X-Cutioner's Epic... ^ Even though I never really followed the 'mythology' of the X-Men and had little to no pre-existed knowledge of events before 'X-Cutioner's Song', I found this comic series to be one of the best I ever read.
From the first page on, it delivers action and intrigue. The diverse characters and complex story add so much to the vast and progressing storyline and the art gives it a special feel and look that makes it especially one of a kind.
Cyclops, Jean, Arch Angel, Cannonball, Stryfe, and Apocalypse take to the forefront as contrasting sympathetic and villianous characters, leading to a cross over for the ages and a climax of truly epic proportions.
I will gladly read this cross-over epic as often as possible in the future and I hope that more like it are to come in the never ending saga that is the X-Men.
Classic 1990s X-Men Mega Crossover fun! ^ The title to my review pretty much sums up this entire book! Are you a fan of the X-Men? Are you a fan of over-the-top action sequences and poster perfect artwork of 1990s comic books?
How about totally convoluted storylines that even the most die-hard comic book fan can barely navigate? Did I mention time travelling evil clones??
If so, then THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!!
All the other reviewers have summed up the key plot points of this book (Cable/Stryfe's origin, attempted assination of Professor X, etc) so I won't rehash it again. If you're looking for a good old fashioned 1990s X-Men crossover, then this is for you.
It's a shame that so many of the other X-Men crossover classics from the late 1980s & 1990s are now out of print. We could do with new printings of X-Tinction Agenda, Operation: Zero Tolerance, Inferno, Fatal Attractions, Fall of the Mutants, etc.
Get this one while it's still available, because it doesn't tie in to any current continuity of the X-Men, their current roster, or much of anything going on today (not that that's a bad thing). When it's gone it'll be gone just like the rest of the previously mentioned books.
Overblown, but still important ^ As the first major X-Men event since the artists of all of the X-Titles left en masse to form Image comics, The X-Cutioner's Song crossover had a lot to live up to. The story begins when Professor Xavier is gunned down by an assassin that appears to be X-Force's mysterious leader Cable. At the same time, Cyclops and Jean Grey are kidnapped by the mutant terrorist Stryfe. The resulting conflict features battle after battle (X-Factor vs. X-Force, Cable vs. Wolverine and Bishop, Stryfe vs. Apocalypse) until the dramatic conclusion, where we find out (almost) everything we need to know about Stryfe and his motivation for causing such mayhem.
The writing is a blessing and a curse. I love the general idea behind this series, which attempts to clean up the Summers family tree as well as pitting major villains Stryfe and Apocalypse against each other. The Xavier assassination storyline was also handled well, as was the hunt for X-Force. Unfortunately the story dragged on about a month's worth of issues longer than it should have, becoming so bloated that it needed a recap issue halfway through. The dialogue was also pretty bad, though it was pretty much the standard for the X-Titles in the 1990's. All I can say is thank God for Grant Morrison and Joss Whedon's recent X-Men revamps.
The art is hit and miss. While Jae Lee, Andy Kubert, Brandon Peterson, and Greg Capullo would all become big names in their own rights, at the time their work was still a bit rusty, and they had to fill some pretty big shoes. You could tell though, that by the end of the series they had all become a lot more comfortable with the characters.
Like many of these major X-Men crossover events, The X-Cutioner's Song doesn't quite live up to its potential. It's useful in that it tightened up the meandering Cable/Stryfe/Summers storyline (albeit not completely) and effectively swept away c-list villains like the Dark Riders and the Mutant Liberation Front. It also set the stage for events like the Fathers & Sons storyline as well as the advent of the Legacy Virus. It's an important event in X-Men continuity, and one that any serious X-fan needs to check out.
I was blown away ^ I haven't read too many X-Men crossovers, and from what I've heard, most of them aren't very good. But "X-Men: X-Cutioner's Song" was by far my favorite crossover that I have read, the plot was intricate and emotianally gripping, I read the whole thing in one sitting, and I can't wait to read it again. The art for this book is done by a few different people with extraordinary talents, just opening the book and seeing the illustrations is breathtaking, and then with the great story to accompany it with is a bonus. Great X-Men crossover and a prime example of the X-Men in the 1990's.
Three and a half stars!!! GOOD PLOT , ESPECIALLY FOR MARVEL CROSSOVER!!! ^ This book contains art of Jae Lee and some other people who were top end. It also has nice story. I don't wanna spoil it, but although there is lot of action, there is lot of twist and mistery and you really can see how some of Marvel's best bad guys interact and manipulate others: Apocalypse, Stryfe, Sinister et cetera.
Not as good as early books by Claremont (Mutant Massacre, Dark Phoenix) but quite good !!! Good enough to have it in collection, for sure!!!
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
