Comic Review: X-Men Legends #1

X-Men Legends #1

Marvel Comics

Writer: Fabien Nicieza

Artists: Brett Booth & GURU-eFX

Marvel has taken the opportunity to visit the past quite often, and no group of heroes gets this treatment more often than the X-Men. The latest foray into classic X-Men is X-Men Legends #1, a book that takes place in the 1900s and is advertised as a story that fits neatly into the series’ continuity. Fabien Nicieza returns to the mutants to write this story, while Brett Booth and GURU-eFX handle the issue’s retro art.

X-Men Legends #1 focuses on Cyclops and Havoc as they deal with the Shi’ar returning to Earth. The two brothers get many moments to shine through explosive moments and plenty of banter. This issue feels like it belongs in the 90s, with Nicieza picking up where he left off when he originally wrote X-Men. It’s colorful in its writing, with the same tone, language, and even motivations that the characters had during this era.

While the writing is certainly faithful, it doesn’t completely hold up today. There are a whole lot of fighting scenes in this. The story mostly uses battles as a means to push the story forward, and it gets a bit exhausting. The dialogue is also a product of its time, but that won’t be a bad thing for every reader. For those who were not hardcore fans in the 90s, this might be a pass. This story is clearly stuck right in the middle of a few specific arcs, so many plot points won’t have the ideal amount of impact.

Brett Booth’s art fits in with the tone of this issue perfectly fine. Bold lines, strong facial structures, and a lot of muscles fill the pages. The panel layouts are especially impressive, with creative ways to move all of the action along. GURU-eFX’s colors are the highlight of the book, with gorgeous colors adding tons of depth to the pages. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the ’90s X-Men aesthetic, the colors offer plenty to love here.