Original X-Men #1

Retailer review only! Welcome to our world:


Has 'X' in the title- will sell 10 copies, 5/10 Grahams


Features a Ryan Stegman cover on a book w/ interiors by Greg Land. A Land cover would sell better and better represent the book. 3/10 Grahams



Greg Land interiors. Pretty, but mostly "borrowed" from photographs, some of dubious nature. Choices like this make sequential art more difficult to effectively move your eye through a page. It will result in casual readers enjoying some individual images. 4/10 Grahams


The story works on its own, well enough at least. 5/10 Grahams


Does the story actually exist to set up ANOTHER book that exists outside of continuity instead of telling its own story? It does, cheating the reader of the experience they just had by telling them "NOW you know what you need to read to understand this." 1/10 Grahams


Does the title they're setting up feature Wolverine? It does, so it will sell way more copies than this, and might drive people back to find this issue in two months. I mean, its Wolverine...its going to sell very very well. 9/10 Grahams.


Lastly, the overall retailer to publisher grade. This book will be a sell out for me, probably on the third day of release. It does not add to what Marvel is doing right now with the Fall of X, and is intended to be either a cast off for people who aren't enjoying that storyline, or a fall back for people who only want comics 'the way they used to be'. When Bendis/Immonen brought back the original team in All New X-Men, it was in continuity, had purpose, and moved the mutant front forward during that time frame.


Assessment- This is a cash grab. It is not terrible. It will not hurt, offend, challenge, or delight anyone who reads it. Final grade- 5/10 Grahams.