then there's Bobby throwing a snowball on Thor's face to ENsure he wasn't just another illusion Lady Mastermind created to divert them as she escaped. The humor is well-done; campy enough to be entertaining but not too much that it creates a dissonance in the storytelling itself. I think Bendis has been consistent, and it keeps me invested on the characters.
David Lafuente is the guest artist for the standalone issue #15 which was a break from all the crazy yet still fun developments that we had been subjected to so far. Lafuente's visual style is rendered memorably enough featuring characters who are drawn very stockily as oppose to lithe and pretty. I actually like that he drew their bodies like this. As a full-figured woman myself, it's nice to see some more realistic depiction of body types. As for the story itself, it's rudimentary and cute which is actually a relief, if you consider that issues #11-15 have been collected as the third volume of this series in trade paperback and the first three issues alone have been...intense. And when I say "intense", I meant that it featured young Jean Grey's now legendary meltdowns for Marvel Now! So I suppose it was nice to get this standalone that would allow any traumatized readers to recuperate from the clusterfuck of the earlier installments. It was also very reminiscent of the kind of material Jeff Parker indulged in during his X-Men: First Class run where we got to see the OCF act like normal teenagers with normal problems for once. The cover says it all even though I was by now wary because they tend to be misleading, exaggerated red herrings of the sort.
This time, however, the cover depicted exactly what happened in this issue. Yes, young Jean Grey and Hank McCoy get their flirt on and share a first kiss. It did make me warm and fuzzy a bit. They're such darlings and seeing them hook up like that reminded me of Chris Claremont's stint in X-Men Forever where the adult Jean and Henry also get their flirt on and became short-lived lovers. It's pretty nice although just like back then, I hardly took it seriously. I guess in my heart of hearts, I think Scott and Jean are meant to be together. Even if I was a more hardcore shipper, I still wouldn't be threatened by this development.
The issue ends with Jean looking at the wedding invitation of her future self with the future Scott which she actually kept hidden under her bed. What does this all mean? She looked glum as she examined it again. Could she be feeling guilty about kissing Hank knowing she was going to be with Scott in the future? I felt like she kissed Hank to prove a point to herself that she can change her future now that she has a chance to. She doesn't have to end up with Scott because she saw the pain and misery of that relationship; how much they struggle but keep falling apart as a couple. As a teenager who became privy to her adult life, Jean may be less inclined to consider being with the Scott she knows now, not after seeing what that boy becomes in the present; a man she has no affection or sympathy for. But que sera sera, no?
Overall, the third volume of the series Out of their Depth is my most favorite collection so far!
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
This third volume of Brian Michael Bendis' All-New X-Men collects two very notable Jean Grey meltdowns that are so epic and insane in scale that it's almost funny. For me, that is essentially the selling point of Volume 3: Out of their Depth because everything becomes an extra special of clusterfuck whenever Jean Grey loses her shit. It's probably the only natural progression of her character here and I am loving her for being so kooky, emotional, flawed and yet utterly relatable all at once.
I think I would consider this as my favorite collection so far, comprised of issues #11-15 and illustrated by the ever consistently splendid Stuart Immonen with guest artist David Lafuente for the last issue.
Present-day Cyclops is the leader of a new radical mutant movement where a revolution is a necessity that calls for his species' prosperity regardless of the human factor that would play into it. By his side are his on-and-off paramour Emma Frost, the White Queen and formidable telepath; the dark-magic-wielding enchantress Illyanna also known as Magik; and his enemy-turned-ally Erik Lehnsherr, the mutant terrorist infamously known as Magneto. Basically, the perfect dream team, amirite?
So these awesome assholes crashed the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning but not because they want to be dicks--well, maybe just Cyke. He was there to inform any young hopefuls that their dream team (I will now sarcastically refer to them from now on as the "Dream Team") is recruiting, and it would be in their best interest if they join the crusade. Understandably, the more seasoned X-Men like Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and Storm are upset about this, given that the man whom they used to call friend and leader just murdered their beloved mentor, Charles Xavier, back when Cyke was possessed by the Phoenix Force. Cyke makes no apologies and states that "Y'all know if I was in my right state of mind, I ain't have killed the Prof, yo".
The OCF (Original Core Five) just stood there, absolutely horrified and dumbfounded as the Dream Team stated their objective and a few words were exchanged between Cyke and Beast, and then Beast and young Scott, and then finally Scott and Scott which were all insightful dialogue exchanges. The only people who joined the recruitment were Emma's creepy triplet apprentices whom no one is going to miss anyway. As Cyke gives some last-call announcement, an unexpected individual steps into the spotlight and declares that he will join the Dream Team.
AND IT'S NO OTHER THAN THE YOUNG WARREN A.K.A ANGEL OF THE OCF!
She freaked the fuck out about ut and used her telepathy to manipulate him to stay, so Emma had to discipline her the hard way. Once the dust of that has settled, Kitty made Jean promise that she will never dig through people's thoughts again or lose her shit. Jean acquiesced and all seemed to be right again. Now the OCF with Kitty and Wolverine are going to the city to stop Mystique from her own ongoing clusterfuck but they were interrupted by the Avengers' timely appearance.
Alex and Scott had a nice brotherly moment, whilst Wolverine and Captain America exchanged some arguments in the background regarding whatever is happening in the city. Jean's attention turned to Scarlet Witch (whom they cannot believe is now an Avenger) and as she read her mind, she gets this shocking news of her life which she did not react well to...again.
