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X-Men: First Class (Collected Editions) #4
X-Men: First Class - The Wonder Years
For millions of years, mankind's place on Earth was unchallenged - until five young people paved the way for a new kind of human! While students at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Beast and Iceman taught the world what it meant to be X-Men.
Collects X-Men: First Class #11-16 and Giant-Size X-Men: First Class #1.
Collects X-Men: First Class #11-16 and Giant-Size X-Men: First Class #1.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Jeff Parker
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 25, 2015
One of the main reasons why my X-Men comics diet for this month of June was filled with so much laid-back fun and unexpected warmth is because of collaboratively the work of writer Jeff Parker and artist Roger Cruz for this phenomenal PG-13 series I never thought I would fall in love with called X-Men: First Class. Featuring the adorable bunch of the Original Core Five (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel and Iceman), this series is an updated version of the Stan Lee sixties era when times were simpler, sorta campy and Marvel superheroes like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers and the X-Men are relatively new players in the game.
With a roster of two seasons, the issues ran for a total of twenty-four installments and four collected volumes. This is the last one of the batch but there's a Giant-Size issue coming up that I will review alongside the mini-series X-Men: First Class: FINALS because there truly must be a fanbase for this series and people must want some more definitive closure for Parker's re-imagining of the OCF, and that's just dandy to me.
Comprised of issues #11-16, this fourth and final volume of the run had a more invigorating storytelling that is almost at par with the previous volume. My only problem with this collection was the inclusion of the one about the "continue-teens" which was more or less a meta story about nerdy comic book readers being able to interact with the Marvelverse so they can save the day or some shit like that. It was a baffling filler issue that I advise you skip because the next ones (namely #12, 13, 14) are the most enjoyable part of the entire volume. It deals with Warren Warrington's abrupt departure from the team so he can vacation in the Land of Mists where the people wholly accept his physical mutation, and the introduction of the short-lived android Aaron who seemed to be a likely candidate as a replacement for Angel but was sadly taken out due to unlucky circumstances.
I love these three issues the most because of the way the characterizations have flourished once we started talking about mutant seclusion, loneliness and pursuit of societal acceptance which is what the X-Men is fundamentally about. For issue #12, Warren spent discovered a place that is more tolerant than ours while the rest of the X-Men were worried so they set out to find him. But Warren wasn't in any kind of trouble. In fact, he feels right at home. Everyone was welcoming and they saw his winged feature as a beautiful vessel. That was rather unexpected for him and it was the very first time he felt at ease being different, much more so than when he was among his classmates in Xavier's school. Once his friends saw for themselves how happier Warren is, they felt a bit guilty for not seeing before how lonely he must have been even among mutants, cooped up in a single place, limiting his interactions and contact from the rest of the world. The professor himself has also realized that he shouldn't obligate any of these kids to a life of crime-fighting if there is something else that makes them happy and Warren has clearly found it.
In issues #13-14, we get to see how the team adjust to the loss of a team member and how each of them copes based on their interactions with the android Aaron, notably Scott and Jean's reactions. I don't find it peculiar at all that Scott seemed cold and uncaring that Warren is no longer with them; the dude is goal-oriented and would rather dwell on what is to gain in the aftermath of something. Scott had also recently come to terms that he wants to lead his comrades this time without any of his usual self-doubt and ridiculously extreme caution. He has made that choice to stay on the course as much as Warren decides not to do the same. I think Scott respected that choice and accepts that bygones are inevitable which was why he welcomed the robot Aaron into their team easily because he trusts the professor's intentions and now is ready to treat every new event as a learning experience. He sees the X-Men foremost as an operational team who need to function at their best and I think he was simply trying to set an example.
But Jean sees the X-Men as a family foremost and when a loved one goes way you should allow yourself to be sad. Both have a different approach on the matter which affects how they dealt with Aaron. While both Henry and Bobby are generally curious to have a robot working with them during a new mission, Jean is uncomfortable and distrustful, treating Aaron indirectly as a threat to the way things were and what she believed should stay the same. But Scott looks at the addition of Aaron as a pragmatic advantage. After all, Aaron's abilities are handy. As far as Scott is concerned, anyone who will replace Warren shouldn't need to have a personality, let alone feelings, which I know pisses Jean off even if she maintains a calm demeanor throughout.
The last two issues featured Madam Medusa, a Fantastic Four villain, and the collaboration between Iceman and the Human Torch as they try to form their own partnership to get away from the pressures and expectations of their respective teammates. It was all good fun in the end, and this volume of X-Men: First Class had been an enthralling and pleasant ride that may be less adult-oriented in tone and themes but is guaranteed to entertain and make you laugh and even cry a little.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
With a roster of two seasons, the issues ran for a total of twenty-four installments and four collected volumes. This is the last one of the batch but there's a Giant-Size issue coming up that I will review alongside the mini-series X-Men: First Class: FINALS because there truly must be a fanbase for this series and people must want some more definitive closure for Parker's re-imagining of the OCF, and that's just dandy to me.
Comprised of issues #11-16, this fourth and final volume of the run had a more invigorating storytelling that is almost at par with the previous volume. My only problem with this collection was the inclusion of the one about the "continue-teens" which was more or less a meta story about nerdy comic book readers being able to interact with the Marvelverse so they can save the day or some shit like that. It was a baffling filler issue that I advise you skip because the next ones (namely #12, 13, 14) are the most enjoyable part of the entire volume. It deals with Warren Warrington's abrupt departure from the team so he can vacation in the Land of Mists where the people wholly accept his physical mutation, and the introduction of the short-lived android Aaron who seemed to be a likely candidate as a replacement for Angel but was sadly taken out due to unlucky circumstances.
I love these three issues the most because of the way the characterizations have flourished once we started talking about mutant seclusion, loneliness and pursuit of societal acceptance which is what the X-Men is fundamentally about. For issue #12, Warren spent discovered a place that is more tolerant than ours while the rest of the X-Men were worried so they set out to find him. But Warren wasn't in any kind of trouble. In fact, he feels right at home. Everyone was welcoming and they saw his winged feature as a beautiful vessel. That was rather unexpected for him and it was the very first time he felt at ease being different, much more so than when he was among his classmates in Xavier's school. Once his friends saw for themselves how happier Warren is, they felt a bit guilty for not seeing before how lonely he must have been even among mutants, cooped up in a single place, limiting his interactions and contact from the rest of the world. The professor himself has also realized that he shouldn't obligate any of these kids to a life of crime-fighting if there is something else that makes them happy and Warren has clearly found it.
In issues #13-14, we get to see how the team adjust to the loss of a team member and how each of them copes based on their interactions with the android Aaron, notably Scott and Jean's reactions. I don't find it peculiar at all that Scott seemed cold and uncaring that Warren is no longer with them; the dude is goal-oriented and would rather dwell on what is to gain in the aftermath of something. Scott had also recently come to terms that he wants to lead his comrades this time without any of his usual self-doubt and ridiculously extreme caution. He has made that choice to stay on the course as much as Warren decides not to do the same. I think Scott respected that choice and accepts that bygones are inevitable which was why he welcomed the robot Aaron into their team easily because he trusts the professor's intentions and now is ready to treat every new event as a learning experience. He sees the X-Men foremost as an operational team who need to function at their best and I think he was simply trying to set an example.
But Jean sees the X-Men as a family foremost and when a loved one goes way you should allow yourself to be sad. Both have a different approach on the matter which affects how they dealt with Aaron. While both Henry and Bobby are generally curious to have a robot working with them during a new mission, Jean is uncomfortable and distrustful, treating Aaron indirectly as a threat to the way things were and what she believed should stay the same. But Scott looks at the addition of Aaron as a pragmatic advantage. After all, Aaron's abilities are handy. As far as Scott is concerned, anyone who will replace Warren shouldn't need to have a personality, let alone feelings, which I know pisses Jean off even if she maintains a calm demeanor throughout.
The last two issues featured Madam Medusa, a Fantastic Four villain, and the collaboration between Iceman and the Human Torch as they try to form their own partnership to get away from the pressures and expectations of their respective teammates. It was all good fun in the end, and this volume of X-Men: First Class had been an enthralling and pleasant ride that may be less adult-oriented in tone and themes but is guaranteed to entertain and make you laugh and even cry a little.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
December 5, 2025
cute but ultimately forgettable.
April 19, 2022
If I'm being perfectly honest I don't know why I keep reading the X-Men First Class series. While the stories aren't egregious they aren't all that entertaining anymore. The slice of life adventure in these books is easy to flip through and it does have its occasionally entertaining moments. But overall First Class doesn't offer as much substance as I would hope.
The Wonder Years did have its moments. I was briefly amused by Iceman and Johnny Storm's short-lived adventures. And the brief pathos light explored when the team loses Warren for a few issues hints at a found family dynamic that was intriguing. But overall I wish there was more. I wish there were more character moments, I wish it was funnier, more exciting. Just more.
Another big part of my increasing disenchantment with the series was that I never got used to Roger Cruz's art. His character design stayed a bit too plastic and over-elastic for my tastes. This wasn't helped by Val Staples's colours which in my opinion were just a bit too garish, especially in terms of skin tone. There were some genuinely delightful moments like Colleen Cover's comic strips throughout. The giant size special also had some cool cartoon-esque art that I enjoyed, but those moments were too few and far between to keep my goodwill.
In the end, I don't hate X-Men First Class; I just wish it was better. The concept of slice-of-life adventure set in this period of the X-Men universe is a brilliant one, but it needed a better creative team in my opinion.
The Wonder Years did have its moments. I was briefly amused by Iceman and Johnny Storm's short-lived adventures. And the brief pathos light explored when the team loses Warren for a few issues hints at a found family dynamic that was intriguing. But overall I wish there was more. I wish there were more character moments, I wish it was funnier, more exciting. Just more.
