Comic Info
Comic Name: Wolverine and the X-Men (Volume 1)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Chris Bachalo/Nick Bradshaw
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2012
Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #10
Reprints Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #9-13 (June 2012-September 2012). The Phoenix Force is headed to Earth and humanity could be doomed. As the Avengers seek out Hope Summers, the X-Men seek to protect her. Wolverine is an X-Man and Wolverine is an Avenger…and he now must decide where his loyalties are. With Hope as a target, Wolverine realizes he might be forced to kill the Phoenix again.
Written by Jason Aaron, Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 3 is a Marvel Comics tie-in to the Avengers vs. X-Men event series. Following Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 2, the collection features art by Chris Bachalo and Nick Bradshaw. The issues in the collection were also part of Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron Omnibus and Avengers vs. X-Men Companion.
The Schism storyline really soured me to the X-Men. The two X-Men teams, Utopia, Avengers vs. X-Men, and other events kind of blur together after that. While I do like some aspects of Wolverine and the X-Men, it still feels kind of out of place, and since this volume is a tie-in to an event series, the collection as a whole has some issues.
Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #12
Marvel has really stepped away from the coherent event series. The series was either “Part 12 of 20” or a crossover that could be read independently of the series (and didn’t disrupt the flow of the series). Here, you have events from the Avengers vs. X-Men series collapsed into Wolverine and the X-Men and viewers are often forced to just piecemeal what is happening. It feels like a bit of a disservice to readers and especially to people loyally following the Wolverine and the X-Men title.
What does work here is many of the characters. Hope and Wolverine kind of leave me numb throughout this collection (I still don’t buy Wolverine as the teacher of the school), and Hope never did have much personality to me especially when you’ve had interesting “Phoenix” characters like Rachel and Jean Grey. It is supporting cast that is fun and the small roles by X-Men and the students (like Paige Gunthrie and Toad having a potential relationship or even the whole Kid Gladiator and Apocalypse storyline). The little touches are the fun touches in a rather meh collection.
Wolverine and the X-Men is a rather rocky comic. It feels like it has potential but it is trapped in the confines set-up after years of poor X-Men stories. If X-Men was at its peak when this series was launched, it might have had more direction and focus…but here, it feels a bit like a typical Wolverine money-grab. Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 3 is followed by Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 4.
Related Links:
Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 1
