We are currently living in an era where 2D animated shows are still a thing and I’m so glad we are because this is the only thing we have left for this animation style considering theatrical movies don’t ever really do anything besides 3D animated, high budgeted films. Invincible has brought one of the best scripts for a comic book show and X-Men ‘97 just proved that it’s not far behind as this series is not only nostalgic, but also a deep and exciting story that was definitely worth the wait.
The series is a revival of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997), continuing from where that series ends. It depicts the X-Men facing dangerous new challenges following the loss of their leader, Professor X.
I will try to not give away a lot of the story of this series. The less you know about it, the more you will enjoy it, trust me. The first episode starts straight with its nostalgic intro with the classic X-Men theme song, I knew from that moment that this show would be a total win for fans and also newcomers. If you never watched the 1992 series, I’ll tell you not to worry about it, I’ve never seen the old series and this one was great and there wasn’t a single moment where I felt lost or uninterested. Each character has their moments during this first 3 episodes, of course some were more developed than others but let’s consider that we still have 7 more episodes to go.
The animation style is one of the things that won me the most, I loved this stylized, old 2D animation style, it made me remind of the good old days and this is a feeling that is really hard to have with the TV shows and movies we have nowadays. They try their best to deliver a show that truly feels like the old one, and that’s really clear when you’re watching this. The characters are so great and well developed and I cannot wait to see more of them.
Also, something that is worth mentioning is the action sequences, your eyes will glow with it. Every action scene feels different than the other, with different colors, characters and backgrounds that are amusing to watch. The incredible animation helped a lot when making this come true.
Jean Grey might be my favorite one of the show so far, she’s so well written and crafted into this story that had me on the edge of my seat during some plot lines of her character. Beast and Morph are also delights, I love these characters so much and I’m so satisfied on how they fit them into the story. Magneto is also a character that I’m enjoying a lot so far, full of mysteries and we never know if we can trust him.
We can now say that Marvel Animation’s first project is so damn good! X-Men ‘97 brings an exciting story full of mysteries and action sequences that will have you on the edge of your seat for most of the time. An enjoyable and nostalgic return that will please old fans and newcomers. Can’t wait for more episodes of this show and I love to see the way it’s heading into.
X-Men ‘97 is NOW streaming on Disney+.
