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New X-Men (2001) #5-7
New X-Men, Volume 3
The third deluxe hardcover in the New X-Men series collects the stories from New X-Men Vol. 5: Assault on Weapon Plus, New X-Men Vol. 6: Planet X and New X-Men Vol. 7: Here Comes Tomorrow. Wolverine and Cyclops join the mysterious Fantomex in an exploration of the Weapon Plus Program--the secret government project that created Wolverine! Meanwhile, Magneto unleashes an all-out attack on humanity that ends in a fiery final confrontation with the Phoenix. Once the dust has settled, we flash-forward 150 years to an Earth where humanity is decimated and the X-Men fight against the forces of genetic homogenization!
336 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2004
29 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,791 books4,574 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
January 30, 2019
“Kicks just keep getting’ harder to find
And all your kicks ain’t bringin’ you peace of mind”
Because I’m a relatively mean and shallow person, I’m always ready to jump on a writer’s pretentions or missteps and there’s no one with a bigger target on his back than Grant Morrison. He’s written some seriously misguided crap; peppering his work with allusions to Keats or Milton and quoting The Kinks or William S. Burroughs or Little Lulu that I’m usually just too stupid to get. Yet the man is capable of some extraordinary work – brilliant, funny with plenty of love and respect for the history of comics. With New X-Men, one of a handful of Marvel titles he wrote, Morrison, in his manifesto included in this book, wanted the X-books to return to the halcyon days of Byrne and Claremont, exciting times before the X-titles became inert and mind-numbing. For the most part he succeeded. Back in the day, I remember looking forward to picking up this title in single issues.
This is the culmination of the run that Morrison had planned out from the beginning with the only head scratcher being the final story line from the future.
Wolverine recruits a drunken Cyclops at the Hellfire Club.
Along with Fantomax (Vive le Fanotmax!), their mission is to infiltrate Weapon X.
Logan learns Weapon X history stuff.
After hiding behind his Xorn disguise, Magneto, hopped on Kick (the song lyrics at the beginning of the review finally make sense), a humdinger mutant-power enhancing crack, does the full reveal and finally punks the X-Men.
However, his (Xorn’s) special-ed class is confused.
But Magneto goes balls to the wall to create a new mutant paradise in Manhattan.
…until the inevitable showdown.
Future times are a mixed bag.
Yep, Wolverine dies for like the millionth time…
The art’s also a mixed bag. Frank Quietly helped set the tone with Morrison in the beginning of the run. In this volume, a different artist takes a turn for each story arc. That includes Chris “Just-what-the-hell-am-I-looking at” Bachalo.
Bottom line: Aside from a recommended cracker jack run on this title, we owe Morrison an X-debt for Fantomax, Quentin Quire, the Cuckoo Sisters and Emma Frost’s white ho outfit. Thanks, Grant!!
No worries for Wolverine, being pee-shy is not a secondary mutant ability.
And all your kicks ain’t bringin’ you peace of mind”
Because I’m a relatively mean and shallow person, I’m always ready to jump on a writer’s pretentions or missteps and there’s no one with a bigger target on his back than Grant Morrison. He’s written some seriously misguided crap; peppering his work with allusions to Keats or Milton and quoting The Kinks or William S. Burroughs or Little Lulu that I’m usually just too stupid to get. Yet the man is capable of some extraordinary work – brilliant, funny with plenty of love and respect for the history of comics. With New X-Men, one of a handful of Marvel titles he wrote, Morrison, in his manifesto included in this book, wanted the X-books to return to the halcyon days of Byrne and Claremont, exciting times before the X-titles became inert and mind-numbing. For the most part he succeeded. Back in the day, I remember looking forward to picking up this title in single issues.
This is the culmination of the run that Morrison had planned out from the beginning with the only head scratcher being the final story line from the future.
Wolverine recruits a drunken Cyclops at the Hellfire Club.
Along with Fantomax (Vive le Fanotmax!), their mission is to infiltrate Weapon X.
Logan learns Weapon X history stuff.
After hiding behind his Xorn disguise, Magneto, hopped on Kick (the song lyrics at the beginning of the review finally make sense), a humdinger mutant-power enhancing crack, does the full reveal and finally punks the X-Men.
However, his (Xorn’s) special-ed class is confused.
But Magneto goes balls to the wall to create a new mutant paradise in Manhattan.
…until the inevitable showdown.
Future times are a mixed bag.
Yep, Wolverine dies for like the millionth time…
The art’s also a mixed bag. Frank Quietly helped set the tone with Morrison in the beginning of the run. In this volume, a different artist takes a turn for each story arc. That includes Chris “Just-what-the-hell-am-I-looking at” Bachalo.
Bottom line: Aside from a recommended cracker jack run on this title, we owe Morrison an X-debt for Fantomax, Quentin Quire, the Cuckoo Sisters and Emma Frost’s white ho outfit. Thanks, Grant!!
No worries for Wolverine, being pee-shy is not a secondary mutant ability.
August 7, 2011
Assault on Weapon Plus: Wolverine, Cyclops, and Fantomex go looking for the Weapon Plus HQ so Wolverine can access their files and find out who he was before he became Weapon X.
Assault on Weapon Plus was an action-fest. The who shot Emma Frost subplot didn't really move forward at all, though. I liked that Marvel finally had the guts to reveal something about Wolverine's past after more than 30 years.
Planet X: Xorn leads a revolt inside Xavier's school and his true identity is revealed. Meanwhile, Wolverine and Jean Grey are on an asteroid that's headed into the sun, Beast and Emma Frost go down in a plane crash, and Cyclops and Fantomex have crashed a space shuttle into the ocean.
All the seeds Morrison planted earlier in his run have bore fruit. The Phoenix is unleashed, Cyclops steps up, and lots of mutants die. That's about all I can say without spoiling too much.
Here Comes Tomorrow: 150 years into the future, Tom Skylark and his Sentinel Rover have the Phoenix egg and the minions of The Beast will do anything to get it.
Here Comes Tomorrow is to Morrison's X-Men run what Batman #666 is to his Batman run. Instead of a glimpse of Damian as Batman, we get a dark future where The Beast is a maniacal super villain. It was okay but ultimately pointless. It was no Days of the Future Past.
Thus concludes Grant Morrison's run on the X-Men. It wasn't perfect but it was damn good. Too bad a pretty big plot twist was revealed on the cover.
Assault on Weapon Plus was an action-fest. The who shot Emma Frost subplot didn't really move forward at all, though. I liked that Marvel finally had the guts to reveal something about Wolverine's past after more than 30 years.
Planet X: Xorn leads a revolt inside Xavier's school and his true identity is revealed. Meanwhile, Wolverine and Jean Grey are on an asteroid that's headed into the sun, Beast and Emma Frost go down in a plane crash, and Cyclops and Fantomex have crashed a space shuttle into the ocean.
All the seeds Morrison planted earlier in his run have bore fruit. The Phoenix is unleashed, Cyclops steps up, and lots of mutants die. That's about all I can say without spoiling too much.
