Review: X-Men - Battle of the Atom

When a group of mutants claiming to be the future X-Men show up on the doorstep of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, they make it their mission to ensure that the time-displaced X-Men from the past return to where they belong. There’s just one problem – they don’t want to go back. Fleeing from Wolverine and his school, the time-displaced Jean Grey and Cyclops go on the run, and find unlikely allies in the elder Cyclops and his rogue team.

X-Men: Battle of the Atom collects X-Men Battle of the Atom #1-2, All-New X-Men #16-17, X-Men #5-6, Uncanny X-Men #12-13, and Wolverine and the X-Men #36-37, and is written by Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron, and Brian Wood.

As the first major X-Men crossover since 2011’s Age of X, Battle of the Atom is fairly modest in comparison to its predecessors. It’s not as expansive and intense as Messiah Complex or its sequel Second Coming, as it takes a more intimate approach with its narrative and character treatment. Rather than dealing with the assembly of multiple teams of X-Men as they fight a common foe, this crossover places Jean Grey and Cyclops at the core of a conflict that divides the X-Men themselves. There’s a minimal amount of action and drama. There’s quite a bit of debating amongst the mutants about the presence of the original five X-Men in the present, which amounts to a whole lot of dialogue. This is a problem that runs through Bendis’ All-New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men runs, as he spends so much time focusing on character interactions that it consistently deflates tension and slows the pacing of his stories to a brisk walk. Unfortunately, pacing and lack of action are but two of the major issues with Battle of the Atom.

Since the very first X-Men crossover in 1986 (Mutant Massacre), Marvel has used these events as a catalyst to shake up the status quo and incite tangible change within the various X-Books. They typically result in line-up changes, new costumes and the death of at least one major character. Battle of the Atom doesn’t even come close to doing any of that. Bendis, Wood and Aaron provide a promising set-up, one which had the potential to bring about some major changes in the titles involved. As far as Bendis’ books were concerned, All-New X-Men had been treading water as the time-displaced X-Men mulled over whether they should return home or not, while Cyclops’ team in Uncanny X-Men struggled to find recognition as a legitimate force for good. Battle of the Atom could have and should have been the catalyst for bringing about the changes both titles needed. The original X-Men should have returned home and Cyclops’ group should have finally been given a break. What we got instead was a whole lot of the same old, same old.

There’s this overall sense of impending doom that is never quite earned in Battle of the Atom. We’re consistently told that something very bad is going to happen if the original X-Men stay in the present, but we’re never shown why. There’s a rather gruesome sequence where we see the assassination of Dazzler in the future (we get it Bendis, you have a Dazzler grudge), but we’re shown very little other than that. It’s implied that humans are to blame for the plight of the mutants in the future, but without being shown the full extent of this the story can never truly move forward. Of course, we’ve already seen futures where humans have all but eliminated all of the mutants on Earth. This further hinders Battle of the Atom, as it pales in comparison to the beloved Days of Future Past and the more recent (but less critically lauded) Age of X.

Ultimately, Battle of the Atom is an unnecessary crossover and its conclusion is so infuriatingly mundane that it is sure to leave even the most diehard of X-Men fans feeling like their time has been wasted. After multiple battles between the X-Men (past, present and future) and against S.H.I.E.L.D., the end result isn’t a shocking shake-up of team rosters or even the death of a major member of the team. The whole purpose of the crossover, as it turns out, was to get Kitty Pryde to switch sides from Wolverine to Cyclops. This low yield payoff is unsatisfying and does very little to change the status quo. The only lasting effect this conclusion has is that Kitty became no longer available to appear in X-Men and Wolverine and the X-Men. This could have easily been done in the pages of All-New X-Men, rather than derail Brian Wood and Jason Aaron’s work on their respective titles. Battle of the Atom is entirely optional for X-Men fans, so you won’t feel lost or like you’re missing out if you decide to opt out of this crossover.

