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X-Men Gold (Collected Editions)
X-Men Gold, Vol. 0: Homecoming
Will Marrow, Maggott and Dr. Cecilia Reyes usher in a new golden era for the X-Men? As Cyclops and Phoenix retire from the team, it's left to Wolverine to make sure they do! But with the roster split over the volatile Marrow's presence, keeping the X-Men from fracturing won't be easy. Can the inexperienced new team members step up in time to stave off an invasion from the demonic N'Garai dimension? Plus, Joseph may be made to pay for Magneto's crimes! Angel battles the Abomination! Marrow takes action to save the Morlock tunnels! Maggott explores his origins! The Shadow King targets Psylocke as a psi-war begins! And the silver age Doctor Doom undertakes a quest through time to learn the secrets of Onslaught!
COLLECTING: X-MEN (1991) 70-79, X-MEN/DR. DOOM ANNUAL 1998, MATERIAL FROM X-MEN UNLIMITED (1993) 18
COLLECTING: X-MEN (1991) 70-79, X-MEN/DR. DOOM ANNUAL 1998, MATERIAL FROM X-MEN UNLIMITED (1993) 18
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2018
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118 people want to read
About the author
Joe Kelly
1,004 books205 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 8, 2018
Let me just start with saying this has absolutely nothing to do with X-Men Gold. That's just a Marvel marketing gimmick to get you buy some crappy X-Men comics from the 90's.
What story there is mainly revolves around the three new X-Men, Maggot, Marrow and Cecelia Reyes. Maggot and Marrow both have secrets to keep (I guess?). Marrow is the most abrasive and annoying character to ever join the X-Men. Nothing much happens in this book. It's all manufactured drama and soap opera in the worst way. Joe Kelly has taken over the book in the wake of Operation: Zero Tolerance. Apparently, his writing style back then was to lull you into oblivion with the amount of dialogue on each page. The art and coloring is top notch though. Carlos Pacheco starts off on pencils, but quickly falls behind and several guest artists fill in. Thankfully, they were all pretty solid in their own right.
What story there is mainly revolves around the three new X-Men, Maggot, Marrow and Cecelia Reyes. Maggot and Marrow both have secrets to keep (I guess?). Marrow is the most abrasive and annoying character to ever join the X-Men. Nothing much happens in this book. It's all manufactured drama and soap opera in the worst way. Joe Kelly has taken over the book in the wake of Operation: Zero Tolerance. Apparently, his writing style back then was to lull you into oblivion with the amount of dialogue on each page. The art and coloring is top notch though. Carlos Pacheco starts off on pencils, but quickly falls behind and several guest artists fill in. Thankfully, they were all pretty solid in their own right.
May 14, 2018
People mock this. There's really this open question whether Maggot or Adam-X is the dumbest X-character of all time, like the trope of how bad Pauly Shore and Carrot Top are.
But, you know, it's actually pretty good.
The problems stem from the fact that there are too many characters and that Marrow actually really truly does not belong. She frequently seems like an awful person (even if her behavioral problems are owed to extensive trauma) and her moments of redemption feel unfair to her victims. Maybe it's because Kelly chose "hot boys" as the reason why she seems to want to change her behavior? Or maybe I'm being too harsh considering how many times Magneto "reforms."
But, you know, it's actually pretty good.
The problems stem from the fact that there are too many characters and that Marrow actually really truly does not belong. She frequently seems like an awful person (even if her behavioral problems are owed to extensive trauma) and her moments of redemption feel unfair to her victims. Maybe it's because Kelly chose "hot boys" as the reason why she seems to want to change her behavior? Or maybe I'm being too harsh considering how many times Magneto "reforms."
May 7, 2018
Yikes salad.
May 19, 2019
Much like the X-Men Blue zero volume, I doubt this has much to do with the X-Men Gold series. The labeling of these volumes as zero issues seems more like a cash grab as they don't really serve as much of a lead in to the series.
That being said, if you judge this book on his own, it's not too bad. Comics in the late 90s were still over written, as I think you could cut half the text out and tell a better story. Part of this had to do with the art driven early 90s books suddenly tanking and writing becoming important again, so writers were prone to overdo things. (Probably at the direction of the editors.) This volume introduced three new X-men: Maggot, Cecila Reyes and Marrow. These three characters never caught on in a big way, but this was still an interesting story. There's also an odd Annual included that shows Dr. Doom surfing the time stream in order to steal the power of Onslaught. We also see the Abomination show up and battle Angel. Then the Shadow King, shows up Psylocke, and more.
