This is topic Marvel's X-verse in forum Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities at Legion World.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=001871

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
First up, an image of what's apparently a new X-FORCE title:

newsarama retailer's meeting info

Can't say this line-up appeals to me much. I like Warpath and Wolfsbane-- but each has been pretty compelling where they were.

If this is it for X-Force, I'll likely skip it.

Oh, yeah, something else I won't be getting (unless there's some very unexpected 'guest stars')--

Click Here For A SpoilerCABLE's getting his own title--- to replace CABLE/DEADPOOL.

Sorry, to that book's fans.

[ January 10, 2010, 12:56 PM: Message edited by: Nightcrawler ]
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
Re: X-Force
Yeah, what I really want is a book full of badasses...
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
I was hoping to see Warpath more in Uncanny. The X-Force pic looks good for an arc or subplot within one of the main books or even a mini. But an ongoing? eh.
 

---

Posted by Omni Craig on :
 
I haven't cared about the X-books in over a decade now. But I've got to say, after all this hype and the upcoming mega-X events and the new X-books coming out, I still can't find it in me to care.

It's a shame really, as X-Men was the second title I collected on a regular basis (Legion being the first). It was during the Dark Phoenix saga... good times. Good times.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I thought for sure Carey's X-title would become the new X-Force with Cable, Sam and Iceman as members (given its not the original title). Have to say if that's the line-up, I wont' be buying. But maybe there's more to it than that.

I'd like Warpath and Wolvesbane where they are.

Feel bad for Reboot and other Cable/Deadpool fans.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Omni Craig:
I haven't cared about the X-books in over a decade now. But I've got to say, after all this hype and the upcoming mega-X events and the new X-books coming out, I still can't find it in me to care.

It's a shame really, as X-Men was the second title I collected on a regular basis (Legion being the first). It was during the Dark Phoenix saga... good times. Good times.

---

Mirrors me exactly Craig. I haven't cared for the X books in years, not counting the recent Whedon title. But there was a time that the X-Men was second only to the Legion (Titans running a distant third). And I jumped on during the Dark Phoenix story. Fell in love with Jean instantly only to see her killed. I think the first newsstand copy I bought was #136.

This news, like all recent X-news, just gets ignored when figuring out my monthly order.
 

---

Posted by Chemical King on :
 
The X-Books were my number three "collecting area" when I started out with US-comics in 1994, tracked down most of the old stories and kept on buying it til before Morisson took over...

I always had the feeling that the books went downhill after Age of Apocalypse. That storyline, was full of great ideas, stunning art, and the whole story was really going somewhere, although missing a decent ending.

Afterwards, Onslaught was dull, with Zero Tolerance you did not even see eny longer where it started and where it ended and I can't remember one single decent storyline in those years. Magneto dies, Magneto lives, Magneto dies, and in between, Jean Grey dies and lives, oh my god. So I quit.

Astonishing was good - for six issues, the second story with the Danger Room becoming alive (HUH!!!???!!!) was so lame that I stopped buying that one as well.

I keep on buying some German X-Men digests, but mostly, I am dumbstruck how bad that stuff is. I really don't get why so many people keep buying it.

Recently, I got #200 - just to see what was going on - and the art was terrible (aside from the cover), the story hard to recognize and the current lineup a total disaster. So I'll pass for the "Major great brand-new direction big event hot shot crossover" of the year - seeing Bachalo and his colleagues drawing it, X-Factor will remain the only book I'm buying these days.

Even sold some of my X-stuff from the late 90s recently - that, me being a die-hard collector, is really a harsh judgment
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Scott, Craig, have either of you given X-Factor a chance? No matter how bad the other X-Books get, there's always X-Factor (for the moment, at least; it does bother me that Rahne is being moved over to X-Force -- I hope upon hope that before she leaves, the PTB allow Peter David to resolve that flash-forward she had where she kills Madrox and Layla.)

I hope Deadpool gets at least a new solo mini-series sometime in the not-too-distant future, if not a new solo ongoing. He's certainly got the fanbase for it (as long as Fabian Nicieza keeps writing him, of course.)
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
One thing about the X-verse, there's always a heap of interesting characters *not* being used. Everytime I see Wolverine or Storm or Jean Grey, I think to myself, 'what about Nightcrawler? Or Cecilia Reyes? Or Unuscione?'

Meh. Edwards-Scissorhands-Force doesn't interest me in the slightest, and not because I don't like the characters, but because I *do* like some of the characters, and hate to see them teamed up with that hairy irascible midget.

I'd rather read the new adventures of Berzerker and Scaleface (despite both being dead, and utterly tertiary mutants who died in their first appearance) than another Wolverine story.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Carey's X-MEN comic has been a good read. Since #200, he's really picked up the energy of the book. He's avoided the soap opera that was most of the 90's. That and X-Factor should be the two X-books you read. I look at Astonishing much like Legends of the Dark Knight- sort of an ancillary title that may or may not be relevant.


I'm not stoked about the new X-Force, more because of the Wolervines than the tone. Ah well...

Cable is probably going to be a good book. I like the character, and Mike is suppose to be taking on a solo X-character. He and Fabian are the only ones to really get him.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
After Legion & Avengers there was X-men as a kid (and then Teen Titans). I also haven't cared much about X-Men since about? Fall of the Mutants.

I did like the recent stuff. Carey on X-men, Brubaker on Uncanny, and Whedon on Astonishing. But it looks like the magic died all at once. Marvel should have let each of those titles to branch out on their own.

They always do this. A writer seems to be taking a major X-title somewhere interesting and then there is a shake up. ugh. Everybody switches teams, etc. I think the actual rotating of team members hurts the titles. I want consistency. I want these people to stay on a team and become better friends, etc. Ohwell.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
I think the actual rotating of team members hurts the titles. I want consistency. I want these people to stay on a team and become better friends, etc. Oh well.

---

I agree. There was great interaction between Storm and Cyclops/Jean/Kitty/Forge/Bishop/etc. And where is she now? Married to some dude she met once when she was six and hanging out with some other team she barely knows.

Wolverine, hardly my favorite character, has had great interactions with Colossus, Cyclops and Nightcrawler. Cyclops is dead again, Colossus is alive again, but spending all of his time in the sack with Kitty and Nightcrawler is off somewhere being a priest? Or perhaps a demon? Maybe a pirate? Come back next week when he changes gender and becomes Mutant X...
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Exactly Set. Keep the teams together. Sure add or subtract a member here or there but these big overhauls really kill me.

I blame the editors.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I agree, that is one of the major problems killing the the legitimacy of so many X-books.

I also was enjoying Bru's Uncanny and Carey's X-men. X-Factor has been brillant, Whedon's Astonishing has been a let-down though the last issue suddenly had some great flashback panels at the end.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
I blame the editors.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
his name's Christopher Yost; the name rings a bell, but I don't think I've read anything by him before.

---

He worked on the X-Men: Evolution cartoon and he's half of the New X-Men writing team with Craig Kyle. (They also wrote a couple of X-23 mini-series together, probably because they created the character.)
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Thanks, Cali.

I've never seen X-Men: Evolution, because I'm not big on re-imagining the X-Men mythos (that's why I've neither seen the X-Men live-action movies nor read Ultimate X-Men.)

New X-Men intrigues me, but I hear that it's been mostly one death after another for a long time; did Kyle and Yost write any good stories before the killings started?

X-23 -- the concept is so...I can't even think of a word for it, but I'll browse through the trades or digests collecting those minis (I have heard some good things about them, which I admit surprised me.)
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
X-23 was created for the show as a way to tie Wolverine to the younger audience. I still don't quite know what I think of her as her entrance into the MU has been spotty. I haven't read either of her minis, though, so take that with a grain of salt. (I mean, before Kyle/Yost, the person writing her was Claremont. And the stuff with NYX was... weird.)

Let's see. Their New X-Men run actually started with the deaths. (Because losing their powers wasn't bad enough, right?) It seems to have plateaued recently but I suppose only time will truly tell. I didn't hate the last arc, which was the reintroduction of Magik. Didn't love it, either. Just sorta.. meh.

I understand where you're coming from with the reimagining thing-- I know a lot of people feel that way. That said, I personally loved X-Men: Evolution. It's actually a large part of what pushed me further into comics. The X-Movies... eh. They are what they are. Do love Ultimate X-Men, too, though.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
before Kyle/Yost, the person writing her was Claremont.

---

That sounds like it must have been so bad it was unintentionally funny.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
If only, Stealth. If only...
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
It's called X-Men: Emperor Vulcan. An off putting title, indeed.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
Being an Imperial Guard fan ('cause they are Legion-esque), I skimmed over one of the earlier issues on the shelves and was turned off by Vulcan's demeanor and the portrayals of the Shi'ar.

He flies up to some Shi'ar ship, kills a few of them, and the rest grovel and beg, so he lets them continue to serve him, telling them that he's gonna use them to go take over their homeworld or some crap. They're all like, 'cool beans, just don't kill us!' and go right along with it.

I didn't have the stomach to read anymore of it, so for all I know it was some apalling psychotic wish-fulfillment dream he was having and it's actually a wonderful series.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
And it wasn't a dream either that the Imperial Guard came out looking like... cowardly fools who follow whoever's leading the Shi'ar this week.

---

Isn't that Absolutely Standard for IG appearances, going right back to their debut?
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Yeah, it is, I just float in and out of denial. Brubaker had a chance to evolve the IG, and he blew it; now Yost has a chance, and while I don't expect them to evolve here, it would be a pleasant surprise if they did.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Anybody get a parallel between the Shiar and the Israel/Palastine thing?

I have enjoyed the entire X-Men in space stuff that has been happening lately.

Is Gladiator just a joke these days? I wouldn't mind Havok and Polaris to stay in space. It suits them.
 

---

Posted by Omni Craig on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lightning Lad:
Mirrors me exactly Craig. I haven't cared for the X books in years, not counting the recent Whedon title. But there was a time that the X-Men was second only to the Legion (Titans running a distant third). And I jumped on during the Dark Phoenix story. Fell in love with Jean instantly only to see her killed. I think the first newsstand copy I bought was #136.

---

No way Scott!!! #136 was my first X-Men issue too!!! What an amazing coincidence! Sometimes I get the feeling we're like twins separated at birth, but with different parents and about a year apart in age!
 

---

Posted by Ian Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
I've never seen X-Men: Evolution, because I'm not big on re-imagining the X-Men mythos.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
I still haven't been able to find a copy of X-Men: Emperor Vulcan # 3 (I didn't have it on my pull list because I never expected to get into the story the way I have.)

But I'm not giving up.

---

I was at my store yesterday, and they had plenty of copies of number #3. Would you like me to pick one up for ya when I go back today? (Apparently new comics didn't ship yesterday.)
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
That's very sweet of you, CJ, but I finally found a copy last night. Thanks anyway.

So far, I've just skimmed through it. I was disappointed that the Imperial Guard just stand around silently, and that the Chancellor's Guard are taking away panel space from them.

Still a pretty good space opera, and I like the way Polaris is being written.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stealth:
I like the way Polaris is being written.

---

I know, right? Shocking after her mistreatment under so many other X-writers. Lord. And here I thought I'd never not loathe her again.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
The only other time I can think of that she was well-written was during Peter David's short-lived first run on X-Factor. Although even there, she was my least favorite member. Um...yeah...
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
Checking out the March solicits... a veritable flood of eXcrement. Is Marvel trying to singlehandedly spark off another 90's implosion with all this crap?!

With Whedon and Cassaday's Astonishing wrapping up and David's X-Factor bogging down with X-overs, I may just finally be done with all things "X".
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Keep the faith in X-Factor. In a few weeks, it'll be back to its normal delightful self after its final x-over issue.

Hmm. Maybe I should change my status to "Legion World's Official X-Factor Cheerleader."
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I made a quick decision, and I did.

X-FACTOR, X-FACTOR, RAH RAH RAH!!
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
Stealth, I <3 you.
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
Ditto.

I guess I'm just annoyed that, as great as PAD and X-FACTOR is, he's not given the same space Whedon and Cassaday were on ASTONISHING to do their own thing, uninterrupted by the X-over du jour. But I'm already in for 27&28-- one of the dangers of ordering two months in advance-- so I'll wait it out and give PAD the benefit of the doubt.