Here Comes Tomorrow: 150 years into the future, Tom Skylark and his Sentinel Rover have the Phoenix egg and the minions of The Beast will do anything to get it.
Here Comes Tomorrow is to Morrison's X-Men run what Batman #666 is to his Batman run. Instead of a glimpse of Damian as Batman, we get a dark future where The Beast is a maniacal super villain. It was okay but ultimately pointless. It was no Days of the Future Past.
Thus concludes Grant Morrison's run on the X-Men. It wasn't perfect but it was damn good. Too bad a pretty big plot twist was revealed on the cover.
March 6, 2020
Finished the run that is considered one of the best of all time for X-men and I'm inclined to agree now that it is finished.
The story starts with Summers not having a good day. So Logan goes to check up on him at a bar and ask him for a favor. This leads to going after X-15. Wolverine, Weapon 13, and Cyclops go together to track him down. On top of that Xorn makes his move, and we finally see his true intentions. Last but not least is a story of the possible future and what could be.
I loved the hell out of the Xorn storyline. It has everything you hope. Political message, great fights, epic scale, and wonderful character moments. I also enjoyed the heck out of weapon 15, he was scary, but also kind of sad. The last storyline was the weakest by far in the whole run and could have been better.
Overall though Grant's run ends strong and I have to agree, as a X-Men fan, it's one of the best. A 4 out of 5.
The story starts with Summers not having a good day. So Logan goes to check up on him at a bar and ask him for a favor. This leads to going after X-15. Wolverine, Weapon 13, and Cyclops go together to track him down. On top of that Xorn makes his move, and we finally see his true intentions. Last but not least is a story of the possible future and what could be.
I loved the hell out of the Xorn storyline. It has everything you hope. Political message, great fights, epic scale, and wonderful character moments. I also enjoyed the heck out of weapon 15, he was scary, but also kind of sad. The last storyline was the weakest by far in the whole run and could have been better.
Overall though Grant's run ends strong and I have to agree, as a X-Men fan, it's one of the best. A 4 out of 5.
January 4, 2021
SPOILERS
With this third Ultimate Collection volume, we witness the conclusion of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men with three story arcs that are not only resolution but starting a new beginning.
Following the last volume’s cliffhanger about the disappearance of Cyclops, this book opens with his current whereabouts at the Hellfire Club, boozing and no longer declaring himself an X-Man. #142 is an action-free issue that centralises on the conversation between Scott Summers and Wolverine, two men who have always butted heads over the decades of X-Men history and for Morrison to take a break from the main narrative and discuss their shaky relationship through a drinking game, is spot-on characterisation.
However, once Europe’s most wanted super-thief Fantomex makes a reprisal, it’s baggy business as usual as I’ve always thought his entire arc was the least interesting aspect of Morrison’s run. Although the story of amnesiac Wolverine’s journey to discovering his own past has always been a fascinating one, “Assault on Weapon Plus” never really reaches a major reveal for Logan but another obstacle to showcase the history of Weapon Plus, going all the way back to the origin of Captain America. Following his impressive Vertigo work such as Neil Gaiman’s Death, Chris Bachalo started his time here as an X-Men artist and given a lot of the arc is action-heavy, his art isn’t as slick and polish though serviceable.
As for those who purchased this volume will be very aware of the front cover as it gives away a major spoiler: Xorn – the Chinese mutant with a "star for a brain" – is the Master of Magnetism himself. As “Planet X” is about the return of Magneto and his rise to power whilst the X-Men are at their most vulnerable point, this is the darkest New X-Men has ever been with Magneto being a drug-crazed power-minded homo superior whose methods are as ruthless as the Nazis.
No doubt the grim nature will be unpleasant for some readers, but certainly the most touching moment is a quiet scene between Jean Grey and Wolverine who are left stranded in space. As much as a romance was never blossomed between the two as Wolverine previously stated that it could never work, they have always respected each other and how they share feelings (telepathically) in front on certain death, is truly heart-breaking and special praise to artist Phil Jimenez and inker Andy Lanning who nailed this emotional scene.
With the appearance of a Phoenix egg which segues into the final arc, “Here Comes Tomorrow” presents a dark future that culminates everything that Morrison established in his entire run. Much like what he did later on with his Batman run, Morrison presents a future for the X-Men that isn’t as definitive as say "Days of Future Past". No doubt the ideas here are so out-there that how it all adds up is ultimately nonsensical, especially how it alters a broken timeline. This final arc was in the hands of artist Marc Silvestri who has previously drawn X-Men as his Jim Lee-ish illustrations are a nice fit to the bleak future.
Ending on an emotional down-note, Grant Morrison concludes his revamp of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s mutant superheroes. Not without faults but as a writer who is known for outlandish ideas and establishes in a world that is colourfully vibrant as the X-Men’s, an overall thumbs-up.
With this third Ultimate Collection volume, we witness the conclusion of Grant Morrison’s New X-Men with three story arcs that are not only resolution but starting a new beginning.
Following the last volume’s cliffhanger about the disappearance of Cyclops, this book opens with his current whereabouts at the Hellfire Club, boozing and no longer declaring himself an X-Man. #142 is an action-free issue that centralises on the conversation between Scott Summers and Wolverine, two men who have always butted heads over the decades of X-Men history and for Morrison to take a break from the main narrative and discuss their shaky relationship through a drinking game, is spot-on characterisation.
However, once Europe’s most wanted super-thief Fantomex makes a reprisal, it’s baggy business as usual as I’ve always thought his entire arc was the least interesting aspect of Morrison’s run. Although the story of amnesiac Wolverine’s journey to discovering his own past has always been a fascinating one, “Assault on Weapon Plus” never really reaches a major reveal for Logan but another obstacle to showcase the history of Weapon Plus, going all the way back to the origin of Captain America. Following his impressive Vertigo work such as Neil Gaiman’s Death, Chris Bachalo started his time here as an X-Men artist and given a lot of the arc is action-heavy, his art isn’t as slick and polish though serviceable.
As for those who purchased this volume will be very aware of the front cover as it gives away a major spoiler: Xorn – the Chinese mutant with a "star for a brain" – is the Master of Magnetism himself. As “Planet X” is about the return of Magneto and his rise to power whilst the X-Men are at their most vulnerable point, this is the darkest New X-Men has ever been with Magneto being a drug-crazed power-minded homo superior whose methods are as ruthless as the Nazis.
No doubt the grim nature will be unpleasant for some readers, but certainly the most touching moment is a quiet scene between Jean Grey and Wolverine who are left stranded in space. As much as a romance was never blossomed between the two as Wolverine previously stated that it could never work, they have always respected each other and how they share feelings (telepathically) in front on certain death, is truly heart-breaking and special praise to artist Phil Jimenez and inker Andy Lanning who nailed this emotional scene.
With the appearance of a Phoenix egg which segues into the final arc, “Here Comes Tomorrow” presents a dark future that culminates everything that Morrison established in his entire run. Much like what he did later on with his Batman run, Morrison presents a future for the X-Men that isn’t as definitive as say "Days of Future Past". No doubt the ideas here are so out-there that how it all adds up is ultimately nonsensical, especially how it alters a broken timeline. This final arc was in the hands of artist Marc Silvestri who has previously drawn X-Men as his Jim Lee-ish illustrations are a nice fit to the bleak future.
