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X-Men: First Class (Collected Editions) #5
X-Men: First Class Finals
Youth is fleeting, powers are growing, and the first class of Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters is about to move on to a bigger, scarier world. What does the future hold - and how will it all end? Collects X-Men: First Class Finals #1-4.
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2009
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66 people want to read
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Jeff Parker
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 30, 2015
Jeff Parker's X-Men: First Class found me at the time of my life where I'm getting a hang of my work as an English teacher for three years, handling children from as early as five years old to eighth grade. I've been pleasantly surrounded by these bright-minded students and all that entailed with the responsibility to educate and nurture them which can get scary too.
I was very resistant to offer all my time and efforts for this vocation at first because I didn't feel like I was up to the task but now that I've gotten comfortable and very fond of my students, I realized that they're the reason why I'm at the best place in my life right now. Having the opportunity to witness and enjoy their growth and progress, both intellectually and emotionally, has been enthralling.
I surmise that this must be how Charles Xavier felt about his first-class batch of graduates and this four-issued mini-series entitled FINALS served as an overall tribute to the fun-filled, delightful action/adventure of X-Men: First Class which finally ended on its twenty-fourth issue, collecting four volumes in the span of two seasons of unexpectedly comedic and touching moments among characters, their struggles to establish tolerance among the humans, and their crime-fighting adventures.
I'm giving this volume a perfect rating not for objective reasons. This series naturally does not appeal to everyone because it's pretty hard to recommended this to a lot of adults my age since it's not what you'd originally look for in an X-Men series especially when you're used to darker landscapes about social injustice and racial strife. Though not adult-oriented with the usual mature themes most X-Men titles handle, XMFC still has some emotional weight and resonance if you truly allow yourself to enjoy the roster and variety if offers that is fundamentally PG-13 harmless and quirky stories.
There are times it will surprise you with its depth and understanding of the Original Core Five (OCF) which Parker revitalized from Stan Lee's sixties version. Their characterizations are immediately likable and charming and you get the clear sense that these are kids--marginalized, super-powered and unique as all hell, sure--but kids, nonetheless, who have tons of ordinary problems one might expect in their age, all the while dealing with bad guys and larger-than-life villains.
If you want an X-Men series for your pre-pubescent kid or your average teenager, this one fits the bill to the tee. It has a lot in common with current Marvel titles like Ms. Marvel. It's kid-friendly but also discusses valuable things such as individuality, self-acceptance and a sense of community.
True to its title, FINALS is all about "senioritis"; the OCF are graduating but Jean Grey doesn't feel like moving on just yet, and the entire team gets subjected to her growing powers as they travel her disturbed subconscious which include some of her deepest insecurities and worst fears about the future that lies ahead. That premise sounds misleading, I know, because Parker does write all of it in a warm and humorous manner, particularly when it concerns dialogue exchanges that include Bobby Drake who remains as this series' funny guy to the boot. Finals is a tribute to all that we have read and enjoyed over the last twenty-four installments of XMFC. There are callbacks from certain storylines and arcs that were previously established before.
If you're already a fan of this series from the get-go such as myself, these will be easter eggs for you. It's the accumulation of the themes and character conflicts that were touched upon all throughout the issues, most notably Scott and Jean's development as fighters and individuals, especially their ultimate role for the next batch of X-Men where they will serve as the second mentors alongside Professor X to manage the upcoming recruits.
For four issues, it managed to tell a very compact, action-oriented story with a great message so I think this is one of my favorites and most recommended installment of the series as whole, next to the second and third volumes of season 2.
True dat, Chuck
Technically, this won't be the last Jeff Parker story about the X-Men which applies the same hip and youthful vibe in line with the Stan Lee era of superhero-ing. There's still his take on the events for Giant-Size X-Men which, of course, deals with the fiasco that was Krakoa, and the monumental recruitment of fan-favorites Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus into the fold. I'm pretty excited to read that but I have yet to acquire my copy. So, overall, it's with prideful joy that I officially end my reviews concerning the run of X-Men: First Class.
It was the needed break from all the drama, angst and soap opera twists of the usual X-Men stories I'm accustomed to, thanks to Chris Claremont's superb arcs and a few nineties classics. I may have grown up with the cartoon adaptation but suffice to say, after reading XMFC, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman and Angel are now my brand-new babies. They're the X-Men I will come back to a decade or so from now when I want to reminisce. I might even resume my podcast-listening to Danger Room which discusses all of the issues involving OCF from the original Stan Lee run--if not possibly read the stories myself.
A MUST-READ, if you want something funny, relaxing and kid-friendly.
RECOMMENDED: 10/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
I was very resistant to offer all my time and efforts for this vocation at first because I didn't feel like I was up to the task but now that I've gotten comfortable and very fond of my students, I realized that they're the reason why I'm at the best place in my life right now. Having the opportunity to witness and enjoy their growth and progress, both intellectually and emotionally, has been enthralling.
I surmise that this must be how Charles Xavier felt about his first-class batch of graduates and this four-issued mini-series entitled FINALS served as an overall tribute to the fun-filled, delightful action/adventure of X-Men: First Class which finally ended on its twenty-fourth issue, collecting four volumes in the span of two seasons of unexpectedly comedic and touching moments among characters, their struggles to establish tolerance among the humans, and their crime-fighting adventures.
I'm giving this volume a perfect rating not for objective reasons. This series naturally does not appeal to everyone because it's pretty hard to recommended this to a lot of adults my age since it's not what you'd originally look for in an X-Men series especially when you're used to darker landscapes about social injustice and racial strife. Though not adult-oriented with the usual mature themes most X-Men titles handle, XMFC still has some emotional weight and resonance if you truly allow yourself to enjoy the roster and variety if offers that is fundamentally PG-13 harmless and quirky stories.
There are times it will surprise you with its depth and understanding of the Original Core Five (OCF) which Parker revitalized from Stan Lee's sixties version. Their characterizations are immediately likable and charming and you get the clear sense that these are kids--marginalized, super-powered and unique as all hell, sure--but kids, nonetheless, who have tons of ordinary problems one might expect in their age, all the while dealing with bad guys and larger-than-life villains.
If you want an X-Men series for your pre-pubescent kid or your average teenager, this one fits the bill to the tee. It has a lot in common with current Marvel titles like Ms. Marvel. It's kid-friendly but also discusses valuable things such as individuality, self-acceptance and a sense of community.
True to its title, FINALS is all about "senioritis"; the OCF are graduating but Jean Grey doesn't feel like moving on just yet, and the entire team gets subjected to her growing powers as they travel her disturbed subconscious which include some of her deepest insecurities and worst fears about the future that lies ahead. That premise sounds misleading, I know, because Parker does write all of it in a warm and humorous manner, particularly when it concerns dialogue exchanges that include Bobby Drake who remains as this series' funny guy to the boot. Finals is a tribute to all that we have read and enjoyed over the last twenty-four installments of XMFC. There are callbacks from certain storylines and arcs that were previously established before.
If you're already a fan of this series from the get-go such as myself, these will be easter eggs for you. It's the accumulation of the themes and character conflicts that were touched upon all throughout the issues, most notably Scott and Jean's development as fighters and individuals, especially their ultimate role for the next batch of X-Men where they will serve as the second mentors alongside Professor X to manage the upcoming recruits.
For four issues, it managed to tell a very compact, action-oriented story with a great message so I think this is one of my favorites and most recommended installment of the series as whole, next to the second and third volumes of season 2.
True dat, Chuck
Technically, this won't be the last Jeff Parker story about the X-Men which applies the same hip and youthful vibe in line with the Stan Lee era of superhero-ing. There's still his take on the events for Giant-Size X-Men which, of course, deals with the fiasco that was Krakoa, and the monumental recruitment of fan-favorites Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus into the fold. I'm pretty excited to read that but I have yet to acquire my copy. So, overall, it's with prideful joy that I officially end my reviews concerning the run of X-Men: First Class.
It was the needed break from all the drama, angst and soap opera twists of the usual X-Men stories I'm accustomed to, thanks to Chris Claremont's superb arcs and a few nineties classics. I may have grown up with the cartoon adaptation but suffice to say, after reading XMFC, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman and Angel are now my brand-new babies. They're the X-Men I will come back to a decade or so from now when I want to reminisce. I might even resume my podcast-listening to Danger Room which discusses all of the issues involving OCF from the original Stan Lee run--if not possibly read the stories myself.