(Can I get a pic of you in your X-Factor cheerleader outfit...? )
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Thank you, Cali and Pov. And I you both.

X-M: EV # 4 is proof of the old saying "be careful what you wish for," because Nightside actually gets a word balloon but unfortunately what she says is "The Earther mutants should die in fire." Otherwise, it's still a decent space opera, and the solicitations for the next (and final) issue seem to promise that Polaris will finally get her chance to shine after 40 years as she single-handedly battles the Imperial Guard.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Polaris didn't get her chance to shine.

And this is just the latest storyarc to not have a real ending.

Click Here For A SpoilerVulcan takes all the heroes except Lilandra prisoner, and gets the Shi'ar on his side...and that's it for now.

I have a hard time resisting space opera (though I haven't bought anything from Annihilation or Annihilation: Conquest.) So wherever this story continues, I'll read it in the comic shop -- then if it has no ending, I won't have wasted $15.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Yeah, the lack of resolution is annoying.

But I still enjoyed this mini- though it could've been *so* much more.

I wish they'd left Korvus out and had Rachel fall in love with an Imperial Guardsman-- whose conflict over siding with the Starjammers would've been more interesting. And maybe a friend or too would've 'defected' with him.

There was no way *all* the IG could've been featured during five issues, but it would've been nice if one or two were shown with distinct personalities and/or points of view. They can't all be as mindlessly loyal as Gladiator.

Or can they?

Of course, Lorna's role sounded much more important in the solicits than it actually was in the comic.

She pretty much ended up being the muse or inspiring force for Alex.

That said, the trust and knowledge of each other between the couple was evident and done in such a way that the reader wasn't hit over the head with it, IMO. Her communication to him ("this can only end one way") delivered by proxy directly lead to the climactic moment of the series.

Though I wish we'd been told what was next for the cast, there've been hints that there are 'plans'. (There were plans for follow-up SILENT WAR, too, though- so that doesn't mean much.)

The conclusion of the story proper, though not the final image of the mini (which went over my head), was a good one. Havok, Polaris, Raza and Ch'od (such a gem of a character- I'll miss his lines) are in chains on steps in front of a dais on which Vulcan is enthroned, the Imperial Guard and various Shi'ar functionaries surrounding him.

I really want to know what happens next. Which is a good thing. Unless the wait is too long.

I like Vulcan more than many readers. I wonder if he'll have contact with Havok in whatever time elapses before we see this setting again? Is it at all possible that getting to know his brother over time might change Vulcan at all? He is just a kid in an adult's body, after all.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
X-Factor is the only X-book I'm interested in. I could care less about Charlie on his deathbed, Bru has never impressed me with his X work, and Astonishing just flaunts its holier than the others attitude.
 

---

Posted by Titan Lad on :
 
I read the majority of the X-Books. It seems that the direction that they are going with for Divided We Stand is pretty interesting. Brubaker ACTUALLY wrote an issue that I liked (#495) and Yost & Kyle did an amazing job with X-Force #1. Now I am just patiently waiting for X-Men: Legacy #207 and Young X-Men #1 (mainly for Dani Moonstar.)
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-Force didn't do much for me, but I *am* looking forward to Young X-Men for much the same reason you are.

Have you seen the cover that features Dani with Magma? Their pose is suggestive on a couple of levels...

...I'm wondering if there's going to be some sort of New Mutants gone undercover infiltrating the bad guy group thing going on... or, heaven forbid, a case of New Mutants turned to the bad (or gray).

The solicits read like Cyclops will be sending this new team to face the former New Mutants- though that could be misdirection, or misinterpretation on my part.

The new kids that are the stars of the series don't interest me that much, except for Dust.
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Have you seen the cover that features Dani with Magma? Their pose is suggestive on a couple of levels...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Click Here For A Spoiler SUNSPOT is revealed to be the Lord Imperial of the Hellfire Club...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I think you're right, CJ. I hope Sunspot, Magma and Dani are the ones that remain. It looks like Cannonball is off to main X-land again, but if he isn't, I'd choose him over Dani.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Dani.
I'd like to see *her* with a nice long guest-starring turn in THOR.
Yes, Thor.
Then a stint in X-Factor.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
By the late 80's Warren had become so boring, with so few truly great appearances and storylines that something had to be done. And Archangel, though extreme, was just that.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I'm almost tempted to think a brand new set of powers would be in order, but after reading your list, I guess that'd be redundant. Really, her character has always been stronger than any power attached to her.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
One thing about the X-verse, there's always a heap of interesting characters *not* being used. Everytime I see Wolverine or Storm or Jean Grey, I think to myself, 'what about.... Cecilia Reyes?

---

quote:

---

... It's like reading Avengers back in the days where every single bad thing in the universe happened to the Scarlet Witch, one issue right after the other...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
I'll keep buying X-Factor for awhile longer and see how it goes (and I've somehow managed to avoid spoilers).

But is anyone buying Warren Ellis' Astonishing X-Men. Man, it SUCKS.

Really: pretty SUCKtacular. Don't know why I even bothered.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
EXILES #3-...

---

http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000339
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
I "Byrne-stole" the first issue of X-Men Forever aka Claremont's Latest Go-Round, and I have to say it was even worse than I expected. It's just an extended punch-up with Cortez and it reads like it could have been written by any faceless hack. Tom Grummett is such a good artist -- why does he keep wasting his time working with Claremont?
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
Aaaw, yeah...

HeroesCon: X-Babies Return!
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Any reaction to the smooches in recent issues of X-Factor? Two longtime members kiss in the future, while another longtime member meets a friend from the past with a kiss, as well.

The disparate plots are aligning... leaving me curious about what comes after when all the current convergences conclude.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I really disliked the most recent issue of ASTONISHING X-MEN.

Did they really just kill Forge in such a manner? Was it necessary to completely gut the character first?

I'm beginning to hate Scott Summers, not just for his 'relationship' with Emma. He's becoming more villainous that Magneto.

At least in the person-to-person sense. Will a more global villainy follow?
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I haven't read any of those books. I'm behind on X-Factor and couldn't get #46 on Wednesday. Probably could have if I remembered it was out and asked. (I'm going to a different comic shop and they're not very well organized yet.) I heard about the second kiss, though. Sounded kind of fast. I mean, does the old friend even know how to kiss?

I kind of liked Forge. :7
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Is anyone reading Dark Wolverine? I just picked it up this week and was shocked to find I actually like Daken. A lot. Might even like to see him with Moonstar, which is utterly ridiculous. (Although, with Rogue having her powers under control, the X-Books need another impossible romance.)

I still want to see him get pounded to a pulp, though. And I hear it's coming.

Does anyone know if Daken's made any bisexual references in front of Wolverine? I bet the look on Logan's face would be priceless.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
In my ongoing review of all the comics I'm collecting I quickly made my way through the two X-books I least like and am saving the other two for a little later.

They are:

Astonishing X-Men - I think I'm going to drop this. Again, Warren Ellis shows how much he can dissapoint when he does Marvel superheroes (including mutant teams). I think its just so...boring.

X-Men Legacy - I urge LWers who are enjoying this title to give me some reasons why, because I'm just finding it so boring. And I love Rogue & Gambit and should really be into this title. But it seems as if nothing is happening, the title is just lingering around and I can't find a single sequence where I like one of the characters involved.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Well, I'm not reading either title, but apparently Legacy will be absorbing the surviving New/Young X-Men cast after Utopia, if that interests you.

[I still don't intend to buy it, no. The slaughterfest kind of killed any interest in reading about the remaining characters from that point on]

[ August 01, 2009, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'm not reading it, either, but it sounds like Rogue's getting a good storyline for Necrosha. From what I've heard, I get the feeling Legacy's being stalled by Utopia.
 

---

Posted by Titan Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Any reaction to the smooches in recent issues of X-Factor? Two longtime members kiss in the future, while another longtime member meets a friend from the past with a kiss, as well.

The disparate plots are aligning... leaving me curious about what comes after when all the current convergences conclude.

---

That's all CBR talked about for about two weeks straight, it was hilarious and quite sad at the same time, especially when you have Peter David going up against a troll.

EDIT: I started picking Legacy up towards the end of the Xavier run, and I've found it enjoyable thus far. I'd rather Carey revert the title back into a teambook.

Anways, #226 was very enjoyable! It gave me the feeling that the X-Men were a family (with Gambit protecting Trance, Mindee Cuckoo and Rogue's exchange, Ariel coming out of the woodwork) it just seemed right for their current situation. Definetly waiting for Fraction's run to come to an end, if not just for the art, it's been storyline after storyline of disappointment and bad characterization.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-men: Exodus preview.

Is that Illyana on the last page?
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Uncanny X-Men #514 preview.

Click Here For A SpoilerDani and Daken in the same preview!
 

---

Posted by Titan Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
Uncanny X-Men #514 preview.

Click Here For A SpoilerDani and Daken in the same preview!

---

wow, Dodson is really playing up the stereotypes with Dani's outfit. When I saw the b&w preview, I thought it was Outlaw. It's great to see her back though.
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
I LOVE DANI! (But why is she wearing a cowboy hat?)

Whatever, I'm stoked! Wheee!
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Yeah, the cowboy hat is kind of silly. Especially indoors.

Btw, Hela is apparently in Click Here For A SpoilerVegas.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I caught up on Uncanny X-Men and I have to say I agree with Reboot in that this book is the very definition of 'mediocre'. There isn't anything wrong with it per se, there just doesn't seem to be anything all that impressive about it.

The Dark X-Men thing is just another thing for me to sigh at / yawn at.

And Fraction really seems to write Cyclops in a way that makes him seem like a buffoon and pretty inefficient leader, with Emma Frost playing him all the time. I can't stand that.

The Beast's group of scientists is cool and I find them interesting but its almost like I'd like to see that in its own miniseries. There are just so many characters here and almost none of them do anything other than show up for a few panels just to be seen and have a line of dialogue.

And Fraction's trying to hard to be cute and witty. Its coming off forced.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Well, Beast's going to be in the new SWORD series.

[The Chicago X-panel is here, but mostly X-Force stuff: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22472 ]
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Okay, something else - an article on Dark X-Men that CBR put up and pulled down very quickly. It's still in the whatever-microsoft-are-calling-their-search-engine-today cache:

quote:

---

CCC09: Cornell, Kirk, and Lowe Talk “Dark X-Men”

Image: http://www.comicbookresources.com/prev_img.php?disp=img&pid=1249775066

Given their evolved nature it's no surprise that change is a constant in the mutant community of the Marvel Universe. Not everyone is a fan of change though. Norman Osborn especially has a reason to fear any changes in the mutant community, because it could threaten his carefully constructed Dark Reign over the Marvel U. This November, Osborn dispatches special team to take care one of these mutant problems in the five issue “Dark X-Men” mini-series by writer Paul Cornell and artist Leonard Kirk. CBR News spoke with the creators and their Editor Nick Lowe about the project, which was announced Sunday at Marvel's X-Men panel at the Wizard World Chicago Convention.

The seeds for “Dark X-Men” were actually planted on another Cornell, Kirk, and Lowe collaboration, “Captain Britain and MI13.” “I was taken with Paul's depiction of Dracula in that series. I loved the menacing intelligence. And just generally loved working with Paul,” Nick Lowe told CBR News. “So when the Dark X-Men came about in 'Utopia' and we knew we wanted to do a miniseries centered on them afterwords, Paul jumped out as the obvious choice. His villains are unique, so with a book mainly about villains, it just seemed right. And he slipped me $20.”

As Lowe mentioned, Norman Osborn's team of Dark X-Men made their debut in “Utopia”, the currently unfolding crossover between “Dark Avengers” and “Uncanny X-Men”. The “Dark X-Men” mini-series takes place after the “Exodus” special that brings the crossover to a close. “It's a few weeks after the fact and the world is definitely shaken up,” Lowe hinted.

When “Dark X-Men” begins the title characters are supposed to be a stable team that functions well together. “At least that's what Osborn has sold. They're supposed to be able to handle this. But they're really just playing amongst the ruins, and inside they know it,” Paul Cornell remarked. “They're meant to be the go to people for mutant problems in Osborn's world, and like so many times when a dictator decides he knows the right people to do a job, he's a long way off the mark.”

