Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen have returned with their brand new take on an old Marvel favorite, the X-Men. While many have tried to bring back the magic of the original five X-Men, Bendis has decided to go in a completely different direction by taking the original five to the modern age. In the last issue, Hank McCoy, the mutant Beast, has traveled back in time to speak with the original five X-Men: Iceman, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Angel, and his past self to warn them of the impending doom that has befallen McCoy’s present, especially after the events of Avengers Vs. X-Men. The story continues as they five young mutants take a trip forward in time with the blue-furred scientist.

The writing of this series was great in the first issue, and Bendis doesn’t disappoint, yet again. He’s one of the top names in the comics industry for a reason, and he proves it by writing a tight, innovate story for one of the most beloved franchises in comic book history. The interactions between the past versions of Hank and Iceman (Bobby Drake) are poignant and hilarious (on Drake’s part) and Bendis treats the original five as well as Stan Lee and Chris Claremont themselves. The pacing is also well done so far, leaving the reader wondering what’s going to happen with this crazy trip, especially given some of the other events going on in the issue.

Stuart Immonen also proves why he’s such a big name in the industry with some stellar artwork. The original five look crisp and new with his artwork, taking the older-style of the original series and making them look stylized in a modern but tasteful way. The colors by Wade Von Grawbadger are also well up to speed, given the shiny and well-lit Marvel treatment that is missing from some of the other new Marvel NOW! titles.

There is one impending issue with the title that was a red flag from the very beginning, though.  The original X-Men series was set back in the early 1960′s, and over 60 years later, they’re being brought into the modern age, yet many of the original team members look as though they’ve aged a third of that time. Not everyone has Wolverine’s healing factor, so the age gap is something that creeps into the back of the mind a bit. The kids look as though they’re from the 60′s era, which leaves a bit of a hole in the plot. This gap in logic seems a bit silly, but can be overlooked without enough focus.

Summary: Bendis hit another one out of the park with this issue, continuing an already great run on an exciting new series. The artwork is wonderful and the writing is terrific, with an interesting storyline that only looks more promising as time goes by. The time gap is a bit disconcerting, given the fact that superheroes don’t seem to age, but it’s something that only really applies to those who are very aware of X-history.

The Good: Great Writing, Beautiful Artwork

The Bad: Time Gap Is Illogical

The Ugly: N/A

Score: 9.0