Rating: 
Summary: The essence of X
Review: "God Loves, Man Kills" is Marvel Graphic Novel Number 5. Written by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson, the book is lettered by Tom Orzechowski and colored by Steve Oliff. In this science fiction adventure, the superheroic mutants known as the X-Men face a complex struggle against William Stryker, a powerful televangelist who is masterminding an ominous plot. Complicating this conflict is the presence of Magneto, the mutant whose own agenda is at odds with those of both Stryker and the X-Men.This X-Men adventure features Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Ariel, and Nightcrawler. This is an excellent story which, in my opinion, captures the essence of the X-men mythos. "God Loves" is a thrilling mix of action, interpersonal drama, and philosophy. The authors effectively develop the core idea of the mutants as a misunderstood and persecuted minority. There are some really heart-tugging scenes--these are characters you can really care about. The artists deliver some unforgettable visuals. Stryker is a truly monstrous, horrifying figure. But his effectiveness is a character lies in the fact that he is so similar to many real-live Religious Right figures. Stryker is a Bible-quoting preacher who uses his vast wealth and political influence to wage a campaign of hate against a particular minority group. With a copyright date of 1982, "God Loves" strikes me as eerily prophetic, and still chillingly relevant. The plot of "God Loves" is similar in certain aspects to that of the 2003 film "X2"--I don't think it's any accident that the mutant-hating villains in these stories have the same name. But despite the parallels "God Loves" still stands on its own as a powerful, well-written X-Men story. I consider it one of the essential masterpieces in the graphic novel genre.
Rating:
Summary: The essence of X
Review: "God Loves, Man Kills" is Marvel Graphic Novel Number 5. Written by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson, the book is lettered by Tom Orzechowski and colored by Steve Oliff. In this science fiction adventure, the superheroic mutants known as the X-Men face a complex struggle against William Stryker, a powerful televangelist who is masterminding an ominous plot. Complicating this conflict is the presence of Magneto, the mutant whose own agenda is at odds with those of both Stryker and the X-Men. This X-Men adventure features Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Ariel, and Nightcrawler. This is an excellent story which, in my opinion, captures the essence of the X-men mythos. "God Loves" is a thrilling mix of action, interpersonal drama, and philosophy. The authors effectively develop the core idea of the mutants as a misunderstood and persecuted minority. There are some really heart-tugging scenes--these are characters you can really care about. The artists deliver some unforgettable visuals. Stryker is a truly monstrous, horrifying figure. But his effectiveness is a character lies in the fact that he is so similar to many real-live Religious Right figures. Stryker is a Bible-quoting preacher who uses his vast wealth and political influence to wage a campaign of hate against a particular minority group. With a copyright date of 1982, "God Loves" strikes me as eerily prophetic, and still chillingly relevant. The plot of "God Loves" is similar in certain aspects to that of the 2003 film "X2"--I don't think it's any accident that the mutant-hating villains in these stories have the same name. But despite the parallels "God Loves" still stands on its own as a powerful, well-written X-Men story. I consider it one of the essential masterpieces in the graphic novel genre.
Rating:
Summary: The essence of X
Review: "God Loves, Man Kills" is Marvel Graphic Novel Number 5. Written by Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson, the book is lettered by Tom Orzechowski and colored by Steve Oliff. In this science fiction adventure, the superheroic mutants known as the X-Men face a complex struggle against William Stryker, a powerful televangelist who is masterminding an ominous plot. Complicating this conflict is the presence of Magneto, the mutant whose own agenda is at odds with those of both Stryker and the X-Men. This X-Men adventure features Professor X, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Ariel, and Nightcrawler. This is an excellent story which, in my opinion, captures the essence of the X-men mythos. "God Loves" is a thrilling mix of action, interpersonal drama, and philosophy. The authors effectively develop the core idea of the mutants as a misunderstood and persecuted minority. There are some really heart-tugging scenes--these are characters you can really care about. The artists deliver some unforgettable visuals. Stryker is a truly monstrous, horrifying figure. But his effectiveness is a character lies in the fact that he is so similar to many real-live Religious Right figures. Stryker is a Bible-quoting preacher who uses his vast wealth and political influence to wage a campaign of hate against a particular minority group. With a copyright date of 1982, "God Loves" strikes me as eerily prophetic, and still chillingly relevant. The plot of "God Loves" is similar in certain aspects to that of the 2003 film "X2"--I don't think it's any accident that the mutant-hating villains in these stories have the same name. But despite the parallels "God Loves" still stands on its own as a powerful, well-written X-Men story. I consider it one of the essential masterpieces in the graphic novel genre.
