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X-Men: Elsewhen (Volume 1 of 3): A Graphic Novel
Legendary comic book creator John Byrne returns to the title he first drew 50 years ago, Uncanny X-Men, with this one-of-a-kind new graphic novel series, Elsewhen. This three-volume graphic novel series picks up the story from Byrne’s original run, taking the characters in new and unexpected directions
In Volume 1 of Elsewhen, the Dark Phoenix Saga is over and Phoenix is . . . alive?!
Diverging from the epic finale of the original storyline from 1984, Elsewhen presents a universe where Jean Grey’s powers and intellect have been greatly reduced, and from there, everything you thought you know about the X-Men is forever changed.
John Byrne’s monumental return to the X-Men heads in entirely new and surprising directions, as the X-Men head back to the Savage Land, face their climactic adventure with the Sentinels, and contend with special guest–stars such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four along the way.
Elsewhen is a three-volume graphic novel series in the Marvel Arts line that sees the return of acclaimed X-Men artist Byrne decades after his last work on the series. Byrne has written and penciled every page and inked multiple chapters, all of which pick up the story from where his first go–round ended, taking this beloved lineup of characters—and his fans—in exciting new directions.
In Volume 1 of Elsewhen, the Dark Phoenix Saga is over and Phoenix is . . . alive?!
Diverging from the epic finale of the original storyline from 1984, Elsewhen presents a universe where Jean Grey’s powers and intellect have been greatly reduced, and from there, everything you thought you know about the X-Men is forever changed.
John Byrne’s monumental return to the X-Men heads in entirely new and surprising directions, as the X-Men head back to the Savage Land, face their climactic adventure with the Sentinels, and contend with special guest–stars such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four along the way.
Elsewhen is a three-volume graphic novel series in the Marvel Arts line that sees the return of acclaimed X-Men artist Byrne decades after his last work on the series. Byrne has written and penciled every page and inked multiple chapters, all of which pick up the story from where his first go–round ended, taking this beloved lineup of characters—and his fans—in exciting new directions.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published June 23, 2026
About the author
John Byrne
2,984 books366 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 21, 2026
Growing up I was mostly a DC kid until my mom and I started shopping at Drug Town and they only sold Marvel and Archie there, so my world opened up a bit but I never really fell in love with the characters the same way. A few years down the line, we got X-Men: The Animated Series and that started to give me the X-Fever and I started tracking down anything with that “x” on it and perhaps the best story I came across was the Dark Phoenix saga trade paperback. Oh, it wasn’t the same as the cartoon but I knew that it was something special and my relationship with the X-Men has been chasing that feeling ever since as I try to recapture that youthful excitement for the franchise. Which brings me to the first volume of X-Men: Elsewhen. John Byrne’s legendary fan fiction is absolutely frenetic, utterly dynamic, and a touch of whimsical fun as we get an alternate telling of post-Dark Phoenix events and it connected me to the X-Men in a way I haven’t felt in 30 years. Well done and I can’t wait for Volume 2.
Special Thanks to Abrams ComicArts and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.
Special Thanks to Abrams ComicArts and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.
Read
May 6, 2026Originally published on the fanfic section of Byrne's own forum, Elsewhen begins at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga, which it tweaks. From there it unfolds as, essentially, what Byrne would have done next, unshackled (for better or worse) from fruitful if sometimes fractious collaboration with Chris Claremont. Or indeed, from having to tread carefully around the boundaries with any other titles – before long the Avengers, FF and Spidey get pulled into the unfolding story, often with the use of elements (Susan Storm's new applications for her powers, Wonder Man's feelings for Wanda) which in the original comics only came along much later... when Byrne was writing them, yes, how did you guess. More jarring are a couple of anachronisms which seem like sops to a sliding timeline (occasional references to blogs or Harry Potter, though no attempt has been made to update the looks or give anyone mobiles), or at the other extreme come across as old-fashioned even for the early eighties (Magneto is described as "Cold, heartless, driven only by a lust for power"). The biggest timeline problem, though, is external. Byrne at the time he worked on Uncanny X-Men was, or was at least becoming, one of the best in the biz; his elegant faces and innovative layouts would define some of the best of eighties Marvel. Byrne now is too in hock to his beloved Kirby, most obviously in the big blocky Sentinels where it's fair enough, but also in the tendency for human (and mutant) faces to look wonky, and female characters especially to look oddly haggard, even when they're supposed to be youngsters like teenage Kitty Pryde. It's not as dire as it could have been – hell, it looks better than when Stegman is drawing the least bad of the current X-books. But it's definitely uglier than it would have been had it happened back then. In places, I still really enjoyed the way it recaptures that era, not least the plotting that takes a less discrete and arc-based approach, weaves Shi'ar and Project Wideawake and Magneto strands into and around each other – and if that's your favourite X-Men phase, as I know for many it is, you may find it even more rewarding. But equally, that could mean you find the changes, and especially Byrne's solution to the problem of Jean Grey, more of an issue too.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
June 24, 2026
The amazing return of John Byrne and the Xmen
The physical book sold out in hours but I got the kindle version. I'm so happy that John Byrne brought back traditional stories without today's MCU/ MSheU agendas. This is a book that needs a movie not produced by the MCU.
The physical book sold out in hours but I got the kindle version. I'm so happy that John Byrne brought back traditional stories without today's MCU/ MSheU agendas. This is a book that needs a movie not produced by the MCU.
June 10, 2026
I was unfamiliar with the story behind this particular X-Men storyline when I requested the book, so it's been interesting to read about from what other people have been saying about it online. Ultimately, it's a fine story. Feels like pretty standard old-comic fare, there are some good action sequences and quippy bits. Not to be contrarian with some other people, but I loved getting to see some Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four show up. The art is mostly good, but I do feel that there were some weird facial expressions, but some of that I think comes from replicating the style of art that was more popular in the 90's rather than making it look more like modern comics. The storyline itself is pretty hit or miss. There are points where it felt like everything was running full speed ahead and I just had to know what was going on, and then it would come to a sudden halt as I was jolted into another storyline. I think there's a bit too much going on, and I know comics frequently have a lot of plots going at once, but this still just felt like too much to cram into a book of this size (even at just part 1 of 3 it's already doing too much). I feel somewhat unsure if I'll read the next volume, but honestly with how heavily Nightcrawler features I probably will pick it up.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ecopy!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ecopy!
Read
May 26, 2026This no-star review is not indicative of this collection not being worthy of being ranked. I simply do not believe I am qualified to specifically rate the quality of a fan-fiction-gone-wild. Elsewhen is all over the place, and I mean that derogatorily. It does a great job of capturing that 80s-era X team and all those other Marvel good guys that tend to crisscrossapplesauce all over the timelines, but this absolutely reads as more of a jolty fan-fiction that got penned and inked and colored elsewhere at elsetimes so really who needs an elsewhen. I can't say it was visually striking and the characters and dialogue are most often clunky and don't read fun, cool, insightful, poignant, nada.
Thanks to Abrams ComicArts for providing an electronic copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. These opinions are my own.
Thanks to Abrams ComicArts for providing an electronic copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. These opinions are my own.
June 25, 2026
I LOVED this book!! It reminded me of 80s Marvel Comics. It was awesome!!
June 24, 2026
X- MEN: ELSEWHEN VOLUME 1 (2026) 5/5
En el 2022 encontre X-Men ELSEWHEN ver el arte a lápiz era impresionante, leerlo me hizo volver a interesarme en comics después de décadas de no leer comics.
En el momento que descubri ELSEWHEN empecé a leer los 32 issues como tres veces en total (algunos issues más veces) por completo devorando la lectura lo cual fue rápido principalmente porque tuvo menos texto que cuando Claremont saturaba a las páginas con texto tapando el arte. Pasaba el tiempo en ver los dibujos a lápices miles de veces, descargaba las imágenes con las tintas de los fans en el foro Byrne Robotics donde se destacó Paul Wills. Disfrute de los dibujos del hilo Methadone con imágenes no utilizadas como con los Skrulls, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four o la primera de lo que termino siendo el cover del Volume uno con versión de Sauron a lápiz, Kitty Pryde preguntando ¿que es Adamantium? O un dibujo de Oracle/Cyborg etc.
