X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic, Book 2

X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic

by Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, John Francis Moore

Apocalypse has conquered half of humankind and is ready to destroy them all! Magneto and his Amazing X-Men fight to protect humans and mutants alike, only to learn from Bishop that his world might need to be unmade!

Collects X-Men: Alpha, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1 #1, X-Calibre #1, Gambit and the X-Ternals #1-2, Weapon X #1-2, Amazing X-Men #1-2, Factor X #1-2, X-Man #1

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, X Men, Marvel, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics

376 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2006

About the author

Scott Lobdell (born 1960) is an American comic book writer.

He is mostly known for his work throughout the 1990s on Marvel Comics' X-Men-related titles specifically Uncanny X-Men, the main title itself, and the spin-off series that he conceived with artist Chris Bachalo, Generation X. Generation X focused on a number of young mutant students who attempted to become superheroes in their own right at a separate school with the guidance of veteran X-related characters Banshee and Emma Frost. He also had writing stints on Marvel's Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series with artist Gene Ha. He wrote the script to Stan Lee's Mosaic and an upcoming film from POW Entertainment featuring Ringo Starr. He also participated in the Marvel Comics and Image Comics (from Jim Lee's WildStorm) crossover mini-series WildC.A.T.s/X-Men.

Reviews

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the classic Days of Future Past, dystopias time-travel stories have been part of the X-Men tradition. As the spinoffs grew and comics became more complex, an arguably even better alternate reality dystopia came about in the 90s which kind of seemed like the pinnacle of the mutant saga: The Age of Apocalypse.

It began with X-Men: Alpha, an indulgent and violent first issue that very successfully introduced this brave new world. After Bishop was trapped in the past, where Professor X had been paradoxically assassinated by his own son (comics, right), the mad old man served as the point of view character to explain all this.

To sum up, one of the greatest villains of all time had taken over the world and now Magneto was the founder and leader of the X-Men. A resistance in a literal post-apocalyptic hellscape, all your favorite characters were redesigned in sometimes surprising ways.

Each comic was cancelled and rebranded for four full months. It really felt like a huge deal at the time, bold and ambitious. There was Astonishing X-Men, Amazing X-Men, etc. The first chapters usually began with Magneto showing up and giving the various teams new missions. These kind of alternate universe stories are always about fixing the timeline to undo it all, which is bit of a cheap narrative shortcut but it wasn’t so much of a cliché yet back then.

This was certainly not a single auteur’s vision, this was story by committee as multiple writers and editors had to organize a dozen-odd titles and figure out what the new status quo was. It actually worked out, and felt like there was a fully formed history there. There were backstories referenced, with thoughtful characterization and motivations. Some heroes now villains, some villains now heroes. The vast cast was utilized well.

For example, Magneto’s team included Sabretooth and Exodus. Along with the animated Morph and recently deceased Blink felt fresh yet timely. It also must be mentioned that Magneto was married to Rogue, with a kid. While Gambit had his own team of X-Ternals thieves featuring Jubilee and Strong Guy who went on a cosmic adventure into space, which was written and illustrated by the X-Force team showing a completely different take the usual monthly status. Wolverine was Weapon X, working for the European human council and in a relationship with Jean Grey. Factor X replaced X-Factor, with a focus on the original team as Cyclops was shown to be on the evil side working for Sinister along with the excellent villain Dark Beast. Colossus and Shadowcat were cruel teachers leading the Generation Next. There were further fascinating character shakeups, with edgy Nightcrawler on the hunt for Mystique, while Angel was the shady Casablanca-esque club owner. And finally, some new enemies were introduced in the form of Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen, such as Abyss and Holocaust. A lot was going on, just too much to summarize.

It wasn’t perfect, and the writing could be cheesy. Magneto gave a lot of dramatic speeches. It was of its time. The Sentinels redesign in particular was not good, but most of the general world-building was well thought out. It was one of the most successful crossovers ever, for good reason. There was a lot of excitement in those days, and upon rereading in the modern era you can still feel it. A new classic indeed.

