X-Men '97: Great X-Pectations

X-Men '97 (2024) #1-4

by Steve Foxe

The official prelude to the hotly anticipated Disney+ animated series, based on the beloved show from the 90s!

The X-Men are back — and the ’90s have never looked better! In this official prelude to the upcoming X-MEN ’97, discover what Storm, Jubilee, Wolverine, and the rest of the beloved ’90s X-Men cast have been up to in the time before their return! Startling revelations here will lead directly into the hotly anticipated new series — don’t miss out!

COLLECTING: X-Men '97 (2024) 1-4

Genres: Comics, X Men, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Fantasy, Adventure, Action

112 pages, Paperback

Published November 26, 2024

Reviews

[Arda Uğur Demir · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this before X-Men '97 season 2

I wouldn't miss anything if i didn't read it. Felt like they made this comics for young readers, not for adults

As much as i love the show this shit was lowkey buns😭🙏🏻

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fill-in-the-gap miniseries that ties into the wildly popular X-Men '97 cartoon. Naturally, those who have watched the original material will get the most out of this, however, the essence of the X-Men is here, making this pretty accessible to anyone who is familiar with these characters. Visually, it hopes to emulate the TV show, and whilst it looks fine in motion, the panels feel somewhat empty when captured in still. It doesn't add much to the experience and is one I can only tentatively recommend to pre-existing X-Men fans.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice little X-Men story for younger readers. The artwork was evocative of the cartoon without being shackled to copying it completely. Pretty fluffy but fun.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written as a prequel to X-Men '97 Season 1. I enjoyed it, but it was definitely written for a younger audience. Just made me want the show back even more.
Recommend, but it's nothing super vital.

[Anna Quilter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liking going back to those simpler days..self contained stories and not too much brooding.
Morph continues to be annoying!

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was a fun read. The art style was so cute and the story was simple but sets the stage for the new season of the show so well. I should state that I watched the first season of the original show and just couldn’t continue. Without the nostalgia attached the show did nothing to me but serve as a clear product of the 90’s. But the new season was just absolutely fantastic and so I jumped to read this one. This is a great combination of the shows original 90’s lighthearted and bright style but told in a more modern writing style so that it’s not hard to read without cringing.

[Aduialdes Midnight · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So they are re-writing the origin of Cable in this series? WTF. Jean is the mother and not Madeline Pryor. Ok then

[Thedefarted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not super heavy. fun! The art is fantastic.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

ugh meine pookies 💗🙂‍↕️

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steve Foxe and Salva Espín channel their inner fanboys for the prequel tale X-Men ‘97: Great X-Pectations. Set just before the relaunch of the popular cartoon show, this volume sees the team adjusting to Xavier’s passing. As they try to navigate a more tolerant landscape, Mr. Sinister puts a new plan in play. The classic Mauraders members, Sabretooth, Hazard, and Sienna Blaze each take a turn at dropping the X-Men in their tracks. Yet the combined forces of good manage to win the day in the end. Foxe crafts a very kid-friendly storyline that focuses more on the classic vibe of the TV program than a sprawling epic. His dialogue captures the voice actors well, and he drops little notes and hints for fans of both versions of the animated series. Salva Espín matches the visual cues of the characters, right down to their evergreen styles. The pairing manage to drop hints about Jean’s pregnancy, Morph’s return, Storm’s new look, and even a backstory for X-Cutioner. X-Men ‘97: Great X-Pectations serves up a slice of nostalgia for comic and cartoon fans alike, looking for more tales of their favorite mutant heroes.

they are each trying to find their own path: Cyclops is taking on full leadership, Storm has a new haircut, Bishop is getting used to the 1990s timeline, and Jean is pregnant. As human

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seid Ihr ein Kind der 90er Jahre? Dann hat Panini was für alle Nostalgiker.
X-Men '97: Andere Zeiten dient als Überleitung zwischen der X-Men Zeichentrickserie aus den '90ern und der aktuellen Serie auf Disney+ und erzählt einige Dinge, die in der neuen Serie nicht näher erläutert werden.

