When it comes to my fandoms in the vein of
comic-books or superhero’s … the “X-Men” have always been my absolute
favorite. It’s also the franchise I consume the most content of when it comes
to either movies or TV shows. One of my most fond entries in the long running
saga is a short, one season long animated series that aired in 2009 called “Wolverine
and the X-Men”. This was the third outing for the X-Men in animated
Television form, excluding cameos in other Marvel shows and the failed piolet
in 1989 titled “Pryde of the X-Men”.
Unlike the previous “X-Men: The
Animated Series” of the 90’s or “X-Men: Evolution” of the early
2000’s, “Wolverine and the X-Men” was the first series aimed at
established fans of the franchise, treating it’s viewers like they already knew
the established characters and world setting, without any major introductions
for new comers. Also, unlike its predecessors, this “X-Men” series was
less episodic in structure, and more serialized, like one big story broken-up
into twenty-six chapters. While there were select stand-alone outings, most of
them all tied into one flowing narrative, culminating into a big season climax
that tied-up most of the plot-lines, with select details left unresolved after
the show didn’t get renewed for a second season. Regardless, I’m a fan of what
I got in this one season alone, and I wanted to put a spot-light on what this
series brought to my favorite comic-book characters.
Like I said, this show doesn’t bother
introducing any of the main characters for new viewers, and opens with a
glimpse of the simple life-and-times of our principal heroes at Professor X’s
school for mutants. Things get exciting fast, as the school is hit by a
mysterious explosion, forcing the Professor into a twenty-year long coma. Team
member Jean Grey likewise goes missing in the aftermath, and all the other
members go their separate ways.
So, the big make or break deal of this show
is how comfortable you feel seeing Wolverine as the leader of the X-Men. Similar
to Batman, Wolverine is one of those fan favorite Comic-Book characters, who’s
also gotten a fair amount of backlash, due to the amount of attention they’ve
gotten. In general, I respect fans and even general viewers wanting to see
other characters explored, and I’d even encourage studios to give other, less
popular characters a shot.
However, while I can’t control the amount of content
that comes out, I’m not going to let it change the fact that both Batman and
Wolverine are two of my all-time favorite characters, and a series focused on
Wolverine is easily going to fit in my wheelhouse. While I certainly wouldn’t
want this to be a permanent change, I do still find a novelty in seeing
Wolverine as a team leader for a self-contained, one and done animated series
event. Following after both the 90’s “X-Men: The Animated Series” and “X-Men:
Evolution”, I feel I’ve had two perfect shows that generally kept to the
status quo, and I’d want any future X-Men shows to change things up. The
possibilities are open now, and I’d honestly be down for a series where maybe Storm
is the team leader, or perhaps even one where Nightcrawler is the leader of his
own team. As for this series, Wolverine as team leader gives the show it’s
identify apart from the others, and works as a one-off event.
The show is at least self-aware that
Wolverine isn’t an ideal leader, and we see the X-Men characters even have a
hard time excepting him commanding the team. Even Wolverine himself doubts his
capabilities as a team leader, and it’s interesting to see him struggle with his
new position when he’s always been a loner.
They do a terrific job fleshing out his personal journey, and voice actor Steven Blum is outstanding in the role … in fact, he might be my personal favorite vocal talent as Wolverine. With all
that said, the one thing keeping this series underneath it’s two predecessors
is that, while it’s a solid Wolverine series, it’s only an okay X-Men show. Most
of the team members like Beast, Shadow Cat, Storm, Angel and Iceman are
present, and are very likable when on screen, but they do feel like part of an
ensemble, and don’t leave an impression like they did in other X-Men related
material. Some characters like Nightcrawler, Cyclops and Rogue do at least have
their personal character arcs, as well as solid standalone episodes. Other fan
favorites like Gambit, Colossus and Psylocke are reduced to either guest
appearances or cameos, and while there done well enough, I feel like I could
have used more.
Will
all that said, every animated X-Men show has had its stand-out individual
character who connects with me as my new personal favorite, and the one who
makes the experience worthwhile.
