X-Men: The Manga

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X-Men: The Manga (1998 -1999), 12 volumes, by Hiroshi Higuchi, Miyako Kojima, Koji Yasue, and others. Bamboo Comics/Marvel Comics Group.

This is a manga inspired by its American counterpart produced for a Japanese audience. Marvel used this title as another attempt to break into the Japanese comic market (others being Spider-Man: The Manga and Hulk: The Manga in the 1970s). It borrowed stories from the first two seasons of the Fox Network’s X-Men animated series. These are interpretations rather than original stories.

The covers sometimes emulate the American style in which the X-Men are usually drawn, but with some unique and touches that put a definite "Japanese" spin on the characters. The art in the actual stories varies, as each story (which comprises one television episode) is done by a different artist, and they each have a slightly different style. Some styles are simplistic, while others are more detailed, and the character designs seem to be more in keeping with the American designs. The manga storytelling techniques are interesting, especially if one has seen the television episodes.

Noticing differences in direction of action sequences, points of view, and focus can be very interesting. Some of the Japanese artists also have some very creative ways of depicting mutant powers in use. Storm is especially well-drawn when using her elemental abilities. In fact, on the whole the women are drawn better than the men; the favorite X-Men seem to be Rogue and Jubilee. Beast, on the other hand, is often drawn somewhat out of proportion and often seems to be used for a lowbrow comic effect in the manga.

The dust jacket of the manga has character profiles printed on the inside and highlight two different mutants each issue. And at the end of each volume is a two-page section entitled "X-Men Secret Memo Revealed Only to You," which answers questions about various mutants and their abilities, such as Wolverine's adamantium skeleton. This is mostly for Japanese readers who are unfamiliar with the X-Men.

X-Men was also released in a 26 Comic Format titled with "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ENGLISH."