Cornell had a lot of fun examining and playing with several of Osborn's Dark X-Men in the “Dark X-Men: The Beginning” mini-series, so the writer is enjoying the chance to once again probe the title characters' psyches and examine how they relate to one another. “I always enjoy team books, because I always enjoy the way team members interact. And all of the members here have big back stories and are characters that make for interesting interactions,” the writer explained. “I'd tell you about who's in it, but I don't want to spoil the end of Utopia!”

There was one “Dark X-Men” character that Cornell could talk about in some detail though. He's not a team member, he's a target. His name is Nate Grey AKA X-Man. The son of an alternate reality's Jean Grey and Cyclops, Grey first appeared in the 90's X-Men storyline “The Age of Apocalypse.” At the close of that storyline he found himself in the mainstream Marvel Universe where he put his vast mutant powers to work as a hero. During one of those exploits it looked like Nate sacrificed his life to save the world from alien invasion and “Dark X-Men” marks his return to the Marvel Universe.

“He's near omnipotent, the mutant shaman, and he's terrifying to my cast of characters,” Cornell said. “That’s because he's exactly what they don't want in play right now: a very powerful, charismatic, alternative leader of mutant affairs. And a Summers, to boot. X-Man is dreaming his way back into the world, the deadliest possible hero.”

Unfortunately for the cast of “Dark X-Men” they’ll have no choice but to confront Nate Grey because he quickly becomes part of an important mission that Osborn tasks them with. “The story is called ‘Journey to the Centre of the Goblin’, and, though it won't become clear until towards the end, that's exactly what it becomes about, getting inside Norman Osborn's head,” Cornell revealed. “On the way, we encounter the world haunted by Nate, the cult that S.H.I.E.L.D. became, and the twisted psyches of our four leads, which skew the story in ways that might surprise you.”

While S.H.I.E.L.D., the intelligence agency used technology and highly trained agents to police the world, the cult that S.H.I.ELD. has become operates in a more sinister manner. “They have a design sense and a vague ethic and limited depth perception and a horrifying group mind,” Cornell hinted.

Since “Dark X-Men” features a cast of twisted protagonists, a cult, and a mind-bending powerful mutant like X-Man, readers probably expect the series to go to some dark and ugly places. It does, but that doesn’t mean the ride to those places won’t be enjoyable. “It's sickening fun that has more impact on how the world views the X-Men than you'd hope, when you know who's left on the team. There's fun humor, and then there's darker humor, and then there are, I think, some sinews you'll find yourself treading on,” Cornell explained. “It's the sort of dark comedy that happens when people who really aren't by nature heroes try to be. And find themselves killing people even when they don't mean to.”

Cornell couldn’t be happier to have his frequent collaborator Leonard Kirk bringing to life all the twisted, chilling romp that is “Dark X-Men.” “It's great to still be working with Leonard. By this point, we know each other's game very well, and I can write while visualizing what he's going to give me,” the writer remarked. “Although he always surpasses my expectations.”

Leonard Kirk is just as pleased to be working with Cornell again. “Paul is terrific! He’s a witty, clever writer with a great eye for detail. Also, a little known secret, Paul Cornell has the second largest collection of Gregorian chant recordings in the western hemisphere. The first largest, of course, belonging to Charlton Percy of North Dakota, recently deceased,” the artist said. “I have said before and will say again that I love how open Paul is in this work. He is receptive to ideas and treats the writer/artist relationship as a true collaboration. And his personal hygiene is beyond reproach.”

The chance to work with Cornell was one of the reasons Kirk took the “Dark X-Men” assignment. The other was the characters involved. “I really look forward to drawing characters like Dark Beast.” he said. “He’s always been one of my favorites. I’m not sure if this is because of his powers or if I just have a thing for the color blue.”

Kirk couldn’t reveal much about the other characters he’ll be drawing in the mini-series but he is currently brainstorming possible looks for X-Man. “I haven’t drawn his grand entrance, yet but I suppose his look will be closer to his more recent appearance with the tattoo on his chest but there might be a few tweaks to his design. I’d rather not mess too much with it though. As much as I enjoy designing and redesigning characters, I prefer not to do it if it isn’t really necessary.”

The style Kirk is employing for “Dark X-Men” will resemble the “Namor/Norman” short story he and Cornell did for “Dark X-Men: The Beginning” #1. “I’ve considered tweaking it a little but I doubt that I will change it too much,” Kirk stated. “I like the results with Jay Leisten’s inks.”

Kirk is still in the early stages of his work on “Dark X-Men” but he can’t wait to see how the series develops. “There is a lot of fun stuff to draw in the first issue, which you can usually take to mean, ‘Lots o’ stuff blowin’ up!’", the artist said. “And I can’t wait to read the next script.”

“Dark X-Men” is a series that will take readers on a journey with one of the Marvel Universe’s more unique and unhinged teams but it will also offer some interesting insight into the man and the environment responsible for bringing together such a team. “There's going to be some serious stuff in here about what institutions have become like in the wake of Osborn's administration,” Paul Cornell said. “I like to think we're this big awkward lens that's looking into the middle of what Osborn's done to the Marvel universe, and not really liking what we see.”

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Reboot:
Well, Beast's going to be in the new SWORD series.

[The Chicago X-panel is here, but mostly X-Force stuff: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22472 ]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
Interesting. I wonder why they pulled it?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
Still, I'll only be getting it if Daken's in it.

---

I'm sure there are voluntary organisations to help rehabilitate people with that sort of problem . The treatment involves a load of Wolverine: Origins TPBs, I believe.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Uh-uh, not touching them. What I've heard about them isn't good. I have a feeling Dark Wolverine is only good because Marjorie Liu is co-writing.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Looks like Marvel wanted to get the news on their own site first. Marvel Article
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
DARK X-MEN UTOPIA THE BEGINNING #3 (Lord, I wish they'd pick one title for these things) featured a scene that lots of readers have been wanting to read.

Norman Osborn gets his butt handed him to as he tries to strongarm a mutant into joining his little fauX-Men. Said mutant? None other than Jeanne-Marie Beaubier.

She's apparently further fractured than I ever knew, though it's possible this aspect to her has been told elsewhere. I never *quite* liked her as much as her brother, though I do like it when she pops up.

The other two stories feature an extended bit of foreplay between Namor and Emma and Norman and Mystique on a date in a biker bar... with a quietly arresting, character-revealing cover.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
First off, I guess the thread title should be changed for this thread? Updated to 2010? I know I like to use this thread to discuss Uncanny X-Men, X-Men Legacy and Astonishing X-Men (New Mutants and X-Factor in another thread and I don't collect X-Force).

So, I've caught up with X-Men Legacy with the latest two issues (#230-231). This has been a very difficult title for me to get into since it became "Legacy" which is too bad. I like a lot of what Carey does (Unwritten is brillant) and Rogue is in my top three favorite X-Men. Yet this title seemed to bore me to tears for awhile now. #230 doesn't really change that, and Daniel Arcuna's art doesn't help--I find him really flat. However, #231 I felt was the first noticable issue in a long time that felt like an improvement. It had intrigue/suspense, several different X-Men working together (and a line-up that interests me) and some great art by Clay Mann and Danny Miki, neither of whom I recognize. It was a definite step in the right direction.

The major problem with Legacy is the same as shared with the rest of the main X-titles: it doesn't really feel to be going anywhere. So much of it seems to running through the motions, and I ultimately feel like we'll be right back where we started eventually, complete with a mansion and Xiavier in a wheelchair leading them, and everything in between is boring and irrelevant. None of the writing in any of the titles has helped me to improve that point of view.

Another problem is the total lack of any real line-up. At first it seemed like it could work--tons of different mutants that could potentially help out in any issue, but the execution as been such that it feels like the X-titles are a general mess with no direction and everyone just running around.

I have dropped Astonishing X-Men completely, feeling its the weakest of all three. Uncanny X-Men is at the very bottom of my reading pile as a mediocre piece of work. And Legacy was bordering on being dropped but the latest issue has given it a reprieve. The X-titles are probably the weakest they've been in a long, long time--since the Australian outback even. Even the late 90's "Search for Xiavier" debacle wasn't this damn boring.

I'm not following Necrosha (and don't collect X-Force) so it was all a little confusing here. Not much in the way of explanation which is an editorial blunder. I certainly don't have the patience or interest to go online and find out for myself all the minutae of the event.

I'd love it if Rogue and some others (even Xiavier himself) formed a strait-forward line-up and struck out on their own. Of course, they'd need to have a real reason to (that doesn't seem forced like in the past) and the execution would need to be good.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I've dropped all the X-Men proper books.

Astonishing has never worked well for me. Warren Ellis usually guarantees success, but not here on this title. And Bianchi's art, while nice to look at, doesn't tell a story to me. I know he's suppose to get a replacement, but that doesn't excite me enough to grab it again.

Uncanny was okay, but I'm tired of Scott and Emma and Beast. Sure, there's a mix of other mutants as the story allows, but they come and go, used and set aside for our regulars to get more air time. Folks have been reveling in Scott's new command role, but he's as flat as ever. The rotating artists work well, even with the usual comments about Greg Land's stuff. Again tho, nothing to excite me.

Legacy has so much potential, and yet it's never delivering for me. Carey has it mired in navel gazing. I do like Rogue's turn as the focus, and her recent control over her powers has been a long time coming. But there's no story here, just more of her wondering and pondering and wanting... Acuna's art was enough to make me drop the book. That and the plodding story of Bling! and Emplate.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Acuna's off the book. I just added Legacy to my pull list, but I haven't got any issues yet. I miss Rogue.

Uncanny's dull these days. I've never cared about Scott and Emma's been out of character for ages. Still, I'm going to stick with it till after Second Coming which is starting soon. I read New Mutants, X-Force, X-Factor and, like I said, Legacy now. Might as well stick with Uncanny through the crossover.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Nation X #2: This is one of those compilation type issues featuring characters that don't get a lot of spotlight, usually grouped with a story starring a character who does. Here, it's Jubilee, Martha Johansson, Northstar and Gambit.

I face a basic conflict whenever I read one of these anthology type issues. In their favor, there are characters that I enjoy reading about who seldom receive storylines of their own in their home books and I do like seeing them get their shot. Also, writers and artists often get their start in short stories like these and it's fun to get a taste of new talent. Sometimes a character I never cared about in the least gets featured in a compilation and something about the story 'speaks' to me, and I begin to see them in a new way. Greymalkin comes to mind, as an example. Though I much prefer longer stories, the longer the better, there have been some real little gems here and there in similar anthologies.

On the other hand, it can take some digging to get to those gems. Crafting a short story is a real art of its own, and not all writers or artists are adept at it. Often, they're inconsequential or too obviously gimmicky. Characters can appear different than in other of their appearances, in a jarring way. An unappreciated favorite's shot at the spotlight can disappoint when their story falls flat.

Here, there's a gem- I think. The Martha Johansson story was really quite entertaining, with a sense of tightening pace and real stakes. She's perhaps the single most 'alien' mutant among the X-characters, yet her character comes across as warm and accessible. I think she's a Grant Morrison creation, but I wouldn't swear to that. In any case, I hope the thoughts she makes at issue's end, after thwarting Quentin Quire's plot, are followed up upon.

I suppose Legion fans would be somewhat predisposed to liking a brain-in-a-jar as a superheroine...

I was disappointed in Northstar's story... and it was the one that prompted me to buy this issue. He's one of my favorite Marvel heroes and I appreciate that this was a clear, direct story about his relationship with another man. Northstar didn't 'sound' like himself here. I was surprised that his sister has a job that requires an assistant, given some of what she's been through. Having JP date that assistant makes me a tad uncomfortable. He's likeable enough. I wanted to like this more than I did- the art is cartoony, which is fine, but combined with a Northstar that didn't seem like Northstar, I thought it turned out to be inconsequential.

The Jubilee and Gambit stories were OK, but I don't really remember enough about either of them to provoke a response. I liked the art of Mike Choi and Sonia Oback on the Jubilee tale. Does Gambit still have his 'Gas Girl' powers? I find those a thousand times more interesting than exploding cards. Which means they'll never be explored more than the so-obvious and unimaginative fart jokes. Which have always marginalised the Lallorian heroine, too. Sigh.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
DARK X-MEN #3: I enjoyed this issue, somewhat in spite of myself. I hadn't missed X-man (mostly because of that name) and his somewhat puzzling schtick of 'mutant shaman'. But here, I found him engaging and eminently 'watchable'. I liked his interactions with Mimic and Ares. The fight scene was fun and somewhat unpredictable.