For the 90’s series it was Wolverine, for “X-Men: Evolution” it was Rogue, and for this show … my favorite character came in the form of Emma Frost. In the comics, she was primarily an antagonist known as The White Queen, and was a high-ranking member of the villainous Hellfire Club. In this show, with the absence of Jean Grey, Emma Frost steps in as the team’s
new telepath, and has the added bonus of diamond skin. While Jean is more
important to the team, Emma Frost is far more interesting, as she’s constantly
flipping between fierce loyalty to the team, while also working for her own
ends, and it made her tricky to trust, but I was always rooting for her to find
a home with the X-Men. She had a fantastic design, an amazing voice, and a lot
of personality. Whether you like Wolverine as a team leader or not, this show
is absolutely worth watching just for Emma Frost, as she is the key ingredient
that made this show a welcomed entry to the X-Men saga. This was such a cool
dynamic for the team that she’s carried over into other shows like the “X-Men
Anime” in 2011.
The villains in general worked, with Magneto
once again being their main adversary. This time around, he really plays-up the
nice-guy persona, which makes his aggressive actions all the more devious. Both
the MRD and Sentinel robots likewise make for thrilling obstacles for our
heroes to face.
All the other famous villains like Mystique, Sabretooth,
Juggernaut and the Brotherhood are also present, and satisfy when they appear.
This show also highlighted some lesser-known foes who didn’t get spotlighted in
the previous “X-Men: Evolution” series, including Sinister, The Shadow
King, Mojo, Colonel Moss, The Silver Samuri, and eventually even the Hellfire
Club. I’d say that more than any previous X-Men show, this one felt the most
like a war, with our heroes acting as soldiers, protecting people and going on
missions to eliminate their growing threats. Lines are constantly drawn in the
sand, the stakes are higher than ever before, and the action is downright
thrilling.
While the design of the show is kind of
basic, the animation on display is of consistent high quality, and really pops
with each episode. Even if this isn’t a perfect show, you can tell both the
writers and animators are putting their all into the project. The story in
general is quiet engaging, with every episode leaving me wanting to see more.
The musical score is simple, but effective, and gets me excited whenever the
action goes down. The opening is like a throwback to the classic 90’s “Batman”
series, in that it’s a short action snippet of our heroes doing what they do
best, and it’s great. That covers the basics of the show, so from here, I’ll
keep it simple by ranking my own personal Top 10 favorite episodes of “Wolverine
and the X-Men”.
#10 “Hindsight”
(3-Part Primer)
Kicking-off my ten personal favorite episodes is the
three-part primer that set the series in motion. While I mentioned the initial
set-up, there’s more that goes on during this opening story arc, including a
sub-plot in which long-time team member Rogue betrays her team, and aids the
Brother Hood of evil Mutants to frame the X-Men as the nations most wanted
criminals. It’s an exciting turn of events, leaving you wondering if this will
be a permanent shake-up, or if there’s still hope that Rogue can be saved from
her new allies. We also have Emma Frost lead the X-Men on their first
engagement with Magneto, in an effort to rescue the comatose Professor X. It’s
a solid premier arc, and suitably sets the stage for more excitement to
come.
#9 “Breakdown”
When it comes to my feelings on Cyclops, I always felt he did his job as the
proper team leader, but I just never found him that engaging a character to
watch. Still, he has all kids of potential to shine if given more attention,
and while obviously in Wolverine’s shadow for this series, he at least gets one
episode to really flex his capabilities. After getting distracted by his
feelings for Jean during a battle with Juggernaut, Cyclops debates weather or
not he should have all his memories of her erased. Thus, with the help of Emma
Frost, they go on a psychedelic trip down memory lane, covering Cyclopes
origins, how he first discovered his powers, first joined the team, and when
his feelings for Jean first manifested. It’s a solid origin story for both
characters, and once again highlights all kinds of potential for Cyclops as a
leading character.
