For readers who have had their love of X-Men rekindled by the Studio Mir animated "X-Men '97" this manga collection is a perfect companion. It faithfully retells six chapters worth of the original series, with dialogue almost completely the same (one difference being the translation to consistently call Beast "the Beast"). Comic book fans are used to artist changes in a series, but some manga fans may be surprised at the change of art from chapter to chapter, for example the switch from Reiji Hagiwara to Rei Nakahara is pretty drastic in terms of illustration. And the illustrations do give as much of a 90's vibe as the "X-Men '97" show, which could either be charming or a turn-off to readers who prefer more modern art styles. Yet the writing is consistent as it carries through the major beats of the X-Men versus Magneto and the sentinel attacks in Genosha.
For those who have never heard of X-Men, this doesn't take the time to introduce them through extensive backstories or exposition one might read in American comics. Here, the exposition is limited to what a character would naturally say, so Xavier does give a little backstory about Magneto when explaining the threat to his students, but the reader has to understand the relationships between the already established team through their interactions. Jubilee's introduction as the POV character helps with that at the beginning, but it's very much a story that throws you into an already established conflict and expects you to run with it.
Manga readers who ignore comic books might be tempted to browse it, and X-Men acolytes might be willing to learn to read from right to left for this adaptation. It has crossover appeal, but mainly because it is part of a recognized brand that has endured in pop culture. Mainly because it is a retelling of that brand. Also, the first volume ends on a cliffhanger, so don't expect this book to be a one and done deal.
I received a free digital copy from Netgalley for review.