X-Men Red, Bd. 1: Gedankenspiele

X-Men Red (2018)

by Tom Taylor, Mahmud Asrar (Illustrator), Jürgen Petz (Translator)

Jean Grey ist zurück - mit einem eigenen X-Team an ihrer Seite! Wiedergeboren in eine Welt, die sie kaum noch erkennt, hat sie Nightcrawler, Namor und Laura Kinney um sich geschart. Ihre erste Mission: eine Mutantin in Indien aus der Haft befreien, der sie noch nie begegnet sind. Aber wer konnte ahnen, dass dadurch der Hass auf ihr Volk ein neues Hoch erreicht?

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

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2018

About the author

Once a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.

Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.

He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.

He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woke! X-Men Red finally catches the X-franchise up with the rest of the creative world! After the wonderful reintroduction of Jean Grey in the X-Men Red annual this volume shows how she turns her mission into a real thing to combat the tools used to spread hate - you know like algorithms (looking at you Elon Musk)! There's also a fantastic new Asian character and the return of an underused Wakandan. Although it could be argued that Jean Grey's power is actually rebirth!

For the purists we also get X-23, Namor, Gambit and Storm. On top of all this is a great story... easily the best and most relevant Marvel book at the moment... Jean Grey returns to a world more divided than ever and seeks to redress that balance, but in the shadows she already has a huge nemesis! Possibly a golden X-book! 8 out of 12. Four Star read.

2019 read

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why have there been so many Jean Grey books from Marvel these past couple years - is she anyone’s favourite X-character?! So following on from the unremarkable Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey, X-Men Red (red because Jean’s got red hair?) is an X-Men team book headed up by Jean. And it’s as boring as most of the X-Men books we’ve been getting lately!

Jean’s no longer bonded with the Phoenix Force but she’s still OP AF (probably why, despite Marvel’s efforts to make her their mutant Jedi, she remains uninteresting). She also thinks mutants should have their own nation. Because Genosha and Utopia both worked so well? Her team is Nightcrawler, Namor, Laura Kinney/Wolverine, Gabby/Honey Badger, Gambit, and a couple newbs: Nezhno, a Wakandan Hulk, and Trinary, an Indian technopath. Together they gots to defeat Cassandra Nova who’s back baddying it up once more because she’s a baddy! Zzz…

Why is there so much hate in the world right now? Sentinites! Tiny Sentinels infecting human brains to hate mutants. Why? And what are Cassandra Nova’s plans? Dunno. What do Jean and co. do in the meantime? Easily defeat the threats and have the obligatory fight with a Sentinel. None of it is really compelling to read - it’s simply X-Men by the numbers.

Some of Gabby’s dialogue is amusing - this feels a lot like one of Tom Taylor’s All-New Wolverine books - and it’s not badly written, it just isn’t very engaging. The overly political tone doesn’t make it any more appealing either. And the only thing I noticed about Mahmud Asrar’s art is how quickly Nightcrawler’s able to grow a beard. He’s clean-shaven for most of the book and then in the last ish or two he grows a full-on, trimmed and stylish beard - dude’s got a new designer mutant power apparently!

Red, Blue, Gold - whatever colour X-title book it is, none of them are worth reading, unfortunately. It might be the Sentinites talking but I thought The Hate Machine was more like The Snore Machine!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Taylor comes in and instantly shows those other X colored titles how it's done. The book is both fun and full of menace. Taylor smartly brings Honey Badger and X-23 over with him from his All-New Wolverine run. They instantly lighten what is a very dark storyline. Taylor also brings back Nightcrawler's carefree, fun personality from the Chris Claremont days. I didn't realize how much I missed it! It's why Nightcrawler was always my favorite X-Man. Mahmud Asrar's pencils are clean and dynamic. Unfortunately, he's saddled with a poor coloring from Ive Svorcina for the first 3 issues. She makes the art look drab and flat. The book looks much better once Rain Beredo takes over in issue 4.

[Artemy · Rating 2 out of 5]

X-Men Red picks up right where Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey left off. Jean Grey is back, but the world she's brought back into is... different, apparently? The people Earth hate mutants with a fiery murderous passion, and Cassandra Nova has some sinister plan to Kill All The Mutants. Yes, it's the premise of every other goddamn X-Men book in existence, but sure, let Tom Taylor pretend like the world is somehow very different from when Jean was last alive.