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alternate 'mainstream' reality genius! Words cannot express just how comprehensive and well imagined this alternate reality is, from completely new comic books to some (brilliant) random protagonists and antagonists. One of Marvel's big event high points! 8 out of 12.
Collects X-Men: Alpha, Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men Volume 1 #1, X-Calibre #1, Gambit and the X-Ternals #1-2, Weapon X Volume 1 #1-2, Amazing X-Men #1-2, Factor X #1-2, and X-Man #1.

[Wreade1872 · Rating 2 out of 5]

No its still bad. Kinda assumed it might be good after getting the messy vol 1 out of the way, which clearly should have been vol 4.

But while it makes much more structural sense its not much better writing wise. Really not a lot of characterization. I think Quicksilver gets the most indepth stuff and he doesn't mean diddly to me as an X-men fan.

Almost every issue has bad art and some bad text somewhere. I hate Apocalypse's stupid tower which appears in almost every issue.

Too mny characters and too much action without any solid foundations. Weirdly X-man, Gambit and the X-ternals and some of X-Calibre where the highlights, all things i expected i would hate.
Gen-X is awful as that only barely started before this event, what the hecks the point of an alternate version of a team if i don't even know who the original team is yet.

I could have rounded up to 3-stars but i'm still hoping (against all reason) for some improvements to come.

[Ｆｒａｎｋｈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to this helpful site , everyone should start reading the collected epic editions of Age of Apocalypse starting with this second volume because it turns out that the first one should be the last one to read. So, by following that recommended order, does it also guarantee that readers can follow the storylines chronologically? HELL TO THE NO.

The simple, inescapable reality (much like the alternate world everyone in this goddamn story is forced to live in) is that the published volumes for AoA are somehow OUT OF ORDER no matter which volume you start with. However, the one recommended the most that would be "less" confusing is by reading volumes 2, 3 and 4 and then make the first volume last because, er, JESUS LOKI CHRIST I DON'T KNOW. What do you want from me? A review that doesn't make me come off like I'm the most irritable bitch who ever woke up in the most cosmically wrong angle of the bed that also happens to be stranded in piranha-infested waters?

Because that's how it felt while reading this second volume at its worst times. When it's okay, I just shrug my shoulders and move on. That's how underwhelming and frustrating my reading experience had been with Age of Apocalypse.

This volume features: X-MEN: ALPHA, AGE OF APOCALYPSE: THE CHOSEN, GENERATION NEXT #1, ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL. 1 #1, X-CALIBRE #1, GAMBIT AND THE X-TERNALS #1-2, WEAPON X VOL. 1 #1-2, AMAZING X-MEN #1-2, FACTOR X #1-2 and X-MAN #1

Maybe I should have read this BY INDIVIDUAL ISSUES after all which was the original plan from the beginning but I wanted to save myself some time sifting through single copies and opted to read using the collected editions instead. Midway through the first volume, I keep telling myself, "Eka, maybe there's still time. Maybe you can turn around and re-download the single issues and then just follow the recommended chronology list online instead" but I ignored that voice in my head and soldiered on. WHAT A STUPID MISTAKE. I can't help but think that maybe if I did that, I would have enjoyed and appreciated this story.

But then I'd encounter some mediocre moment somewhere along the way of this second volume and just mutter "well, fuck it, might as well", choosing to just bear this painfully dreary and baffling story as arranged in the worst way possible because I hate myself.

Now Age of Apocalypse is considered to be one of the landmark stories in the X-Men universe but I'm starting to think that it's mostly because it went on and on and on AND ON, spanning for fourteen separate titles over the course of what I assume are two to three years. Quality-wise, I'm not convinced it's a worthy classic. There are just so many stuff going on and most of them don't make sense as a unit. If solely viewed as issues belonging to their respective titles, I suppose they can be excusable but the problem is the references and callbacks about other events from other titles will force you to look back because you can't expect to remember everything clearly while reading through issue after issue of expanded expositions, action scenes that serve no purpose, and what little character and emotional developments that are squeezed in between the action. I can't bring myself to care about the supposedly major scenarios happening because the abruptness of some scenes and the overall chopped way the stories are collected herein just distracts me from fully immersing myself in this alternate world.

