Review: Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron Volume 1

In the wake of the schism that tore the X-Men apart, Wolverine and his allies return to New York to start a new school for mutants. Before class can even begin, the new Hellfire Club set their sights on Wolverine's school and make it their mission to bring the pint-sized mutant down.

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron, Volume 1 collects the first four issues of Jason Aaron's run on the aforementioned title. It also features artwork by Chris Bachalo and Nick Bradshaw.

While Cyclops and his X-Men take a more proactive approach to fighting intolerance in the pages of Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine seeks to protect the younger generation through education. This creates an interesting contrast between the two books. Where writer Kieron Gillen fills Uncanny X-Men with action and superhero goodness, Jason Aaron provides a humorous and quirky tone for Wolverine and the X-Men. This breezy style makes it accessible and easy to read, especially for those who may not be overly familiar with the characters in the story. Unfortunately, the tone and context of the story is at odds with the essential mythology of the character of Wolverine.

Traditionally, Wolverine is a loner and possesses a notorious mean streak. Aaron veers away from this characterization and instead seeks to make him responsible. While it's true that Wolverine has been a mentor to many mutants over the years, it's strange to see him in a role typically reserved for Cyclops or Storm. It's as jarring as it is unbelievable. To make matters worse, Wolverine is not the only one suffering from poor characterization. With the exception of the uber cute Broo (honestly, best damn character in the book), the students are bland and lack depth. Kid Gladiator is one-note, Quentin Quire is the stereotypical anarchist, and Idie Okonkwo fills the role of both the token black character and the token girl character. Truth be told, at times Wolverine and the X-Men feels like The Breakfast Club with mutant powers.

While Aaron drops the ball with Wolverine and his students, he does a bang-up job with the senior staff. His writing of Kitty Pryde is on point and he clearly understands the tone of the character's voice. Similarly, Beast and Rachel Grey prove to be excellent additions to the cast. However, it is his treatment of Iceman that earns my respect. As many X-Men fans know, Iceman has regularly been relegated to background character status and rarely lives up to his potential. It's evident that Aaron is no longer interested in such treatment for the character and instead opts to portray him as the badass that he can be. Iceman's action sequence stands as one of the most memorable moments in this collection.

All in all, the first volume of Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron is a mixed bag. The tone is consistent and the story itself is really well-told. Unfortunately, Aaron shows a lack of consistency with the characters themselves. Many are painted with broad strokes, while others stand out for their multi-dimensionality. Additionally, the art proves to be disappointing. Chris Bachalo's style does not go well with the humorous tone of the book at all. If that weren't bad enough, his designs are unoriginal and the suit he gives Kitty for her appearances in the first three issues is horrendously outdated. He makes her look like a 40-year-old real estate agent for Heaven's sake! Nick Bradshaw's art in the final issue in this collection is a vast improvement over Bachalo's. It's crisp, clean, and full of life. He draws the characters well and his style meshes perfectly with the feel of the book. Another major issue I have with this trade paperback is just how chintzy it is. For the most part, trade paperbacks collect six issues of a comic book. Here, there are only four issues. As such, it's thin and ends rather abruptly. Despite its flaws, Wolverine and the X-Men is a perfect title for anyone looking for something quirky and different. It's also great for anyone who prefers a lighter tone to comic books.

Rating: B