Comic Info
Comic Name: Wolverine and the X-Men (Volume 1)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Jorge Molina/Chris Bachalo/Michael Allred
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2012
Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #17
Reprints Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #14-18 (September 2012-December 2012). With the Phoenix Force inhabiting a number of the X-Men, Kitty tries to hold the school together…and finds being a teacher might be more difficult than being an X-Men. Kade Kilgore and his Hellfire Club are plotting an all-out attack on the school, and even the revelation that Doop is Wolverine’s secret weapon might not be able to save them.
Written by Jason Aaron, Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 4 is a Marvel Comics X-Men title. Following Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 3, the collection features art by Jorge Molina, Chris Bachalo, and Michael Allred. The collection was part of the larger AvX series (aka Avengers vs. X-Men), and the issues in the volume were also included in Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron Omnibus and Avengers vs. X-Men Companion.
In general, I like Jason Aaron. He does a lot of interesting and different things with characters. He has a lot of range from titles like Scalped to titles like Thor, but Wolverine and the X-Men isn’t my favorite Jason Aaron title (though not necessarily due to him).
Wolverine and the X-Men (1) #18
Like many Marvel Comics (more so than DC it feels), the series is seriously hindered by event series. This volume (and the previous volume) are tied in to the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline which I know little about. I read Schism which gives some background, but other than a quick recap on the opening page, it is hard to follow what exactly is going on. Aaron does a bit better in trying to keep a storyline running through the book involving the Hellfire Club and things like Husk’s relationship with Toad, but he still gets bogged down by external forces and events that cause the series to stutter. Wolverine and the X-Men #18 feels really choppy as a result of this problem.
As a fan of Michael Allred and the fact that it is a stand-alone issue, I really enjoy Wolverine and the X-Men #17. It feels a bit more of what this series is missing. I have never bought Wolverine as the headmaster type, and the oddity of this issue at least makes it make sense. I loved X-Force and X-Statix and this feels like a natural bridge to those series (especially with Doop headlining the issue). It also has me aching for a Michael Allred Howard the Duck series.
Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 4 ends the “First Year” of the comic. The series does end on a cliffhanger with the likable Broo appearing to be dead and the Hellfire Club infecting the school, so I do have some interest in returning to “Second Year” in spite of my criticisms. Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 4 is followed by Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 5.
Related Links:
Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron—Volume 1