Though I'm sort of bored with Mystique, she's used to great effect here.

The end of the issue features a jawdropper of a revelation (at least my jaw dropped) that I sort of wish could've been spread out over a few issues, it's impact was that strong.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I don't suppose you'd care to spoil it?
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Click Here For A Spoiler At the end of the fight, it seems X-Man has disappeared or been killed or something. In the last scene, Mystique confronts Osborn in his office, ending her dialogue with the word "Nate", as we see that Nate is impersonating Osborn.

No idea how that'll fit into the other 'dark' titles as they approach their ends. Hopefully, it'll have ramifications in titles other than this one, but who knows?
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I don't really see how that could fit in with the Avengers titles.
 

---

Posted by Dev Em on :
 
It'd be funny if it did though. Talk about breaking all the rules of storytelling if that was the case.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Hmm, the fur would certainly fly.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Having just read Uncanny X-Men #519, I see my impressions were similar to what a lot of other people have been saying. The comic is just incredibly dull and mediocre these days and I can't figure out why I'm even bothering anymore. It might time to take a break from it.

I can't help but find Cyclops and Emma to be just be incredibly annoying. They chew up the scenery in every issue. Added to that, Beast has become such a whining annoyance as well. All three need a serious breather.

Meanwhile, the book is so over-crowded with secondary characters that no one ever gets a chance to shine. Namor and Magneto are adding nothing here and every time I see them I wish they were elsewhere.

Something is really wrong with the X-universe these days and Uncanny is the epicenter of it. If it keeps up I might as well just wait until Prof X is back in the wheelchair and they're all back at the Mansion--because lets face it, that's happening--and start reading again then.

Out of my entire Comic Book Review Month this was probably the comic I enjoyed the least because it felt like I wasted my time.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Am I the only one reading Dark Wolverine?

Daken is such an evil bastard. I just love seeing what he's going to try next. And the way he plays with peoples homophobia his hilarious. I hope they do reform him a little. I think it's going to be hard to continue writing solo adventures for him if he doesn't. That said Marjorie Liu is doing a great job with him at the moment.


Right now he's in Asgard with the Dark Avengers, but it looks like his storyline is going to pull away from the rest. The Norns are taking an interest in him and showing him what might be.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
UNCANNY 521: If only all of the current creative team's efforts read like this one. Villains that sweemed thoroughly forgettable at best, now seem much more substantive and story-generative.

I'm by no means a Fantomex fan, but I did enjoy his part in the story (and E.v.a.'s). Even better are the potential developments surrounding Magneto and his little 'man on the mountaintop' interlude.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-Legacy #233 featured the end of the return of Proteus, which really should've been a bigger deal, and a lot of possessed people doing the kinds of things possessed people do.

Of note were two scenes concluding the issue. The first consisted of two conversations between Destiny and Rogue and then between Destiny and Blindfold. Then, Destiny walks off to die, she says anyway. I hope not.

This was good, strong writing which left me wanting more.

The other scene was between Rogue and Magneto and it referenced a long-ago romance between the two. Magneto, at least, wants to stoke the old embers. Rogue looks- what? Intrigued? Surprised? Horrified? Her expression is enigmatic. Nothing like good old-fashioned soap opera in spandex.

I say that with affection, with no sarcasm attached. Really. Sincerely.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-Force #24-- OK- somehow I missed an issue, so once I get that I'll address things more fully- but I'll just get in now that the Thunderbird/Warpath scene was effective. Somewhat following a familiar path, but effective, nonetheless. If only I could've seen it, as well as read it.

This is a dark book- I get that. And I like a lot of Crain's art and colors. But sometimes, I want to see what's going on!
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
GAH!
 

---

Posted by Mattropolis on :
 
uhoh
 

---

Posted by Dev Em on :
 
What CJ Said.

I have three characters I love at Marvel. They've killed one and brought him back (cheapening his sacrifice - and I do feel the same about Barry over at DC). At least Colossus is back.

Spider Man is not the same character I grew up loving. He would never make a deal with a devil to achieve his ends. Never.

And now the X-Mens latest casualty.

With this latest character to be killed. I have no reason to read Marvel.
 

---

Posted by Mattropolis on :
 
That's how I feel about both Janet Van Dyne and Ralph Dibny..,
 

---

Posted by Crymsun on :
 
I was in shock when I read that book.. how could they do it?? He was the only reason I picked up an X-Book in the first place!!!
 

---

Posted by Officer Taylor on :
 
I can't believe they would kill this character! I'm sure a certain poster of utmost to this board can't either. I think it disrespects a certain departed creator's legacy, as well.

However, I will say that the odds of this death sticking forever are incredibly low. Death at the Big Two is about as permanent as the ever-changing tax laws, if not even less so.

In any case I guess it's somewhat of a mercy killing given how the X-books have sucked for such a long time. If he's gone for awhile, at least the character won't continue to suffer from the poor writing and bad directions like the rest of the X-Men I grew up loving.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
wtf. the only one that was still an x-man basically. which i', surprised they killed him cause he was the only other half of the debate on cyclops' misguided direction he was taking the team. now i feel like he got so much air time cause he was going to die. where the hell's storm. she's gonna be upset.

i'm so upset i may drop the x books. and i'm more of an x fan than a legion fan!

now i say kill em all. go bastion!

[ April 29, 2010, 03:36 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Since I'm not enjoying any of the X-books these days anyway, I checked the spoilers. I'm not all that surprised. My expectations for the X-comics these days are so low that this fits with their recent performance.

If anything, I'm with Lardy: I don't take this seriously as a long lasting death and am almost glad it removes him from the table for awhile while the X-books further fall into suckiness for the next few years. I'm about as emotionally charged as I was when Martian Manhunter died in Final Crisis: a big "yeah, right". A stupid editorially decision that will eventually be undone. The over/under is 2015. I say under.

On the other hand, I find the X-Books so unenjoyable that I'm kind of with Power Boy: let's see some wholesale slaughter. Starting with Cyke and Emma.

The X-Books have sucked for a long time. This is like post 77 on the non-existent LW thread entitled "101 Reasons not to buy an X-Men comic these days".
 

---

Posted by Crymsun on :
 
I thought I'd give this whole 'second coming' thing a try.. and over all, i've just been incredibly shocked over all the needless death.. Is this what the X-books are about now?
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Who else died? Go ahead and spoil. I have the issues in my stack waiting but I'd rather get spoiled on LW than read them right now.
 

---

Posted by Crymsun on :
 
Click Here For A SpoilerNightcrawler, Ariel... also several members of X-Factor appear to have died as well... including Longshot and the Multiple Man guy..
 

---

Posted by Officer Taylor on :
 
WTF?!?!
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I doubt Madrox is really dead. But the other X-Factor one is surprising.
 

---

Posted by Crymsun on :
 
They were hired by The Absorbing Man to follow Titania to see if she was cheating.. they were all in a car and slaughtered by one of those Mutant hating groups. They made a point of showing that Madrox wasn't a duplicate.. and they checked the bodies.

Could be a ruse, I suppose.. but it looked pretty convincing.
 

---

Posted by Lone Wolf Legionnaire on :
 
Here's the newsarama link on Nightcrawler

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/nightcrawler-history-100429.html
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
Longshot was very specifically instructed to 'handle the money' (and presumably use his powers to backtrack where Creel got it, and anticipate the ambush), which means I'm expecting that;

A) What we saw at the end was some sort of flash that Longshot was having of the enemy's plans, since they mapped them all out at the beginning of the book in scenarios like this.

B) Madrox, etc. are using some other technique to trick the bad-guys. (Normally, I'd pick Monet's telepathy, since she can plant false scenarios in people's heads, but she's busy off-screen dealing with another situation.)

The Madrox, Rictor and Longshot getting ganked scene *has* to be fake. Longshot just doesn't get shot.


But I do agree that the death of older X-Men doesn't mean as much to me as it used to. Cyclops has been dead at least once, Colossus as well, Jean a couple of times, Wolverine at least once, Bobby once, Psylocke twice, I think, etc.

Given the crap they've put some of those characters through, a couple years in the ground might freshen them up. (Spawn of Azazel, anyone? Chuck Austen is the debil!)

Cyke and Emma have been two of my favorite X-characters, in the last decade, but they've been trashed over the last year or two that even *I* want them dead!

[ April 30, 2010, 07:04 AM: Message edited by: Set ]
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I had heard the X-Factor deaths were a bit of a ruse.

I've never been one to let the death of a favourite (in Nightcrawler's case, quite possibly the favourite) character deter me from reading a title. But a number of favourites? That might do the trick.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
X-Factor is the only X-title I'm reading these days, and while the interactions between Guido, Monet, Rictor and Shatterstar are entertaining (Siryn and Darwin, not so much), I'd probably dump it from my pull list if Madrox was removed from the book.

But that seems very unlikely to happen, since PAD clearly prefers the character and has pretty much built the team around him.

Classic Nightcrawler, all swashbuckling and fun, was always a favorite, but he's been effectively dead for a decade or more anyway, so I'm not feeling the actual death of the character. The Kurt I cared about was long gone, anyway.
 

---

Posted by lil'rhino on :
 
I'm in tears!!
 

---

Posted by Lone Wolf Legionnaire on :
 
I did this as a homage to Nightcrawler,A DC version of the character Brimstone,Son of the Demon Etrigan.

 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lass on :
 
I just finished reading X-Men Origins: Emma Frost. Now, I've never been an Emma fan, and I probably would not have bothered, and definitely would not have bought it, if it hadn't been written by famed blogger Valerie D'Orazio. But I was eager to see if she could write fiction as good as she can write about real life.

It's not perfect, due to artwork that is mediocre at best and downright ugly at worst, but I feel I still got my money's worth. Emma for the first time seems three-dimensional and sympathetic. Valerie knows more than a little something about growing up a misfit with daddy issues, and she brings her perceptions to the printed page quite gracefully.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I'm going to drop X-Men: Legacy, even though I love Rogue (she's one of my favorite female superheroes anyone, ever). I just can't figure out why I'm still buying it anymore.

Plus, I hear a lot of the younger mutants who essentially replaced the young mutants from the "New Mutants" tsunami relaunch a years back are showing up, and I'm still bitter about that.

I can barely sit through an interview on what's going on in the X-verse these days, let alone read the stories, so I'm not really sure what is going on in the upcoming months. I think there's a new X-Men #1 coming out (damned if I know who is writing & drawing it though). I'll replace Legacy with that for a little bit but if that's awful too, I'll drop it.

X-Force is still a definite 'no'.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
X-Force was Click Here For A Spoilerbloodshed and carnage

and some not so bright leadership by cyclops and crew.

Click Here For A Spoilersending x-force into the Nimrod future via cable's time travel device? they can't similarly enhance it to teleport everyone out of the city, or one person to go back in time and warn them, or prevent illyana from being captured, or send for help to bring the avengers inside .... or open a portal to get help from some future where mutants are rampant and have defeated the sentinels? I'm just saying jeffries, beast and the x-club are pretty smart and if they can enhance his device to send a team, they can figure out some other way to use it to flee or get help rather than sending x-force into the lion's den
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:
I had heard the X-Factor deaths were a bit of a ruse.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Power Boy:
i hope no one was a fan of hellion either. i was. Click Here For A Spoilerhe's handless now. maybe he will get some cyborg arms like his girlfriend. (jolt?)

---

Well crud, he was one of my favorites! (Him, Dust, X-23 and Elixir. Santos and Miss Mercury could die in a fire for all I cared.)

A girlfriend with cyborg arms? Huh. Wasn't he dating some combination of Wind Dancer, X-23 and one or more of the Stepford Cuckoos? Oy, that boy gets around.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I just know about a love triangle between him and x-23 and surge (not jolt) i.e.: cyborg arms.


@ Fanfic Lass - I picked up the X-Men forever issue at the store, flipped through it, and put it back, i actually almost bought it for the second reprint story, even though i already have it cause that era was sooo good.

is elixir still around? he hasn't been seen in the carnage of the recent x-crossover.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
So we've had the penultimate issue of a 3 month cross over, and this topic is on page 5?

