New X-Men: Riot at Xavier's (New X-Men, Book 4)

Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: A book you really have to read in sequence, this issue has a misfit student lead a revolt at the Xavier school for mutants.. an ill idea. The art is somewhat horrendous but if you can get past it, it's a decent read, Morrison actually has some great ideas (telepathic affair between Emma and Scott)

Collects New X-Men 134-138

Rating:
Summary: A Master Piece!
Review: I've known the surreal experience of reading, and atleast trying to comprehend, New X-men for almost four years now, and beneath Grant Morrison's very deft hand and imagination, my expectations and standards have done nothing but rise. From E Is For Extinction to Imperial to New Worlds, New X-men has constantly broadened its horizons as far as fresh new ideas and innovative storytelling go. Riot At Xavier's is my second favorite storyline so far, just beneath E Is For Extinction, in my humble opinion, and the fact is, that is probably do more to the fact that it was Morrison's first swing at writing this book than it is because the stories here are better. In this collection, which collects four small parts of a much larger whole, the students who attend Xavier's school get their time in the spotlight. A highly intelligent, very ambitious student named Quentin Quire, in the beginning of the story, has just found out that he was adopted, and after hearing this news, coupled with Magneto's killing alongside several million other members of the homo superior race, sets the young boy, who happens to be an Omega Level telepath, deep and subtle influence being his forte, on the path to what he sees as glory. Following him are several other rather powerfully dangerous students....Radian, a black kid who immits a blinding light, Tattoo, another African American student who's skin displays her emotions, coupled with her other mutation, a ghost form, which is very Kitty Pride-esque, only much more frightening, Glob Herman,a see-through giant of a mutant with bio-parriffin for skin and muscule, which happens to be highly flammable, and finally, Redneck, a young white kid whose handbones can generate immense heat. Alongside Quire, whose telepathic skills rival Xavier's, these kids coin themselves The Omega Gang, and with that, begin to set the Xavier Institute ablaze within the pyres of controversy, free thinking and a rash change of ideals. The Xavier teaching staff then springs into action, allowing us constant readers to see Quietly's flair for dramnatic action and grisly hold on reality. Cyclops really stands out during this arc, as does Phoenix, Beast,and The White Queen, who evolves beyond what some have seen up to this point as a cardboard cutout of a typical snotty character. Xorn and his Remedial Class also stand out here, and this expose' into how a lower, more special sect type of class at The Xavier Institute operates is welcome and rather brilliant, as we, the readers, are able to see what being a mutant, with a little extra misfortune added, feels and looks like. Xorn feels like a mystery in this arc, as he well should, and the true hints of his power, and the cruel, frightening depths of it are shown here, along with his Remedial Class excersizing teamwork for a change. There is Basilisk, a large, pinkish boy who's brain has a seizure at its core and sets off a ray of paralizing light through a single, strange eye, Ernst, a withered young girl with superstrength and a need to look after others, namely Martha, a disembodied brain in a glass bubble, a telepath whose specialty is blinding mutant and human minds with confusion and disarray, Dummey, who is a sentient gas inside of a special, airtight suit, The Beak, whose feelings of insecurity and ineptitude glow brightly and realistically, his talents being a feathered, birdlike form, limited flight and a face that only a pecking mother could love. Finally, there is Angel, a mixed race young heathan of a girl, whose talents include a beautiful set of fly like wings, the ability to vomit projectile acid, among other fly-like abilities. Alongside Xorn, these kids really get the chance to stand out and show their humanity and talents on rather unsuspecting U-men, who first appeared in Imperial. Back at the Mansion, all hell has broken lose, as Quentin and his hypnotized gang have taken Xavier hostage, through a rather brilliant technique. Wolverine is rendered useless and helpless by Quire, quite a feat, while Beast, Cyclops and The White Queen try to thwart the rampage set aflame by frustration and loose ethics. Before all is said and done, several students will die, a headmaster will drastically rethink his methods, an affair will be discovered, a secret will be created and kept,and a threat from within will be revealed. In this volumne, secondary mutation is a big theme, and Morrison's experience at the strange helms in writing even stranger fiction come in very handy in this tale. His drastically vast takes on telepathy alone will make your mind reel and your imagination grow. The Stepford Cuckoos also get their chance to really develop as deep characters and now, they show true drives and whims. Buy this book........if you are a fan of the X-men, past , present or possible future, you will not be disappointed. More than that, you will most likely be surprised, shocked, terrified and delighted.
All Things Serve The Beam

Rating:
Summary: They just trash everything in sight....
Review: It seems that the new generation of so-called comic book writers love to trash everything in sight. Case in point is Morrison. He takes everything that all X-fans hold dear and turns it into cheap/shock value entertainment only. What gives him the right to do this? Why is Marvel is destructive of their charecters and do stories that totally ruin 30 years worth of stories? Simple, they don;t care about the stories nor the fans anymore, and haven't for nearly a decade now.

Rating:
Summary: They just trash everything in sight....
Review: It seems that the new generation of so-called comic book writers love to trash everything in sight. Case in point is Morrison. He takes everything that all X-fans hold dear and turns it into cheap/shock value entertainment only. What gives him the right to do this? Why is Marvel is destructive of their charecters and do stories that totally ruin 30 years worth of stories? Simple, they don;t care about the stories nor the fans anymore, and haven't for nearly a decade now.

Rating:
Summary: Just awesome
Review: Riot at Xavier's, the fourth collected volume in Grant Morrison's New X-Men run, continues the strangely gifted writer breaking the unwritten laws of the X-Men mythos. An Omega level telepath named Quentin Quire, spurned by the death of celebrity-like mutant, begins forming a gang inside the school as their opening day to the public approaches. Loaded with snappy dialogue, Morrison's master storytelling, and superb art by Frank Quitely (who actually managed to ALMOST do all the art for a full storyarc), this volume ends on a tragic note, along with some hard choices to make for Beak, and Jean learning of the psychic affair between Cyclops and Emma Frost. However, this volume is only the calm before the storm, and is followed by the pivotal events in Assault on Weapon Plus, and the cataclysmic events in Planet X and Here Comes Tomorrow.

Rating:
Summary: The best X-Men run in years continues...
Review: The main point of Morrison's run on New X-Men has been to breathe fresh life into the old concepts as well as making room for new ones to emerge. This is very apparent in this collection, which stands out as one of the high points in his run. Combine an inventive, gripping story, snappy dialogue and beautiful art and you have the spectacular story shown here.

Rating:
Summary: great
Review: While the art is still at the same level, the story is my favorite of all the volumes. There are more twists and surprises. It makes you think. It is a great story.