'X-Men: Days of Future Past' focus of August book club
Midweek update: Discuss time-travel classic at Speeding Bullet Comics in conjunction with the Pioneer Library System
Discuss one of the most-referenced X-Men comics of all time in this month’s book club at Speeding Bullet Comics in cooperation with the Pioneer Library System.
The X-Men of the early 1980s were the “it” comic characters of the time as writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne drew comic-book fans into the lives of Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Colossus, just as the burgeoning comic-book shops became destination shopping for fans in the late 1970s and early 1980s. With inker Terry Austin, Claremont and Byrne made “Uncanny X-Men” a comics run for the ages.
“X-Men” as a comic also was willing to tackle darker themes, something that was still somewhat new in comics of the early 1980s. In 1981’s “Days of Future Past,” an alternate future sees most of the X-Men dead or in hiding.
“Days of Future Past” has been referenced and homaged a number of times as the X-Men try to stop a dystopic future from coming to pass. In the future, following the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly, mutants live in concentration camps, and the United States is under the heel of robotic, mutant-hunting Sentinels. Kate Pryde travels back in time, taking over the mind of her younger self to warn the X-Men of the danger.
Byrne’s art captured the reader's attention with his ability to provide kinetic comic-book action that, at the same time, drew readers into the lives of the characters. Claremont’s style, mixing mystery, soap opera, and deft characterization, was also irresistible to many readers of the time. “X-Men” was the gateway comic for a generation, and “Days of Future Past” was perhaps the best example of the “X-Men” story form.
The August discussion will be hosted by Dave Brown at 6 p.m. Aug. 15 at Speeding Bullet Comics, 614 N Porter Ave. in Norman, Oklahoma.
Register for the discussion here: https://pioneer.libnet.info/event/10648725.
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.