X-Statix Omnibus [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

X-Statix (and the original X-Force issues contained in this volume) was really the first comic series focused on the idea that superheroes would almost have to be expendable, pop culture figures, complete with sponsors, fans, and reality TV coverage of their exploits. These ideas raise questions that rarely get asked in the superhero world, such as how does one afford to fight crime as a full time job? We the comic book reading public have always taken it for granted that all it would take to be a superhero is some fantastic power, but finally X-Statix shows that even to be a superhero would require some sacrifice and a lot of risk. This is all more partial to truth than most any other superhero series. Pete Milligan plays up these ideas with a cynical yet sensitive blend of writing.

One of the things that first stood out to me when reading this series is that the characters are not iconic, nor are they genuine heroes in the sense that these people are not fueled by some inner cause or overwhelming allegiance to justice. These guys are just young adults that happen to have been born with mutant powers. Most of them don't even have anything overtly special about their powers or their backgrounds, as they come from mostly middle class, suburban families. Of course they all have their own interesting trials and individual issues, but it's the familiarity of these characters that makes this series stand apart from your average superhero character. The other thing I really appreciated about Milligan's approach to this series is that characters die regularly, which makes a whole lot more sense than the standard approach of seeing superheroes continually survive under impossible circumstances time and time again. X-Statix tries to display a certain sense of mortal reality in this respect, in that making the choice to be a superhero is to choose to continually walk on the razor's edge of mortality, and if you are continually putting yourself directly in front of the most dangerous situations the imagination can come up with, the odds are that you are going to die much sooner than later, and this is exactly what X-Statix does a fair job of suggesting. But it does all this without overplaying the drama. In fact, it's rather refreshing that the characters are sort of callous about death, and there are even times when you might think some particular character will stick around for awhile, only to find them dead by the end of the issue.

I also have to give a lot of additional credit to artist Mike Allred. He brings a unique commercial art sort of stylistic approach to his illustration that is engaging and fluid. Without his artistic vision, X-Statix might only be half the book that it is.

My only complaint with X-Statix is that I wish Milligan would have taken the concepts and pushed them further. Many of the most interesting ideas of the book could be used to get much more mileage than what we are shown, but I suspect this was because Milligan was still trying to keep the book aimed at a mainstream audience. With this in mind, I don't know if X-Statix is for every fanboy out there, because the concept of the book completely goes against the grain of superhero-dom and doesn't play by the rules. Some readers might find X-Statix to be too subtle or have too centered on concept and maybe not enough flashy and gratuitous angst, or whatever, but if you like superhero stuff and also want to read something that walks away from the beaten path, this book is definitely worth checking out.

A red omnibus? Something must be wrong here! That was my first words when I opened the pacage containing the latest OMNIBUS Marvel has to offer (until the next one) Well,it's true. Both covers and the spine is in red ,which I find tasteful and suiting to the matterial.But let's get to the point immediately! Is this Omnibus worth it's price? Indeed it is. It contains every single story written with the X-statix team in it , a new foreword by creator Peter Milligan and some costume ideas, unused art by Allred ,alterante covers ,the original ending notes by the creators and if I'm not mistaken new inside covers by Michael Allred!
For those of you not having any previous experience with the X-Statix team ,fear not. Everything you need to know is here. You need to know absolutely nothing about marvel continuinty ,major events etc to enjoy this hefty volume. Just start reading and everything shall be explained as the story unfolds. You could also buy this OMNIBUS just for the art alone.Mike Allred always tries hard to be innovative and here is a fine example of how combinig pop art and comic art can be visually astounding! If you love Mike Allred's art ,I guess you have already ordered this volume.If, on the other hand, you have never experienced Allred's fantastic ,futuristic ,fabulous (and other f-words ,except one you potty mouths :p)now it's time to correct this mistake.

Long story ,short:Buy this volume.It's one of the best volumes in the OMNIBUS line.

When Joe Quesada took over as Marvel EIC, he helped give refreshing takes on stale titles. While Grant Morrison took on X-Men, the aging and boring mutant militant comic X-Force was given a complete makeover by writer Peter Milligan and Madman artist/creator Mike Allred. Eventually re-titled X-Statix, the comic revolved around a team of mutant superheroes that were also big time celebrities, and frequently found themselves either dead or dying to boot. Featuring brilliant and surreal artwork to go along with being absurdly and darkly funny as well as being surprisingly addictive, X-Statix was a treat throughout the remainder of its run, as it found itself eventually cancelled due to low sales. This gorgeous Omnibus collects Milligan and Allred's complete X-Force/X-Statix run, which is wholeheartedly worth your time if you missed out on it way back when. All in all, it's a shame that Marvel doesn't have an ongoing X-book that is this entertaining or original anymore, because no X-book around today is even half as good as X-Statix was. That's right, I said it.