Backlash


Season: 1
Episode Number: 18
Season Episode Number: 18
Production Number: 118
Airdate: February 21, 2009

Writer: Christopher Yost
Director: Steve Gordon

Voices: Steve Blum (Wolverine), Fred Tatasciore (Beast), Nolan North (Cyclops), Kari Wahlgren (Emma Frost, Dr. Sybil Zane), Danielle Judovits (Shadowcat, Tilde Saomes), Liam O'Brien (Nightcrawler, Angel), Roger Craig Smith (Forge), Jim Ward (Professor X, Warren Worthington II), Mark Hildreth (Quicksilver), A.J. Buckley (Toad), Gwendoline Yeo (Domino), Stephen Stanton (Blob), James Patrick Stuart (Avalanche), Tom Kane (Magneto), Kate Higgins (Scarlet Witch), Richard Doyle (Senator Kelly), Phil LaMarr (Bolivar Trask), Unknown (Mastermold), Unknown (Agent Haskett).

Plot: With the Sentinel Program now in full swing, the X-Men and the Brotherhood must team up in order to defend all mutants against the giant robot army.

Review (Warning! Spoilers!): Finally, we get to the story that everyone is interested in. While the last four episodes have done a little bit to advance the plot, we really haven't had anything to do with the Sentinels plotline since Battle Lines, of which this episode is a sequel.

If you have read my reviews of past episodes, you will have read my complaints about the X-Men not really being featured in this series. They only show up as a team in these Sentinel episodes. So it goes without saying that the Sentinel episodes get bonus points simply because we see the team acting as a team.

As always with this show, the battle scenes are laid out really well thanks to the excellent storyboard artists and director Steve Gordon. Each character (of both the X-Men and the Brotherhood) are given the spotlight to showcase their powers and value to the team. Not an easy task considering there are eleven X-Men and five Brotherhood that take part in the battle, but the creative team does a bang up job squeezing them all in.

Once again, not every character gets to speak in this episode. Storm, Iceman, Rogue and Polaris are all silent despite their involvement in the episode. Oh well. At least the team is all together, right? Beggars can't be choosers.

It was good to see Tilde's return, as well as Emma's diamond form which I don't think we've seen since episode four. And now that Nightcrawler and Angel have officially joined the team, finally bringing together all of the main cast, I'm sure we can expect that these last eight episodes of Wolverine and the X-Men's premiere season will be packed with lots of X-Men, lots of Sentinels, and lots of action!

Backlash is not one of the best of the series, since it is basically one big battle with little story, but it does showcase one of the best action sequences yet and it is exciting to think of what is in store for everyone now that Mastermold is acting on its own.

Oh, and if you are wondering, it was Wolfsbane that we see being dragged away by the MRD. I hope that she will be featured in a future episode.

DVD Releases:

Wolverine and the X-Men, The Complete First Season (Canada Exclusive)

Wolverine and the X-Men: Fate of the Future

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