X-Men: The Animated Series Somehow Made Comic Book Chaos Easy to Follow
Toons Up North
The setup
Professor Xavier leads a team of mutants including Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Jean Grey, Rogue, Gambit and Beast as they protect a world that often fears and hates them.
X-Men: The Animated Series did a ridiculous amount with twenty-minute episodes. It brought in huge comic storylines, loads of characters and some genuinely heavy ideas without turning into a confusing mess. The team all feels distinct, Wolverine is exactly as grumpy as he should be, and villains like Magneto and Apocalypse are treated like more than simple bad guys.
The animation can be rough in places, especially when you go back to it now, but the writing and voice cast carry it. It also shows that the X-Men work best when the superhero stuff and the prejudice themes are connected rather than treated as separate things. And yes, the theme tune is still absolutely untouchable.
Positives
Fantastic cast of characters, ambitious adaptations, memorable villains, iconic theme music.
Negatives
Animation quality varies, some dense comic plots move very quickly.
Verdict
One of the defining superhero cartoons of the 90s and still a brilliant introduction to the X-Men.