Does he add anything new to this tired old plot? Well, now there is a contrived new reason for people to hate the mutants, and it's some bullshit nanites in their brains. Taylor also very conveniently introduces a new mutant character who can control All Of Technology with their mind. You see where this is going, right?

The entire book is such a letdown. It has a fun team roster, and the first issue even promised an interesting new direction — Jean comes back with the vision of a perfect world, and thanks to her telepathic abilities she can communicate this vision to anybody in the world, so she starts by forming a peaceful mutant government and basically tries to start a movement for mutant rights. Just for a second I even started to believe that this is it, this is the book where mutants finally stop being their persecuted old selves, stand up and make the world finally accept them. But no, it took Tom Taylor less than an issue to flush that fresh new direction down the crapper in favour of this tired old premise, but this time with a bullshit promise that the entire global problem of human bigotry can be cured like some mundane disease.

Tom Taylor is generally a capable writer, but his X-Men Red is a book that adds zero new ideas to the world of X-Men, and is very naive in trying to handle actual real world issues to the point of almost being insulting. I expected so much more from this series. Alas, since Bendis left, the entire X-line's been in a state of perpetual stagnation and regurgitation of old ideas, and X-Men Red is yet another in a growing list of pointless and forgettable titles. Marvel really needs to shake up their editorial and creative offices to finally breathe some new life into their X-titles, now more than ever with the upcoming Disney/Fox merger.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one; in fact, if this had just collected issues one to five, I’d be giving it five stars. Unfortunately, it also included the annual, which wasn’t nearly as good, I’m afraid.

Man, it’s good to have Jean back... and on a team that also includes Kurt, Laura and Gabby? I’m in X-Heaven!

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a Marvel Reading kick for 2018 before I create my top 10 list of the year! So I decided to switch from Tom Taylor's All-new Wolverine to his X-Men Red series!

So Jean is back. Trust me, I was the last person who cared or wanted that. I've never been a huge fan of her but she is now back. This time though, instead of being all Phoenix and destroy the world, she's here to save it. She wants to fix all the hatred around the world, all the racism, and live in peace. A pretty hefty task but with her and other X-Men joining her like Namor, Laura, Gabby, Nightcrawler, and more, things might be looking up for the X-Men for once.

Good: The return of one of the most vicious villains the X-Men have ever known is a good idea. She's scary and what she does here is brutal. I also enjoy this take on Jean. Far kinder than ever before, and also powerful as heck, this is the Jean I was hoping would return. I love Nightcrawler as the heart of the team, plus his jokes are win. Gabby and Laura are perfect additions to the team here.

Bad: The actual story is a little heavy handed in political nature. I don't mind a good political story but it feels a little "in your face" style going on here. I also thought the pacing was a bit sluggish at times.

Overall, a very solid start for the new team. I'm hoping the next volume will flush out the cast, give us more reason to care about the new guys. I enjoy seeing Jean get some good character development as well as Nightcrawler and Laura/Gabby but want the whole team to get that. Still, a 3.5 out of 5, I'll bump it to a 4.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite fun omg!

Tom comes into the X-Men and does it well again like he starts with Jean and like what she does after coming alive and that moment with Black Bolt was cool and then coming to her mission in the UN and all and then a tragic incident orchestrated by Cassandra Nova happens and she has to go rogue and gathers her team including Trinary and we see the whole thing like that and getting a sentinel and fighting bigots everywhere and we get to see a fun story with Gambit too which was awesome, the coming of Storm and their allying with Namor and then preventing some genocide in Poland and the set up of the epic clash between Nova and these X-MEN!

Just great stuff and I love the way Taylor brings in such unique and interesting characters and he gives every character their moment and its fun the way he focuses on their conflicts and all and also gives Gabby a role and she acts like the humorous and childish perspective which is cool and he does an amazing job with Jean and really fleshing her out! Just good writing display though the art feels dull and not the biggest fan of coloring, it could have used more inking tbh.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]

Jean Grey has returned from the dead, and she does not like what she’s come back to. The world still hates and fears mutants, possibly even moreso than before, and the X-Men aren’t doing anything to help change that. With the Blue and Gold teams out protecting the world, Jean decides to save it. With Wolverine, Honey Badger, Namor, Gambit, Storm, and new mutant Trinary at her side, it’s time to change some hearts and minds. Unfortunately, someone else has that on their agenda too – and Cassandra Nova doesn’t agree with Jean’s outlook one bit.

