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Uncanny X-Men by Chuck Austen
Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1: Hope
While struggling to build a world where normal humans and mutants can live together in peace, the X-Men find themselves caught up in internal turmoil, as anger, pride, and jealousy cause rifts to form between the members.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
7 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Austen
431 books16 followersChuck Austen (born Chuck Beckum) is an American humor novelist, comic book writer and artist, TV writer and animator. In comics, he is known for his work on X-Men, War Machine, Elektra, and Action Comics, and in television, he is known for co-creating the animated TV series Tripping the Rift.
In his most recent prose novels, Chuck Austen has been going by the name Charles Austen.
In his most recent prose novels, Chuck Austen has been going by the name Charles Austen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 21, 2021
More secondary mutations; introducing little Sammy; a wayward lost Juggernaut; there's both gay and straight secrets, lies and love triangles; and yet another Nightcrawler crisis of faith; also, at long last the return of Havoc; and much more! Welcome to the X-Men world of Chuck Austen :)
Austen was a very much underrated scribe, with his low-key Marvel marketing wise, take on the X-Man - but he came up with this surprisingly solid run with some great plotting. 7 out of 12 for the start of this underrated writer's run.
Above is the classic Chuck Austen error, where he appears to not know the meaning of 'smut'!
Austen was a very much underrated scribe, with his low-key Marvel marketing wise, take on the X-Man - but he came up with this surprisingly solid run with some great plotting. 7 out of 12 for the start of this underrated writer's run.
Above is the classic Chuck Austen error, where he appears to not know the meaning of 'smut'!
August 6, 2021
Chuck Austen's run has probably been one of the most lambasted run of the X-Men's career. His run came after I stopped reading comics for a while, so this is my first time reading this. And honestly, its not that bad. At least this first volume isn't.
I mean, sure there are some problems with the dialogue, where it sounds stilted and manufactured, but that's nothing new for the X-Men. And the pacing seems a tad off at times. But for the most part, this volume just introduces us to a depressed teenage mutant who has the head of a fish, it brings Juggernaut back to the school as a consultant of sorts, and changes Angel from blue skinned back to his original skin color. I very much like the fact that Austen approaches the book as a book about a school. So there's a lot of moving parts, and a lot of focus on students and what they are taught.
The art is pretty good, featuring early work from Salvador Larroca and Sean Phillips. They both haven't found their signature styles yet, so the art is a bit more traditional in this volume. It doesn't look bad or anything, but it is a bit more "house style" of the times.
Overall, a good start to a run. There's a lot of setup and introduction to people and concepts, and I'm eager to see how things will play out. Recommended for fans of the X-Men.
I mean, sure there are some problems with the dialogue, where it sounds stilted and manufactured, but that's nothing new for the X-Men. And the pacing seems a tad off at times. But for the most part, this volume just introduces us to a depressed teenage mutant who has the head of a fish, it brings Juggernaut back to the school as a consultant of sorts, and changes Angel from blue skinned back to his original skin color. I very much like the fact that Austen approaches the book as a book about a school. So there's a lot of moving parts, and a lot of focus on students and what they are taught.
The art is pretty good, featuring early work from Salvador Larroca and Sean Phillips. They both haven't found their signature styles yet, so the art is a bit more traditional in this volume. It doesn't look bad or anything, but it is a bit more "house style" of the times.
Overall, a good start to a run. There's a lot of setup and introduction to people and concepts, and I'm eager to see how things will play out. Recommended for fans of the X-Men.
August 29, 2022
This is the first volume of Chuck Austen's notorious X-Men run. It may have been even worse than I expected.
Initially, Austen keeps the same cast as Joe Casey's run but replaces Chamber with M. You can tell immediately that he's trying to be more ambitious than his predecessor, however, introducing sub-plots with Havok and Professor X. The characterization also immediately feels off, especially that of Stacy X.
