X-Men Savage Land

Rating:
Summary: Actual title- X-Men and Spider-Man: Savage Land
Review: This is a slim trade paperback that reprints issues #1-4 of the Marvel Fanfare comic from 1982, which were written by long-time X-Men writer Chris Claremont.

Parts 1 and 2 feature Angel of the X-Men and Spider-Man on a trip to the Savage Land, a prehistoric enclave. Illustrations are by Michael Golden.

Parts 3 and 4 feature the X-Men team circa the Uncanny X-Men 140s, including Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. Illustrations are by x-artists Dave Cockrum and Paul Smith.

The story involves the love interest of Karl Lykos/Sauron. It wraps up stories from the 60s of Uncanny X-Men (Savage Land Mutates) and the 110s (Sauron, Zaladane). As always, Ka-Zar (a character in the Tarzan vein) is involved.

This book would make a good companion buy with either (or all) of the following: (1) the X-Men Visionaries: Neal Adams tpb, which collects the original 60s Sauron and Savage Land Mutates stories, (2) Essential X-Men #1, which continues the Sauron story and introduces Zaladane, (3) the X-Men Visionaries: Jim Lee collection, which tells the ultimate Zaladane/Mutates story (a truly excellent story about Magneto and the effects of violence, which touches on many of the ethical themes of classic X-Men comics.)

The artwork is good (Smith's later run on Uncanny is really outstanding). The story is vintage Claremont, not his very best, but solid. The themes of personal courage, respect for the natural order, and ethical conduct are all there, and it's a good introduction to the characters.

If you're a fan of late 1970s/early 1980s X-Men who's looking for more, you'll like this. I sure did. The Savage Land is always a fun ride.

If you're looking for an inexpensive comic collection for a young person, this is great. If they like it, I'd suggest following up with some of the X-Men Essentials collections or the Dark Phoenix Saga. The X-Men really are complex and powerful bit of American pop culture. Love them.

Rating:
Summary: X-Men : Savage Land
Review: This series features the original characters, the original team, in all-new adventures drawn and told in a manner reminiscent of the Silver Age era but incorporating some of the more sophisticated storytelling techniques adopted since then. Perfect for older nostalgists without interfering the current timeline. Plus, it's a good read that current X-fans curious about the X-Men's earlier days can enjoy too.