This series hits the ground running; it’s a ‘get the band back together’ type story, but with the adrenaline turned up to eleven as Jean basically grabs whoever’s available and/or in her way as she reacts to Cassandra Nova’s initial attack in the first issue and then plays catch-up as the first arc continues. The idea behind Nova’s plan is solid, and plays well with her previous appearances (particuarly during the Grant Morrison New X-Men stuff), but she’s a very distant foe at this point, so her presence isn’t quite felt as heavily as I’d have liked.

The introduction to Trinary is probably the best issue here, giving her an origin and a great first showing all in one go. Writer Tom Taylor gives her a unique voice as part of the team, and his humour shines through as usual thanks to the inclusion of Laura and Gabby Kinney, fresh off of All-New Wolverine. The annual is the most important issue however – it bridges the gap between the end of Phoenix: Resurrection and X-Men Red #1, filling in some important information and getting in some essential character interactions that really should have been in Red #1. I’m all for flashbacks, but the material in the annual really should have been published first to help the first issue hit the ground running without feeling like the reader was missing something.

Mahmud Asrar has gone from strength to strength recently, and his pencils here are no exception. His expressions are just as superb as his action sequences, and he really sells the talking heads sections of the comic when they could easily become bland and boring. I don’t think colourist Ive Svorcina is a good fit for him however – the colours appear washed out and muted, which flattens the world of X-Men Red when it should really be leaping off the page given how relevant it is. It just goes to show that a poorly paired colourist or inker can really affect a book’s visuals, and I feel like this is definitely one of those times – compare Asrar’s pages here to those on All-New All-Different Avengers when Dave McCaig was colouring his work and you’ll definitely see the difference.

X-Men Red’s got a hell of a lot of potential, and a grand mission statement. This first arc doesn’t really get the chance to breathe however, and the characters are thrown together more than working together because they all believe in Jean’s vision of the future. The art’s great, but the colours aren’t up to scratch; it seems for every good move this book makes, it drops the ball on something else. I’ll stick around, because Tom Taylor’s built up a lot of good will with me over the years, but this is a shaky start.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the best X-Men comics since Grant Morrison and Joss Whedon were writing their takes. I'm not up on exactly how Jean Grey has come back (did they ever fix Bendis' weird time experiment with the young X-Men visiting their older counterparts? I imagine they must have, but I missed that. Also, Cyclops is dead?!?). I'd really like to see a different villain than the one who is recycled here, but it is a definite threat. Also tired of the whole persecution of mutants thing. But I know that's one of the hallmarks of the story and if it has to be there, there are worse ways to handle it. I really liked the artwork by Pascal Alixe in the X-Men Annual that introduces the story concept. Ongoing artist Mahmud Asrar isn't bad, but his work isn't quite as dynamic. Looking forward to seeing where this goes...

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jean Grey is back. The world still fears mutants, Cassandra Nova is at play ( Morrison did her very well from the arc I read, so it will be interesting to see Taylors take). The action is solid, the plotting is fun. The art is standard marvel, it really is just big in every sense. Its not the most original of stories, but it still was fun read. I already prefer this than the Gold run.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

X-Men Red is the comic that has to justify the resurrection of Jean Gray, one of the many senseless X-character returns in 2017 that threatened to set the X-franchise back by decades. And it ... maybe does? Tom Taylor certainly writes an interesting and nuanced Jean Gray, one who remains true to her classic character, yet who moves in an interesting new direction. But was it necessary for Jean Gray to take this role? I'm unconvinced.

As for the X-red team that Gray gathers: it's a proactive strike force, a precept that's previously been used to good effect by various X-Forces and by one of the recent versions of Uncanny X-Men. However, there's a twist, as Gray's reds are primarily focused on defending mutants. It's a good basis for a unique comic. There are also some good team members. Taylor's Jean Gray is strong, and it's also great to have Namor back in an X-Men comic. But what's really terrific is seeing Laura and Gabby under Taylor's pen once again. These various characters are one of the prime reasons to read Taylor's X-Men.

As for the plots? We've largely seen them before, other than the unique twist of Jean's proactive focus. Mass hatred against mutants? (Check.) Nanites turning people into Sentinels? (Check.) Machine empath turns bad Sentinel good? (Check.) I would have liked to a see a bit more innovation, though Taylor makes up for it somewhat by his good use of a (now) classic villain and by the team's unique responses.

In a world of mediocre comics like X-Men Blue and X-Men Gold, it's good to have a solid X-team comic, the first one since before Secret Wars, and one that could easily ascend to greatness

[C. Varn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Taylor uses the resurrected Jean Gray to reground an X-men team into something that feels like a classic X-men arc while mimicking or aping either Claremont era or Lee/Loebell era. It's not Grant Morrison's X-men or Bendis's or Whedon's, but it is both familiar and new in a way that readers haven't seen since Secret Wars. There are limits to the plot where there are political machinations to increase hatred towards mutants, but Cassandra Nova is a particularly devious enemy and grounding the book in something that involves neither time travel nor remarkably bland cosmic threats feel refreshing after X-men: Gold and X-men: Blue seem to have fallen in a rut. Perhaps, after the relaunch of Generation X got canceled, I have been more tolerant of Taylor's lack of new ideas. The only real new idea is Jean Gray playing a role generally reserved for either Xavier or Magneto. Furthermore, it is nice to see Namor used well in an X-team and the strike force team being mostly defensive. Despite the lack of new plot elements, there is some character development with Jean Gray dealing with her response to Black Bolt for Cyclops' death. Taylor could be developing something promising once he moves from more established X-men tropes.

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might just be the X-Men title we've been waiting for, continuing the more recent legacies of Grant Morrison's 'New X-Men' and Joss Whedon's 'Astonishing X-Men'. I haven't been invested in the current X-Men comics for years now, and I'm slightly surprised Jean Grey is the thing to pull me back in, as I've never been the biggest fan of her. But Tom Taylor makes you root for her right off the bat, and the stakes are extremely high. There's just the right amount of darkness and silliness to balance itself out too. The art is killer, and the characters come together very naturally throughout the issues. I'll be following this one for as long as Taylor continues writing! 5/5 stars.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Now this -- this is a damn good X-Men book! Picking up on the heels of the also pretty damn good Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey, the original Jean Grey is back (last time we saw her was in Grant Morrison's grand finale of his run on New X-Men, where she was presumed dead way back in 2004)!

The Hate Machine starts off with an annual issue showcasing Jean, her return, her reconnecting with her X-friends, and setting the stage of the events that will follow. It's exactly the type of material I was looking for after Phoenix Resurrection's rather abrupt ending, and it's a great bit of character-driven writing. Even better, though, are the five issues of X-Men Red that follow.

X-Men has always been political at its core, and X-Men Red is wonderfully political as fuck! There's bigots marching in the street, complete with red hats and tiki torches so you'll know exactly who they voted for back in 2016, spouting hate and killing mutants -- but they are driven by even more sinister forces. The Red team is composed of Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Laura (aka X-23, aka All-New Wolverine), Gabby, Namor, and a new mutant, Trinary, an Indian technopath imprisoned for launching a cyberattack to force her fellow women into receiving equal pay. As Gabby succinctly puts it, "And just like that, I have a new hero." Same, Gabby. Same.

Trinary is an awesome addition, but this book is Jean Grey's vehicle and goddamn, is it ever good to have her back! She's the embodiment of hope that the team needs, particularly in this era, where hate is not just on the rise, but marching openly, and daily, and getting worse with each passing moment. Death hasn't weakened her in the least, and if anything it's made her stronger and bolder, and her resurrection has given her a new mission. She's not merely content to protect mutants from a world that hates and fears them. In fact, she refuses to accept the world for how it is. So much has changed since her death, and not all of it for the better. She's going to change this world, and she takes immediate action. This is exactly the X-book I needed right now. It's dark, but optimistic, and has some wonderful moments of humor thanks to the dialogue Taylor has gifted Gabby with over the course of these five issues. It's fantastically written, and between Tom Taylor's writing and Mahmud Asrar's pencils, there's some well-earned shocks along the way. I cannot wait to see where volume two takes us, but I'm already wishing there were more issues to this miniseries, which concludes in the next book. I'm off to try and savor that one now, in fact.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the exception of the Annual at the beginning of the volume, this was pretty good. Looking forward to the next one.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I thought it would be. Shouldn't be too surprising though. Tom Taylor can write a good book.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't often write reviews, and I never rate comics (for as many as I read). But I'm compelled to say a few things about this one after reading some of the other reviews.

The inaugural volume of X-Men Red is definitely covering familiar territory. Humans hate and fear mutants. Governments are passing legislation against them. There's talk of deportation and special camps. The team has to fight against a warped perception of their mission. One of their own is secretly against them. Etc, etc.