Ending on an emotional down-note, Grant Morrison concludes his revamp of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s mutant superheroes. Not without faults but as a writer who is known for outlandish ideas and establishes in a world that is colourfully vibrant as the X-Men’s, an overall thumbs-up.
April 2, 2018
There were 3 separate story arcs in here. Some were a little confusing, some awesome, and others didnt really end, were building other stories for future comics. I didn't find this as interesting as the previous 2 books. A solid read though. Definitely would recommend this Morrison run though.
July 25, 2012
SPOILERS
So Grant Morrison ends his run on X-Men with this final third “Ultimate” volume and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I really liked the “Assault on Weapon Plus” storyline which has Wolverine (Weapon X), Scott/Cyclops, and Fantomex (Weapon XIII) attacking this strange shadowy organisation which has created the ultimate Weapon – XV - which could destroy all mutants in the world. It also has Wolverine finding out his true past, though this is more of an aside from Morrison as he doesn’t really go into this much – a shame.
Then we get the big reveal which is on the cover – turns out Xorn, the Chinese mutant with a sun in his head was in fact Magneto all along! Which is a bit disappointing as Xorn was turning out to be a pretty interesting character but then it explains why he’s not been included in any X-Men storylines following this book. Then of course Magneto tries to destroy humanity and make mutants the superior race on Earth (yet again) but this time when the X-Men are scattered and vulnerable he just sits around brooding, biding his time for no real reason to set his plan in motion. He’s frustratingly like all Bond villains, all bark and no bite. And he’s defeated with such a weak ploy it’s laughable and doesn’t seem worthy of the great Magneto.
The book ends with the futuristic yet confusing storyline set 150 years following Magneto’s death called “Here Comes Tomorrow”. Things get very topsy-turvy as all of the X-Men characters get flipped around and re-configured: Beast turns out to be this evil overlord-geneticist who harnesses the power of the Phoenix. Going against them is Cassandra Nova, Wolverine, and a couple new characters, one of them Fantomex’s EVA (who resembles The Authority’s Engineer almost exactly). It’s not a bad storyline but it’s an odd choice to end this massive run on this note as it has nothing to do with what happened before it.
While there are minor niggles with the series (the crappy characters of Beak and Angel, Magneto’s sudden and bizarre stupidity, the strange dystopian future ending), it is worth reading and this final volume is pretty fun for the most part. I thought Fantomex was an excellent character and enjoyed his storylines, the “E for Extinction” storyline was brilliant, and the beginning of Scott and Emma’s relationship has its roots in this series.
Probably the best part of the book though is the final 12 pages called “The Morrison Manifesto” which shows how Morrison plotted out his entire run, giving an overview of the X-Men, his ideas for the characters and storylines, and how he was going to bring the X-Men to a new 21st century audience. It’s a fascinating read especially as Morrison is very frank in his evaluation of some of the X-Men’s previous adventures and current (at the time circa 2000) appearances and storylines.
The third volume was slightly better than the second but still felt a bit weaker than I expected and didn’t really end as well as I’d hoped. Phil Jiminez and Chris Bachalo’s artwork is pretty good but it would’ve been better to have Frank Quitely end the series. But if you’ve read the first two books then it’s definitely worth finishing out the Grant Morrison X-Men Trilogy with this volume; it’s not amazing but pretty good in places.
So Grant Morrison ends his run on X-Men with this final third “Ultimate” volume and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I really liked the “Assault on Weapon Plus” storyline which has Wolverine (Weapon X), Scott/Cyclops, and Fantomex (Weapon XIII) attacking this strange shadowy organisation which has created the ultimate Weapon – XV - which could destroy all mutants in the world. It also has Wolverine finding out his true past, though this is more of an aside from Morrison as he doesn’t really go into this much – a shame.
Then we get the big reveal which is on the cover – turns out Xorn, the Chinese mutant with a sun in his head was in fact Magneto all along! Which is a bit disappointing as Xorn was turning out to be a pretty interesting character but then it explains why he’s not been included in any X-Men storylines following this book. Then of course Magneto tries to destroy humanity and make mutants the superior race on Earth (yet again) but this time when the X-Men are scattered and vulnerable he just sits around brooding, biding his time for no real reason to set his plan in motion. He’s frustratingly like all Bond villains, all bark and no bite. And he’s defeated with such a weak ploy it’s laughable and doesn’t seem worthy of the great Magneto.
The book ends with the futuristic yet confusing storyline set 150 years following Magneto’s death called “Here Comes Tomorrow”. Things get very topsy-turvy as all of the X-Men characters get flipped around and re-configured: Beast turns out to be this evil overlord-geneticist who harnesses the power of the Phoenix. Going against them is Cassandra Nova, Wolverine, and a couple new characters, one of them Fantomex’s EVA (who resembles The Authority’s Engineer almost exactly). It’s not a bad storyline but it’s an odd choice to end this massive run on this note as it has nothing to do with what happened before it.
While there are minor niggles with the series (the crappy characters of Beak and Angel, Magneto’s sudden and bizarre stupidity, the strange dystopian future ending), it is worth reading and this final volume is pretty fun for the most part. I thought Fantomex was an excellent character and enjoyed his storylines, the “E for Extinction” storyline was brilliant, and the beginning of Scott and Emma’s relationship has its roots in this series.
Probably the best part of the book though is the final 12 pages called “The Morrison Manifesto” which shows how Morrison plotted out his entire run, giving an overview of the X-Men, his ideas for the characters and storylines, and how he was going to bring the X-Men to a new 21st century audience. It’s a fascinating read especially as Morrison is very frank in his evaluation of some of the X-Men’s previous adventures and current (at the time circa 2000) appearances and storylines.
The third volume was slightly better than the second but still felt a bit weaker than I expected and didn’t really end as well as I’d hoped. Phil Jiminez and Chris Bachalo’s artwork is pretty good but it would’ve been better to have Frank Quitely end the series. But if you’ve read the first two books then it’s definitely worth finishing out the Grant Morrison X-Men Trilogy with this volume; it’s not amazing but pretty good in places.
August 31, 2011
4.5 stars
This was a mixed bag of crazy good and just plain crazy.
Even with all the problems I had with it, there was still an overwhelming amount of the Fun Factor present in this thing. In the end, I'd have to say that Morrison's New X-Men is definitely not to be missed!
This was a mixed bag of crazy good and just plain crazy.
Even with all the problems I had with it, there was still an overwhelming amount of the Fun Factor present in this thing. In the end, I'd have to say that Morrison's New X-Men is definitely not to be missed!
December 1, 2019
Assault on Weapon Plus (#142-145). A good continuation of the Fantomex/Weapon Plus story from New X-Men, Volume 3: New Worlds, and it's exciting to see both the plots against mutantkind and the idea of Logan finally learning his origins, but it's a bit slow at times and ends on an abrupt non-ending [4/5].
