Written by Brian Michael Bendis.
Art by David Marquez; Stuart Immonen; Wade Von Grawbadger; Marie Gracia; Rain Beredo; & VC’s Cory Petit.
Cover Art by Stuart Immonen; Wade Von Grawbadger; & Marte Gracia.
SUMMARY:
Released by Marvel Comics in 2013, this 136-page hardcover compiles All-New X-Men # 6-10 from that same year.
The Beast’s deliberate time-traveling journey into the past has displaced teenage X-Men rookies Scott “Cyclops” Summers; Jean “Marvel Girl” Grey; Bobby “Iceman” Drake; Henry “Beast” McCoy; and Warren “Angel” Worthington III in the present-day. It appears that the Beast’s desperate effort to guilt the present-day Cyclops with a wholesome reminder of their shared past as rookie heroes has failed.
Each of these younger counterparts poignantly struggle acclimating to the vast changes surrounding them on the campus that had once been Charles Xavier’s private domain. Including revelations of Xavier’s homicide by Cyclops and Jean Grey now tragically deceased, these young X-Men are emotionally reeling. For instance, intense stress has caused young Jean’s vast telepathic powers to ignite far sooner than they should have. Kitty Pryde and Storm try to mentor her as best as they can.
Unable to cope with his future self’s ruthless actions, a disturbed Scott violently resists Wolverine’s help. He is also approached by Mystique for an unexpected pep talk, as this Scott has no idea of her nefarious ulterior motive. Later, Scott shares his unexpected discovery of an archived wedding invitation with his future wife, Jean.
Joining his own future self in defending Avengers Tower from a HYDRA strike, a bewildered Warren appears closest to crumbling under pressure. Only the young Bobby seems unaffected, as he is still essentially a child. It’s up to Kitty Pryde to refocus this rattled quintet from their emotional turmoil and focus on continuing their X-Men training.
In addition to the Avengers’ skepticism, the X-Men’s senior staff finds out that Mystique and Sabretooth have unleashed a lethal scheme to free Mastermind’s illusion-casting daughter from a SHIELD-guarded prison. The three mutant terrorists then embark on a murderous, cross-country bank-robbing spree.
Having been impersonated herself, SHIELD’s Maria Hill realizes that Mystique is this trio’s ringleader. More so, Hill sees through the shape-shifting terrorist’s efforts to frame the five teenage X-Men as the horrific culprits. With the Avengers presently unavailable, Hill is compelled to approach the X-Men for emergency assistance.
Meanwhile, the rival faction that Magneto, Emma Frost, and the present-day Cyclops have established seeks to pilfer the X-Men’s army of impressionable recruits. Among may well be one of the five lost teenagers, as they have opted not to return to their time period for now.
Guest stars include the Avengers’ Captain America and Thor. Their fellow Avengers, Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman, Black Widow, Hawkeye, & the Hulk, appear in non-speaking cameos.
Note: This title is also available digitally and as a trade paperback.
REVIEW:
Volume 2: Here To Stay is often a pretty good read, in spite of Brian Michael Bendis’ flawed premise. Specifically, insightful readers will surmise that virtually nothing transpiring in this ongoing series impacts Marvel’s dense continuity. This extended time-traveling arc, in that sense, mimics 1998’s Green Lantern: Emerald Knights storyline where Kyle Rayner and a young Hal Jordan join forces.
Without overstaying its welcome, DC’s idea has a rookie Hal Jordan briefly time-displaced from the past into his successor Kyle Rayner’s present-day adventures. The similarities between a younger Hal vowing never to become Parallax and the predicament of these young X-Men (especially Cyclops) are readily apparent.
Despite a fun time-traveling concept, Emerald Knights‘ end is still a foregone conclusion. To a far greater degree, that same principle applies to the original X-Men in Volume 2: Here To Stay. Telepathic memory suppression already seems like a convenient out, no matter how far down this creative road Bendis goes.
Bolstered by the art team’s high-caliber visuals, Bendis’ plotting mostly works well. In certain scenes, one should suspect that these five young X-Men are possibly from one of Marvel’s endless alternate Earths. Case in point: Cyclops’ bewilderment inside a convenience store (i.e. bottled water in coolers, overpriced magazines, and no awareness of what GPS is) imply the quintet may well be from the mid-1960’s vs. merely a time approximately fifteen years before their present-day selves.
Another glaring oddity, for instance, would be the flip-style hairdo Jean has in one scene – which is inconsistent with her otherwise contemporary hairstyle. Jean also curiously matures over a few pages, as she appears about 13-14 years old in her first scene with Kitty. A few pages later, she appears closer to 16-17 years old in the Danger Room sequence, which again doesn’t make sense.
Such subtle homages don’t necessarily foreshadow Bendis’ upcoming storyline twists for these five X-Men. Yet, if Bendis has dropped these mid-1960’s anachronisms as meaningless red herrings (pardon the expression – given Jean’s trademark hair color), then cause for confusion among some readers is understandable.
Longtime X-fans, overall, should find All-New X-Men, Volume 2: Here To Stay an intriguing notion to explore. As far as being a must-have, one’s appreciation of the appealing artwork may best determine between purchase and a welcome library find.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Each full-page cover image precedes its story. A full-page 50th Anniversary variant cover gallery consists of: Issue # 6 (artists Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend); Issue # 7 (artists Nick Bradshaw & Jason Keith); and Issue # 8 (artists Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, & Marte Gracia). Last in the gallery is artist Greg Horn’s full-page Issue # 10 variant, which depicts Iron Man vs. the Phoenix Force.
Artist David Marquez explains samples of his sketching process from the conceptual start to finished inks. The samples are from:
- Issue # 6’s Page 5, Panel 1;
- Issue # 6: two versions of Page 3 and then its finalized look;
- Issue # 8’s Page 4;
- Issue # 8’s Page 16; and
- Issue # 8’s page 20.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