Stacy X is a mutant prostitute, created by Joe Casey, who joins the X-Men after the brothel she works at is destroyed by an anti-mutant cult. It's needlessly edgy but the character kind of works and manages to be likeable and complex, with some really good scenes with Wolverine. Austen, however, describes her as "slutty yet fun." She is immediately forced into a love triangle, competing with Husk for Angel's affection, and then spends all her time starting fights with other women (while Wolverine grins creepily in the background) and saying things like "Think I'll go watch porn in my room if anyone's interested."
Meanwhile, Annie, a nurse/single mother at a convalescent hospital is carrying for a comatose John Doe revealed to be Havok. Despite Havok being her patient, and comatose, Annie is desperately in love with him and talks about how she wants him to wake up, sweep her off her feet, and be a father to her son (who for some reason she encourages to read "smut" because "it's good for you"). It all seems highly unprofessional and I have no idea why Professor X thought it was a good idea to hire her full-time at the Xavier Institute.
The main plot of this volume is that Juggernaut approached the X-Men for help because his best friend Black Tom turned into a giant plant creature. After helping the X-Men defeat Tom, Juggernaut comes to stay at the Xavier Institute and befriends a young mutant kid named Sammy the Squid-Boy. This part was decent. It's followed by a short arc in which Northstar joins the X-Men and laments the fact that Iceman is straight and will never love him.
Initially, Austen keeps the same cast as Joe Casey's run but replaces Chamber with M. You can tell immediately that he's trying to be more ambitious than his predecessor, however, introducing sub-plots with Havok and Professor X. The characterization also immediately feels off, especially that of Stacy X.
Stacy X is a mutant prostitute, created by Joe Casey, who joins the X-Men after the brothel she works at is destroyed by an anti-mutant cult. It's needlessly edgy but the character kind of works and manages to be likeable and complex, with some really good scenes with Wolverine. Austen, however, describes her as "slutty yet fun." She is immediately forced into a love triangle, competing with Husk for Angel's affection, and then spends all her time starting fights with other women (while Wolverine grins creepily in the background) and saying things like "Think I'll go watch porn in my room if anyone's interested."
Meanwhile, Annie, a nurse/single mother at a convalescent hospital is carrying for a comatose John Doe revealed to be Havok. Despite Havok being her patient, and comatose, Annie is desperately in love with him and talks about how she wants him to wake up, sweep her off her feet, and be a father to her son (who for some reason she encourages to read "smut" because "it's good for you"). It all seems highly unprofessional and I have no idea why Professor X thought it was a good idea to hire her full-time at the Xavier Institute.
The main plot of this volume is that Juggernaut approached the X-Men for help because his best friend Black Tom turned into a giant plant creature. After helping the X-Men defeat Tom, Juggernaut comes to stay at the Xavier Institute and befriends a young mutant kid named Sammy the Squid-Boy. This part was decent. It's followed by a short arc in which Northstar joins the X-Men and laments the fact that Iceman is straight and will never love him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2020
2.5/5
July 15, 2021
A fun read, but confusing. In recent comics, Bobby (Iceman) has come out as gay. There’s so much apparent earlier contradiction to this, including X-Men 415, that hrm.
September 14, 2019
Chuck Austen had the unfortunate luck to appear following Joe Casey's underappreciated X-Men: X-Corps run, which could have been great if it'd be allowed to stand on its own feet, and opposite Grant Morrison's superb New X-Men run. Honestly, Austen isn't the writer that either of them is, and that's probably why this run has gotten such a terrible reputation.
But, Austen's run is a step up from many of the murky X-stories of the '90s. It does four-color adventure well and also works hard to delve into the sort of soap operatics that Chris Clarmeont made famous. Mind you, it doesn't do all of that well. The soap operatics sometimes go horribly awry, the writing can be heavy-handed, and Austen did end up stuck with the X-Men that Morrison didn't want.
But almost twenty years on, we can read these stories without them being in the shadow of Morrison, and it's worth doing so.