Planet X (#146-150). [spoilers] Could Xorn have possibly been Magneto? That's the question you have to ask yourself at the end of Morrison's run, even when you read through it all knowing that's the end game. It's a hard sell that you can just barely imagine when you consider how Xorn does (or doesn't) use his powers, but otherwise it seems ... unlikely. Really: you gotta squint to believe the twist.[/spoilers]
Nonetheless, this is a splendid end to Morrison's run. After the sudden by inevitable betrayal, we get the final Magneto story. Yes, perhaps he's lost the nuance of the Claremont years, but he's just seen his entire country of 16 million mutants killed. That is ... believable. And we also get a rather magnificent last Jean Grey and Wolverine story, as they're about to fall into the sun. And Morrison so nicely brings together the young rejects of Xavier's school into a new Brotherhood ... that doesn't end like you'd expect.
A really great` tying together of so many elements from Morrison's run, plus a sufficiently apocalyptic finale. (Too bad the idiots at Marvel ruined some of the major plot points before even a month had gone by.) [5/5].
Here Comes Tomorrow (#151-154). The first time I read this, I found it confusing and opaque. However, read with more care, it's a refreshing take on X-Men futures and a really a nice coda to Morrison's run that reveals some of its hidden plots. We get great explanations and great endings.
Perhaps more notably it's a great setup for what was a tremendous run of X-Men following on Morrison, all the way up to Secret Wars (when things got wonky). The way that Emma and Scott come together is particularly moving. [5/5]
Planet X (#146-150). [spoilers] Could Xorn have possibly been Magneto? That's the question you have to ask yourself at the end of Morrison's run, even when you read through it all knowing that's the end game. It's a hard sell that you can just barely imagine when you consider how Xorn does (or doesn't) use his powers, but otherwise it seems ... unlikely. Really: you gotta squint to believe the twist.[/spoilers]
Nonetheless, this is a splendid end to Morrison's run. After the sudden by inevitable betrayal, we get the final Magneto story. Yes, perhaps he's lost the nuance of the Claremont years, but he's just seen his entire country of 16 million mutants killed. That is ... believable. And we also get a rather magnificent last Jean Grey and Wolverine story, as they're about to fall into the sun. And Morrison so nicely brings together the young rejects of Xavier's school into a new Brotherhood ... that doesn't end like you'd expect.
A really great` tying together of so many elements from Morrison's run, plus a sufficiently apocalyptic finale. (Too bad the idiots at Marvel ruined some of the major plot points before even a month had gone by.) [5/5].
Here Comes Tomorrow (#151-154). The first time I read this, I found it confusing and opaque. However, read with more care, it's a refreshing take on X-Men futures and a really a nice coda to Morrison's run that reveals some of its hidden plots. We get great explanations and great endings.
Perhaps more notably it's a great setup for what was a tremendous run of X-Men following on Morrison, all the way up to Secret Wars (when things got wonky). The way that Emma and Scott come together is particularly moving. [5/5]
November 22, 2008
The end of Morrison's run disappointed me as badly as all the rest. His relentless barrage of Big Idea after Big Idea never did gel into a cohesive whole. Even reading them straight through I felt lucky to make heads or tales of half of what was happening. I can't imagine how it read in monthly installments.
There are some really good moments between Wolverine and Cyclops, reaffirming the mutual respect that must exist even through all the bickering. But that's about as deep as the characterization was allowed to get.
Magneto got a few cool moments to shine, but his overall story just left me uncomfortable. Seeing Marvel's most complex villain hopped up on mutant drugs and smacking teenagers around was bad, but having him herd humanity into concentration camps and turn on the gas chambers was just... wrong. He's not a monster. And having him resort to the inhuman tactics that scarred him as a child cheapens the character. Someone calls him on it in a throwaway line, but the Nazi parallels are dismissed too quickly and the whole scheme ends up another failed Evil Supervillain Plan, rather than the dramatic finale it was built up to be.
The closing story set in the future seemed to come from left field and didn't make a lick of sense. It lent the run no closure or payoff. Even the major deaths didn't feel substantial enough. Morrison is a mad genius and I sincerely love a lot of his work. But his X-Men fell flat for me, even if he can be credited with helping the entire franchise "grow up" and set it on its (mostly positive) current course.
There are some really good moments between Wolverine and Cyclops, reaffirming the mutual respect that must exist even through all the bickering. But that's about as deep as the characterization was allowed to get.
Magneto got a few cool moments to shine, but his overall story just left me uncomfortable. Seeing Marvel's most complex villain hopped up on mutant drugs and smacking teenagers around was bad, but having him herd humanity into concentration camps and turn on the gas chambers was just... wrong. He's not a monster. And having him resort to the inhuman tactics that scarred him as a child cheapens the character. Someone calls him on it in a throwaway line, but the Nazi parallels are dismissed too quickly and the whole scheme ends up another failed Evil Supervillain Plan, rather than the dramatic finale it was built up to be.
The closing story set in the future seemed to come from left field and didn't make a lick of sense. It lent the run no closure or payoff. Even the major deaths didn't feel substantial enough. Morrison is a mad genius and I sincerely love a lot of his work. But his X-Men fell flat for me, even if he can be credited with helping the entire franchise "grow up" and set it on its (mostly positive) current course.
July 31, 2022
Well... the wheels kinda fell off at the end. It felt like a marathon race where the runner falls over due to exhaustion just before the finish line. So close to being perfect.
I wasn’t really happy about the Xorn twist. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Magneto return, it felt rushed and the story has been done before, many times. Other than the twist it’s not all that original. And I don’t even think the twist makes a whole lot of sense either that’s what’s so disappointing about it.
And as for the future flash forward, that seems like a pointless 4 issues. Again, not that original and not that well done either. Pretty boring in fact. It would’ve been much better to read a 1 issue recap of what happens after the Magneto arc but instead we get 4 issues of convolution just to tell us that Jean Grey gives psychic permission to Scott and Emma to start dating 150 years in the future. Sure sounds like a grant Morrison story but with none of the interesting grandiose plot points going on.
It felt like he ran out of gas especially with the Here Comes Tomorrow story.
It’s still an amazing run up until the Xorn twist. And then it’s kinda debatable. Still worth reading.
One of the things that disappointed me on the whole run was the inconsistency of art. Sometimes you’d have Jimenez or Quietly and it’d be amazing, other times it looked like it was drawn by a child. I wish Jimenez and Quietly did all of it. But it didn’t affect the quality of story. Just a bit of a shame sometimes.
I wasn’t really happy about the Xorn twist. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Magneto return, it felt rushed and the story has been done before, many times. Other than the twist it’s not all that original. And I don’t even think the twist makes a whole lot of sense either that’s what’s so disappointing about it.
And as for the future flash forward, that seems like a pointless 4 issues. Again, not that original and not that well done either. Pretty boring in fact. It would’ve been much better to read a 1 issue recap of what happens after the Magneto arc but instead we get 4 issues of convolution just to tell us that Jean Grey gives psychic permission to Scott and Emma to start dating 150 years in the future. Sure sounds like a grant Morrison story but with none of the interesting grandiose plot points going on.
