The Animation flavor of your favorite mainstream title (oh, and one AmeriManga flavor of a favorite Japanese Anime/Manga title). Yeah, we’ve seen it all before. Star Trek the Animated Series, X-Men (which also had a little known of Manga version which was printed by MARVEL for a brief time years ago and then buried somewhere in the back of their collective consciousness), Superman, Spider-Man (also had a Manga version that I bet few remember about anymore), Batman, the Hulk (Hulk SMASH RATING!), Justice League (I bet you remember that old Superfriends series if you are up on your old school super hero animations), Fantastic Four (didn‘t they replace the Human Torch with a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. or something like that?), Avengers and so forth. It’s all been done and done well… for the most part (not withstanding a few of the bad dismounts in the history of super heroic animations, like the whole mess that had X-Men the Animation‘s Jubilee originally shooting “fireworks“ that more resembled male sperm in her first few appearances in the start of the series).

But we’re not here to talk about the plus or minuses of some animated series, we are here to talk about the comic version of some of these series (and the one and only AmeriManga of a certain Anime series). Some were good, some were… oh dammit some were BAD ideas, and then there’s Witchblade Animated one shot that I am pretty certain was not based on an actual animated Witchblade series since I never remembered one being made. OK. We have four titles so let’s see who’s representing who.

Representing DC we have Justice League Adventures, which is (yes) the comic based on the whole Justice League animated series. Great series the animated Justice League (of which all you fans can attest to), now let’s see if the comic ever lived up to the series.
Representing MARVEL is X-Men Evolution (based on the fairly recent X-Men animated series of the same name of course).
Representing little known (for good reason mind you) PIONEER and it’s short lived stint into AmeriManga is Tenchi Muyo (the one and only series that actually went past Issue #1 despite the fact that their first launch titles were four in number).
And finally, representing Top Cow (mooo) is the one shot that does not actually (as far as I know) represent an actual animated series, mainly Witchblade Animated. Eh? Witchblade Animated? How cheeky!

But this is MARVEL’s five minutes so let’s get our mutant on, as well as the urge to cry out “ENGAGE!” and “ Make it so, Number On-- I mean Cyclops.” with X-Men Evolution.
(NOTE - Ironic also since I’m reviewing this week Star Trek : Encounters for the PS2, another franchise known for the involvement in some capacity of one Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard))

Remember MARVEL’s brief brush with the Manga style? Not really? Me neither. In fact if it wasn’t for the fact that I did several interviews with the Mangaverse’s main guru Ben Dunn I probably wouldn’t have covered it so much as I did (when I did cover it).
Yeah, MARVEL dabbled in it here, and there, and might still be dabbling to this day… but unlike DC, which has recently opened up their own serious endeavour into the Manga style with their own manga line, MARVEL is still so not serious as far as I know of it. Dabble, yes. Serious, no. But at least of the four titles I’m browsing this week it’s one of the ones at the top of the point list even if it‘s not officially part of their Mangaverse stint (but it does have a psuedo like AmeriManga look to it so technically it counts).

It’s been awhile since X-Men Evolution came about (just about after the first Bryan Singer movie or so if I remember right… if I don‘t then sorry about that), and abit since this series first came out (way back in the ancient era of 2002). Let’s see what the first five issues of the series had in store for us (which is about x amount of content for the first Graphic Novel though to be honest I never had the first graphic novel myself).

In “Lines in the Sand” (Issue #1) after we spot a shirtless Logan lying around in the snow (where he’s found by a couple of backwater hunter types) we flashforward to a big school where Captain Pic-- I mean Professor Xavier, yeah, Professor Xavier… well, the big X is getting weird questions about hair color changing during aging when he witnesses a car crash into a tree (damn tree hugging eco conscious cars) which prompty bursts into flames only to be put out by… yes, you can see this coming. It’s Professor Xavier’s first recruit into his new X-Men, the one and only… Al Gore. As Al Gore lectures the fire to death we see that… alright, alright, it’s Storm. Happy?

In this issue, in short, Professor X recruits Storm and later Wolverine (after he has a “faceoff” with Magneto over Logan’s “future” that doesn’t lead to any fighting or anything, but does have lots and lots of talking. (Anything that keeps Logan off the streets and wrasslin’ bears is a good thing.)

(NOTE - This issue can also be found in Mighty Marvel Must Haves #2 (or the TPB if they ever put one out), which features J. Michael Straczynski’s moving 9-11 story from Amazing Spider-Man #36)

In Issue #2, “Seeing Clearly”… no, no, don’t look! Do-- ouch.
After being taken to the local hospital after complaining of blurred vision and a sharp burning in his eyes, future leader Scott Summers (aka Cyclops) gives said hospital a new skylight… through several floors of said hospital, when the eye doctor insists on opening his eyes (Next week a hospital will be given a new exit when a throat doctor insists on Banshee opening his mouth).

It’s time for the big X to “engage”… (ENGAGE!)… and bring his most powerful weapon to bear on the hospital in question… his checkbook. After dazzling the hospital with the power of money he dazzles them again with the power of ruby quartz eyewear (which is both fashionable and stylish at the same time).
Oh, and barely in the group for a few days and already Cyclops is doing the whole hero thing and getting smacked around by ignorant people for doing the whole hero thing. How “nice”.
No punch. No punch.

Issue #3 brings Jean Grey (who cameoed at the end of Issue #2) as her worried (and talkative in the head) parents stop by the Professor’s pad with her in tow. Yeah, from the dumbstruck stupid look on Scott’s face I’m guessing he’s hooked on her already… down, red, down.
This is also, by the way, the only issue where Jean doesn’t look at all happy with her abilities (for the time being) is here. After this she just looks so darn calm with her powers afterwards as per this whole review. So young Jean Grey emotional meltdowns here folks (and more thought balloon dialogue than you could ever thought you‘d see crammed into one issue of anything).

But as this issue needs a villian we have the first appearance of “Toad” who menaces Scott/Jean while their Bayville High class is on a field trip… which is not as much as a menace because all subcontext of a fight gets thrown to the wayside quickly since, well, subtle disagreements that set Cyclops and Toad at each other goes out the window with the bus still going full throttle and the minor concept of immediate clear and present death taking precidence over the whole mutant smackdown thing (just don’t look so dopey while staring at imminent death you two!)

Issue #4 suddenly pops in four characters at once, though with the title of “Am I Blue” you can pretty much figure out it’s either a Nightcrawler story or a Beast story… and since Beast doesn’t pop in until Issue #7 you can guess who this story is about. Oh, and Kitty Pryde, Rogue and exclusive to the animated series (if I remember right) relation to Storm (Spyke) also appears here for the first time.

For all intents and purposes Nightcrawler looks like a regular human with his little technolgical device and all, but that’s only on the outside… right? Now toss a completely bummer of a writing assignment at him from school that has him write about what he is at home that he can’t be at school and watch him squirm looking for an answer (obviously swallowing a failing grade here is not going to be an option). The entire issue for the most part is how he comes up with his final answer… “Blue”… “Blue”? If he gets a visit from the school guidance counselor next week because somebody thought his answer made him sound all maniac depressive then he has only himself to blame.

Issue #5 “Untouchable” has Mystique and the Clubhouse of School Going Evil Mutants (or whatever) trying to recruit Rogue into their midst… which somehow (in the end) has Rogue show up at Nightcrawler’s bedside (in Mystique’s form) saying “Remember, son, I’ll always care…”… whey?
Better read it yourself if you want to figure out what the heck just happened… eh.

Issue #6 (featuring a cover done by brief stint X-Artist Kia Asamiya (because MARVEL at the time this issue came out seemingly never learned that Kia Asamiya is well known for works he created himself)) “Just Like You” has Spyke (Storm’s nephew) totally blowing off class to hang with his board thrashing Tony Hawk wannabe pals (after getting chewed out by Cyke for being late to a Danger Room session) only to find out one of his boarder pals is a mutant… which turns into a total disaster because his power allows him to mimic the traits of other mutants and Scott gets too close and he starts freaking out and blasting things with his eyes and… ewww, what a mess! Obviously he’s so not getting an invite to stay!

Finally in Issue #7, “Beast of Burden” Hank McCoy (Beast) joins as the Professor’s new P.E. teacher only to end up sitting in on a volitale game of Baseball where tempers (and mutant powers later on) run like water in a game that probably would make a most interesting mini-game in the next X-Men Legends game released by Activision (hint hint). (Yeah, we don’t get an X-Men Legends III but DC is totally cranking out a new, alibt not too original Justice League game in the coming weeks…)

(People? Seemingly cloning X-Men Legends but with only half the on screen controllable characters from what I’ve seen of the game previews doesn’t make the game anymore individual or unique than any number of Champions of Norrath or Grand Theft Auto clone games out in the market right now. I hope you remembered that when you put this game out!)

Oh, and suddenly several characters (some of which you might remember from their stints in New Mutants) suddenly show up for the first time in this issue. Ok. Breakdown since I do have a point for this review.

X-Men Evolution Breakdown
So, what was the point of the review (other than to tap Activision on the head with a reminder for another X-Men Legends game before the present console cycle finally draws to it’s end)? (Please hurry, since I have absolutely zero intention of spending $600 to review PS3 games despite earlier inklings that I was going to stick to my Sony guns and continue to review Playstation titles).

This review is to point out that not all comics based on Animated series has to be done (bleep)ily! I have touched several issues of Justice League Adventures in the past amongst other titles I have read in this category (PS I was going to review 4 but I could only find two of the four issues I had slated to review), and to date I can honestly say I have not seen a single issue that does Justice to Justice League’s animated exploits. Yes, I have read fairly done issues of Batman Adventures, Superman Adventures, and Batman Beyond, but I have NOT read any well done issues of Justice League Adventures. Yes, of this I am sure though I am also sure that there are issues of the Justice League’s animated adventures in print form which are fan favorites… it’s just not the issues I read.

Concurently I have to say I have far more praise for the comic version of X-Men Evolution and how it was done over the way, say, Justice League Adventures was done (and I’m not just saying that because of the psuedo Ameri-Manga look or the fact that UDON worked on the title). Yes, X-Men Evolution does run abit like an ABC Afterschool Special, but unlike the issues of Justice League Adventure I read I didn’t feel like I was having my intelligence insulted by reading these! I mean, really! JLA #12 has them in Africa… fighting Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold and other cold based villains in dirt poor third world country… only to have the villains save the day when the planet is threatened by cold powered alien invaders… gosh, I felt stupid reading that one! But here, at least, I don’t come off with this feeling as if the title was trying to insult me! I mean, really, what was with that issue of JLA anyway!

The important point of X-Men Evolution, which is more important than the slick visuals which I have to say is a good selling point, is that it’s written well for a comic based on an animated series (and when do we get enough of that these days anyway since I can’t remember enough comics based on animated series I liked more than I hated). That’s why for a title based on one of the better animated series based on a long running mainstream USA comic title I have to give X-Men Evolution it’s due and belt it out it’s Silver Recommendation star for mutant services rendered.

(NOTE - And if you’re wondering? No, Patrick Stewart couldn’t find the time to drop in to do voice acting for the recent Star Trek : Encounters game… though, for the record, William Shatner DID find the time to appear… go figure.)