RATING: C

Review: X-Men - Primer

After a trip abroad, Jubilee returns to the X-Men only to find that trouble has followed her home. In this daring adventure, the X-Men must defeat the sinister entity known as Arkea before it can infect the world with its digital domination.

X-Men: Primer collects the first four issues of Marvel's very first all-female X-Men title. This collection features writing by Brian Wood and art by Oliver Coipel and David Lopez.

Over 50 years after their debut, the X-Men have finally banded together to form their very first all-female squad of heroes. Needless to say, Brian Wood had a lot of expectations to live up to. Thankfully, he delivers an action-filled story that does justice to the characters involved. His initial team is comprised of Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey, Psylocke, and Jubilee. Not only is this a group of A-list mutants, but it's perhaps one of the most powerful ensembles imaginable.

Wood excels at dialogue and knows how to create relationships between the characters. It's clear from the get-go that these women are friends and have worked together for years. Rogue and Kitty Pryde especially stand out in this collection as well-rounded characters. Wood portrays Rogue as the sassy Southerner who is every bit the thrill-seeker readers have fallen in love with, while Kitty is the responsible yet light-hearted brains of the operation. He also does an impressive job of illustrating just how far Jubilee has come since her days as an X-Man in-training. The character acts as the heart of this series and is complex in her quest for maturity. We also get some sweet moments between Jubilee and her one-time mentor Wolverine.

Even still, Primer is far from perfect. While Wood knocks it out of the park with his quick-witted characters, the other women fade into the background. Psylocke adds next-to-nothing to the plot and Rachel Grey proves to be more of an annoyance than a relatable character. Another missed opportunity came in his portrayal of Storm. As one of the fiercest heroines around, she comes across as a generic leader figure. Additionally, the conflict between Storm and Rachel seems forced. The pair lock horns over Storm's leadership style in the first mission, prompting Rachel to pull out the tired "Who died and made you leader of the X-Men?" line. Dear Ms. Grey, Storm has been leading the X-Men since before you came into the picture and has had fewer teammate deaths on her watch than any other X-Man.  On top of that, she's a fierce diva who was best friend's with your "mom." Is that reason enough for you, girlfriend?

Wood also struggles to provide adequate exposition for newer readers. Several characters appear without any background and it makes the title less accessible. The extent of Rogue's powers, Jubilee's status as a vampire, and John Sublime's history with the X-Men are essential components that were ignored altogether in this collection aside from vague references only veteran readers will pick up on.

Another downside to Primer is its overall presentation. Oliver Coipel handles the art for the first three issues and it is are nothing short of brilliant. His pencils are dynamic, expressive, and full of beauty. For the fourth issue, David Lopez is brought on board. To be blunt, his art is ugly. He draws women with manly faces, his bodies are chunky, and Rogue is given a hideous '80s 'do. I hated his art on Catwoman and I hate it even more on X-Men. Just… no.

The other presentation issue this volume faces is its short length. The collection editor attempted to make up for this by including variant covers and the issue of Uncanny X-Men where Jubilee first appeared, but it seems like a poor attempt at getting consumers to pay $17.99 ($19.99 for us Canadians) instead of a more reasonable price tag. That said, the issue's inclusion is a nice treat for newer readers who are unfamiliar with Chris Claremont's legendary run on the title in the 1980s. This was the X-Men at their best.

It may seem like I'm being overly critical on Brian Wood's X-Men, but it's all constructive criticism. In the 21st century, we need an all-female team of X-Men and such a book needs to be the best it can be. Wood does an admirable job with the characters he's given and he tells a story that is full of awesome explosions. However, he needs to learn to provide context for characters and plot points as well as to avoid drumming up insignificant drama between teammates (especially when one of them is annoying as hell and the other should just fry her with a lightning bolt to teach her a lesson). Overall, I'd still recommend picking this up if only for Oliver Coipel's gorgeous art. This is a groundbreaking book and should be supported by X-fans for its cultural importance.

Rating: B