Rating: 
Summary: More X-greatness from Chris Claremont and friends
Review: At the time that I write this, Amazon has not properly identified this item for whatever reason. This is Essential X-Men Vol. 5. The volume is notably thicker than previous entries in the series, apparently because the paper is thicker. This should come as a welcome change for those who have complained about the flimsiness of the paper in the Essentials series - though I never found it to be a problem. This volume contains The Uncanny X-Men issues 180-198, plus annuals 7 & 8. The bulk of the issues are penciled by John Romita Jr. and inked by Dan Green; a combination which we've already seen in the latter section of volume 4, although the art style is more distinctive here, maybe the artists were honing their technique? And Kitty looks noticably different here, even from earlier issues drawn by the same artists; but then, fans have grown accustomed to the repeated changes in Kitty's appearance as different artists have taken over the magazine. There are two issues focusing on Storm, titled Lifedeath and (surprise!) Lifedeath II. These are penciled by Barry Windsor-Smith, and they have a look completely unlike any other issues of the magazine (esp. the latter which W-S also inked). Their tone is also atypical, more melancholy than usual - perhaps because of the influence of the artist, who also contributed to the plotting, as was usual with Claremont's X-Men. Most of these issues display the virtues that are associated with Chris Claremont's long run as writer of The X-Men; chiefly a focus on the characters and their relationships with each other. Among other things, volume 5 shows Kitty's relationship with Peter go through some zig-zags; Storm loses her mutant powers and heads off to her old home in Africa to try to find new meaning in her life; and, wonder of wonders, Magneto - the X-Men's archfoe, whom they have repeatedly combatted since way back in the very first issue - has had a change of heart and has joined forces with Professor Xavier. Actually, this is not too much of a surprise because he experienced a moral crisis at the end of issue 150. I have just two real complaints. One is that for a while, increasingly throughout the first half of this volume, the writers show a preoccupation with magic and sorcery, which reaches its peak with issues 190-191, which show Manhattan being taken over by the sorcerer Kulan Gath, and magically reduced to primitive barbarism. These two issues in particular have (to my mind, anyway) a rather grim and unpleasant tone. And since our heroes are mutants rather than magicians, they become increasingly helpless throughout these stories and have to be repeatedly bailed out by people such as Peter's sister and Nightcrawler's girlfriend, both of whom secretly practice magic of one sort or another; or by Warlock, a member of the New Mutants who is actually an alien from another planet. If you find yourself getting depressed at this point, I recommend jumping ahead to Annual #7 (the annuals are included at the back of the volume) which offers a welcome change of tone. After the Kulan Gath sequence, though, Claremont and his collaborators seem to have worked out their fixation with magic, and the following issues return to the character-driven type of story that made this such a great magazine for so long. My other complaint pertains to the writers' increasing fixation on the theme of anti-mutant prejudice and persecution. Although present in the X-Men since back in Stan Lee's days, the presentation of this theme here starts to become shrill and overbearing. In earlier times there were major characters who were non-mutants, yet were intimates of Prof. Xavier and/or the X-Men, such as Dr. Corbeau and (especially) Moira MacTaggert. I found myself increasingly missing such characters, as the writers sometimes seemed to be slipping into a simplistic world-view in which all mutants are unjustly persecuted and all non-mutants are moral monsters. To be fair, there are some decent non-mutants here, but they are all walk-ons rather than major characters. However, these flaws are not enough to to spoil the greatness that is Chris Claremont's X-Men. If you have enjoyed the first four volumes of this Essentials series, you owe it to yourself to read this one as well.
Rating:
Summary: More X-greatness from Chris Claremont and friends
Review: At the time that I write this, Amazon has not properly identified this item for whatever reason. This is Essential X-Men Vol. 5. The volume is notably thicker than previous entries in the series, apparently because the paper is thicker. This should come as a welcome change for those who have complained about the flimsiness of the paper in the Essentials series - though I never found it to be a problem. This volume contains The Uncanny X-Men issues 180-198, plus annuals 7 & 8. The bulk of the issues are penciled by John Romita Jr. and inked by Dan Green; a combination which we've already seen in the latter section of volume 4, although the art style is more distinctive here, maybe the artists were honing their technique? And Kitty looks noticably different here, even from earlier issues drawn by the same artists; but then, fans have grown accustomed to the repeated changes in Kitty's appearance as different artists have taken over the magazine. There are two issues focusing on Storm, titled Lifedeath and (surprise!) Lifedeath II. These are penciled by Barry Windsor-Smith, and they have a look completely unlike any other issues of the magazine (esp. the latter which W-S also inked). Their tone is also atypical, more melancholy than usual - perhaps because of the influence of the artist, who also contributed to the plotting, as was usual with Claremont's X-Men. Most of these issues display the virtues that are associated with Chris Claremont's long run as writer of The X-Men; chiefly a focus on the characters and their relationships with each other. Among other things, volume 5 shows Kitty's relationship with Peter go through some zig-zags; Storm loses her mutant powers and heads off to her old home in Africa to try to find new meaning in her life; and, wonder of wonders, Magneto - the X-Men's archfoe, whom they have repeatedly combatted since way back in the very first issue - has had a change of heart and has joined forces with Professor Xavier. Actually, this is not too much of a surprise because he experienced a moral crisis at the end of issue 150. I have just two real complaints. One is that for a while, increasingly throughout the first half of this volume, the writers show a preoccupation with magic and sorcery, which reaches its peak with issues 190-191, which show Manhattan being taken over by the sorcerer Kulan Gath, and magically reduced to primitive barbarism. These two issues in particular have (to my mind, anyway) a rather grim and unpleasant tone. And since our heroes are mutants rather than magicians, they become increasingly helpless throughout these stories and have to be repeatedly bailed out by people such as Peter's sister and Nightcrawler's girlfriend, both of whom secretly practice magic of one sort or another; or by Warlock, a member of the New Mutants who is actually an alien from another planet. If you find yourself getting depressed at this point, I recommend jumping ahead to Annual #7 (the annuals are included at the back of the volume) which offers a welcome change of tone. After the Kulan Gath sequence, though, Claremont and his collaborators seem to have worked out their fixation with magic, and the following issues return to the character-driven type of story that made this such a great magazine for so long. My other complaint pertains to the writers' increasing fixation on the theme of anti-mutant prejudice and persecution. Although present in the X-Men since back in Stan Lee's days, the presentation of this theme here starts to become shrill and overbearing. In earlier times there were major characters who were non-mutants, yet were intimates of Prof. Xavier and/or the X-Men, such as Dr. Corbeau and (especially) Moira MacTaggert. I found myself increasingly missing such characters, as the writers sometimes seemed to be slipping into a simplistic world-view in which all mutants are unjustly persecuted and all non-mutants are moral monsters. To be fair, there are some decent non-mutants here, but they are all walk-ons rather than major characters. However, these flaws are not enough to to spoil the greatness that is Chris Claremont's X-Men. If you have enjoyed the first four volumes of this Essentials series, you owe it to yourself to read this one as well.
Rating:
Summary: This comic is a great look at the mutant controversy.
Review: For people (like me) who read X-Men for the parts on mutant prejudice, this is one must read! The plot is based on a group trying to eliminate mutants. They develop a machine harnessing Professor X's telepathic abilities with which they can weed out mutants from humans. The X-Men are forced to stop the plan, and ally with Magneto. The book is definitely aimed at a slightly mature audience. There isn't as much action as a comic, but there is lots of fighting for mutant equality through talking and encounters. Also, the illustrations are touching. Anderson catches the darker side of the X-Men that works well with the story. If you find this, it's a good buy.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent example of Claremont's grasp of drama and action
Review: God loves, Man Kills sums up many of Chris Claremont's ongoing concerns from his more than a decade long stint on Marvel's X-Men series of comic-books. Using as the central point, the character of Magneto- a tortured , complex individual who suffered through the Nazi Holocaust and later became a bitter self-appointed aggressive advocate for superhuman 'mutants' like himself, this story explores the horrors of rascism and the difficulty that people have in trying to change their behaviour and outlook. In this story, powerfully and sensitively written by Claremont and expressively illustrated by the veteran artist Brent Anderson, the rage of Magneto at the sheer hatred behind racist groups and the hypocrisy of the far right religious groups is compelling. This graphic novel gave Claremont the chance to expand his usual monthly storylines into a feature length tale- aimed more at an older readership than the usual target audience and worked wonderfully as a strong, vital a! ! nd affecting story. If you haven't read comics since you were young- start with this.
Rating: 
Summary: good, but......
Review: i love x men have done for years probably always will and this is a good collection of stories...the lifedeath stuff about storm is good, forge (one of my favourite characters)gets introduced, wolverine is his usual self, magneto makes an apearance as a good guy....generally theres a lot of good
but...
its maybe just before this time but man do these comics become grim and miserable...i know its a bit old fashioned but sometimes a nice little bit of escapism would be nice rather than mutant angst over and over...i mean hell does anyone actually break a smile during the whole book?? as mentioned before theres a lot of other stuff going on such as secret wars and new mutants so a lot of plots just seem to go awol by the next story....
it is a good collection of stories...but...its not got the same classic status as Byrne era or Jim Lee era....
recommended cautiously
Rating:
Summary: Good Read, The Basis For X-Men 2 (Movie)
Review: I've been a fan of the X-Men for some time and I was glad I picked this up. It's nice to read the true origin of the story found in the X-Men 2 movie. The art isn't as flashy as it now but it is still an enjoyable story with a good message.
Rating:
Summary: Good Read, The Basis For X-Men 2 (Movie)
Review: I've been a fan of the X-Men for some time and I was glad I picked this up. It's nice to read the true origin of the story found in the X-Men 2 movie. The art isn't as flashy as it now but it is still an enjoyable story with a good message.
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