X-Men '97: A Quarter-Century-Plus Later, the Series That Inspired the Movies Powers Up Again
By John Kirk
Rating: A-
It’s been almost 30 years since the X-Men animated series hit the air-waves in what was then pre-streaming broadcast television.
It had commercials, was one of the last Saturday morning cartoons that kids could look forward to waking up with their pajamas and cereal on their days off from school, and was one of the last true representations of weekly TV that ‘90s kids could experience and remember. It truly was the last of its kind. It was also partly Canadian produced.
In any event, North American comic fans who were kids in that era look back fondly on that series for a variety of reasons. The X-Men was one of Marvel’s premiere comic titles for almost 20 years (paralleling the time of noted writer, Chris Claremont – just saying because it matters), including memorable storylines that shaped and affected the imaginations of creators for years.
It was a series that helped summarize all those eventful storylines into a succinct and comprehensible framework for the comic to survive.
This past weekend, Fan Expo’s Toronto Comicon released a premiere of the first episode of X-Men '97, the re-make of the series from the 90s, picking up almost where it left off in in 1997 to the delight of fans and viewers of that generation.
It honestly can’t be measured how influential this comic series was in the minds of writers in all walks of life. But, if today, you were to walk into a room of television or film writers and ask for a show of hands who knew the “Days of Future Past” storyline of X-Men issues 141-142 published in 1981, I guarantee some hands would rise.
With only two issues, that storyline opened so many other storylines that future writers of this comic would hearken back to. It brought up topics of bigotry, the Holocaust, and the danger of authoritarianism in the United States (how relevant is that today?) as well of other social criticisms. The themes in 1970s and 1980s comics, particularly in the X-Men, found their way into television and animation, laying the groundwork for the X-Men films in the 2000s to 2020.
It reinforces my belief that comics remain a fertile ground for TV and cinema options.
This cartoon, based on American properties, was essentially Canadian in character. Though Avi Aram and Stan Lee were producers, the bulk of the voice talent was Canadian. It’s a fact that might get missed, given the American nature and subject material of the show, but Canadian actors like Lenore Zann (watch for our forthcoming interview), George Buza and Adrian Hough supplied the voices of iconic characters like Rogue, Beast and Nightcrawler. The Korean studio AKOM was hired to do the animation work, but Canadians can take pride in that the performances resonated Canadian.
So, what can I say about episode one?
In accordance with all speculation, it definitely starts from where the original series left off – with Professor Xavier taken by the Shiar to heal, while the rest of the world thinks he’s dead. This episode is a few weeks after that and of course, the X-Men, led by Cyclops, must come to grips with the absence of Professor X and the continuation of his mission.
And they have to rescue another mutant from anti-mutant hatred. That’s what we see in this near-seamless continuation of their saga.
The strength of the ‘90s series was that it relied on more than 20 years of comic writing invention. And THAT’S a lot of content to summarize into an effective five seasons of viewing. The X-Men held a premiere status in Marvel’s stable of comics and boasted some of Marvel’s greatest talents.
The fact that this cartoon resonates so clearly in the minds of viewers who watched it then and remember it now, says something about the effective value and impact those books made on its fans that was transferred to the animated show. It’s still present today and is a testament to the work of those creators.
In fact, Lenore Zann, the voice of Rogue, affirms that. Sure enough, that’s what we see in episode one, leaving off about five weeks from the final episode – and it’s exactly what fans wanted to see.
Far be it for me to reveal what people will take away, but let me say that it’s something that fans will definitely understand upon viewing.
Suffice it for me to say that the ending will be definitely be something that will want them to anticipate the next episode. However, this time, they won’t have to be wearing their pajamas and will be allowed to eat whatever cereal they want.
For me, the ‘90s series represented creativity, adapting what was essentially presented in graphic novelisation beforehand. When I watched those episodes, I did so with the knowledge of what they were based on. Was it enjoyable for me? Not as much as for those who watched the episodes at formational ages. That was their first exposure.
But I have to realize that for a generation beforehand, these episodes were like Cliffs Notes for some of the greatest storylines ever written or imaged in comics. Whatever the format, at least they get an understanding and an appreciation of the massive works of creators like John Byrne, Chris Claremont, Terry Austin, Paul Smith and Arthur Adams - legendary comic creators of that decade, plus Mark Silvestri at the tail-end of this run.
I expect a resurgence of searches for those back issues in comics, as well as searches on YouTube for those animated episodes (which have been replaced by a prompt to pay for viewing).
The bottom line is: if you were a fan of this series back in its hey-day, then you should be impressed by what releases on Disney. Congrats to Toronto Comicon for landing this premiere. It was wildly received and the personal meetings with the cast of this show were enthusiastically greeted.
The comics of yesterday provide the entertainment of today. Trust me: if you were either a comic-reader of the X-Men or a viewer of the series, you’ll enjoy this and want to subscribe to Disney to get that nostalgic feeling again.
X-Men ’97. Production: Disney/Marvel Studios. Voice cast: Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, Catherine Disher, George Buza, Matthew Waterson, Ray Chase, et. al. Debuts on Disney+, March 20th.