In diesem Band mit vier Kapiteln stellt Mister Sinister ein neues Team, die Sinister Seven, zusammen, das es mit den X-Men aufnehmen soll, darunter Mitglieder wie Sabretooth, aber auch neue Übeltäter wie Hazard und Siena Blaze.
Wie es sich für einen Prolog gehört, werden in dieser Miniserie natürlich viele Elemente vorgestellt, die bereits zum Auftakt der ersten Serienfolge vorhanden sind (Storms neue Frisur, Jeans veränderter Gesundheitszustand usw.) und auch das Ende stimmt auf einige Handlungspunkte der Serie an.

Ein farbenfroher Startschuss zur Disney+ Serie, der an eine klassischere Herangehensweise an die X-Men erinnert und auch das Artwork bzw. Zeichenstil ähnelt der Zeichentrickserie, ohne ihn vollständig zu kopieren und man erkennt die Handschrift des Zeichners Espín, der für Deadpool-Fans kein Unbekannter ist.
Trotz allem eher was für jüngere Leser und Junggebliebene.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Foxe oi uma ótima adição para os quadrinhos que trazem histórias inéditas dentro do universo da animação dos anos 1990 dos X-Men. Os autores anteriores pareciam lidar com esse universo de uma forma mais infantil e com menos empenho de fã do que aquilo que Foxe foi capaz neste quadrinho. Claro, ele é vendido como uma prequel para o que acontece no desenho X-Men '97, mas na verdade ninguém precisa ler esse quadrinho para poder entender o desenho, ou mesmo precisa saber o que acontece antes. Neste encadernado das quatro edições com mais páginas da minissérie homônima temos o Senhor Sinistro criando uma nova equipe para enfrentar os X-Men, que inclui membros dos Carrascos como Dentes de Sabre, com a adição de Hazard e de Siena Blaze. Achei curioso estes dois inimigos dos quadrinhos serem adicionados porque eles nunca foram lá renomados, principalmente Hazard, que acredito que só apareceu em um anual dos X-Men e nunca mais. De toda a forma é um quadrinho bastante divertido e que consegue fazer uma bela homenagem a esse universo narrativo.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serving as a bridge between the end of the original X-Men Animated Series and the superb X-Men '97, Great X-Pectations fleshes out a few things from the beginning of that series that didn't get a lot of time, as well as explaining where some of the characters that rejoined have been (hi Morph!).

The actual conflict of the book doesn't really feel that important, though. There are some throwaway villains, a bit of Mister Sinister monologuing (though never enough), and the X-Men get to kick some butt, which is nice, but for only four issues, the pace manages to feel both really fast and missing something.

Todd Nauck's a good fit for the art though - he's one of those artists who hasn't changed his style in a very long time, because it just works whatever he sets his pencil to.

Alright, not exactly a cheap cash-in, but less substantial than I'd have hoped.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge Nauck fan, so I was excited to see his work gracing the cover of this collection. I had enjoyed the first season of new episodes earlier this year, so a prelude was always welcome.

Of course, as any prelude should do, this collection sets up a lot of elements that we see are in place at the start of the first episode (Storm's change in hairstyle, Jean's change in her health, etc.). This story makes sure to avoid stepping on any toes for the season as well (i.e. avoiding the use of most villains and so forth). It is a narrow playground in which it can play, and it follows the guidelines to a tee.

I did appreciate the inclusion of many of the variant covers in the collection as well. That is always a nice touch so that more of the reading public gets to see the wonderful artwork that the creators have done.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, though probably largely forgettable. It really suffices to give us a moment to see Jean first tell Scott she’s pregnant, and then to also set up the Marauders as working with Sinister instead of the Nasty Boys. I guess there’s also the thread of introducing Denti and setting up Val Cooper as the human liaison to the X-Men. Not a ton happens otherwise that feels of great consequence. Fun to get to see a Dazzler concert here, and get a little more time with Bishop, but otherwise this seems to tread similar ground to the ‘97 cartoon’s first season to such an extent that I’m not really sure this was all that necessary. Would have been fun to find out for Morph ended up back with everyone other than him just appearing in the middle of a fight, but 🤷‍♂️

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you a child of the 90s? If so, welcome back to one of the afternoon cartoon greats.