Overall this is some heavy reading but isn't bad at all given the time period it was released. The art was also good, mostly from Carlos Pacheco.
My final thought is that if you'd like read some early Joe Kelly writing and read about some fairly obscure X-Men characters this is worth read, but if you strictly wanting a lead in to the the X-Men Gold series you can probably skip this and be fine.
That being said, if you judge this book on his own, it's not too bad. Comics in the late 90s were still over written, as I think you could cut half the text out and tell a better story. Part of this had to do with the art driven early 90s books suddenly tanking and writing becoming important again, so writers were prone to overdo things. (Probably at the direction of the editors.) This volume introduced three new X-men: Maggot, Cecila Reyes and Marrow. These three characters never caught on in a big way, but this was still an interesting story. There's also an odd Annual included that shows Dr. Doom surfing the time stream in order to steal the power of Onslaught. We also see the Abomination show up and battle Angel. Then the Shadow King, shows up Psylocke, and more.
Overall this is some heavy reading but isn't bad at all given the time period it was released. The art was also good, mostly from Carlos Pacheco.
My final thought is that if you'd like read some early Joe Kelly writing and read about some fairly obscure X-Men characters this is worth read, but if you strictly wanting a lead in to the the X-Men Gold series you can probably skip this and be fine.
August 6, 2019
After Scott Lobdell's very sudden departure from the X-Men, both the titles were taken over by new authors. For X-Men v2, that was Joe Kelly, and though his run is typically held in less esteem, he was actually the better of the two authors, offering deep character dives that really revealed who the newest X-Men were, and also offering some fun touchbacks to classic foes.
The problem is those newest X-Men, two out of three of whom are regularly mocked today, and all three of whom disappeared from the X-Men titles within a few years.
The first of those is Maggott, he of the two slugs. But his rather sickening mutation (the slugs are actually his digestive system!) was the exact sort of darker mutation that the X-comics would move to in later years, and his characterization as a want-to-be hero, burdened by his fears is great.
The second is Marrow, she of the boney bones. Like Maggott, her mutation is unpleasant, and Kelly really plays that up. Unfortunately, she starts a little one-note, with her hatred of Storm and the X-Men. It takes the full volume until Kelly finds the full nuances of her character and perhaps begins to help us like her.
The third is Cecilia, she of the force fields. Her theme of wanting to return to a normal life is strong, but otherwise she's a somewhat weak character because Kelly can't really figure out what to do with her.
Overall, this is a Good volume, and I wish these new characters had stuck around.
And it has nothing to do with the modern-day X-Men Gold: that's just a marketing ploy.
The problem is those newest X-Men, two out of three of whom are regularly mocked today, and all three of whom disappeared from the X-Men titles within a few years.
The first of those is Maggott, he of the two slugs. But his rather sickening mutation (the slugs are actually his digestive system!) was the exact sort of darker mutation that the X-comics would move to in later years, and his characterization as a want-to-be hero, burdened by his fears is great.
The second is Marrow, she of the boney bones. Like Maggott, her mutation is unpleasant, and Kelly really plays that up. Unfortunately, she starts a little one-note, with her hatred of Storm and the X-Men. It takes the full volume until Kelly finds the full nuances of her character and perhaps begins to help us like her.
The third is Cecilia, she of the force fields. Her theme of wanting to return to a normal life is strong, but otherwise she's a somewhat weak character because Kelly can't really figure out what to do with her.
Overall, this is a Good volume, and I wish these new characters had stuck around.
And it has nothing to do with the modern-day X-Men Gold: that's just a marketing ploy.
June 23, 2021
This is a mid to late 90s X-Men collection, of no relation to the late 2010s X-Men Gold series but rather a companion book to the X-Men Blue, Vol. 0: Reunion collection. This is essentially the adjectiveless X-Men title, while the Gold collection is Uncanny. Kelly comes onboard at this time, popular for the monthly Deadpool book which was also coming out then.
Where Uncanny had an emphasis on the original 5, as well as Rogue and Wolverine, this book features the new team of: Cecilia Reyes; Marrow and Maggott, taking centre stage - with Storm and Wolverine. Ultimately I gave this 2 for the same reason I did to Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 18: Heavy Metal, the core cast feels like a B-grade team of X-Men. It's not a particularly high point of the X-Men, as for various reasons the characters we've loved have stepped aside. Dr. Reyes is the most of the interesting of the 3, she'd rather be saving lives in a hospital than fighting the supervillain of the month. We also get Maggott, a mysterious slug-wielding character, that it seems Joe Mad had some fun in designing but which, no one figured out what to do anything with. Then lastly we get Marrow, an annoying and possibly, borderline psychotic teen brat.
Kelly's strongest issues are: #70 - the Operation Zero Tolerance wrap-up, where he gets to clear the decks; #76, where we get answers to Maggott's slugs, his background and why he acts the way he does, as well as some commentary on Apartheid, and; #79, where we get some strong character work with Marrow. So yes 2 of his best issues were character centric ones on the worst characters but both were really overdue by that stage - and in between we just get what turned out to be underwhelming stories with the villains .
Pacheco starts off as artist but drops off, probably to focus on Fantastic Four: Heroes Return - The Complete Collection Vol. 1 and Avengers Legends, Vol. 1: Avengers Forever, so it's a mixed bag art wise.
Where Uncanny had an emphasis on the original 5, as well as Rogue and Wolverine, this book features the new team of: Cecilia Reyes; Marrow and Maggott, taking centre stage - with Storm and Wolverine. Ultimately I gave this 2 for the same reason I did to Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 18: Heavy Metal, the core cast feels like a B-grade team of X-Men. It's not a particularly high point of the X-Men, as for various reasons the characters we've loved have stepped aside. Dr. Reyes is the most of the interesting of the 3, she'd rather be saving lives in a hospital than fighting the supervillain of the month. We also get Maggott, a mysterious slug-wielding character, that it seems Joe Mad had some fun in designing but which, no one figured out what to do anything with. Then lastly we get Marrow, an annoying and possibly, borderline psychotic teen brat.
Kelly's strongest issues are: #70 - the Operation Zero Tolerance wrap-up, where he gets to clear the decks; #76, where we get answers to Maggott's slugs, his background and why he acts the way he does, as well as some commentary on Apartheid, and; #79, where we get some strong character work with Marrow. So yes 2 of his best issues were character centric ones on the worst characters but both were really overdue by that stage - and in between we just get what turned out to be underwhelming stories with the villains .
Pacheco starts off as artist but drops off, probably to focus on Fantastic Four: Heroes Return - The Complete Collection Vol. 1 and Avengers Legends, Vol. 1: Avengers Forever, so it's a mixed bag art wise.
May 13, 2020
A strange collection from a strange time in X-Men lore. First, I'm really trying to come up with reasons why this era was packaged as Gold Volume 0...not only for the two decades that remove it from the actual Gold series but also the themes and feel. I welcome feedback on that. My two cents (beyond marketing anyway) is the sense of renewal with characters both new and old.
The old characters behave strangely here. I think Kelly is trying to put his own stamp on the status quo while putting a fair amount of focus on the new characters. And, the concept of X-Men being kind of jerks is nothing new. But, Storm is downright hostile and Beast is kind of...skeezy. There is a return to Claremontian subplots that seem to be setting up larger pay-offs down the road. But, it's hard to become too invested reading these now, knowing that this end was doomed to be short lived as editorial commanded a new direction.
The art is pretty decent. It screams late 90s excess and edginess. Marrow's design particularly stands out during this run. And the Shadow King gets his due as a scary nightmare creature better than he had been portrayed to that point. But, it's hard to compete with Chris Bachalo who was penciling Uncanny at the same time.
I never read these at the time they were published. For some reason certain of the X-Men comics weren't shelved as readily as other titles at my Waldenbooks that I bought them from. I was only just kind of aware of this run and the strange new characters like Maggott and Marrow who were trying to gain a foothold. One of my favorite podcasts, Battle of the Atom, recently featured some stories from this era so there were some great nostalgia moments here. And, it's a great volume for completists of a unique, niche, forgotten time in the X-Men saga.
But, I wouldn't recommend starting here.
The old characters behave strangely here. I think Kelly is trying to put his own stamp on the status quo while putting a fair amount of focus on the new characters. And, the concept of X-Men being kind of jerks is nothing new. But, Storm is downright hostile and Beast is kind of...skeezy. There is a return to Claremontian subplots that seem to be setting up larger pay-offs down the road. But, it's hard to become too invested reading these now, knowing that this end was doomed to be short lived as editorial commanded a new direction.
The art is pretty decent. It screams late 90s excess and edginess. Marrow's design particularly stands out during this run. And the Shadow King gets his due as a scary nightmare creature better than he had been portrayed to that point. But, it's hard to compete with Chris Bachalo who was penciling Uncanny at the same time.
I never read these at the time they were published. For some reason certain of the X-Men comics weren't shelved as readily as other titles at my Waldenbooks that I bought them from. I was only just kind of aware of this run and the strange new characters like Maggott and Marrow who were trying to gain a foothold. One of my favorite podcasts, Battle of the Atom, recently featured some stories from this era so there were some great nostalgia moments here. And, it's a great volume for completists of a unique, niche, forgotten time in the X-Men saga.
