The Big Split: A Look at X-Men Schism #1

Title: X-Men – Schism #1

Author: Jason Aaron

Artist: Carlos Pacheco

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Rating: T+

Release date: July 13, 2011

Verdict: 8.5/10

The X-Men are the ones who got me into reading and collecting comic books. I was the perfect age to enjoy the X-Men cartoon of the 1990’s and I soon found myself curious about the further adventures of characters like Wolverine, Cyclops and Professor X, so I checked out a few dollar bin issues and I was hooked. Now, 15 years later, I find myself still following the monthly meanderings of Marvel’s merry mutants and I enjoy them just as much as I did when I first read about them during the massive Onslaught saga. You see…I love when the X-Men do the big crossovers where you get to see a shitload of mutants. They aren’t for everyone, but they always excite me.

Cut to last Wednesday, and we get the start of the newest crossover event, X-Men: SCHISM #1. I didn’t know much about it coming in other than there was going to be some kind of split in the team, and Cyclops and Wolverine were supposed to fall on opposite sides of said split. Also, the series was to be written by one of Marvel’s (and all of comicdoms) most talented writers, Jason Aaron. This was enough to sell me right there. Aaron is one of the most trusted talents at Marvel, and along with other writers like Jonathan Hickman, Brian Bendis, Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, Mr. Aaron is one of Marvel’s main guiding voices.

So what was the issue like? It opens to Bobby Drake (aka Iceman) sitting on the beach when Wolverine is seen walking back to Utopia with a bunch of arrows and ninja stars sticking out of his body. Logan seems to be in a terrible mood, but this can be expected when you’ve been shot and stabbed as much as that guy seems to have been shot and stabbed. From here we see Cyclops go to an arms conference at the United Nations, with his most trusted ally in tow, Wolverine, as his security. Things don’t go as Cyclops hopes and by the end of the issue we have another arms race in full swing.

There wasn’t anything in particular that made you think that Wolverine and Cyclops are headed for the big split that they are rumoured to be heading too at the end of this mini-series, but you could see little signs of what may balloon into issues over the next four books.

This series is set to run on a bi-weekly schedule and will feature a different artist for each issue. #2 will feature the work of Frank Cho, while #3 will feature Daniel Acuna. This issue by Carlos Pacheco, the upcoming artist Uncanny X-Men when it relaunches in a few months, was gorgeous. I’ve been a fan of Carlos ever since he was drawing X-Men over a decade ago, and he has grown by leaps and bounds as an artist. I really think that this series, followed by a new Uncanny X-Men #1 (by Kieran Gillen & Carlos Pacheco) as well as Wolverine & the X-Men (by Jason Aaron & Chris Bachalo) is going to rock! I love when Marvel gets some of its most talented creators tackling the marquee characters. Things are looking up for the X-Men in late 2011!

So what did you all think of this first issue? Did you dig it like me, or are you on the other side? Will you be picking up the X-Men with Cyclops or the X-Men with Wolverine…or maybe even both? Let us know in our handy comments section below J .