But the gravity of this revelation is a hefty one so I think Jean's second freak-out was justifiable. It was tough for her to learn that the woman standing before her just committed mass genocide on their own people. After all, this young Jean has not been hardened by her adult experiences in the future yet. This is a teenager who lived in an idyllic time when she's still young and hopeful enough to believe that things for mutants can never get worse. In light of recent events, discovering who she becomes (the Dark Phoenix) and what happened to Scott, the boy she loves, when he became a man was rattling enough. Losing a friend like Warren because of her own damn fault made her guilty. And now she learned about the mutant decimation which is the most bitter pill anyone in her already vulnerable position can swallow. Once again, we have young Jean Grey going ballistic. They eventually did get her to settle down but Jean was adamant in making Scarlet Witch guilty which was a mission accomplished. I feel bad for the both of them in this situation.
The OCF with Kitty and Wolverine travel in the Blackbird to confront Mystique even though Captain America was adamant last issue for them to stay low and barricade themselves in the school so the Avengers can take care of business. They got to the site and Jean was able to handle the camouflage for at least a good ten minutes before she failed and got them almost shot down by the police who were guarding the place. Mystique after all had Lady Mastermind disguise them as the OCF while the three committed their felonies so as far as the human agencies are concerned, the OCF are the main suspects and have to be apprehended. They got back into the Blackbird safely and now know where they should be heading after Wolverine caught scent of their targets. They start talking about Alex Summers' speech in the news about the use of 'mutant', claiming it should officially be a "hate word", a derogatory term that should never be used so casually ever again. Alex argued that they are all humans and so mutants should not define themselves based on their genetic distinction and focus more on their identity as part of the human race, even though they are the more evolved species. It's a great thought but Kitty justified that such a line of thinking does not resonate with her.
The real centerpiece of this collection was all about OCF, Kitty and Wolverine against Mystique, Sabreooth and Lady Mastermind. It was really amazing to see the OCF hold up well on their own even though they did poorly during their Danger Room simulation with Kitty. That goes to show that when it came to actual combat, these kids were well-trained by the professor and were coordinated enough to mix up their fighting strategies, especially Hank and Scott who really shone during their fight scenes. Their coordination and camaraderie were so nice to read, considering that their present-day counterparts are completely hate each other. It's great to see their teenage versions being able to fight together and enjoy themselves in the process. I'm so relieved that Jean just faked her meltdown because seriously, let's put the brakes on those freak-outs. It also looked as if Jean is learning and taking things in perspective better which is good for her and bad news for someone like Lady Mastermind who expected she could beat her just because she was young. Even teenage Jean is a force to be reckoned with. The tonality of the fourteenth issue was quirky and humorous. There was little seriousness all throughout which helped me enjoy the physical confrontations among the mutants. There are comedy gems too; notably Jean making Sabretooth whine in pain as he lay on his back defeated (very immature but it made Logan smile); then there's Bobby throwing a snowball on Thor's face to ENsure he wasn't just another illusion Lady Mastermind created to divert them as she escaped. The humor is well-done; campy enough to be entertaining but not too much that it creates a dissonance in the storytelling itself. I think Bendis has been consistent, and it keeps me invested on the characters.
David Lafuente is the guest artist for the standalone issue #15 which was a break from all the crazy yet still fun developments that we had been subjected to so far. Lafuente's visual style is rendered memorably enough featuring characters who are drawn very stockily as oppose to lithe and pretty. I actually like that he drew their bodies like this. As a full-figured woman myself, it's nice to see some more realistic depiction of body types. As for the story itself, it's rudimentary and cute which is actually a relief, if you consider that issues #11-15 have been collected as the third volume of this series in trade paperback and the first three issues alone have been...intense. And when I say "intense", I meant that it featured young Jean Grey's now legendary meltdowns for Marvel Now! So I suppose it was nice to get this standalone that would allow any traumatized readers to recuperate from the clusterfuck of the earlier installments. It was also very reminiscent of the kind of material Jeff Parker indulged in during his X-Men: First Class run where we got to see the OCF act like normal teenagers with normal problems for once. The cover says it all even though I was by now wary because they tend to be misleading, exaggerated red herrings of the sort.
This time, however, the cover depicted exactly what happened in this issue. Yes, young Jean Grey and Hank McCoy get their flirt on and share a first kiss. It did make me warm and fuzzy a bit. They're such darlings and seeing them hook up like that reminded me of Chris Claremont's stint in X-Men Forever where the adult Jean and Henry also get their flirt on and became short-lived lovers. It's pretty nice although just like back then, I hardly took it seriously. I guess in my heart of hearts, I think Scott and Jean are meant to be together. Even if I was a more hardcore shipper, I still wouldn't be threatened by this development.
The issue ends with Jean looking at the wedding invitation of her future self with the future Scott which she actually kept hidden under her bed. What does this all mean? She looked glum as she examined it again. Could she be feeling guilty about kissing Hank knowing she was going to be with Scott in the future? I felt like she kissed Hank to prove a point to herself that she can change her future now that she has a chance to. She doesn't have to end up with Scott because she saw the pain and misery of that relationship; how much they struggle but keep falling apart as a couple. As a teenager who became privy to her adult life, Jean may be less inclined to consider being with the Scott she knows now, not after seeing what that boy becomes in the present; a man she has no affection or sympathy for. But que sera sera, no?