But, I wouldn't recommend starting here.
December 29, 2018
A new creative team takes the helm of Marvel's main mutant titles after Scott Lobdell's departure. Steve Seagle begins work on Uncanny X-Men and Joe Kelly the X-Men. They change the line-up formally adding Maggott, Cecila Reyes, and Marrow which never really comes together. Add the standard (and very typical) comic book type plots, and you get an average run.
This collection attempts to delve into the newer characters. Sabre wants more information from Joseph about his connection to Magneto, and the X-Men learn more about their newest members Maggott and Marrow. Dr. Cecelia Reyes learns what it means to be an X-Man when she is thrust into battle to stop a N'garai invasion.
One of Joe Kelly's better stories in this run sends Storm back to her home in Kenya to deal with a growing threat of Ananasi. She leads the team into an elaborate and well executed trap.
This collection attempts to delve into the newer characters. Sabre wants more information from Joseph about his connection to Magneto, and the X-Men learn more about their newest members Maggott and Marrow. Dr. Cecelia Reyes learns what it means to be an X-Man when she is thrust into battle to stop a N'garai invasion.
One of Joe Kelly's better stories in this run sends Storm back to her home in Kenya to deal with a growing threat of Ananasi. She leads the team into an elaborate and well executed trap.
September 9, 2023
Wasn't bad, wasn't great. Nothing to do with the X-Men gold series. Didn't really like Maggot so much - I think I didn't like how he was drawn, and though his back story was compelling, he was not very interesting. Marrow was more interesting but took too long to develop. Cecelia was kinda pointless execution as a doctor when needed. They did nothing else with her despite the potential. Not sad I read it, but glad it's over.
October 27, 2024
What this has to do with X-Men Gold, I have no idea. The original Blue and Gold teams started with Jim Lee's X-Men #1. But that's already been collected once or twice.
It would have been nice if they had done a "previously" page. I was collecting X-Men monthly when this first came out, so I remember this happening right after Operation: Zero Tolerance. I also remember that this was after Scott Lobdell had left the X-Men after 6 years.
This book primarily focuses on new recruits Marrow, Maggot, and Cecilia Reyes, with supporting characters of Wolverine, Storm and Cannonball. The original 5 X-Men show up in the beginning, and Psylocke shows up for a few issues. But mostly this is about Maggot and Marrow not fitting in and the X-Men not being as welcoming as one would expect them to be.
This is a lot wordier than I remember. When I think wordy superheroes, I think '70's or earlier, so I was surprised. The art is okay. The figure drawing is fine, but none of the artists add any heavy blacks or hatching, and the color don't do much light and shadow, so everything looks pretty flat.
It would have been nice if they had done a "previously" page. I was collecting X-Men monthly when this first came out, so I remember this happening right after Operation: Zero Tolerance. I also remember that this was after Scott Lobdell had left the X-Men after 6 years.
This book primarily focuses on new recruits Marrow, Maggot, and Cecilia Reyes, with supporting characters of Wolverine, Storm and Cannonball. The original 5 X-Men show up in the beginning, and Psylocke shows up for a few issues. But mostly this is about Maggot and Marrow not fitting in and the X-Men not being as welcoming as one would expect them to be.
This is a lot wordier than I remember. When I think wordy superheroes, I think '70's or earlier, so I was surprised. The art is okay. The figure drawing is fine, but none of the artists add any heavy blacks or hatching, and the color don't do much light and shadow, so everything looks pretty flat.
August 21, 2018
Well it would have been nice to know that this is first, then Blue volume zero since I read that one first. They basically go right into each other without having much to do with the actual ‘blue’ and ‘gold’ actual titles.
September 30, 2019
I've read and will read many better comics this year but to be real? This one does the job. Close quarters angst, clone drama, moody breakfasts, a succession of overly stylised accents, the occasional trip to another dimension, lots of bulgy outfits?
Sounds like the X-Men to me pal.
Sounds like the X-Men to me pal.
April 14, 2018
;-)
;-) ;-) ;+)
;+)
Awesome comic! I can't wait until I find the next set to continue the story.
;+)
;-) ;-) ;+)
;+)
Awesome comic! I can't wait until I find the next set to continue the story.
;+)
October 10, 2018
It was good, but the storyline was a little slow.
October 14, 2018
This was the arc that introduced me to X-Men, and has always been a favorite of mine. Sad that Marvel backpeddled and that neither Marrow, Maggot, or Dr. Reyes really stuck around.
