X-Men: Outback #1 Review – A Delightful Snapshot of the X-Men’s Best Era
The “Outback Era” in which the X-Men sacrifice their lives to save the universe and are magically reborn thanks to the Wizard Merlin (yes, that one) and his daughter, Roma, only to move to the Australian Outback is a longstanding favourite of many fans, myself included. Despite not being a fan of the current Marvel model of “nostalgia minis”, wishing they’d focus more on the present than revisiting old favourites, I was immediately won over by the absolutely stunning Russell Dauterman cover.
The book itself is an interesting clash of old and new, as writer Steve Orlando slips into a Claremont-esque tone with surprising ease, complete with the heavy narration from the omniscient narrator, as much a participant in the story as the reader at times. The only thing missing is the constant repetition of exactly how every mutant’s powers work, I mean seriously not a single “focused totality of her psychic powers”? Orlando also matches the heavy accent work that defines the era well, both in the gruff Logan and the very over the top Rogue that so defined the early days of the character. Alongside the classic Claremontisms, Orlando isn’t afraid to modernise a little at times too, like taking a slightly more grounded approach to the Outback surroundings and its Aboriginal inhabitants than the usual sole occupant, Gateway. Orlando also threads in more modern retcons at times in a way that makes them feel like a natural fit, including the classic “Sabertooth birthday tradition” and the more modern takes on Wolverine and his berserker rage. It would be easy for these to feel anachronistic and out of place, but the strong character voices anchor them firmly in that era.
Contrasting the classic feel of Orlando’s writing is the art team, comprised of Stephen Segovia and Alex Sinclair. Sinclair especially is such a fascinating choice, his work is most often associated with one of the standout artists of the Outback era, Jim Lee, but a more modern era of his art that’s very different to the flatter colours of the 80s and 90s that associate him with X-Men. His colours complement Segovia well, but the more realistic, at times dull, tones of the scenery and surroundings leave something to be desired compared to the vibrant reds and oranges the era was associated with in the past. Segovia is no stranger to the X-Men, having been the main artist on the brilliant Hellions in the Krakoan era, and his return here is welcome. While again a contrast to the Lee and Silvestri art the era is associated with, Segovia’s blend of cartoony faces and dynamic action make for great comic storytelling. He also captures something many artists struggle with, the fact that Wolverine is just a lil guy. It’s a small touch but it adds something extra, especially when Wolverine faces off against bigger foes. One other aspect of the art I want to touch on is the brilliant graphic design of Carlos Lao. The credits page is a staple of the Marvel Comic, but it’s so rare to have one that looks so damn good with a beautiful graphic, showing the silhouettes of the X-Men in the outback. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Jorge Jimenez’ brilliant title pages in recent Batman issues, and just an extra touch that I love to see.
Orlando opens the issue with a great framing device to recap the era and throw you back into it without resorting to just throwing issue numbers at you, using Mojo and televisions to create something reminiscent of both the animated series and the era itself to jump you right into the action. He picks up on a lot of the forgotten character dynamics in this era: Dazzler and Rogues fighting over Longshot, Colossus struggling with his rebirth, his depression and finding life through his art again, the hardening of Psylocke from former model to knight to assassin. While those dynamics often resolve quickly or off page, it’s nice to be able to spotlight them more thoroughly. This issue focuses on Storm, a character who very few writers can get a strong voice for and balance her many aspects. Orlando does a great job of bridging a Storm who has so recently regained her powers but feels uncertain of her with a more classic “Goddess” persona. There’s a really stunning last page from Segovia as Storm resumes that persona and dons her often forgotten Outback costume. It feels a little more classic 80s, perhaps a little if that John Romita Jr energy and is a stunning homage to the era to end the issue on.
I’ve mentioned the strong character voices Orlando writes that capture this era well, and one particular one I want to highlight is Sabertooth. He’s a character who has changed a lot over the years, and Orlando brilliantly weaves some of those changes in while still maintaining the strange, almost abusively parental way in which Creed and Logan interacted in that era (because he was intended to be Logan’s father), full of a distant and one-way familiarity. It’s a detail that would be easy and inoffensive to skip, but shows the care but into capturing the era.
Ultimately there is a limit on how much a “Nostalgia mini” can do. You’re taking a finished story and trying to shove another in the tiniest gap, which leaves little room for big events or substantial character development. Thus far, Orlando has taken a smart approach, largely spotlighting only Storm and Wolverine in the first issue while also giving a clear look at where each member of the team is emotionally at this point. They’re given enough character work to still provide a satisfying narrative but in a way that feels like a natural story that happened between pages and fits right in. The plot itself feels like a classic character focused issue from that 80s era, no major plot developments but pushing the characters forward. It’s a much more successful approach to this sort of mini that the usual “all-new villain who we’ve just forgotten to mention but has been here the whole time” that these mini’s tend to do, and with the Mojo and Reavers teases, it seems this will likely be the approach the mini takes, filling in gaps to give more of a spotlight on the development these characters already went through, while facing off against classic foes. And if it keeps up the quality of the first issue, I’ll be more than happy to read it!
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