Hope (#410-412). The Juggernaut's back, but asking for help with Black Tom's "secondary mutation". The four-color adventure is good, but drags a bit when we're in the middle of the big pointless fight. But we get more ... hope ... for Austen's run by seeing the subplots he's developing, about Sammy the fishkid and Annie the Alex-stalking nurse [3+/5].
Annie Goes to School (#413). And here we get a story all about Austen's subplots, showing them at their best and worst. The story of Annie and her son is intriguing (but, admittedly, heavyhanded). The story of Paige having the hots for Warren is a bit more cringe-worthy, even if it's admitted that she is a wee-bit young here. (And the scene between Stacy, Warren, and Paige unfortunately shows off how unbelievable Austen's prose can be at times.) Despite the problems, this once again shows off that Austen understands the X-Men is about more than just superheroics [2+/5].
Fall Down (#414). Northstar's introduction to the team involves another young mutant, but the result is a lot different from Sammy's intro in Austen's first arc. Though this story is again let down some by Austen's dialogue problems (in particular, when the young mutant finds out that Northstar is gay), this is still a very poignant tale that really highlights who Northstar is, and how he's changed as he joins the team [5/5].
Secrets (#415). Austen doesn't just write the supers X-Men. This is a classic day-in-the-life story, touching on the personal lives of Warren, Jean-Paul, and Bobby (while offering a minor problem to deal with). It's a nice little story, full of characterization [4/5].
But, Austen's run is a step up from many of the murky X-stories of the '90s. It does four-color adventure well and also works hard to delve into the sort of soap operatics that Chris Clarmeont made famous. Mind you, it doesn't do all of that well. The soap operatics sometimes go horribly awry, the writing can be heavy-handed, and Austen did end up stuck with the X-Men that Morrison didn't want.
But almost twenty years on, we can read these stories without them being in the shadow of Morrison, and it's worth doing so.
Hope (#410-412). The Juggernaut's back, but asking for help with Black Tom's "secondary mutation". The four-color adventure is good, but drags a bit when we're in the middle of the big pointless fight. But we get more ... hope ... for Austen's run by seeing the subplots he's developing, about Sammy the fishkid and Annie the Alex-stalking nurse [3+/5].
Annie Goes to School (#413). And here we get a story all about Austen's subplots, showing them at their best and worst. The story of Annie and her son is intriguing (but, admittedly, heavyhanded). The story of Paige having the hots for Warren is a bit more cringe-worthy, even if it's admitted that she is a wee-bit young here. (And the scene between Stacy, Warren, and Paige unfortunately shows off how unbelievable Austen's prose can be at times.) Despite the problems, this once again shows off that Austen understands the X-Men is about more than just superheroics [2+/5].
Fall Down (#414). Northstar's introduction to the team involves another young mutant, but the result is a lot different from Sammy's intro in Austen's first arc. Though this story is again let down some by Austen's dialogue problems (in particular, when the young mutant finds out that Northstar is gay), this is still a very poignant tale that really highlights who Northstar is, and how he's changed as he joins the team [5/5].
Secrets (#415). Austen doesn't just write the supers X-Men. This is a classic day-in-the-life story, touching on the personal lives of Warren, Jean-Paul, and Bobby (while offering a minor problem to deal with). It's a nice little story, full of characterization [4/5].
June 10, 2017
Continuing the most X-cellent X-read of 2017...
This volume was not bad. A good start to Austen's run (which I hear bad things about but I am trying to keep an open mind).
The plotting and storyline were both done well. Characterization is sort of all over the place, though, which seems to be an issue with this era of the x-books. (And again, another book throws in a couple of characters from the excellent Generation X series without paying any attention to what makes those characters tick. These characters are *not* their counterparts from Gen X - I have no idea who they are. I'm assuming that there was pressure from higher ups to include these characters but the writers should have done their research before including them.) Iceman and Nightcrawler also seemed a bit off...
Certainly not my favorite x-book of those I've read recently but also not the worst.
This volume was not bad. A good start to Austen's run (which I hear bad things about but I am trying to keep an open mind).
The plotting and storyline were both done well. Characterization is sort of all over the place, though, which seems to be an issue with this era of the x-books. (And again, another book throws in a couple of characters from the excellent Generation X series without paying any attention to what makes those characters tick. These characters are *not* their counterparts from Gen X - I have no idea who they are. I'm assuming that there was pressure from higher ups to include these characters but the writers should have done their research before including them.) Iceman and Nightcrawler also seemed a bit off...
Certainly not my favorite x-book of those I've read recently but also not the worst.
August 23, 2011
Juggernaut's good (for now) and Havoc is back. All star cast: Northstar, Black Tom Cassidy, Carter and Annie and more.
July 4, 2014
This was surprisingly good! :D
May 3, 2016
This has been one of my favorite reads in 2016. It was clever, had diversity and inclusiveness, and I can see where a lot of the 'All new x-men' info is sourced from (even if it is just a nod).
November 20, 2021
Gems include a 3parter where the X-Men save Cain from Black Tom, Stacy & Paige catfight over Warren, Jean-Paul tries to save a little boy, & Jean-Paul crushes on Bobby
June 18, 2022
Bardzo standardowa historia o przygodach X-man, ale zawierająca parę elementów, sprawiających ze czytało się całość w miarę przyjemnie.
Mamy kolejne objawienie się mocy, w taki sposób, że świeży mutant że względu na wygląd jest szykanowany w swoim otoczeniu. Tu wygląda jak jakiś Dagon albo inne rybopodobne stworzenie. Oczywiście na miejscu ładuje Xavier i oczarowuje dziecko wizją nauki w szkole mutantów, gdzie nikt nikomu nie mówi złego słowa o wyglądzie. Mutacja rządzi tu na co dzień. Szkopuł w tym, że podczas lotu na uczelnie, coś złego dzieje się z ekipą X-men i młody podlotek na własne oczy będzie mógł zobaczyć, jak wyglądają typowe dni bohaterów spod szyldu X.
Przyznam, że te schematy bywają już dla mnie męczące, choć całość nabiera kolorytu, kiedy na scenę wkracza Cain aka Jaggernaut czy Northstar, który będzie musiał odnaleźć się w mocno nietypowej sytuacji. Co może zrobić heros w obliczu nieuniknionego? Na dokładkę trochę rasizmu, bo czym byłby zeszyt o mutantach bez tego aspektu, choć ten ukazany tu, w formie pewnej pielęgniarki, okazuje się nawet strawny.
A w tle mamy istny melodramat, który nawet bawi. Ten okazuje się gejem, tamten go kocha. Jeszcze inna jest wściekła, że rywalka śmie smolić cholewki do jej obiektu westchnień. Typowy odcinek jakiej telenoweli, jaką X-men bywają. I wypada to łyknąć z całym doborem inwentarza, albo i nie.
Kreska mimo upływu tych prawie dwudziestu lat od premiery okazuje się nad wyraz świeża, ułatwiając przyswajanie pewnych niedociągnięć scenariusza. I nie jest to absolutnie jakiś klasyk, który warto znać. Raczej typowy średniaczek jakich wiele o mutantach, z kilkoma przebłyskami na coś więcej.
Mamy kolejne objawienie się mocy, w taki sposób, że świeży mutant że względu na wygląd jest szykanowany w swoim otoczeniu. Tu wygląda jak jakiś Dagon albo inne rybopodobne stworzenie. Oczywiście na miejscu ładuje Xavier i oczarowuje dziecko wizją nauki w szkole mutantów, gdzie nikt nikomu nie mówi złego słowa o wyglądzie. Mutacja rządzi tu na co dzień. Szkopuł w tym, że podczas lotu na uczelnie, coś złego dzieje się z ekipą X-men i młody podlotek na własne oczy będzie mógł zobaczyć, jak wyglądają typowe dni bohaterów spod szyldu X.