Overall, the third volume of the series Out of their Depth is my most favorite collection so far!
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
December 1, 2013
One of the most believable intra-hero fight scenes I've seen in comics. Actually believable motivations, scored up from previous events in this very book - like we're actually exploring the dynamic of a bunch of people rubbing shoulders the wrong way and having to deal with the very real interpersonal conflicts that arise. Do I believe these conflicts? Absolutely. One of the hardest things to do these days is to convince me when two heroes in comics actually have a dust-up, it's because of something closely-held and not just an instantaneous moment of out-of-character foolishness to create some storytelling drama. This feels entirely the natural evolution of the situation they're all in. I'm not usually one to gush about one particular scene but this is a feat worth noting.
The writing and art continues to impress throughout the book. Havok & Scott? Kitty and Jean? Wolverine and Hank? The key relationships are solidly portrayed as flawed people interacting in specific, believable, and not-just-quippy ways. I hear the dialogue and think how it sounds serious, weighty *and* human. There are many tender, slow, quiet moments in this book, which make me (through these characters with whom I find myself sympathizing so easily) feel taken care of - like that one cool teacher who talked to me alone after classes, making sure I was ok and that I could handle what I was going through. Alongside the wild and unpredictable action, I find the balance is being artfully handled - just enough pacing between swings to keep it interesting, without losing focus on the characters that make these X-books great.
Immomen's drawing is growing even further. When I first noticed him on Nextwave, it was how much fun he was clearly having. Here, his lines are clear, his figures are nearly proportionate without losing their fluidity and stand-outishness. (Faces still vary between cartoony, exaggerated for emotional character and normal.)
The action is pretty unpredictable - I'm not sure if it's the camera angles, the jump cuts from nothing to maniacal blow-ups, or just the complete mayhem that Immomen is so good at. This makes reading the action scenes anything but rote - unlike grind-it-out battle scenes, Immomen doesn't waste panels repeating the same stuff over and over - just gives you a glimpse and a taste and then moves on.
But really, the big "pull back the camera" shots are some of the best, most colourful and arresting stuff I've ever seen. One flashback Jean has to something she just did is...amazing.
I know some folks complain that this book feels like filler, but I don't see it like that at all. We're getting a gorgeous view into the inner lives of the young X-men as well as many around them, and as a way to explore the human side of being a mutant, this is a stellar work.
The writing and art continues to impress throughout the book. Havok & Scott? Kitty and Jean? Wolverine and Hank? The key relationships are solidly portrayed as flawed people interacting in specific, believable, and not-just-quippy ways. I hear the dialogue and think how it sounds serious, weighty *and* human. There are many tender, slow, quiet moments in this book, which make me (through these characters with whom I find myself sympathizing so easily) feel taken care of - like that one cool teacher who talked to me alone after classes, making sure I was ok and that I could handle what I was going through. Alongside the wild and unpredictable action, I find the balance is being artfully handled - just enough pacing between swings to keep it interesting, without losing focus on the characters that make these X-books great.
Immomen's drawing is growing even further. When I first noticed him on Nextwave, it was how much fun he was clearly having. Here, his lines are clear, his figures are nearly proportionate without losing their fluidity and stand-outishness. (Faces still vary between cartoony, exaggerated for emotional character and normal.)
The action is pretty unpredictable - I'm not sure if it's the camera angles, the jump cuts from nothing to maniacal blow-ups, or just the complete mayhem that Immomen is so good at. This makes reading the action scenes anything but rote - unlike grind-it-out battle scenes, Immomen doesn't waste panels repeating the same stuff over and over - just gives you a glimpse and a taste and then moves on.
But really, the big "pull back the camera" shots are some of the best, most colourful and arresting stuff I've ever seen. One flashback Jean has to something she just did is...amazing.
I know some folks complain that this book feels like filler, but I don't see it like that at all. We're getting a gorgeous view into the inner lives of the young X-men as well as many around them, and as a way to explore the human side of being a mutant, this is a stellar work.
June 28, 2017
The adventure continues with the five time-displaced original X-men being dickhead teens and deciding to stay in the present with their adult counterparts, despite the fact that it threatens to totally screw up space-time as we know it.
I really love this concept and it seems like the story is turning into an opportunity to re-explore Jean Grey's tragic character, how she reacts to what her future holds and what she can do to prevent it. The writers aren't exactly maintaining the excitement all the way though. It feels like they're running out of steam a bit. And what's up with the Avengers popping up to wag their fingers at the X-Men again? Weren't they in the previous book for the same exact reason? It's like Marvel requires a certain number of crossovers and guest stars and as a result the books seem annoyingly crowded.
I really love this concept and it seems like the story is turning into an opportunity to re-explore Jean Grey's tragic character, how she reacts to what her future holds and what she can do to prevent it. The writers aren't exactly maintaining the excitement all the way though. It feels like they're running out of steam a bit. And what's up with the Avengers popping up to wag their fingers at the X-Men again? Weren't they in the previous book for the same exact reason? It's like Marvel requires a certain number of crossovers and guest stars and as a result the books seem annoyingly crowded.
February 12, 2024
Feels kind of a throwaway Volume before the next one.
Laura and Warren feels weird and uncomfortable.
Bobby awkwardly tries to pick up a guy..
Beast and Scott interactions !?!?
At least the Goblin Queen interjects a little humour into the happenings
Laura and Warren feels weird and uncomfortable.
Bobby awkwardly tries to pick up a guy..
