Marvel Comics - Review

X-Men Blue is the obligatory companion to X-Men Gold, but there's more to distinguish these two twice-monthly comics than the character roster. Where Gold is focused on a traditional, nostalgic status quo and team lineup, Blue is more the continuation of the All-New X-Men status quo that's been unfolding since 2012. And while not entirely without its problems, the first issue goes a long way towards recapturing the energy and excitement of those early All-New X-Men stories.

X-Men Blue brings the time-displaced original X-Men back to basics, returning the focus to that core quintet and removing newer additions like X-23 and Kid Apocalypse from the picture. The return of Jean Grey is probably the most inspired decision right out of the gate. She brings a crucial level of tension to the team, between her sometimes questionable use of her powers and the fact that three of her four teammates are infatuated with her. The fact that Jean, not Cyclops, has emerged as the team's field leader only heightens their dysfunctional dynamic. Between that and the reveal of the new elder mutant statesman guiding the team, writer Cullen Bunn shows a knack for balancing the core appeal of these time-displaced X-Men with the need to keep things fresh and unpredictable.

That need is all the more great considering that we now know (based on the recent All-New X-Men #19) that these X-Men will never be returning to their own time. That reveal was incredibly disappointing, calling into question what purpose these time-displaced X-Men actually serve at this point. So the fact that Bunn and artist Jorge Molina can generate as much excitement as they do in this first issue is a good sign.

Molina truly is a great match for this book. As much as his expressive art was a selling point on his recent Star Wars issues, his slightly exaggerated character designs did tend to feel out of place in the Original Trilogy setting. But this book is all about bright colors, bombastic villains and teen superheroes bickering. Molina's art is dynamic and less concerned with realism than capturing the energy of Bunn's script. That said, he shows himself perfectly capable of adopting a darker, more dramatic style when the need arises. Matteo Buffagni's darker, more violent approach in the backup story also serves as a nice visual palate-cleanser.

It's also worth noting how much the eye-catching new costume designs from artist Jamie McKelvie give the characters a boost. McKelvie gives them a huge boost compared to their bland, outdated All-New, All-Different Marvel looks. Costume design is one area the X-Men franchise has struggled a great deal in recent years, but at least that's not true for every book.

There are a few nagging problems as the new series builds its foundation. Bunn sometimes makes the same mistake Brian Bendis did in terms of exaggerating the cultural gap between the original X-Men and their new world. At times it's as though these characters were literally plucked out of 1964 and not the early 2000's (or whenever the origins of the X-Men now happened in Marvel's sliding timeline). It's especially odd considering how long the characters have been living in their future by now. The backup story is also a little concerning. While on one hand it promises another big shake-up for these characters, on the other it threatens to further complicate a character who's already too prominent in the X-books these days.