Generation Hope #1

I have been reading Uncanny X-Men the few months and I was really wondering what they were going to do with Hope and the new mutants that she has been recovering for the past four issues. I was also wondering when Hope was going to get her own book, and with Generation Hope, Marvel has answered both of my questions.

My biggest fear with this issue was that I had never seen the work of either the writer or the artist on the book. I knew that Kieron Gillen had worked on Thor before, but I also knew that he was the writer for failed comic series S.W.O.R.D earlier this year, so it was safe to say that I was skeptical. As for artist, Salvador Espin, he has done a bunch of odds and ends series with Marvel; most notable being Wolverine First Class.

When I first opened the book, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the art. It looked really familiar, and

after a few pages I realized that the art was very similar to John Romita Jr.’s art on Kick-Ass, which was really great to see. I had a good time analyzing how similar it was for the remainder of the book. Espin does a great job on many of the characters, and he does a great job conveying the feel of the story without having to rely on text.

As for the writing of Gillen, I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Throughout the issue he took the time to allow each of the new mutants to talk to the reader and describe how they are feeling about their new situation and how they are relating it to the old life that they used to lead. I feel as though this aspect is what added the most depth to the story, and that was on top of the interested storyline that book decided to tackle.


The first story arc takes up right after the end of the latest issue of Uncanny X-Men that came out last week. Hope and 4 of the 5 new mutants are on a mission to recover the last new mutant and bring him onto the team. Little do they know is that it is going to be more than a handful. The issue does not fail in any departments, it incorporates great conversation between characters, great action, story progression, and cliff hanger that brings the whole book together.

Overall, Generation Hope was better than my expectations for it, and I really enjoyed almost every aspect of it. I was doubting how the good the content would be because the story was kind of lagging in Uncanny, but the X-Men had proved me wrong once again. Definitely a book to check out if you have been following Hope since Messiah Complex, and if you haven’t been following the book includes a nice overview of Hopes legacy for the new reader. Check this title out, you will not be disappointed.

8.5 out of 10