A review by kierano
New X-Men Modern Era Epic Collection: E is for Extinction TPB by Grant Morrison

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Note on this collection:

‘Modern Era Epic Collections’ are Marvel’s way of collecting every issue of their comics from the 2000’s onwards in trade paperback. Unlike curated collections that might exclude specific issues for the sake of focusing on a specific story arc or character, Modern Era Epic Collections aim to collect every single issue of a series.

The X-Men have endured many changes over the years. Jonathan Hickman’s 2019 House of X/Powers of X is one of the most recent successful and drastic refreshes in the mutants’ status quo, but before that, one of the most well-regarded was Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run that began in 2001.

Superhero comics in general—and X-Men comics especially—are tough to get into. Between the multiple similar-sounding series that release at the same time, the numerous relaunches, and the decades upon decades of history, things get convoluted really easily, which can make discussing older runs challenging. New X-Men is no exception, but I’m here to provide some context for this collection without giving away spoilers.

E Is For Explanations

This collection, E Is For Extinction collects issues #114 to #126, and the 2001 Annual issue (Annuals are just another chapter in the story; don’t worry about it). Yes, this collection is given ‘Volume 1’ status but starts at issue #114. Confusing, I know.

Issues #1 to #113 were released under the title ‘X-Men’, which began as a spin-off title from the primary ‘X’ book, ‘Uncanny X-Men’, but eventually became the flagship title. When Grant Morisson came on board the series, the title was changed to ‘New X-Men’ in an attempt to revamp the series. Characters were given new looks to match the look of the mutants in the X-Men (2000) movie, and the tone and story were taken in brand-new directions.

This is ostensibly a jumping-on point for anybody looking to get into X-Men comics. The events of the prior one-hundred-and-thirteen issues are only referenced offhand a couple of times in the early issues of this collection—they are by no means required reading. If you’re familiar with the general premise of the X-Men, you can jump on in with E Is For Extinction.

Full Review:
https://www.kieran-obrien.com/post/e-is-for-extinction-new-x-men-vol-1-modern-era-epic-collection-comic-review