It felt like he ran out of gas especially with the Here Comes Tomorrow story.
It’s still an amazing run up until the Xorn twist. And then it’s kinda debatable. Still worth reading.
One of the things that disappointed me on the whole run was the inconsistency of art. Sometimes you’d have Jimenez or Quietly and it’d be amazing, other times it looked like it was drawn by a child. I wish Jimenez and Quietly did all of it. But it didn’t affect the quality of story. Just a bit of a shame sometimes.
October 25, 2022
More like 2.5 stars. The twists and turns herein were strands of spaghetti being thrown at a wall in a completely different room. The first two books built a massive and intricate story with many immersive moving parts, only for this one to tell us none of it mattered. I might have suspended my disbelief just a tad further into the story had Magneto not been reduced to a slapstick caricature (“NOT FRUIT! VEGETABLES!”), and the dialog amongst all other characters became so incoherent around 2/3rds of the way through that I just had to accept the panels at face value and move on without trying to comprehend. It just continued to devolve from there into a manic mess of ideas shoehorned into a stinky old shoe that I may have to admit I’ve sadly outgrown with this particular book. Such a disappointing ending to an otherwise fantastic run, it’s like Morrison realized he was painting a masterpiece, and for the proverbial cherry on top he blew his own brains out onto the canvas.
July 13, 2025
Damn this shit is so cool.
December 1, 2018
This was awesome, especially the last 1/3 (#151-154). Strong artwork, creative storyline, major and long-lasting events happened, what more can you want?
July 16, 2013
OK so this was a very solid conclusion to the Grant Morrison run on X-Men. Some of the stuff I didn't like about the first 2 volumes wasn't present as much in this collection, but some still was. This is a case of all the set up work done by Morrison finally coming to fruition. Xorn and his importance are revealed, the death of a few major characters happens, as well as some very good sections of Logan and Scott actually seemingly bonding in their own unusual way. Beast is still very prominently featured, which is nice. There's also a rise from the dead of someone who will literally turn the world upside down. One of the greatest parts of this is showing the world 150 yrs in the future in the aftermath of what happens, and it's all down to one fateful decision by one of the X-Men. The nice part is, that the future section is given a fair bit of time to be shown and developed and to see who makes it into the future and who's nowhere to be seen, who's kept it together and who's gone stark raving mad. It also features a future return of a character long thought dead, who might be able to influence the past even while in the future, and may even be able to save the future too.
The real stroke of genius is that after all this, Morrison returns to the exact same panels that were shown before the flash to the future, and this time the character makes a different decision, but we're left to wonder what caused the change, or who, and it just leaves the storyline with a perfect conclusion point that can go anywhere. Fantastic work by Morrison, essential for sure, as is most of his work.
*SPOILER* The revelation of Captain America as Weapon I is a mindfuck I just LOVED. Really makes me want to go through and figure out who the other 8 were before Wolverine...
The real stroke of genius is that after all this, Morrison returns to the exact same panels that were shown before the flash to the future, and this time the character makes a different decision, but we're left to wonder what caused the change, or who, and it just leaves the storyline with a perfect conclusion point that can go anywhere. Fantastic work by Morrison, essential for sure, as is most of his work.
*SPOILER* The revelation of Captain America as Weapon I is a mindfuck I just LOVED. Really makes me want to go through and figure out who the other 8 were before Wolverine...
March 13, 2012
I actually liked this collection. The middle story was little wimpy. But the first issue made all the rest of the silly stuff worth it. There sure have been some changes to the Hellfire club. I heard a bunch of bad stuff about this collection, but I have to say that it actually worked for me.
June 28, 2013
The first chapter of "Planet X" is one of my favorite single issues.
April 27, 2015
Parts of this was so good and other parts just werent... the dialogue felt off to me also especially from Magneto. 3.5stars
October 22, 2022
Absolutely mental.
In the last installment of Morrison's X-men we visit the ultimate Weapon testing ground (where there's even a nob to dial back the passing of time), go to space, go to the future, and then.. it was all a dream?
Even though the most happens in this volume I think I liked it the least. It felt a bit too rushed at the end and I had a hard time following what was going on. The Weapon stuff was also a let-down. We kept getting teased that Fantomex has something sinister about him.. but nothing really comes of it. Weapon XV also gets killed off screen because he was "distracted by being in space". It's a shame he died, he would have filled the space Xorn left. I'm also sad that Xorn is gone - what a great character.
There was still the sense though that someone was manipulating Magneto - and it was an evil bacteria! Ha, it's all super silly and fun and I really enjoyed it.
Really excited for my next marvel read!
==========
Why X-Men, why now?
I was really into X-Men during my teens.
It's such a classic story about acceptance and finding your place in the world that it feels catered to teens. Plus there's enough diversity in the cast's backgrounds and personalities to keep it interesting.
And look at the epic storylines back then: the dark Phoenix saga, Age of Apocalypse, House of M, Civil War - so much great stuff!
I grew tired of them at some point and moved on to other pastures (Runaways, then mostly Image) mostly because the big Marvel collections were huge, a long time coming, and they were so expensive! I didn't have a way to get single issues (this was pre-digital comics) so I ordered them from the USA.
But recently.. someone talked about how great the Hickman run is... And I wanted to get back in. Because let's face it: when Marvel is done well it's like being a kid again.
So with the help of comicbook herald I put together a little reading list. Books so far:
New X-Men, Volume 1 by Grant Morrison
New X-Men by Grant Morrison: Ultimate Collection, Book 2
In the last installment of Morrison's X-men we visit the ultimate Weapon testing ground (where there's even a nob to dial back the passing of time), go to space, go to the future, and then.. it was all a dream?
Even though the most happens in this volume I think I liked it the least. It felt a bit too rushed at the end and I had a hard time following what was going on. The Weapon stuff was also a let-down. We kept getting teased that Fantomex has something sinister about him.. but nothing really comes of it. Weapon XV also gets killed off screen because he was "distracted by being in space". It's a shame he died, he would have filled the space Xorn left. I'm also sad that Xorn is gone - what a great character.
There was still the sense though that someone was manipulating Magneto - and it was an evil bacteria! Ha, it's all super silly and fun and I really enjoyed it.
Really excited for my next marvel read!
==========
Why X-Men, why now?
I was really into X-Men during my teens.
It's such a classic story about acceptance and finding your place in the world that it feels catered to teens. Plus there's enough diversity in the cast's backgrounds and personalities to keep it interesting.
And look at the epic storylines back then: the dark Phoenix saga, Age of Apocalypse, House of M, Civil War - so much great stuff!
I grew tired of them at some point and moved on to other pastures (Runaways, then mostly Image) mostly because the big Marvel collections were huge, a long time coming, and they were so expensive! I didn't have a way to get single issues (this was pre-digital comics) so I ordered them from the USA.
But recently.. someone talked about how great the Hickman run is... And I wanted to get back in. Because let's face it: when Marvel is done well it's like being a kid again.
