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X-Men: First Class (Collected Editions) #3
X-Men: First Class - Band of Brothers
You asked for it, X-Fans, and now, you got it! Marvel.com asked you what Chris Claremont's next project should be. You, the fans, said you wanted to know what today's new generation of X-Men would be like if the Marvel Universe aged in real-time! Who are the children of the X-Men? And what happened to the original team, Professor X, and Magneto after more than 30 years of conflict, victories and tragedies? Now, at last, the answers arrive as beloved X-Men scribe Chris Claremont reveals an all-new generation of mutant teens! Collects GeNext #1-5.
192 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 2008
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69 people want to read
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Jeff Parker
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 23, 2015
The second volume for Jeff Parker's irresistibly fun series in its second season, continues the winning streak of finely crafted action-adventure tales centered on the promising Original Core Five (whom I fondly fall OCF). The stories included for this volume are some of my favorities in the entire title run, particularly issues #8 and #10 which dealt with some grea character exposition about Jean Grey and Scott Summers respectively.
In issue #8 illustrated by guest artist Eric Nguyen, we see a darker take of events in the future which is probably the farthest Parker can take this general-audience series into grimmer territories, metaphorically and quite literally.
While in a mission, the X-Men encounter Man-Thing and they were transported into different timelines of human history in one blink of existence at a time. There were warriors on winged horses, Nazis on ships, etc. For a time the five of them managed to fight theit way through, that was until present and future started blending together and the team lost Bobby and Jean in the midst of the commotion. And if they don't find them before dimensions start closing up, they might lose them forever.
The real draw of this issue has to be the climactic revelations concerning the possible grim futures awaiting Jean and Bobby; worlds in which Jean becomes the Dark Phoenix as she slays everybody in her wake. Meanwhile, Bobby becomes a cruel Frost Giant and battles the Mighty Thor. The present young versions of these two somehow united with these grim future manifestations and the rest of the heroes have to find a way to pull them out while not freaking out as they watch their friends literally becomes nightmarish monsters. Fortunately enough, they were successful in saving both of them but Bobby and Jean also remembered what happened and are now going to carry those revelations from now on. It's up to them to decide if those futures will come true. After all, their choices will determine who they will become someday.
Issue #10 is all about Scott Summers. For this installment, we finally get a story where Scott is the sole central figure which was odd in itself because you'd think a single character can't carry an entire plot by himself but if there is anyone who can do it then I suppose it has to be Scott. The reason why everyone else is out of commission is because the four youngsters got some awful case of stomach flu and Scott was already sent in a solo mission by the professor so he did not get sick.
The professor wanted to train him separate from everyone else because he was confident in Scott's abilities and as soon as they figured out together what Cyclops is up against, Xavier maintains that he wouldn't have chosen anyone else but him. It has always been apparent that Xavier is training Scott to one day take over when he's gone so sending him out on his own was only necessary. I'm also glad that he has an open communication with Xavier here the entire time.
In this mission, Scott learns that there are dangers to always having your guard up. The truth is, he needs to be less cautious and more sensitive to other needs and to stop treating himself like a walking hazard. It's just heartbreaking that when he did eventually get over this insecurity, he gains a less than optimistic perspective on his powers and leadership and became the harsher and inflexible semi-villain he is today in comics. So I was happy to be reminded of a young Scott, brimming with potentials. I really missed this version of him and I really want to keep reading this series just so I can hold onto this Scott Summers a little longer, if possible.
This volume is definitely a stronger collection than the first one for this season.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
In issue #8 illustrated by guest artist Eric Nguyen, we see a darker take of events in the future which is probably the farthest Parker can take this general-audience series into grimmer territories, metaphorically and quite literally.
While in a mission, the X-Men encounter Man-Thing and they were transported into different timelines of human history in one blink of existence at a time. There were warriors on winged horses, Nazis on ships, etc. For a time the five of them managed to fight theit way through, that was until present and future started blending together and the team lost Bobby and Jean in the midst of the commotion. And if they don't find them before dimensions start closing up, they might lose them forever.
The real draw of this issue has to be the climactic revelations concerning the possible grim futures awaiting Jean and Bobby; worlds in which Jean becomes the Dark Phoenix as she slays everybody in her wake. Meanwhile, Bobby becomes a cruel Frost Giant and battles the Mighty Thor. The present young versions of these two somehow united with these grim future manifestations and the rest of the heroes have to find a way to pull them out while not freaking out as they watch their friends literally becomes nightmarish monsters. Fortunately enough, they were successful in saving both of them but Bobby and Jean also remembered what happened and are now going to carry those revelations from now on. It's up to them to decide if those futures will come true. After all, their choices will determine who they will become someday.
