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| X-Men the End. Dreamers and Demons is the first in a must-read series depicting the end of our gifted heroes |
Synopsis:
Its been roughly 10 years and things have stayed relatively calm for the X-Men. With Mr. Sinister disappearing from sight, no sign of Apocalypse, and only the hateful ramblings of the Purity League to deal with, our favorite band of mutants have finally gotten time to get hang up the spandex and lead normal(ish) lives. That fragile peace ends with the re-manifestation of the Phoenix, and plans that have long been in place are set in motion, all of them with the potential to vanquish the children of the atom once and for all.
With stories as convoluted as soap operas and villains that flare up more than cold sores, X-Men: The End provides a much-needed finale for our seemingly immortal heroes. Dreamers & Demons is the first book of the three book series, focusing primarily on Aliyah Bishop, daughter of part-time X-Men Lucas Bishop and full-time alien renegade Deathbird. Featuring an artist/author team as dynamic as the X-Men themselves, Chris Claremont and Sean Chen bring their talent and skill to our mutant cohorts as writer and artist respectively.
As with most stories that leap 10 years into an unexplained future, readers might find themselves wondering what happened. Its best to just power through and continue reading, most questions should be answered as the book goes on. Reading a book titled The End, X-fans should be prepared to see their favorite outcasts take a beating. Dreamers & Demons is only the first book in the series so the hero bloodshed is minimal, but still present. Ultimately, the book ends with a pretty massive cliff hanger, leaving fans rushing to the book store to buy the second installment.
Appearance:
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| Jean Grey's new phoenix costume pays tribute to her original, while still showcasing her change |
Sean Chen lends his talented pen to Marvel once again to bring The End to life. Having spent years doing artwork for popular titles such as Iron Man, Electra, and Wolverine, Chen is no stranger to the world of Stan Lee's superheroes. Fans will appreciate the believable decade of aging the X-Men and their uniforms have gone through: Gambit now has crows feet, Cyclops has smile lines, and Cable is seen sporting a bit of a salt and pepper beard. While still in tip-top shape, all of our caped crusaders now dress their age. Emma Frost, notorious for showing more cleavage than a professional cheerleader, no longer parades around in her caped stripper's outfit, and even the iconic Phoenix costume has be re imagined to suit an older and more radical Jean Grey. Any fan of Chen's artwork will revel in Marvel's decision to include a brief couple of pages of concept art depicting his early ideas for some of the stories more prominent characters.
Don't Change a Thing:
Dreamers and Demons lays the ground work for the must-have collection of X-Men graphic novels to come out in a decade. Special attention should be played to just how well our heroes have evolved to what they are seen as now. Relationships statuses have been effected by the ten year leap forward, including several of the super-powered couples now having children with just as much attitude as mommy and daddy.
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| Alternate cover for the first book of the series |
First published in 2005, Dreamers might be misconstrued as an out-dated end to the X-men. This could deter some readers from ever picking up the book, but it should be viewed as any other X-men offshoot series: this is merely a possible ending to it all, and not the bona fide "el fin". Besides, with Marvel's history of killing off and reviving characters, its still highly likely that this is how the X-men will finally bid us Bon Voyage.
Should have spent more time on:
While the story is narrated perfectly, switching between a faceless narrator and throwbacks to the Destiny Diaries, readers might still find themselves confused as to team allegiances and motives. This could have been solved with a brief prologue page or miniature prelude comic book. Even hard-core X-geeks will have trouble knowing exactly why things are occurring the way they are. It should be noted that this doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book. Dreamers still provides a great deal of entertainment to readers, from novice fans to die-hard comic book collectors.
Just how Homo:
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| Openly gay superhero Northstar carrying Cyclops to safety is a scene fan-boys have only ever dreamed of. |
Its hard to find a gay nerd who isn't a fan of X-Men in some respect. The very idea of receiving persecution for the way they were born appeals to most gay readers, and is a story almost all can relate to. Dreamers is no different, only this time readers have some middle-aged eye candy to look at. While sporting some more facial lines, the aged X-Men are a reminder of just how sexy middle aged men can be, animated or not. Throw in an appearance by Marvel's own gay superhero Northstar and you've got a comic book that could double as a literary Pride parade.
Own it or Rent it:
Rent it. While it might provide a nice reference when reading the other two chapters, it's not imperative to own Dreamers to enjoy the rest of the series. Although its artwork and concept art are enjoyable to look at, most readers will get their fill the first time around.
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