So with the help of comicbook herald I put together a little reading list. Books so far:
New X-Men, Volume 1 by Grant Morrison
New X-Men by Grant Morrison: Ultimate Collection, Book 2
April 2, 2023
Esta última etapa de Morrison en la serie es un descarrilamiento en toda regla; el arco de Arma X es ilegible por la nula capacidad narrativa de Bachalo (a lo mejor Morrison está contando una historia de la ostia pero es que no hay quien se la lea), el arco de Magneto se presenta como un comentario sobre la brecha generacional entre el Magneto ridículo de Lee/Kirby y las nuevas generaciones de millenials mutantes que da vergüenza ajena sobre todo por lo desacertado del tono de cachondeo, y el arco del futuro es Morrison meándose en todo lo contado anteriormente con unos insufribles textos explicativos ininteligibles y acabando de cualquier manera. Y luego dice el notas en su propuesta sobre la serie que hay que hacerla accesible para todo el mundo, al final Marvel acabó por retconear toda esta mierda y con razón.
Un lamentable final para una etapa que en conjunto no es más que un comentario más o menos ingenioso a la época de Claremont. Pero mientras Claremont se dirigía hacia adelante, Morrison no hace más que dar vueltas en círculo en torno a aquellas historias. La mayoría de ideas que sustentan New X-Men son las de la época dorada de Claremont a las que Morrison da su girito a veces peor, a veces mejor; Cassandra es un trasunto del lado oscuro de Xavier, la histeria antimutante es la de Dios ama, el hombre mata, los nuevos alumnos y Xorn son los Nuevos Mutantes, la Escuela siendo escuela y el Magneto profesor, revisitamos la problemática (y cansina) relación de Jean y Scott, la saga de la muerte de Fénix (con "abandono" de Cíclope incluido), terminando con Dias del futuro pasado. Entiendo que la idea era recuperar el espíritu de su mejor época para reinsuflar nueva vida al título, pero lo retro con chupas de cuero no deja de ser otra forma de nostalgia e inmovilismo. Asi que, a pesar de cuatro números iniciales bastante majos, la colección se va diluyendo poco a poco entre ideas ya vistas, tramas inconexas e irregulares y un terrible baile de dibujantes del que solo se salva Frank Quitely (y aún así firma un par de números que son de lo más flojo que le he leído) para, irónicamente acabar en la maldición de Marvel, la promesa del cambio para que al final todo siga igual.
Un lamentable final para una etapa que en conjunto no es más que un comentario más o menos ingenioso a la época de Claremont. Pero mientras Claremont se dirigía hacia adelante, Morrison no hace más que dar vueltas en círculo en torno a aquellas historias. La mayoría de ideas que sustentan New X-Men son las de la época dorada de Claremont a las que Morrison da su girito a veces peor, a veces mejor; Cassandra es un trasunto del lado oscuro de Xavier, la histeria antimutante es la de Dios ama, el hombre mata, los nuevos alumnos y Xorn son los Nuevos Mutantes, la Escuela siendo escuela y el Magneto profesor, revisitamos la problemática (y cansina) relación de Jean y Scott, la saga de la muerte de Fénix (con "abandono" de Cíclope incluido), terminando con Dias del futuro pasado. Entiendo que la idea era recuperar el espíritu de su mejor época para reinsuflar nueva vida al título, pero lo retro con chupas de cuero no deja de ser otra forma de nostalgia e inmovilismo. Asi que, a pesar de cuatro números iniciales bastante majos, la colección se va diluyendo poco a poco entre ideas ya vistas, tramas inconexas e irregulares y un terrible baile de dibujantes del que solo se salva Frank Quitely (y aún así firma un par de números que son de lo más flojo que le he leído) para, irónicamente acabar en la maldición de Marvel, la promesa del cambio para que al final todo siga igual.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2019
While this one sat on my shelf for a while, I never really felt the need to read it immediately, until a hold placed on the copy at my local library forced me to move this up in the queue. In my review for the previous volume, I noted that since I was familiar with Morrison's rhythms from reading Animal Man, JLA and especially Doom Patrol (who were just the DC X-Men anyway, right?) I knew that Morrison was building to something even if I didn't know what. Well lucky for anyone picking up this volume, that something is blown by the front cover of the collection. But I guess we can treat this like an Avengers: Endgame spoiler--does knowing that at one point Thor gets fat and drunk really stop you from wanting to see it? (I'm going to assume all of you know what I am talking about anyway. If you're reading New X-Men collections from almost twenty years ago.)
Of course, this collection and the appearance of the X-Men's greatest nemesis is exactly the sort of thing that made volume 2 so unsatisfying to me--Morrison had more invested in the end of his run than the middle of it seems, and the Magneto arc in particular pays off. However, that is not the last word for Morrison and he ends his run with a four issue coda that takes place 150 years in the future. This being Marvel, these sorts of future stories are fine, as Marvel was always more concerned with story rather than continuity, and hearkens back to the Claremont/Byrne story "Days of Future Past" (which would be the second to last thing those two would collaborate on in Uncanny X-Men) This of course leads me to discuss the hidden gem in this volume--Morrison's original pitch for New X-Men. In the pitch, he references the Claremont/Byrne era X-Men as being the high water mark of the team. Readers can agree or disagree whether Morrison was able to reach that bar (I say he missed, but not by much), but the fact that he went for it is impressive.
Of course, this collection and the appearance of the X-Men's greatest nemesis is exactly the sort of thing that made volume 2 so unsatisfying to me--Morrison had more invested in the end of his run than the middle of it seems, and the Magneto arc in particular pays off. However, that is not the last word for Morrison and he ends his run with a four issue coda that takes place 150 years in the future. This being Marvel, these sorts of future stories are fine, as Marvel was always more concerned with story rather than continuity, and hearkens back to the Claremont/Byrne story "Days of Future Past" (which would be the second to last thing those two would collaborate on in Uncanny X-Men) This of course leads me to discuss the hidden gem in this volume--Morrison's original pitch for New X-Men. In the pitch, he references the Claremont/Byrne era X-Men as being the high water mark of the team. Readers can agree or disagree whether Morrison was able to reach that bar (I say he missed, but not by much), but the fact that he went for it is impressive.
Read
October 12, 2020While I enjoyed Morrison’s X-Men run as a whole, I have mixed feeling about this final collection. First up is “Assault on Weapon Plus” which is an action- and dialogue-heavy romp where Fantomex, Wolverine, and Cyclops uncover information about the program. It’s a fun read - especially the first hilarious issue - but too busy at times. Wolverine is the star here for me, and his actions in this arc really speak to his rugged yet lonely character.
Then there’s “Planet X,” the big reveal of who Xorn is and final showdown. While it plays out well (and would be surprising if I didn’t already know the twist), I found myself laughing at parts in this when I’m not sure I was supposed to be. Some of the dialogue and situations are silly and I legitimately don’t know if Morrison is being ironic or not. Magneto doesn’t have the nuance I usually associate with him; his dialogue consists almost entirely of over-the-top villain monologuing, while the back-and forth between him and his students is - I’ll say it again - silly. Maybe Morrison is channeling Silver and Bronze Age storytelling, which he often does, but I was a little taken aback reading this. Am I alone here? Was I supposed to be laughing? I still don’t know.
