Uncanny X-Men: The New Age, Vol. 1: The End of History

Uncanny X-Men: The New Age

by Chris Claremont (Writer), Alan Davis (Artist)

New alliances are forged as old friendships are rekindled, but one thing is certain: The X-Men will never be the same! With the team split in two, the Uncanny X-Men must face the unbridled force of the Fury on two sides of the globe! Will the villain's "divide-and-conquer" plan prove to be the X-Men's ultimate undoing? Collecting Uncanny X-Men #444-449.

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, X Men, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2014

About the author

Chris 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.

Reviews

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good volume!

The mutants are now part of XSE an investigative team maybe and them we have like a murder investigation but Nightcrawler and Wolverine get blamed for it and they merely escape. In other place Bishop and others are investigating Braddock manor until they get attacked by some being who telepathically takes over Sage and well its a great fight between the X-Men and the Fury (creature's name) and I liked it, how quick it was but also really well done!

Plus the next story highlighting Viper and her murderworld and her plans for sage, the twist and the team stopping a nuke through their teamwork was awesome too. Plus its so good seeing Rachel taking up the legacy of her mom and becoming her own hero, affirming her beliefs in her team mates.

I like this volume as its a return of Claremont and for him this characters are super easy to write and like he already gets the ball rolling with so many mysteries and also the new hellfire club and setting plot lines, giving character moments and interactions, solid art work from Davis and this volume is a win for the duo!

[Baba · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a review of all five volumes of Uncanny X-Men: The New Age. Nothing to add for the other volumes.

Chris Claremont just stayed way too long. This covers the period before and after House of M.

Because of 8 pretty good issues across 36+ issues, the final rating is 5 out of 12 from me.

Best advice... Don't bother.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Wolverine and Kurt go on a rescue mission to save some kids. Of course the Mutant haters try to blame them for the incident. Later, Sam, Rachel and Bishop head it to visit Captain Britain only to find the house empty and end up getting attack by a pretty strong individual. They come out of that only to find themselves in the thrall of Viper in murderworld. The Viper story carries on and ends with a cliffhanger. Pretty solid volume.

[Adam Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is basically a continuation of Claremont's incredibly dated and not very interesting X-Treme X-Men run. It's many of the same characters, in many of the same boring scenarios he has written before, and will write again.

The first issue has nods to other books taking place at the same time (Academy X and the main X-Men title) but after that intriguing first issue, Claremont introduces Fury, yet another adapting androidish creature who Can't Be Stopped! Until it is.

There's also a heavy focus on Sage, who had the potential to be an interesting character, but never achieved it.

There's also the Oh So Familiar And Boring Claremont/Davis twist where a character "dies" only to be revealed a page or two later as having been replaced by another team member, so everyone is totally fine! Deus Ex Claremont.

If you're a fan of modern comic writing, you can completely skip the entire 21st century Claremont run on Uncanny X-Men. But if you like 80s style over-narration and completely obvious storylines, then this is a solid read. Neither Claremont nor Davis ever really evolved as storytellers (while Davis's pencils have evolved over the years, his panelling and contributions to stories has not), so if you really love their work, you'll find this comfortable and famliar. Especially if you were into their Excalibur run, which gets some return time in this volume.

[Alex E · Rating 2 out of 5]

With a much more "back to basics" approach, the X-Men tackle the Fury as well as having to brave the dangers of Murderworld once more.

There's an old saying that is very true in many scenarios: "you cant go home again". And unfortunately, it seems this is the case with Chris Claremont. If you are any kind of self respecting X-Men fan, you know Claremont is basically a god of the X-Men. There is no denying his genius and his influence on the series in general. However, here we see that old adage coming into play. Because, even though this type of dynamic and story telling is what made the X-Men what they are, it really cant be done again. We have moved passed these types of stories. I mean, they are literally in Arcade's murder world again. Inside the little pinballs... again! And the villain bought the "set" from online, so if recycling old deathtraps isn't a perfect metaphor for what's happening writing wise - i don't know what is.

Overall, it seems that during this point in time, there were some people who didn't like the direction the series was going with Morrison and Whedon basically taking us into the future, because this takes us directly back into the past. And unfortunately that's how it reads and feels. Recommended for die hard X-Men fans only.

[TR Naus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chris Claremont is back (again) as part of Marvel's Reload (another reboot of the line). The title becomes a continuation of X-Treme X-Men in which the team functions as an international police force (with unclear authority) protecting mutants. While Nightcrawler and Wolverine run into problems attempting to de-escalate a situation in rural Washington State, Bishop, Cannonball, and Marvel Girl visit Braddock Manor. They discover that the Fury has returned, but during the battle, it finds a remote way of attacking the Mansion through Sage. To make things worse, Viper returns and runs the team through Muderworld to save the Queen.