Beast and Scott interactions !?!?
At least the Goblin Queen interjects a little humour into the happenings
February 25, 2022
This was another fun read!
We have X-Men getting used to this new world and well first we have Scott meet Uncanny Avengers and his brother Havok and well the strangeness and drama there and from there they come to know what Raven has been doing in their name and well they go to confront her and well we finally see Raven's big plans and well its upto the team to stop her. Wolverine and the New X-Men fight Mystique, Sabretooh, Silver Samurai, Lady Mastermind and the Hydra guards present there and I love the whole fight especially between Logan and Creed and I love the way Bendis writes them, you know their old rivalry and he just writes in a fun manner!
And well when all is said and over, we have some new changes for the baby Scott and new stuff for Jean and Beast and a big thing with Angel plus Bobby gets some time of his own and he will have a profound change in future volume so yeah overall great stuff and I am loving how Bendis is challenging the team dynamics and showing a new side ofthe X-Men and yeah they do fight the bad guys and interact with the rest of the MU but its these character moments that I love and what has me hooked to continue reading further plus also the art by Immonen is God-tier omg its so good!
We have X-Men getting used to this new world and well first we have Scott meet Uncanny Avengers and his brother Havok and well the strangeness and drama there and from there they come to know what Raven has been doing in their name and well they go to confront her and well we finally see Raven's big plans and well its upto the team to stop her. Wolverine and the New X-Men fight Mystique, Sabretooh, Silver Samurai, Lady Mastermind and the Hydra guards present there and I love the whole fight especially between Logan and Creed and I love the way Bendis writes them, you know their old rivalry and he just writes in a fun manner!
And well when all is said and over, we have some new changes for the baby Scott and new stuff for Jean and Beast and a big thing with Angel plus Bobby gets some time of his own and he will have a profound change in future volume so yeah overall great stuff and I am loving how Bendis is challenging the team dynamics and showing a new side ofthe X-Men and yeah they do fight the bad guys and interact with the rest of the MU but its these character moments that I love and what has me hooked to continue reading further plus also the art by Immonen is God-tier omg its so good!
December 29, 2013
Since the first volume of All-New X-Men, Mystique has been robbing banks and whatnot, stockpiling the cash because she no longer believes in anything and just wants to be rich. In this entire volume all that happens is the X-Men stop her. That’s the whole book. A sub-plot that turns out to be completely irrelevant becomes the main storyline of an entire book. The subtitle to this volume should’ve been Out of Ideas.
If you’re unfamiliar with the series premise, the original X-Men have been brought to the present from the past and now refuse to go back thanks to the X-Men telling them what happens to them. This dumb premise was worn out by the second book at the most and in this third volume just feels repetitive and dull.
One of the original X-Men leaves to join the other side, but it’s hardly a shocking moment, plus I’ve read the Battle of the Atom mini-series and know what happens at the end of that bizarre storyline, so it’s even less memorable to me. The Uncanny Avengers also show up after the original X-Men were seen robbing one of Stark’s properties, though Wolverine calls it instantly that it’s a Mystique and Mastermind trick - which of course it is. Even Wolverine feels jaded at Bendis’ feeble attempts at story.
The only reason to have the Uncanny Avengers show up is so that Havok aka Alex Summers can meet his brother’s younger self and the two can have a moment. Awww… whatever. We’ve seen moments like this time after time since the original X-Men showed up and I’m getting bored with it, especially when Bendis has nothing else but to have characters meet these younger characters and remark on how innocent and different they are. It was cute at first but really, move on already!
Stuart Immonen’s art is definitely the best and only good part of the book. The guy makes every book he works on look absolutely amazing and even the generic mutant on mutant fight scenes look fresh and exciting in his hands.
Brian Michael Bendis is a writer who doesn’t really do story but instead likes to focus on character interactions - nearly all of his current books are the characters quipping at one another, and All-New X-Men is no different. No plot, just characters tossing off sarcastic one-liners. If that’s your thing, fine, this series definitely has its fans, but it’s not enough for me. After three books of mediocre mutant stories and a half-baked Event comic, I’m walking away from this title - so long, All-New X-Men, maybe in a few years you’ll get a storyline worth reading! At the rate Bendis is writing this out, it’ll take that long!
If you’re unfamiliar with the series premise, the original X-Men have been brought to the present from the past and now refuse to go back thanks to the X-Men telling them what happens to them. This dumb premise was worn out by the second book at the most and in this third volume just feels repetitive and dull.
One of the original X-Men leaves to join the other side, but it’s hardly a shocking moment, plus I’ve read the Battle of the Atom mini-series and know what happens at the end of that bizarre storyline, so it’s even less memorable to me. The Uncanny Avengers also show up after the original X-Men were seen robbing one of Stark’s properties, though Wolverine calls it instantly that it’s a Mystique and Mastermind trick - which of course it is. Even Wolverine feels jaded at Bendis’ feeble attempts at story.
The only reason to have the Uncanny Avengers show up is so that Havok aka Alex Summers can meet his brother’s younger self and the two can have a moment. Awww… whatever. We’ve seen moments like this time after time since the original X-Men showed up and I’m getting bored with it, especially when Bendis has nothing else but to have characters meet these younger characters and remark on how innocent and different they are. It was cute at first but really, move on already!
Stuart Immonen’s art is definitely the best and only good part of the book. The guy makes every book he works on look absolutely amazing and even the generic mutant on mutant fight scenes look fresh and exciting in his hands.