I have two more volumes to go before the month ends and I intend to lower my expectations now so I won't get this prissy in my reviews because who wants to read me complain about an X-Men comic book? I don't like doing that. Nevertheless, I suppose if this is what the overall tonality and visual style of X-Men nineties comics sans Chris Claremont have to offer, then I should have just quit ahead with Fatale Attractions and Legion Quest because I actually loved those arcs.

That being said, the one consistent thing that I have enjoyed about Age of Apocalypse is this version of Magneto; the benevolent mentor and idealist for the X-Men who wishes to defeat Apocalypse for the good of both human and mutant kind. He's driven, caring and adorably self-aware, often brooding over the death and legacy of Charles Xavier, his friend who sacrificed himself for Erik so Erik feels obliged to make his late friend's dream about a better world come true. His relationship with his son Pietro, his colleagues Sabretooth and Morph, and marriage with Rogue are actually depicted in a flattering light. There is trust among these characters--too bad that they're only featured a good quarter of a time in this three hundred sixty-seven-paged motherfucker.

Making Magneto as the central protagonist in this long-winded saga is a smart choice although he's often treated in the sidelines during the most opportune moments which only adds to my annoyance. Still, I also consider Weapon X (Logan) as yet another interesting version of the character who I think adapts the best in this alternate world alongside his girlfriend Jean Grey. Even bad-guy Cyclops is mildly entertaining, constantly torn between being a brute and a compassionate man whose allegiance is questionable. These are the few things for this volume that I did love. But the one thing that never fails to bring me absolute joy is the fact that ERIK LEHNSHERR IS OBVIOUSLY HARBORING STRONG UNREQUITED FEELINGS FOR THE LATE CHARLES XAVIER.



I'm a Cherik shipper so you will never get me to see it in any other way but the evidence is even stronger for AoA, especially when you take into consideration how hang up he is about Charles dying, how determined he is that his loss won't be in vain, and how surprisingly distant he seems to be from his wife Rogue while being obviously fond of their son WHOM HE NAMED CHARLES.







And then his control room is filled with Charles' images across his monitors, presumably as his stand-by wallpaper. It's insane how much this version of Magneto pines for the professor. There really is no other way to interpret his actions but as a man who has latent romantic desires for his best friend. Thank you, writers. Fuck subtlety when it comes to Cherik, am I right?



Overall, this second volume of Age of Apocalypse has left me feeling:



But, this is definitely better than the first collected edition...I think. I still have two more after this and I'm pushing through regardless of how awful I'm starting to feel now as I read this. A great bulk of the artwork also irritates me. This is how nineties visual style is, I guess, but Jim Lee's art has traces of the nineties style too but he managed to make his more refined and polished than most of these issues. I don't get it. I DON'T GET ANYTHING ABOUT AOA AT ALL except for the fact that Magneto is in love with Charles but we're supposed to pretend it's not the case. Don't expect my reviews to ever get better from this point. And you know what, I actually look forward to how Fox studios will adapt this into film next year.

With what I've read so far, any deviation and condensed version is preferable for me.

MEH, OKAY. RECOMMENDED: 7/10


DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second volume of the four volume Age of Apocalypse is better than book 1 because the stories collected have more of a loosely connected narrative. Set in dystopian alternative timeline where Apocalypse, a mad powerful mutant, takes over the world with social-Darwinian agenda after the death of Professor Xavier leading to new roles for all of the characters in the mutant pantheon of Marvel comics. While still not brilliant it is fascinating how writers and artists have reimagined a world without Professor X, and explore the darker sides of human nature.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s the thread of a great story in this book. The X-Men are all about what you’re willing to do to build a better world from the terribly flawed one we live in. Charles Xavier, who was relatively kindly raised, thinks he can do it with kindness. Eric Lehnsherr, who survived the Nazi death camps, thinks it will take fire. Their competition and cooperation shape their world. One misguided foot soldier decides the world would have been a better place if Lensherr wasn’t in it, and goes back in time to make it so. Xavier steps in front of the bullet. The darker timeline unfolds. Apocalypse rises. Cyclops remains a putz.