#8 “Overflow”
When it comes to the iconic X-Men members, I always felt that Storm earned
equal status along with Wolverine and Cyclops as one of the all-time greats.
Unfortunately, ever sense the early 2000’s, I feel she’s been ridiculously
underutilized … and this show sadly is no different. Storm is present with the
team, but once again hardly got any attention … but at least she got one good
episode to really shine.
#7 “Wolverine
vs The Hulk”
Despite what you may think, Wolverine wasn’t originally
introduced through the X-Men comics … his actual first appearance was in The
Incredible Hulk, issue 181, in which he got caught in a battle between The Hulk
and another monster called the Wendigo. Fittingly for an animated series focused on Wolverine, we get an
episode directly paying tribute to this first issue appearance.
This time around, Wolverine is recruited by Nick Furry, to bring in The Hulk, after he apparently attacked locals in Canada. Upon further investigation, Wolverine discovers that
the real threat is none other then the Wendigo itself, who in true werewolf
fashion is transforming people into monsters. Thus, after once again sparing
with The Hulk, the two put differences aside to put-down the Wendigo once and
for all. This is the only crossover episode in the series with other Marvel
established characters, and aside from being a thrilling action adventure, it’s
just a loving tribute to the original source material.
#6 “Shades
of Grey”
After being absent for most of the series, Jean Grey has finally
emerged, and her powers are once again very unpredictable. After regaining
continence in a hospital, Jean accidentally puts an entire town to sleep with a
psychic blast. Boy-friend Cyclopes is quick to respond, and he sets out with
Emma Frost to retrieve her before the military arrest her. To make matters
worse, this also gets the attention of Jean and Cyclopes greatest enemy called
Sinister, who dispatches his winged avenger to capture them both for his
malevolent plans. Sinister has always been a fan favorite villain, and it was
great to see him return in this show … especially with the vocal talents of
Clancy Brown behind the character. All around, this is a very intense and
suspenseful episode, with one twist after the next, and an ending the perfectly
segues us into the series finale.
#5 The
Nightcrawler Trilogy
“X-Calibre”, "Greetings from Genosha"
and "Hunting Grounds"
Nightcrawler in general has always
been one of my favorite X-Men characters, and I feel he had the best string of
solo episodes in the whole show. In his first venture titled “X-Calibre”,
Nightcrawler has to protect a boat fool of mutants, who are under attack from
mutant pirates, aiming to use other mutants as gladiators in their lethal
combat show, hoisted by none other than the wicked monster known as Mojo.
In
the follow-up episode titled “Greetings from Genosha”, the boat makes it
to a safe haven island for mutants, but the catch is that it’s overseen by the
X-Men’s longest standing enemy Magneto. At first, he seems true to his word, as
his island is an ideal paradise, and Nightcrawler even finds himself falling
for Magneto’s daughter, The Scarlet Witch. However, every paradise has its dark
secrets, and the more Nightcrawler discovers, the more he’s treated like a
prisoner. In the final episode titled “Hunting Grounds”, Mojo
resurfaces, captures both Nightcrawler and the Scarlet Witch, and forces them into
a deadly survival program for his own twisted amusement. Not only do Nightcrawler and the Scarlet Witch work together to stay alive, but it's the turning point to see how much loyalty she has to her father, versus her genuine feelings toured her new friend. All around, it’s a
solid trilogy of episodes, and really got me wanting a Nightcrawler centered
series. In fact, I’m a fan of the spin-off “Excalibur” comics, and I
think an animated series with Nightcrawler has the lead could have great
potential.
#4 “Battle
Lines”
As Magneto and Senator Kelly rally followers for a massive
confrontation of mutants versus military forces, the X-Men find themselves
right on the edge of the battle lines, and the one person capable of pushing
them over that line is none other than their former team member Rogue. After
betraying the X-Men in the premier, this is the turning point where Rogue shows
her true colors, and finds her home. Not only a satisfying turn for her
character, but one of the best action driven episodes, where the stakes build,
and the story progresses. It made for a great mid-season event, and things were
only going to escalate from there.
#3 “Code
of Conduct”
When it comes to Wolverine centered stories … I’ve always
loved the Japanese and Samuri themed tales the most. It’s hard to explain, but
weather it be the comics, animation or the movies, I’ve always felt that
Japanese centered stories bring out the best in one of my favorite X-Men
characters. For this outing, The Silver Samuri arrives on the scene, and he’s
out for blood against Wolverine, who disgraced him in combat years earlier.
Things are put in motion when the Silver Samuri captures the X-Men, and uses
them as a means to bait Wolverine into one final duel to the death.
#2 “Rover”
As tension escalates for our heroes, Professor X is facing his own battles in
the future, with his own special team of new mutants, who are constantly
weathering attacks against the lethal Sentinel robots. The one ace up their
sleave is a damaged robot Sentinel nicknamed Rover, who’s been reprogramed to
aid our heroes in their fight for the future. Sense he’s damaged, he can only
speak one word … “DESTROY” … and yet, in the same vein as Hodor and Groot,
Rover manages to convey a range of character, emotion and personality through
this one statement.
He also makes a strong connection with the young mutant
Marrow, who also feels like a broken outcast. In the end, Rover proves to be
more then a scrap of metal, and makes the big sacrifice like any superhero
would. What can I say, I’m a sucker for these “Iron Giant” stories, and
it surprisingly made for one of the most memorable offerings in this whole
show.
Before I
reveal my Number One favorite episode, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …
"Aces and Eights"
"Time
Bomb"
"Stolen
Lives"
"Guardian
Angel"
"Backlash"
#1 “Foresight”
(3-Part series finale)
Taking the top spot on my list is the shows three-part
series finale, and a near perfect send-off for this short lived, yet highly
engaging series. While the show was mostly Wolverine focused, this finale puts
him on the side-lines, and puts it’s focus on both Jean Grey and Emma Frost.
Following after the events of Jean’s return episode, she gets captured by the
Hellfire Club, who aim to take control of the Phoenix Force. This puts Emma
Frosts character to the ultimate test, to see where her loyalties and feelings
really belong too. Jean is also forced to face her inner demons as she goes on
a journey through the astro-world of her mind.
Meanwhile, Magneto puts his
plans into motion, and reprograms the Sentinel robots to launch a full-scale
attack on the humans. I’m a longtime fan of the “Ultimate X-Men” comics,
and I loved seeing this story line pay tribute to the classic issue titled “The
Tomorrow People”. Lastly, in the future, Professor X and his team launch a
final offensive against the Sentinel robots that have taken over. All around,
this was about as epic as animated X-Men offerings get. While there is an
unresolved cliff-hanger revolving around the evil Apocalypse taking over in the
future, I can glance over that and view this finale as perfect closure to the
series in general. Personally, I’d say the whole show is worth watching, just
to get to this thrilling climax.
In the end, this was an excellent show, and a
worthy addition to the X-Men franchise. I’d say more than any previous series,
each episode of “Wolverine and the X-Men” left me excited to see what
would come next. Along with an engaging narrative, this show featured the
sharpest animation, and some of the most thrilling mutant action.
Like I said
earlier, I wouldn’t put this series above either the classic 90’s “X-Men:
The Animated Series” or “X-Men Evolution”, as most of the team
members aren’t given proper attention, but the characters who do get focused on
are still great, especially with Emma Frost, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Rogue
being reliably strong characters in this series. While I wouldn’t call this show
required viewing for X-Men fans, I’d still say it’s encouraged viewing, with
enough solid material to appeal to comic book fans. Again, it all depends on
how you feel seeing Wolverine in the lead role … either you’ll be open to it,
or turned off by it. If you can accept it as a one-time outing to give this
show a different feel than its predecessors, I think you’ll get your fix of
mutant thrills and excitement.
Thanks for
reading my review of the 2009 animated comic-book series “Wolverine and the
X-Men” … and continue to enjoy the shows you love!
