A time comes in one’s life where things that you loved growing up suddenly become, all of a sudden, not cool. Around the age of 13, backs are turned on beloved stuffed animals, LEGO is tucked away in the back of the closet and cartoons are, for the most part, passed over in the channel surfing ceremony. Part peer pressure, part changing interests, these things are symbols of childhood that society says need to be shed in order to grow up. Sure, the LEGO comes out sometimes during those teen years but I’d bet the bedroom door is locked while most go and build a nostalgic house or spaceship.
X-Men was one of the last cartoons I remember following during my childhood. With an epic scope and a format that mimicked the comic books I was starting to read more and more, it was a cartoon for transitioning kids back in a time when things like Robot Chicken, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Family Guy weren’t around. Filled with big storylines and tons of well-defined characters, X-Men is everything one could hope for, teen or otherwise, in an action cartoon. Collected together for the first time on DVD in chronological order, X-Men: Volume 1 and Volume 2 together collect the first 33 episodes of the early-90s Saturday morning cartoon that went on to last five seasons.
The X-Men are a group of mutants with special abilities brought together by Professor Xavier to train in how to use their powers for the good of the world. However, mutants are labeled as freaks by much of the world. They see them as a threat, largely because in the food chain of evolution, mutants could be seen as the next step that’s primed to take over.
The core group of mutants that make up Xavier’s super team include Wolverine, an outsider with claws, healing ability and a sharp tongue. Cyclops shoots lasers from his eyes while his girlfriend Jean Grey can control minds. Gambit can turn anything into an explosive and Jubilee can shoot explosions with her hands. Rogue is a power leech and, finally, Beast is a furry blue genius. Other mutants come and go, but this is the main mix from which the stories revolve around.
Stories borrow from the large library of comics that came before the show, taking many of the best bits and transforming them for the television format. What I liked then and I still enjoy today is the complexity of the storytelling. It’s sort of like a serial soap opera in that it keeps on going and going. Every Saturday morning I’d watch and more often than not, the episode would end with “to be continued.” It was a mixed love hate in that while the show was impressive, I had to endure a whole week of school in order to see the next part. Volume 2 has a huge story arc, “The Phoenix Saga,” that lasts five episodes and boy was I hooked.
Very few episodes standalone and those that do work to forward the characters and deepen their own personal stories. What’s bugged me about the recent run of live-action X-Men movies is the fact that there are so many characters and such a short running time. The result has been, thus far, tons of action and special effects but a largely hollow story. With more time to draw stories and characters out, the cartoon gets it right. And with several decades worth of source material to draw from the old comics, the show also picks only the best parts and adds a few touches of its own.
X-Men is one of my all-time favorite cartoons. While the animation doesn’t hold up that great, the stories and characterizations are fantastic. The format in which these are released, I’m looking forward to another two or three volumes so that I can have the whole epic series.
X-Men: Volumes One and Two DVD Review
The first two volumes of X-Men collect a total of 33 episodes: 16 on Volume 1 and another 17 on Volume 2. Episodes are shown in their original full screen format. While they look okay, they don’t appear to have been cleaned up as there are quite a few blemishes. It’s not horrendous but it certainly makes the cartoon show its age. Audio is in Dolby Digital Surround with additional tracks in French and Spanish. Subtitles are also offered in all three languages. Unfortunately, there are no bonus features on either volume save for a couple of movie trailers that have nothing to do with the franchise.