His run finishes with “Here Comes Tomorrow.” This is an alternate future story that, at its core, is about Scott coming to terms with Jean's death. It’s obtuse at first, but also fascinating, and I found myself totally invested in what was happening. Morrison pulls off some nice storytelling here with a touching ending to boot.
And there you have it. I’m not a big X-Men reader, but I quite enjoyed this run. I knew enough about the X-Men not to be lost, and I think Morrison’s bold storytelling paid off more often than not. It’s a fun, rewarding read overall.
(Be sure to read the “Morrison Manifesto” at the end of this volume. He gives a VERY frank assessment of the X-Men franchise and outlines his approach to writing. A great look into the process and where the property was at the turn of the century.)
Then there’s “Planet X,” the big reveal of who Xorn is and final showdown. While it plays out well (and would be surprising if I didn’t already know the twist), I found myself laughing at parts in this when I’m not sure I was supposed to be. Some of the dialogue and situations are silly and I legitimately don’t know if Morrison is being ironic or not. Magneto doesn’t have the nuance I usually associate with him; his dialogue consists almost entirely of over-the-top villain monologuing, while the back-and forth between him and his students is - I’ll say it again - silly. Maybe Morrison is channeling Silver and Bronze Age storytelling, which he often does, but I was a little taken aback reading this. Am I alone here? Was I supposed to be laughing? I still don’t know.
His run finishes with “Here Comes Tomorrow.” This is an alternate future story that, at its core, is about Scott coming to terms with Jean's death. It’s obtuse at first, but also fascinating, and I found myself totally invested in what was happening. Morrison pulls off some nice storytelling here with a touching ending to boot.
And there you have it. I’m not a big X-Men reader, but I quite enjoyed this run. I knew enough about the X-Men not to be lost, and I think Morrison’s bold storytelling paid off more often than not. It’s a fun, rewarding read overall.
(Be sure to read the “Morrison Manifesto” at the end of this volume. He gives a VERY frank assessment of the X-Men franchise and outlines his approach to writing. A great look into the process and where the property was at the turn of the century.)
September 16, 2018
If the final volume of Morrison's X-Men run had a theme song it would be Dog's Eye View's "Everything Falls Apart".
There's a two issue overlap between this and New X-men: Assault on Weapon Plus Vol. 5: New X-men #139-145. That's the highlight of this collection, and it's not very good.
The problem with this part of the run is editorial mismanagement.
Morrison had a fun, inventive run going on, and editorial told him that before his story was over, he had to put the book back where it was when he started, making it a more traditional X-story.
"More traditional?" Morrison said, in an angry Scottish accent, like he's Proteus, which he actually might be. "Fine, the villain turns out to be Magneto, Jean Grey dies, and then we're in the future for no bloody reason."
From an artistic point, it's a beautiful giant middle finger to Marvel's insistence on telling the same boring stories over and over and rarely allowing any of their characters to grow.
But as someone who was enjoying what Morrison was building to, it's a huge disappointment. I liked Xorn. I liked the younger generation of mutants Morrison introduced. While I did enjoy the change in direction that Jean's death allowed for in Cyclops, I don't think killing Jean Grey yet again was interesting. And the story in the future was as boring as most of the "I've run out of ideas, let's peek outside of continuity" Marvel storylines.
The only reason this book gets even two stars is that the art is excellent.
There's a two issue overlap between this and New X-men: Assault on Weapon Plus Vol. 5: New X-men #139-145. That's the highlight of this collection, and it's not very good.
The problem with this part of the run is editorial mismanagement.
Morrison had a fun, inventive run going on, and editorial told him that before his story was over, he had to put the book back where it was when he started, making it a more traditional X-story.
"More traditional?" Morrison said, in an angry Scottish accent, like he's Proteus, which he actually might be. "Fine, the villain turns out to be Magneto, Jean Grey dies, and then we're in the future for no bloody reason."
From an artistic point, it's a beautiful giant middle finger to Marvel's insistence on telling the same boring stories over and over and rarely allowing any of their characters to grow.
But as someone who was enjoying what Morrison was building to, it's a huge disappointment. I liked Xorn. I liked the younger generation of mutants Morrison introduced. While I did enjoy the change in direction that Jean's death allowed for in Cyclops, I don't think killing Jean Grey yet again was interesting. And the story in the future was as boring as most of the "I've run out of ideas, let's peek outside of continuity" Marvel storylines.
The only reason this book gets even two stars is that the art is excellent.
June 9, 2025
First, a review of this volume. On the whole, i like this volume the least. While it provides great character development for the students and the weapon-plus stuff is cool, it has so many tiny events that it feels overwhelming and under explained. We are thrust into a New Genosha that has no inspiration or impetus. Villians who are retconed to have been there the whole time and flimsy motivations. Then we get to see what it would be like if Morrison wrote Age of Apocalypse, and it wouldn't be good. Not to mention Magneto, who is on the cover so it doesn't feel like a spoiler, sustains, whike he is in the story, what appear to be death blows only to stand back up and keep fighting, until another death blow comes. The art gets better and then worse again then good again. I also can not decide if Silvestri can draw faces or not - 2.0 it goes of the rails at the end, all over the place
Morrison's run on the whole: While I feel like there is a lot here, it suffers from a lack of attention to detail and substantive character work. So we are stuck, very often, reading about characters whom we dislike, doing things we don't understand, in situations that are not explained. These are the bones of a story. However, knowing what I know about the future of the X-Men, I understand some writers have made soup with what Morrison left here - 2.8 Is it good, not really, though I can imagine it being loved by some. It is the origin of some much good X-Men content it is hard to overlook, and it felt like required reading as a fan of the team. If you are thinking of reading it, I would suggest skipping it and just reading the synopsis. It will be better that way
Morrison's run on the whole: While I feel like there is a lot here, it suffers from a lack of attention to detail and substantive character work. So we are stuck, very often, reading about characters whom we dislike, doing things we don't understand, in situations that are not explained. These are the bones of a story. However, knowing what I know about the future of the X-Men, I understand some writers have made soup with what Morrison left here - 2.8 Is it good, not really, though I can imagine it being loved by some. It is the origin of some much good X-Men content it is hard to overlook, and it felt like required reading as a fan of the team. If you are thinking of reading it, I would suggest skipping it and just reading the synopsis. It will be better that way
December 31, 2025
3.75. New X Men run - done!
This book was an entertaining, if not confusing & kinda depressing, rollercoaster. Unlike the previous books, I enjoyed each arc (Assault on Weapon X, Planet X, and Here Comes Tomorrow). They are arguably the strongest of the entire series, but still flawed.
I read that Morrison doesn’t care too much for continuity or plot; so in much of the New X Men, shit just happens without explanation and gets quickly resolved (or forgotten about). I mean…. the Xorn reveal came out of nowhere. I wish Morrison gave room for the story and characters to breathe because I was confused a lot of the time. The arcs are connected haphazardly in ways that made it hard to suspend my disbelief. But there is good action, good artwork, good stories overall once you submit to the haphazard and fast-paced nature that Morrison seems to intend.