Estos eran los planes de John Byrne para los issues a partir del X-Men #144-150 con Willie Evans Jr., Caliban un (un salvaje hillbilly) y Kitty Pryde en un grupo de aprendices, The Project Wideawake pogromos para mutantes el programa gubernamental dirigido por Sebastian Shaw, Henry Peter Gyrich con los nuevos Sentinels. El destino de Jean Dark Phoenix lobotomizada por el imperio Shi'ar ella quedó con una mente infantil. La idea de los finales de los 70s para un What if Magneto Had Formed The Original X-Men? Desde otra dimensión donde Magneto y sus M-Men Cyclops, Psyke, Beast, Archangel, Ice-Man, Quicksilver y Scarlet Witch mataban a los Avengers y Fantastic Four. Para que luego Galactus devore a la Tierra. La muerte de Mariko Yashida, Sabretooth ataca a Mariko la deja con muerte cerebral, Logan destroza el respirador artificial para luego ir a buscar Sabretooth y matarlo, al final se revela qué Sabretooth era el padre de Wolverine.
X-MEN ELSEWHEN es uno de los mejores trabajos de John Byrne. La cúspide de The Uncanny X-Men fue de los issues #108-143 donde el arte y tramas eran de Byrne.
La mejor carrera en comics según CBR, ubicandola en el primer puesto en 2016, 2020 y 2024. Byrne convirtio a Jean Grey Phoenix en Dark Phoenix fue un hito su muerte y volviendo a Wolverine popular desde Uncanny X-Men #121 donde Logan se entregó a Alpha Flight y también Uncanny X-Men #132-133 "Wolverine: Alone!".
Si te gusto DARK PHOENIX SAGA y DAYS OF THE FUTURE PAST es obligatorio leer X-MEN ELSEWHEN ya que es la secuela de la carrera de John Byrne en The Uncanny X-Men.
X-Men ELSEWHEN #1-32 los issues son mejores que los 32 números posteriores a The Uncanny X-Men #143, que son The Uncanny X-Men #144-176, es mejor X-MEN ELSEWHEN fácilmente desde el arte y tramas.
John Byrne cuando dejó el libro X-Men se sintió de inmediato la caída de la calidad. Además THE UNCANNY X-MEN #94-107 no era tan buenos, Chris Claremont hacía que Nightcrawler interactuara con leprechauns o posteriormente los X-Men se cruzarán en dos ocasiones con Dracula.
Después de la partida de Byrne, Claremont nunca hizo historias de la calidad de PROTEUS SAGA, THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA y DAYS OF THE FUTURE PAST. La caída de la calidad en THE UNCANNY X-MEN era notoria si la comparas con los ya mencionados arcos que fueron tramas de John Byrne y su partida lo dejo muy claro.
X-Men Elsewhen volumen 1 de John Byrne llegará de Abrams ComicArts y Marvel el 23 Junio de 2026. Escrito y dibujado a lápiz por Byrne, entintado por Byrne y Paul Wills, coloreado por Lovern Kindzierski y Leonard O'Grady, rotulado por Byrne con Patrick Brosseau, diseñado por Ian Chalgren y editado por Chris Ryall. Entintador invitado: Walt Simonson.
John Byrne en su foro Byrne Robotic dijo acerca del fin de X-Men ELSEWHEN:
"I will be including a fairly elaborate text feature in Volume 3, wrapping up the dangling plotlines"
Menciono de un personaje de los Great Beasts qué peleó contra Wolverine en un flashback y de una página nueva introductoria para Jafh en X-Men ELSEWHEN.
Equipos en comics, escritor, dibujante, entintador que sus runs, arcos, que fueran influyentes, aun se menciones a la fecha. CBR en los últimos concesos pone en este orden Byrne, Claremont, Austin (por importancia en puesto) como el puesto 1 el run The Uncanny X-Men, quien lo arruinó fue Claramont al tratar de quitarse a Byrne, según este último dijo Byrne "por que hicieron ese cambio sin consultarme?", por teléfono respondió Claremont "¡porque se me dio la gana!", Fin de la supuesta colaboración.
Lo siguente ocurre en X-MEN ELSEWHEN:
Se hace mención de su viaje de Logan y Kurt a Canadá a enfrentarse junto a Alpha Flight a Wendigo, que salvaron la vida del senador Kelly y que Kitty combatio en navidad a el N'gari son mension de los issues de The Uncanny X-Men #139-143.
Vuelve los X-Men a Savage Land. Según críticas de detractores de John Byrne en sus carreras el paso tal vez un tiempo de más en Savage Land. Pero no mencionan cuando en los ochentas lo hacía Chris Claremont.
El arco de Bastion Operation: Zero Tolerance, estaba basado en la época de John Byrne y esa trama terminó usándola en X-MEN ELSEWHEN, el Project Wideawake de Sebastian Shaw y Henry Peter Gyrich usaban Sentinels de menor tamaño para cazar mutantes como pogromos para los judíos, como una eterna alegoría de que los mutantes representan a los judíos en el universo Marvel Tierra 616. En esa arco están invitandos The Avengers Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, The Vision y Beast.
Vuelve Dark Phoenix como villana regular. En el mejor arco de los X-Men malignos de otra dimensión, Byrne mata a Magneto, la versión de Chris Claremont que convirtió en propaganda judía, es algo hipócrita que no se mencione la usurpación judía en Palestina y la matanza de niños palestinos por Israel en Marvel Comics y por parte de Chris Claremont. Teri Martin y su hija Ashley Martin que aparecieron en X-MEN THE HIDDEN YEARS, se vuelven personajes regulares en X-MEN ELSEWHEN.
No me agrada la versión de Shaman escrito por John Byrne porque lo hace demasiado poderoso y sin defentos. Se revela que Sabretooth era el padre de Wolverine. Esto siempre fue la idea de John Byrne. El origen del adamantium de Wolverine según John Byrne, a Logan le cambian sus huesos qué no se regeneran y que fueron rotos en un accidente de una estampida, por largos años los huesos de Logan fueron cambiados por adamantium en un hospital para veteranos de la guerra por el gobierno de Canadá. Hacen Doctor Doom y Magneto the Ultimate Supervillains Team-Up.
X-Men Elsewhen calificación por cada issue la primera vez que los lei:
#1. "IN THE JUNGLE, THE DEADLY JUNGLE" 3.5/5
#2. "PROTOTYPE" 3.5/5
#3. "FATHER AND SON" 3.5/5
#4. "WIDEAWAKE" 4/5
#5. "AND CALL HIS NAME MAGNETO" 3.5/5
#6. "ISLAND IN THE SKY" 3.5/5
#7. "HOME IS WHERE THE HURT IS" 4/5
#8. "IN THE DARK SUBURBIA" 4.5/5
#9. "REUNION" 4.5/5
#10. "CONVERGEANCE" 4.5/5
#11. "FROM THE STARS HE COME" 4/5
#12. "STOLEN SOULS" 3.5/5
#13. "THE FIRE THAT'S CLOSET KEPT" 4/5
#14. "ASHES" 3.5/5
#15. "JEAN" 3.5/5
#16. "HEARTS OF STONE" 3.5/5
#17. "A DISH BEST SCRED COLD" 4/5
#18. "BROKEN MIRROR" 4.5/5
#19. "NOTHING SIMILAR IS THE SAME" 4.5/5
#20. "DREAFUL SYMMETRY" 4.5/5
#21. "PARALLEL LIVES MEETS AT INFINITY" 5/5
#22. "WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE!" 5/5
#23. "VANISHING POINTS" 4.5/5
#24. "MIRROR/RORRIM" 5/5
#25. "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME..." 4/5
#26. "WHERE MONSTERS DWELL" 4/5
#27. "WHAT PRICE YESTERDAY? PART I" 4/5
#28. "WHAT PRICE YESTERDAY? PART II" 4.5/5
#29. "WHAT PRICE YESTERDAY? PART III" 4.5/5
#30. "CHILD OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS" 4/5
#31. "FRIENDS AND ENEMIES" 3.5/5
#32. "TWICE UPON A TIME" 3.5/5
Personajes, Lugares y naves en X-Men ELSEWHEN:
. The X-Men: Wolverine, Cyclops, Professor X, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Storm.
