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Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men #8
Uncanny X-Men Masterworks Vol. 8
Collects Uncanny X-Men #160-167 & X-Men Annual #6.
It's an adventure in Belasco's mysterious Limbo realm that leaves Colossus' little sister Ilyana Rasputin aged from child to teenager in a moment. Then comes a classic tale of Professor X and Magneto in their younger days, before their philosophical fallout, teamed up to take down Baron Strucker and Hydra. But the real action is the conclusion of the epic Brood Saga! Teamed with the Starjammers and Shi'ar, the X-Men are in an all-out war for survival against the sleaziest parasites in outer space.
It's an adventure in Belasco's mysterious Limbo realm that leaves Colossus' little sister Ilyana Rasputin aged from child to teenager in a moment. Then comes a classic tale of Professor X and Magneto in their younger days, before their philosophical fallout, teamed up to take down Baron Strucker and Hydra. But the real action is the conclusion of the epic Brood Saga! Teamed with the Starjammers and Shi'ar, the X-Men are in an all-out war for survival against the sleaziest parasites in outer space.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
21 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,280 books889 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 9, 2024
More great early ‘80s X-Men. If only the modern X-books were even half as good…
November 29, 2022
The 'Brood Saga' (everything's a bloomin' saga now eh) is one of the most successful of Chris Claremont's big X-Men stories. It's tightly paced, full of ideas, with a central threat which forces the kinds of character moments Claremont loves to write, and a dizzying expansion of scope from #162's terrific Wolverine solo showcase to #166's high-concept double issue finale.
But it's never quite had the fan reputation of the other landmark Claremont-era stories. It's overshadowed by the rest of artist Paul Smith's run, by the original Shi'ar story, by later 80s crossovers and events, and obviously by the Dark Phoenix Saga. And it's obvious why: it's the peak of a particular way of doing the X-Men comic that Claremont clearly loved but that fell by the wayside later.
Uncanny X-Men is, on the face of it, a superhero book, and later it got a reputation as one particularly suited to exploring prejudice and the experience of minorities. But Claremont got his start at Marvel in the 1970s, the one time in the company's history when straightforward superhero stories were very much not Marvel's creative heart. In the face of recession and softening newsstand sales, Marvel grabbed onto any fad going: martial arts, kaiju, toy tie-ins, pulp sci-fi, cosmic sci-fi, swords-and-sorcery, political thrillers, horror... sometimes these comics would be integrated into the 'Marvel Universe', sometimes apparently not, but a lot of them were just plain better than the long-underwear book. And collectively they gave an impression of Marvel as a brand where any kind of genre fiction could find a home.
But by the time of the Brood storyline it's 1982, and Marvel is beginning to move a different direction - investing in marketing, starting to draw together its core superhero books, and courting the Direct Market, speciality comic shops whose clientele generally want Marvel to do Marvel Universe stuff. Claremont's X-Men, though, has up to this point been the last great survivor of the magpie Marvel 70s - his vision for the comic is clearly one where (like Doctor Who) the basic concept can be an umbrella to hang any variety of story on.
Since John Byrne left, Claremont's had free rein to treat the X-Men like this. In this and the last volume alone we've seen the X-Men idea used as a springboard for high fantasy (the Arkon stories), traditional horror (Dracula), weird pulp horror (the Belasco issue used to age Magik), thrillers (Xavier and Magneto hunting Nazis), children's picture books (Kitty's Fairy Tale) and of course vast quantities of space opera sci-fi, which is Claremont's default setting when he's got Dave Cockrum on art.
To put it another way, Claremont has been on the book for 70 issues at this point - it's already a historically long run, longer than the X-Men's original lifespan. And about one-sixth of those issues have involved the Shi'Ar Empire or its foes, vastly outnumbering the issues dealing with anti-mutant prejudice. The Brood Saga is the high watermark of this idea that you can use the X-Men to tell any story you want - a heady if blatant mix of ideas from Alien, Star Wars and Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels, with the anchor for readers being simply the fact that this is happening to the characters we've come to love.
The idea of the X-Men as a cross-genre comic never entirely faded - you get sci-fi, epic fantasy, Russian folklore and much more poking its nose into the comics before Claremont leaves, and he had an entire book (Excalibur) where this kind of playfulness was its raison d'etre. But it's never so intensely part of the comic again after 1981-2, and the two issues which bookend the Brood Saga are a big part of why.
The first (#161) is a flashback sequence set in Israel with Professor X meeting Magneto for the first time - and demonstrating atrocious doctor-patient ethics with Gabrielle Haller. Read in sequence the issue - and it's a good issue! - feels like a throwaway. But it lays on the table what's been implicit in the past - Xavier and 'Magnus' as former friends, and two sides of the mutant rights coin. It's almost impossible to exaggerate how foundational this idea - Professor X and Magneto are pursuing the same goal by different means - becomes: it's a more important introduction than any single character Claremont creates and it defines the comic to the present day.
