|
THE CREATORS: Jeff Parker and Roger
Cruz on the lead strips. Various artists chip in for
the special, Colleen Coover contributes several back-up
strips, and Julia Bax provides fill-in art for issue #4.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2007: More
old-style stories of the founding X-Men for the younger
audience, as the book makes the transition to become an
ongoing title.
 Finally,
we come to X-Men: First Class, the plucky little
retro book that made the transition from a miniseries to an
ongoing title.
First Class is a curious
title, playing to two audiences, and with a foot in each
camp. On the one hand, it's an all-ages title, filling
the space where Marvel Adventures X-Men ought to be.
On the other, it's a "year one" book for the mainstream
X-Men fans. This is a difficult balance to strike, but
for the most part Jeff Parker and Roger Cruz have pulled it
off.
Even though it bears little
resemblance to the actual Silver Age stories, the series is
a throwback to earlier, simpler stories. And so it
should be. It's just a fun book, in which the X-Men
meet various guest stars and villains, fight them, and
generally do what superheroes do. It has no
pretensions to be anything else, and it usually succeeds in
what it's trying to do.
You could argue that it rarely
gets to grips with the themes of the X-Men. It's more
interested in being a light retro superhero book. This
is true, but somehow I don't really mind. It's just a
nice change to see an X-Men book, and for that matter a teen
superhero book, which is so light on angst. It's the
polar opposite of New X-Men, and so much more fun to
read.
 The
best thing in the series, however, is the occasional Marvel
Girl back-up strips, with art by Colleen Coover. They
look nothing like any other kind of superhero comic, but the
simple, charming linework is a real joy.
There seems to be a plan afoot
to expand First Class into a franchise. Next
year sees the launch of Wolverine: First Class, a
series about Kitty Pryde and Wolverine set in early-80s
continuity. I have real reservations about this.
I'm not sure we need two First Class titles a month.
I'm quite convinced that we don't need three Wolverine
books.
But I'm glad that there's a
place for X-Men: First Class, which brings some
much-needed cheer to the line.
back |
continue |
