Wolverine and the X-Men Annual #1

This issue was very enjoyable to read and was full of great humor and some fantastic art. The issue also explored some characters we don't normally get to see and it's always nice to learn about a character you didn't know about or add something to a character who wouldn't normally get the time to grow and progress. If you enjoy space and/or punching things definitely pick this one up. Read Full Review

Nick Bradshaw illustrates this issue, helping it to fit right in line with the main series visually. There's some inconsistency to the story given the various inkers present, but overall Bradshaw provides a vibrant, dynamic take on the Shi'ar and the war with the Builders that contrasts nicely with the more hard sci-fi look of Infinity. Read Full Review

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the action and how and why he comes back to Earth, there's just no real focus on the rest of the class. Read Full Review

Nick Bradshaw is the penciller for this issue, with Andres Mossa on the colours and Clayton Cowles on the letters. In comparison to Wolverine and the X-Men #38, the art in this issue was much better. Bradshaw has a huge scope in this issue and he has to do a lot of the creative world-building, given all the diversity of the Shi'ar that needs to be shown for the pages set in the Imperial Academy and then the battles later on when Kid Gladiator battles the Builder fleets alongside his father and other allies. Of the latter, they are all instantly recognizable and familiar, so its great that Bradshaw stays true to how they are portrayed elsewhere. Mossa's rich and vibrant colours enhance the entire affect, but they are a bit too" spotless, clean, especially in the battle scenes. Some roughing up everywhere would have been far better. Read Full Review

It may have taken me a while to get around to this issue, but it was worth the wait. Kid Gladiator's journey home is enjoyable and emotional, especially for a character that tries to hide his emotions at every turn. Jason Aaron, Nick Bradshaw, and everyone else involved in this issue do what they do best, and the result is another fun entry into the Wolverine and the X-Men mythos. Read Full Review

Though "Wolverine & The X-Men: Annual" #1 does have ten extra pages to attempt justifying the $4.99 price tag, the story itself does not have the magnitude for either the added pages or price. It's not a bad story, and it's executed adequately on the whole, but there's little of significance from either a plot or character point of view, and thus for the hefty price tag, it's an easy book to skip in the grand scheme. Read Full Review

Master Destructo

Mar 21, 2014

When I sat down to read this and noticed the INFINITY banner, I immediately regretted buying it. It's not a event that I followed or am interested in. But I dutifully read this Annual in any case--and was pleasantly surprised! It was a fun little character study of Kid Gladiator, a character that I'm only familiar with via Wolverine and the X-Men, and someone I didn't know much about. Bradshaw's art was good. Lots of nice set pieces and background detail. I could follow the action without too many visual snags. One strange thing was the banality of the double-page splash. It seemed like there were several other deserving moments for a big image like this. I mean, the interior architecture showed excellent draftsmanship, but the occ asion itself was not terribly poignant or momentous. But overall, great Annual. more