A MUST-READ, if you want something funny, relaxing and kid-friendly.
RECOMMENDED: 10/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
April 27, 2020
This is a smaller-than-usual collection of the four issues of the final arc of Parker's run that shows the last days of the original X-Men before they graduate from Xavier's school. It's a pretty good comic that does a good job of showing the uncertainties and insecurities that all graduates face. The dialog and art are both a little simple and straight-forward. It's a kid-friendly and focused book. (Though Scott does make a remark about Jean's uniform that never would have made it into a Code-approved 'zine back when LBJ was in office. Even now I blush to think of it.) The team is off to investigate Krakoa in the last segment, and the iconic changing-of-the-guard story from 1975's Giant-Size #1 by Wein & Cockrum is included at the end of the book. It showcases the counterpoint of style and how comics have changed in the last 45 (?!) years. The stories don't mesh exactly, which is a whole other lovely long-standing comics tradition despite the invention of retconning, (what about Havok & Lorna Dane?)... but that's okay, it was still a nice book.
April 16, 2024
Yeah, no. This wasn't great. Was it just me, or did Professor X make it needlessly hard for the X-Men by making them traverse Jean's mind? What happened to a good old-fashioned bucket of water to wake her up.
December 2, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, especially since it is scripted by Jeff Parker and featured short stories by Colleen Coover. It also has a reprint of Giant Sized X-Men #1! This was a great book to have for all of the above stated reasons.
My only gripe was it was not in my preferred format so off to the Culling you go.
My only gripe was it was not in my preferred format so off to the Culling you go.
May 10, 2022
I feel like I need to research this book a bit more because there's a physical change to the edition I read compared to the ones preceding it. The book's dimensions are physically smaller and the glossy stock used in the previous books is replaced by something closer to newsprint. I'm assuming they did that to keep the price similar despite a slightly larger page count. Perhaps they didn't need to include a reprint of Giant-Size X-Men #1, which is already found in other collections.
Honestly, though, this is otherwise a good book. It's a nice way to finish up a story focusing on the original five X-Men and teasing where they go next. And that should have been it. But then we get that old X-Men comic included and it's just so, so disappointing in comparison. It's longer and feels longer, with less appealing character designs. It shows us a bygone era of comics, where all characters had muscles upon muscles for no good reason and the art wasn't given a chance to breathe thanks to word balloons, thought bubbles, and narration boxes that suggest a lack of confidence in the relationship between words and art. Less is more is a lesson that needed to be learned over time. But also the concept of Giant-Size X-Men was a bad one, trying to force too many new characters in all at once in a story that doesn't quite make sense and is only notable for the fact that it introduced a new team. In retrospect, it really falls short because only half of the characters are ones that people given half a damn about.
Honestly, though, this is otherwise a good book. It's a nice way to finish up a story focusing on the original five X-Men and teasing where they go next. And that should have been it. But then we get that old X-Men comic included and it's just so, so disappointing in comparison. It's longer and feels longer, with less appealing character designs. It shows us a bygone era of comics, where all characters had muscles upon muscles for no good reason and the art wasn't given a chance to breathe thanks to word balloons, thought bubbles, and narration boxes that suggest a lack of confidence in the relationship between words and art. Less is more is a lesson that needed to be learned over time. But also the concept of Giant-Size X-Men was a bad one, trying to force too many new characters in all at once in a story that doesn't quite make sense and is only notable for the fact that it introduced a new team. In retrospect, it really falls short because only half of the characters are ones that people given half a damn about.
March 22, 2025
Felix rating: 4 stars, his favorite part is when Wolverine fights the giant crabs
This is the conclusion to the first class series with lots of callbacks to earlier events. Unfortunately for me, I've only read ~1/3 of the series because that's what the library had in stock so the callbacks fall somewhat flat for me.
It feels like another story within the world of first class where Jean is a danger and needs to be controlled which is sort of tired at this point.
