God bless the comic book
We will break down each volume of the series right now.
Volume 3
Volume 3 of the series is a solid two-disc set that feature some very solid episodes. Two of the best parts of this volume are Weapon X, Lies and Video Tape and The four-part Dark Phoenix series.
Running almost parallel with the recently released Wolverine film from Fox, Weapon X, Lies and Video Tape goes into the past of Logan (a.k.a. Wolverine). You get to see the relationship that Sabertooth and Wolverine had together and the traumatic process of training that the two (and Maverick and Silver Fox went through as well). For a cartoon the episode is harsh and emotional. It does harken back to the old days where storytelling certainly weighed heavier than morals when it came to animated entertainment.
Rivaling that is the Dark Phoenix saga, which tries to run parallel with the comic story. One of the finest stories told between the two volumes, you get to see Jean Grey at her worst and most powerful. Seeing this strung out in a four-part series really does bring the best of the old back into play. It’s tough to look out and find cartoons that do this nowadays; actually it’s realliy sad that they don’t.
The cons of the series are that the animation, while certainly true to the comic flavor, lacks a bit. It’s a bit messier than most popular cartoons these days and the voice-over are a little rough. When I picture Sabertooth I don’t picture a dumb brute; I picture a man who is simply a killer. I’m not sure why Bryan Singer and the marvel have to portray him as such, but I think it’s certainly the wrong direction.
Overall, this volume is pretty darn tough. While the DVD menus are simple and to the point, and there aren’t really any special features, it does the comic world justice through strong storytelling. It’s a really excellent volume and one that you definitely want to add to the collection.
Volume 4
For the most recent newbies of the world, volume 4 of X-Men might be a little closer to your memory. Here you get to see a fantastic four-part series put together surrounding Apocalypse. Apocalypse, when created during the X-Factor series is probably one of the more brutal and powerful bad guys in the Marvel universe. Not since The Beyonder have you ever seen such a powerful character. In the four-part series he goes off and the X-Men have to get together with their future counterparts to put a stop to him before it’s too late. For a four-part series this is probably as good, if not better, in comparison to the Dark Phoenix saga on volume 3. There are so many characters from the comic appearing that you’ll be giddy as a school kid when you see everything go down.
Just adding on to what I’ve previously stated about the four-part series, I think that every child needs a cartoon like this. Not to get on a soapbox tangent, but the importance of storytelling is so key when it comes to feeding the creative side to a child’s mind. Sure the cartoon is clearly made for an older audience (I wouldn’t let my two-year old watch this), but for kids who are old enough to collect comics they could certainly appreciate and enjoy a story broken into four 22-minute episodes.
Anyway, much like volume 3, the DVD is pretty simple (as are the menus) with the same two-disc compliment. There are no true features to this, but what can you do? It’s a cartoon it’s for entertaining kids (sometimes adults).