Issue #10 is all about Scott Summers. For this installment, we finally get a story where Scott is the sole central figure which was odd in itself because you'd think a single character can't carry an entire plot by himself but if there is anyone who can do it then I suppose it has to be Scott. The reason why everyone else is out of commission is because the four youngsters got some awful case of stomach flu and Scott was already sent in a solo mission by the professor so he did not get sick.
The professor wanted to train him separate from everyone else because he was confident in Scott's abilities and as soon as they figured out together what Cyclops is up against, Xavier maintains that he wouldn't have chosen anyone else but him. It has always been apparent that Xavier is training Scott to one day take over when he's gone so sending him out on his own was only necessary. I'm also glad that he has an open communication with Xavier here the entire time.
In this mission, Scott learns that there are dangers to always having your guard up. The truth is, he needs to be less cautious and more sensitive to other needs and to stop treating himself like a walking hazard. It's just heartbreaking that when he did eventually get over this insecurity, he gains a less than optimistic perspective on his powers and leadership and became the harsher and inflexible semi-villain he is today in comics. So I was happy to be reminded of a young Scott, brimming with potentials. I really missed this version of him and I really want to keep reading this series just so I can hold onto this Scott Summers a little longer, if possible.
This volume is definitely a stronger collection than the first one for this season.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
May 16, 2018
the jeanwanda issue gets five stars tho
December 5, 2025
i liked the nexus lagoon w jean and bobby stepping through portals into dystopias brought about by their own choices (for jean, dark phoenix and mass murder, for bobby, a new ice age). it was dark w/o being overbearing and i liked its look. i also liked the solo scott episode, but it felt incomplete and was thus unsatisfactory.
October 28, 2013
Some of them were adorable, some of them sucked. There were some really funny bits in here that I really enjoyed. And it is really weird to see the X-Men not dealing with genocide or death on a large scale. They aren't bitter or cruel or broken. They're just kids. The light-heartedness of this comic is actually painful.
I adore Warren. He is so cute, and he loves his wings so much.
I know I always say that I don't mind Jean, I just hate her with Scott, but I didn't like her in any of these. She's annoying. So is Wanda, actually. And Black Widow with black hair and fishnets is really trippy.
But I actually really liked Scott. He's a douche, there are no doubts, but I liked him anyway. He had a couple of really great moments. This was a time when he was affected by accidentally killing an evil guy while saving a bunch of people.
Ah the good old days.
I adore Warren. He is so cute, and he loves his wings so much.
I know I always say that I don't mind Jean, I just hate her with Scott, but I didn't like her in any of these. She's annoying. So is Wanda, actually. And Black Widow with black hair and fishnets is really trippy.
But I actually really liked Scott. He's a douche, there are no doubts, but I liked him anyway. He had a couple of really great moments. This was a time when he was affected by accidentally killing an evil guy while saving a bunch of people.
Ah the good old days.
May 10, 2022
As a follow-up to Mutant Mayhem, it's just more of the same. Doesn't take the story in any interesting directions, and even the Cyclops-centered story falls a bit short by just showing him as a capable but not really overcoming anything personal. (They pay lip service to it for some reason, but there wasn't really any doubt for Professor X to assuage.) Would have loved more from the story teaming Jean up with Scarlet Witch and Black Widow.
May 4, 2024
Unfortunately, Marvel's collections editors are rarely ever good at their jobs, so there's a bunch of repeat material in this collection. The new material is okay but not as strong as the previous volumes.
This is an entirely skippable chapter of the original team's adventures. It's not part of continuity, it's not as fun or original as the previous volumes of First Class, and it doesn't add anything to mythos that surrounds it. If you're not a completist, I wouldn't bother with this.
This is an entirely skippable chapter of the original team's adventures. It's not part of continuity, it's not as fun or original as the previous volumes of First Class, and it doesn't add anything to mythos that surrounds it. If you're not a completist, I wouldn't bother with this.
April 16, 2024
Iceman is still the best, but I don't really mind this version of Scott or Jean Grey. Not a fan of the artwork unless it's Colleen Coover. (I really liked the one where Man Thing shows them only their brighter future).
July 11, 2025
Not a very exciting book but not terrible either. The art is okay enough and some of the interactions between characters were funny. Would only recommend to a hardcore X-Men fan.
January 6, 2024
2.5 stars
Band of Brothers is a rocky stretch of X-Men First Class issues. This volume had more duds than I'd have liked. The Man-Thing-centric Adventure Into Fear issue was convoluted and confusing. The story lacked setup leaving the premise unexplained and the unengaging action scenes left nothing for me to hook on to. I also found the SHIELD-centric issue involving Scarlet Witch and Jean joining up with Black Widow to fight HYDRA lacking the interesting character dynamics I expect in a team-up. There was some forced drama between Wanda and Jean and overall the issue left me cold as nothing truly interesting happened throughout.
