WAITING FOR THE TRADE



NEW X-MEN
by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Ethan Van Sciver, Igor Kordey, Phil Jiminez and everyone else in the world

Grant Morrison's New X-Men, really, is a class act. This is exactly how comics should work. Besides the rotating artists, it's an absolutely perfect run.

I say, right now, get the fanboy mentality away. A lot of X-Men die-hards disliked Grant's run for his changes. But just forget about that, and only focus on the flawless writing.

It has all the staples of a great ongoing comic: running plotlines, issues that actually mean something, and honest-to-god character development. Characters CHANGE. They EVOLVE (physically and mentally, 'natch). It's not exactly ground-breaking, but it feels like it when comparing it to most everything else that Marvel does today.

I didn't have the pleasure of reading this book in single issues, so I don't know how it read then, but I know it reads amazing like in trade. Fluid storylines, everything just rolls together... I recommend the hardcovers. (Honestly, I have yet to read the last two story arcs. Doesn't matter though.)

The story starts out with a horrifying event happening... a mysterious person has destroyed the mutant island of Genosha and killed nearly everyone on it, including Magneto. At the end of the first arc, Charles Xavier reveals to the world that he is a mutant himself, and leader of the X-Men. And then we're off...

Everything moves forward logically except for the "Assault on Weapon Plus" four issue sidetrack with Chris Bachalo art. It seems a bit out of place, but is excellent regardless. I haven't read the final four issues that take place in the future with Marc Silvestri drawing, so I can't comment on them.

The art is great for the most part. Quitely comes in every once in awhile to drop a storyline, with talented fill-ins. Igor Kordey's work is the weakest though, but not too bad. Phil Jiminez comes in towards the end to provide reliable, beautiful pencils.

This is really an example of how comics CAN and SHOULD be today... a flawless achievement on Morrison's part, even better than his JLA.

Grade? A+

Trades are :
Vol. 1 - E is for Extinction
Vol. 2 - Imperial
Vol. 3 - New Worlds
Vol. 4 - Riot at Xavier's
Vol. 5 - Assault on Weapon Plus
Vol. 6 - Planet X
Vol. 7 - Here Comes Tomorrow (yet to be released)
Also compiled in three hardovers, third yet to be released.