“And Storm, you are the closest thing to a goddess that we will ever see.” –Magneto
X-Men: The Animated Series was a must-watch cartoon for many of us when we were younger. Therefore, it was no surprise that fans of the animated show were delighted when it was announced that Marvel Animation would continue the series in the form of X-Men ’97.
The new series has a 10-episode season, and after watching the first three episodes, I am intrigued to see the remainder of the season. Much like the original animated series, X-Men ’97 focuses on challenging topics and the relationships between the team members. Within the first few episodes, the series touches on human/mutant relations, othering, mental health, friendships, romantic relationships and more. It might seem like a lot in only three episodes, but the series is so well-written that the episodes never feel over-stuffed. Each topic has room to breathe, and some are set up to develop further in future episodes.
The writing pays homage to the original series while maintaining a freshness that allows new and old fans to enjoy the series easily. The story will quickly pull viewers in and hold their interest with the critical dialogue and exciting action peppered throughout. What has been done exceptionally well in the series (thus far) is giving each character their moments to shine individually and together. Excellent character-building occurs at the beginning of the series, especially concerning Magneto, who will be extremely interesting to watch as the season continues. The series knows what the X-Men story is, which is an allegory for prejudice and does not shy away from this fact. Where the series needs to be heavy-handed with its themes – especially as they, unfortunately, seem more relevant now than ever – it truly shines.
The animation does a fantastic job showcasing all of the characters’ powersets, with Storm, Bishop, Cyclops, Magneto, Morph and Jean having some jump-out-of-your-seat moments. Aside from between the pages of the comic books, this series gives great X-Men moments that would undoubtedly be unreplicable in live-action. So many things can be done with animation as the medium, and it was great to see the X-Men back in action in this specific format. Bringing back the retro look of the original, mainly using hand-drawn animation, X-Men ’97 nails it.
Of course, when discussing this series, we must shout out the excellent voice cast. With returning favourites like Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, George Buza as Beast, and Lenore Zann as Rogue, the series pairs the voice-acting OGs with capable newcomers. Matthew Waterston as Magneto, Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, JP Karliak as Morph, A.J. LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, and Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop round out the cast of our fave mutants and do a stellar job. Together, the group brings viewers the perfect blend of nostalgia and newness.
There’s a fine line between nostalgia and rehashing or making a carbon copy of the source material. In keeping with the nostalgia but also wanting to keep the series feeling fresh, supervising producer and head director Jake Castorena shared that this was meticulously planned from the very beginning of the project, and it shows. For me, X-Men ’97 does an outstanding job of honouring X-Men: The Animated Series while still carving out a path for itself.
There is so much more I’d like to say about the series, but it is very much the kind of show that benefits from being watched without knowing about any of the various plot points within the episodes. It will be a journey to experience the excitement while watching the episodes for the first time. I am excited to see what the series brings with the following seven episodes, especially when the first three ended; it only left me wanting more. One thing is for sure, though: the series reminded me of waking up early on Saturday mornings and watching the original show with my dad. Maintaining the charm of its predecessor was vital, and X-Men ’97 did just that.
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