Advanced Review: Wolverine and the X-Men #1

Long ago, a man made a decision to teach those who were more than mere children how to harness their inner strength. His dream for a peaceful coexistence between human and mutant gathered thousands to stand beside one another in a singular voice of harmony. But all dreams must end when we awake to the harsh reality that life needs more than dreams to strive.

Time and ethics have driven the few survivors even further apart, one faction becoming militaristic and the other — becoming the teachers of the future. But how much can one learn from the very person who scoffed at all the prior lessons taught to him in these same halls? 

Jason Aaron has created a very special book with Wolverine and the X-Men #1. The premise is one so absurd that it works perfectly! Wolverine running a school? No one saw that one coming, but it works so well that I believe this is his best Marvel book ever!

Yes, this issue has all the crazy things you would expect from a book like this. Danger Room bathrooms, aliens, lava floors, state inspectors — it has everything that any comic book fan could ever want. But what makes this book stand out even more than the hilarious scenarios that Aaron conjures up, is the amount of heart that he has brought to it, as well! He has brought the life and soul back to a character that has been treated like an unfeeling Terminator for WAY too many years. He has put Logan in a scenario that makes him uncomfortable, and in doing so, transforms him into a richer, deeper character. Not since the early days of Chris Claremont has there been this much characterization between Logan and his fellow X-Men!

I have followed Chris Bachalo since his days on Shade the Changing Man, and I have never been more impressed than with the work he has done on this book! Everything is so vibrant and fun, the perfect compliment for tight classroom settings or over the top massive monsters. He adds to the aloofness that Aaron has created for the setting, but can switch it to complete viciousness when the story dictates. Bachalo and Aaron are the perfect duet of symphonic craziness that will keep readers hanging on for dear life!

This book does not need my recommendation in order to sell through the roof. I just wanted the chance to say how amazed I was with overall execution of the book. If this is what we can expect each month — it's going to be one hell of a ride!