The second (#167) introduces the New Mutants to the X-Men comic, and it's important because of those behind the scenes shifts in Marvel's priorities. Marvel wanted to introduce a second X-Title, Claremont reluctantly agreed if he could keep control over it. The New Mutants is as un-superheroic a book as he could make it, but introducing a new generation of young mutants is a huge shift. It turns ideas like the future of mutants and anti-mutant prejudice from abstractions into story points by making the idea that there are new mutants appearing all the time more tangible.
Taken together these stories rewrite the X-Men's ground rules. The team's mutant identity is suddenly more important than ever, and the divide between their founder and their arch-enemy is now one based on what that identity means and the right way to safeguard it. Together with Days Of Future Past - which shows the consequences of getting it wrong - the comic's new world is in place, and it's a world with increasingly little room for space opera or Dracula.
But it's never quite had the fan reputation of the other landmark Claremont-era stories. It's overshadowed by the rest of artist Paul Smith's run, by the original Shi'ar story, by later 80s crossovers and events, and obviously by the Dark Phoenix Saga. And it's obvious why: it's the peak of a particular way of doing the X-Men comic that Claremont clearly loved but that fell by the wayside later.
Uncanny X-Men is, on the face of it, a superhero book, and later it got a reputation as one particularly suited to exploring prejudice and the experience of minorities. But Claremont got his start at Marvel in the 1970s, the one time in the company's history when straightforward superhero stories were very much not Marvel's creative heart. In the face of recession and softening newsstand sales, Marvel grabbed onto any fad going: martial arts, kaiju, toy tie-ins, pulp sci-fi, cosmic sci-fi, swords-and-sorcery, political thrillers, horror... sometimes these comics would be integrated into the 'Marvel Universe', sometimes apparently not, but a lot of them were just plain better than the long-underwear book. And collectively they gave an impression of Marvel as a brand where any kind of genre fiction could find a home.
But by the time of the Brood storyline it's 1982, and Marvel is beginning to move a different direction - investing in marketing, starting to draw together its core superhero books, and courting the Direct Market, speciality comic shops whose clientele generally want Marvel to do Marvel Universe stuff. Claremont's X-Men, though, has up to this point been the last great survivor of the magpie Marvel 70s - his vision for the comic is clearly one where (like Doctor Who) the basic concept can be an umbrella to hang any variety of story on.
Since John Byrne left, Claremont's had free rein to treat the X-Men like this. In this and the last volume alone we've seen the X-Men idea used as a springboard for high fantasy (the Arkon stories), traditional horror (Dracula), weird pulp horror (the Belasco issue used to age Magik), thrillers (Xavier and Magneto hunting Nazis), children's picture books (Kitty's Fairy Tale) and of course vast quantities of space opera sci-fi, which is Claremont's default setting when he's got Dave Cockrum on art.
To put it another way, Claremont has been on the book for 70 issues at this point - it's already a historically long run, longer than the X-Men's original lifespan. And about one-sixth of those issues have involved the Shi'Ar Empire or its foes, vastly outnumbering the issues dealing with anti-mutant prejudice. The Brood Saga is the high watermark of this idea that you can use the X-Men to tell any story you want - a heady if blatant mix of ideas from Alien, Star Wars and Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels, with the anchor for readers being simply the fact that this is happening to the characters we've come to love.
The idea of the X-Men as a cross-genre comic never entirely faded - you get sci-fi, epic fantasy, Russian folklore and much more poking its nose into the comics before Claremont leaves, and he had an entire book (Excalibur) where this kind of playfulness was its raison d'etre. But it's never so intensely part of the comic again after 1981-2, and the two issues which bookend the Brood Saga are a big part of why.
The first (#161) is a flashback sequence set in Israel with Professor X meeting Magneto for the first time - and demonstrating atrocious doctor-patient ethics with Gabrielle Haller. Read in sequence the issue - and it's a good issue! - feels like a throwaway. But it lays on the table what's been implicit in the past - Xavier and 'Magnus' as former friends, and two sides of the mutant rights coin. It's almost impossible to exaggerate how foundational this idea - Professor X and Magneto are pursuing the same goal by different means - becomes: it's a more important introduction than any single character Claremont creates and it defines the comic to the present day.
The second (#167) introduces the New Mutants to the X-Men comic, and it's important because of those behind the scenes shifts in Marvel's priorities. Marvel wanted to introduce a second X-Title, Claremont reluctantly agreed if he could keep control over it. The New Mutants is as un-superheroic a book as he could make it, but introducing a new generation of young mutants is a huge shift. It turns ideas like the future of mutants and anti-mutant prejudice from abstractions into story points by making the idea that there are new mutants appearing all the time more tangible.
