• X-Men Legends #1
    X-Men: Legends #1
    Writer:
    Roy Thomas
    Artist:
    Dave Wachter
    Letterer:
    VC's Joe Caramagna
    Cover Artist:
    Kaare Andrews
    Publisher:
    Marvel
    Price:
    $3.99
    Release Date:
    2022-08-10
    Colorist:
    Edgar Delgado

Lately, Marvel has given creators a chance to dive back into Marvel's rich history to create in-continuity stories set in the past. Earlier this Summer, Chris Claremont and Sid Kotian's Gambit #1 revisited a classic moment from the '90s. Now, writer Roy Thomas returns to pen Marvel's mutants in X-Men Legends #1. Joining Thomas on this trip back to a historic period in comics are artist Dave Wachter, colorist Edgar Delgado, and letterer Joe Caramagna.

The issue takes place in between the events of Incredible Hulk #181 and Giant-Size X-Men #1. It kicks off in a massive fashion as Wolverine and Hulk battle and surprise each other with their jaw-dropping powers and abilities. After a slobber knocker of a contest, Wolverine is ordered to stand down by Department H. It turns out that the agency has a different mission for him, which will require a team-up with notorious X-Men villain, Jack O'Diamonds.

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Wolverine attacking the Hulk in X-Men Legends #1

X-Men Legends #1 tells two distinct stories. The first half of the issue, which focuses on the battle between Wolverine and the Hulk, is outstanding. Thomas captures the tone and atmosphere of the era, as it feels like this would be the exact interaction between these two sluggers in 1974. However, the second half, where Wolverine and Jack O'Diamonds head off to America on a mission, is a drawn-out affair that could have been condensed into fewer pages. The contrast between the pace of the two sections is a bit jarring.

Wachter doesn't try to imitate the artists of that era. Instead, he applies a modern aesthetic to X-Men Legends #1, even if he does still pay tribute to the past through the characters' costumes and hairstyles that could have been straight out of The Six Million Dollar Man. Wachter also has a fantastic eye for detail in action scenes, as every panel of the Hulk and Wolverine fight could easily be translated to a poster or trading card. Kaare Andrews' cover is just as impressive and has all the attributes to make it an instant classic.

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Wolverine fighting Hulk in X-Men Legends #1

Delgado keeps the classic color palette of the past alive; however, the colorist updates it to modern times with more shades and contrasts than before. X-Men Legends #1 combines the best of both worlds, looking like a tribute to the era but also utilizing the advancements made in the coloring department. Caramagna's dialogue balloons for Jack O'Diamonds deserve special mention here. It's a sharp way to indicate the character's unique speech patterns and to leave no doubt as to who is speaking even when Jack is off-panel.

Overall, X-Men Legends #1 is a little uneven. It begins in a promising fashion but loses steam halfway through -- which is slightly disappointing considering the premise. While it might not be the runaway hit everyone expected when this series was first announced, there's still enough to give the reader hope the next issues will be even better.