. The Shi'ar Imperial Guard: Gladiator (Kallark), Jahf, Cyborg/Oraculo (The Lady Sybil), Tempest, Hussar, Astra, Fang, Hobgoblin, Smashers, Impulse, Manta, Quasar and Titan.
. The Majesty Empress Lilandra Neramani, Counselor Araki, Commander A'kaan, S'tati.
. The Shi'ar dreadnought: Commander La'ar, Shantaq, Science Officer, Mech-Med, A'ren, Chief, Doctor, Shi'ar Crew.
. The M-Men: Magneto, Cyclops, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Beast, Jean Grey, Archangel, Iceman, Toad and Mastermind.
. Moira MacTaggert, Banshee, Angel, Iceman, Polaris, Havok and Multiple Man.
. The Fantastic Four: Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, the Thing, Human Torch and Franklin Richards.
. The Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Beast, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man and Jarvis.
. Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, Sub-mariner, Uatu, The Hulk, Wendigo, Sunfire.
. The Dark Phoenix, Master Mold, The Sentinels, The New Sentinels/Mutant Fusions, Sebastian Shaw, Henry Peter Gyrich, Magneto (Abraham Altshuler), Magneto (Doppelgänger) and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (M-Men), Doctor Doom, Doombots, Vuk and the D'Bari.
. The N'Garai were elderspawn demons, A.I.M, M.O.D.O.K, Sauron, Sabretooth, Adolf Hitler, Emma Frost, Mastermind, The Blob, Avalanche, Unus, Erik the Red, Lucifer, Jack Winters, colonel chasin.
. The Alpha Flight: Guardian, Shaman, Heather McNeil-Hudson, Aurora, Sasquach, Snowbird and North Star.
. Thor, Lady Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral (Doppelgängers).
. Young Jean, Ashley Martin, Mariko Yashida, Pablo Abascal, Teri Martin, Carla Abascal, Sarah Grey-Bailey, John and Elaine Grey, Gailyn and Joey Bailey, Amanda Sefton, Willie Evans Sr, Doris Evans, William Evans Jr.
. The Invaders Werewolf, Captain America, Sub-mariner, The Human Torch, Spitfire, Toro and Bucky Barnes.
. Kurt Wagner (Doppelgänger), Hannah and Abraham Altshuler, Shaman, Mama, Dougie, Currey, Dr. Wight, Dr. Summerall, Nurse Yuka, Dr. Kane, "Uncle" Sprouse, Colette, Gustav, Officer, Martha, Rudy, Town Council Staff, Miss in The Latverian Embassy.
. The Savage Land, The Capitol City of the Shi'ar Empire, Asteroid M, The X-Men's HQ-Secret Structure Upstate of New York Mountain Lair, The X-Mansion, Kingdom of Latveria, Annandale-on-Hudson, Muir Isle.
. X-Men's Skycraft, X-Men's Aero-Car, X-Men's Stratojet.
. The Shi'ar Imperial Battle Cruiser, Deadliest Warcraft, Lilandra's Grand Fleet, The Shi'ar Flagship/Warship/dreadnought/Battleship/Vessel.
"I don’t think I will expend much energy on the haters.
Just heard from Abrams that they have gone to a second printing without the first even having come out yet!!!!!". John Byrne.
En el 2022 encontre X-Men ELSEWHEN ver el arte a lápiz era impresionante, leerlo me hizo volver a interesarme en comics después de décadas de no leer comics.
En el momento que descubri ELSEWHEN empecé a leer los 32 issues como tres veces en total (algunos issues más veces) por completo devorando la lectura lo cual fue rápido principalmente porque tuvo menos texto que cuando Claremont saturaba a las páginas con texto tapando el arte. Pasaba el tiempo en ver los dibujos a lápices miles de veces, descargaba las imágenes con las tintas de los fans en el foro Byrne Robotics donde se destacó Paul Wills. Disfrute de los dibujos del hilo Methadone con imágenes no utilizadas como con los Skrulls, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four o la primera de lo que termino siendo el cover del Volume uno con versión de Sauron a lápiz, Kitty Pryde preguntando ¿que es Adamantium? O un dibujo de Oracle/Cyborg etc.
Estos eran los planes de John Byrne para los issues a partir del X-Men #144-150 con Willie Evans Jr., Caliban un (un salvaje hillbilly) y Kitty Pryde en un grupo de aprendices, The Project Wideawake pogromos para mutantes el programa gubernamental dirigido por Sebastian Shaw, Henry Peter Gyrich con los nuevos Sentinels. El destino de Jean Dark Phoenix lobotomizada por el imperio Shi'ar ella quedó con una mente infantil. La idea de los finales de los 70s para un What if Magneto Had Formed The Original X-Men? Desde otra dimensión donde Magneto y sus M-Men Cyclops, Psyke, Beast, Archangel, Ice-Man, Quicksilver y Scarlet Witch mataban a los Avengers y Fantastic Four. Para que luego Galactus devore a la Tierra. La muerte de Mariko Yashida, Sabretooth ataca a Mariko la deja con muerte cerebral, Logan destroza el respirador artificial para luego ir a buscar Sabretooth y matarlo, al final se revela qué Sabretooth era el padre de Wolverine.
X-MEN ELSEWHEN es uno de los mejores trabajos de John Byrne. La cúspide de The Uncanny X-Men fue de los issues #108-143 donde el arte y tramas eran de Byrne.
La mejor carrera en comics según CBR, ubicandola en el primer puesto en 2016, 2020 y 2024. Byrne convirtio a Jean Grey Phoenix en Dark Phoenix fue un hito su muerte y volviendo a Wolverine popular desde Uncanny X-Men #121 donde Logan se entregó a Alpha Flight y también Uncanny X-Men #132-133 "Wolverine: Alone!".
Si te gusto DARK PHOENIX SAGA y DAYS OF THE FUTURE PAST es obligatorio leer X-MEN ELSEWHEN ya que es la secuela de la carrera de John Byrne en The Uncanny X-Men.
X-Men ELSEWHEN #1-32 los issues son mejores que los 32 números posteriores a The Uncanny X-Men #143, que son The Uncanny X-Men #144-176, es mejor X-MEN ELSEWHEN fácilmente desde el arte y tramas.
John Byrne cuando dejó el libro X-Men se sintió de inmediato la caída de la calidad. Además THE UNCANNY X-MEN #94-107 no era tan buenos, Chris Claremont hacía que Nightcrawler interactuara con leprechauns o posteriormente los X-Men se cruzarán en dos ocasiones con Dracula.
Después de la partida de Byrne, Claremont nunca hizo historias de la calidad de PROTEUS SAGA, THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA y DAYS OF THE FUTURE PAST. La caída de la calidad en THE UNCANNY X-MEN era notoria si la comparas con los ya mencionados arcos que fueron tramas de John Byrne y su partida lo dejo muy claro.
X-Men Elsewhen volumen 1 de John Byrne llegará de Abrams ComicArts y Marvel el 23 Junio de 2026. Escrito y dibujado a lápiz por Byrne, entintado por Byrne y Paul Wills, coloreado por Lovern Kindzierski y Leonard O'Grady, rotulado por Byrne con Patrick Brosseau, diseñado por Ian Chalgren y editado por Chris Ryall. Entintador invitado: Walt Simonson.
John Byrne en su foro Byrne Robotic dijo acerca del fin de X-Men ELSEWHEN:
"I will be including a fairly elaborate text feature in Volume 3, wrapping up the dangling plotlines"
Menciono de un personaje de los Great Beasts qué peleó contra Wolverine en un flashback y de una página nueva introductoria para Jafh en X-Men ELSEWHEN.
