There’s no better feeling for a comic book fan to see the X-Men finally returning to our screens after many years of absence due to unavoidable corporate issues. Now that Disney owns the X-Men IP (after purchasing 20th Century Fox), the possibilities are endless for the Children Of The Atom. While we’re still waiting for a proper live-action return for the X-Men, X-Men ’97 is here to satiate our thirst. With the enduring nostalgic legacy of the original X-Men The Animated Series behind it, does X-Men 97 live up to expectations?

Short answer: Yes, it does.

To Me, My X-Men

X-Men ’97 starts with a literal bang, as the very first episode already shows off plenty of action and epic moments that fans will surely get giddy over. The CG animation made to emulate the classic 2D style looks good and well-animated. It’s a nice compromise and it certainly looks more stylized and distinctive compared to Marvel’s What If..? series. A lot happens in the first three episodes and it brilliantly combines good dialogue of drama, intrigue and humour, as well as gravitas at times. The original animated series featured episodes that handled mature subject matter and X-Men 97 continues that tradition with some powerful and tragic moments, and these are only in the first few episodes. You definitely don’t have to worry about filler episodes being in X-Men 97. Well, at least not in the first three episodes, but there will be a total of ten episodes in the first season.

X-Men ’97 isn’t afraid to cover some of the more complex characters from the comics. Comic book fans will understand how convoluted and soap opera-ish the Summers family drama often is in the comics, and without spoiling any specifics, you can expect some of that in X-Men 97, which is great to see. Most adaptations tend to skip all of that and don’t bother trying to navigate all that. Also, X-Men ’97 is clearly more for adults or at least older viewers such as teenagers. Besides the usual bigotry and prejudice against mutants, there are also some horror elements (even some light body horror) that may not be suitable for really young children. There are also more overt romantic (or dare I say, sexual) advances between the characters this time around. Of course, there’s no gratuitous violence or nudity; this isn’t R-rated like Invincible or Harley Quinn.

Also, you don’t have to have watched the original X-Men animated series to understand most of what happens in X-Men 97. Sure, there are returning characters and references to the past, but overall, the new storylines would lend well even to new viewers. One aspect that’s markedly different in X-Men 97 is how the main perspective has been changed to that of Scott Summers AKA Cyclops. Previously, in the original animated series, Jubilee would often be the focus or the main perspective from which the demographic of younger viewers could relate with; but Jubilee is barely in the first three episodes of X-Men ’97.

This is great because this means that the creatives behind X-Men ’97 understand that those who grew up watching X-Men 97 are now all adults. They can probably relate better with Scott Summers struggling to juggle his leadership of the X-Men and being a potential father with a baby on the way (Jean Grey being pregnant is in the trailer and is not a spoiler). Again, kudos to the creatives because the most common issue with making sequels to children’s movies or TV shows from decades ago is trying not to alienate the people who grew up with them and are now adults. This means balancing it to be faithful to the original and catering to the expectations of fans who are now no longer children. With that, X-Men 97 succeeds. Last but not least, a sequel or continuation like X-Men 97 is almost always more exciting and fulfilling than a reboot or remake (which tends to be the more popular choice for many companies these days).

X-Men Returns

There have been several X-Men animated shows since the end of the original X-Men: The Animated Series, but so far, X-Men ’97 has the potential to be the best yet, even better than 2000’s X-Men Evolution or the underrated 2009’s Wolverine And The X-Men. This is how you do a legacy sequel to one of the most beloved animated shows of all time.

Most of all, it just feels so good to be able to once again say: The X-Men are back.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100

We received an early screener of the first three episodes of X-Men 97 courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. X-Men 97 is slated to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia on 20 March 2024.