HOWEVER, this is what X-Men DOES WELL! This is why X-MEN IS GOOD!! This is why I, personally, read X-Men - this is what I come here for - and in that sense, I was not disappointed.

There are nuances in this title that does set it apart, as with all more politically inclined X-titles. They tend to tackle whatever issue is most ubiquitous at the moment. Fake news and media conditioning and us/them mentalities is pretty potent and relevant right now, and Taylor integrates that into this title in a way that is, albeit at times a little too on the nose, but for the most part pretty seamless and believable for the world. The tiki-torch protest was a poignant callback to Charlottesville.

I really enjoy the team. I enjoy the dynamic between Nightcrawler and Jean. I LOVE that we're moving way from the hysterical woman trope that has plagued Jean her entire history. I am a huge Laura/Gabby fangirl and they continue to be a delight. Namor's grumpiness compliments well and Trinary is an interesting new character, if perhaps a little too powerful.

My main qualms is I personally don't like Cassandra Nova as a villain. I'm kind of tired of her. But that is an entirely personal bias. I also think the art is a little... gratuitous, especially considering Taylor's gender-positive writing.

But if you read comics to DETACH from the political world, this is not for you, and honestly, I'm not sure why you'd be reading X-Men anyways, as I have ALWAYS found it, at least subtly if not overtly, inherently political.

[Jesús De la Jara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demasiada nostalgia en el número anual me hace puntuarlo así.
Ese número es casi como el comienzo, pues ahí se recuerda lo que pasó desde que Jean Grey vuelve a la vida (osea sigue el final de "La Resurrección de Jean Grey"), es un flashback pero que bien se puede leer primero. Cuenta cómo reúne al equipo y las primeras sensaciones de Jean vuelta a la vida. Una de ellas que no había tenido en cuenta es que Jean Grey jamás conoció a Laura (X-23) pues murió antes que aparezca en las historias de X-Men.
Y de eso se trata este primer volumen. Jean Grey reúne con ella en su equipo de X-Men Red a Nightcrawler, Gaby y Laura (que me parece muy acertado), una nueva recluta india Trinary y Namor. La amenaza es una mutante telépata muy poderosa, casi tanto como la propia Jean.

[Des Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boom! Tom Taylor pops off again with another great X-Men book. The dude has been writing some amazing Wolverine featuring Laura and Gabby, and now his for realsies X-Men book brings all that same brilliance to a bigger table. This reads as a wholly unique, wholly modern X-Men title, with appropriate and surprisingly tactful mirrors to the bigotry of modern America. X-Men is a book about race and discrimination, and this title reflects these issues in the 2018 U.S. with pitch-perfect accuracy. It's a little on the nose with some points, but I honestly think it works. The sentinel ship is genius and using Nova as Jean's big bad is simply the best option. I am immensely impressed and hope things keep going in the right direction in future volumes.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the X-Men story I have been wanting for years. This resonates with me. Jean Grey is implicated in the assassination of a politician, and she and a core team of X-Men flee and regroup in a remote location to find out who actually was behind the assassination, and how they can reveal the truth to the world. The dialogue, the artwork, the characterization were spot on. It helps that I love most of this team, and came to love the rest. It feels a little strange that one of the X-Men's powers is to scan the Internet, but I'll go with it. A must read comic of 2018.

[Anjela Con Jota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aunque habitualmente no reseño series regulares de cómic, con la etapa de Tom Taylor a cargo de Patrulla X Rojo (toda la etapa, en España publicada en grapa por Panini) tengo que hacer una excepción.
Es una serie preciosa, divertida y que me ha saltado las lágrimas en más de una ocasión.
Tom Taylor escribe a los mutantes de manera genial y ha conseguido la mejor Jean Grey que yo he leído nunca.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes dead is better... no, that was Frankenstein, never mind... So, Jean Grey is back again and has a new team of unlikely allies including Namor and Nightcrawler and Wolverine and her sister Honey Badger. (Gotta love the Wolvie ladies.) It's a well told interesting story, very well paced and developed. Jean starts out playing by the rules wearing her old cheerleader outfit and adapts as changes are demanded. I thought the art was very well drawn, with just the right amount of detail and background not to be distracting while keeping the vibrant colors we've come to associate with these characters. (I dunno why they called it Red.)