Taken together these stories rewrite the X-Men's ground rules. The team's mutant identity is suddenly more important than ever, and the divide between their founder and their arch-enemy is now one based on what that identity means and the right way to safeguard it. Together with Days Of Future Past - which shows the consequences of getting it wrong - the comic's new world is in place, and it's a world with increasingly little room for space opera or Dracula.
October 30, 2022
The Brood saga! Any similarities to fictional characters past or present is purely coincidental Did I hear someone scream?
Anyway. Good story, really, all the more when Paul Smith replaces Dave Cockrum on the artboard. Sorry folks but I’ve never been one of his fans. Smith and inker Bob Wiacek bring an elegant slickness and fluidity to Claremont’s scripts.
Annual 6 is a follow up of Storm meets Dracula from last volume. Can’t say it’s actually any good but at least Bill Sienkiewicz illustrates it. The three last short stories are forgettable fillers.
Anyway. Good story, really, all the more when Paul Smith replaces Dave Cockrum on the artboard. Sorry folks but I’ve never been one of his fans. Smith and inker Bob Wiacek bring an elegant slickness and fluidity to Claremont’s scripts.
Annual 6 is a follow up of Storm meets Dracula from last volume. Can’t say it’s actually any good but at least Bill Sienkiewicz illustrates it. The three last short stories are forgettable fillers.
March 4, 2022
The X-Men vs. The Brood! This blatant Alien homage is a lot of fun. The X-Men find themselves in space implanted by alien eggs. They know they're going to die but what are they going to do about it?
This volume also includes another X-Men versus Dracula story. I was excited for it as I quite enjoyed the first one but it turned out to be really really bad.
This volume also includes another X-Men versus Dracula story. I was excited for it as I quite enjoyed the first one but it turned out to be really really bad.
December 28, 2020
Chris Claremont's legendary run on the Uncanny X-Men is largely collected in a 12-volume (and counting) set in the Marvel Masterworks series that takes us through some of the most pivotal stories in X-Men lore. (As of volume 12, it gets up to Uncanny X-Men #200.) Here we see the launch of a new X-Men team that includes, over time, Cyclops, Jean Grey/Phoenix, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, Rogue and many others. The stories include some of the most iconic in X-Men history, including the Hellfire Club saga, the Dark Phoenix saga, Days of Future Past and the Trial of Magneto. All told, the Marvel Masterworks - Uncanny X-Men series is must-read material for anyone who wishes to dive deeply into the rich (and often difficult to navigate) history of the X-Men. It is must-read material for anyone who wants to get a taste for what it was like during a period of time when the X-Men grew from an also-ran Marvel title into one of the greatest superhero tentpole franchises of all time. And if all that isn't enough, within these volumes are some of the most enjoyable writer/artist pairings you'll find from this era of Marvel comics, including Claremont's epic collaborations with John Byrne, Dan Green and John Romita, Jr. Within these volumes are stories that continue to resonate today, tales that beyond beyond people in colorful tights punching each other out and into an ongoing commentary on what it means to be hated for one's nature, on what it means to protect those who see you as an enemy, and what it means to live with heroic dignity in a world committed to stripping that very thing from you. These are some of the finest comic book stories ever published. They are deeply fun to read, and most of all, they are an important chapter of a beloved medium.
July 28, 2017
Finally a new artist!!!! Paul Smith. Refreshing and clean - Timeless art. Cockrum did amazing things but I will not miss the cavemen looking faces. I feel like a new era just begun as this volume ended.
The Brood Saga is considered one of Claremont's best. I've said I prefer X-Men on Earth (and I do) but this is how a space saga should be done. Truly one of the best arcs since The Hellfire Club/Dark Phoenix. I much prefer this arc style over the one-shot villains thing I've gotten used to reading these old X-Men comics.
The Brood Saga is considered one of Claremont's best. I've said I prefer X-Men on Earth (and I do) but this is how a space saga should be done. Truly one of the best arcs since The Hellfire Club/Dark Phoenix. I much prefer this arc style over the one-shot villains thing I've gotten used to reading these old X-Men comics.
April 18, 2025
Claremont says these characters live in him to this day.
Likewise, he helped them live in all of us, with voice and heart all their own.
Thank you, Chris.
Likewise, he helped them live in all of us, with voice and heart all their own.
Thank you, Chris.
December 14, 2023
This book is a painful reminder of how great the X-Men once were, and how terrible they are today. Claremont's deft characterization was the real star of this series at this time, galaxy-spanning space epics be damned. While this has oodles of action and adventure, it is the heart of these characters as people that made the X-Men a favorite of mine growing up.
The late Dave Cockrum's last run on the title ends here. Aside from the criminally uncollected Nightcrawler mini-series from 1985 and the 2-issue Starjammers mini-series, this was the last time that he'd draw these characters, many of which he co-created. Cockrum was very good. I love his versions of Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler.
