Review: X-Men '97 #1

Finally I got to reading Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 comic run. Currently there are 3 issues out with the 4th issue releasing on June 26th. Since the animated show having ended, I’ve been putting off reading these issues as a way to expand the relevancy of X-Men ‘97. The first season was so good I didn’t want it to end. The comic certainly isn’t a 1:1 exact match to the show but it does share some similarities. 

Now initially I was unable to get issue 1 when it first came out and was pretty bummed. Instead I opted to just get issue 2 with hopes of finding the first issue somewhere else. A week or so passed and I decided I wanted to get another copy of issue 2. I went back to the shop and they had the reprints of the first issue available! I was stoked, picked it up along with the extra copy that I’m going to use to create some custom bookmarks.

Reminder of how these blog posts go:

• Cover Art

• Story

• Overall Rating 5 star rating system from Comic Geeks App

Cover

Unfortunately as I mentioned previously, I was unable to get the first issue, but I did manage the second printing of it. Overall I like the cover, the colors, the sunset mood, it’s all great. The only thing that makes it seem a little out of place is Jubilee drinking a beverage and eating popcorn. Had the setting been within the mansion, then I think that would make a lot more sense. But it just makes her seem a bit out of place cause the rest of the X-Men are all striking a pose. The little bits of detail like Gambit’s card aura and Bishop’s purple veins were sweet little additions.

Pretty fun action packed intro that made me question if this was actually going on…

Story

So the main question that a lot of people had with this is does the animated show have any tie in with the comic run? As of right now, I can’t really tell. From what I’ve seen on social media is that this is all leading up to where the show starts. So it kind of makes sense, since the little overview message at the beginning states that we know Henry Peter Gyrich has attacked Professor X. 

Then we jump right into it. I was really surprised because I thought the comic was going to be like a retelling of the animated show. But not quite. There is some good action that starts off with Wolverine breaking formation and trying to take on Magneto by himself. He is tossed aside like a ragdoll. The entire mission is a failure as Cyclops also struggles to keep control of his team and take down Magneto. Jean ends the Danger Room session because she is worried someone will get hurt. 

Right away we get an understanding that the X-Men are having a tough time trying to keep it together and clearly lack the leadership of Professor X. Cyclops and Wolverine are fighting, while everyone else doesn’t know who to follow. At this point the main plot of the story takes place, Dazzler has been kidnapped and it was caught live on TV. The X-Men meet up with Rogue and Gambit to take on a terrorist group of Friends of Humanity. They end up rescuing Dazzler just in time for her to perform the memorial concert for Professor X. We get our first introduction of Valerie Cooper as she shows up to arrest the Friends of Humanity punks. Wolverine though is suspicious about an agent named Denti, I wonder what that’s all about. 

Wish we got more of Wolverine and Cyclops fighting…

The rest of the issue pertains to more struggles of leadership as well as Jean unable to get some time alone with Cyclops to let him know she’s pregnant. Storm can obviously sense there is something wrong with Jean and opts to stay behind instead of going to see Dazzler perform. Jubilee ends up taking Bishop while Storm goes to comfort Jean. 

Absolutely loved the fact that Wolverine and Cyclops go head to head and fight. They clearly have a bone to pick with each other, I just wish we got to see more of it. Cut to the performance of Dazzler and we encounter another group trying to take her down or kidnap her. Luckily the X-Men are there, Bishop, Jubilee, Rogue and Gambit all spring into action to help out Dazzler. They end up getting away and we find out they were working for Mister Sinister. Who then punishes them for trying to apprehend Dazzler in such a public space. 

Mister Sinister ends with saying he needs to enlist some new help. Who will it be?...

Overall 4 / 5

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Review: Blood Hunt Issue 2

Ok I know I said I was only going to collect Deadpool and Wolverine WWIII and also the Poison Ivy run that started last year. However, this new Blood Hunt run is only 5 issues (if you don’t include the separate titles) and since I got started with the Free Comic Book Day version it was a no brainer. I’m not sure what it is with vampires but I love them! It might be growing up watching Blade 1-3, Underworld, Twilight, Van Helsing and more.

I stopped at my local comic book shop on Thursday intending to pick up issue 3 of X-Men ‘97 but I saw Blood Hunt issue 2 sitting right next to it. I think what has been drawing me to it besides the story is the art. The covers featuring Avengers and other superheroes slicing up Vampires is fucking dope. I do wish though that I got a wrap-around cover again like the first issue I picked up. It’s a shame we don’t get wrap-arounds as much anymore but I totally understand the need to market the next books and such. Reminder of how these blog posts go:

• Cover Art

• Story

• Overall Rating 5 star rating system from Comic Geeks App

Cover

Once again, another cool cover featuring our superheroes going toe-to-toe against some vicious looking vampires. The background looks to be set in the city with our heroes at the top of a building with vampires climbing up the walls. Captain America, Captain Marvel, Vision and Iron Man are all fighting vampires off and it looks super awesome. My favorite part of the cover is Captain Marvel because it looks like she punched the living shit out of a vampire!

Brielle, daughter of Blade, decapitating suckers

Story

So we left off on the last issue (SPOILER WARNING) if you haven’t read the first issue of Blood Hunt, save this blog post and come back after reading. But at the very end of issue 1, we discover Blade being the mastermind behind the vampire invasion and he stabs Dr. Strange right through the chest. It was absolutely EPIC. 

We get quick looks at Thor being strung up by chains and the stake still through his head(another epic illustration). Scarlet Witch seems to be incapacitated and T’Challa has been converted into a vampire! Blade, having control over his vampire minions, orders Black Panther to fetch his prize, as well as sends his bloodcoven to find the girl; both of these we don’t know what they are, yet I think.

Now I have no prior knowledge of Blade comics or lore, but he has a daughter(Brielle) according to the first issue. This time she has linked up with Dracula in New York City, and he is talking down to her for risking her life to fight off vampires for humans. There is a sweet action shot of Brielle slicing a vampire’s head off.

We now encounter some heroes who are trying to link up in Uptown. Tigra and Hunter’s Moon, two heroes I’m unfamiliar with, are looking for Dr. Strange when they happen upon Spider-Man, though he says he’s the other Spider-Man. Not sure what that means. 

They discover Clea and a vampire Dr. Strange after being led by Dr. Strange’s astral self. 

The issue finishes off with some dope fighting scenes and the Avengers coming thru and whooping butt. Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man and Vision all show up to help Dracula against Blade’s bloodcoven. Megrim is taken down by Vision, Captain Marvel smashes the shit out of Bloodstorm 1 with a flying punch. The fight continues with the Avengers overtaking them to the point that the bloodcoven teleports to escape.

Our heroes are able to take a breather, but right as they let down their guard, one of them turns…! We’ll talk about this reveal in the next post. Can’t wait for the next issue!

Oh no! Who is turning into vampire??!

Overall 4 / 5

Artwork was dope, so that’s good to know the quality didn’t dip after the first issue. I will say though the story kind of felt a little empty in a way. It was a bit of a different take on the first issue in which we get a grouping of a heroes against vampires but we didn’t really find out anything important to the story. We’ll see how this next issue goes.

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