Age of Apocalypse

Here we go with the Age of Apocalypse!  For some reason, I’m missing Amazing X-Men in my collection, so I’m looking for those 4 issues.  I know I bought them when they first came out, somehow got lost over the years…

X-Men Alpha 1

X-Men Chronicles 1-2

A fine set up for this new universe.  Basically setting up all the different quests that have to take place in each title.  The costume designs are pretty sweet, with some particular standouts:

Sweet swashbuckling look.

I like the samurai inspired look.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Factor X 1-4

X-Calibre 1-4

Gambit and the X-Ternals 1-4

The lowest tier of the titles, through a combination of uninteresting stories and art that fails to stand out. And I've never seen lettering this inconsistent or horrible:

What's going on in the last panel?

And the "Sorry" in the last balloon?

And everything here.  Heck, I could letter better than this.

But there’s a sweet Monty Python reference in Factor-X!

Are You Embarrassed Easily? (youtube.com)

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

Weapon X 1-4

X-Man 1-4

Adam Kubert and Steve Skroce art place these up a level.  (I still don’t think X-Man justified a spin off title.)

Nice storytelling here.

Same here.  A little battle completed in four panels.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes (No for X-Man)

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Generation Next 1-4

Astonishing X-Men 1-4

These issues are so damn good.  Primarily through the efforts of Chris Bachalo and Joe Madureira drawing the crap out of this dystopian world.

This abandonment is heartbreaking.

And here.  The aching futility of Paige's final moments.

One of my favorite character designs ever.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

X-Men Omega 1

Tying up all the various story threads.  I can’t believe Roger Cruz was the best person Marvel could find to draw the bookends for this saga.  I caught a blatant ripoff of the far superior Bachalo:

Cruz.

Bachalo.

It’s also ridiculous that out of all the cool reimaginings here, X-Man, Sugar Man, and Dark Beast are the ones the powers that be opted to bring over to the 616.  (I’m clearly looking at Blink.  Sure, she shows up in Exiles, but she really should be in the main titles.  She’s sooo cool!)

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

Tales of the Age of Apocalypse 1

I think this came out years later.  It’s basically like X-Men Chronicles, telling a story from the past.  Only it’s completely boring.  Keeping...but I’m not sure why.  Completionism?

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Boring

X-Men Box 4 is complete!

Box summary

Time spent reading: 20 hours 13 minutes

Issues read: 168

Issues cut: 0

Highlights (Good or better): Uncanny X-Men 270-277, X-Cutioner’s Song, Wolverine 75, Uncanny X-Men 308-311, Wild Storm 13-24, Generation Next 1-4, Astonishing X-Men 1-4

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 32 days, 1 hours, 38 minutes

Issues read: 6573

Issues cut: 815