Chris Claremont gets ragged on by the Millennials, and I weep for them. If it weren't for him pushing the boundaries of sophisticated writing in mainstream superhero comics at the time, you wouldn't have your “adult” comics like the Vertigo stuff. You can love or hate his extremely wordy writing, but you get a lot of bang for your buck with his stories. He covers as much ground in one issue as many of your modern “superstar” writers do in one arc. Once he's dead and gone, these same brainless hipsters who deride his work now will celebrate it. Kind of like they do with Steve Gerber or Jack Kirby.
There are lots of great stories to be found in this book. The aforementioned Brood Saga is a work of art. Ms. Marvel becomes Binary. The Dracula story in the Annual was good. It features Sienkiewicz in his Neal Adams clone phase, which I prefer to his later artsy fartsy style that brought him much acclaim.
I owned the singles to every issue in this book but was more than happy to upgrade. It's nice to have permanent, high-quality versions of these issues to read again and again. I'm really looking forward to Vol. 9, which is when the Claremont/Smith run really hits it's stride. The Morlocks, Rogue...classics all. I can't wait.
I adore the Marvel Masterworks line of hardcovers. Painstakingly restored, OCD preferred. I really wish that Marvel would change the Table of Contents in their Masterworks, though. The DC Archives offer a detailed issue by issue credit, which makes more sense as we enter the Bronze and Modern Age collections. For example, there are no cover artist credits to be found in this book, which is unacceptable. While I can spot who drew what, other people might not be able to. It's really the only complaint that I have left with this line.
The late Dave Cockrum's last run on the title ends here. Aside from the criminally uncollected Nightcrawler mini-series from 1985 and the 2-issue Starjammers mini-series, this was the last time that he'd draw these characters, many of which he co-created. Cockrum was very good. I love his versions of Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler.
Chris Claremont gets ragged on by the Millennials, and I weep for them. If it weren't for him pushing the boundaries of sophisticated writing in mainstream superhero comics at the time, you wouldn't have your “adult” comics like the Vertigo stuff. You can love or hate his extremely wordy writing, but you get a lot of bang for your buck with his stories. He covers as much ground in one issue as many of your modern “superstar” writers do in one arc. Once he's dead and gone, these same brainless hipsters who deride his work now will celebrate it. Kind of like they do with Steve Gerber or Jack Kirby.
There are lots of great stories to be found in this book. The aforementioned Brood Saga is a work of art. Ms. Marvel becomes Binary. The Dracula story in the Annual was good. It features Sienkiewicz in his Neal Adams clone phase, which I prefer to his later artsy fartsy style that brought him much acclaim.
I owned the singles to every issue in this book but was more than happy to upgrade. It's nice to have permanent, high-quality versions of these issues to read again and again. I'm really looking forward to Vol. 9, which is when the Claremont/Smith run really hits it's stride. The Morlocks, Rogue...classics all. I can't wait.
I adore the Marvel Masterworks line of hardcovers. Painstakingly restored, OCD preferred. I really wish that Marvel would change the Table of Contents in their Masterworks, though. The DC Archives offer a detailed issue by issue credit, which makes more sense as we enter the Bronze and Modern Age collections. For example, there are no cover artist credits to be found in this book, which is unacceptable. While I can spot who drew what, other people might not be able to. It's really the only complaint that I have left with this line.
November 13, 2023
Este tomo va a estar dedicado prácticamente por completo a la segunda parte de la Saga del Nido, que comenzara en el tomo anterior y en el que la Patrulla-X hacía frente a la que quizá sea la raza extraterrestre más peligrosa del Universo Marvel, el Nido, con quien se había aliado la traidora y asesina Ave de Muerte para hacerse con el control del Imperio Shi'ar. Después de un breve regreso a la Tierra, nos vamos a encontrar con una historia que empieza in media res, con Lobezno en un extraño mundo alienígena intentando recuperar sus recuerdos de lo ocurrido, y a través de sus descubrimientos y flashes de recuerdos, vamos a descubrir que la Patrulla-X ha sido víctima de una emboscada de Ave de Muerte y el Nido, y llevados al Mundo Trono del Nido, donde han sido inoculados con embriones de Reina del Nido.
Así, durante esta saga, vamos a vivir momentos muy épicos mientras la Patrulla-X, Carol Danvers y Lilandra son conscientes de que pueden ser sus últimos días antes de convertirse en nuevas reinas para el Nido. En estos números conoceremos a los Acanti, las naves vivientes del Nido, viviremos la transformación de Carol Danvers en Binaria, viviremos la traición de un X-Men, tendremos a Lobezno combatiendo la infección del Nido... y el regreso a toda prisa a la Tierra, porque el Profesor Xavier, que se encuentra junto a los recién formados Nuevos Mutantes, también está infectado por el Nido, lo que había provocado el coma en el que quedara sumido en el tomo anterior.
