May 5, 2010

No comic book company is more well-known than Marvel these days, thanks to the number of superhero movies and animated series DVD releases over the last several years. One of those is the highly popular and cherished X-Men animated series. This review will wrap up my “unofficial” 5-part review of one my favorite cartoons of the 90’s. It all comes down to the final 14 episodes in the Marvel Comic Book Collection: X-Men, Volume 5 (2-Disc) DVD set. This final 2-disc set features several of my favorite episodes such as “Old Soldiers”, “Jubilee’s Fairy Tale Theatre” and of course the conclusion episode “Graduate Day.”While I won’t go into the final episode, because it’s no fun spoiling the final episode for those out there who haven’t seen the show before.

In “Old Soldiers”, we get to dig a little deeper in the complicated life that is Wolverine. This episode features Mr. Freedom himself Captain America in a memory retelling of their fight to break into a Nazi stronghold and rescue a scientist from the control of the Red Skull. I always did like reading about their escapades in various comic books growing up so this episode is really cool.

Long before we had World of Warcraft, there was “Jubilee’s Fairy Tale Theatre.” In this episode Jubilee is showing some kids the caverns under Xavier’s Mansion. Man there really is more to the mansion grounds than we though. Due to some natural issues, the kids and their pyrotechnic tour guide are trapped underground. To keep the kids safe and calm, Jubilee tells the young ones a fantasy tale featuring members of the X-Men with her as the star. This is a great episode because it is not only funny but shows Jubilee in a bit more serious light.

Filmmaking: 8
Once again Stan Lee and Avi Arad bring some of the most well known story arcs to the small screen. In fact they put one of my favorite story arcs, The Phalanx Covenant, into the final season as a two-part event. The X-Men series has always been one of the best examples of bringing the comic books to life.

Visuals: 9
The X-Men TV series was done in a time when Widescreen just wasn’t an option so you’ll be watching all the action in 1.33:1 full screen ratio. The show has aged well and has transferred well to DVD. I remember when you could get these episodes on VHS so having them in DVD form is so much cooler. The colors are just as I remember them and show no loss of quality at all.

Sound: 8
Every slash, blast and ear shattering vocal ability sound is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. The voice acting for the X-Men is still amazing after all these years. They picked an excellent cast and it shows. You can even watch with the available French and Spanish Language tracks.

Value: 8
The Marvel Comic Book Collection: X-Men, Volume 5 (2-Disc) set features the final 14 episodes of the one and only X-men TV series from the 1990s. There are no special features to be had in this DVD set so the value section does take a hit. But on the plus side this last volume retails for around $16-18 dollars at most stores so you can have this set for pretty much a dollar an episode give or take. Not to shabby and it’s a must buy for any fan of the X-Men and anyone wishing to finish their collection.

Overall: 8.9
Overall, The Marvel Comic Book Collection: X-Men, Volume 5 (2-Disc) set is entertaining and fun to watch. I’ve been waiting for this final DVD set to be released so that I can complete my set. Even to the end the action remains awesome and highly enjoyable and I recommend picking up this DVD set as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.