Awhile ago I put an alert out on the Wolverine & The X-Men series that airs on Nicktoons Network. In case you missed the first three episodes Lionsgate Entertainment has released them on DVD.

The story opens with an attack on the X-Mansion. When the dust settles Professor Xavier (Jim Ward) and Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale) have mysteriously vanished. The school shuts down and the X-Men disband. Years later the Mutant Response Division (MRD, for short) starts tracking down mutants in the hopes of helping the poor souls control their dangerous powers and protecting national security. Wolverine (Steve Blum) experiences the MRD treatment program and is inspired to get the mutant band back together again.


The Leader of the Pack - Wolverine

The three episode opener shows Wolverine trying to track down various ex members starting with Beast (Fred Tatasciore). With each episode a member is found and given the choice to rejoin or stay solo. I’ve been watching the series regularly so I’ll try not to divulge what’s happened after the opening arc. What I can tell you is to expect many changes right from the get-go.

For starters the X-Men team is broken up. A lot of us are used to seeing a well oiled machine already in progress but this time viewers will get to see the X-Men restarted from scratch. The obvious change is revealed in the title. Wolverine has usually been the resident brawler leaving the big decisions to the traditional leaders like Cyclops (Nolan North) or Storm (Susan Dalian). In this animated series Logan will take the steering wheel but it is made clear that this is a responsibility that he is not eager to accept. But with Cyclops seriously depressed over the loss of Jean and Storm M.I.A. the buck has landed in Logan’s lap.


Neat Trick, Pyro. Hey, Do You Do Birthday Parties? - The back of Wolverine & Pyro

The newest edition to the team is Emma Frost (Kari Wahlgren). Like her last name implies Emma is a cold and calculating woman armed with centerfold looks and immense wealth. Her mutant powers include an expert mastery of telepathy and the ability to morph her skin into a diamond hard substance. Just like in the comic books "New X-Men" and "Astonishing X-Men" Emma is the wild card on the team. No one wants to trust the former villainess especially Logan but these are desperate times and a telepath is needed. As a big time Emma Frost fan I am thrilled to see her getting some spotlight on the show. Her snotty demeanor and sarcastic barbs create some delicious moments in the show. And of course she keeps the audience guessing about whether she’s truly reformed or working a secret agenda.

Mutant lovers will also dig all the cool cameos from classic heroes like Boom-Boom (though I prefer “Boomer”) and newer comic book characters such as Dust. The story sets up all sorts of juicy plot lines beginning with the search for Xavier which will bring the X-Men face to face with their #1 favorite nemesis, Magneto (Tom Kane). After that they’ll discover where Xavier really is and how his true whereabouts will affect the future of all mutantkind.

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants will also be featured as the radical side of the mutant rights movement. Instead of going for peace and equality with the homosapiens The Brotherhood hope to subjugate the human race through violent means. Their thinking is that if the humans are shooting at us first then we’re gonna get bigger guns. Following in the footsteps of his dad, Magneto, Quicksilver (Mark Hildreth) leads the team against those who would terrorize mutants such as the MRD. Fans will get a kick out of seeing X-Force alum Domino (Gwendoline Yeo) added to the roster but might be a little bummed about the X-Men member that chooses the side of The Brotherhood over Xavier’s teachings.

I would say the show is a combination of the heavier dramatic themes of X-Men: The Animated Series and the animation style of X-Men: Evolution so fans old and new, mature and younger, will be entertained at the very least. Aspects of the three feature films also come into play.


First They Mess Up My Hair Again And Then Make Me Push The Old Man Around. The Goddess Gets No Respect, I Tell Ya! - Storm and Professor X

The show is an alternate take on the classic comic book series but does a good job of keeping the characters true to their original comic book counterparts and I like that the series is beginning with the main reason for the X-Men’s existence in the first place; human-mutant relations. It’s easy to lose sight of the real mission beneath the power fueled fight sequences and the flashy costumes but the X-Men’s struggle to fight for a world that fears and hates them has kept me a fervent follower since 1990.

But I can’t help but to question the necessity of this DVD. The show premiered in January 2009 and has been in reruns until the rest of the new episodes start rolling out again. Past episodes can be viewed on the Nicktoons website. Yeah, what a great marketing idea to release this product a week before X-Men Origins: Wolverine debuts. Oh shrewd, very shrewd.


Demoted AND Forced To Sit In The Back Of The Jet. This Is Worst Then When Jean Killed Me In "X-Men: The Last Stand" - Cyclops

I see it as a waste. If they’re going to put the episodes on DVD then put the whole series on DVD after the season has finished. And if it’s going to be in installments then don’t cheat the public by releasing a disc with just three episodes on it. Unless you’re a super duper uber-fan that must collect every bit of X-Men memorabilia on the market then go right ahead and purchase. But with this crazy economy (and I know Lionsgate is gonna smack me for this) I recommend that you check out Nicktoons on the tube or online. Otherwise, you can rent it.
 
Sorry, Blu-Ray owners but this flick is only available on DVD at the moment.

If you choose to purchase or rent Heroes Return Trilogy you will receive a basketful of bonus content including Directors Commentary From Boyd Kirkland and Steven Gordon, Writers Commentary From Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson, a “making of” featurette , a Nicktoons behind the scenes clip, and character profiles.