GRAPHIC-NOVEL COLUMN: John Byrne returns to X-Men, sort of

By Dan Brown

John Byrne’s X-Men: Elsewhen will appeal most strongly to Gen X fans of the “Strangest Super-Heroes of All.”

The first of three volumes, it’s not quite fan fiction (Byrne actually worked on The Uncanny X-Men back in the day, so he’s hardly a regular fan), and it’s not quite an official Marvel release (since it’s being published by Abrams ComicArts).

I’m a huge Byrne enthusiast, so it lived up to my expectations. If you’re not a fiftysomething X-Men fan like me, consider it a pleasing summer distraction.

But be warned, those who didn’t live through the 1970s might find it confusing. 

Byrne wrote these comics as a pet project, not intending for them ever to be published, except on his website in breakdown form (ie. unfinished art). The collection answers the question, “What would have happened to the X-Men if Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix didn’t die in 1980?” That’s the starting point for this continuity.

Many fans were hungering for a reunion of Byrne and his former inking partner, Terry Austin. The two of them perfected the look and vibe of the X-Men from 1977 to 1981, making the gifted students one of the most-loved superhero teams of all time. That reunion didn’t happen.

The art here looks more like late-career Byrne, as seen in books like X-Men: The Hidden Years. 

The artist/writer does a solid job of balancing single-issue stories with longer arcs. One of those plots is the return of the Sentinels, the giant mutant-hunting robots, only this time they aren’t programmed to avoid hurting humans. Pulling the strings of this evil mechanical army is Hellfire Club boss Sebastian Shaw. 

Byrne being Byrne, there are lots of guest stars in this volume. If you’ve yearned to see the Fantastic Four or the Avengers rendered by the sometime Canadian one last time (he’s billing Elsewhen as his artistic swan song in interviews), you’ll want to check it out.

Also back are hallmarks of the Bronze Age like thought bubbles and the narrative voice. For some reason, the X-Men also go back to the Savage Land at one point. I just do not share Byrne’s love for the secret hidden jungle, but it’s clearly one of his favourite settings to use.

And if you’re wondering about Grey, she was lobotomized to get rid of her evil half. She has the mental capacity of a five-year-old in this tale, and it looks as though the Phoenix isn’t as dead as the Shi’ar empire intended when they wiped Grey’s brain.

One of the things I love about Byrne is he has never tried to hide his admiration for Jack Kirby. He is a Kirby partisan from way back, even praising the King when it wasn’t cool to like his pioneering style.

For me, this book is worth the price just to see Byrne again emulating Kirby’s way of drawing advanced technology in the background of a handful of panels. 

Come for the Byrne, stay for the Kirby homage!

If you’ve read Elsewhen already, please share your thoughts in the comments.

Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 33 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly Graphic-Novel Group book club.