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better X-books I’ve read in a long while. Jeannie is a great leader without Xavier or Scott around to crimp her style. Even Namor gets with the program.
As for the villain and threat...well, to say it’s timely would be sufficient. 2018, man.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acho que fui com muita sede ao pote para ler esse primeiro volume de X-Men: Equipe Vermelha. Ainda quero fazer um post no blog com mais detalhes sobre ela. Vejo que essa fase da equipé mutante chamou muito mais a atenção de pessoas que não acompanhavam X-Men há muito tempo. E vejo que, como outras fases que atraíram atenção desse tipo de público, ela trabalha com basicamente dois elementos: o ódio/a intolerância e a presença antagonista de Cassandra Nova. Foi assim como Mosrrison, com Whedon e, agora, com Tom Taylor. O toque mágico que todos esses três escritores têm é saber trabalhar as personalidades e as interações entre os personagens. Mais uma vez preciso dizer: eu gostei muito do quadrinho, só não vejo ele como algo tão inovador e essencial como o que foi alardado para todos os lados. Os desenhos de Mahmud Asrar são encantadores, mas as cores de Ive Svorcina tiram muito do brilho da arte exatamente por exagerar no brilho e nos tons difusos, conferindo à arte uma falta de volume, que geralmente as cores garantem. Prova disso é que ela é substituída na edição 4. Claro, ainda quero escrever com mais calma sobre o arco inteiros e sobre a mensagem de ódio, sobre nações de minorias, e guetos e nações fictícias, mas por enquanto vou deixar essa minirresenha neste patamar. Quando eu ler a segunda parte, faço um texto mais completo.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This line up isn't my favorite X-Men team, but the story is still good. Jean Grey's back and trying to unify humans and mutants, but Cassandra Nova is working against her. I thought Cassandra Nova was dead, but I can't keep up with all that in the X-Men Universe. I think every character has died and came back, most more than once.

In any case, it's a cool story with an epic feel. Interested to see where this ends.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it!

[mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

out of blue, gold and red, red is my favourite one. it felt really complete and i like how they are integrating dead jean to our present considering she's an omega level telepath

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this! Can't wait to dive into the next volume! Tom Taylor came on in and instantly showed OUT!

[Georgiana Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

[This is basically a review for the whole series, which was tragically *choke sob* cancelled to make way for whatever UNCANNY X-MEN is about to pull off.]

X-MEN RED has been my favorite of the too many X-Men comics coming out.

There are the nerd reasons, obviously: the line-up is basically all my favorite X-Men characters (Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Wolverine (X-23), Storm, etc.). The team using a reprogrammed Sentinel as their transport is dope. All the new costumes are cool (except for putting Laura in a yellow/black costume. I'm ride or die for the red-eyed grey/black X-Force Wolverine look). Cassandra Nova is a hilarious villain with zero chill.

And there are also the more boring reasons. I feel like this story captures (as the best X-Men stories do) contemporary prejudice, and in particular the way it spreads. Of course, being a comic book, it turns it into a dastardly plot with microscopic psychic robots, but still... The idea that people aren't bad, they're just ignorant and manipulated by forces beyond their control is worth thinking about. To that end, Trinary is a great new addition to the X-Men roster - a mutant who can manipulate information technology. The way she articulates the struggle over the dissemination of fake news, etc. isn't particularly deep, but it's definitely fun to see and very On Brand™ for an X-Book.

The politics of power and oppression might not be entirely reflective of the real world (marginalized people IRL tend to not have the ability to stop bullets with their minds), but the duty of X-Men stories isn't to be perfectly accurate - it's to be idealistic. X-Men must always be heroic in the truest sense, the must protect a world that fears and hates them. The whole notion is that eventually, their heroism and dedication to a better world will win out over those too afraid to try.

X-MEN RED captures that so well. Jean Grey's whole mission is to change the world for the bette, to create a world where all are welcome. (She says it explicitly multiple times, and her vision of a new world is apparently so beautiful that it makes people cry and thank her for sharing it *eyeroll* X-Men is great but it ain't subtle). She never loses sight of that goal, right up to the very end.

Give it a read, it'll make you feel good.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands-down the best X-Book since Aaron's witty (but inconsistent) Wolverine and the X-Men.

Bringing back Jean Grey is always iffy, because the character we love, the one we want back, really only existed for a few years at the end of the 70's. No one can really reincarnate that Claremont/Byrne magic.

But this, this is great. I love it a lot.

Really wish Taylor would belong back Broo, tho.