Equipos en comics, escritor, dibujante, entintador que sus runs, arcos, que fueran influyentes, aun se menciones a la fecha. CBR en los últimos concesos pone en este orden Byrne, Claremont, Austin (por importancia en puesto) como el puesto 1 el run The Uncanny X-Men, quien lo arruinó fue Claramont al tratar de quitarse a Byrne, según este último dijo Byrne "por que hicieron ese cambio sin consultarme?", por teléfono respondió Claremont "¡porque se me dio la gana!", Fin de la supuesta colaboración.
Lo siguente ocurre en X-MEN ELSEWHEN:
Se hace mención de su viaje de Logan y Kurt a Canadá a enfrentarse junto a Alpha Flight a Wendigo, que salvaron la vida del senador Kelly y que Kitty combatio en navidad a el N'gari son mension de los issues de The Uncanny X-Men #139-143.
Vuelve los X-Men a Savage Land. Según críticas de detractores de John Byrne en sus carreras el paso tal vez un tiempo de más en Savage Land. Pero no mencionan cuando en los ochentas lo hacía Chris Claremont.
El arco de Bastion Operation: Zero Tolerance, estaba basado en la época de John Byrne y esa trama terminó usándola en X-MEN ELSEWHEN, el Project Wideawake de Sebastian Shaw y Henry Peter Gyrich usaban Sentinels de menor tamaño para cazar mutantes como pogromos para los judíos, como una eterna alegoría de que los mutantes representan a los judíos en el universo Marvel Tierra 616. En esa arco están invitandos The Avengers Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, The Vision y Beast.
Vuelve Dark Phoenix como villana regular. En el mejor arco de los X-Men malignos de otra dimensión, Byrne mata a Magneto, la versión de Chris Claremont que convirtió en propaganda judía, es algo hipócrita que no se mencione la usurpación judía en Palestina y la matanza de niños palestinos por Israel en Marvel Comics y por parte de Chris Claremont. Teri Martin y su hija Ashley Martin que aparecieron en X-MEN THE HIDDEN YEARS, se vuelven personajes regulares en X-MEN ELSEWHEN.
No me agrada la versión de Shaman escrito por John Byrne porque lo hace demasiado poderoso y sin defentos. Se revela que Sabretooth era el padre de Wolverine. Esto siempre fue la idea de John Byrne. El origen del adamantium de Wolverine según John Byrne, a Logan le cambian sus huesos qué no se regeneran y que fueron rotos en un accidente de una estampida, por largos años los huesos de Logan fueron cambiados por adamantium en un hospital para veteranos de la guerra por el gobierno de Canadá. Hacen Doctor Doom y Magneto the Ultimate Supervillains Team-Up.
X-Men Elsewhen calificación por cada issue la primera vez que los lei:
#1. "IN THE JUNGLE, THE DEADLY JUNGLE" 3.5/5
#2. "PROTOTYPE" 3.5/5
#3. "FATHER AND SON" 3.5/5
#4. "WIDEAWAKE" 4/5
#5. "AND CALL HIS NAME MAGNETO" 3.5/5
#6. "ISLAND IN THE SKY" 3.5/5
#7. "HOME IS WHERE THE HURT IS" 4/5
#8. "IN THE DARK SUBURBIA" 4.5/5
#9. "REUNION" 4.5/5
#10. "CONVERGEANCE" 4.5/5
#11. "FROM THE STARS HE COME" 4/5
#12. "STOLEN SOULS" 3.5/5
#13. "THE FIRE THAT'S CLOSET KEPT" 4/5
#14. "ASHES" 3.5/5
#15. "JEAN" 3.5/5
#16. "HEARTS OF STONE" 3.5/5
#17. "A DISH BEST SCRED COLD" 4/5
#18. "BROKEN MIRROR" 4.5/5
#19. "NOTHING SIMILAR IS THE SAME" 4.5/5
#20. "DREAFUL SYMMETRY" 4.5/5
#21. "PARALLEL LIVES MEETS AT INFINITY" 5/5
#22. "WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE!" 5/5
#23. "VANISHING POINTS" 4.5/5
#24. "MIRROR/RORRIM" 5/5
#25. "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME..." 4/5
#26. "WHERE MONSTERS DWELL" 4/5
#27. "WHAT PRICE YESTERDAY? PART I" 4/5
#28. "WHAT PRICE YESTERDAY? PART II" 4.5/5
#29. "WHAT PRICE YESTERDAY? PART III" 4.5/5
#30. "CHILD OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS" 4/5
#31. "FRIENDS AND ENEMIES" 3.5/5
#32. "TWICE UPON A TIME" 3.5/5
Personajes, Lugares y naves en X-Men ELSEWHEN:
. The X-Men: Wolverine, Cyclops, Professor X, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Storm.
. The Shi'ar Imperial Guard: Gladiator (Kallark), Jahf, Cyborg/Oraculo (The Lady Sybil), Tempest, Hussar, Astra, Fang, Hobgoblin, Smashers, Impulse, Manta, Quasar and Titan.
. The Majesty Empress Lilandra Neramani, Counselor Araki, Commander A'kaan, S'tati.
. The Shi'ar dreadnought: Commander La'ar, Shantaq, Science Officer, Mech-Med, A'ren, Chief, Doctor, Shi'ar Crew.
. The M-Men: Magneto, Cyclops, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Beast, Jean Grey, Archangel, Iceman, Toad and Mastermind.
. Moira MacTaggert, Banshee, Angel, Iceman, Polaris, Havok and Multiple Man.
. The Fantastic Four: Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, the Thing, Human Torch and Franklin Richards.
. The Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Beast, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man and Jarvis.
. Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, Sub-mariner, Uatu, The Hulk, Wendigo, Sunfire.
. The Dark Phoenix, Master Mold, The Sentinels, The New Sentinels/Mutant Fusions, Sebastian Shaw, Henry Peter Gyrich, Magneto (Abraham Altshuler), Magneto (Doppelgänger) and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (M-Men), Doctor Doom, Doombots, Vuk and the D'Bari.
. The N'Garai were elderspawn demons, A.I.M, M.O.D.O.K, Sauron, Sabretooth, Adolf Hitler, Emma Frost, Mastermind, The Blob, Avalanche, Unus, Erik the Red, Lucifer, Jack Winters, colonel chasin.
. The Alpha Flight: Guardian, Shaman, Heather McNeil-Hudson, Aurora, Sasquach, Snowbird and North Star.
. Thor, Lady Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral (Doppelgängers).
. Young Jean, Ashley Martin, Mariko Yashida, Pablo Abascal, Teri Martin, Carla Abascal, Sarah Grey-Bailey, John and Elaine Grey, Gailyn and Joey Bailey, Amanda Sefton, Willie Evans Sr, Doris Evans, William Evans Jr.
. The Invaders Werewolf, Captain America, Sub-mariner, The Human Torch, Spitfire, Toro and Bucky Barnes.
. Kurt Wagner (Doppelgänger), Hannah and Abraham Altshuler, Shaman, Mama, Dougie, Currey, Dr. Wight, Dr. Summerall, Nurse Yuka, Dr. Kane, "Uncle" Sprouse, Colette, Gustav, Officer, Martha, Rudy, Town Council Staff, Miss in The Latverian Embassy.
. The Savage Land, The Capitol City of the Shi'ar Empire, Asteroid M, The X-Men's HQ-Secret Structure Upstate of New York Mountain Lair, The X-Mansion, Kingdom of Latveria, Annandale-on-Hudson, Muir Isle.
. X-Men's Skycraft, X-Men's Aero-Car, X-Men's Stratojet.
. The Shi'ar Imperial Battle Cruiser, Deadliest Warcraft, Lilandra's Grand Fleet, The Shi'ar Flagship/Warship/dreadnought/Battleship/Vessel.
"I don’t think I will expend much energy on the haters.
Just heard from Abrams that they have gone to a second printing without the first even having come out yet!!!!!". John Byrne.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for an advance copy of this new adventure of the uncanniest superhero team ever, set in the prime of their adventures, written and drawn by the same artist who brought them to life oh so many years ago.