I will say Scott was a standout character in Band of Brothers. He by far had the most interesting moments throughout the five issues in this volume. His powerless takedown of the Sentinels was a great demonstration of his quick wit and skill and his solo issue Frederick while simplistic did offer an engaging demonstration of his pathos.
I did adore the chibi comic strips at the end of every issue. The over-the-top silliness of the stips and very lighthearted takes on characters and the adorable art style made them a treat to read after every issue.
Overall, the simplistic storytelling left Band of Brothers lacking in interesting characterization and team dynamics. I also continued to dislike Roger Cruz's art. What keeps me reading this series is its more lighthearted take on the original X-Men and, unfortunately, for the most part Band of Brothers wasn't up to snuff. but It did have its moments which makes me willing to read further on into the series.
Band of Brothers is a rocky stretch of X-Men First Class issues. This volume had more duds than I'd have liked. The Man-Thing-centric Adventure Into Fear issue was convoluted and confusing. The story lacked setup leaving the premise unexplained and the unengaging action scenes left nothing for me to hook on to. I also found the SHIELD-centric issue involving Scarlet Witch and Jean joining up with Black Widow to fight HYDRA lacking the interesting character dynamics I expect in a team-up. There was some forced drama between Wanda and Jean and overall the issue left me cold as nothing truly interesting happened throughout.
I will say Scott was a standout character in Band of Brothers. He by far had the most interesting moments throughout the five issues in this volume. His powerless takedown of the Sentinels was a great demonstration of his quick wit and skill and his solo issue Frederick while simplistic did offer an engaging demonstration of his pathos.
I did adore the chibi comic strips at the end of every issue. The over-the-top silliness of the stips and very lighthearted takes on characters and the adorable art style made them a treat to read after every issue.
Overall, the simplistic storytelling left Band of Brothers lacking in interesting characterization and team dynamics. I also continued to dislike Roger Cruz's art. What keeps me reading this series is its more lighthearted take on the original X-Men and, unfortunately, for the most part Band of Brothers wasn't up to snuff. but It did have its moments which makes me willing to read further on into the series.
October 12, 2009
The crossovers between the old school X-Men and Marvel characters continue, with Nick Fury, Black Widow, Man-Thing, and other showing up. The non-crossover stories, like one with the X-Men losing their powers thanks to contact with a meteor, are better. Best of all are the short stories drawn by Colleen Coover, who has great fun, girly art.
April 25, 2015
Parker was doing alright for a while, but he really starts scraping the bottom of the barrel for story ideas in this volume. It was also disappointing to see Robert Cruz so absent. His art matched the tone of the series very well, which made the failure of the other contributors' art all that more apparent. The only redeeming aspect of this volume is its first collected issue, and maybe its last if you're a Cyclops fan.
July 15, 2014
3.5. I liked this book and I'll check out more in the series. The art wasn't very consistent but it was generally pleasing enough. The stories were all over the place, it felt like a comic that would be good for younger readers, but it wasn't so dumbed down that I felt particularly annoyed by the simplicity.
January 28, 2020
I continue to enjoy this series! I really like X-men, but I haven't read a lot of it and don't know all the characters or stories, which is why it's good to have a series like this that starts (mostly) fresh. There are plenty of cameos and appearances by other Marvel characters, but by and large the series is accessible for readers new to X-men.
June 28, 2012
Not bad, but not what I was expecting- I suppose it's different reading newer comics, I'll get used to it though. Art was very nice, esp. liked some of the Marvel Girl frames in which she was airborne/ seen from different angles. Some funny pages re: Bobby XD Made me giggle.
September 24, 2015
This is the first graphic novel that I've ever bought in my entire life and I'm so glad because I really liked this, hence the rating. The stories in this compilation were actually really interesting and it made me excited to start reading more comic books in the future.
July 3, 2011
I like the First Class comics. Until now they have always been fun to read. Hope it stays that way.
March 20, 2011
Like the others in the series, it's just really fun X-Men comics. I especially like the relationship that gets introduced between Jean & Wanda. It's a fun and logical wrinkle.
March 14, 2011
Not as lighthearted, but more indepth stories. We meet ManThing, sentinels and Black Widow.
September 22, 2011
Nothing memorable here, but still fun and entertaining.
May 19, 2013
Some fun, well-drawn stories that make me feel sad about how some of these characters are being portrayed now, especially Cyclops and the Scarlet Witch.
August 25, 2014
Nice, crisp art and good flow. Unfortunately had boring, predictable storylines. I also didn't like the interspersed short cartoony comics.
June 21, 2017
Read as single issues
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews