Wolverine and the X-Men #1 Review

It seems like just yesterday I was digging into the first issue of Jason Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men. Now here we are, 42 issues and one relaunch later, and Jason Latour is taking the reins of the series. While this new volume justifies itself in terms of continuing the focus on the main characters and loose threads of Aaron's series, Latour doesn't entirely replicate the whimsical, goofy charm of Aaron's work. Without that element, Wolverine and the X-Men is in danger of becoming just another X-book.

There are some welcome changes to the formula in issue #1. Quentin Quire becomes more a focus than ever as he shifts from trouble-making student to trouble-making teacher's assistant. Genesis steps back into the spotlight, both in the present and via an early flash-forward sequence. Latour ties the series more closely in with Wolverine's current goings-on in Paul Cornell's series. And perhaps best of all, he writes a Fantomex far more reminiscent of the one Aaron and Rick Remender depicted, rather than the obnoxious jerk that's been hanging around the X-Force books lately.

But there are other characters who fall flat in this issue, most notably the oddly written Idie. And again, without the goofier elements of Aaron's series, it just isn't quite the same reading experience. Mahmud Asrar's style only furthers the transition towards a more serious Jean Grey School. His style is more low-key, and his figure work varies quite a bit in detail and energy depending which characters he's rendering.

The potential is certainly still there for another quality run, But so far Latour's Wolverine and the X-Men is trapped t deeply in the shadow of Aaron's.

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