I was a fan of comics in the before time, when issues were bought in candy stores and pharmacies. Or living in the suburbs tag sales, flea markets and discount shops. I never really cared what I picked up, I was unused to following continuity, I read what I found, and if the stories followed each other, yay me. However there was one series I tried to find issues of, out of fandom and out of storytelling. The Uncanny X-Men. These were like the soap operas my Mom watched, and missing an issue meant missing a future storyline clue, a romantic entanglement, or even a great big story. Writer Chris Claremont and John Byrne as artist had a gift for telling stories, and the gift for the showing the stories. Some of my favorite characters were made in this era, and plots still factor large in the current Marvel Universe both cinematic and comic-wise. This is what makes this graphic novel, the first of three so great. This captures the feeling, the moments, the characters and the art of that time. And the art is pretty awesome too. X-Men: Elsewhen (Volume 1 of 3): A Graphic Novel is written and illustrated by John Byrne and offers a different take on the put-upon mutant heroes, with different adventures, different threats, all in the style of their classic stories.
The story begins with Jean Grey, aka Marvel Girl, saving her colleagues the X-Men from crashing to Earth and being splattered. While she appears to die, her life is saved by the Phoenix force, which makes her powerful, and at some time in the future a threat to all life. This is accepted history. In this graphic novel things go differently. The Phoenix, proven to be a galaxy destroying force, is not killed, but is stripped away from Jean Grey, leaving her with the intellectual capacity of a child, and the X-Men's history is changed. Soon they are in the Savage Land, fighting both AIM and MODOK. Sentinels appear with a mandate to not only kill mutants, but all humans who are friends to them. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four make appearances. Meanwhile out in the depths of space, things are going wrong, and soon the most powerful and destructive force in the galaxy might be coming back to Earth.
This was a gift. As John Byrne states in the intro this started as something to do for fun, got out of hand, and soon he got bored, and ended it. There were no plans to print this, but honestly this has money printed all over it. Mainly because it is better than I ever thought it would be. This graphic novel is like adventures in the early days of my comic fandom. The art is good, the characters are portrayed like they used to be. Wolverine is not front and center on every page. Kitty Pryde is still learning the ropes. Xavier is haughty, but still a character. And the art, wow is the art good. I have read X-Men stories over and over, and this fits perfectly. Sure there are some odd scenes, some well that's creepy, but all in all this was something I would have picked up in the Bronx candy store where I did most of my comic shopping. Great story, great characters, great art. Really great art.
One of the few graphic novels that live up to the hype. I really can't wait to see how the rest of the series goes. And I feel sad that there won't be more stories like this. I hate nostalgia, it's the worst drug in the world, but I really loved this. And like any Marvel zombie hooked on nostalgia, I need more, which is not something I have said about any comic in a long, long time.
I was a fan of comics in the before time, when issues were bought in candy stores and pharmacies. Or living in the suburbs tag sales, flea markets and discount shops. I never really cared what I picked up, I was unused to following continuity, I read what I found, and if the stories followed each other, yay me. However there was one series I tried to find issues of, out of fandom and out of storytelling. The Uncanny X-Men. These were like the soap operas my Mom watched, and missing an issue meant missing a future storyline clue, a romantic entanglement, or even a great big story. Writer Chris Claremont and John Byrne as artist had a gift for telling stories, and the gift for the showing the stories. Some of my favorite characters were made in this era, and plots still factor large in the current Marvel Universe both cinematic and comic-wise. This is what makes this graphic novel, the first of three so great. This captures the feeling, the moments, the characters and the art of that time. And the art is pretty awesome too. X-Men: Elsewhen (Volume 1 of 3): A Graphic Novel is written and illustrated by John Byrne and offers a different take on the put-upon mutant heroes, with different adventures, different threats, all in the style of their classic stories.
The story begins with Jean Grey, aka Marvel Girl, saving her colleagues the X-Men from crashing to Earth and being splattered. While she appears to die, her life is saved by the Phoenix force, which makes her powerful, and at some time in the future a threat to all life. This is accepted history. In this graphic novel things go differently. The Phoenix, proven to be a galaxy destroying force, is not killed, but is stripped away from Jean Grey, leaving her with the intellectual capacity of a child, and the X-Men's history is changed. Soon they are in the Savage Land, fighting both AIM and MODOK. Sentinels appear with a mandate to not only kill mutants, but all humans who are friends to them. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four make appearances. Meanwhile out in the depths of space, things are going wrong, and soon the most powerful and destructive force in the galaxy might be coming back to Earth.
This was a gift. As John Byrne states in the intro this started as something to do for fun, got out of hand, and soon he got bored, and ended it. There were no plans to print this, but honestly this has money printed all over it. Mainly because it is better than I ever thought it would be. This graphic novel is like adventures in the early days of my comic fandom. The art is good, the characters are portrayed like they used to be. Wolverine is not front and center on every page. Kitty Pryde is still learning the ropes. Xavier is haughty, but still a character. And the art, wow is the art good. I have read X-Men stories over and over, and this fits perfectly. Sure there are some odd scenes, some well that's creepy, but all in all this was something I would have picked up in the Bronx candy store where I did most of my comic shopping. Great story, great characters, great art. Really great art.
One of the few graphic novels that live up to the hype. I really can't wait to see how the rest of the series goes. And I feel sad that there won't be more stories like this. I hate nostalgia, it's the worst drug in the world, but I really loved this. And like any Marvel zombie hooked on nostalgia, I need more, which is not something I have said about any comic in a long, long time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley for providing this e-comic for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
📖 “X-Men: Elsewhen (Volume 1 of 3)”
👨🏻🎨 Writer and artist: John Bryne
🏢 Publisher: Abrams ComicArts
🗓️ Published: June 23, 2026
📚 Length: 232 Pages
⭐4/5 Stars
Artist John Byrne and writer Chris Cclaremont areClairmont responsible for some of the most iconic X-Men storylines of all time, especially the Dark Phoenix Saga. 45 years after his comic run, John Byrne returns to X-Men with this comic. Elsewhen began life as fan-fiction in 2006 - a series of pencilled comics written and illustrated by John Byrne. If he had the chance to tell the stories following the Dark Phoenix saga, how would he have concluded his iconic run? Now these fan-fics have been inked, colored, and published. This volume feels like the purest form of comic book love. John Byrne is clearly having a blast writing and illustrating his favorite characters - Cyclops, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and the rest of the classic X-Men with guest appearances from the Avengers and more. It’s a romp from one of Marvel’s most talented artists. His art and layouts are impeccable. Also, John Byrne can write! His stories and dialogue feel like something right out of the 80’s. Which, truly, is this comic’s greatest strength and weakness.
If you aren’t already a fan of 80’s X-Men, this might not be quite as much fun for you. I haven’t read much X-Men so, admittedly, this comic did not keep me fully engaged toward the end. There are also some dated plot points - including a near-assault of a female character (a dated and uncomfortable convention that would be better off left in the past). It also ends on a cliffhanger.
These are really small gripes. On the whole, though, this comic is a blast from the past that, thankfully, includes all of the things that made 80’s X-Men great with only a few reminders of how comic book writing has evolved for the better.
#xmen #marvel #retrocomics #johnbyrne
If you've read all the way to the bottom of this caption, don’t forget: you are deeply loved and you’ve got this, whatever “this�� is today.
📖 “X-Men: Elsewhen (Volume 1 of 3)”
👨🏻🎨 Writer and artist: John Bryne
🏢 Publisher: Abrams ComicArts
🗓️ Published: June 23, 2026
📚 Length: 232 Pages
⭐4/5 Stars
Artist John Byrne and writer Chris Cclaremont areClairmont responsible for some of the most iconic X-Men storylines of all time, especially the Dark Phoenix Saga. 45 years after his comic run, John Byrne returns to X-Men with this comic. Elsewhen began life as fan-fiction in 2006 - a series of pencilled comics written and illustrated by John Byrne. If he had the chance to tell the stories following the Dark Phoenix saga, how would he have concluded his iconic run? Now these fan-fics have been inked, colored, and published. This volume feels like the purest form of comic book love. John Byrne is clearly having a blast writing and illustrating his favorite characters - Cyclops, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and the rest of the classic X-Men with guest appearances from the Avengers and more. It’s a romp from one of Marvel’s most talented artists. His art and layouts are impeccable. Also, John Byrne can write! His stories and dialogue feel like something right out of the 80’s. Which, truly, is this comic’s greatest strength and weakness.
If you aren’t already a fan of 80’s X-Men, this might not be quite as much fun for you. I haven’t read much X-Men so, admittedly, this comic did not keep me fully engaged toward the end. There are also some dated plot points - including a near-assault of a female character (a dated and uncomfortable convention that would be better off left in the past). It also ends on a cliffhanger.
These are really small gripes. On the whole, though, this comic is a blast from the past that, thankfully, includes all of the things that made 80’s X-Men great with only a few reminders of how comic book writing has evolved for the better.
#xmen #marvel #retrocomics #johnbyrne
If you've read all the way to the bottom of this caption, don’t forget: you are deeply loved and you’ve got this, whatever “this�� is today.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This X-Men Saga picks up after the 1984 series with the birth of the Phoenix. This edition brings in multiple Marvel groups such as the Avengers and Fantastic 4 to join in the fight against an altered type of Sentinel. There are various story lines throughout the edition, but they all interconnect. This is book 1 of 3.
If you are a fan of the X-Men then this is for you! If you enjoy the Avengers or Fantastic 4, they are in this enough to grab that fandom's money too. John Byrne has a large following, so if you know him...you've probably already seen this in some format. If you are a purist of Comics and the formatting of graphic novels, then you may have some feelings about this - but keep in mind - X-Men are forever and they are for everyone.
I have been reading comic books since I could read, with the X-Men having always been my favorite. This was a little different in format that I am used to (there's a lot of jumping around timeline and characters, so you need to keep up), but I enjoyed it overall. There were a few images of Kitty that threw me for a loop (the wide-eyed panels were a little disturbing), but overall the detail and colors brought me right back into my days sitting on my family's comic store floor devouring all the stories I could after school. As a teacher I encourage students to read anything they enjoy - I don't care if there are pictures with your books - I just want you to READ. I did find some of the captions to be a bit pompous in that they were not the most accessible for younger readers. And of course, I understand that some argue this is not intended for younger audiences, but I disagree; I think comics are where all ages can mingle and discuss. So for my family, I just explained and as I read aloud, I reworded. If you're reading on your own, I encourage you to use a dictionary and learn some new words as you read.
So will I read the next two volumes? Absolutely. To me, my X-Men!
Should you? Of course because Storm, Mistress of the Elements, commands you.
***NetGalley ARC Review***
If you are a fan of the X-Men then this is for you! If you enjoy the Avengers or Fantastic 4, they are in this enough to grab that fandom's money too. John Byrne has a large following, so if you know him...you've probably already seen this in some format. If you are a purist of Comics and the formatting of graphic novels, then you may have some feelings about this - but keep in mind - X-Men are forever and they are for everyone.
I have been reading comic books since I could read, with the X-Men having always been my favorite. This was a little different in format that I am used to (there's a lot of jumping around timeline and characters, so you need to keep up), but I enjoyed it overall. There were a few images of Kitty that threw me for a loop (the wide-eyed panels were a little disturbing), but overall the detail and colors brought me right back into my days sitting on my family's comic store floor devouring all the stories I could after school. As a teacher I encourage students to read anything they enjoy - I don't care if there are pictures with your books - I just want you to READ. I did find some of the captions to be a bit pompous in that they were not the most accessible for younger readers. And of course, I understand that some argue this is not intended for younger audiences, but I disagree; I think comics are where all ages can mingle and discuss. So for my family, I just explained and as I read aloud, I reworded. If you're reading on your own, I encourage you to use a dictionary and learn some new words as you read.
So will I read the next two volumes? Absolutely. To me, my X-Men!
Should you? Of course because Storm, Mistress of the Elements, commands you.
***NetGalley ARC Review***
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A nostalgia-fest for aging Marvel zombies (or MMMS or FOOM members, if you prefer) has John Byrne doing an X-Men "What If?" series that picks up at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga, using the original, aborted ending to that storyline that left Jean Grey alive and free of the Phoenix Force but psychically lobotomized. The X-Men are concerned about her, of course, but are immediately distracted by mutant activity detected by Cerebro and a growing number of attacks by a newer, deadlier iteration of the Sentinel robots.
I was a long-time member of Byrne's Faithful Fifty Thousand, following him from title to title from the 1970s through the early 2000s, but I drifted away from him as I transitioned from buying comics monthly to just checking out the trade paperbacks I could find in local libraries. So it's a real kick to get to see his art again and remember why I enjoyed it so much.
While my inner-teen is fanboying, though, the older me starts to get a little bored by the action-driven story that jumps quickly from scene to scene and character to character to character to character (SO MANY CHARACTERS!!!) as it tries for "epic" but fizzles into fragmented and shallow. Character development is limited to some momentary fretting between explosions.
It doesn't help that I find the Sentinels to be the X-Men's least interesting foes. I mean, they're just robots, so who cares?
Still, it was fun to visit with all these characters without all the baggage that subsequent decades have heaped upon them. (So many deaths and betrayals!) I'm not sure I'll come back for the next two volumes of this series, but I'm grateful for this chance to see what might have been.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
I was a long-time member of Byrne's Faithful Fifty Thousand, following him from title to title from the 1970s through the early 2000s, but I drifted away from him as I transitioned from buying comics monthly to just checking out the trade paperbacks I could find in local libraries. So it's a real kick to get to see his art again and remember why I enjoyed it so much.
While my inner-teen is fanboying, though, the older me starts to get a little bored by the action-driven story that jumps quickly from scene to scene and character to character to character to character (SO MANY CHARACTERS!!!) as it tries for "epic" but fizzles into fragmented and shallow. Character development is limited to some momentary fretting between explosions.
It doesn't help that I find the Sentinels to be the X-Men's least interesting foes. I mean, they're just robots, so who cares?
Still, it was fun to visit with all these characters without all the baggage that subsequent decades have heaped upon them. (So many deaths and betrayals!) I'm not sure I'll come back for the next two volumes of this series, but I'm grateful for this chance to see what might have been.
Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Teenage me is geeking out right now. John Byrne is back with the X-Men and it is everything you could hope or ask or even dream of…and more.
This picks up with the X-Men at the conclusion of the Dark Phoenix Saga. Jean doesn’t die, though. Instead, the Shi’ar have separated her from the Phoenix Force. But there was a cost. Jean now has the mental capacity of a 5-year-old.
The X-Men are back at the mansion with Professor X and new recruit/student, Kitty Pryde. There is no rest for the weary. Instead, the X-Men are off on quite a few adventures that all end up tying together. This truly felt like I was back in the 80s and just picked up a handful of X-Men comics to read in one sitting. The artwork is that classic look. But not just the beautiful artwork, it is the story.
Byrne has reignited my love for classic comics. I love comics. But most of what is released as graphic novels today is just for adults and, quite honestly, don’t have much of a story. Computer assisted artwork with a dash of nudity and a lot of cusswords, and you are good to go. The sad thing is that eventually, the adults reading this stuff will pass away and who is left? You didn’t aim for kids anymore.
Byrne brings back that nostalgic feel, but not just that, there is substance here. It’s just good old story telling. We still have two more volumes to go. I can’t wait. And Mr. Byrne, welcome back. It’s our pleasure.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
This picks up with the X-Men at the conclusion of the Dark Phoenix Saga. Jean doesn’t die, though. Instead, the Shi’ar have separated her from the Phoenix Force. But there was a cost. Jean now has the mental capacity of a 5-year-old.
