X-Men Gold: Back to The Basics (Comics) | Review

What happens when you strip away cosmic threats and time travel to focus on what made the X-Men resonate? You get something intentional. X-Men Gold: Back to The Basics isn't another re-launch where Marvel throws familiar faces together and hopes nostalgia does the lifting.

This is writer Marc Guggenheim (Civil War: Wolverine, Extraordinary X-Men: IvX) with artist Ardian Syaf (Batman/Superman: Siege, Batman/Superman: Truth Hurts), Ken Lashley and RB Silva returning the team to Central Park, public scrutiny and the messy reality of being heroes that half the world wants deported or locked away.

It's Xavier's dream getting stress-tested when Kitty Pryde steps up as leader during the aftermath of Inhumans Vs. X-Men conflict. Coming off that brutal conflict where mutants nearly went extinct from Terrigen poisoning, the X-Men need direction beyond survival mode.

They didn't need another militant response or isolationist retreat but someone willing to stand in public and say "we're still here for you." That's where Kitty comes in, assembling Colossus, Nightcrawler, Old Man Logan, Rachel Grey aka Prestige and Storm for a roster that screams classic Claremont era without being a carbon copy.

The arc opens with Terrax the Tamer tearing through Manhattan. Big cosmic-level threat, plenty of collateral damage, exactly the kind of spectacle that should make the X-Men look like saviors. Instead, the crowd watches them win and still treats them like unwanted vigilantes.

Guggenheim uses that disconnect to establish the team's core problem: public perception is worse than ever. The government buries Kitty in bureaucratic red tape because they're operating out of Central Park. News outlets question why mutants can set up in Manhattan. Every victory gets framed as disaster rather than heroism.

Then the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants shows up as a straightforward terrorist group. Pyro, Avalanche and Mesmero leading attacks that make mutants look like the threat everyone fears. Mesmero uses his mind control powers to turn Magma against the X-Men.

There's a thread about Lydia Nance and her Heritage Initiative, an anti-mutant organization pushing deportation laws. This isn't subtle allegory. It's directly addressing fears about immigration, otherness and how politicians weaponize tragedy to justify discrimination.

What makes the arc work beyond its political commentary is how Guggenheim handles team dynamics. Kitty's leadership contrasts sharply with Cyclops's militant approach or Storm's regal authority. She's pragmatic, willing to compromise with city officials and play politics when necessary but draws hard lines when safety is at stake.

Old Man Logan serves as the team's conscience and occasional reality check. He's seen futures where the X-Men failed catastrophically, so his cynicism about public opinion feels earned. His interactions with younger members add weight because he's mourning everyone he lost.

Colossus and Kitty's relationship gets space to breathe without overtaking the narrative. They have history, unresolved feelings and the awkwardness of working together after time apart. Guggenheim doesn't force a reunion or manufactured drama but lets their dynamic simmer in the background naturally, developing organically.

Prestige's rebranding from Marvel Girl makes sense given Rachel's complicated relationship with the Phoenix Force. She's trying to establish her own identity separate from her mother's legacy and the cosmic entity that defined her for years. The storyline touches on this identity crisis but doesn't dig deep enough to fully explore it.

She's under mind control but the arc explores whether that matters to the public or if damage alone condemns her. Does intent change perception when someone with lava powers destroys buildings? The X-Men save her and prove the Brotherhood manufactured outrage but the damage to their reputation already happened.

This storyline eventually connects to later X-Men Gold arcs. The public perception problems intensify during the Mojo arc and culminate in the wedding storyline where Kitty and Colossus's ceremony becomes a statement about mutant rights and acceptance.

It also follows directly from Inhumans Vs. X-Men event where Beast's actions nearly caused a war. The X-Men are rebuilding trust after one of their own almost committed genocide to save mutantkind. That context makes Kitty's approach feel necessary rather than naive.

The art team rotates between Ardian Syaf, Ken Lashley and RB Silva, which creates some visual inconsistency throughout the run. Syaf handles the opening issues with clean lines and dynamic action sequences that feel lifted straight from 90s Image Comics in the best way possible. His Terrax fight has serious weight and impressive scale.

Lashley's style is rougher, more textured with heavy inking that makes certain scenes feel claustrophobic. The color work by Frank Martin stays vibrant throughout. Mutant powers pop visually whether it's Storm's lightning, Magma's lava or Prestige's telekinesis.

Guggenheim's writing leans heavily on Claremont-era tropes without copying his verbose style. Characters get thought bubbles and internal monologues but not the excessive narration that defined 80s X-Men. The dialogue sounds contemporary while respecting each character's voice.

The pacing suffers occasionally. The first issue moves fast, establishing threats and team dynamics efficiently. The middle issues slow down for political drama that, while thematically relevant, interrupts momentum. The final confrontation with the Brotherhood resolves quickly, almost anticlimactically compared to the buildup.

X-Men Gold: Back to The Basics delivers exactly what it promises: foundational X-Men storytelling about discrimination, heroism and fighting for people who hate you. It's comfort food for readers missing street-level threats and social commentary over cosmic reshuffling.

The roster works because Guggenheim understands these characters. Kitty's leadership feels organic given her history with the team. The Brotherhood provides straightforward antagonism without requiring extensive back-story. The political themes land because they're rooted in recognizable anxieties about otherness and belonging.

If you're looking for Morrison's New X-Men level innovation or Hickman's grand restructuring, this will disappoint but if you want solid execution of classic X-Men formulas with modern sensibilities, this delivers despite art inconsistency and pacing issues.

Worth reading if you're coming off Inhumans Vs. X-Men event and want to see how the team rebuilds. Also recommended for anyone who misses X-Men stories focused on being heroes in a world that fears them rather than dealing with dimensional incursions every six months.

X-Men Gold: Back to the Basics is collected in trade paperback edition, easily available from local comic-book shops, bookstores and online retailers. The storyline is also offered in digital format on Amazon Kindle, ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited, making it accessible to readers whether they prefer physical shelves or screens.