Brian Michael Bendis is a writer who doesn’t really do story but instead likes to focus on character interactions - nearly all of his current books are the characters quipping at one another, and All-New X-Men is no different. No plot, just characters tossing off sarcastic one-liners. If that’s your thing, fine, this series definitely has its fans, but it’s not enough for me. After three books of mediocre mutant stories and a half-baked Event comic, I’m walking away from this title - so long, All-New X-Men, maybe in a few years you’ll get a storyline worth reading! At the rate Bendis is writing this out, it’ll take that long!
August 30, 2016
So the young time traveling X-Men (Past X-Men I'm calling them) are still in the future, hanging out, honing their skills, and complicating their relationships. Future Cyclops continues to recruit mutants for his New Xavier School, including Past Angel who dissents much to everyone's dismay. Mystique, Sabretooth and Lady Mastermind are pulling off robberies disguised as the X-Men to make things more difficult. The Uncanny Avengers (that's a thing apparently) investigate these robberies and question all of the X-Men. So it begins.
Jean Grey is just fascinating here, and between her power and romance she steals the show. I read the Dark Phoenix arc from the 80s, so I know what happens to her, the power she attains, and the references Bendis makes. It's awesome to watch her learn telepathy/telekinesis and struggle for control. She's always been a semi-tragic figure for that reason, especially with her fate. (But who knows, that could easily change in continuity.) She's got some balls calling Scarlet Witch a murderer, who apparently suffered a similar Dark Phoenix scenario. But this is young Jean. She hasn't yet become Dark Phoenix. She can't possibly know the feeling of helpless omnipotence. Yet.
But you gotta love a well written series, book after book. This is just fun and I don't say that often. It's romantic, adventurous, comedic, suspenseful. There's enough going on to keep me interested and guessing, but not so much that I'm confused. Coming from a lukewarm fan of X-Men, you should check this out.
April 9, 2015
This week's theme for the Shallow Comic Readers is, well, pot luck!
Another fine set of stories starring the time displaced original X-Men. Although this book is primarily about finding Mystique and figuring out what she's up to, Bendis gives us a few interesting looks at Jean Grey and Scott Summers. Both are placed in situations where they must face up to the new reality of the time they're in, and it's not easy for either of them. Jean has to learn to live with her newly expanded powers, whereas Scott has to come to grips with his murder of Charles Xavier.
Beautiful art throughout, and the last story, where Scott and Bobby go out on the town, is illustrated in a nice cartoony style that fit the story pretty well.
3.5/5
Another fine set of stories starring the time displaced original X-Men. Although this book is primarily about finding Mystique and figuring out what she's up to, Bendis gives us a few interesting looks at Jean Grey and Scott Summers. Both are placed in situations where they must face up to the new reality of the time they're in, and it's not easy for either of them. Jean has to learn to live with her newly expanded powers, whereas Scott has to come to grips with his murder of Charles Xavier.
Beautiful art throughout, and the last story, where Scott and Bobby go out on the town, is illustrated in a nice cartoony style that fit the story pretty well.
3.5/5
September 11, 2017
As enjoyable as volume 2, this one had an increase in the humor. Also featuring a couple of Marvel Girl meltdowns, a Summers brothers' reunion, and of course the great Ms. Pryde ("Don't call me Professor Kitty!") with a nice little monologue about prejudice aboard the jet. Really good stuff.
May 13, 2019
Improving somewhat on volume two with more action, Out Of Their Depth still doesn't quite match the fun of the first few issues. Here there is far too much of the current team, and not enough exploring how the original X-Men are coping with the future. Cyclops, Magneto and their team seem to do an about face here, no longer acting like the megalomaniacs they were depicted as earlier. Overall, this does very little to advance the promising story, leaving me thinking this idea would have been better served as a limited series.
July 6, 2014
Where to start...there's so much to like here. Having read Vol. 4 right after this one though, I think this might be the peak of the series. That's not a knock on Vol. 4, but rather, a compliment to just how well Bendis has written each and every character here. The interactions, the personalities, the sheer humanity and humour, love, anger, they're all here on display, and they all feel authentic. I BELIEVE this. I believe in why these people are doing what they're doing, acting how they're acting, and saying what they're saying. That's no easy task these days in the comic world.
We left Vol. 2 on a cliffhanger, with one of the Original X-Men about to join up with modern Cyclops and his band of outlaws. This picks right up there, and there's a huge commotion about it. When you think about where the modern equivalents of the original 5 end up, you won't have a hard time figuring out which one says forget this, I'm flying off with this guy.
The part I love is that people have normal responses to this, including Teenaged Jean Grey having a hissy fit, which, when you're a powerful psychic, can be very bad. I like this new characterization of Jean as a teen girl who has too much power and cannot control it, and who has other issues to deal with at the same time. We also see a lot of signs that this Jean Grey isn't Prof. X's prized student; this one has a lot to learn, but thinks her powers are going to let her do what she wants. When Magneto makes more sense than you, odds are, something is wrong.
PS. Stuart Immonen has made Cyclops and Magneto look BADASS. Magneto looks like a cross between Boba Fett and a Cylon, while retaining his Magneto-ness (?) and Scott has the wardrobe that finally makes him look as dangerous as he actually can be (and is).
I also like the role Kitty has taken on as the mentor (Prof. K to her X-Men kids) it's a great thing to do with a character who wasn't having a ton to do other than run the school alongside Wolverine.