December 6, 2018
This book has awesome graphics.
May 9, 2021
I love this era of X-Men, and it still really holds up.
November 8, 2021
camp chaos
February 22, 2024
A lot's happening over the past storyarcs and small pieces still brewing. The team is all over the place from Africa to Alaska. Nice to see Cannonball more with an A team vs those new muties.
July 31, 2024
5/10 there’s some good, some bad, and a lotta whatever. In other words it’s a comic from the 90s.
July 26, 2025
This volume was such a welcome respite after the Lobdell X-Men run that I almost gave it five stars.
This twenty year old X-Men run was only recently collected into trade paperback, which is a bit of a shame. While there was a little bit of a learning curve to panel placement in this volume, the writing is miles better than the previous....ten trade paperbacks.
My favorite X-men storyarcs work as introductions to the characters, letting their backstories unfold naturally, and using as few narration boxes as possible. "Homecoming" very much succeeds in being a great X-Men starting point, even though it's an odd and fairly temporary collection of X-Men. Marrow? Maggot? Cecelia Reyes? Cannonball? Magn---Joseph? Wolverine and Storm are the only two long-term X-Men who have lots of storytime devoted to them. Iceman pops up a bit at the beginning, Beast hovers in the background, Rogue shows up when absolutely necessary, Cyclops and Phoenix are shunted off early in the collection, and Angel and Psylocke each show up for one storyline.
It's fun.
While there is a focused narrative that runs through the first eleven of the dozen issues that make up this collection, it's not A Single Story With A Villain Lurking In The Background Before Becoming The Biggest Threat The World Has Ever Seen. It's a bare bones X-Men team with all of their technology and money stripped away, trying to figure out how to work together. It's got a bunch of 90s snappy patter, but it's focused on defensiveness about relationships rather than pop culture references. Most of the villains are familiar X-foes, but you don't have to know any of their history to follow what's going on. They just show up, serve their purpose, and the team moves on to the next mission/crisis. It's everything I thought I remembered that 90s X-Men comics were.
I recommend it for anyone looking for an unusual but satisfying introduction to the X-Men, continuity junkies who've been missing out on the Maggot and friends era, and anyone hoping their 90s Marvel nostalgia can be rewarding rather than punishing.
This twenty year old X-Men run was only recently collected into trade paperback, which is a bit of a shame. While there was a little bit of a learning curve to panel placement in this volume, the writing is miles better than the previous....ten trade paperbacks.
My favorite X-men storyarcs work as introductions to the characters, letting their backstories unfold naturally, and using as few narration boxes as possible. "Homecoming" very much succeeds in being a great X-Men starting point, even though it's an odd and fairly temporary collection of X-Men. Marrow? Maggot? Cecelia Reyes? Cannonball? Magn---Joseph? Wolverine and Storm are the only two long-term X-Men who have lots of storytime devoted to them. Iceman pops up a bit at the beginning, Beast hovers in the background, Rogue shows up when absolutely necessary, Cyclops and Phoenix are shunted off early in the collection, and Angel and Psylocke each show up for one storyline.
It's fun.
While there is a focused narrative that runs through the first eleven of the dozen issues that make up this collection, it's not A Single Story With A Villain Lurking In The Background Before Becoming The Biggest Threat The World Has Ever Seen. It's a bare bones X-Men team with all of their technology and money stripped away, trying to figure out how to work together. It's got a bunch of 90s snappy patter, but it's focused on defensiveness about relationships rather than pop culture references. Most of the villains are familiar X-foes, but you don't have to know any of their history to follow what's going on. They just show up, serve their purpose, and the team moves on to the next mission/crisis. It's everything I thought I remembered that 90s X-Men comics were.
I recommend it for anyone looking for an unusual but satisfying introduction to the X-Men, continuity junkies who've been missing out on the Maggot and friends era, and anyone hoping their 90s Marvel nostalgia can be rewarding rather than punishing.
August 22, 2022
I don't have a lot to say about this collection except that I did not expect to like this book nearly as much as I did. Joe Kelly writes character interactions in team books in a way that just really works for me. It wasn't perfect by any means, and it wasn't an X-Men blockbuster at all, but it was fun for what it was and it surpassed my expectations, so 5 Stars.
May 8, 2021
Not great. Hahaha, the art was what I remembered, but the story telling is discombobulated and weird.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Apparently this is not related to the series at all.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Apparently this is not related to the series at all.
April 5, 2023
Gems include Logan v. Marrow & Maggot & the 2part Psi-War
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