Written By Brian Wood
Art By Olivier Coipel
Marvel
ISBN: 978-0785168003
Prepare to hear the X-Women roar as they take on a mission to save the world. Jubilee is on her way home with an adopted bundle of joy. The baby is a carrier for the technological bacterium Arkea Prime, an enemy that seeks to destroy the entire planet. Arkea Prime is actually John Sublime’s sister and he surrenders himself to the X-Men in order to stop her. Storm takes charge of a team consisting of Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Psylocke, Pixie, and Rachel Grey to defeat the new threat.
The X ladies really kick butt in this collection. Jubilee comes back into the fray with her own share of a backstory that begs to be explored along with the newest infant member of the X-Men. Arkea Prime proves to be a solid villain, especially when she takes over Karma’s comatose body. Storm and her team are tried veterans at this point. When they are given an entire volume to show off the strengths and skills, it’s thrilling to see what they will do. The female mutants are allowed to shine to their fullest extent and it makes one want to see more books where they star without the males or girl stereotypes to encumber the plot.
The collection’s lowest point is the addition of Jubilee’s first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #244. This comic was written in 1963 and shows how Storm, Psylocke, Rogue, and Dazzler relax. They decide to go to a mall, salon, and strip club that shows not only the comic was written for a male audience, but also lacks a sense of what a modern woman is. In short, a product of its time.
X-Men Primer is a great escape and should be a standard for how superheroines should be allowed to stretch their capabilities. Why can’t there be more comics like this?
Collecting X-Men 2013#1-4 and Uncanny X-Men 1963 #244
