The First X-Men #2 Review

If Grant Morrison and Joss Whedon proved anything in their respective X-Men runs, it's that a little bit of Wolverine goes a long way. Unfortunately, the character's enduring popularity ensures that Marvel is rarely content to deliver just a little Wolverine. The First X-Men represents Wolverine mania at its most damaging. Its attempts to make Wolverine a more integral part of the formation of the X-Men is misguided. The First X-Men becomes just one more poorly executed X-book that mucks about with an increasingly convoluted franchise continuity.

Where issue #1 busied itself downplaying the role of Xavier in the conception and formation of the X-Men, issue #2 does the same for Magneto. I can't help but resent the implication that Xavier and Magneto only became interested in human/mutant relations because Wolverine scolded them. The same for the notion that a fear of Wolverine was the impetus for both the creation of Weapon X and the Sentinel program. It damages long-standing characters in order to build up another that really needs no more time in the spotlight.

But even ignoring the continuity quagmires this book creates, the characterization in the book is extremely spotty. Sabretooth's presence is downright perplexing, as I can't ever recall a time when the character was so pleasant and accommodating to his fellow mutants. He reads like an entirely different character. If not quite as pronounced, Magneto suffers from the same effect. The new additions to the X-Men franchise, from Holo to Yeti to Adam, are extremely bland and generic, doing little more than filling archetypal X-Men roles. The dialogue is also frequently grating and over-written. I'm not sure how large a role Christos Gage is playing in the scripting process, but the series offers none of the charm of his Avengers Academy and X-Men Legacy work.

Nor does the artwork do anything to help the story. The First X-Men is further proof that Neal Adam's style hasn't aged very well. His once phenomenal sense of perspective is diminished. Characters are extremely stiff and robotic, and most are stuck sporting the same open-mouthed expression of surprise throughout the issue. The inking is also problematic, lending every surface a harsh, jagged edge that is a far cry from Adams' refined line-work of old.

The best that can be said for The First X-Men is that it doesn't simply dump a handful of X-Men: First Class movie elements into the franchise, as many were expecting. Its problems are uniquely its own.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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Joss Whedon Talks S.H.I.E.L.D. and His Overall Marvel Deal

On the heels of the big news that Joss Whedon is co-writing, producing and possibly directing a S.H.I.E.L.D. TV pilot for ABC, Whedon spoke to Vulture a bit about the project, along with his new role with Marvel – a three-year contract tying him to them exclusively when it comes to TV and film, which not only includes writing and directing Avengers 2, but advising on all the Marvel Cinematic Universe projects.

Mid-summer, Whedon expressed some hesitation about returning for Avengers 2, saying he might want to do a self-generated project first. Explaining what made him not only sign on, but sign on in a big way, he remarked that it was the size of the role that drew him in. Said Whedon, “It was part of what made it attractive to me. I loved the idea of being a consigliere. Every writer loves the idea of being able to go in and fix a problem and then leave without obligation. It's fun! I also love these characters and the Marvel universe, and I grew up reading the books, and I've been going back and reading the old books and realizing that they shaped my storytelling way more than I give them credit for. Now I'm starting up a TV show, which is something I really wanted to do, but I thought it wasn't going to be a part of my life for the next several years. It's like a tapas menus of projects that excite me, in addition to the Avengers sequel, which I'm excited for because I'm incredibly excited about the next story that I'm going to tell. For me, it's a huge win.”

Whedon adds, “It is unbelievably daunting, especially because I don't want to lose sight of all the other things I have on my docket and in my heart. So, it's going to be an insane few years, but I feel ready for that. It's an unholy amount of productivity, but as long as I give it all I can, it's a good thing. What's great is that the deal with Marvel is nonspecific, so I will give all I can, but the moment I can't, I just walk away. The moment I say, ‘You know, I'd like to help more on this project, but I need this time for The Avengers,’ there's no obligation. It's not like, ‘You must spend this amount of time on this movie.’ It's as much as it needs to be.”

S.H.I.E.L.D.: What We Might See in Joss Whedon’s TV Series

When it comes to S.H.I.E.L.D., Whedon didn’t offer any specifics on the character and storyline. But Vulture -- referring to some of his infamous situations on previous TV series like Firefly and Dollhouse --  asked, “How does it feel to finally be working on a project that may very well get the biggest promotional push of any TV show ever and will most likely not air on a Friday?”

Whedon replied with a laugh, “You know, I can't guarantee that any of that will happen! But so far, it feels just fine. The important thing to me is that we know what the show is. We love what it is. It came together very organically, so when we went in to pitch [to Marvel], it wasn't like, We're trying to find this because you want a TV show, it was, Check this out. And that's a good way to walk in a room.”

That being said, Whedon remarked, “Good support is wonderful, but it's not a hill of beans, because they may give us all this support and then decide, ‘Eh. Yeah, it's Friday.’ They might give us all the support and then not do that, but then audiences might go, ‘Yeahhh … no.’ You just can't be sure. What I do know is that it's the show it should be, and we've got some really dope notions. It's going to work very well for people who either love the Marvel universe or for people who've never dipped a toe in the Marvel universe.”

You can read more of Whedon's conversation over at Vulture.

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Pilot Ordered for ABC's Joss Whedon Marvel TV Series - And it's S.H.I.E.L.D.

We now know what the big Marvel TV series is that Joss Whedon is helping bring to ABC, which is set inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe and tied into the Avengers – It’s S.H.I.E.L.D.

Deadline broke the big news, revealing S.H.I.E.L.D. has officially been given a green light for a pilot by ABC. Whedon will co-write the pilot and possibly direct it as well. Writing with him will be his brother, Jed Whedon and Jed’s wife, Maurissa Tancharoen. Jed Whedon and Tancharoen wrote Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog with Joss Whedon and were most recently writers on Spartacus.

Executive producing along with the Whedon brothers and Tancharoen will be Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb and Jeffrey Bell. Bell is another former Whedon collaborator, having been the showrunner on Angel in its final seasons - making it likely he could serve as showrunner on S.H.I.E.L.D. if it gets a series pickup. (Whedon will be a bit too busy prepping Avengers 2 to serve in that capacity, one would assume)

With the pilot already greenlit, it’s looking very possible that S.H.I.E.L.D., should it get a series order (and it has to... right?), would be on the schedule for fall 2013.

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