The X-Men are back at the mansion with Professor X and new recruit/student, Kitty Pryde. There is no rest for the weary. Instead, the X-Men are off on quite a few adventures that all end up tying together. This truly felt like I was back in the 80s and just picked up a handful of X-Men comics to read in one sitting. The artwork is that classic look. But not just the beautiful artwork, it is the story.
Byrne has reignited my love for classic comics. I love comics. But most of what is released as graphic novels today is just for adults and, quite honestly, don’t have much of a story. Computer assisted artwork with a dash of nudity and a lot of cusswords, and you are good to go. The sad thing is that eventually, the adults reading this stuff will pass away and who is left? You didn’t aim for kids anymore.
Byrne brings back that nostalgic feel, but not just that, there is substance here. It’s just good old story telling. We still have two more volumes to go. I can’t wait. And Mr. Byrne, welcome back. It’s our pleasure.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
John Byrne is back on the X-Men. For a certain segment of comic fans, this is about as exciting as comic news can get. Originally crafted as fan fiction on his website, Elsewhen has made his original work official and given it the full treatment. The art is crisp, the colors are bright, and the story is classic X-Men goodness of the likes that has not been seen in decades.
The stories in this collection take you from the Savage Land to a large-scale battle with the Sentinels in New York City, with appearances by some of Marvel's biggest superheroes and teams making appearances. There are also classic X-Men elements included, like the trip to town that goes wrong, interpersonal relationships playing a serious role, legendary uniforms, a teenage Kitty Pryde going by Sprite, the Danger Room, and more.
I was impressed by both the art and the storytelling in Elsewhen. I went in just hoping to see art that was both nostalgic and fresh-feeling; what I also gained was a reminder that this was the writer of the classic Superman and Fantastic Four runs.
What Works: The way the Sentinels are turned into scary villains capable of fighting the X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four. They posed an ominous threat in this collection.
What Doesn’t: I wasn't the biggest fan of the way Jean Grey was handled, but I am curious to see what it builds to.
Final Thoughts: It's John Byrne back on the X-Men, 'nuff said!
Rating: 5 out of 5 brown Wolverine uniforms
The stories in this collection take you from the Savage Land to a large-scale battle with the Sentinels in New York City, with appearances by some of Marvel's biggest superheroes and teams making appearances. There are also classic X-Men elements included, like the trip to town that goes wrong, interpersonal relationships playing a serious role, legendary uniforms, a teenage Kitty Pryde going by Sprite, the Danger Room, and more.
I was impressed by both the art and the storytelling in Elsewhen. I went in just hoping to see art that was both nostalgic and fresh-feeling; what I also gained was a reminder that this was the writer of the classic Superman and Fantastic Four runs.
What Works: The way the Sentinels are turned into scary villains capable of fighting the X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four. They posed an ominous threat in this collection.
What Doesn’t: I wasn't the biggest fan of the way Jean Grey was handled, but I am curious to see what it builds to.
Final Thoughts: It's John Byrne back on the X-Men, 'nuff said!
Rating: 5 out of 5 brown Wolverine uniforms
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Abrams ComicArts provided an early galley for review.
I was just coming into super-hero and Marvel Comics around the time of Bryne's earliest work for the company. Thus, it is no surprise that he ranks in my top three of all-time comic book creators.
As outlined by Byrne himself, this entire project just started out as a fun lark for him. But it quickly evolved into a whole lot more (hundreds of pages). I had heard about it being posted on his website message board but never really sought it out. Now, years later, it was being retooled into a trio of graphic novels and published for a wider audience.
My excitement reading this was fanned from the opening pages. It felt great to be back with one of the first team titles I collected and a creator who left his mark on it.
I enjoyed how Byrne brings in elements from the greater Marvel universe, whether as adversaries or even brief cameos. It is always good to see his take on certain characters. Each of the issues/chapters move fairly quickly (there are ten in total in this first volume). This is the pacing of the Bronze Age comics with main plots being supplemented with subplots. The volume definitely leaves the reader eager to continue the adventures.
The art is beautiful, as always. Byrne renders the cast very much like he did in the early 80's. Here and there a couple faces felt a touch "off" but that happens. The backgrounds are full and varied, adding to the overall story.
I was just coming into super-hero and Marvel Comics around the time of Bryne's earliest work for the company. Thus, it is no surprise that he ranks in my top three of all-time comic book creators.
As outlined by Byrne himself, this entire project just started out as a fun lark for him. But it quickly evolved into a whole lot more (hundreds of pages). I had heard about it being posted on his website message board but never really sought it out. Now, years later, it was being retooled into a trio of graphic novels and published for a wider audience.
My excitement reading this was fanned from the opening pages. It felt great to be back with one of the first team titles I collected and a creator who left his mark on it.
I enjoyed how Byrne brings in elements from the greater Marvel universe, whether as adversaries or even brief cameos. It is always good to see his take on certain characters. Each of the issues/chapters move fairly quickly (there are ten in total in this first volume). This is the pacing of the Bronze Age comics with main plots being supplemented with subplots. The volume definitely leaves the reader eager to continue the adventures.
The art is beautiful, as always. Byrne renders the cast very much like he did in the early 80's. Here and there a couple faces felt a touch "off" but that happens. The backgrounds are full and varied, adding to the overall story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publishers and for NetGalley for this advanced readers copy!
For any long-term X-Men fan, John Byrne’s name is forever associated with many of their earlier adventures, including the beloved and often adapted Dark Phoenix Saga. For this new collection of comics, Byrne pitches an alternate timeline, ‘Elsewhen’ wherein certain key elements of that story change in an unexpected way.
This consequently creates the room for a very different story with the same beloved characters in new adventures. The beloved art style and colours of the era are back, bringing vibrancy and nostalgia to the read. Serving as a collection of Byrne’s own self published stories, these can occasionally feel disjointed but the plot threads end up paying off in satisfying ways.
As the story progresses, the scope builds to create an exciting conflict, and ends with a very shocking twist that I am sure will have repercussions in future volumes.
If you aren’t familiar with the source material, this may at times be confusing, as it assumes that you have read the original run. However, if you enjoyed those original stories, there is so much to love and enjoy in these pages.
I very much look forward to seeing what happens next!
For any long-term X-Men fan, John Byrne’s name is forever associated with many of their earlier adventures, including the beloved and often adapted Dark Phoenix Saga. For this new collection of comics, Byrne pitches an alternate timeline, ‘Elsewhen’ wherein certain key elements of that story change in an unexpected way.
This consequently creates the room for a very different story with the same beloved characters in new adventures. The beloved art style and colours of the era are back, bringing vibrancy and nostalgia to the read. Serving as a collection of Byrne’s own self published stories, these can occasionally feel disjointed but the plot threads end up paying off in satisfying ways.
As the story progresses, the scope builds to create an exciting conflict, and ends with a very shocking twist that I am sure will have repercussions in future volumes.
If you aren’t familiar with the source material, this may at times be confusing, as it assumes that you have read the original run. However, if you enjoyed those original stories, there is so much to love and enjoy in these pages.
I very much look forward to seeing what happens next!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much Abram's Comic Arts, John Byrne and Netgalley for this chance to read a free electronic ARC of first volume of X-Men Elsewhen. Reviews are my own.
Just finished reading and I am like, 'Wow, this really took me back to times when I first met X-Men, watching the animated series.' Elsewhen has it all, X-Men, the Avengers (Iron Man!), Fantastic Four, Spider Man, good old Magneto and Sentinels (I really want to see Sentinels if I read or watch X-Men) and the story is chronologically after Dark Phoenix.
The volume has several different layers, different stories and these layers feed into one epic story. It has a clever plot, like a puzzle coming together. Reader should pay attention to every detail.
The quality of the electronic version is magnificent even though this is an ARC. The colours, details and zoom in options work well. Even though my eyes ache when I read colourful volumes (it is about me rather than my ARC copy), I read the whole volume in one day. The art is beautiful as always, X-Men never disappointed me in art quality. This volume will be awesome in print!
And did I mention it was written by John Byrne? So, if you like X-Men or Marvel, I think it is time for you to stop reading this comment, apply for ARC on Netgalley and preorder your first volume.