Przyznam, że te schematy bywają już dla mnie męczące, choć całość nabiera kolorytu, kiedy na scenę wkracza Cain aka Jaggernaut czy Northstar, który będzie musiał odnaleźć się w mocno nietypowej sytuacji. Co może zrobić heros w obliczu nieuniknionego? Na dokładkę trochę rasizmu, bo czym byłby zeszyt o mutantach bez tego aspektu, choć ten ukazany tu, w formie pewnej pielęgniarki, okazuje się nawet strawny.
A w tle mamy istny melodramat, który nawet bawi. Ten okazuje się gejem, tamten go kocha. Jeszcze inna jest wściekła, że rywalka śmie smolić cholewki do jej obiektu westchnień. Typowy odcinek jakiej telenoweli, jaką X-men bywają. I wypada to łyknąć z całym doborem inwentarza, albo i nie.
Kreska mimo upływu tych prawie dwudziestu lat od premiery okazuje się nad wyraz świeża, ułatwiając przyswajanie pewnych niedociągnięć scenariusza. I nie jest to absolutnie jakiś klasyk, który warto znać. Raczej typowy średniaczek jakich wiele o mutantach, z kilkoma przebłyskami na coś więcej.
October 25, 2017
I'm not very familiar with the world of The X Men and the many crossovers.
I just finished Jubilee and Wolverine, which was okay. There were some references in the book to Homo Superiors that triggered me to read Hope.
Hope was written in 1992. It's the earliest book in the collection I've read.
I don't know why Wolverine is on the cover, other than for marketing purposes. I don't know why Homo Superiors is mentioned. (I did state I'm not familiar with the whole storylines, right?)
I can tell you it was a pretty good comic, though.
At first, I thought it was pretty cheesy. Then as the story became more involved, I became more involved in the story.
Sometimes that's pretty hard for me.
Overall, it has pretty good art. Okay writing. The only thing I truly loved about it is the story.
If I can laugh, cry, become outraged and basically run the gamut of emotions in a comic, I feel I got my monies worth.
Will I read the second issue? If it falls in my lap.
I just finished Jubilee and Wolverine, which was okay. There were some references in the book to Homo Superiors that triggered me to read Hope.
Hope was written in 1992. It's the earliest book in the collection I've read.
I don't know why Wolverine is on the cover, other than for marketing purposes. I don't know why Homo Superiors is mentioned. (I did state I'm not familiar with the whole storylines, right?)
I can tell you it was a pretty good comic, though.
At first, I thought it was pretty cheesy. Then as the story became more involved, I became more involved in the story.
Sometimes that's pretty hard for me.
Overall, it has pretty good art. Okay writing. The only thing I truly loved about it is the story.
If I can laugh, cry, become outraged and basically run the gamut of emotions in a comic, I feel I got my monies worth.
Will I read the second issue? If it falls in my lap.
September 4, 2017
It's become fun and easy to pick on Chuck Austen as a writer, and he definitely has written some bad comics. That being said, these issues aren't bad. There are some cringeworthy moments or dialogue, but good grief, considering what's come before in this title, this is head and shoulders above some of it. Worth reading.
September 5, 2021
This was great. I enjoyed the team, the addition of Northstar, the Cain/Black Tom story, the secondary mutation, the secret loves.
Least favourite characters, was as usual Wolverine, and Stacy X, who showed herself to be a nasty little bully.
Art in the first half was great, went downhill a bit when Sean Phillips took over.
Least favourite characters, was as usual Wolverine, and Stacy X, who showed herself to be a nasty little bully.
Art in the first half was great, went downhill a bit when Sean Phillips took over.
May 25, 2022
My truth is that I stopped reading x-men back in about 97 when we moved. So this takes place five years after that. I didn't really connect with this at all. For someone else,it probably does. Just not me.
April 10, 2018
3.5 stars
May 16, 2018
Good stuff, possibly a little on the emo side for some people and also a lot of sexual tension that some people might not enjoy.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
December 20, 2020
Welcome to another exciting episode of Simon tries to make it through a series of X-men comics.
And this... this did not get off to a good start.
And this... this did not get off to a good start.