However this also contains the original giant sized x-men from the 70s, which is a campy delight, you can see why so many of the characters (storm, wolverine, nightcrawler) have been enduring for decades.
This is the conclusion to the first class series with lots of callbacks to earlier events. Unfortunately for me, I've only read ~1/3 of the series because that's what the library had in stock so the callbacks fall somewhat flat for me.
It feels like another story within the world of first class where Jean is a danger and needs to be controlled which is sort of tired at this point.
However this also contains the original giant sized x-men from the 70s, which is a campy delight, you can see why so many of the characters (storm, wolverine, nightcrawler) have been enduring for decades.
August 12, 2017
Nice, brief account detailing the original squad's final day or so before their "graduation." The interspersed short story about a date night gone sideways was also humorous and all the more adorable if the reader is familiar with the X-Men timeline. The finale, a reprinting of 'Giant-Size X-Men' (from early 1975) - in which first new recruits are assembled - only served as a reminder of how stilted the dialogue used to be in comic books.
September 15, 2021
Wraps up the retelling of the story arc while pointing you chronologically forward. If you have read the original run up to the Dark Phoenix Saga then this (First Class as a whole) is the jelly to your peanut butter.
However, if those older comics are too... "dated" for your taste then here you have a nice, aesthetically pleasing, not so long winded summary of those previous events. A good enough starting point for a late comer as any.
However, if those older comics are too... "dated" for your taste then here you have a nice, aesthetically pleasing, not so long winded summary of those previous events. A good enough starting point for a late comer as any.
May 18, 2022
I like that with comics, I can kind of just jump in and the blanks get filled in for me. With this compilation in particular, I loved the art styles and thinking of the all-powerful X-Men figuring out what comes next as they graduated. Hard sames all around
October 1, 2018
Good X-Men comic with old version in back, good also.
September 27, 2025
I love the little references to the previous comics. Feels like a family. ❤️
December 30, 2025
Good book, one of the better X-Men books I’ve read. Decent artwork and a story that kept me engaged.
September 22, 2020
Most of these comics were good some of the art was meh though
March 14, 2011
I've been enjoying the First Class books for the same reasons that I used to enjoy Runaways: excellent characterizations, just enough -- not too much! -- Mighty Marvel Continuity, and a sense of fun in each issue. I have especially liked the one- and two-issue stories, because I'm at the point where I don't want to track month after month of convoluted plot and world-shaking consequences. Sit me down, tell me a good story, and let me go, because when all is said and done -- it's just a damn comic book.
"Finals" goes against this trend a little, being a four-issue miniseries. It's okay. I enjoyed it well enough -- but when all is said and done, I prefer the shorter (and funner) stories in the previous volumes.
"Finals" goes against this trend a little, being a four-issue miniseries. It's okay. I enjoyed it well enough -- but when all is said and done, I prefer the shorter (and funner) stories in the previous volumes.
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March 1, 2016X-Man is a very popular graphic books all the time.
This book describes the people who were variated because of the DNA. They became supernatural and have different ability. Some supernatural people use their abilities to do some bad things. Other supernatural people use their abilities to protect the world.
I like this book. This book is very popular. And it comes with series. The graphic in this book is vivid. The characters in this book are full of positive energy. No only children but adults like to read this book.
This book describes the people who were variated because of the DNA. They became supernatural and have different ability. Some supernatural people use their abilities to do some bad things. Other supernatural people use their abilities to protect the world.
I like this book. This book is very popular. And it comes with series. The graphic in this book is vivid. The characters in this book are full of positive energy. No only children but adults like to read this book.
March 18, 2011
Its ok. Losts of past bad guys show up, but no major storyline.
August 8, 2012
Nothing great or new.
April 27, 2015
The first issue was pretty good. But, what would have made alright two issue story is drawn out into a pointless, rambling reminiscence of a largely forgettable series.
June 28, 2016
Better than the rest of first class but still not very good.
June 21, 2017
Read as single issues
February 3, 2010
This was kind of boring. It didn't really go anywhere or do anything really interesting.
March 21, 2011
Fun stuff, like the rest of the series.
February 3, 2012
Same as the others in the series: Not memorable, but good.
October 4, 2016
Yaaaaas!!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews