Written by Dr. Mike Robinson ~ Guest Writer
Photo of “X-Men ‘97” logo. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/x-men-97-release-date-season-2-comic-con-1235319958/
If you ever wondered why superhero fans love the X-Men, then you should be watching X-Men ’97 on Disney+.
I have been reading comic books for just over half a century. In that time, many characters became favorites. I loved team books like the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the Justice League of America. When my comic book fandom really took off, when I entered that time in which I could not stand to miss an issue, and when having my own car meant the freedom to drive to the comic shop as much as I wanted (or could afford anyway), above all else, I thought of myself as an X-Men fan.
The 1980s were a great time to be into the X-Men. The legendary Dark Phoenix Saga (Uncanny X-Men #129-137) propelled the team into a must-read comic for fandom. The comic was rife with powerful themes. As their tagline described them, the X-Men were “hated and feared by a world they’ve sworn to protect.” For some reason, the general public in the Marvel Universe that was okay with superheroes who accidentally got powers or who build big suits of armor was the same general public that was not okay with people who had that power in their genes. When these mutants hit puberty, they suddenly had fantastic abilities but they also suddenly faced prejudice.
Within that context, the X-Men lived and loved, fought and feuded, and sometimes even died. The premise was angsty. It was adolescent in the best possible ways, appealing to the aspiration of becoming an adult and to the fear that things were changing. The stories were pure Marvel, running on high action octane with a boost of melodrama.
So in the decade when I aged from 12 to 22, this all felt perfect.
It was only natural that Marvel would try to bring that energy to television. The first truly successful attempt (sorry Pryde of the X-Men fans) arrived on the Fox Kids block on Halloween in 1992. The X-Men series was well loved in its time, but to me it was always a hot mess. Plagued by animation errors and unable to tap into the spirit of the show from the comics, it chugged along. It felt like the store-brand version of my favorite soda, a weak dilution of the energy and excitement I felt for the comics.
I used to wonder if maybe I grew away from the concept. It was a kids show and I was not in the target audience. Around the same time, I was crazy about Batman: The Animated Series, a brilliant show that could reach audiences of all ages. I watched X-Men for all five seasons it aired, but every season that felt more like duty and less like passion.
Obviously, I was skeptical when the new series X-Men ’97 was announced. Did we really need a return to life for a show that barely lived in the first place?
Now, to my complete surprise, I am utterly mad for this show. The reason is simple though. It has completely captured the qualities I loved in the old comic. This is hard to explain without spoilers, but X-Men ’97 is X-Men on speed. This show burns through old comic book plots. One episode compressed about 5 years of narrative for one character into a single episode. And that’s a good thing! In that frenzy, characters are once again living on the edge, experiencing the triumph and heartbreak of the mutant condition.
A new viewer does not really need to know the old show. While this is a continuation, it is possible to just dive into this story. Ultimately, the X-Men are not about facts and plot points. The X-Men are about an edge, a vibe, or a spirit. And this show truly understands that excitement.