But while the thread of a great story is there, I found the execution really off putting. Everyone posed and declaimed and reacted all the time. Hardly anyone really wrestled with the little deeper level. There were too many frelling characters for me to keep track of. And the women’s costumes and continually thrust out hips were hella alienating.

Thread of a good story, too weighed down with chuffa and sexy lamps.

[Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before you pick this up, I hope you read the reviews of the first book and decided to go with this one instead. That being said, even this book is far from perfect. You're given the first two issues of the many story lines that contain the Age of Apocalypse and there are a lot. Each of these "individual" stories refer to one another constantly, making it seem as I'm having to go back and forth just to get the context of it all. So, even after avoiding the first book, I feel as though one has to out right purchase books 2, 3 and 4 even to understand what's going on and I'm discouraged that these books will even make sense on their own without the use of other reference sources. The familiar X-Men characters are not in their typical rolls, which is part of the confusion, along with their futuristic looks and forced 1990's dialogue. While I want to enjoy the Age of Apocalypse series, I feel that most of the motivation stems from me wanting to find out what happens rather than good storytelling fueling my interest.

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the first volume is a lot of setup, this volume definitely gets the wheels moving towards the end game.

What I think really works well in this storyline is that even though it is a new setup with a new background, the core of who the characters are - are still there. Even Cyclops who is part of Apocalypse's elite team, has a nobleness that he cant escape - as we see in some issues in this volume. The familiarity of the characters anchor us while the world around them completely changes. It's a great experiment in literary themes and the setting for those themes.

We have a little bit of every title in this volume, and most go up to issue two like: Weapon X, Astonishing X-Men, Gambit and the X-ternals, etc... so we get a really good grasp of what is happening in each title and thus, this world. We also get the "why" a team is doing something while another team is doing something else. This is greatly helped by the very "Marvel" style of storytelling, where the titles are constantly referring to happenings occurring in other titles, giving the entire event the feeling of one cohesive whole. This isn't each creative team doing their own thing in a new setting, nope, this is everyone working together towards a goal. And that goal is really to re-establish the status quo.

I think this was a really enjoyable volume, and really goes into detail on just how bad things are and how much worse they can get. But like I said, it really just gets the wheels rolling and not too far unfortunately. Onto volume 3 where things ramp up considerably.

[Michael Church · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing that saved this from being a single star was context. I realize it's from the 90's or whatever, so the style and the story and everything are very different from what I am used to, but good god this was painful.

I think the worst part is how LONG it all is. I get that there's a lot of content. I get the stage needs to be set and all that. The thing is, there's been hardly any setting of the stage. They repeat the same crappy lines about how terrible the world is in every one of the issues. It's all just something that, you know what Apocalypse is like and what he is supposed to do, so accept that the world sucks.

At the very least, the story got some traction this time around. Last volume was really just about who the characters are. This time, there are actual story lines being established. There still is backstory missing, though. It seems like they are more focused on repeating what this place is than who everyone is. They throw around names and code names and expect them to stick, but everything is juxtaposed. Why are Northstar and Aurora evil? What's the real backstory for people like Angel on the fringe of the story? They just keep neglecting information it seems like.

Also, the dialogue is rough. It feels so forced and unnatural. Everything is SO DRAMATIC!!! ZOMG LIVES ARE IN THE BALANCE, EVIL IS A REAL AND TANGIBLE THING, WHO IS GOING TO STOP ATROCITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING DAILY.

The X-Men!

Except it's not that impressive. No one is likable, all the feelings are stupid and forced and layered on top of empty action. Which brings up the art. It's just so in your face and unfocused. Nothing looks like it has enough detail to really give it the focus it needs. None of the panels look like complete thoughts, if that makes sense.

I don't know, I was very excited to dig into this "epic" (which it really is, just not very satisfying) and I hate to say I'm dreading the next two volumes. It takes so long to get through them in addition to all of the content, there are just so many words. So much unnecessary narration and dialogue just pads what is already a pretty bloated story. Also, I'm pretty sure I see the deus ex coming and I'm not happy about it. I love most of its iterations, but it's basically a repeat of another story, just with slightly altered context. Blah.