Marvel, you might want to keep your cross overs smaller. This really was an X-Force/X-Men story, with the New Mutants and Legacy only tangentially involved.

So the latest issue of X-Force brings with it another death, this one not so surprising or traumatic. And I actually liked the character.

Hope looks like she is ready to come into her own, but somehow I doubt we'll get a real explanation of who she is/her background/role. Her interactions with Rogue during this story have made me hope she ends up in that book instead of the main title.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
latest uncanny x-men.

man am i tired of emma frost and cyclops and their sleezy back door deals.

i was so hoping that with kurt dead and storm lecturing wolverine and even kitty back somewhat, and this bloody crossover was over....

a heroic x-men might be in the works. but no, yet more cyclops / emma frost melodrama.

I don't care that she has sebastion shaw in a basement and i don't see why anyone else would either! in fact, it's probably one of the only things she's done that is not morally questionable. but ... how can this not end with yet another secret exposed and Shaw attempting to rip apart the island?

p.s.

Click Here For A Spoileri really liked cable too.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I just dropped Uncanny. I just don't give a damn about the characters Fraction insists on focusing on.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I've also now stopped reading it. In fact, I've decided that for the first time ever, I'm taking a leave of absence from reading the main X-titles.

I dropped X-Men: Legacy, after staying on for at least a year longer than I should have. It's just been awful.

Uncanny X-Men has never been this boring ever before. Fraction went from 'okay' to 'mediocre' to 'ugh'.

I tried out the new X-Men title too with the incredibly lame premise "mutants vs. vampires". It's terrible. So terrible in fact, that I won't be getting #2.

I have to say, in my opinion right now is the single worst era EVER in X-history. That includes Claremont's Australian Outback era, the mid-90's/Onslought Era, the "ruination of the cool 'The Twelve' subplot Era", the second Claremont era and even the last decade. This is just awful. Never have the X-books been so plain boring.

The X-comics get a bad rap for the era in which they were selling millions of copies. But I reread those stories last year and you know what? They were EXCITING. They still are. There is absolutely no excitement in the X-books these days. They could kill every character right now and I'd feel nothing. It's time to start fresh.
 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
Is it as bad as Teen Titans right now?
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
No. Not even close.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
Me and a couple of friends were discussing this recently, and came to the conclusion that the X-books have managed to get *so very far* away from where they need to be, that the *only* workable means to get to a viable status quo is to take a several-month jump and pick up in mid-story. The sheer volume of crap that needs excavated makes it impossible to craft a satisying "here to there" story (I suggested using an AoA-style alternate reality event to bridge the gap, taking the "normal" X-books out of play for a solicit cycle of 3-4 months).

One of them even went further and said the restored X-books need cut down to just Uncanny & Wolverine (although later he made an exception for X-Factor, semi-divorced as it is, provided the divorce became official and it was reclassified as general MU) and nothing else. (I added X-Force and another X-Men book, as well as X-Factor, to the list on the basis that five books was about the minimum Marvel might countenance, especially with the ban on X-minis and one-shots I agreed was needed)
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I agree on both counts. A jump because who really wants to read them resolve this crappy set-up. And def agree on cutting the books. I'd say Uncanny as the lead and launch a 2nd title (which should have been "X-Men" but they just screwed that up). Then maybe get to X-Force in a year.

I think X-Factor *and* Wolverine should just be full-on divorced from the XU (Wolverine the title--let's face it, he's a regular Marvel character and will always stay that way now).

Them they should try to restore some of their other great "stars" like Gambit and Cable who once had popularity levels close to Wolverine but are now on par with Hawkeye.

Them there's the question about what is to be done to the really dumb marriage of Storm and the Panther? No Mephisto please but perhaps a royal annulment.
 

---

Posted by Pov on :
 
The only X-books I'm still following are Astonishing and Astonishing: Exogenesis(?) ... I dropped X-Factor when they pulled the change in numbering crap... (same reason I dropped Cap...)
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'd be for the changes Reboot suggested as long as Moonstar's featured prominently somewhere. Not necessarily in an X-title.
 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
The X-Books I buy are...

X-Men
New Mutants
New Mutants Forever
Ultimate X
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
i think i'm dropping everything except that which is drawn by Greg Land.

At the end of the Second Coming story line i thought there would be changes cause they had a great concluding issue about how everyone was crazy. and had come so far from the original mission. then the last spread is wolvie's new even more kick ass xforce kill squad. wtf.

now, i'm hoping storm nukes that frickin island.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I never collected X-Force in it's heyday, even though last year I was able to grab all the original Liefield issues for bargain prices (I did so for (2) reasons: because I was rereading all the X-titles during that period and because I couldn't pass up an opportunity considering X-Force #1 used to cost an arm and a leg in 1993). I definitely have not collected it in recent years during it's last relaunch.

But the name Rick Remender, a writer whose shown he's got some real chops, made me curious, and so I grabbed Uncanny X-Force #1, the most recent relaunch of the title. It was a buy that could only happen on a whim. And you know, it was actually pretty good! Certainly better than Uncanny X-Men or other main X-titles have been in years (but that isn't saying much).

X-Force now serves the role of being the black-ops type team in X-Land. I liked the original premise better, of the New Mutants growing up and striking out on their own under the tutelage of Cable, but it is what it is. What I really liked was that this 'black ops X-Men' team didn't have 100 members; rather, it had a brief 5 person roster where each character has a chance to shine and interact with one another. It stars Wolverine (naturally), Archangel, Psylocke, Deadpool and Fantomax. The smaller roster made the team dynamic within a single issue feel actually very similar to how the Byrne/Claremont X-Men used to feel when it was only 5-6 of them. A smaller scale feel can a long ways.

Now, Wolverine and Deadpool's inclusion is more annoying than anything. Not so much Logan, who works here (but is just everywhere so becomes repetitive and annoying) but Deadpool doesn't really seem to fit. Maybe he'll get phased out after the first story if his presence was meant to draw fans.

However, I thought both Warren and Betsy were the best they've been portrayed in probably over 15 years. They were interesting, had lots of subplots and conflicting motivations and yet were securely themselves. It's about damn time someone cared about them again! I also have liked Fantomax since Morrison introduced him and would like to see more of him.

The major plotline focuses on Apocalypse, making things come full-circle, but Apocalypse has always been one of my favorite 'newer' villain (re: post 1980).

Will I buy issue #2? Normally I would say no immediately because I've recently been cutting my X-titles and have never been interested in X-Force. But this was a pretty solid first issue. It will probably be a decision I make in the store but I'm leaning more towards yes.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Picked up Uncanny X-Force 1 and 2 today (good art can get me to purchase things ... might be in for one more)

and picked up Uncanny X-Men 530 ..........

If only you could see the expression on my face. Little did I know I was in for one of the most awkward racial experiences reading a comic.

LONG STORY SHORT: the Collective Man goes around bullying Chinese-American people involved in organized crime in San Francisco. He seems to be speaking Mandarin Chinese and they seem to be speaking it back to him. (I assume cause he's the Collective Man from China, who prides himself on being a good citizen, so he must be speaking the official language --- Mandarin) Also he's from Wuhan which was promoted as the standard of the official Chinese language of Mandarin.

which is odd cause most people in SF speak cantonese. What else is weird is that they probably have fled China 50 years ago during the cultural revolution and have no cultural connection to communism ..... and this crazy Collective Man comes around saying they've been bad little communists. Some of the people he's harassing don't even look 50 years old. (but who knows maybe there IS some sort of recent invasion of Chinese nationals involved in organized crime in SF ... who speak Mandarin --> it's a comic book?? )


My favorite part though: the Collective Man as he bashes up a old man:

<Letting a Gweilo transform you into running dog capitalists.>

ok so Gweilo is a marginally derogatory term in Cantonese, so i guess < > means the Collective Man has been speaking Mandarin or else why is gweilo untranslated ... but there are plenty of words in Mandarin that mean what Gweilo means in Cantonese. Why the switch of languages ?

bizarre. or is he supposed to be speaking cantonese and the writer just threw that in so he'd be cool by knowing an offensive term in Cantonese?

don't get it. I'm sure the old man who's getting his ass handed to him is even more confused as some crazy communist has come to trash his store. yelling at him in a language he may or may not reasonably speak.

it's almost funny, it's like if someone from mexico came and trashed my house and yelled at me in Spanish for not being a good Mexican citizen. hahahaha (no actually i think that would make more sense cause i might understand what he is screaming while he choked me)


anyway, the collective man gets the remaining crime lords to do a fist pump to communism .... even though some of them look young enough to have never lived in China.

I don't know, seemed very odd to me.

Lastly Greg Land, love his work, but he's starting to give all the woman puppy dog expressions with their mouths open. or they're shouty or something. (and there is a panel where emma frost is moving her cape aside so you can get a big shot of her butt .... and that's all <no upper calves, no middle back> the view is big butt emma frost as she faces Sebastian Shaw)

oh btw more LYING from Emma Frost to Scott.


I really hope kids aren't learning anything from these comics.

[ December 02, 2010, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Ugh. Glad I stopped reading Uncanny.

In the Iron Man thread I reviewed Fractions Iron Man annual, offensive in it's own way. I voted that worst comic book I read in 2010.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
After enjoying Uncanny X-Force #1, I picked up #2 and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's by far the best X-book on the market even though that isn't saying much (X-Factor being the only competition and that hasn't been stellar).

It's a tightly told story with fantastic art and a small unit of characters that each get a chance to shine.

Just when I thought the mainstream X-Books were at their historical bottom in quality, I'm glad at least one solid comic book is out there.
 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
In terms of the X-Verse, one of my hopes for the New Year is a Generation X Forever series.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Slightly interested in the 'Age of X'

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=29367

especially since olivier coipel seems to be throwing down some awesomeness.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Astonishing X-Men XENOGENESIS #4 of 5.

Warren Ellis and Kaare Andrews


possible SPOILERS below. but nothing major.


this story arc is ensconced in the Captain Britain universe created by Chris Claremont (methinks) from the Jaspers warp storyline from the late 80s. so that starts off as a plus with me. We've got Doc Croc. and a big surprise with this issue ... an army of furies. (cyborg superhuman killers)


In the original Captain Britain stories ONE of these cyborgs wiped out Captain UK's world of heroes (an alternate dimension version of our Captain Britain) and did a good job of taking out our Captain Britain and our 616 world (actually it did kill him but Merlin brought CB back to life) The Fury actually does defeat our James Jaspers. (if i remember correctly) then Captain Britain and Captain UK team up to put the smack down on a weak Fury.


anyhow, back to the present we've got Doc Croc not really an ally of our X-Team and James Braddock (also a reality warping uber mutant) running around somewhere. and a bunch of 'warpies' these babies are baby mutants who in the past (the 80s) had abilities because of being near reality warping events (correct me if i'm wrong) and were last seen in the care of Moira Mactaggert on Muir Isle. (who's now dead ... moving on)


so we've got new warpies in africa and a host of old Captain Britain characters and Storm, Cyclops, Beast, hisako, and Wolvie on the scene to figure out what's going on with the warpies.


issue 4:

Our X-Team faces cyborgs. lot's of textless action especially with Beast and Wolvie looking cool.

The art is definitely stylized. I like it very much but it's like a cross between Manga and Frank Quietly. (just to warn you)

then one of the cyborgs gets pissed and starts looking very Fury esque for those in the know ... slices Wolvie up like a pro for like 4 pages. Beast gets shot. Wolvie almost lose his head (graphic stuff kids)

Then Storm Cyke and Doc Croc show up to lazer the cyborgs down. Emma is back at the ranch trying to use her powers to get to the bottom of things. (she looks like an anime hooker btw)

The cyborgs repair and start to look bigger and better and more like Furies.

Team X throws more stuff at the Furies to no avail. Dr. Croc says he read a report about something like this .... basically informs the reader that these are realted to the Fury and James Jaspers. It's pictoral so you still need to have read the 80s comics at this point.

Emma has a guy whom she learns is from another dimension, she uses her powers and sees a blood red world and an army of Furies. guy tells Emma 'All your friends are dead already'.

