We <3 Jean
As someone completely new to the Season One line of Marvel graphic novels, and as someone who was also mostly unaware of the X-Men origin story, I decided to give this book a go. Armed with only a Wikipedia knowledge of the early X-Men, and a certain skepticism that this book would prove to be a New 52-type disappointing re-telling of a classic story, I am happy to admit that this book immediately proved my fears to be irrational. A few pages in I was always smitten with Jean Grey, and swept up with the teenage love triangles and superhero soap opera. I was very glad I was reading this book.
To be clear, for those of you reading this who are unacquainted with the X-Men, this is the perfect way to go. For those who are accomplished X-Men readers, this is the perfect way to go. Dennis Hopeless brings us five characters who effortlessly earn our emotional investment and interest, and binds them together brilliantly through the character of Jean Grey. Hopeless' treatment of Jean Grey made me feel a variety of things while reading-the first was sadness, as I knew her future fate. The next was a longing for her to re-appear in the X-Men books. The rest were a blend of care and affection that made the struggles presented in the book seem important, as well as engaging, and her position as the sole girl on the team also gave a balanced and nuanced edge to the storytelling. Dennis Hopeless makes us care for each and every character, and the subtle blend of drama, action and soap opera sees the lines blur between each, and creates for a thoroughly enthralling tale that brings the X-Men into a new era, while maintaining their values and themes. While the story is not new and retreads old ground, the mature insight into these characters, with attention to their emotions and teenage vulnerability, establishes this graphic novel as more than a simple copy. Hopeless has succeeded in lifting X-Men Season One above the mass of X-Men origin tales simply by making the origin count, with the characters being central to the story, and by melding the both character and plot seamlessly. In my uninformed and uneducated opinion, X-Men Season One is the definitive X-Men origin story, and shows that the concept of the X-Men remains as valid today as it did 50 years ago.
Not to be outdone, Jamie McKelvie goes all out and brings us some of the most sophisticated and exceptional art of the year, maybe of the decade. Never had I seen such intricately emotive faces, with each character having a unique disposition that reflects their personality. McKelvie seems to have an effortless grasp on the humanity of these characters, and loads each panel with the perfect accompaniment to the dialogue. Each face exactly captures the emotions, and the action remains tight and crisp, with the panel layout and shots giving us a clear and detailed book. All of the characters look their age, something that seems to be missing from contemporary comic books, where teenagers feature Adonis bodies and supermodel good looks. This is not the problem, as each of the characters, particularly Jean Grey, are gorgeous, while remaining faithful to their contexts. And while on the subject of Jean Grey, as I mentioned above the way in which Hopeless makes her a compelling and highly relatable young woman, this would not be possible without the supreme performance of McKelvie. Attuned to the most subtle of facial movements, the artwork is a revelation to these characters, and gives us a view right into their very core. The artwork is exactly that: artwork.
Overall, I could not recommend this graphic novel more highly enough. To both old and new fans, this brings a powerful and immediate X-Men book that captures the characters in a perfect moment of time, and brings them to the modern world. Dennis Hopeless and Jamie McKelvie not only make us care for the characters and their struggles, but make them identifiable and therefore show us the relevance of the X-Men in today's times. A brilliant and enduring work.