And Abrams Comicarts, thank you so much again for the ARC and please note that I will be more than glad to read anything you have. This volume is really brought back the X-Men fan in me! Thank you!
Just finished reading and I am like, 'Wow, this really took me back to times when I first met X-Men, watching the animated series.' Elsewhen has it all, X-Men, the Avengers (Iron Man!), Fantastic Four, Spider Man, good old Magneto and Sentinels (I really want to see Sentinels if I read or watch X-Men) and the story is chronologically after Dark Phoenix.
The volume has several different layers, different stories and these layers feed into one epic story. It has a clever plot, like a puzzle coming together. Reader should pay attention to every detail.
The quality of the electronic version is magnificent even though this is an ARC. The colours, details and zoom in options work well. Even though my eyes ache when I read colourful volumes (it is about me rather than my ARC copy), I read the whole volume in one day. The art is beautiful as always, X-Men never disappointed me in art quality. This volume will be awesome in print!
And did I mention it was written by John Byrne? So, if you like X-Men or Marvel, I think it is time for you to stop reading this comment, apply for ARC on Netgalley and preorder your first volume.
And Abrams Comicarts, thank you so much again for the ARC and please note that I will be more than glad to read anything you have. This volume is really brought back the X-Men fan in me! Thank you!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I absolutely love how this came about. Byrne just decided one day to draw some X-Men fanfic and post it on his website. Because he wasn't trying to sell it, it wasn't an issue. The fans there loved it and he started drawing more, turning it into a new page every day until he eventually had enough content for 3 volumes of alternate X-Men lore.
It starts off with the original idea they had for Jean Grey at the end of The Dark Phoenix Saga and strikes out from there with trips to the Savage Land, the return of the Sentinels and Magneto and even bringing in both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. I loved everything about it. Byrne's art is still top notch. The guy hasn't lost a step and I hope this leads to a return to comics on the regular. He's long been one of my favorite creators and Marvel could certainly use a jolt of his energy to its books.
It starts off with the original idea they had for Jean Grey at the end of The Dark Phoenix Saga and strikes out from there with trips to the Savage Land, the return of the Sentinels and Magneto and even bringing in both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. I loved everything about it. Byrne's art is still top notch. The guy hasn't lost a step and I hope this leads to a return to comics on the regular. He's long been one of my favorite creators and Marvel could certainly use a jolt of his energy to its books.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oh, I missed these stories of the X-Men!!
Truly,John Bryne reminded us how awesome are those stories,so impactful and amazing not only for the X-Men universe but for the whole Marvel Universe as well!
The plot is starts slow but progressively builts up to a story that you dont want to stop reading. Great character development with the team members,their relations and their individual characteristics. I believe it is the true essence of the X-Men.
About artwork, it is great, I love the 70's-80's aesthetic, beautiful illustrations,nice colouring and nice placement of the panels.
For any fan of the X-Men, this graphic novel must not be missed and for any Marvel collector, this graphic novel is a must.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an Unbiased review.
Truly,John Bryne reminded us how awesome are those stories,so impactful and amazing not only for the X-Men universe but for the whole Marvel Universe as well!
The plot is starts slow but progressively builts up to a story that you dont want to stop reading. Great character development with the team members,their relations and their individual characteristics. I believe it is the true essence of the X-Men.
About artwork, it is great, I love the 70's-80's aesthetic, beautiful illustrations,nice colouring and nice placement of the panels.
For any fan of the X-Men, this graphic novel must not be missed and for any Marvel collector, this graphic novel is a must.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an Unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
X-Men: Elsewhen Volume 1- This took me back to when I was a child reading comics in the gas station waiting on my turn at the arcade game in the corner. I don’t know what my favorite part is: seeing Storm in her black & gold suit, seeing the interaction with Jean’s parents, or seeing the HUGE line of superheroes outside of the X-MEN family. There was Spiderman, Ironman, the Fantastic 4, Captain America, Wanda & Vision, and so many others. This story was great and really had that classic comic feel to it. Let's talk about that ending, though… shocking to the point that I already checked to see if there is a release date for volume 2. INCREDIBLE story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this graphic novel as an eARC!
This was interesting. Not great, but definitely interesting. I'm typically wary of "new and unexpected" directions, and that hunch was right, but I had a reasonably good time anyway, so I can't rate this too low.
A little irritating to see the Fantastic Four and the Avengers get involved in an X-Men story, though. If I wanted those guys, I'd go read their comics instead.
Three stars out of five to X-Men: Elsewhen.
This was interesting. Not great, but definitely interesting. I'm typically wary of "new and unexpected" directions, and that hunch was right, but I had a reasonably good time anyway, so I can't rate this too low.
A little irritating to see the Fantastic Four and the Avengers get involved in an X-Men story, though. If I wanted those guys, I'd go read their comics instead.
Three stars out of five to X-Men: Elsewhen.
June 26, 2026
John Byrne has reminded me why I fell in love with these characters in the first place. Byrne plays with all of the toys in rapid fire succession, making this 200+ page story a page turner that is hard to put down.
Byrne's artwork is not at his 1979-80 peak, but everything that you ever loved about it is still there and rings true. I just wish he went back to standard panel borders and had flat coloring to stay true in tone to the era he is trying to recreate here.
These minor grumbles aside, this is the book you have been waiting for, whether you realize it or not.
Byrne's artwork is not at his 1979-80 peak, but everything that you ever loved about it is still there and rings true. I just wish he went back to standard panel borders and had flat coloring to stay true in tone to the era he is trying to recreate here.
These minor grumbles aside, this is the book you have been waiting for, whether you realize it or not.
Review of advance copy
What a fun, romp of a read! With an 80’s vibe, Byrne has written and drawn a fun adventure of the OG Xmen. I’ve missed this team!
It’s not perfect: the plot is simple at times, I found myself missing the Claremont contribution and an editor would have helped on pacing… but it’s still fun and nostalgic.
A must read for 80’s Xmen fans. Others may be disappointed.
It’s not perfect: the plot is simple at times, I found myself missing the Claremont contribution and an editor would have helped on pacing… but it’s still fun and nostalgic.
A must read for 80’s Xmen fans. Others may be disappointed.
June 26, 2026
To say John Byrne's still got it, is an understatement. Elsewhen is popping with energy and dynamism.
It captures the spirit of the seminal Claremont run, without all of the overwritten dialogue and narration, as well as dense exposition, which creates a much more enjoyable and smoothly paced reading experience.
Goddamn, this book packed a punch.
It captures the spirit of the seminal Claremont run, without all of the overwritten dialogue and narration, as well as dense exposition, which creates a much more enjoyable and smoothly paced reading experience.
Goddamn, this book packed a punch.
June 26, 2026
It is a bit of a hat on a hat in that Byrne fan-fics his own book. It works in so many ways, but when the rest of the Marvel characters show up, it wandered. Still, I am here for more. There is a lot of love and passion on full display.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Byrne puts out a collection that will have you grabbing for a flashlight to read it under the covers.
June 25, 2026
As retroactively authorized fan fiction goes, this is among the very best.
June 27, 2026
For what this is... it's a blast.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The original Claremont/Byrne run on X-Men/Uncanny X-Men is, for all of its flaws, iconic. Byrne is, as a man, famously not. Notorious for being a "company man" rolled out against fellow creatives like Kirby who were pushing for more credit and compensation, Byrne has become just as well known over the years for his unabashedly racist and transphobic comments. Will his fan fiction be worth it?
In a word, No. Yes, the art is still often great, but the writing and characterization of all but the main cast remains questionable, at best, and even there he misses, with the gross infantilzation of Jean Grey being the creepiest and most unnecessary element of the series. My advice? If you're feeling the classic X-Men itch, just reread the classics.
In a word, No. Yes, the art is still often great, but the writing and characterization of all but the main cast remains questionable, at best, and even there he misses, with the gross infantilzation of Jean Grey being the creepiest and most unnecessary element of the series. My advice? If you're feeling the classic X-Men itch, just reread the classics.
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