The fourth animated adaptation of the X-Men was unceremoniously cut short after just one season, even though it had a great deal of potential. It was set to be one of the best X-Men outings for some time. The premise of a team being led by Wolverine left a few fans feeling uneasy at first, but Wolverine and the X-Men turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise, as the show showcased some strong storytelling, a decent art style and a much darker tone than previous X-Men cartoons. The main plot was rather simplistic, but it worked; the trauma brought on from a brutal attack on the Xavier Mansion causes the team to disband, leaving Wolverine to pick up the pieces before the government-supported Mutant Response Division takes action on mutants around the world. Wolverine and the X-Men explored a lot of the classic X-Men comic arcs even in the first season, with storylines focusing around Mojoworld, Weapon X, alternate dystopian futures and the Hellfire Club. Even Wolverine's troubled past in Japan was brought up in the show, in an episode that was deemed too dark to be aired in the UK. Unable to work out a feasible amount of financing for the show, Wolverine and the X-Men left fans with just 26 episodes and no clear sign of any future seasons. It is a shame really, because ratings for the cartoon were fairly decent and fans praised it for its mature themes. At least fans can enjoy the current comic of the same name.
