TITLE: Generation Next – Vol. 1, Issue 1
YEAR: March 1995
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Created by Bachalo & Lobdell
Inker: Mark Buckingham
Colors: Steve Buccellato/Eelectric Crayon
Lettering: Starkings/Comicraft
Editor: Bob Harras
Back in 1995, new X-titles were released and would take part in a future where Professor X did not exist. The idea was formed when then Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Bob Harris was in a meeting with the producers of FOX’s hit animated series, “X-Men”.
If Professor Charles Xavier never formed the X-Men and without his influence, who would be responsible for establishing their rule on Earth and of course with the constant title of “The Age of Apocalypse”, the title was a big enough of a hint to know that Apocalypse would play a major part in the series.
With a total of nine titles let alone the normal X-titles, needless to say, it was X overload. And a lot of us who were into the X-titles bought them all but knew our wallets were going to get dinged significantly in order to collect other titles that were being followed.
And released in 1995 was “Generation Next”, a four-issue series that featured Magneto as the leader of the X-Men and Colossus and Shadowcat as the student teacher/tormentors.
The main X-Men are Jonothon “Chamber” Starsmore, Paige Guthrie, Mondo, Vicente and Angelo Espinosa as they must take on Colossus and Shadowcat as part of their training. And because the mutants and people may take on are highly dangerous, they must participate in training sessions where they can be killed.
But Magneto is on edge because he met a man named Bishop from the future who claims to be from another reality.
While I loved the pencils and coloring of “Generation Next”, the first issue’s storyline went much too quickly because it’s primarily all-action as the team are involved in a harsh training session and often trying to work on their own rather than together as a team.
The characters are interesting but it is always good to see how Paige Guthrie (sister of Cannonball, Sam Guthrie) would be portrayed. But it was interesting to see Chamber looking normal versus having to wear a mask.
It was interesting to see Colossus a much different, darker character while Shadowcat is much more of a lunatic with adamantium claw bracelets and it’s like she inherited Wolverine’s wild side.
Overall, it’s an interesting concept but I’m not really into comic book series that are too much action, single page/panels, so you can read it too quickly and part of you wishes there was much more to the storyline. But if you are an “X-Men” fan and want to read an alternate storyline featuring different and familiar characters, definitely give “Generation Next” a chance!