#242 Days of Future Past (1980)

Author: Chris Claremont (writer), John Bryne (pencils), Terry Austin (ink)
Title: Days of Future Past
Genre: Graphic Novel
Year: 1980
Pages: 180
Origin: read on the iPad
Nod Rating: 2 nods out of 5

 

What with Superhero movies all the rage in recent years, the Worm has taken a fancy to having a peek at the original source material. The big blockbusters have taken in billions, however, it all started on the tablet-ops of artists and writers both intent on creating on creating an action story that would captivate the imaginations of young people. This particular read – Days of Future Past – is one that stroke the interest of the Worm considering the impending release of yet another X-Men film (the sixth in the “franchise”). Like a glutton for punishment, the Worm has sat through many turgid releases; ever in search of the great superhero film (much like the search for that elusive Great American Novel), the Worm even watched every minute of The Wolverine… The ending clip of which set up proceedings for celluloid’s take on the original Days of Future Past storyline.

Days of Future Past has become something of a legendary storyline within comic-reading circles, originally published across a couple of issues back in 1980. Its plot finds a beaten and older set of X-Men in a dystopian future in 2014. Mutants have been declared illegal, and as such have been removed in a variety of violent ways causing much death and misery. The violence stems from the iconic Sentinels: large robots with an array of mutant hunting devices. Despite being annoyingly inconsistent in terms of power in their various incarnations, they are heavy-weight villains that the recent movie series has been severely lacking. Jumping back into the past is the recently introduced character Kitty Pryde, her mind melding with her younger self in 1980. Warning the 1980s X-Men about impending doom, they set out to prevent the trigger that leads to later events: the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly by the evil Brotherhood of Mutants.

The storyline proved popular, leading to much creative ammo in subsequent decades (in particular the animated series of the 1990s, as well as the upcoming Hollywood film). However, for the Worm, it failed to live up to the much vaunted expectations harnessed by the comic community. Graphic novels have evolved a long way since 1980, providing the reader with less direct spoon-feeding of information and in-depth character portrayals. Days of Future Past has more in common with the Marvel comics of Stan Lee’s heyday back in the 1960s: simple story-telling that leaves no lasting effect on the reader.

Was such a comic ever intended for the Worm? An interesting Alan Moore quote – a man who has made his name as a writer in the comic industry – would firmly answer in the negative. He noted: “I think it’s a rather alarming sign if we’ve got audiences of adults going to see the Avengers movie and delighting in concepts and characters meant to entertain the 12-year-old boys of the 1950s.” As such, perhaps the Worm should leave his judgment for others more connected with the source material. No matter, he will at some point watch the upcoming X-Men movie whilst munching on popcorn… perhaps only then this recent, underwhelming read will finally find a fitting home.

Buy it here