They rebooted the, now classic, X=Men cartoon and wrote this four issue prequel to the new series. It's got all the favorites from the old show. Morph is even back (and boy is it hard to depict a shapeshifter that changes identities so often). The only thing missing is that familiar theme song.

We've got a team that has 'seen some stuff'. They're more mature (as mature as you can get with a kids cartoon). They've aged a few years (Jubilee even has a drivers permit!). Definitely pick this up if you need to get in the proper brain space for the new season.

[Amory · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!
Okay I realize now that this is the entire premise of the comic, but I hadn’t realized this was a prequel to the X-Men ‘97 show and was so excited when I realized that’s when this took place.
This does feel like it’s geared towards a slightly younger audience than the show is, and some of the pages focusing on the characters learning about teamwork were boring, but I liked the overall storyline. I always have time for Wolverine being moody and I really liked seeing Ororo be the most practical, emotionally grounded character on the team while being a great friend to everyone.
I can’t really see myself re-reading this, but it was a fun fast read!

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of weak, honestly. It is definitely targeted at young audiences, even more so than the series. I picked it up through the library because I loved the revival so much and I eagerly anticipate the second season. Though I am admittedly suspicious of the show's ability to keep up the quality with the firing of the showrunner--whatever that was all about. It reaads like what was left on the cutting room floor. Perhaps that is because that is exactly what it is. For fans and completists only, or for a young kid you want to prime for the series.

Read via library e-book.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly a nice little tie in with the X-Men 97 series.

It's short (I believe it was a 4 comic run but I could be wrong), the art style is great and it serves as a great catch up for people who are either coming into the show as new watchers, or as a bit of a refresher and a bit of context for the season 1 of X-Men 97 for people like myself that loved the original cartoon as a kid.

Wish I'd read it before watching the show but yeah, sets it up lovely. Really enjoyed casually dipping my toe back into the world of the X-Men.

[Richard Pulfer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an fine read.

It features the same art style of the hit Disney+ show, and the characters all feel like their animated counterparts.

Taking months right after the conclusion of the original 90's show, it does bridge the gap nicely, leading up to the events of the animated reboot.

It doesn't hit the same heights as X-Men '97, but then again, that's likely an unfair expectation (or X-Pectation) to lay on it.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read for any fan who can't get enough of X-Men '97

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first issue was outstanding but unfortunately the quality declined with each issue after that. The last issue in particular felt like an anti-climactic way to end but I loved the artwork throughout the run. Read as individual comics, ratings below:
#1= 5 stars
#2= 3.5 stars
#3= 2.5 stars
#4= 2 stars
Overall ranking of 3 stars

[India-Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

super fun read to bridge between the original series and the newer x-men 97, didn't love the art style at times but overall rlly fun read!!! as a big daredevil fan who is greatly missing daredevil content it was cute to have a little matt joke in there, not to mention rogue and gambit genuinely being the cutest couple ever (adore them!!!!!!)

[spooky ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
age rating +11
this really gave the art feel of the 90s that I like it's so colorful and just amazing
but the story was lacking x-men 97 feel expect for some connections and the last page of issue 4

[Derrick O'Rourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable prelude

This is an enjoyable read and sets up a lot of the characters and storylines for season one of x men 97. It gets the tone right and the artwork is good for animated style.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artwork was beautiful, full of vibrant colors and well drawn scenes. The story was very thin and lacked much depth. Glad I read it, would definitely say it's "good" but not great.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, fun read that sets the stage for the new cartoon but isn't really essential reading to enjoy it.

[Javier Campos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un cómic que enlaza las series de animación de los 90 con la nueva temporada. Da un buen contexto

[akiiKOMORI reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope there's more but that's okay if there isn't.
Super cute prelude to the TV show.
They really got their lines right because I totally read it as the actors would say it.

[Anthony Lacroix]

C’est bien, mais pas malade. Un peu bébé même pour les amateurs de comics.