Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 2

Comic Info

Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #5

Reprints Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #5-8 (April 2012-June 2012).  Wolverine discovers that Jean Grey School for Higher Learning cannot support itself when Angel is cut off from his money by the Hellfire Club.  Now as Wolverine and Kid Omega head to Planet Sin to win a fortune, the school finds itself invaded by the Brood, and Kitty Pryde a host for a new breed of Brood.

Written by Jason Aaron, Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 2 collects the three issue “Mutatis Mutandis” and the stand alone “A Little Impossible”.   Following Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 1, the collection features art by Nick Bradshaw and Chris Bachalo. The issues in this volume were also collected as part of Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron Omnibus.

I like some of Jason Aaron’s writing but I hate this period of the X-Men.  The divided X-Men are no fun and despite attempt after attempt to justify Wolverine leading the school, it still doesn’t make much sense.  It is not all bad, but it feels like there are tremendous areas open for improvement.

Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #7

This is the X-Men “lite”.  Wolverine and the X-Men is the lighter of the two X-Men books and is more “jokey”.  This is a problem to begin with since Wolverine (if having any humor at all) is a dry humor…and he is at the lead of the book.  I like his little adventure with Kid Omega, but I don’t love the school’s make-up at this point.  It just doesn’t have the old feel of the X-Men that made the book enjoyable.

Part of the reason the book lacks fun is the rift (or I guess that Marvel has labeled it Schism) between the X-Men.  The X-Men were already outsiders.  The whole 198, Utopia, and now Schism has worked them down to nothing.  As a previous loyal reader the group seems so watered down.  It isn’t fun (or funny) and it is nonsensical at points.

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron is the better of the two series, but it still isn’t very good.  Bradshaw has art that is a little more in control but Bachalo continues to over-ink his art, if you can follow the story, you can’t always follow the writing.  Despite this, the series had a decent run…something that Marvel doesn’t give all of its books.  Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 2 is followed by Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 3.

Related Links:

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 1

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 3

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 4