Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 Is the Best Animated TV Show of 2024 (Golden Issue Awards)

Throughout 2024, comic fans were treated to some really strong animated adaptations. Marvel and DC properties both inspired some truly excellent shows, from new seasons of existing ones like What If…? and My Adventures With Superman, to new options like Creature Commandos and Batman: Caped Crusader. Interestingly enough, this year’s Golden Issue Award winner falls somewhere between a brand-new show, and a new season of an existing favorite. It’s not quite either, but it did keep fans tuned in week after week with a mix of action and compelling drama.

And the winner for the 2024 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Animated TV Show is…

X-Men ’97!

For many viewers, the original X-Men animated series was their entry point into the Marvel Universe. Debuting on Fox Kids in 1992, the series offered a blend of superhero action with high-stakes drama. Fans didn’t just tune in to see the X-Men battle the Sentinels, Magneto, and Mr. Sinister; they were equally invested in the love triangle between Scott, Jean, and Logan, the ongoing trial of Hank McCoy, and the shocking death (and eventual resurrection) of Morph. Bringing back the show with its surviving cast might have seemed like a logical choice for Disney+, but there was a lot of risk involved, as well. Sometimes, memories are best left alone, and the original X-Men series had some lower points that are best left forgotten.

Thankfully, X-Men ’97 not only managed to bring back the best elements of the original series, it also managed to far surpass them. Week after week, the 10 episode debut season kept viewers coming back, with a high-stakes plot, shocking deaths, and tons of tension. The writers gave fans an opportunity to pick right back up from plot threads from the original show, while also mining decades of comics that had been untouched, some of which came after the original series had gone off air. Favorites like E is for Extinction, Inferno, Fatal Attractions, and Operation: Zero Tolerance were adapted for the small screen, throwing the heroes of the 1992 X-Men cartoon into familiar stories with new twists. The debut season for X-Men ’97 felt immediately familiar, but with an edge and increased quality few could have anticipated.

Impressively enough, not only did X-Men ’97 bring us new versions of these classic tales, in some cases, the series even managed to surpass the source material. X-Men fans have long lamented the treatment Madelyn Pryor received in the original X-Men comics, and it wasn’t until the recent Dark Web storyline that the heroes were exposed for their unfair treatment of the tragic character. X-Men ’97 made Madelyn a more sympathetic character from the start. Judging by one of the final scenes in the first season, it seems that Season 2 won’t be shying away from controversial or less liked X-Men stories in the future, either.

In many ways, the original X-Men animated series kicked off the first real attempt at a connected universe in media outside the comics. The series featured connective tissue with shows like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Fantastic Four, much to the delight of Saturday morning cartoon watchers. While X-Men ’97 was careful to not overdo the cameos, the series managed to bring in characters that made sense, from major appearances by Captain America, to smaller cameos by Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. The series didn’t just feel like a return for one existing show, but for a universe that many of us grew up with.

It would have been easy for X-Men ’97 to not feel authentic to the original show. Thankfully, the series brought back several voice actors from the Fox series, including Lenore Zann (Rogue), Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), and George Buza (Beast). The series was forced to recast some roles, but brought in several excellent actors that captured the spirits of those that previously appeared. The show even begins with a slightly altered version of the classic theme song, resurrecting a track that can be sung a cappella by most X-Men fans.

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For all of these reasons, and so many more, X-Men ’97 was the ComicBook staff’s pick for the best animated TV show of 2024. The series was a big swing for Disney+, and it delivered in a way that delighted both those who grew up with the original show, and those new to the series. It remains to be seen whether Season 2 will be able to match the quality seen in the series, but one thing is for sure: it can’t come soon enough.

Do you agree with our pick for best animated TV series? Are you excited for the next season of X-Men ’97? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!