Then the side story that moves events forward (but isn't really that important, I will grant) has Mystique, Sabretooth and Mastermind (the daughter) stealing a buttload of money from Tony Stark, and posing as the Original X-Men. This leads to a run in with the Uncanny Avengers...
This provides some of the best stuff of the volume, with a young Scott Summers running into his much older brother Alex (Havok). Seeing as how the grown up Summers Bros. don't talk much, this is a chance to see Alex be happy with meeting the best version of his brother that there is. It's also fun to see Cap being pissed off and wanting to deal with problems, only to have Thor and Wanda tell him 'It's a brother thing, let it go.'
I feel like there's a good balance of the 4 originals here (with the one departed no longer involved). We get to see a new development of romances that hadn't happened before, and we get to see someone's sense of humour is still intact. (I especially loved where Iceman throws a snowball at Thor to see if it's the real one, and says "OOO Mr. Thor Sir, I am SOOO Sorry!" in deep fear that he's just hit the Norse God of Thunder with an snowball upside the head.)
Bendis ranges from humour to gravitas, to love, to anger, and they all feel right. I can accept a book with a minor action plot when it involves a lot of great character development, and the bits of action we do see are all impressive anyhow. I won't keep gushing, but I really enjoyed this book; I think it's 4.5 stars, but I pushed it up to 5 just because.
Vol. 4 is coming next, and having already read it, it is solid too, but not quite up to this level.
We left Vol. 2 on a cliffhanger, with one of the Original X-Men about to join up with modern Cyclops and his band of outlaws. This picks right up there, and there's a huge commotion about it. When you think about where the modern equivalents of the original 5 end up, you won't have a hard time figuring out which one says forget this, I'm flying off with this guy.
The part I love is that people have normal responses to this, including Teenaged Jean Grey having a hissy fit, which, when you're a powerful psychic, can be very bad. I like this new characterization of Jean as a teen girl who has too much power and cannot control it, and who has other issues to deal with at the same time. We also see a lot of signs that this Jean Grey isn't Prof. X's prized student; this one has a lot to learn, but thinks her powers are going to let her do what she wants. When Magneto makes more sense than you, odds are, something is wrong.
PS. Stuart Immonen has made Cyclops and Magneto look BADASS. Magneto looks like a cross between Boba Fett and a Cylon, while retaining his Magneto-ness (?) and Scott has the wardrobe that finally makes him look as dangerous as he actually can be (and is).
I also like the role Kitty has taken on as the mentor (Prof. K to her X-Men kids) it's a great thing to do with a character who wasn't having a ton to do other than run the school alongside Wolverine.
Then the side story that moves events forward (but isn't really that important, I will grant) has Mystique, Sabretooth and Mastermind (the daughter) stealing a buttload of money from Tony Stark, and posing as the Original X-Men. This leads to a run in with the Uncanny Avengers...
This provides some of the best stuff of the volume, with a young Scott Summers running into his much older brother Alex (Havok). Seeing as how the grown up Summers Bros. don't talk much, this is a chance to see Alex be happy with meeting the best version of his brother that there is. It's also fun to see Cap being pissed off and wanting to deal with problems, only to have Thor and Wanda tell him 'It's a brother thing, let it go.'
I feel like there's a good balance of the 4 originals here (with the one departed no longer involved). We get to see a new development of romances that hadn't happened before, and we get to see someone's sense of humour is still intact. (I especially loved where Iceman throws a snowball at Thor to see if it's the real one, and says "OOO Mr. Thor Sir, I am SOOO Sorry!" in deep fear that he's just hit the Norse God of Thunder with an snowball upside the head.)
Bendis ranges from humour to gravitas, to love, to anger, and they all feel right. I can accept a book with a minor action plot when it involves a lot of great character development, and the bits of action we do see are all impressive anyhow. I won't keep gushing, but I really enjoyed this book; I think it's 4.5 stars, but I pushed it up to 5 just because.
Vol. 4 is coming next, and having already read it, it is solid too, but not quite up to this level.
December 19, 2016
Another solid volume. I enjoyed moments ALOT in here, some not so much.
So spoilers, the Avengers once again try to arrest our mutant friends. This time Jean goes all "Phoenix" like and reads Scarlet's mind. Finds out what she did to all the mutants. And goes motherfucking ballistic. I enjoyed this up until the part people are saying "Well she wasn't in her right mind, you don't understand" yet you people hate Scott for the same fucking reason? How in the world does that make sense?
Also angel is a little whiny bitch and I hate his character.
On the flipside I really enjoyed all the interactions with the characters and especially the last issue where a certain red head tells a blue buddy to speak up and love her. BAM! Some furry action!
Anyway fun stuff, nothing amazing, but solid. Hope it keeps up.
So spoilers, the Avengers once again try to arrest our mutant friends. This time Jean goes all "Phoenix" like and reads Scarlet's mind. Finds out what she did to all the mutants. And goes motherfucking ballistic. I enjoyed this up until the part people are saying "Well she wasn't in her right mind, you don't understand" yet you people hate Scott for the same fucking reason? How in the world does that make sense?
Also angel is a little whiny bitch and I hate his character.
On the flipside I really enjoyed all the interactions with the characters and especially the last issue where a certain red head tells a blue buddy to speak up and love her. BAM! Some furry action!
Anyway fun stuff, nothing amazing, but solid. Hope it keeps up.
