Reviews

Generation X by Scott Lobdell, Elliot S! Maggin

justjoel's review

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1.0

The authors should stick to writing comics.

twistedspyder's review

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

unwrappingwords's review

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4.0

When it comes to graphic novels, I have a tendency to pick up random ones at cons or second-hand ones in bookshops, depending where I am. Often they’re related in some way to characters I already know in certain franchises, or there’s at least some link, something that draws me to them, if I don’t pick up something unseen for a bargain, anyway.

This was one of those random purchases, picked up thanks to a longstanding love of X-Men, ensuring if I spot any sort of X-Men graphic novel on the cheap, I won’t waste a second before I purchase it.

These characters are not the same X-Men fans of the cartoons or films will be familiar with. There’s no Jean Grey, Wolverine or even Professor X on these pages. However, Jubilee is a familiar face, and though I haven’t read the X-Men storyline leading up to Generation X, it was still easy to dip in and follow what’s happening.

This volume introduces the new characters fairly seamlessly, with their various arrivals to Xavier’s School, including one interrupted by a dark, dangerous presence at the airport. The gang, of course, tackle this threat head on, but it takes more than fighting spirit for their next adventure.

Although these are introductory comics, they work really well, keeping the plot and action moving forward as we get to know each character. Small tidbits are revealed, and it makes a great starting point for the series.

It’s a shame this iteration of the X-Men has been overlooked, as there are some interesting powers at play here and possibly rich characters who could have been more fully explored. If I come across the next volume in the series, I’ll definitely check it out, but as with many of these random graphic novels, it doesn’t seem that easy to come by, or to work out what actually is the next volume.

For me though, this was definitely a fun and interesting read, and it was enjoyable to read about different characters in this familiar setting.

birdmanseven's review against another edition

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3.0

What a weird one this was. I loved the old X-Men prose novels and typically enjoy the writing of Elliot S! Maggin and Scott Lobdell. This was a little wacky though. They did a good job of establishing this team as connected, but separate from the X-Men proper. It didn't have that feel of X-Men without the X-Men as these types of things so often do. It also made me want to read the Generation X comics, so that's a win all around.

I interviewed author Elliot S! Maggin over on the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-189-shazam-spotlight-with-elliot-s-maggin

olsenc's review against another edition

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5.0

As a huge Generation X fan (Penance and Chamber have always been two of my favorites), I knew I had to read this book. And I was not disappointed. This book really gives Chamber a chance to save the day and prove how powerful he is. I also appreciated learning that Banshee has an online shopping addiction - the five stars are primarily because of that fact.

dabnor's review

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5.0

Lobdell's work on other titles has been widely criticised. Bachalo's art seems to have lost a little of what made it great. Still, together on Generation X, they created a fine comic. It's just a shame that other creative teams did such an effective job of turning Generation X into a laughable title
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