My Marvel Life Presents -Fabulous First Issue: X-Men 1

Why I picked this comic:

It was the first comic I remember reading. It was the first property that I got into when I got into collecting back in 1991 and it’s the franchise that I go back to when my I go back into buying new monthly comics, when the MIGHTY Rosie put the idea for this blog forward, I knew that no matter what, the X-Men would have a place in it and why the hell not start right at the very beginning.

Shoud I have done this?

The Comic Itself:

X-Men 1: September 1963

X-Men was written by Stan Lee and pencilled by Jack Kirby with inks by Chic Stone.

In a private school in Westchester, New York Professor Charles Xavier summons the four students he has, that are training to be super heroes. In  walks Slim ‘Cyclops’ Summers, Hank ‘Beast’ McCoy and Bobby ‘Iceman’ Drake. Flying above them is Warren ‘Angel’ Worthington III. He trains them using high tech equipment and puts their life in danger doing so. After this session, he announces a 5th member of the team Jean ‘Marvel Girl’ Grey. She introduces herself, the other students fawn over  here and the Professor tells her what’s going on. He and the rest are mutants born with the potential for superhuman powers which express at puberty, he has brought them together to teach them how to use their powers. He dreams of peaceful coexistence with the rest of humanity, but knows that other mutants disagree. The X-Men are there to defend the world against them.

Cue evil mutant and Magneto attacks a missle base. The X-Men go in, including the new recruit and attack using their powers. The combination of Bobby’s ice powers, Warren’s winged flight, Hanks animal like agility, Jean’s telekinesis and Slim’s optic force beams all work to drive Magneto off and at least for now, save the day.

The Thoughts of The MIGHTY Rosie

Question 1: Have you heard of this property before? Yes, I had.

Question 2: What were you expecting? Ohhh…. cheese, like corny, so corny. Like you can see the strings.

Question 3: What did you think of the cover? (Coughs) Lets talk about the cover shall we? Iceman has NO FACE. What’s with the gloves? What’s with Cyclop’s being all peek-a-boo in the corner box?

Question 4: What did you think of the story? (Exhales) Disturbing, have these boys ever seen a girl in their life befrore? What’s with all the professor’s demands and them all putting him in a chair under a blanket? The thing that gets me “We test your wing reflexes, you dare not make a mistake.” This guy is in a wheelchair, he shouldn’t be frontin’. And may I say on Jean Grey’s first day, with NO TRAINING AT ALL, or any kind of teamwork exercise she is sent on a mission, dressed in a weirdly made to fit costume that was so tight it was like it was poured onto her. The professor should be on a register.

Question 5: What did you think of the art? (Laughs) It makes me cry, I had never hated the colour yellow before now.

Question 6: What did you think of the dialogue? (Laughs)  Why Magneto has to explains to himself OUT LOUD  what is happening it’s distressing. It’s like he’s narrating.

Question 7: Does it make sense? NO! Who sends untrained teenagers out to fight crime?

Question 8: Was it accessible as a new reader? Yeah, if you are cruel.

Question 9: Did you enjoy it? ……No, I’m trying, but no, I don’t want to play anymore.

Question 10: Would you read the next issue? I would, but only because in that school those kids need someone on their side.

Question 11: What would you do differently? TLock it in a box, bury the box, cover the box in concrete, consecrate with holy water, smack it with a bible and say “No! Bad comic!”

Please don’t think the conversation ended there, it’s just my pen ran out.

Next time: Something different perhaps.