Another big part of my increasing disenchantment with the series was that I never got used to Roger Cruz's art. His character design stayed a bit too plastic and over-elastic for my tastes. This wasn't helped by Val Staples's colours which in my opinion were just a bit too garish, especially in terms of skin tone. There were some genuinely delightful moments like Colleen Cover's comic strips throughout. The giant size special also had some cool cartoon-esque art that I enjoyed, but those moments were too few and far between to keep my goodwill.
In the end, I don't hate X-Men First Class; I just wish it was better. The concept of slice-of-life adventure set in this period of the X-Men universe is a brilliant one, but it needed a better creative team in my opinion.
May 4, 2024
Jeff Parker ran out of ideas for his First Class series really quickly. This volume begins with an agonizingly bad "meta" fourth wall breaking story where a group of comic store employees called...prolonged sigh...The Continuiteens have read the previous collections of First Class and find themselves intertwined with the plot. It doesn't even sound like a good idea but it's much worse than it sounds.
From there, it gets a bit better, as Angel heads off to spend time with family, and Machine Man briefly joins the team. It's not terrible but it's also not an interesting addition to the X-Men canon. For a series that began with a lot of promise and some creative ways to slip modern stories into the 60s and 70s continuity, this was disappointingly bland. I don't recommend it.
From there, it gets a bit better, as Angel heads off to spend time with family, and Machine Man briefly joins the team. It's not terrible but it's also not an interesting addition to the X-Men canon. For a series that began with a lot of promise and some creative ways to slip modern stories into the 60s and 70s continuity, this was disappointingly bland. I don't recommend it.
July 20, 2017
Such a fun throwback story to the silver age, taking the classic ideas and updating them into a vastly superior style of art and storytelling. This is fun, popcorn adventure. Some of the asides into other stories (the continuity kids for instance) felt unnecessary but the main stories were wonderful
June 6, 2022
Another fun X-Men book. Despite the development of the ongoing story of the extraordinary teens, what struck me as more interesting were the silly, usually less canonical backup stories. I'd love a book full of those instead.
April 16, 2024
Madame Medusa's hair! It's just glorious. Not a lot of Angel in these issues because he's out there having some fun as some girl's boyfriend. And Iceman/Torch team up. I don't really rate Torch, but then again, I probably should read his team-ups with other superheroes, not just Team Fantastic.
August 24, 2017
Old-school superhero adventuring in a modern package. A fun time, even if the moment-to-moment writing can be clunky.
February 5, 2018
Po báječném rozjezdu v podobě návštěvy z meta vesmíru a změnách uvnitř týmu prudký pád dolů. Od chvíle, kdy je zničen Aaron, je kvalita najednou o stupeň níže, Warrenův návrat není vysvětlen a poslední regulérní číslo je smutně triviální epizodka o krátce trvajícím spolčení Icemana a Human Torche. Ambice byly mnohem vyšší a finální bonusové číslo jim svými několikastránkovými hříčkami dělá všechno, jen ne čest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2015
The volume's first issue is a meta story. I've never been fond of meta stories in comics, but this one's uninspired plot and sloppy inking compounded that distaste. However, the middle of the volume quickly erases the first issue from mind (partly because you'll be trying hard to forget it anyway). The Land of Mists and X-50 issues are beautiful, meaningful, and well executed stories that make the entire volume. A touch cliche thematically, but this is pop corn series honestly. Cruz does the art for both stories, which isn't surprising. By the end of this volume I got the feeling all the scripts Parker phoned in on were purposefully given to sub-par guest artists. And phoned in on is the best description for the last two stories, which include an alright featuring of Medusa and a hopelessly banal Bobby/Johnny team up. *shrug*
September 4, 2010
I didn't really like any of the alien stories, and the others were kind of dull.
Why does Machine Man have really alien gold looking eyes with his fake skin on, and then normal blue eyes after his face is ripped off? How does he has normal eyes underneath when they showed the gold eyes opening and sensors popping out? This is like the first volume when the text said waffles and the pictures had pancakes.
Why does Machine Man have really alien gold looking eyes with his fake skin on, and then normal blue eyes after his face is ripped off? How does he has normal eyes underneath when they showed the gold eyes opening and sensors popping out? This is like the first volume when the text said waffles and the pictures had pancakes.
January 23, 2010
So far it is an okay tale of the X-Men's beginnings. Seems like it is more of an all ages tale.
April 10, 2010
Another funny, well-written entry into the X-Men: First Class bunch. I particularly love the meta-heavy storyline involving the Continuiteens. This book never fails to make me laugh out loud.
March 20, 2011
Again, fun stuff. I've got nothing else to add.
March 14, 2011
This series continues to be lots of fun. Better stories and the sf movie cliches were brilliant.
January 8, 2012
Again, nothing special but a fun read.
December 18, 2014
I lemmed this because it was horribly written.
January 28, 2020
A fun, light-hearted read.
June 21, 2017
Read as single issues
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews