World 1992 cartoon series VS X-Men: Evolution

[Angamb]

Thanks Avalanche!

 

[Manic]

Evolution had superior character development. An all around better voice cast. Original and good stories. Better animation. And more time was put into it.

Evolutions biggest flaw was that it started out very shakey. By the second season, it really came into its own and it was awesome.

TAS just had one flaw too many for my liking.

I agree. I grew up on TAS, and it will always have a special place in my heart, but the dialogue, acting, and animation quality on that show sucked. Just to be clear: TAS had better character designs and art, but the way the characters moved was choppy and poor compared to the smoother animation of Evolution. You can't even blame it on the time period it was animated-- Batman TAS and Disney's Gargoyles blew it out of the water.

And I dare anyone here to listen to Storm and Xavier from TAS talk for more than 10 minutes without cringing. Storm had the most overblown, windbaggish dialogue ever written, and Xavier was just a whinny little screamer. Evolution's Xavier had a Stewart-esque voice that could turn a straight man gay.

Woo! I do believe I've got the vapors!

Evolution also put more effort into its characters. TAS had a great epic feel that threw you into the stories, but the characters were just pale shells compared to Evolution. Any cartoon that can make Rogue into a kickass character without Ms. Marvel's powers gets an A-grade in my book.

 

[Infinity9999x]

X-Men: the Animated Series (1992), across the God damn board.

It was pretty disappointing when I saw a cartoon that could be enjoyed by both kids and grown-ups when I was a kid only to be followed up by a flat-out kid's show when I grew up. Where's the reward in that for becoming a fan?

I wouldn't go that far Herr. I love TAS too, but I think only adults that would have enjoyed TAS were ones that like X-men. I mean, some of the dialouge in TAS was just...bad. it makes me cringe. Stuff that I didn't notice as a kid that I do now. (Storm mostly, Xavier never bothered me as much, but he did seem to scream a lot) I never really watched evolution, so I can't if it was better, but I didn't think TAS was that great.

The best animated series I've seen is probably BTAS, and I'll always like the spider-man (90's) series, even though that has some cringeworthy dialouge too.

 

[Abaddon]

What bothered me about TAS was Jean pre-Phoenix.

"AHHH!I'm having trouble lifting up this paperweight with my mind.SSSSCCCCCCCCCOOOTTT!!!!!" *faints*

 

[JP]

I agree. I grew up on TAS, and it will always have a special place in my heart, but the dialogue, acting, and animation quality on that show sucked. Just to be clear: TAS had better character designs and art, but the way the characters moved was choppy and poor compared to the smoother animation of Evolution. You can't even blame it on the time period it was animated-- Batman TAS and Disney's Gargoyles blew it out of the water.

And I dare anyone here to listen to Storm and Xavier from TAS talk for more than 10 minutes without cringing. Storm had the most overblown, windbaggish dialogue ever written, and Xavier was just a whinny little screamer. Evolution's Xavier had a Stewart-esque voice that could turn a straight man gay.

Woo! I do believe I've got the vapors!

Evolution also put more effort into its characters. TAS had a great epic feel that threw you into the stories, but the characters were just pale shells compared to Evolution. Any cartoon that can make Rogue into a kickass character without Ms. Marvel's powers gets an A-grade in my book.

I agree 100% with everything you just said. Everything.

What bothered me about TAS was Jean pre-Phoenix.

"AHHH!I'm having trouble lifting up this paperweight with my mind.SSSSCCCCCCCCCOOOTTT!!!!!" *faints*

lol

 

[Manic]

Me and my step-bro used to joke about how Jean fainted everytime she used her powers. Go ahead, watch any rerun you want. If Jean's there, she's going to faint. She fainted throughout the entire Phoenix Saga.

"I AM PHOENIX! ...help me..." *faints*

"NOW, PHOENIX! YOU AND I ARE ONE!" *faints*

"Jean, can I borrow your pen?"
"Sure, Scott." *faints*

 

[Abaddon]

Heh.I remember her fainting less during the Phoenix saga though.At least before it got dark

 

[JP]

It was always faints and Scott screams with her.

 

[Abaddon]

JJJJJeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaannnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!



Scccccccooooooooooottttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sparta*]

hahaha Jean's screams were hilarious. It sounded like they used the same scream over and over again everytime lol.

 

[Avalanche]

What bothered me about TAS was Jean pre-Phoenix.

"AHHH!I'm having trouble lifting up this paperweight with my mind.SSSSCCCCCCCCCOOOTTT!!!!!" *faints*

Lmao, too true.

Evolution Jean was vastly superior. She could stop speeding trains, blast through walls and contain entire explosions with her mind, and eventually, with the help of cerebro, she could even take on Xavier.

 

[Herr Logan]

I wouldn't go that far Herr. I love TAS too, but I think only adults that would have enjoyed TAS were ones that like X-men. I mean, some of the dialouge in TAS was just...bad. it makes me cringe. Stuff that I didn't notice as a kid that I do now. (Storm mostly, Xavier never bothered me as much, but he did seem to scream a lot) I never really watched evolution, so I can't if it was better, but I didn't think TAS was that great.

The best animated series I've seen is probably BTAS, and I'll always like the spider-man (90's) series, even though that has some cringeworthy dialouge too.

I, too, consider the Batman Animated Series to be of higher quality than the X-Men series, although reluctantly so, since there is a deliberate difference in tone and automatically a large disparity between a show about one vigilante and a show about a team of superheroes.
Regardless, though I haven't seen every episode of 'X-Men: Evolution,' when I did watch it I saw very little but dialogue that made me cringe. Even if each line spoken wasn't ridiculous in itself, when I look at who was speaking and what they were speaking about, I was disgusted. Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Nightcrawler are significantly younger than Storm? Cyclops being a snot-nose teenager while other people act as Xavier's lieutenants? Storm having a skater-boy nephew for no reason whatsoever? That wasn't the X-Men.

I'll gladly put up with TAS Storm's melodramatic monologues and Xavier's occasional screeching if it means the rest of the team actually look and act like X-Men.
Another huge flaw in TAS was having Nightcrawler only as a two-time guest star instead of a regular, and having him be a solemn, preachy monk instead of a swashbuckling, fun-loving gallant. Still, he wasn't a flaming embarrassment like the one from 'Evolution.' I'm simply not interested in what teeny-bopper versions of the X-Men would look like.

Also, whoever said that 'Evolution' Xavier was channelling Patrick Stewart obviously wasn't paying attention. He's channelling Sean Connery.

 

[JP]

They were, in a sense, X-Men in training. Xavier, Storm, Beast, and Logan were there teachers. But even still, Cyclops was always the leader of the team, and far from a 'snot-nosed teen'.

In fact, the series in itself focused mainly on Scott, Jean and Rogue. But it still took the liberties to focus on all the other characters as well, giving them a significant amount of development. A lot more than TAS ever did.

I think the problem that most people had with Evolution was that it was nothing like the comic books. It was an entirely different universe, much like Ultimate. Characters were different, along with their personalities. Granted, some of these personas didn't work too well, like Nightcrawler, Storm and Beast. But other characters like Rogue, Jean, Mystique, and the rest of the Brotherhood for that matter, were just plain bad ass, and characterized exceptionally well.

 

[Herr Logan]

All I know is, the 1992 cartoon got me into the comics, and 'Evolution' was one of many bad omens that pulled me out.

 

[JP]

A TV show pulled you out of the comics? Not the bad writing?

TAS definitely got me into X-Men as a whole. It introduced most people to the X-Men world. That, I think, is the reason why so many people hold it up on such a high pedestal that it in no way deserves to be on.

But, when it comes down to the tone/style/genre of both shows, they can't be compared because they are both vastly different. It just goes on what your personal taste is.

But, when you judge the shows on animation, voice acting, and development, Evolution wins.

 

[Herr Logan]

A TV show pulled you out of the comics? Not the bad writing?

TAS definitely got me into X-Men as a whole. It introduced most people to the X-Men world. That, I think, is the reason why so many people hold it up on such a high pedestal that it in no way deserves to be on.

But, when it comes down to the tone/style/genre of both shows, they can't be compared because they are both vastly different. It just goes on what your personal taste is.