I didn’t care that the last arc didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I found it refreshing and makes sense as a conclusion to a series where you just have to strap in and go along for the ride.
This book was an entertaining, if not confusing & kinda depressing, rollercoaster. Unlike the previous books, I enjoyed each arc (Assault on Weapon X, Planet X, and Here Comes Tomorrow). They are arguably the strongest of the entire series, but still flawed.
I read that Morrison doesn’t care too much for continuity or plot; so in much of the New X Men, shit just happens without explanation and gets quickly resolved (or forgotten about). I mean…. the Xorn reveal came out of nowhere. I wish Morrison gave room for the story and characters to breathe because I was confused a lot of the time. The arcs are connected haphazardly in ways that made it hard to suspend my disbelief. But there is good action, good artwork, good stories overall once you submit to the haphazard and fast-paced nature that Morrison seems to intend.
I didn’t care that the last arc didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I found it refreshing and makes sense as a conclusion to a series where you just have to strap in and go along for the ride.
Read
May 28, 2022A special shout out to issue 142 where Morrison’s character focused and sexually pathological script is accompanied by some of the most evocative inking I’ve seen in a monthly comic courtesy of Tim Townsend, really helped to elevate Bachaloa’s angular, cartoony work and the coloring by Chris Chuckry is just perfect, deep reds oranges with a minor burst of white. An all cylinders firing type hit. This leads into a fun bit of cosmic journeying but, alas, Morrison must hand over the reins of the machine and so begins an admirably nutso but relatively boring end arc, disparate elements are thrown into a goop and the status quo essentially returns. Perhaps most disappointing of all is the art which closes out the final four issues I thought just kinda sucked… Overall a very fun run brimming with imagination, though it never quite reached the peaks of its out of the gate ideas - but there were so many wonderful moments in between. Even a murder mystery!
May 20, 2024
This Morrison run is nearly perfect. Except for a few things which reveal their selves in this 3rd book of the collection.
1. The Magneto reveal works well enough but it goes without explanation for some of the things Xorn was capable of. Also, how did Magneto avoid death? When did he come up with this plan? These questions may make me sound like a bit of a pedant but I think it sort of lets the air out of the Cassandra Nova plot. Wouldn't Magneto have resisted that once he caught wind? Ultimately, I think it's a bit of a pace and plotting issue but it almost feels like Magneto let the Genoshan genocide happen. I know that isn't the intention. But I can see how someone would read it that way and I think that hurts the run.
2. I was never really a fan of Fantomex, and that comes to a head in this book. That's a meh for me.
3. The very last storyline with the time jump? That just isn't my thing. I have similar problems with Hickman's sci-fi woo-woo plotting in the latest X-Men run. Yeah I know that time shenanigans have always been a part of this series but sometimes that just doesn't need to be revisited.
Other than that, this is probably the greatest collection of X-Men stories in this century, if not of all time. As far as mainstream comic collections go, particularly for Marvel, these are very minimal issues. The bottom line is I enjoyed reading it, I loved the characterizations and art. and I loved the new direction that Morrison and company took ( I saw new but it was 20+ years ago now). Good stuff, essential X-Men reading.
1. The Magneto reveal works well enough but it goes without explanation for some of the things Xorn was capable of. Also, how did Magneto avoid death? When did he come up with this plan? These questions may make me sound like a bit of a pedant but I think it sort of lets the air out of the Cassandra Nova plot. Wouldn't Magneto have resisted that once he caught wind? Ultimately, I think it's a bit of a pace and plotting issue but it almost feels like Magneto let the Genoshan genocide happen. I know that isn't the intention. But I can see how someone would read it that way and I think that hurts the run.
2. I was never really a fan of Fantomex, and that comes to a head in this book. That's a meh for me.
3. The very last storyline with the time jump? That just isn't my thing. I have similar problems with Hickman's sci-fi woo-woo plotting in the latest X-Men run. Yeah I know that time shenanigans have always been a part of this series but sometimes that just doesn't need to be revisited.
Other than that, this is probably the greatest collection of X-Men stories in this century, if not of all time. As far as mainstream comic collections go, particularly for Marvel, these are very minimal issues. The bottom line is I enjoyed reading it, I loved the characterizations and art. and I loved the new direction that Morrison and company took ( I saw new but it was 20+ years ago now). Good stuff, essential X-Men reading.
February 9, 2025
An unusual thing in my x-men reading experience, this book begins with a twist I really didn’t see coming and honestly not in the best way. The Magneto reveal kinda felt like a bolt from no where and while everything was tied up in the end during the experience of reading it felt like there was a lot happening that meant nothing to the reader.
After reading up to this point I can understand why people consider Morrison’s run so transformative. Given what goes before it, it’s cohesion and themes mean that the x-men has a clear voice for the first time in years it just wasn’t really one that resonated with me.
In the final act of this story I find myself wishing this had been set up as some kind of age apocalypse event so that the future could have been fleshed out over more comics but as it is, I think the final arc was my favourite.
After reading up to this point I can understand why people consider Morrison’s run so transformative. Given what goes before it, it’s cohesion and themes mean that the x-men has a clear voice for the first time in years it just wasn’t really one that resonated with me.
In the final act of this story I find myself wishing this had been set up as some kind of age apocalypse event so that the future could have been fleshed out over more comics but as it is, I think the final arc was my favourite.
December 6, 2025
Grant Morrison’s New X-Men is a bold, strange, ambitious, and unforgettable reinvention of the X-Men mythos. Across all three books, this run completely reshapes how mutants are seen, not just as superheroes, but as a shifting culture, a future species, and a social revolution in motion. Book 3 was the weirdest, most abstract, and most philosophical of the three.
Overall, New X-Men is not a simple or easy run, it’s challenging, strange, political, emotional, and deeply creative. It pushed the X-Men forward in ways that still shape the franchise today, and I can clearly see its influence on modern adaptations like X-Men ‘97. Even if Book 3 wasn’t my favorite, this entire run was absolutely worth reading. Powerful, risky, unforgettable 🙌🔥✖️
Overall, New X-Men is not a simple or easy run, it’s challenging, strange, political, emotional, and deeply creative. It pushed the X-Men forward in ways that still shape the franchise today, and I can clearly see its influence on modern adaptations like X-Men ‘97. Even if Book 3 wasn’t my favorite, this entire run was absolutely worth reading. Powerful, risky, unforgettable 🙌🔥✖️
June 19, 2023
Incredible run! Grant Morrison injects much-needed life into a comic franchise when it most needed it. His humor and storytelling abilities really blew me away. I became a huge Emma Frost fan thanks to him! Each story arc was perfectly crafted with just the right stakes. There are single panels that I had to crop and save because they were so hilarious and/or legendary. I really can't wait to read more X-men comics after reading this run!
April 27, 2025
A review for Morrisons entire run on X-Men. This feels like the beginning of modern X-Men. For the first time Xavier’s feels like an actual school and Morrison brings up some very interesting discussions for the mutant race which really makes it feel like they exist in the real world. I wish we could have spent time with characters more as the book is often very wide reaching with the characters it uses but overall the story is great.
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