August 3, 2015
A good volume in the series. Nice House of M call back.
January 19, 2020
***second read***
People actually dislike this series. I hate to be aggressive, but you’re straight up wrong. It’s great. I’ve read thousands of issues of X-Men, spanning from the 60s to the present day, and I’m telling you; this is good shit! It’s unique, fun, exciting, thought provoking, and loaded with drama. It’s what X-Men is all about.
Bendis continues to be awesome. His writing voice is always so strong, and he knows how to reach just the right levels of humor. His plot beats hit hard. His characterizations, while novel and disruptive, still seem like natural progressions of these old characters.
I’ll never get sick of this title, and this collection is fine entry.
I recommend this for EVERYONE.
*****first read*****
Loads of fun. Is it a little silly? Sure. Do I have to suspend my disbelief more than usual? I’m trying...
But there’s a charming quality here. Bendis is really giving these characters a likable, playful dimension, and I really dig it. I like the silliness on display from Iceman, and I like the dynamic between the others and wolverine.
Hell, I even like the random romance at the end.
This is a fun x men run. I’m still digging it. Can’t wait to see where it goes.
People actually dislike this series. I hate to be aggressive, but you’re straight up wrong. It’s great. I’ve read thousands of issues of X-Men, spanning from the 60s to the present day, and I’m telling you; this is good shit! It’s unique, fun, exciting, thought provoking, and loaded with drama. It’s what X-Men is all about.
Bendis continues to be awesome. His writing voice is always so strong, and he knows how to reach just the right levels of humor. His plot beats hit hard. His characterizations, while novel and disruptive, still seem like natural progressions of these old characters.
I’ll never get sick of this title, and this collection is fine entry.
I recommend this for EVERYONE.
*****first read*****
Loads of fun. Is it a little silly? Sure. Do I have to suspend my disbelief more than usual? I’m trying...
But there’s a charming quality here. Bendis is really giving these characters a likable, playful dimension, and I really dig it. I like the silliness on display from Iceman, and I like the dynamic between the others and wolverine.
Hell, I even like the random romance at the end.
This is a fun x men run. I’m still digging it. Can’t wait to see where it goes.
June 6, 2015
I'm all about my babies coming from the past to save the day, but...why hasn't it happened yet? There's supposed to be some alteration to the future, right? And as much as it saddens me, I kind of also want them to go back when the time is right, because I don't want them to make this big circle where everybody is always present. I don't see the point.
By the way, what is it with #15? Was that considered a filler or something? It had different illustrations than the others as well.
By the way, what is it with #15? Was that considered a filler or something? It had different illustrations than the others as well.
September 20, 2017
Jean Grey turns all heartless and cool by mind-controlling Angel, but then chickens out. Mistique is continuing her bank robbery spree and letting the X-Men take the fall. Wolverine's X-Men find them and attack. This is a confusing fight, given all the mind projections, and is over-extended given the large cast. The volume closes with a big, steaming pile of teenage angst. Annoying AF.
October 21, 2018
3.25 stars | Nothing much really happened in this volume. I'm not a fan of the artwork in this series so far. The young x-men look as old (if not older) as the adults and it's confusing. The last issue had a different artist and I like the drawing style a bit better.
I also felt uncomfortable when Beast had the 'omg Jean is so beautiful, I love her' thought when he was sitting with YOUNG/TEENAGER Jean Grey and he's like 50.
I also felt uncomfortable when Beast had the 'omg Jean is so beautiful, I love her' thought when he was sitting with YOUNG/TEENAGER Jean Grey and he's like 50.
October 10, 2021
This is a Jean heavy volume, and I think this is the best written Jean Grey I've ever read. Most writers tend to Mary Sue her or make her into Faint City Jean. There is both of that here, but she's also a teen who makes bad decisions and someone who needs adult Kitty to keep her temper in check.
One thing with this Bendis run, is that it reads so fast, that some like myself miss out on how great Immonen's art is
One thing with this Bendis run, is that it reads so fast, that some like myself miss out on how great Immonen's art is
February 13, 2022
Maybe 2.5 stars?
So the one to lose their shit is the teen girl? The one with all the powers. All the guys stay cool. Not sexist at all. Oh, don't tell Magik someone stole one of her old costumes.
So now Captain America just shows up randomly and preaches at people about being good and stop doing that thing. He is in such a hurry to tell his tale he has the Avengers just crash the Blackbird. Then people act surprised when people freak. Oh and Cyclops is evil for killing Professor X under the control of the Phoenix but the Scarlet Witch who killed or de-powered millions gets a pass because she was unwell?
This comic is downright crashing in quality. Not to mention what the heck with the art in the last issue of this volume?
So the one to lose their shit is the teen girl? The one with all the powers. All the guys stay cool. Not sexist at all. Oh, don't tell Magik someone stole one of her old costumes.
So now Captain America just shows up randomly and preaches at people about being good and stop doing that thing. He is in such a hurry to tell his tale he has the Avengers just crash the Blackbird. Then people act surprised when people freak. Oh and Cyclops is evil for killing Professor X under the control of the Phoenix but the Scarlet Witch who killed or de-powered millions gets a pass because she was unwell?
This comic is downright crashing in quality. Not to mention what the heck with the art in the last issue of this volume?