But, when you judge the shows on animation, voice acting, and development, Evolution wins.

Well obviously it was the bad writing that pulled me out of the comics!



The bad TV show just made me give up hope of any chance I could watch those same characters translated properly in a different medium. Again, that is.
Basically, shows like 'Evolution' and the MTV Spider-Man show made it easier for me to back away from Marvel Comics, since the bad storytelling seems to spread throughout all Marvel properties and media. No point in hanging on when the whole Marvel culture is going to crap.

I will never agree that 'Evolution' wins in each of those categories. I'm not really sure what you mean by "devlopment," actually. In any case, even if the animation of 'Evolution' flowed more smoothly, the basic character models were crap to begin with.

 

[JP]

Fair enough.

I do agree that MTVs Spiderman was just . . . bad.

 

[WorthyStevens]

I agree. I grew up on TAS, and it will always have a special place in my heart, but the dialogue, acting, and animation quality on that show sucked. Just to be clear: TAS had better character designs and art, but the way the characters moved was choppy and poor compared to the smoother animation of Evolution. You can't even blame it on the time period it was animated-- Batman TAS and Disney's Gargoyles blew it out of the water.

And I dare anyone here to listen to Storm and Xavier from TAS talk for more than 10 minutes without cringing. Storm had the most overblown, windbaggish dialogue ever written, and Xavier was just a whinny little screamer. Evolution's Xavier had a Stewart-esque voice that could turn a straight man gay.

Woo! I do believe I've got the vapors!

Evolution also put more effort into its characters. TAS had a great epic feel that threw you into the stories, but the characters were just pale shells compared to Evolution. Any cartoon that can make Rogue into a kickass character without Ms. Marvel's powers gets an A-grade in my book.

Storm's voice was pure comedy.

 

[Abaddon]

"POWER OF LIGHTNING,I SUMMON THEE TO STRIKE DOWN MY ENEMIES.I AM A SERVANT OF THE ELEMENTS.LET THE STRENGTH RESIDING IN MY EBONY BREASTS SPRING FORTH,AND BE JOINED WITH THE POWERFUL WINDS OF TIME THAT HAVE DEVASTATED MY MOTHERLAND,AND NOW FLOWING FREELY,MY ENEMIES SHOULD KNOW MY TRUE POWER LIES NOT ONLY IN THE IMMENSE PROWESS I POSSESS,BUT ALSO IN THE DEEP ROOTS THAT RESIDE IN THIS DARK-SKINNED FORM.IN MY COUNTRY.IN MY NATURE.IN ME!YES,I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRDS SING!!ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRIES!!!!!"


Classic Storm dialogue.

 

[Herr Logan]

"POWER OF LIGHTNING,I SUMMON THEE TO STRIKE DOWN MY ENEMIES.I AM A SERVANT OF THE ELEMENTS.LET THE STRENGTH RESIDING IN MY EBONY BREASTS SPRING FORTH,AND BE JOINED WITH THE POWERFUL WINDS OF TIME THAT HAVE DEVASTATED MY MOTHERLAND,AND NOW FLOWING FREELY,MY ENEMIES SHOULD KNOW MY TRUE POWER LIES NOT ONLY IN THE IMMENSE PROWESS I POSSESS,BUT ALSO IN THE DEEP ROOTS THAT RESIDE IN THIS DARK-SKINNED FORM.IN MY COUNTRY.IN MY NATURE.IN ME!YES,I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRDS SING!!ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRIES!!!!!"


Classic Storm dialogue.

Haw!!

 

[JP]

"POWER OF LIGHTNING,I SUMMON THEE TO STRIKE DOWN MY ENEMIES.I AM A SERVANT OF THE ELEMENTS.LET THE STRENGTH RESIDING IN MY EBONY BREASTS SPRING FORTH,AND BE JOINED WITH THE POWERFUL WINDS OF TIME THAT HAVE DEVASTATED MY MOTHERLAND,AND NOW FLOWING FREELY,MY ENEMIES SHOULD KNOW MY TRUE POWER LIES NOT ONLY IN THE IMMENSE PROWESS I POSSESS,BUT ALSO IN THE DEEP ROOTS THAT RESIDE IN THIS DARK-SKINNED FORM.IN MY COUNTRY.IN MY NATURE.IN ME!YES,I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRDS SING!!ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRIES!!!!!"


