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Gen¹³, Vol. 4 (2006-2011) #Vol. 1
Gen¹³ Volume 1: Best of a Bad Lot
Superstar artist Jim Lee ( HUSH) joined forces with up-and-coming artist J. Scott Campbell (DANGER GIRL) to create GEN13, one of the best-selling comic books of the 1990s, which starred a group of super-powered teenagers. Now, the classic teen team is reimagined for a new generation by writer Gail Simone and artist Talent Caldwell. The life of a teenager can be a strange experience, but when super-powers are added to the mix things get a whole lot more confusing. Meet Caitlin, Sarah, Roxy, Bobby, and Eddie -- outcast teenagers from different parts of the country who quickly learn they all have something in abilities far beyond those of their classmates. Discover the secret to their wonderful and scary powers and what role the nefarious Tabula Rasa and International Operations play in their lives.
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2007
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81 people want to read
About the author
Gail Simone
1,081 books1,240 followersGail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 31, 2015
The original Gen 13 was a very good teen-team series with excellent writing and illustration, interesting characters, and a willingness to mix humor and tragedy in a very refreshing manner. Then the creators moved on, the company who owned the franchise destroyed the universe for a while and inferior characters were brought in, and a quickly changing ensemble of writers and illustrators came and went leaving confusion in their wake. Gail Simone became the writer for this, the first volume of stories in what's called volume four of the series. This volume is a re-creation of the creation, an origin tale, which is a little confusing since there was nothing wrong with the fine original origin story... but, people seem to like re-booted re-boots, which is, I guess, why Spider-Man is reborn on screen and page every few years. Some points I liked better than the original, some not so much, but I'll try to judge it on its own. I think it's a very good book. The characters seem to be true to their creation, though they're cast in different circumstances. The art is good, slick and simple for the most part, but with some expressive details. The differences between the characters from before and after their powers is portrayed quite well and subtly. (Well, subtle for a comic. Well, actually, there's nothing subtle at all about Fairchild's transformation, but I'll stick with subtle for the other four.) The writing is quite good, as one expects from Simone, with many terrifically clever one-liners mixed in with dialog that shows the team relationships developing and building. It doesn't break any new ground, but it's an enjoyable read.
August 26, 2018
Edición española, tomo 1 de 7. Traduce los mismos capítulos que el TP 1 USA.
April 27, 2018
I recently read the first volume of Gen13 then this. I am a fan of Gail Simone and read this because I've always like the concept of Gen 13 and wanted to see Gails version of it.
Compared to the original origin, this is a lot better. Both have a few unanswered questions, but this volume does a much better job fleshing out all the characters, not just Fairchild, Roxy and Grunge.
There are still some things that could have been done better. With less, or more equal, focus on Fairchild, I kept expecting her to explain to the others how she was before her powers activated. There wasnt even a hint of her being shy about it, she actually felt more empty. Or an immovable wall of compassion, if that makes sense.
Fairchild was often the draw of the prior series. She received most of the fan service type shots and attention. I think this series was trying to reduce, but not illiminate, the fan service. Its possible other readers went in expecting the fan service and didnt know how to handle this.
Anyway, all of the other characters felt more fleshed out and distinct then before, which is great for the start of a new run.
The overall story actually makes more sense then the original version. That doesnt make it an amazing story, but there are not as many weird shifts in the plot. Everything moves in understandable ways. Things feel earned rather then provided by chance or an unreasonably powerful/influential benefactor.
There were also set ups to explore more of each characters traumas and lives before they were "activated". Some missed opportunities to explore them in this arc, but hopefully the following one will go into that more.
The art is a bit more cartoonish then the original but theres also not excessively detailed armor for every grunt soldier either. There was some odd physics going on with characters wearing tight clothing that should prevent those exact things from happening. Think this artist does this a lot, not sure who it's supposed to appeal to.
