Years of Future Past 1 review

Days of Future Past is easily one of the most well-known X-Men stories in existence. Not only did Fox adapt the time-traveling epic in theatres last year, but it’s been touched on in multiple animated TV shows. Pretty much the entire plot of the Wolverine and the X-Men series is a cross of Days of Future Past, the Genosha massacre and the Dark Phoenix Saga. A number of characters have immigrated from the DOFP world or similar alternate futures, most notably Rachel Summers and Bishop. So of course when Secret Wars started announcing all these comics tying into famous storylines, Years of Future Past was inevitable.

Although there are a few differences in who survived and who is dead, this feels like a years later continuation of the original. It stars Christina Pryde, the daughter of Colossus and Kitty Pryde. Despite the wasteland that the world has become and the overall dark tone, this has a more optimistic feel than the original. There’s a political struggle between those sympathetic to mutants and those who wish to keep them contained. The fact that the territory is still ruled by President Kelly means it’s one of the territories in good standing with Dr. Doom.

Marguerite Bennett’s writing is very good here. The story mostly focuses on the Mutants trying to fight back after years of oppression and being stuck in camps. All they want is a fighting chance to survive as a species. Kelly wants to hold onto the power he has over the mutants, even though the city is all but destroyed by result of his actions. The story moves pretty quickly, with setting up the characters involved, the world they live in, and showing us the moment Christina’s mutant power reveals itself. If I have one complaint about this comic, and this is minor, is that Christina seems to master her powers a bit too quickly. The comic ends by teasing a new form of a classic X-Men enemy, while also hinting at a publicity war.

The art by Mike Norton is also great. It carries a classic feel. The backgrounds are well detailed, showing off the apocalyptic wasteland of Bronx, horse-towed cars and raided drug stores. Probably the most unsettling image is an Iron Man power suit chained to a flagpole. The action flows smooth, with plenty of debris flying around.

This is a great comic, and it feels like a faithful continuation of the original classic. If the quality level remains for the rest of the mini, it’s a strong sign that Bennett deserves a chance at an X-Men ongoing series after Secret Wars. This is an easy recommendation for anyone who liked the original, or if you’re interested in checking out a post-apocalyptic world starring the X-Men.