I avoid X-Men-related titles that involve Captain Britain storylines (like Excalibur), but that is hard to do when Chris Claremont and Alan Davis collaborate on a core book. I find the characters confusing, the plots convoluted, and the mythos unoriginal. The End of History confirmed it. I found myself finishing this run with a few questions that I realized I don't care to find the answers to. I just need to wait for the next reboot.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

After X-Treme X-Men ended, Claremont took over Uncanny X-Men again. It has mostly the same cast, replacing Gambit and Rogue with Nightcrawler and Rachel Summers, but it's somehow way better. Honestly, everything in the Astonishing X-Men era is better than in the New X-Men era. Maybe it's because they have traditional costumes again and don't feel a need to be as edgy and cool. Having Alan Davis as the penciler doesn't hurt either.

[Odo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this may be a bit confusing to anybody that hasn’t been following the X-Men comics up until now, but Volume one doesn’t always mean that it’s the first in the series. More like it’s the start of a new long term plot. The End of History actually starts with Uncanny X-Men #444, to put that in perspective for you.
While most of Claremont’s work in Uncanny X-Men has been popular, this series had a rather lackluster fan response. That’s likely due in part to the fact that the plot before this one was darker and heavier – and thus a difficult act to follow. It probably also had something to do with the plot and overall tones with the series.



This volume felt like it was missing something. I think that’s the best way to explain it. I know that it’s probably because they’re still recovering from what has happened to them in the past, but at the same time that doesn’t really change the facts. I kept putting this volume down, getting distracted by this and that. I feel bad admitting that…but it is the truth.
It was nice seeing the team back together again. Well, most of the team. I haven’t read as much X-Men as I’d like, and I thought going back to here was a good starting ground for me. While I wasn’t thrilled with this volume I do think I’m going to continue my read through.
There are some funny moments that happen in this volume, as well as a few really great fight scenes. So I have to give them credit for that. There’s also the whole Wolverine acting without talking about it thing, thus surprising the whole team…but that’s not really a new thing, is it?
The antagonist for this volume was interesting. It was my first time seeing him, so for a minute I actually got him confused with another character/event that happens. When I realized my mistake I was okay with it though. I still enjoyed the twists involved, probably more so because I really didn’t see them coming.
The nice thing about X-Men, or the bad thing, depending on how you want to look at it, is that there are always new characters being introduced into X-Men. Now, since I haven’t read a ton I can’t say for certain if the characters here are actually new. But they are new to me, and that’s enough. It’s sometimes fun getting to know newer characters. Especially when you’ve been craving change.
I do hope that the next few volumes pick up the pace, as this one was a bit on the slower side for my liking. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next volume will have in store. Will the same characters be involved? Or will they switch out? Those are rhetorical questions by the way, so don’t tell me the answers! I’ll find out soon enough.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[LARRY · Rating 2 out of 5]

As posted in [http://www.amazon.com]:

As a fan of the X-Men and all the other X-titles, I was sorely disappointed in this graphic novel.

The beginning, which featured a baseball game with the residents of X-Mansion, was perhaps the only best thing of the entire novel. After that, it just went downhill!

The battle with the Fury just simply bored me. The Fury, to me, was simply a repackaged version of the Sentinels or Nimrod. Except this time, it's...well, computer vs. computer (Sage).

Murderworld...should have stayed buried in the past.

Blah!

[Chris Witt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited when I heard Chris Claremont had returned to the X-Men after a long absence. I read X-Men a lot when I was in junior high and high school and LOVED it... At least until Claremont left. Then the series went south in a hurry (in my opinion).

But this series may as well have been titled "Uncanny X-Men: You Can't Go Home Again". Melodramatic. A boring villain who carries no explanation for where he/it came from. I was a bit bummed. But it did save me a few bucks since I had no urge to follow Claremont's return to the series any further than this first volume.

[Zac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Claremont’s return manages to deliver a slap in the face to New X-Men’s progressive subject matter and totally deride all the complex plots and character development Morrison established in one fell swoop. He reverts to outdated cliche storytelling and reverts many of the characters who came into their own in New X-Men to static, flat one-note caricatures, as opposed to their fully developed, modernized, more complex complex characters of the relatable, socially-conscious Morrison run.

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Continuing the x-read of 2017...

Seriously, was Claremont suddenly writing every x-book at this point in 2004/2005? He certainly feels a little stretched thin.

It isn't a bad volume, it's just kind of boring.

And Claremont continues to push Sage as this uber-X-Woman, the savior of the team over and over. Am I the only one who really can't stand the character?

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good TPB. As I am just getting back into comics, it was a good starting part in the uncanny x-men series(which is several hundered comics large right now), but still had some characters who I was not familiar with.

[Kirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the only really solid arc in this new XSE era of the x men, emma frost still pisses me off but the wolvie and storm parenting dynamic does well for the team here, as per usual tho a little too much rachel and not enough nightcrawler 🙏🏽

[Mickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claremont has written some of the best and most iconic X-Men stuff out there, period. These are...not those. In the context of his career, and in the contemporary context of Morrison's "New X-Men" and Whedon's "Astonishing," it's not hard to feel a little disappointed here. That being said, there's nothing really hate-able here, it mostly just feels like bouncing from filler issue to filler issue. Pretty good filler issues, overall, but nothing that's making me be like "Oh yeah, now that's the stuff."