Classic Storm dialogue.

up:

 

[Manic]

"POWER OF LIGHTNING,I SUMMON THEE TO STRIKE DOWN MY ENEMIES.I AM A SERVANT OF THE ELEMENTS.LET THE STRENGTH RESIDING IN MY EBONY BREASTS SPRING FORTH,AND BE JOINED WITH THE POWERFUL WINDS OF TIME THAT HAVE DEVASTATED MY MOTHERLAND,AND NOW FLOWING FREELY,MY ENEMIES SHOULD KNOW MY TRUE POWER LIES NOT ONLY IN THE IMMENSE PROWESS I POSSESS,BUT ALSO IN THE DEEP ROOTS THAT RESIDE IN THIS DARK-SKINNED FORM.IN MY COUNTRY.IN MY NATURE.IN ME!YES,I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRDS SING!!ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRIES!!!!!"


Classic Storm dialogue.

LOL! Simply brilliant.

 

[FieryBalrog]

I, too, consider the Batman Animated Series to be of higher quality than the X-Men series, although reluctantly so, since there is a deliberate difference in tone and automatically a large disparity between a show about one vigilante and a show about a team of superheroes.
Regardless, though I haven't seen every episode of 'X-Men: Evolution,' when I did watch it I saw very little but dialogue that made me cringe. Even if each line spoken wasn't ridiculous in itself, when I look at who was speaking and what they were speaking about, I was disgusted. Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Nightcrawler are significantly younger than Storm? Cyclops being a snot-nose teenager while other people act as Xavier's lieutenants? Storm having a skater-boy nephew for no reason whatsoever? That wasn't the X-Men.

I'll gladly put up with TAS Storm's melodramatic monologues and Xavier's occasional screeching if it means the rest of the team actually look and act like X-Men.
Another huge flaw in TAS was having Nightcrawler only as a two-time guest star instead of a regular, and having him be a solemn, preachy monk instead of a swashbuckling, fun-loving gallant. Still, he wasn't a flaming embarrassment like the one from 'Evolution.' I'm simply not interested in what teeny-bopper versions of the X-Men would look like.

Also, whoever said that 'Evolution' Xavier was channelling Patrick Stewart obviously wasn't paying attention. He's channelling Sean Connery.

I watched Evolution to see a great cartoon with the X-men concepts and translations of the characters, not to see the comic panels put on my TV screen. Sounds like you had a problem with the fact that they changed stuff, not the cartoon itself...

 

[Herr Logan]

I watched Evolution to see a great cartoon with the X-men concepts and translations of the characters, not to see the comic panels put on my TV screen. Sounds like you had a problem with the fact that they changed stuff, not the cartoon itself...

Sounds like you don't understand at all why I disliked the show.

Do I dislike the changes? Well, let's see... the real X-Men used to be an entertaining and intelligent fictional saga, and 'X-Men: Evolution' presented it as feckless children who say and do embarrasingly stupid things for cheap laughs. Yeah, I suppose I do have a problem with the fact that they changed stuff.

Only a simpleton would think that the changes don't define the cartoon itself. When you make a watered-down, kid-ified version of something that has been around for years, it doesn't get to stand on its own, it gets compared to its betters. If this show was the first incarnation ever of the franchise known as 'X-Men,' I'd never have gotten into it. It's got more character development than 'Power Rangers' (which is really saying a lot, isn't it?) and that's the most complimentary thing I can say about it.

Don't debase yourself by giving me the completely worthless, unoriginal platitude that "changes have to be made," or that cartoons aren't comics. They had a good cartoon already, and they let it get $hitty toward the end and then let some half-assed teeny-bopper version-- that's obviously even more for the sole purpose of selling toys than the original-- take it's place. They could have continued that show instead, with the resolution to keep it high-quality, but that wasn't catchy enough for the youngsters, and mature storytelling is sooo ten to fifteen years ago.

 

[Bullseye]

It's not even close. X-Men 1992 series is far better than Evolution. It is like comparing Batman: TAS to the current series The Batman.