No motivations, no one to care about, nothing human about anything, complex and repetitive story lines, bloated content, subpar art, and a number of other factors make this a pass. If you don't feel a need to read this, you can totally avoid it.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second of four books which make the complete Age of Apocalypse saga.



So far I have found this series has got progressively better and has covered a lot of ground in its pages. It would seem that despite the formidable Apocalypses hard rule he has traitors in his own forces (you will have to read to find out who).



Magneto begins to lose his cool as a stranger from the future ruffles his feathers with tales of this other universe by which Xavier had not died and how much more balanced that place is.



The Beast continues to perform his deranged genealogical experiments and Scott Summers watches over The Breeding Pens as his own brother plots against him but does Scott have designs of his own.



Weapon X and Jean Grey become affiliates of the Human High Council only to discover how close a war is descending upon them. Gambit and his X-Ternals are given a special mission from Magneto in order to save the universe… to obtain the M’Kraan Crystal from the Shi’ar Empire.



As the characters individual tales are told it is captivating to read their individual roles that are played all to achieve one goal… the annihilation of Apocalypse.

[Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been trudging though the kind of terrible Spider-Man "Clone Saga" and to be honest, I tend to be leery of these crossovers because they usually sound like good ideas, but their execution is usually shitty. I did have issues with the previous volume, as the stories were presented in chronological story order and not in publication order, but the stories themselves were fine, and this volume gives context to those stories that make them more enjoyable.

Essentially the "Age of Apocalypse" is a alternate reality where Charles Xavier did not form the X-Men, allowing Apocalypse to turn Earth into his own personal hellscape. This volume is a setup and mostly fleshes out this reality. Heroes become villains and villains become heroes, but all of the motivations make sense and there aren't any head scratching moments to speak of.

What makes this collection enjoyable is that the premise is simple and the X-Men creative teams execute it. The execution isn't perfect, but it is good enough to make me want to continue and not complain about it, like with "the Clone Saga."

[Nicole Westen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 90's punk slang made me laugh. Although I'm pretty sure in another twenty years or so we'll be saying the same thing about things like 'Come at me bro'.

[Odo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

[Owen Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of this unremittingly chronological series of reprints starts to actually get into the swing of things. Gone are the clunky prequel tales and here we're getting into the thick of it. Switching across multiple titles telling different parts of the same story - this graphic novel gives you the genuinely breathless sensation of following the epic as it unfolded at the time. Not every "issue" in it feels essential but the combined momentum is palpable. The only real comment I have to make about the collection itself is the sloppy printing errors throughout - the first story (X-Men: Alpha) is at the wrong magnification so looks blurry and there are a few examples of mismatched inks and blurry copies. This, the poor decision on order and a continued lack of context / commentary makes it feel rather a hastily cobbled together endeavour.

X-Men: Alpha (Lobdell, Waid, Cruz & Epting)
Ground zero for the entire saga and suitably epic feeling - this foundational tale sets the stakes for the book. Despite the printing error ruining the fun a little, the tone is sprawling and absorbing. From the point of view of someone who'd been wading through the prequels cobbled together after everything, it was hugely refreshing to see it all "laid out" at last and even hang out with Apocalypse himself for a bit. The art is... deeply 90's and not at all consistent despite some impressive double-page splashes. The women look terrible and Magneto's infant child is hilarious.

Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen (Lawler & Churchill with other pin-ups)
I wasn't at all expecting this. The Chosen is what amounts to Apocalypse's private musings over the cast of characters in this early phase of the AoA. Hilariously this takes the form of a slightly petulant "I like/I don't like" profile for each one accompanied by pin-ups by various artists (cool to see folk like Tim Sale and Salvador Larroca here). I found it oddly charming despite Churchill's work and on reflection it serves as a neat grounding for the complex web of different titles that are to follow.

Generation Next #1 (Lobdell & Bachalo)
Easily the coolest art in the whole GN, Bachalo's intricate and weighty stuff is utterly jaw-dropping and only tainted by a printing mistake where the inks mismatch with the colours. It's a really strong story too, introducing a much moodier Colossus pushing his fledging X-team far too hard. It reminded me of Invincible's queasily unbalanced use of superheroics in battles and it was genuinely thrilling. A highlight.

The Astonishing X-Men #1 (Lobdell & Madureira)
We get a little glimpse into the melodramatic dynamics of the AoA X-Men here: with Gambit sleazing about, Magneto monologuing into the darkness and Morph (genuinely hilariously) just going around pretending to be other people and ruining everyone's lives. Madureira seems oddly uncredited here as just "Joe" but his work is solid and with good energy. Those dated colours though are... helping nobody.

X-Calibre #1 (Ellis & Lashley)
Warren Ellis brings us an extremely gothic tale of Nightcrawler looking to infiltrate the refugee network and get in contact with his mother Mystique. There are lots of shades of grey here and our little fuzzy bamfing elf is a very different character in the AoA universe. Prone to acts of extreme violence. It's a shame Lashley's art doesn't quite match the script, being prone to all the worst cliches of the time: all the muscled characters are sixty feet wide, the feet all look really weird and everyone's eyes are all verrrry far apart.

Gambit and the X-Ternals #1-2 (Nicieza & Daniel)
Gambit, himself a fairly loosely sketched character in this universe, leads an even sketchier team (strong guy, flaming guy, Jubilee and super powerful pop star) into what turns out to be an existentially cosmic quest. It's extremely linear and clunky, and most of the characters are reduced to just being shocked at how linear and clunky it all is. Daniel's art is... quite dynamic but very much an example of "it was the style at the time".

Weapon X #1-2 (Hama & Kubert)
Oh NOW here it is. Adam Kubert is one of my favourite artists and (despite being mauled by three inkers in the first issue) is on fine form here. There's so much energy in his work and just seeing one-handed Wolvie hurling himself about the place is pure joy. Hama brings a really solid dynamic between the until-now (from my perspective) barely justified dynamic between him and Jean Grey and the ending to the second issue is... genuinely very powerful which I wasn't expecting. Kinetic, incredible work.

The Amazing X-Men #1-2 (Nicieza & Kubert)
Much like X-Ternals, Fabian Nicieza delivers a fairly sketchy and unedifying story which principally involves the X-Men training really hard to reprogramme sentinels for some reason, failing to do so and then managing it again. All set against the backdrop of a really clunky attempt to couple up Quicksilver with Storm, a very shoddy introduction into the AoA for both Dazzler and Exodus and what I can only describe as one of the most anticlimactic fights I've ever witnessed with Abyss. Kubert's dynamism fails to materialise and in all the excitement he forgets to give Quicksilver the top of his head.

Factor X #1-2 (Moore & Epting)
My strongest memories of the first volume is the hilariously emo relationship between Cyclops & Havok which continues apace in Factor X. Cyclops is doing well despite not doing that much, and Havok resents him for it. On it goes. The New York dynamic with Angel's nightclub is probably the strongest established "place" in AoA for me and despite a fairly nothingy tangle with Polaris there's some delicious melodramatic soap operatics on display here. Which I love. Pure mirror universe vibes: when everyone is evil and sarcastic, no one gets bored. Epting's art here is strong and functional with some nice complexity and solid inks.

X-Man #1 (Loeb & Skroce)
Thanks to the placement of a future time-travelling X-Man in the first AoA volume, Nate Grey's character and chronology is a cluttered mess in my mind. This tale doesn't help. Here he hangs out with Forge (as played by an evil wizard) and his travelling side-show of performing mutants who have to be painstakingly disguised as non-mutants for reasons. It's a all a bit confusing and then Mister Sinister shows up but bald and the story tries to make a meal out of it. It's not great. Skroce's art is a sumptuous clutter of dynamic hands and splayed legs and feels marvellously suited to the tale given how OTT and theatrical it all is.

So, in conclusion, now we're in business. The time feels solidly "early 1995" and the story is working its way through an intricate tangle of set pieces and side plots. It DOES feel epic, and I'm starting to get genuinely excited to read some more. Perhaps I'd argue that folk should read AoA not in "story chronological" order, but "real life" chronological order. So if you want to delve into the Age of Apocalypse, it's this volume you should start with. I certainly wish I had!

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is getting good! I really admire the dedication involved in giving so much time and space to this event. Plus, whoever edited this collection managed to get into a good groove, where even though the issues aren't all one sequential story, you really get the feeling and the atmosphere of being on Apocalypse's Earth. The original comic writers put together a compelling set of alternate characters, so I really do doubt along with them -- I KNOW the "real" universe is a better one, but I still regret the fact that this Magneto will be erased, and his son Charles will never have been born, and that all the deep relationships here will never have existed, like the awesome partnership between Wolverine and Jean, or Cyclops' slow realization that he's on the wrong side.

My main criticism is that the art is often impossible for me to parse, and I just make do with the descriptions/dialogue.

[Nick (LackingZones) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vol. 1 of this series set the stage for the entire Age of Apocalypse event and also had a nice concise story in the form of the Blink miniseries. Vol. 2 of the series, on the other hand, gives you the first one or two issues of each of the relevant comics. As such, it starts a bunch of stories that don't manage to progress very far because you're too busy jumping between teams and characters. This is not to say that it's bad, though. A number of the stories have potential. It just doesn't work great as a standalone collection. I'll be sure to pick up vol. 3 at some point.

Oh, and reader beware, this series is 90s as f*ck.

[Chris Schaben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean...at least it was better than the first volume. But I'm not seeing what the real hype about the Age of Apocalypse event is. It's pretty confusing unless you've read pretty much every issue of X-Men before it. And it just has too much going on to follow the story easily. It's all just kind of strange to me. But I will say that the art looks great and the concept of a mass genocide of human beings by mutants is terrifying! I will eventually get to Volumes 3 and 4, but for now my brain needs a break!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume of the AoA collection highlights how different writers can write the same characters in very different ways. The characters are written so differently and the transition between the different series' is so jarring that they seem like different characters altogether. At least this forms a cohesive story unlike that nonsense that DC has been cranking out recently.

[Asilef · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ay yi yi. That's all I can really say about this. Volume 2 was at least better, exponentially better, than volume 1, but I still wasn't impressed.
Trades were actually in order in this book, so it wasn't confusing. Plus, my loves of the Marvel universe, The Starjammers!!! showed up, so I'm gonna have to continue on to volume 3.

[Rosalynn Maahs Daigle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to say about this one.. it was sort of all over the place and it felt a little hard to track at some points, including introducing a "new team" near the end of this book. Had a lot of questions I had to ask my husband during this one. Will continue on with the next book but hoping it's a little better organized.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as enjoyable overall as the first volume to me. Several high points narratively, but a lot of instances mediocre and downright sloppy storytelling. After how well the back matter was generally handled, this uneven start to the main narrative was something of t a disappointment.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fan favorite of the 90s that doesn't hold up as well as one would hope. Although part of my problem is that the some (but not all) of the art hasn't aged well. Following the storyline is a bit problematic as well, which shouldn't surprise in these multi-author crossover events.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

tried reading this, and found out that while I like the concept of it..over all I just didn't care enough about the concept to slog through art and writing ranging from good to poor.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of little stories, nothing that engaging yet.

[Steve Magay · Rating 1 out of 5]

And guess what? It doesn't get any better at all. Same old crap from the first volume. LOL. Vol. 3 and 4 are out in the trash.

[Darius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally deep enough in these story arcs to see the characters' competing interests. Still, some of the assumed backstory is what I'd rather be reading-- let's see Logan lose that hand!

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I have to say is that this best come together in the end.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting enough, but the alternate versions of characters vary in "cool"-ness. Sigh, Kitty Pryde =/.

[Jody Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't believe I once loved this storyline. Its awful. The art is good, but I feel like my teenage years were a lie.

[Faisal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

Still getting used to the back stories of the main characters. It is getting pretty interesting at this point. Lookimg forward to the next...