I thought that my first introduction to the X-Men universe was the nineties X-Men: The Animated Series but now I'm not so sure. It originally aired starting in 1993 when I'd have been 14, so I was the target age for sure. However thinking back the first time I can actually remember watching the series was on Fox Kids re-runs when I was a student and that would have been around 2001. So unless I've completely forgotten my childhood it's possible that I actually saw the first X-Men film first. That said I feel I know the most about the animated series version so I probably did see at least some of it when I was younger and I've simply forgotten.
X-Men: The Animated Series has recently had a decent DVD release and about time too, so I've been collecting them. They've got great covers that are designed to look like comic books and come with free Top Trumps too. That is what has rekindled my interest. For a nineties kids cartoon it still holds up amazingly well with quality animation and deep ongoing storylines. As I understand it they kept very close to the comic stories when making the series. Also the intro music is one of best.This weekend I realized I'd bought a copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine a good while back that I'd not watched yet. I had of course seen it once before so this was my second watch. I know some people would say that's two times too many but although it's nowhere near as good as the first two X-Men films it does have some interesting moments. If you can ignore some of the dodgy CG and are just looking for an uncomplicated action film you could do worse.
Now re-watching the animated series has me interested again I've found myself wanting more. Which of course means delving into the comics. The problem is that is easier said than done. With a comics series that started in 1963, has hundreds of issues, multiple spin-offs, multiple continuities and multiple universes where does a new reader in 2011 start? Do you start at the very beginning with Uncanny X-Men #1? Do you start with the seventies relaunch Uncanny X-Men #94? Or do you start with the more modern Ultimate X-Men series from 2001? Considering the Uncanny X-Men series is still running and has passed issue #500 now it's all a bit daunting.
I decided that I should start somewhere that is at least a little familiar. In 2004 Joss Whedon wrote 24 issues of the Astonishing X-Men series so I thought that would be a good place to start as I'm such a fan of his other work. I ordered the first three trade paperback compilations (issues 1-18) and they arrived from Amazon this morning. I'll talk about those tomorrow.
Amazing that the concept has had so many incarnations, it's clear that its appeal keeps on going. I don't remember you mentioning X-Men when you were 14 or so, but I could have forgotten too.
ReplyDeleteBut in any case, at that age, there are so many interesting things coming at you, that you can't pick up on everything. Some things have to wait till later, and then you can have the fun of rediscovering them when you're older!