Bottom line, I personally felt this was a better origin then the original. That doesnt make it amazing, but I did enjoy it. Id recommend this more for Wildstorm or Gen13 fans, or people looking for something similar to old school Xmen without all the baggage of ongoing continuity
Compared to the original origin, this is a lot better. Both have a few unanswered questions, but this volume does a much better job fleshing out all the characters, not just Fairchild, Roxy and Grunge.
There are still some things that could have been done better. With less, or more equal, focus on Fairchild, I kept expecting her to explain to the others how she was before her powers activated. There wasnt even a hint of her being shy about it, she actually felt more empty. Or an immovable wall of compassion, if that makes sense.
Fairchild was often the draw of the prior series. She received most of the fan service type shots and attention. I think this series was trying to reduce, but not illiminate, the fan service. Its possible other readers went in expecting the fan service and didnt know how to handle this.
Anyway, all of the other characters felt more fleshed out and distinct then before, which is great for the start of a new run.
The overall story actually makes more sense then the original version. That doesnt make it an amazing story, but there are not as many weird shifts in the plot. Everything moves in understandable ways. Things feel earned rather then provided by chance or an unreasonably powerful/influential benefactor.
There were also set ups to explore more of each characters traumas and lives before they were "activated". Some missed opportunities to explore them in this arc, but hopefully the following one will go into that more.
The art is a bit more cartoonish then the original but theres also not excessively detailed armor for every grunt soldier either. There was some odd physics going on with characters wearing tight clothing that should prevent those exact things from happening. Think this artist does this a lot, not sure who it's supposed to appeal to.
Bottom line, I personally felt this was a better origin then the original. That doesnt make it amazing, but I did enjoy it. Id recommend this more for Wildstorm or Gen13 fans, or people looking for something similar to old school Xmen without all the baggage of ongoing continuity
May 9, 2020
This was frothy fun from the typewriter of Gail Simone -- an attempt to reboot Gen13 in the DCU after WildStorm was acquired by DC. In this instance, they're part of an experiment to build super-powered playtoys for the obscenely rich and amoral. Not unexpectedly, they find a way to escape, hilarity and adventure ensuing.
Simone tries to channel some Warren Ellis here (I mean, c'mon, doesn't that *sound* like an Ellis plotline?), with mixed success. Her takes on the characters and situation are interesting, sometimes harrowing, but never quite have the time to gel. Talent Caldwell and Sunny Lee, on pencils in the different issues, do a competent job (better than original Gen13 creator J. Scott Campbell's anatomy-twisting cover). I called the total frothy, and that's probably the right word for it -- but it's a tasty froth, at least to try once.
Simone tries to channel some Warren Ellis here (I mean, c'mon, doesn't that *sound* like an Ellis plotline?), with mixed success. Her takes on the characters and situation are interesting, sometimes harrowing, but never quite have the time to gel. Talent Caldwell and Sunny Lee, on pencils in the different issues, do a competent job (better than original Gen13 creator J. Scott Campbell's anatomy-twisting cover). I called the total frothy, and that's probably the right word for it -- but it's a tasty froth, at least to try once.
March 26, 2018
Mediocre super-hero art, some decent characterization that loses its impact because of the characters' incessantly lame one-liners (always based around their powers), and a corny villain played for laughs who completely strips the series of any menace. Not that I necessarily thought the heroes were in danger of dying, but I didn't get the feel that Simone was playing the leads tongue-in-cheek, which made the decision to over-comedify the villain a peculiar choice.
November 23, 2023
I have read Gail Simone's best work in the past. And rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, her take on the newly rebooted Gen 13 series certainly ain't one of them.
I have never seen such a talented writer fall flat on their face the way this woman has and had I not read this book for myself, I never would believed it to be possible. My friends, I am simply FLABBERGASTED at the sheer incompetence this scribe has just displayed!
You know there is something deadly wrong when the villains are far more interesting and lifelike than the heroes we're supposed to be cheering for; I felt more love and affection for the vile Dr. Cross and his equally heartless and inhumane girlfriend, Megan, than I did for the very protagonists they so cruelly tormented throughout the story.
I never once felt any sympathy for the heroes; each and every one of the Gen 13 were nothing more than character templates. We only know that we are supposed to feel sorry for them and that we are supposed to cheer when they emancipate themselves from their cruel tormentors, but their characters are never developed fully enough for us to feel any of these emotions.
Instead, the main villains are developed into flesh-and-blood beings. And while they may be truly horrible people, we at least feel that they have been fully brought to life while the heroes are left completely flat, faceless, and two-dimensional.
What an absolute disgrace! If I didn't know any better, I would've concluded that Gail Simone actually DESPISED the heroes of the series and deliberately refrained from developing them as fully as they should have been as a way of displaying her scathing contempt.
The only reasons why I gave this piece of crap two stars instead of one is because:
1) The main villains. Deplorably evil as they were, Dr. Cross and Megan were the only interesting characters introduced and together they put more wit, humor, and emotional depth into the book than all five of the Gen 13 combined. As far as writing is concerned, this the only part where Gail Simone succeeded. A pity she didn't put in the same amount of time and effort into the other characters.
2) Talent Caldwell's beautiful artwork. And even this is undermined if you're familiar with the old Gen 13. The previous series may have not had spectacular writing (believe me, it didn't) but at least it manage to be visually titillating from time-to-time with the constant flow of bare flesh. But now, even that erotic element has been annihilated from the visuals, which made the need for better writing to keep the reader hooked on the series all the more important.
Take Fairchild, for example. As uninteresting Fairchild may have been in the previous series, at least we got a generous view of her legs, tits, and ass in every panel to distract us from her lack of depth. Now, Fairchild has been more moderately (and realistically) proportioned and almost every inch of her skin has been covered. The visual distraction of her body has been eliminated, which means it's going to take more to draw the average fan boy into her as a person.
To conclude, Gail Simone fails miserably as she fails miserably with everything else. My conclusion, if this writer is going to be this careless with the heroes, she simply move onto a project that she truly cares about because she is going to destroy any credibility this series has left.
I have never seen such a talented writer fall flat on their face the way this woman has and had I not read this book for myself, I never would believed it to be possible. My friends, I am simply FLABBERGASTED at the sheer incompetence this scribe has just displayed!
You know there is something deadly wrong when the villains are far more interesting and lifelike than the heroes we're supposed to be cheering for; I felt more love and affection for the vile Dr. Cross and his equally heartless and inhumane girlfriend, Megan, than I did for the very protagonists they so cruelly tormented throughout the story.
I never once felt any sympathy for the heroes; each and every one of the Gen 13 were nothing more than character templates. We only know that we are supposed to feel sorry for them and that we are supposed to cheer when they emancipate themselves from their cruel tormentors, but their characters are never developed fully enough for us to feel any of these emotions.
Instead, the main villains are developed into flesh-and-blood beings. And while they may be truly horrible people, we at least feel that they have been fully brought to life while the heroes are left completely flat, faceless, and two-dimensional.
What an absolute disgrace! If I didn't know any better, I would've concluded that Gail Simone actually DESPISED the heroes of the series and deliberately refrained from developing them as fully as they should have been as a way of displaying her scathing contempt.
The only reasons why I gave this piece of crap two stars instead of one is because:
1) The main villains. Deplorably evil as they were, Dr. Cross and Megan were the only interesting characters introduced and together they put more wit, humor, and emotional depth into the book than all five of the Gen 13 combined. As far as writing is concerned, this the only part where Gail Simone succeeded. A pity she didn't put in the same amount of time and effort into the other characters.
2) Talent Caldwell's beautiful artwork. And even this is undermined if you're familiar with the old Gen 13. The previous series may have not had spectacular writing (believe me, it didn't) but at least it manage to be visually titillating from time-to-time with the constant flow of bare flesh. But now, even that erotic element has been annihilated from the visuals, which made the need for better writing to keep the reader hooked on the series all the more important.
Take Fairchild, for example. As uninteresting Fairchild may have been in the previous series, at least we got a generous view of her legs, tits, and ass in every panel to distract us from her lack of depth. Now, Fairchild has been more moderately (and realistically) proportioned and almost every inch of her skin has been covered. The visual distraction of her body has been eliminated, which means it's going to take more to draw the average fan boy into her as a person.
To conclude, Gail Simone fails miserably as she fails miserably with everything else. My conclusion, if this writer is going to be this careless with the heroes, she simply move onto a project that she truly cares about because she is going to destroy any credibility this series has left.
February 7, 2016
I just recently added this book to my "To Read" list here on Goodreads.com, but didn't think I would be able to read it any time soon. I signed into our group Comixology.com account yesterday and someone had added the first 2 volumes of this series. I'm a huge fan of Gen 13. I collected the original miniseries and the first full series of theirs back in the 1990's. I love Gail Simone's writing and when I saw that she had written a series of Gen 13 during the time I didn't read many comics, I was interested in it.
The 5 gen-active teens still act pretty close to their established identities of the earlier series. Caitlan is still the level-headed leader type that acts as the mother hen for the rest of the group. Grunge is still the foul mouthed showoff who drools over Caitlan. Roxy is still the punk girl that has the hots for Grunge. Bobby is still interested in Rainmaker, although he is a Wigger in this series. Rainmaker is still the most standoffish one of the group. Simone has added her own little tweaks such as the aforementioned Wiggerization of Bobby. The twisted Dr. Cross is an interesting baddie for the teens to face in their first arc of this new iteration. I like his yes-man, or rather yes-woman in this case, Megan. I think she is the most interesting person in the book. I'll be interested to see where the story goes with Lunch since he was the Professor X figure in the previous versions of this series. It is kinda weird seeing him in the role he is currently playing. I don't think this story is mind blowing or worthy of bunches of awards, but is still a good, solid work by Simone. Her writing and my love for these characters will keep me tuned in for further installments. Writing gets 4 stars.
Talent Caldwell is the artist for the series. I was unfamiliar with this person's work prior to this book. The art is pretty good. It has its moments where it is inconstant. In some scenes Roxy and Cailan both have these cute, upturned noses, but in other panels, the noses don't look the same. In general, Caldwell's characters look better when they are not directly facing the reader. The faces, and noses in particular, look better from a 3/4 view or in full profile. Non of the characters look as good as when J. Scott Campbell drew them, but the art is far better than what I expected. Someone else drew 1 issue in the book, but I can't recall the name at the time. The art in that issue is not quite as good the art by Caldwell. Overall, I give the art 3.75 stars. Had Caldwell drawn the entire book, the score would have been 4 stars.
The averaged score is 3.87 stars which I rounded up to 4 stars. This is a great start to a new beginning of a franchise much loved by me. I'll read more of this in the future and probably try to collect the entire run myself. If you like Simone Writing, pick this up whether you are familiar with the characters or not. If you like the characters but have no idea who Simone is, pick this up because this is some great writing. If you are fans of both the characters and Simone, stop reading this and go grab this series because it is a must for you.
The 5 gen-active teens still act pretty close to their established identities of the earlier series. Caitlan is still the level-headed leader type that acts as the mother hen for the rest of the group. Grunge is still the foul mouthed showoff who drools over Caitlan. Roxy is still the punk girl that has the hots for Grunge. Bobby is still interested in Rainmaker, although he is a Wigger in this series. Rainmaker is still the most standoffish one of the group. Simone has added her own little tweaks such as the aforementioned Wiggerization of Bobby. The twisted Dr. Cross is an interesting baddie for the teens to face in their first arc of this new iteration. I like his yes-man, or rather yes-woman in this case, Megan. I think she is the most interesting person in the book. I'll be interested to see where the story goes with Lunch since he was the Professor X figure in the previous versions of this series. It is kinda weird seeing him in the role he is currently playing. I don't think this story is mind blowing or worthy of bunches of awards, but is still a good, solid work by Simone. Her writing and my love for these characters will keep me tuned in for further installments. Writing gets 4 stars.
Talent Caldwell is the artist for the series. I was unfamiliar with this person's work prior to this book. The art is pretty good. It has its moments where it is inconstant. In some scenes Roxy and Cailan both have these cute, upturned noses, but in other panels, the noses don't look the same. In general, Caldwell's characters look better when they are not directly facing the reader. The faces, and noses in particular, look better from a 3/4 view or in full profile. Non of the characters look as good as when J. Scott Campbell drew them, but the art is far better than what I expected. Someone else drew 1 issue in the book, but I can't recall the name at the time. The art in that issue is not quite as good the art by Caldwell. Overall, I give the art 3.75 stars. Had Caldwell drawn the entire book, the score would have been 4 stars.
The averaged score is 3.87 stars which I rounded up to 4 stars. This is a great start to a new beginning of a franchise much loved by me. I'll read more of this in the future and probably try to collect the entire run myself. If you like Simone Writing, pick this up whether you are familiar with the characters or not. If you like the characters but have no idea who Simone is, pick this up because this is some great writing. If you are fans of both the characters and Simone, stop reading this and go grab this series because it is a must for you.
September 15, 2013
Here we go again. After the laughable Gen13 reboot with Chris Claremont, Wildstorm tries yet again with Gale Simone at the writing helm.
This time, there's this giant corporation that is genetically engineering kids for violence, or sex, or whatever, and broadcasting it for high paying billionaires. The thirteeth batch, you guessed it, breaks free of their clutches with sheer determination and with the help of a reverend who is one of the high paying billionaires with a conscience.
The art is good most of the time (though inconsistent) and the inking job pretty stellar. Just the story is boring as hell.
The thing writers need to realize is that any attempt to inject the old elements that used to define Gen13 (like calling Eddie Grunge, and adding Mr Lynch to the mix) comes off looking forced and outdated.
With a start like this, it's no surprise that the latest reboot was doomed to fail
This time, there's this giant corporation that is genetically engineering kids for violence, or sex, or whatever, and broadcasting it for high paying billionaires. The thirteeth batch, you guessed it, breaks free of their clutches with sheer determination and with the help of a reverend who is one of the high paying billionaires with a conscience.
The art is good most of the time (though inconsistent) and the inking job pretty stellar. Just the story is boring as hell.
The thing writers need to realize is that any attempt to inject the old elements that used to define Gen13 (like calling Eddie Grunge, and adding Mr Lynch to the mix) comes off looking forced and outdated.
With a start like this, it's no surprise that the latest reboot was doomed to fail
July 17, 2012
It's not a good sign for a reboot when you don't give the lead characters their names until issue 5. Even with the (somewhat limited) Gen13 background I had, I was completely lost for most of this book. Who are these people? What are their powers? These are basic questions that a reboot should address, and this book didn't. The villain was more interesting than any of the other characters, and that's only because he was over-the-top cuckoo. The artwork wasn't great either - very cheesecake, and it's hard to tell the male characters apart, which is sad since they have very different physical shapes. Yeah, I don't think this reboot worked...
September 12, 2012
I liked this alot, even though I was inclined to dislike it for various reasons. (I loved Adam Warren's run on Gen 13, and have born a grudge since then when they fired him) So despite by predesposition to hate this run, I found it quite good. Gail didn't write down to the reader and took advantage of the trade format to tell a decompressed, gripping yarn.
January 23, 2016
Tramposo pero entretenido reboot para los 13ºs de WildStorm a cargo de Gail Simone y gran elenco.
March 18, 2023
There is a diverse cast of characters and it deals with heavy themes, including rape and kidnapping, as well as quite a bit of violence.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews