Age of X-Man: Next Gen #1
Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: Marcus To
Colorist: Jason Keith
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
A Review by Greg Brothers
Here we are, week two of this strange new world. For those of you that are behind, Nate Grey, X-Man showed up and said he needed to help user in a new peaceful society. The X-Men did not trust him and tried to stop him. In the end Nate blinks away everyone around and now most of the X-Men live in this alternative where everyone is a mutant. Got it? Good.
In Next Gen we find out that the younger X-Men are all training at the Summers Institute for Higher Learning. We start with Glob feeding the chickens that he has named after all of his dead X-Men heroes. From the moment we see him it is obvious that Glob seems to stand out. In some ways it is his look, which gets him bullied. However it also seems as if Glob may be aware of more than some of his other fellow students.
Brisson is able to take the foundation that Nadler and Thompson had built in Alpha and Marvelous X-Men and expand on many of those threads. We begin to see more frays in this perfect world that Nate Grey has built and how strict some of the rules are. Much like the other parts of the series there has been a slow build for the readers. Brisson takes the time to explain the different paths that a student may be placed in while studying at the institute. In lesser hands it would have weighed down the writing, but the way Brisson writes in and To presents it, you find yourself sitting on the edge of the seat waiting for what fun moment the next class might reveal.
To’s characters are presented in a way that is familiar enough that long time readers will recognize them instantly. The bright colors are inviting to the readers eyes and draw you into the panel. The panels are laid out in a way that makes for an easy read guiding the eye from one spot to the next allowing the story to flow easily.
Verdict: Buy!
While Next Gen is a slow burn, it seems as if it is going to have a major impact on the overall universe and the younger X-Men are finally getting their chance to shine.