September 4, 2021
There were interesting parts of this book (Annie/havok being one of my faves) but the Juggernaut/Black Tom parts left me.... confused and bored.
Not a fave.
Not a fave.
January 10, 2022
austen xmen is funny bc its crazy but its very much the type of crazy you’d realistically expect from a big dysfunctional co-op house made up of mentally ill marginalized people
January 3, 2024
2.5/5.0
August 13, 2024
Нарешті щось серйозне і толкове) Але пилять Росомаху на обкладинку, коли він там майже не фігурує і геть не рухає сюжет - якийсь чітерінг 🙄
October 24, 2025
Not nearly as bad as its reputation suggests. The melodrama of this era is pure camp
November 23, 2021
Chuck Austin starts his run in stellar fashion. There is a lot to unpack in this six-issue collection. We are introduced to Squid Boy, a young mutant who feels alone and outcast as a visible mutant in a small community. The sudden (and timely) appearance of the X-Men saves him from a suicide attempt. Juggernaut calls the X-Men for help in dealing with the uncontrolled power of his long-time friend, Black Tom Cassidy. We find a long-lost Havok in the care of Nurse Annie Ghazikhanian. She has fallen in love with him despite (or perhaps because of) his comatose. We also see Northstar join the team, and Nightcrawler question his faith.
There isn't much I didn't like this run. Both Juggernaut and Northstar join the X-Men with their own baggage. Juggernaut begins to deal with his own personal demons as an emotionally abused son, and Northstar's sexual orientation is integrated into the mythos without pandering. I also love how Squid Boy becomes attached to gruff Juggernaut. Nurse Annie's infatuation with an unresponsive patient is both disturbing and relatable. In every case, Chuck Austin infuses normal human realities into our superhuman heroes.
There isn't much I didn't like this run. Both Juggernaut and Northstar join the X-Men with their own baggage. Juggernaut begins to deal with his own personal demons as an emotionally abused son, and Northstar's sexual orientation is integrated into the mythos without pandering. I also love how Squid Boy becomes attached to gruff Juggernaut. Nurse Annie's infatuation with an unresponsive patient is both disturbing and relatable. In every case, Chuck Austin infuses normal human realities into our superhuman heroes.
December 28, 2024
One of the most despised X-Men runs (even worse than Chuck Austen's run on Action Comics), this run has a lot of unlikeable characters like the bullies of Samuel Pare/Squid-Boy along with his father Claude, the Cabot family and more. Despite this, Austen would go on to write the adjectiveless X-Men run, which was even the same as Uncanny X-Men. He only did this because he wanted to give fans what they want in his run, but only ended up pissing them off. It's sad to see how Samuel/Squid-Boy was treated by his peers, but has good friendship with Juggernaut. But, dies in the issues of New X-Men.
This run is also notable for ruining the character developments and arcs of Angel, Havok, Nightcrawler, Husk and Stacy X. In addition X-Men characters like Beast, Longshot, Magneto, Colossus and others do not appear in the run and weren't available to Austen. Nurse Anne is even just an assistance for the X-Men and is useless. Juggernaut, however, does get some character development rather than a one-dimensional brute.
The new villains aren't very convincing either, even in the slightest:
-The Church of Humanity are just ab Anti-Mutant cult who want Nightcrawler as a pope.
-Azazel is nothing more than Nightcrawler's biological father.
Some story arcs feel like filler such as Holy War, She Lies With Angels, and The Draco.
-Holy War relies on the Church of Humanity crucifying mutants, having Nightcrawler placed as their next pope so that they can create a false rapture (something Catholics don't believe in) by using communion wafers to disintegrate people and make mutants appear to be agents of the Anti-Christ.
-The Draco retconned Nightcrawler's parentage.
-She Lies With Angels focuses on a generic Romeo and Juliet like story where it focuses on the Guthrie family of Husk, Cannonball, Icarus, and Aero against their enemies, the Cabots, a mutant-hating family.
True believers! It's the absolute nadir of the X-Men comics, the most infamous part of the entire series in general. I'll just say this is good for reading if you've got nothing else to do. It also might be good for a rainy or snowy afternoon, but otherwise don't waste your time reading this.
This run is also notable for ruining the character developments and arcs of Angel, Havok, Nightcrawler, Husk and Stacy X. In addition X-Men characters like Beast, Longshot, Magneto, Colossus and others do not appear in the run and weren't available to Austen. Nurse Anne is even just an assistance for the X-Men and is useless. Juggernaut, however, does get some character development rather than a one-dimensional brute.
The new villains aren't very convincing either, even in the slightest:
-The Church of Humanity are just ab Anti-Mutant cult who want Nightcrawler as a pope.
-Azazel is nothing more than Nightcrawler's biological father.
Some story arcs feel like filler such as Holy War, She Lies With Angels, and The Draco.
-Holy War relies on the Church of Humanity crucifying mutants, having Nightcrawler placed as their next pope so that they can create a false rapture (something Catholics don't believe in) by using communion wafers to disintegrate people and make mutants appear to be agents of the Anti-Christ.
-The Draco retconned Nightcrawler's parentage.
-She Lies With Angels focuses on a generic Romeo and Juliet like story where it focuses on the Guthrie family of Husk, Cannonball, Icarus, and Aero against their enemies, the Cabots, a mutant-hating family.
True believers! It's the absolute nadir of the X-Men comics, the most infamous part of the entire series in general. I'll just say this is good for reading if you've got nothing else to do. It also might be good for a rainy or snowy afternoon, but otherwise don't waste your time reading this.
June 27, 2025
Chuck Austen gets a lot of flack for his run on X-Men. Mostly because it ran concurrently with the much loved Grant Morrison run. And while this isn't a great run of comics, it's not nearly as bad as most of the 90s X-Men run.
The new characters Austen introduced, and the storylines in this volume are solid. It's a shame Annie and Sammy were far more interesting than the Nicieza/Lobdell additions of Marrow and Maggot.
There are two downfalls to this collection:
1.) Chuck Austen doesn't have a good ear for dialogue. He seems to be trying to match Morrison's quippiness, but it falls extremely flat.
2.) Ron Garney's art is inconsistent, ranging from Pretty Decent to Feels Like It Was Rushed To Meet A Deadline. And, surprisingly, Sean Phillips work similarly suffers.
It's a shame because there was a lot of potential for this story to go in interesting directions.
I recommend it for people who wish young Aquaman had joined the X-Men, and fans of Dad Joke patter.
The new characters Austen introduced, and the storylines in this volume are solid. It's a shame Annie and Sammy were far more interesting than the Nicieza/Lobdell additions of Marrow and Maggot.
There are two downfalls to this collection:
1.) Chuck Austen doesn't have a good ear for dialogue. He seems to be trying to match Morrison's quippiness, but it falls extremely flat.
2.) Ron Garney's art is inconsistent, ranging from Pretty Decent to Feels Like It Was Rushed To Meet A Deadline. And, surprisingly, Sean Phillips work similarly suffers.
It's a shame because there was a lot of potential for this story to go in interesting directions.
I recommend it for people who wish young Aquaman had joined the X-Men, and fans of Dad Joke patter.
September 9, 2015
So much bad has been bandied about regarding Chuck Austen on X-men but the first five issues are okay. Not great, but better than Casey's run. Still it's early. I didn't care much for all of the secondary mutations suddenly popping off, but I guess it also depends on where it all leads to. So far so good. There is much to be said for diminished expectations.
November 12, 2012
I love everything Marvel. The storylines are incredible! They have everything you could want: action, adventure, comedy, romance, political intrigue, allegories, metaphors, etc. Some stories drag, some end too soon.
June 27, 2016
4.2 because I wasn't expecting to like it after reading "The Lies With Angels," also by Chuck Austen. Want to know something about that story? It is HORRENDOUS. This issue, however, was slightly better with a story line that was enjoyable but not memorable.
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