August 2, 2020
Tercer arco argumental de los Nuevos X-Men de Bendis, y aquí la cosa empieza a ponerse más que interesante. En Fuera de su Sitio, continúa la evolución de los jóvenes X-Men que tienen que hacer frente a estar en un tiempo que no es el suyo e ir descubriendo todo lo que han hecho y todo lo que van a vivir con el paso del tiempo. Además, después del volumen anterior, tendrán a su primer desertor en la figura del Ángel, ya que el joven Worthington era el que menos decidido estaba a quedarse en todo momento, y decide aceptar la oferta de Cíclope de unirse a la Nueva Escuela Charles Xavier.
Así, el equipo se queda sin uno de los suyos, y mientras realizan su primera misión, acompañados de Lobezno y Kitty Pryde, mientras buscan a los ladrones que se hacen pasar por ellos, tienen un encontronazo con los Imposibles Vengadores, de modo que el Kaos adulto se encuentra con el joven Scott, en una escena bastante chula y que demuestra que Bendis se hace grande en esos pequeños momentos. A pesar de las advertencias del Capitán América para que la nueva Patrulla-X no se implique, Lobezno lleva al equipo en busca de Dientes de Sable, Mística y Lady Mente Maestra, que se encuentran implicados en una trama con Hydra para hacerse con el control de Madripur.
Pero sobre todo esto, vamos viendo cómo los peques-X se van alejando de sus personajes originales. La joven Jean Grey es mucho más poderosa que en el pasado, y aunque bastante torpe en sus habilidades telepáticas, demuestra tener también cierta mala baba. Conocedores de su futuro conjunto, parece como si el joven Scott y ella estuvieran decididos a no continuar ese camino, y Jean averigua que Hank está enamorado de ella... y decide corresponder a ese amor. El Ángel se marcha con los malos, y el único que continúa haciendo bromas absurdas todo el tiempo es Bobby, pero todo apunta a que la situación va a cambiar, y de hecho, Bendis tenía guardada en la manga la madre de todas las sorpresas para Bobby...
Así, el equipo se queda sin uno de los suyos, y mientras realizan su primera misión, acompañados de Lobezno y Kitty Pryde, mientras buscan a los ladrones que se hacen pasar por ellos, tienen un encontronazo con los Imposibles Vengadores, de modo que el Kaos adulto se encuentra con el joven Scott, en una escena bastante chula y que demuestra que Bendis se hace grande en esos pequeños momentos. A pesar de las advertencias del Capitán América para que la nueva Patrulla-X no se implique, Lobezno lleva al equipo en busca de Dientes de Sable, Mística y Lady Mente Maestra, que se encuentran implicados en una trama con Hydra para hacerse con el control de Madripur.
Pero sobre todo esto, vamos viendo cómo los peques-X se van alejando de sus personajes originales. La joven Jean Grey es mucho más poderosa que en el pasado, y aunque bastante torpe en sus habilidades telepáticas, demuestra tener también cierta mala baba. Conocedores de su futuro conjunto, parece como si el joven Scott y ella estuvieran decididos a no continuar ese camino, y Jean averigua que Hank está enamorado de ella... y decide corresponder a ese amor. El Ángel se marcha con los malos, y el único que continúa haciendo bromas absurdas todo el tiempo es Bobby, pero todo apunta a que la situación va a cambiar, y de hecho, Bendis tenía guardada en la manga la madre de todas las sorpresas para Bobby...
September 29, 2014
This series continues to be fun and interesting. When I first heard about the idea behind it, putting the original five X-Men into present day, I thought, "Oh, man, what a fucking gimmick! Marvel is really out of ideas!", but I was pretty wrong.
Bendis and co. are taking this pretty seriously, and that's what makes it fun. I've never really liked time travel stories because of all the questions they raise. This comic seems to be handling those questions in a really cool way though. The Original X-Men are just completely lost and confused. Everyone sees them for who they became, not who they are. Imagine if everyone just started treating you like you were the you from 20 years down the line. It would be super weird. It's great to that we are really seeing how time travel can fuck with a persons outcome. It just seems hard to believe that the Young Scott will grow up to become the Scott he is now. He is just going down a different path. Does this mean that in the future there will be two very different versions of Scott? I don't know, but it's cool to think about.
The art is this book is amazing! The drawing, the inking, the coloring, it all goes so well together. This is a team of artist that should stick together for as long as they can because there is some real magic on those pages.
The biggest downside to this book is how closely it ties in with Uncanny X-Men. You really need to be reading both titles for the full experience, but I just don't care about Uncanny as much as I do this title.
Bendis and co. are taking this pretty seriously, and that's what makes it fun. I've never really liked time travel stories because of all the questions they raise. This comic seems to be handling those questions in a really cool way though. The Original X-Men are just completely lost and confused. Everyone sees them for who they became, not who they are. Imagine if everyone just started treating you like you were the you from 20 years down the line. It would be super weird. It's great to that we are really seeing how time travel can fuck with a persons outcome. It just seems hard to believe that the Young Scott will grow up to become the Scott he is now. He is just going down a different path. Does this mean that in the future there will be two very different versions of Scott? I don't know, but it's cool to think about.
The art is this book is amazing! The drawing, the inking, the coloring, it all goes so well together. This is a team of artist that should stick together for as long as they can because there is some real magic on those pages.
The biggest downside to this book is how closely it ties in with Uncanny X-Men. You really need to be reading both titles for the full experience, but I just don't care about Uncanny as much as I do this title.
September 20, 2017
I have an intellectual crush on Brian Michael Bendis.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews