X-Men: Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have to say, I remember reading these initial books when they came out in 80-81 and I remember being absolutely blown away by them. This was the introduction of Kitty Pryde, who, if you are a comic reader and my age, you had developed a massive crush on at just the right time in your formative years (it didn’t hurt she was Jewish, as I was, so, ya know, there was a bond). So it was with this sense of nostalgia I picked up the compilation
(I refuse to call this a graphic novel – a Graphic Novel is a coherant story told in a visual medium with the depth of a piece of literature. It is not a mere collection of monthly comics bound together in a paperback format in the hopes of turning more people on to the comic form by giving it a high falutin’ name). The other reason for my return interest is the thought they are basing the next X-Men film (going by title alone) on this particular sequence of the comic history.
Boy, was I disappointed.
I know, we have to look at the comics in the context of their time and how important they were then, and I am, but still, the artform has come a long way. Not to mention the collection is slightly padded out with stories which really have nothing to do with the “Days of Future Past” storyline, including an issue long catch-up which, if the editros had really wanted us to know what was happeneing, they could have accomplished with a three paragraph piece of prose rather than a 28 page piece of clunky exposition. And speaking of clunky exposition… wow. I understand the need to keep the casual reader up to date with what’s been happening in the story (and I will admit, if you’re reading these issue by issue, it might even help a bit), but reading it straight through, you come out of it feeling that everyone who ever compared comic books to soap operas was 100% spot on.
That all said, the two issue arc which actually hits the “Days of Future Past” stuff offers up some interesting discussion starters on political gain at the cost of human rights, congress vs. The White House and of course, causality and time travel. So while it wasn’t a bad read, like other pieces of literature I’ve tried to recapture recently from my youth, it might have been better to keep it as a distant memory rather than try to relive it.
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 
I remember that arc and being hit by the apocalyptic nature of that future history. I also remember God Loves Man Kills as a stronger story that affected me more. Have you revisited that one yet?
I remember that one I’d need to find an e-version of it or wait until I get back to the States. And by the way, the weirdest thing about the apocalyptic nature of “Future Past”? That future it takes place in is 2013…