Y mi única pega es lo larguísima que es la saga, o lo larga que se me hace a mí, y me ha pasado siempre, tengo la sensación de que arranca muy fuerte, y luego aunque tiene momentos muy chulos, se va desinflando. Con toques de genialidad, pero irregular. Es tan larga de hecho, que se produce un cambio de dibujante durante la saga, que arranca Cockrum y cierra Paul Smith, recién llegado a la Patrulla-X y que parece un poco apresurado en estos primeros números, pero apunta las maneras que más adelante desarrollará, y que hacen que, para una etapa relativamente breve, sea uno de los dibujantes más recordados de la historia de los X-Men.
Así, durante esta saga, vamos a vivir momentos muy épicos mientras la Patrulla-X, Carol Danvers y Lilandra son conscientes de que pueden ser sus últimos días antes de convertirse en nuevas reinas para el Nido. En estos números conoceremos a los Acanti, las naves vivientes del Nido, viviremos la transformación de Carol Danvers en Binaria, viviremos la traición de un X-Men, tendremos a Lobezno combatiendo la infección del Nido... y el regreso a toda prisa a la Tierra, porque el Profesor Xavier, que se encuentra junto a los recién formados Nuevos Mutantes, también está infectado por el Nido, lo que había provocado el coma en el que quedara sumido en el tomo anterior.
Y mi única pega es lo larguísima que es la saga, o lo larga que se me hace a mí, y me ha pasado siempre, tengo la sensación de que arranca muy fuerte, y luego aunque tiene momentos muy chulos, se va desinflando. Con toques de genialidad, pero irregular. Es tan larga de hecho, que se produce un cambio de dibujante durante la saga, que arranca Cockrum y cierra Paul Smith, recién llegado a la Patrulla-X y que parece un poco apresurado en estos primeros números, pero apunta las maneras que más adelante desarrollará, y que hacen que, para una etapa relativamente breve, sea uno de los dibujantes más recordados de la historia de los X-Men.
December 15, 2024
4.5 stars
There were so many fun stories in Uncanny X-Men Vol. 8 the most significant being the much acclaimed Brood Saga. This arc is a favourite for so many X-Men fans and I can see why. The story is basically the X-Men do Alien and I think Claremont is particularly great at capturing the psychological terror and visceral violation of aliens implanting their eggs in you and taking over your body.
Everyone had solid moments throughout especially as they meditated on the weight of their impending deaths, but I especially loved Storm and Carol Danvers here. Both left me awestruck as Claremont played with letting their powers (newfound for Carol) reach magnificently cosmic scale and that power was excellently rendered by Dave Cockrum, Paul Smith, and Bob Wiacek.
Outside of the Brood Saga this volume includes a range of pretty fun stories. We see Illyana permanently aged up after time manipulation misadventures with sorcerer Belasco. The fallout of that story, especially the anguish of that lost time between Illyana and Colossus, was particularly heartbreaking.
We also flash back to Xavier's first meeting with Magneto. To be honest elements of this story are very uncomfortable, from the casual islamophobia and zionism or to Xavier's relationship with Gabrielle. But even still I can't lie it had its moments. Charles and Magneto's friendship feels so deep and real in this issue. And the point of the story, the power of love helping you persevere, is beautifully told.
I also loved the return of Dracula as we dive back in to paranormal melodrama. Storm's link to the vampire always leads to fun gothic stories and I love how it was done here. Wolverine had a particularly poignant moment toward the end of the story. A recurring theme in this volume was Logan seeing himself as the monster of the X-Men whose role is doing the morally ambiguous things the other X-Men couldn't and Storm seeing that in him and standing beside him had my whole heart.
Overall this volume was great and highlighted exactly what I love about the this series the sheer versatility of Claremont storytelling within the superhero niche.
There were so many fun stories in Uncanny X-Men Vol. 8 the most significant being the much acclaimed Brood Saga. This arc is a favourite for so many X-Men fans and I can see why. The story is basically the X-Men do Alien and I think Claremont is particularly great at capturing the psychological terror and visceral violation of aliens implanting their eggs in you and taking over your body.
Everyone had solid moments throughout especially as they meditated on the weight of their impending deaths, but I especially loved Storm and Carol Danvers here. Both left me awestruck as Claremont played with letting their powers (newfound for Carol) reach magnificently cosmic scale and that power was excellently rendered by Dave Cockrum, Paul Smith, and Bob Wiacek.
Outside of the Brood Saga this volume includes a range of pretty fun stories. We see Illyana permanently aged up after time manipulation misadventures with sorcerer Belasco. The fallout of that story, especially the anguish of that lost time between Illyana and Colossus, was particularly heartbreaking.
We also flash back to Xavier's first meeting with Magneto. To be honest elements of this story are very uncomfortable, from the casual islamophobia and zionism or to Xavier's relationship with Gabrielle. But even still I can't lie it had its moments. Charles and Magneto's friendship feels so deep and real in this issue. And the point of the story, the power of love helping you persevere, is beautifully told.
I also loved the return of Dracula as we dive back in to paranormal melodrama. Storm's link to the vampire always leads to fun gothic stories and I love how it was done here. Wolverine had a particularly poignant moment toward the end of the story. A recurring theme in this volume was Logan seeing himself as the monster of the X-Men whose role is doing the morally ambiguous things the other X-Men couldn't and Storm seeing that in him and standing beside him had my whole heart.
Overall this volume was great and highlighted exactly what I love about the this series the sheer versatility of Claremont storytelling within the superhero niche.
June 5, 2025
I have to say I'm a little bored of the space stuff at this point and miss the X-Men dealing with earth based villains. Their battle with The Brood lasted several issues and I found a lot of it dragged.
I have really enjoyed Carol Danvers being along for the ride though and seeing her transform into Binary!
I did not like that Colossus kisses Kitty. He is a grown man and she's 14! This moment also comes a few panels after reminding us that she's 14 (having passed a birthday). This couldn't have been OK even in the 60s right? She's a child, and she is definitely written as a child. Her crush is fine but having Peter reciprocate is gross.
An earlier story in this collection also sees Illyana - his little sister - get trapped in a demon dimension and age up from a seven year old into a teenager, which makes her now around Kitty's age too!.
This run also includes a strange little filler issue where Storm meets Dracula!
I have really enjoyed Carol Danvers being along for the ride though and seeing her transform into Binary!
I did not like that Colossus kisses Kitty. He is a grown man and she's 14! This moment also comes a few panels after reminding us that she's 14 (having passed a birthday). This couldn't have been OK even in the 60s right? She's a child, and she is definitely written as a child. Her crush is fine but having Peter reciprocate is gross.
An earlier story in this collection also sees Illyana - his little sister - get trapped in a demon dimension and age up from a seven year old into a teenager, which makes her now around Kitty's age too!.
This run also includes a strange little filler issue where Storm meets Dracula!
February 6, 2021
The artwork throughout this book is amazing, but the lower rating is due to the stories within. #160 is a great story, and ties directly into the Magik mini (and was my reason for getting this collection). Most of this run, though, is focused on The Brood. I've never been a fan of the race, and the stories just kind of droned on and on to me. There were some interesting developments, but overall, that run really drug the collection down. The annual, too, was uneventful (despite the X-Men/Storm facing off against Dracula). The 3 bonus stories at the end, although seemingly an afterthought, were a nice inclusion, fun stories relevant to the time period that these issues appeared in.
All in all, a required read as part of canon, but otherwise, stick with reading #160 and $167, and you are good.
All in all, a required read as part of canon, but otherwise, stick with reading #160 and $167, and you are good.
September 14, 2024
Masterworks The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 8.
X-Men The Brood Saga The Uncanny X-Men #161-167. Calificación 3/5 estrellas.
La trama está basada en el Xenomorph de Alien (1979), la Reina Brood fecunda con huevos que contienen reinas Brood a los X-Men, Wolverine se cura gracias a su factor curativo.
En la escritura le da más importancia a Storm dándole demasiado tiempo o Binary (Carol Danvers) que no es un X-Men pero ocupa un lugar como Phoenix por su desmedido poder, para lucirse pero no lo consiguen de manera convisente y fue forzado restándole importancia a Cyclops o Charles Xavier como si los odiara profundamente Chris Claremont lo cual es un hecho.
La trama se extendió de más, debió durar dos números menos ya que conto hasta con un número con el doble de páginas. Se resolvió la trama con un Deus ex machina con los Acanti y el profeta cantante que resolvió mágicamente los huevos Brood y convirtiendo a estos alienigenas en cristal.
Un fastidio la introducción de la mayoría de los New Mutants y la aparición constante de los Starjammers principalmente Corsair, sólo se dio importancia a la historia a los personajes favoritos de Claremont Storm, Carol Danvers, Corsair, Lilandra y un poco Kitty Pryde en este arco y fueron desaprovechados Colossus, Cyclops, Charles Xavier también Nightcrawler lo cual es curioso ya que es uno de los personajes favoritos de Claremont y Dave Cocrum.
El único personaje que no se arruinó fue Wolverine el cual volvió con una participación como en Wolverine Alone de la saga de Dark Phoenix
Los lápices fueron de Cocrum y Paul Smith este último tiene un estilo más moderno y limpio o minimalista ya que empezó como diseñador para la película The Lord of the Rings de Ralph Bakshi, el arte de Dave Cocrum el cual se destacaba por los diseños de disfraces, moustros y artefactos futuristas o de origen extraterrestre mezclando lo orgánico y mecánico.
X-Men The Brood Saga The Uncanny X-Men #161-167. Calificación 3/5 estrellas.
La trama está basada en el Xenomorph de Alien (1979), la Reina Brood fecunda con huevos que contienen reinas Brood a los X-Men, Wolverine se cura gracias a su factor curativo.
En la escritura le da más importancia a Storm dándole demasiado tiempo o Binary (Carol Danvers) que no es un X-Men pero ocupa un lugar como Phoenix por su desmedido poder, para lucirse pero no lo consiguen de manera convisente y fue forzado restándole importancia a Cyclops o Charles Xavier como si los odiara profundamente Chris Claremont lo cual es un hecho.
La trama se extendió de más, debió durar dos números menos ya que conto hasta con un número con el doble de páginas. Se resolvió la trama con un Deus ex machina con los Acanti y el profeta cantante que resolvió mágicamente los huevos Brood y convirtiendo a estos alienigenas en cristal.
Un fastidio la introducción de la mayoría de los New Mutants y la aparición constante de los Starjammers principalmente Corsair, sólo se dio importancia a la historia a los personajes favoritos de Claremont Storm, Carol Danvers, Corsair, Lilandra y un poco Kitty Pryde en este arco y fueron desaprovechados Colossus, Cyclops, Charles Xavier también Nightcrawler lo cual es curioso ya que es uno de los personajes favoritos de Claremont y Dave Cocrum.
El único personaje que no se arruinó fue Wolverine el cual volvió con una participación como en Wolverine Alone de la saga de Dark Phoenix
Los lápices fueron de Cocrum y Paul Smith este último tiene un estilo más moderno y limpio o minimalista ya que empezó como diseñador para la película The Lord of the Rings de Ralph Bakshi, el arte de Dave Cocrum el cual se destacaba por los diseños de disfraces, moustros y artefactos futuristas o de origen extraterrestre mezclando lo orgánico y mecánico.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2020
Very well-written and well-drawn (especially the chapters by Paul Smith), but the ongoing narrative spends too much time on a silly "X-Men in space" storyline whose most interesting elements are swiped from Alien, and there's a little too much focus on guest star Carol Danvers -- it often seems as though the X-Men are supporting characters in their own series.
February 15, 2024
I'll be honest. I'm not a fan of space and aliens in X-men. I tend to prefer the takes where they deal with human or mutant threats. That's my personal bias.
If you like the alien stories, then this is definitely up your alley, and you will love this volume
If you like the alien stories, then this is definitely up your alley, and you will love this volume
July 20, 2025
I’ve generally been opposed to space Marvel stuff because I’ve always found space opera sci-fi stuff boring, but it works with the X-Men there. Also I’m glad they brought back the Storm Meets Dracula plot line because it’s still a really funny premise.
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June 28, 2019My favorite non-jean grey story
January 17, 2022
I think the Brood Saga is my favorite X-Men event so far. Love it, love everything about it.
January 28, 2022
Lots of Brood space stuff, and some silly Dracula stories, but the first appearance of Binary and New Mutants.
February 20, 2022
The Illyana story was interesting. The Brood stuff was mostly quite good though the ending was a bit weak. That Dracula story was awful though.
September 23, 2022
Akhir era Dave Cockrum, awal era Paul Smith, dan salah satu karya awal Bill Sienkiewicz sebagai ilustrator muda Marvel.
January 27, 2023
Fantastic
October 4, 2023
The extra stories aren't much to write home about, but the Brood Saga here is delightful. All of Claremont's idiosyncracies play nicely for once, and really builds to something arresting.
January 21, 2021
This collection is the entire Brood Saga, a classic storyline that any X-Men fan should read.
August 9, 2016
A massive chunk of space opera as the X-men are captured by the evil, predatory aliens, the Brood. This volume seems a little less inspired than Claremont's groundbreaking previous work, given that a lot of it seems to have been written with one eye on "Aliens" and "Star Wars."
There's repetition in other ways as well. Carol Danvers basically becomes a cosmic-powered replacement for Jean thanks to some Brood experimentation. Storm also continues to stand above the narrative rules, both in her future self developing magic powers to rescue them and the manner in which she disposes of the parasitic Brood egg that promises to overtake her body and mind.
Still, the basic conflict in the series is good. Wolverine is implanted with an egg, like the rest of his teammates, but his healing factor lets him fight it off...barely. He rescues the rest of the crew but struggles with whether to tell them that they're doomed, knowing at the same time that he may have to kill them all to prevent their transformation.
It's an appealing dilemma, and it gains strength when the X-men learn of their fates. Kitty cries, Storm and Binary lash out, and the rest seem resigned to what's coming, resolving, ultimately, to strike back at the Brood in a suicide mission. The drama is pretty heightened, especially in Claremont's signature style, but the finale falls a little short, waving away the Brood threat with some deus ex machina.
This volume also has an Annual issue where Storm and the X-men fight Dracula, which is one of the first comics I bought. Still a soft spot in my heart for that one!
If Claremont's tics rub you the wrong way, you likely won't love this volume. There's the elaborate narration, the overstressed nobility for each character. As a whole, the X-men are starting to lose their rough edges, showing fewer human moments and more god-like ones. The roots of Peter and Kitty's romance are pretty icky as well.
But I like it, warts and all. I look forward to continuing reading.
There's repetition in other ways as well. Carol Danvers basically becomes a cosmic-powered replacement for Jean thanks to some Brood experimentation. Storm also continues to stand above the narrative rules, both in her future self developing magic powers to rescue them and the manner in which she disposes of the parasitic Brood egg that promises to overtake her body and mind.
Still, the basic conflict in the series is good. Wolverine is implanted with an egg, like the rest of his teammates, but his healing factor lets him fight it off...barely. He rescues the rest of the crew but struggles with whether to tell them that they're doomed, knowing at the same time that he may have to kill them all to prevent their transformation.
It's an appealing dilemma, and it gains strength when the X-men learn of their fates. Kitty cries, Storm and Binary lash out, and the rest seem resigned to what's coming, resolving, ultimately, to strike back at the Brood in a suicide mission. The drama is pretty heightened, especially in Claremont's signature style, but the finale falls a little short, waving away the Brood threat with some deus ex machina.
This volume also has an Annual issue where Storm and the X-men fight Dracula, which is one of the first comics I bought. Still a soft spot in my heart for that one!
If Claremont's tics rub you the wrong way, you likely won't love this volume. There's the elaborate narration, the overstressed nobility for each character. As a whole, the X-men are starting to lose their rough edges, showing fewer human moments and more god-like ones. The roots of Peter and Kitty's romance are pretty icky as well.
But I like it, warts and all. I look forward to continuing reading.
February 20, 2013
If there's one thing you can say about Claremont's X-Men comics, it's that they're determinedly different. I'm not sure that this run of issues, mostly featuring the X-Men in space fighting a second round against the Alien Brood who have been impregnated by the Brood Queen and are doomed to immanent death as brood hosts. The storytelling is inconsistent, messy and often stupid but remains somehow resolutely compelling, perhaps because we're in love with the wide cast of characters or the still-fine artwork, but more likely because it's obvious that Claremont is trying so hard to keep this comic fresh and exciting and to give us extended story-lines to keep us on the edge of our seat rather tan the X-Men vs Magneto blah blah that plagues the earlier run of Uncanny X-Men. And at times it just damn near really works well. Initially the viewpoint switches to Wolverine running around "sleazeworld" killing brood and discovering the truth of what's happened and that he'll have to kill the X-Men. As they escape brood territory though the whole thing becomes generic starships and overpowered X-men and generally ties things up via deus ex machina that it's pretty hard to care about.
The best written issue in this collection is actually a Charles Xavier flashback tale in which he hunts for some German gold reserves, befriends a younger Magneto and fights Hydra. It's a classic nazi-bashing romp that looks a little dated now but a tale well written. The Annual #6 featuring the turn of Dracula is a little silly, but fun because of it and especially enjoyable for some nice art from Siencewicz.
A pretty good volume overall that's going to delight any fan of the X-Men but bore anyone to tears who isn't remotely on board with this series.
The best written issue in this collection is actually a Charles Xavier flashback tale in which he hunts for some German gold reserves, befriends a younger Magneto and fights Hydra. It's a classic nazi-bashing romp that looks a little dated now but a tale well written. The Annual #6 featuring the turn of Dracula is a little silly, but fun because of it and especially enjoyable for some nice art from Siencewicz.
A pretty good volume overall that's going to delight any fan of the X-Men but bore anyone to tears who isn't remotely on board with this series.
February 21, 2012
I do love the Marvel Masterworks hardbacks, but this volume is where Uncanny X-men first went off the rails. The Uncanny volumes up until now have been classic great X-men stories. Every one a gem. But here we get the rather nonsensical Brood storyline and the flat out terrible Dracula follow up from the prior years storyline. I'll hang onto my copy but only because I collect the Masterwork.
Folks looking for a good X-men read; look elsewhere.
Folks looking for a good X-men read; look elsewhere.
June 25, 2013
The Good: The Brood
The Bad: Dracula. Seriously...Dracula? Again?
Notes: If the X-Men disappear for one day, Xavier apparently thinks they are dead...
The Bad: Dracula. Seriously...Dracula? Again?
Notes: If the X-Men disappear for one day, Xavier apparently thinks they are dead...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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