"The End of History" is basically a silver age throwback. You can almost hear Stan Lee writing the cover blurbs. Overall, it's not bad. They also play baseball at the beginning! It makes me happy to imagine Claremont writing that in. They fight big robot (The Fury), hard to be too upset about that. Wolverine mercs a kid. It's aight.

"Cruelest Cut"...has X-23 in it, so that's cool! You can tell Claremont's spinning his wheels when he tries to build a cliffhanger out of Wolverine getting stabbed (as if you, the person reading an X-Men comic book, have no idea what Wolverine's like whole deal is). They also go to a mutant themed night club, which everyone acts all brand new about but I swear I've seen this exact idea get used like 6 times.

"Chasing Hellfire" (and the other issues which are kind of preludes for this) feels like Claremont trying to go back to the well and finding it pretty dry. I do think that Rachel is probably the most interesting character on this team to this point (Claremont always gives the kid the most stuff), so the stuff with her and Emma (who is less cool without Morrison writing her but still pretty OK) and her facing off with Selene works. The rest is eh, pretty average.

[Al Gritten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claremont lives up to his usual standard of story-telling and this one is another in a long line of goor solid stories by him. A little action, a little intrigue, a little romance, and several different takes on various 'isms', ageism, sexism, racism - all of the issues that X-men has always explored. But for this reader it is really Davis' pencils along with a talented team of artists that makes the book. The art is superb and it almost outshines the story at points. Well done! 'Nuff said.

[Tim B · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could you not like a book by Claremont and Alan Davis that takes place predominantly at Braddock Manor?!? Sage become very very important. Brian Braddock’s voice is on shown on the phone early, but it is actually the Fury. The fury is such an interesting villain from the Mad Jim Jaspers storyline. When Brian actually shows up, we are not even sure if it is him because now Jamie is back around pulling the strings of reality. This was a great collection from beginning to end.

[Jdetrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted something different after Chuck Austen, and instead we get something old, in more Chris Claremont. This isn't his worst work on the title, but it feels like we've stepped back in time. Instead of moving the book forward, he's replaying some of his favorite themes with his favorite old characters.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claremont brings a bit of fun and adventure to the X-Men, and packs a lot into a story with his classic style. Sometimes his old cliches still come through, but it's fun. And Alan Davis's art is really good.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sure this was a huge letdown after the Morrison run, but I'm coming from the Austen run and it's a big step up.

It just feels like a real X-Men story. Not a great story. But one that fits and is trying to hit the marks.

[cardulelia carduelis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine ..
It's calling back to a lot of story arcs I don't know about. Captain Britain and the otherworld. The formidable Fury (seriously what a fucking villain). The Murder world? I dunno, it's fine but all a bit silly.
Proper.review to come at some point . On we go.

[Jose Sandoval · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s neither a terrible nor a great book, just meh. If you need some new Claremont content to satisfy a fix, this barely satiates. You’re better off re-reading his peak era. Still, you also get Alan Davis and Olivier Coipel so that’s something to appreciate further.

[Jesse Deleon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indeed a new age.

Thank you Chris Claremont for The New Age Vol. 1 . I love that you have given me a new look at X- Men universe.

[Stephan van Velzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a whole lot better than The Astonishing X-Men. I didn't like the second story, but I adored the first.

[Russel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A soft reboot setting up the early 2000s X-Men run. A fun introduction to the new normal with one interesting big bands to boot.

[Pedro Espada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomazo impresionante lleno de acción, que aún yendo perdido de lo que ha sucedido en números anteriores engancha y lo lees de una sentada, disfrutando cada página con un dibujazo de Davis y Coipel.

[Marvin Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

cool

[Jason Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is essentially a continuation of X-treme X-Men with the same cast and subplots, but back in classic costumes and in the traditional flagship book (although Astonishing is the real main event for this era).

It's just tired. Claremont's voice is very dated in this book and the plot feels really by the numbers which is too bad considering how refreshed he seemed to be writing Excalibur concurrently. And speaking of Excalibur, for some reason it's THIS book we see the Braddocks in and not that one.

The post-Morrison revamp is pretty clearly rushed. But it isn't all bad. Rachel Grey shines in this book, and there are some warm character moments. (Also, I get the feeling Claremont HATES the Scott Summers/Emma Frost pairing. Emma is not shown in a kindly light at all.)

The art is very pretty; both Davis and Coipel turn in good work. And the colors really pop in this book, so props to the colorist.

But, all in all, it's pretty mediocre. There's much better X-Men books out there, whether you want classic Claremont or more modern takes.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The End of History 444 - 447"
Wolverine is on another team *heavy sigh* One big fight for 4 issues but it's about learning to work as a team. Where is Brian? And what was nutjob Jamie doing?

"Viperworld (#448-449)"
WTF did I just read? No idea what was going on.