X-Men '97 Season 2 has officially come to an end! After an incredible first season, did Marvel Animation manage to recapture the magic, or did Season 2 bite off more than it could chew?
In this episode of SuperHero Homies, we give our full spoiler-filled review of X-Men '97 Season 2 Episodes 5-9, including the season finale, Apocalypse, Nightcrawler, the incredible action and animation, our biggest criticisms, and what we want from X-Men '97 Season 3.
But first, we've got a hefty 40-minute cold open!
COLD OPEN: FIRST 40 MINUTES
DRAGON CON 2026
We're heading to Dragon Con starting September 3rd, and we'll be there all weekend!
We're excited to experience the convention and hopefully meet some fellow SuperHero Homies along the way. If you see us wandering around Dragon Con, come say hello!
SODA CITY COMIC CON
We also recap our trip to Soda City Comic Con, where we had the opportunity to meet Wilson Bethel, better known as Bullseye from Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again, and the legendary Peter Weller, star of RoboCop.
We share stories from both encounters and our overall experience at the convention.
ARE THE FOX X-MEN MOVIES UNDERRATED?
With X-Men hotter than ever, we revisit the Fox X-Men movie franchise and ask whether these films deserve more credit.
The franchise definitely had some lows, but movies like Logan and X-Men: Days of Future Past remain among the greatest comic book movies ever made.
So... have we been too hard on the Fox X-Men?
THE BATMAN JOINS THE DCU?!
Could Matt Reeves' Batman eventually be folded into James Gunn's larger DC Universe?
We discuss the possibility of Robert Pattinson's Batman sharing the screen with David Corenswet's Superman, whether that combination could actually work, and what it would mean for the future of the DCU.
We also discuss our excitement for Batman: Knightfall Part 1 and the chilling new Absolute Batman Mr. Freeze origin story.
LANTERNS
We're loving Lanterns!
Unfortunately, we haven't had enough time to review the series weekly, but we give our thoughts on what we've seen so far and why we can't wait to give the show a proper review.
X-MEN '97 SEASON 2 FULL SPOILERS
After the cold open, we dive into X-Men '97 Season 2 Episodes 5-9 and the finale.
There's still a LOT to love about this series.
The animation, voice acting, superhero action, fight scenes, comic book references, and character work remain top-notch. Certain characters and storylines are handled exceptionally well, particularly Nightcrawler, who continues to be one of our favorite characters.
But Season 2 also left us frustrated.
We discuss:
• Apocalypse and his Season 2 storyline
• The disappointing conclusion to the overarching conflict
• Why certain Apocalypse storylines feel half-baked
• Nightcrawler's fantastic character development
• The incredible animation and voice acting
• Some of the season's best fight scenes
• Our favorite and least favorite moments
• The disjointed storytelling
• Season 2's pacing problems
• How Season 2 compares to Season 1
• The X-Men '97 Season 2 ending
• Our theories and predictions for Season 3
Our biggest issue is that Season 2 simply needed more room to breathe.
There are great ideas throughout these episodes, but important story beats sometimes move so quickly that they don't receive the emotional weight or development they deserve. The overarching Apocalypse storyline is especially frustrating because such an iconic X-Men villain deserved a more fulfilling conclusion.
That doesn't mean we've suddenly stopped loving X-Men '97.
Far from it.
We still think this is an excellent superhero animated series with fantastic characters, gorgeous animation, phenomenal action, and a clear love for Marvel Comics and X-Men history.
Season 1 simply set an incredibly high bar, and Season 2 doesn't quite reach it.
We're still VERY excited for X-Men '97 Season 3, and we're hoping Marvel Animation slows things down just enough to let its biggest moments breathe.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Did X-Men '97 Season 2 stick the landing? Was Apocalypse handled properly? Was Season 1 better? And what do YOU want to see in Season 3?
Let us know in the comments!
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