X-Men: Gold Annual #1 Review

The 30th anniversary of the Excalibur team, which includes Captain Britain, Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler, is celebrated in this special one shot Annual.

Following the birth of a new baby between Captain Britain and Meggan Braddock, the old members of the team News back to the UK to catch up, which then goes wrong when D’Bari returns to seek vengeance on Rachel Grey, for the destruction of his planet.

This leads to a showdown on another planet, but quickly gets turned around into a positive outcome, without any real action.  Which was a little disappointing, since the idea of a bumper issue with the Excalibur Team was what I wanted to see in action.

But there are some great little moments such as how Meggan is struggling with her baby being a mutant and a fun scene with them on a commercial jet, since Kitty doesn’t want to waste expensive fuel on a vacation.

There is a bonus story that sees a young girl with her aunt, desperate to see the X-Men and meeting her idol, Storm, while on vacation in New York City.  It’s a simple story and leaves the book on a nice note, though all the little “pop culture” name drops will date this issue quickly.

OVERALL:  This issue includes two single stories, both of which have a nice upbeat story and leave on a good note, though the second story felt a little over the top.  And while it’s a bigger issue, it comes in at a higher price and with some great stories going on within the X-Men books, this might have been better as a introduction to get new fans into the Xmen. It’s a nice upbeat book but I was disappointed.

REVIEW SCORE: 6 out of 10

Here is a look at this issue: