The X-MEN as manga? Why not, they have been nearly everything else -- a hit animated television show in the United States, video games, lunch boxes, action figures -- even UFO catcher dolls and Chef Boyardee pasta, so a manga version really does not seem to be that unusual.
Stories in the X-MEN manga are taken from the first two seasons of the television series, which means that these stories can be easily followed by those readers who have seen the shows yet speak very little Japanese. But it also means that these are interpretations rather than original stories.
The art is something of a mixed bag. The covers are always very good, emulating the American style in which the X-Men are usually drawn, but with some unique and clever touches that put a definite "Japanese" spin on the characters. Quality of art in the actual stories varies, as each story (which comprises one television episode) is done by a different artist, and they each have a slightly different style. One style in particular struck me as very cartoony and simple, and as a result, the characters all looked like they were fourteen years old. Other styles are less simplistic and more detailed, and the character designs seem to be more in keeping with the American designs.
The manga storytelling techniques are interesting, especially if one has seen the television episodes. Noticing differences in direction of action sequences, points of view, and focus can be very interesting. Some of the Japanese artists also have some very creative ways of depicting mutant powers in use. Storm is especially well-drawn when using her elemental abilities.
In fact, on the whole the women are drawn better than the men; the favorite X-Men seem to be Rogue and Jubilee. Beast on the other hand is often drawn somewhat out of proportion and often seems to be used for a lowbrow comic effect in the manga.
The dust jacket of the manga has character profiles printed on the inside and highlight two different mutants each issue. And at the end of each volume is a two-page section entitled "X-Men Secret Memo Revealed Only to You," which answers questions about various mutants and their abilities, such as Wolverine's adamantium skeleton. This is mostly for Japanese readers who are unfamiliar with the X-Men, but it is interesting to read nonetheless.
For X-MEN fans, this is probably something to add to the collection. The later volumes especially have some very nice art. On the other hand, those who are not interested in the exploits of everyone's favorite angst-ridden mutants, will probably not find much in this series that is of interest.

X-MEN
Various Authors/Artists
Bamboo Comics/Marvel Comics Group
12 volumes
ISBN 4-88475-709-2 (volume 1)
¥580

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