Tag: 13

A Look Back at X-Men Adventures Season II #7 (1994)

A Look Back at X-Men Adventures Season II #7 (1994)

carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to explore the adaptation of the second season of the X-Men animated series in the form of the X-Men Adventures comic book series.

Before getting to the new retro comic book review, I should state that decades ago, the use of future timelines was implemented on the X-Men comics. I’m talking about the possible future where Cable and Stryfe came from, another possible future where Phoenix/Rachel Summers came from, and the more established future of the classic Days of Future Past storyline. Time travel and possible future timelines are the themes in the next X-Men Adventures comic book I reviewed recently.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men Adventures Season II , published in 1994 by Marvel with a story written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by Scott Rosema.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins on Earth in the far future of 3999 AD. Cable, who is fighting for the rebels, battles the deadly forces of the powers that be. It turns out, he and his teammates have been struggling a lot and their team suffered several deaths already. Even though they are very tired and heavily outnumbered, Cable refuses to give up and bravely calls for a frontal assault against their enemies.

Suddenly, Apocalypse appears on the battlefield and commands his robotic troops to destroy Cable and his fellow rebels. To Apocalypse’s surprise, a temporal storm appears and Cable notices it appearing so close to them. One of his teammates got caught by the storm which pushes Cable away. After receiving computer updates, Cable decides to get away from the robotic troops.

Meanwhile in another time period and place, Bishop returns from his mission (his interactions with the X-Men of the 20th century – click here and here) only to discover from Forge that nothing has changed and the plague still rages on…

Quality

The X-Men have a new problem to deal with.

Having read X-Men Adventures and of season 1, I found this particular tale (clearly a sequel to Bishop’s interaction with the X-Men after traveling through time) relatable and enjoyable. There is a strong science fiction vibe here and the time travel aspect added a lot to the build-up of tension.

Bishop here is almost the protagonist as the story showed an altered future in which Forge has no memory of the X-Men and only made a reference to a plague that has lasted for a long time. This compels Bishop to go back to the 20th century again hoping to meet the X-Men and somehow prevent the plague from bringing down society.

The impact of the mysterious virus is tremendous as so many people got infected and authorities suspect mutants to be the carriers. At this stage, the social aspects inserted by the creators really started to grow stronger within the narrative and you will see the X-Men struggling with not only the increased scrutiny on mutants but also with the manipulative tactics of anti-mutant activists who can’t help but see golden opportunities to wipe out mutants in a more clever fashion.

The dialogue here is noticeably gripping to read and the dramatization worked accordingly. There is also a good amount of superhero spectacle to enjoy here even though the X-Men have no super villains to fight with.

Conclusion

Forge has no memory of the X-Men.

X-Men Adventures Season II (1994) looks like a repeat or even a remake of what happened in X-Men Adventures (Season I) but its concept turned out to be not only unique with strong social commentary and sci-fi elements, but also became really engaging thanks to the fine execution by the creative team. On the aspect of social relevance, this comic book will remind you about the internment of Japanese Americans in America (1942-1946) and the COVID-19 restrictions and the quarantine on communities imposed by governments that disrupted people’s lives. As this comic book marks the first part of the Time Fugitives, I can say that I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

Overall, X-Men Adventures Season II (1994) is recommended.

+++++

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A Look Back at X-Men Adventures #13 (1993)

A Look Back at X-Men Adventures #13 (1993)

carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

It’s funny how adaptations of adaptations turn out in real life. Long before the first live-action X-Men movie was released, an animated TV series (popularly referred to as X-Men: The Animated Series or X-Men TAS) was produced and arguably brought together the fans of both the X-Men comic books along with the animated X-Men followers.

Along the way, Marvel Comics went on to publish a monthly comic book series called X-Men Adventures which themselves were adaptations of the animated series (which itself adapted stories and concepts from the comic books).

The adaptation-of-an-adaptation approach went deep further when the animated series adapted loosely the story of the classic X-Men comic book storyline Days of Future Past (by legends Chris Claremont and John Byrne) which resulted a story told in two episodes on TV. And then there was also a comic book adaptation that followed starting with X-Men Adventures which is the subject of this retro comic book review.

1
The cover.

Early story

Written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by Andrew Wildman, the comic book begins in the dark future of 2055 in New York. The city is in ruins and mutants on the loose are being hunted by Sentinels. A very old Wolverine appears to help two loose mutants but ends up getting stunned with them by Bishop who turns out to be helping the automated authority of the Sentinels.

As he turns over the captured mutants, the Sentinels betray Bishop telling him that they no longer required him. Afterwards, Bishop and Wolverine (who woke up) each carry a person under the watch of a Sentinel. Suddenly, the two other mutants use their powers to attack the Sentinel and Wolverine followed to back up their efforts. The Sentinel however grabbed Wolverine.

Quality

3
A very old Wolverine in the dark future of 2055.

With the exception of some liberties, this comic book closely followed what was told in the first of the 2-episode Days of Future Past animated adaptation. As a comic book story, the story was heavily loaded with details and exposition designed to orient readers about the setting and why the future became a time of darkness in relation to the rise of machines having ultimate power over people.

While the time travel concept of the literary classic involved the mind of Kitty Pryde going into the past, this comic book used the more common concept of having Bishop travel back through time physically which easily reminds me of Kyle Reese arriving from the future in 1984’s The Terminator.

The build-up leading to Bishop’s move to travel back through time was nicely done by the creative team. There was a lot of exposition followed by an incoming attack complete with explosions happening just as Bishop is about to leave. In short, the pay-off was worth it.

The engagement did not end there. In fact, it continued nicely as Bishop meets the X-Men in 1993 with the details of his mission carefully unveiled. Professor Charles Xavier’s reaction to future history (Sentinels taking control of the world) was dramatic and worth re-reading.

As with his other works in the X-Men Adventures comic book series, Andrew Wildman’s art is very good to look at and he knows how to make each scene look engaging whether it’s just an exchange of dialogue between characters or an action scene loaded with a lot of impact.

Conclusion

While it is only half of a 2-issue adaptation of a 2-episode animated adaptation of the Days of Future Past literary classic, X-Men Adventures is still a fun-filled reading experience complete with a lot of engaging moments.

19
The money shot by Andrew Wildman!

If you are a serious collector of comic books, be aware that, as of this writing, a near-mint copy of X-Men Adventures costs $6 while its newsstand edition copy is worth $21 in near-mint condition according to Mile High Comics.

Overall, X-Men Adventures is highly recommended. Both dedicated X-Men fans as well as newcomers will have something a lot to enjoy with it.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com