Give X-MEN BLUE and X-MEN GOLD a Fair Chance
I know what you’re thinking. X-MEN comics just aren’t that good these days. You heard rumors that Marvel is ignoring our merry band of mutants in favor of cinematic favorites such as Iron man, Captain America, and The Guardians of the Galaxy. A ton of your favorites heroes are either dead or sidelined and you’ve just lost interest. Not to mention, ever since the fallout of Marvel’s SECRET WARS mega-event, the writing just hasn’t been great. Basically, you quit.
Alright, I hear you. And for the most part I definitely agree with you. A ton of my favorites such as Cyclops, Jean Grey, Professor X, and Wolverine are in fact long dead. Some would argue that they are the foundation of the X-Men and their absence just feels wrong. I would agree to that, but remember, this is the X-Men we’re talking about. Our heroes will not stay dead forever.
All that said, let me turn your attention to the most recent re-release for the X-MEN. Writer Cullen Bunn’s X-MEN BLUE and Marc Guggenheim’s X-MEN GOLD. Both are ongoing titles featuring a different cast of mutants.
X-MEN BLUE consists of the time-displaced (long story, Beast did it) original cast of X-Men including Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman, and Angel. They’re all fresh-faced teens discovering how to find their place in the world. While absolutely nothing will replace the original versions of these iconic characters, it’s fun to go back to the basics here and watch these younger versions grow, learn about their future selves, and do unexpected things you may not have considered. For example, Jean Grey is the team leader and Beast practices magic and isn’t all fuzzy and blue.
X-MEN GOLD on the other hand features original adult X-characters such as Old Man Logan, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Rachel Grey, and Storm. It’s a very different core cast full of fun and interesting character dynamics. Namely the relationship between Colussus and Kitty potentially back in business. Having the iconic couple on the same team again is pretty cool.
I know it’s a tough sell these days, but I think if you love the X-Men as much as I do, are able to keep an open mind, and have a few bucks to spare, these are some fun and classic-feeling X-books worth your time. I’m not saying these are the best X-books you’ll ever read, but it’s a great start and a great “jumping-on” point for fans eager to get back into the X-Men comic book universe.
This week sees the release of the first collected volume of X-MEN BLUE (issues #1-6) and X-MEN GOLD (issues #1-6). And last week we received issue #9 of X-MEN BLUE and this week sees the release of X-MEN GOLD #10. So it’s definitely not too late to catch up or just dive in while it’s still early. I feel you. Being an X-Men fan can be tough sometimes. BLUE and GOLD on shelves now may not be exactly what you want, but it’s a good start.
Words by Jason Furie
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