The whole book is more about suspense and graphics to drop the bomb that there is an army of Furies invading our world ... when back in the 80s it was next to impossible to take down one. <actually there is very little allusion to the previous Captain Britain stories but the book reads much better if you have read them and realize how deadly the Furies are>

Hisako has four panels of impending death at the hands of a Fury .... turn the page .... and a Wolvie that looks like hamburger meat has healed enough to have a big red splash page of claws and Fury spine.

There's really very little text but the graphics (almost) carry the weight of a good story.

Emma tells Cyke the guy she's mind reading is a living Ghost Box (a nod to a previous Astonishing X story arc ... Ghost Boxes are teleportation devices ... that have been dramatized but at the moment I can't think of why they're so ominous)

anyway this living Ghost Box's 'very arrival here threw off enough radiation to mutate all these babies in the womb'

It's nice to have these references back to the original Captain Britain story. the warpies having a similar origin ... a lot of writers stories today don't even make sense on their own much less reference decades old stories.

so it seems the Furies came after this teleporter but if he jumps away it's going to dose everyone with radiation. sets our X-Team up for a lose lose. (i think even if he did maybe the Furies would still wanna stay and kill all our super heroes anyways .... idk)

so cyke has a plan. storm flies off with wolvie. last page is a Fury blasting Storm and Wolvie and a big 'AHHHHHHHH'


ok so ........................................................................

PROS: good art, suspenseful story telling, lots of tension and action, great references to probably the greatest Captain Britain story line.

CONS: very little dialogue, stylized art, and the books read WAY better if you've read the original stories way back when.

[ January 04, 2011, 01:23 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
In a sense, here's how I see things...

The X-Teens of the 80s were the New Mutants, the 90s was Generation X, the 2000s was New X-Men: Academy X, and the 2010s is going to be Generation Hope.

I'm into all 4 of them, but currently the ones I'm most interested in are Generation X and Generation Hope. I just bought Generation X Classic at B&N, and I've already mentioned I hope for a Gen X Forever miniseries. I have to applaud Scott Lobdell's and Chris Bachalo's art in the first half, giving that there were four boys on the team (not counting Banshee), and only one of them would be considered aesthetically pleasing. The one I mean is Synch. Skin was ugly, Chamber was missing the lower half of his face and most of his chest, and Mondo was fat.

As I understand, Lobdell intended that there wasn't supposed to be an actual Monet St. Croix, in that M was really Nicole and Claudette St. Croix, the sisters of the REAL Monet. However, in M's debut issue, it was mentioned that "the twins" were missing. However, since the twins were masquerading as Monet, this would imply that there really WAS a Monet St. Croix. So, what were Lobdell's original plans had been concerning the missing Monet once her sisters true identities were revealed?
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
The story i referenced above 'Captain Britain and James Jaspers Reality Warp' storyline (1981 - 1987 ish) was originally written by Alan Moore not Chris Claremont.
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
Just got these set up, witness your choice of the earliest stories...



http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/Mast%2003.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Mast%2001%20TPB%201993.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Mast%2001B.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Ess%2001A.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Ess%2001B.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Mast%2001C.jpg

...and the latest...

http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Mast%2001%20TPB%202009.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Omni%2001.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20Ess%2001C.jpg
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
Closing in on the X-MEN section at the Silver Age Marvel site. Just got the "Reprints 2" page all set up (with the exception of adding all the story titles to the LAST Masterworks work).


The ONE book that may not belong on the page (or the site) is X-MEN MASTERWORKS Vol.8, because at the moment, not one issue reprinted in there is represented at the site! However, my feeling is, the volume brings "closure" to the original X-MEN series, and I am already planning to extend INCREDIBLE HULK all the way to the end of Herb Trimpe's prodigious run. (Several HULKs guest-star X-Men.)


In addition, I've already had a few Dave Cockrum issues set up from almost 2 years ago, and plan to go to the end of Dave's 1st run. By the time I'm done, there should be exactly ONE John Byrne issue on the site-- his first, and that'll be it. (It finished off a big epic Dave was just too damn slow to handle.)


This his rather like how I intend-- eventually-- to extend DAREDEVIL all the way to the 1st Frank Miller issue (also the END of a long storyline), and then STOP. Younger fans may wonder, "WTF???" as the stuff AFTER my intended end points is usually considered vastly superior. Too bad! I'm sure there are DOZENS of websites out there devoted to EACH of these books that no doubt focus almost entirely on the later, more "popular" stuff. ("Kirby who?")


As it is, Nick Simon may wind up in fits, as HIS general end point has been Jan'71! (Of course, he DID extend SGT. FURY alllllllll the way to that series' end.)

http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Nick's website does a lot of cool thematic pages (like covers with photo in the background); you should totally do one documenting all the appearances of the X-Men in between the end of their first series and Giant-Sized #1! (Not counting Beast).

There are always a few I forget, like the Havoc/Polaris issue in Hulk, etc.
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
Funny you should mention it... Right now, the 3rd X-MEN page, "51-66" contains, at the bottom, most of the "in-between" covers. (I'm still setting it up.)

http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/
Titles - X-Men - 51-66


I'm glad I can post stuff like this here. One of the moderators at the MASTERWORKS message board ("Gormuu") has put me on notice that I am "FORBIDDEN" to post any more links-- or even to MENTION or REFER to Nick's site-- ever again, or I'll be "BANNED".


He claims I've "crossed a line" and dirtied the image of Nick's site, turning it into a "PIRATE" site, by posting complete stories. He is so full of S*** it's unbelieavable. I've decided to not even try to discuss it with him, since he was giving me C*** a year ago because I "sign" my extensive restorations. At the same time, he allows this one friend of his ("AussieStu") to repeatedly be rude and insulting and obnoxious to other board members (NOT just me!). And, on a regular basis, other board members post links to "BLOGS" which feature SCANS OF COMPLETE STORIES. So WTF is going on there?


My own feeling is, it's very simple. MASTERWORKS is tied in directly with the MASTERWORKS website, which is set up specifically to promote MARVEL COMICS REPRINT collections.


I guess they figure it's okay to post DIRTY, UGLY scans of old comics. But not MY scans. If readers at that board look at MY scans, they're realize how INFERIOR those high-priced books are BY COMPARISON.


But you'll never get "Gormuu" to admit that.
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
By the way, on the newer reprints, I kinda like the Dean White paintings done right over the original art. Moreso than the Alex Ross paintings, merely "bases on" the same scenes. What does anybody else think?
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I prefer new paintings ... I liked the old coloring style and don't like it being messed with so much. (just me)
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
Well, I got another big step done in the X-MEN section. Last night I finished (?) setting up the "Reprints 2" page, posting covers for EVERY book I could find (so far) reprinting stories from the 60's run.


Updating my own hand-typed index along the way to help keep things straight, I've now started on the reprint "compare" pages, where you can see the originals side-by-side with the reprint versions.


For X-MEN #1 (Sep'63), I count 24 DIFFERENT reprint books (plus at least 2 "variants" I don't have decent copies of to post). 24!!! That's a record so far...


http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
This is slow going, but it's starting to fall into place.


Here's some stats for you.


Number of books containing reprints of these stories:


X-MEN #1 -- 24
X-MEN #2 -- 16
X-MEN #3 -- 16
X-MEN #4 -- 17


It's painfully obvious in cases like this, if and when I get around to adding FOREIGN reprints, they'll have to have separate "compare" pages to make it manageable.
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
I've now reached the point in the project again where I've gotten up to the books WERNER ROTH worked on. I read an interview with someone in ALTER EGO (I think) where they discussed Roth's time on the book. It was said that Stan DID NOT want to hire the guy, and Roth came in one day when Stan wasn't there, and someone else he spoke with somehow intervened, and "convinced" Stan to give the guy a chance.


If memory serves (see how familiar this sounds), Stan claimed he felt Roth's style wasn't "dynamic" enough. However, we all know how things have been going in the various discussions here and elsewhere, to take such a claim with a grain of salt.


When Roth began on X-MEN (the issue after Toth), he did pencils over Jack Kirby, with inks by Joe Sinnott (WHAT A WAY to make your debut!), then Vince Colletta, then a whole stretch of issues by Dick Ayers, followed by John Tartaglione. I'd like to point out as an aside that, unlike many other pencillers, Roth's "pretty" style shone thru, and was NOT murdered by either Colletta, Ayers OR even Tartaglione!!! I think that says a lot about the guy.


But to the point I really wanted to focus on... Roth pencilled 5 issues over Jack Kirby's STORY. This was followed by 2 issues where he flew solo, while Stan still supplied dialogue. Take note. 2 ISSUES. 2! "On the third day...", ROY THOMAS, fresh from DC (and fanzines before that) took over writing dialogue. And, PROBABLY, more.


Unlike Stan, Roy has never been lazy in the (AHEM!) "writing" department. I don't know how detailed Roy's plots were-- one long paragraph? A full page? SEVERAL pages? Presumably, he DID work "Marvel Method", doing plot beforehand and dialogue afterwards.


The thing I wanted to take note of, which stands out to me now more than before (now that I know what I didn't before), is that, faced with a penciller NOT used to plotting his own stories, Stan JUMPED SHIP as soon as possible. I guess it was a good match. Roth wasn't big on plotting, and Roy WAS. (What self-respecting "writer" WOULDN'T be?????)
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
Would anybody happen to have a scan of the original, unused cover of X-MEN #33 (Jun'67)? Aparently it featured "The Outcast"-- pencils and inks by GIL KANE-- and was rejected by the Comics Code for being "too frightening". Only bits of it remain in the published cover (mostly Juggernaut's hands, and it explains why they look so grizzled as it was supposed to be an entirely different character!).
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
Here's the latest clean-ups, X-MEN #34 & 35, art by DAN ADKINS!

http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20034.jpg
http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20035.jpg
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
X-MEN #40 & 88

Just replaced BOTH awful images on this one.


Isn't it disgraceful that someone had Marie change Frankie's face-- and The
Beast's? The original has so much more character...


http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20040.jpg

http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/XM%20088.jpg
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-MEN LEGACY 244: Blindfold's one of the most interesting of the newer X-characters. Ruth's power is a harsh one to use. It's demanding of its users. She's blind, but sees the future. The future she's seen is that of a group hiding among the mutants. She's glimpsed one of that group 'hurting us badly'. She doesn't have a clear image, so she begins the process of elimination.

She visits Gambit, Hellion, Dr. Nemesis/Prof X/Legion and the Sterile Cuckoos in a series of interviews that are alarming to varying degrees. But none of those she visits fills out her image. While investigating, she stumbles (but does a prognosticator every *really* stumble by accident?) upon a more conventional monster that's captured Magma, Surge, Armor and Dragoness- ensnaring them in a web.

Rogue and Madison Jeffries are on a parallel search for the missing mutants. The searches converge. A fairly good fight scene and the revelation of some interesting details about the monster emerge.

But Blindfold's search continues. A blind heroine stumbles on a rocky landscape. "And if I could stop this thing with every last drop of my heart's blood, I... would... willinglingy... bleed."

With those words, I think Blindfold's joined the ranks of my favorite characters.

Mike Carey's upcoming AGE OF X "event" might actually live up to the word in quotation marks.
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
The latest restoration, I'm afraid, gets my vote for one of the WORST covers I'm putting up at the site. Not only is the art AND design awful, the dialogue makes the X-Men seem like bad guys...

http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/MTU%20004.jpg
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
Nick's website does a lot of cool thematic pages (like covers with photo in the background); you should totally do one documenting all the appearances of the X-Men in between the end of their first series and Giant-Sized #1! (Not counting Beast).

There are always a few I forget, like the Havoc/Polaris issue in Hulk, etc.

---

Just thought I'd let you know, check out the 3rd page of the X-MEN section ("51-66") and tell me what you think... (It's still "in progress", but it's come a long way.)

http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/

Titles -- X-Men -- 51-66
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Checked it out and it's really groovy! I've always wanted to see those issues laid out like that! I can't wait to see when it's complete, but its already kind of how I envisioned it.

By the time I was reading Marvel comics off the rack, the X-Men were already the supreme franchise at Marvel, and I already had a strong knowledge of the Silver Age X-Men, so this era--when they were relegated to guest appearances--is so fascinating to me.
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
Thanks.

I haven't quite made up my mind yet, but it looks like what's still missing it some AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA and DEFENDERS. All of which fall past the original scope of the site... but then, that whole "in-between" section does.

In the meantime, I JUST finished doing "quickie" clean-ups of the last 16 issues of X-MEN. I'm on a mission to eliminate EVERY "dirty" or "yellow" image from the entire site! As of now, that's EVERY X-MEN cover posted.

As it happens, I have every issue of X-MEN from #49-66 in my collection, and will probably do my own scans & restorations... eventually... unless I decide to go with Heritage Auction scans instead. They're a bit smaller, but they do tend to have images of books in MUCH better physical condition than mine, which require less time to fix them up.

For now, it tends to only take a few seconds to run many of these thru Photoshop and hit them once with "levels", and in some case, adjust hue/saturation or contrast.
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
The latest restoration: THE CAT #4 (1973), art by John Romita & his assistant, Tony Mortellaro...


http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/x-men/Cat%2004.jpg


What is this doing here, you might ask? Well, after going to the trouble of creating a new character (one who was so generic in both concept and name), and dumping it onlto the market with 2 OTHER "female" books at the same time (a tact sure to cause low sales on all 3 of them), sales apparently were low so that by the 4th issue, they not only decided to CANCEL the book, but to cut the page count short. So instead of 22 or 20 pages, it had 15 pages.


And in the back, a REPRINT of the MARVEL GIRL "feature", "The Female Of The Species". Makes her sound less than human, doesn't it?


And it seems THIS is why the same back-up was reprinted in the "WOMEN OF MARVEL Omnibus"-- not because of MARVEL GIRL, but because of THE CAT. The omnibus book contains her entire series, plus her appearances as TIGRA THE WERE-WOMAN. The back-up was included just because it weas there, even though, technically, it was a reprint of a reprint.


MY question is, how come they couldn't even bother creating villains for THE CAT? In this issue, she fights MAN-BULL, in another, THE OWL. Great way to establish her rep and identity-- having her tackle leftover DAREDEVIL villains. (Especially when DD spent so much time tackling leftover SPIDEY villains...)
 

---

Posted by profh0011 on :
 
The latest restoration, from my own scan: AVENGERS #136:


http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/avengers/AV%20136.jpg


Here's one where the "AVENGERS" logo, the text box at the bottom, and the left, right & bottom edges were ALL "straight" (in proper rotation) to each other... but, the "MARVEL COMICS GROUP" banner and "EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES" text line weren't. But I've fixed them now! Another 35-year-old paste-up job redone.


Compare this with the original...


http://www.samcci.nostromo.no/aa-at/AA%2012.jpg
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Uncanny X-Force #3 introduces a new set of Four Horsemen for Apocalypse and rather than go the expected route of rehashing old concepts, actually delivers in a big way in introducing some new, interesting and frightening new villains for the X-Men. For the first time in years, I’m really missing the ability for writers to introduce new mutants at their leisure, as the creators here really knock it out of the park with each one.

In fact, the creators did a great job throughout. This issue was almost entirely action besides the origins of the four horsemen and that action delivers in a big way, doing a good job building suspense, utilizing the various powers and having each character in a different situation. It’s one of the better choreographed actions issues I’ve read in awhile.

Uncanny X-Force has emerged as the best X-title I’ve read in ages, with actual exciting plotlines and confrontations each issue. There is a great balance between the (5) main characters that works really well. I can’t believe I’m excited to read about Psylocke again! And Fantomax really works well here, better than he did when he was first introduced by Morrison.

This has been a surprise delight of a comic.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
X-Men First Class trailer .......

looks surprisingly AWESOME!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrbHykKUfTM


I thought this was going to be lame.
 

---

Posted by Emily Sivana on :
 
I think this is the best to post this. I loved X-Men: Evolution when I was a child. This is a really touching video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOu4bfSv-Pg
 

---

Posted by Sonnie on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Power Boy:
X-Men First Class trailer .......

looks surprisingly AWESOME!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrbHykKUfTM


I thought this was going to be lame.

---

looks great, after the last lame outings in X3 and wolverine I'm suprised at how much I'm looking forward to this....
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
The AGE OF X has now come and gone. I enjoyed it, though the reality behind the whole thing was kind of predictable, though the details certainly weren't.

I wish some of the costumes and names would stick around in the regular version.

It was good to see NEW MUTANTS characters used well, though they really should've been starring characters, since their own book was pulled into the publishing strategy.

This happens to the title way too much- yeah, Cannonball and Moonstar and, to a lesser extent, Magma and Sunspot are shown to good effect, but are hardly the stars of the NEW MUTANTS AGE OF X issues.

At least it wasn't Cyclops, Emma Frost and Wolverine stealing thier spotlight. Not that Rogue and Magneto are to be preferred. At least they aren't headlining *everything* with an X in it.

Are Legion fans aware that DNA are the new writers for NEW MUTANTS starting after the 'Age of X aftermath' issue(s?). The charachters X-Man and Blink are to be featured in some capacity.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I enjoyed it as well, No Emma Frost, and Professor X got to be Professor X again.

The New Mutants made up for lack of panel time with kick nassery. Dani and Sam got a lot of good lines.

Cyclops was demoted, Wolvie was declawed and yeah ... no Emma Frost. Even Storm and Namor were second string.

The art was good but didn't compare to the Olivier Coipel character designs being tossed around for promotion.

yeah i really enjoyed it, best X book of the past few months.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I'm currently reading Wolverine for maybe the first time ever. As well as Wolverine Jubilee.

anyway, Wolverine has Daniel Acuna on art, and lots and lots of X-Men in it as well.

I think Acuna should do Dark Wolverine.
 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
I have been waiting FOREVER to bring X-Man back. He's the one Marvel character I've gotten interested in that I haven't really done anything about yet.
 

---

Posted by Emily Sivana on :
 
Alright everyone, I would like to know your favorite X-Men titles of the stories. I am working on something that requires references.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
big story arcs like "Fall of the Mutants ... Here Comes Tomorrow, Days of Future Past, Mutant Massacre, Dark Phoenix Saga " or the story titles from single issues?

cause that may take more time.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
also ... in the new movie X-Men First Class, Moira Mactaggert, played by the great Rose Byrne of Damages and Bridesmaids fame .... will NOT have a scottish accent.

bummer. furthermore it appears she's some kind of CIA liason rather than a leading geneticist.

bummer number 2.

the good news is she's on the side of the muties still ... and she's signed on for a trilogy.
 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
I loved this month's issue of Generation Hope and the twist ending to the conflict.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Catching up on Uncanny X-Force, I'm reminded again by how damn good this comic book is. Not only is it far better than all the other X-offerings, it may just be Marvel's best comic. I wish the other main 3 X-comics were cancelled and this was just the regular X-Men book.

Remender does a fantastic job writing each issue and the series has a purpose, felt every issue, much like the X-Men comics if the franchises Golden Age. Billy Tan is proving to be one of the best artists in the busines and colorist Dean White adds an incredible level of mood and atmosphere.

This is probably the best "team" comic in comics.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I got two X-Books this week.

Uncanny X-Men #542 ... (which will soon be renumbered ... at 1 all over again ... )

by Gillen and Land. I'm a big fan of Land's work ... despite the criticisms. It's always just glossy shiny goodness.

so ... Juggernaut get's one of the hammers from the current FEAR ITSELF cross title storyline ... making him even more unstoppable.

and the issue is structured quite well with ... many of the x-men trying out their individual tricks to stop him, it gets funny (to me) after a while ... while a few of the other x-men come up with a better strategy.

The end will leave us with some possibly permanent consequences for the Juggernaut Click Here For A Spoileras Illyana and Colossus go bargain with Cyttorak to steal the Juggernaut's power. Cytorrak is the demon from the gem which gave Jugg's his unstoppable power. Colossus becomes the new juggernaut. But Juggs, I assume, will only be at half his over the top power because He will still have a hammer of Asgardian power. Next Issue expect some unstoppable Colossus versus Juggernaut Thor action.

Also, The phoenix force appears to Emma in a dream Click Here For A Spoilerstrongly hinting that hope is jean reborn ... emma appears to want to smother Hope ... which seems pretty sensational and juvenile for the character and on the writer's part. unless ..... Emma Frost is a murderuous villain ... who has been leading the x-men all this time. which wouldn't be too far fetched considering the X-Men of late.

There's a few more small bits in there ... more tension between the humans and mutants ... Cyclops gets to act ruthless and show how badnass he is ... <yawn>

The books seems to be going with this James Bond slick sixties style from the recent movie ... which I don't mind.


Next Up:

X-Men Schism 3 of 5

The highlight for me is Acuna's art, which I would liken to a dark sexy Allred.

It's also got the sixties spy thriller style.

The premise sounds ridiculous ... a pre-teen Hellfire Club tries to take down the X-Men at the opening of a Mutant Museum in San Francisco.

One funny bit, Which I'm not sure if it's on purpose or not, is that:

Emma Frost, Magneto, and Namor are three of the five mutants that attend the museum opening LOL!!

Overall, It's allright, Namor gets some dark humor lines like Click Here For A Spoiler'I've hit children before' LOL as he faces the child Hellfire Club.

I suppose what is meant to be the best writing bit is Click Here For A SpoilerAfter the Hellfire Club defeats the X-Men, one of the younger recruits is forced to fight, and she kills a dozen Hellfire men, while saving a hundred innocents ..... That's supposed to be character developement? <--- kind sounds like it sucks to me

Those that like to see Cyclops and Wolverine argue won't be disappointed here!!


Looks like next issue is Master Mold, and if you aren't following X-Men Schism .... many countries have decided to employ sentinels for protection against mutants.


Overall these two are about the art, for me, I'd give them both about 2.5 stars.


Too much melodrama and everyone's SOOOO conflicted <rolls eyes> ...... but, there's action, and pretty pictures.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Wolverine and the X-Men

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=34070
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 
New lineups [Yes, Psylocke is on both sides]. Also, Havok & Polaris are back in PAD's X-Factor:



 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Three X Books Three Quick Reviews

DAKEN DARK WOLVERINE #14

It's confusing and a mess. Daken's going through some drug induced stuff, he fights Moon Knight who pretends to be his father to throw him off, the art is not as lovely as the usual artist .. Daken looks like Sweeny Todd ...I really hope this gets back on track next issue with the manipulative and cunning sexy and well drawn Daken otherwise this won't be in my purchase pile. I forgot to flip through this issue to check the art when I bought it.

UNCANNY X-FORCE #15

I actually had to read the incredibly long 'what happened last time' page. I think this Angel becomes Apocalypse story line has gone on a little bit long ... especially since the 'bad' guys get way too much airtime compared to our the X-Force 'charming bad guys doing bad things for the good side' ... but it actually picked up and the ending of this issue hooked me back in for issue #16. Wolverine has taken a major back seat, I personally am not a huge fan of Angel who's getting all the spotlight ... but Deadpool, Deathlocke, Psylocke, and Fantomex are cool cats. And I appreciate that, while it's on the dark side of my cup of tea, a lot of effort has gone into the writing and creation of this book.

X-MEN LEGACY #255

I actually perked up when I saw this on the stands and quickly grabbed it. I'll call it the OMAC effect. It's a comic book! It has super heroes that do stuff, and go on adventures! This specific issue wasn't as good as the previous 'Legion' story line but ... it's still a breath of fresh air as a throw back to super hero comics that had a bit more going on than inner turmoil and the current cross over event du jour. In a sea of not so good ... X-Men Legacy is quite allright.

[ September 19, 2011, 02:46 AM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-MEN LEGACY #256: The introduction and back story of a lasting villain for Marvel? I hope so, as he was suitably twisted, tragic and evil.


Nice to see the Lorna/Magneto father/daughter relationship addressed with both parties 'onscreen' at the same time. Their further interactions should be prime reading.

Serviceable art, but how much stronger would this have been with art that evoked the first X-men/Shi'ar meeting?

Every issue, this particular storyline gets stronger and stronger...
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
X-MEN LEGACY #256:

Not much to say beyond my previous review. This book continues to be a pleasant surprise. I'm so glad to see Rachel Summers here. I love her. One thing about this book that I love is that it's a 'TEAM' book. It's got a group of characters, not a huge cast, and those characters interact with each other and they grow from that interaction.

I did find the end a bit contrived to support the future plot Click Here For A SpoilerRogue needed to jump into the gravity well with Frenzy when Magneto and Polaris are .... pretty skilled at manipulating gravity and energy.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
While I didn't love the Schism storyline ...

I found it not bad, and am happy with the result of the school being reopened and think that Aaron pulled a rabbit out of a hat.

Wolverine would revolt over the treatment of the kids, he's often been shown with a 'sidekick'. I think Aaron has a good handle on the characters and how they would act, rather than the sensational stuff we've got lately.

A couple things that were reasonable but i didn't like was ...

Storm staying on Cyclops' team because he said he 'needed her' and the other team didn't.

Hysterically in Uncanny X-Men number 1 she asks all the members of Cykes new 'extinction team' (the top members who will return to super heroics ... cyke calls them Earth's Mightiest heroes .. ) who of them have been primarily thought a super villain ... to which Magneto, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus, and Danger all raise their hands. and she asks why Scott's hands not up LOL.

So now I gotta by Cyclop's team X-Men book because Storm's in it.

Also, I hate seeing Peter/Colossus exploring his dark side due to being the new Juggernaut and separated from Kitty ... who heads up the school with Wolverine.

Now that Rachel, Polaris, and Havok are back from outer space ... and siding with Wolverine ... the team's are not supremely imbalanced in terms of power ... Though Cyke's team is looking pretty up there with the Avengers.

I'm in for now. Which is more than I was expecting.

Thanks to Aaron for salvaging this $#!+ show.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
So I've hated what's been going on with the X-Books for years but I'm thinking with the recent multi-relaunch, I'm reshuffling what it is I'm going to buy, and this time not being afraid of cutting anything that doesn't do it for me. Especially since the DCnU has me buying more DC's than I expected and I already buy a ton of Marvel and independents.

First off, as I said in their own threads, X-Factor and New Mutants are cut. Both series were comics that I was just not enjoying enough to justify continuing; if anything I was reading had to be firmly cut, it was them.

Second, I'm actually going to start buying X-Men Legacy again. I realize I've missed Rogue. With the new writer coming on and a new team (love Gambit and actually really like Frenzy), this is a good time to jump back in. Meanwhile, the adjectiveless X-Men series which has been mediocre at best is getting cut to make room for Legacy; and I'll actually save $1.00 since X-Men is stupidly priced at $3.99 while Legacy is $2.99.

I'm going to try out both Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine & the X-Men since the creative teams are top notch and I've read good reviews. I've never not collected Uncanny so that's a no brainer (hell, we have an unbroken run since #1).

The other big cut I'm thinking is Uncanny X-Force. For months I was praising this series but a few things have started to annoy me. First, the story arcs drag out far too long and are all 6 issues or so. That kind of pacing doesn't do it for me. Second, Marvel has this weird tendency to release two issues per month of this comic every few months or so; its almost sneaky because they don't publicize it (they do the same thing with Avengers: Academy). That's not a good thing for me--I don't need to spend double the cost on X-Force (where with a series like Spidey, I do like it). This by far will be the hardest series to decide but I'm leaning towards cutting it. Especially if Archangel doesn't make it out of the current storyline.

I'm open to being swayed if anyone else is collecting a lot of X-series.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Second, I'm actually going to start buying X-Men Legacy again. I realize I've missed Rogue. With the new writer coming on and a new team (love Gambit and actually really like Frenzy),

---

Frenzy is on an X-team? As in Joanna Cargill, former Alliance of Evil / Acolyte? Ooh! I love that character!

If only they could drag Unuscione and Scanner alone with her, from the Acolytes!
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
The one and only! I'm also a fan!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Here's what I'M gonna do Cobes:

(pretty similar to your choices)

1. X-Men Legacy

Frenzy is a riot, and since these characters didn't make an appearance in Wolverine and the X-Men I'm hoping this series will be fairly unchanged by the schism.

2. Wolverine and the X-Men

I'm sure the art can be a turn off to some/many but I like it and I'm so glad they're back in the school. I like a lot of this side of the X family too.

3 and 4. New Mutants

I like that they're back in the world, integration being what I loved so much about the X concept, and I love Dani Moonstar. It's a great jumping on point right now. I wish the art was better. This could be on the chopping block though if it dosn't get good. I've been hoping for a jumping on point but ... NM was just never quite good enough ... and then there was all that nonsense where they were barely in their own book. I've been wanting to like it so here I go ..

Uncanny X-Men

It's got Storm, It looks to be like a good art/good action book. Which is enough to hold on to me most of the time but ... that may be not enough to keep CK !

This could be on the chopping block for me too. Mostly 'cause i don't like most of the characters spotlighted.

I'm dropping Uncanny X-Force too. I find myself confused by the stories and I get every book and have followed the X-men for over 2.5 decades now. I was also was turned off by the 2 titles of X Force during the Fear Itself run, I was even more confused and decided I didn't care that much after all.


The funny thing, even with the big dc reboot, I am guardedly much more excited about the X reboot!! I think the reason for the schism was ok. pretty good ... and long awaited after years of Cyclops' anti-hero X-Men. I'm really enjoying the new Legacy as a solid book. The new venues for Wolverine's team and the New Mutants are interesting to me
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Excellent interview with soon-to-be-former X-Men: Legacy writer Mike Carey:

http://www.uncannyxmen.net/db/article/showquestion.asp?faq=12&fldAuto=357

I dropped his book just before it became X-Men: Legacy, not because of him, but because the Messiah Complex "event" was so awful that I wanted nothing more to do with any X-books other than X-Factor (which I ended up dropping less than a year later anyway.) But after reading this interview, I'm planning to borrow the X-Men: Legacy trades from the library.

Carey's a talented writer, if an erratic one. I loved the early arcs of his Hellblazer run, but I thought it fell apart later on. I read a couple of the Lucifer trades and didn't find them engaging. I've read some of his prose and enjoyed it.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
The recent X-Men : Legacy stories are some of the best x-stories in recent history. (I never followed this title before the age of x roped me in ... which was really fun ... and separated from the whole X Marvel U ... and had nice effects of the Marvel U ... like bringing Frenzy into the spotlight)

Like I said earlier ( in this thread probably )

These comics are just good, they have heroes who DO things, and go on adventures ... and do more than just wallow in self-pit or their amoral - ness.

The last two storylines in particular: The Legion story line and the Sh'iar storylines are what i've been following.

It reminds me of how comics used to be ...

In a sea of gross comics, an all around pretty good comic ... seems excellent!!

and most of the characters are also a throw back since rachel, alex, and polaris have been ff world some time and have allied themselves with the new school Wolverine Kitty and Beast are starting at Westchester.


Good muties unite!

needless to say I am bummed/scared that Carey is leaving.

[ November 05, 2011, 03:42 PM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Thanks for the encouraging words, Peebs. Now I'm really excited, and even wondering if I should read Carey's run in reverse!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I wasn't into Messiah Complex either ...

ugh.

and during/after the only thing keeping me going has been Greg Land ... I did enjoy that Red Queen Sisterhood of Evil Mutants story for fun .... but thought the conclusion about Besty basically choosing her Japanese body was ridiculous (and also a cop out on the interesting scale. )
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
In the end, I decided to grit my teeth and read Carey's X-Men Legacy run chronologically. And now that I've read the first library trade of the run, I have to say I'm glad I did.

I can see how frustrating it must have been following this book on a monthly bit-by-bit basis, because it's as decompressed as it gets. On the other hand, there is a palpable feeling that Carey has an ultimate destination all mapped out in his head, whereas a lot of writers just seem to make it all up as they go along. Will this destination be to my liking? Well, I wasn't pleased with where Carey's equally long Hellblazer run ended up, but this is a much different propostion than Hellblazer, and Peebs' posts in this thread are encouraging.

I also feel like Carey deserves kudos for trying his very best to make some sense out of Xavier, who has one of the most unflattering long-term character profiles in the history of superhero comics. So far, I think Carey is succeeding. Will he go all the way? Stay tuned.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Two more X-Men Legacy trades down. I should add that I'm skipping the issues that cross over with the "events" as I doubt there's much of Carey's grand epic in them.

I'm going to miss Scot Eaton. His art in the present-day sequences was very pleasing.

Carey can't be accused of taking the easy way out, trying to make sense not only of Xavier, but also Gambit and Rogue. So far, I'd call it a qualified success. I don't hate Gambit, but I still don't like him either. Xavier and Rogue's inner journeys, on the other hand, were very well executed. Where will it go from here? I look forward to finding out.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Have read much more of Carey's X-Men: Legacy, will have a massive post about it sometime soon.

In the meantime, I read the second Uncanny X-Force trade (the library has the first one, too, but the second one arrived first) and overall I liked it. The action was punchy, the dialogue snappy, and the plotting tight. Remender explores Fantomex's potential, he makes Logan and Warren tolerable to me, and he has a decent handle on Deadpool. The only thing he can't do for me is make me like Betsy. I think Betsy is the Tigra of the X-Men, just a hopeless character. Her "why do I feel this blood-lust?" schtick got old years ago.

From reading the most recent reviews of UXF in this thread, it sounds like it's gone into a decline. So rather than buy it, I'll wait for the rest of the trades to arrive at the library.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
So I’ve reshuffled my X-comics pull list and am trying out all the main X-titles again (canceling X-Factor & New Mutants and giving X-Force an issue by issue trail basis). I’ve begun my reading process with Uncanny X-Men #1.

Quite simply, this is the best X-Men comic I’ve read in years. Literarily, years.

Kieran Gillen, who absolutely nails it every month which the hugely under-appreciated Journey into Mystery, delivers the same degree of excellence here in terms of his script, plotting, pacing, dialogue and characterization. Just when I was cringing to buy a comic with Cyclops, Emma Frost, Danger and a Juggernaut-ish Colossus, Gillen proves me totally wrong and shows they are actually an interesting group of characters that I want to read more about.

Artist Carlos Pacheco gives the best work he’s ever drawn in his entire career and I can’t help but feel its hugely aided and abetted by inker Cam Smith. It’s a clean, crisp style that is reminiscent of John Cassidy and works on every level here. The characters are sexy but not trashy, the sequences are full of tension and the action is dynamic. Colorist Frank D’Armata also enhances the pages with his bright, beautiful colors.

Where this comic succeeds is Gillen at last gives Cyclops and this team a clear premise and reason for existing. And then, the subsequent charge into battle makes total sense. Further, he’s able to show the (9) members of the Uncanny team (called the ‘Extinction Team’ in the series) gelling together in a way that works. On top of all that, the issue lays out precisely who is in Utopia at long last and what role they’ll play here, in other series or as supporting characters.

Cyclops and Emma come off likeable for the first time in…EVER? Magneto has some great lines, while Storm kicks ass like always. Danger is interesting (and since I don’t like her, I hope she betrays them). Namor works here and I’m looking forward to seeing a capable writer handle the Cyke / Emma / Namor triangle—which is really a fantastic twist on Reed / Sue / Namor and Cyke / Jean / Wolverine. The only character I’m not pleased with is Colossus having this Juggernaut-ish direction but I can bide my time and see how it develops.

Mr. Sinister is the villain of the piece and as he’s probably my favorite non-Magneto X-Men villain, I welcome it. Love the usage of the Dreaming Celestial too.

I’m pretty surprised at how much I liked this. Well done, X-creators! For the first time in many years, an X-Men comic is at the top of my reading pile! On to the other series!
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
So I’ve caught up on most of the rest of the X-Titles today (except X-Men Legacy, which isn’t out yet I think?). Here are my impressions, which I’ll try to make briefer than my review of Uncanny. The bottom line is: I’m actually very, very impressed by the relaunch of the X-Comics right now. They are all consistently good, falling in the range of ‘good’ to ‘excellent’.

X-Men, the adjective-less title, has been like a cipher since it debuted, never justifying its existence. With this relaunch it starts to do just that, becoming a supplementary title to Uncanny X-Men while carving out an identity of its own as the strikeforce / X-Force team for Scott’s side of the Schism. Writer Victor Gischler writes a direct, interesting spy/action sequence with good insights into a smaller team of characters while artist Will Conrard provides a very clean, good looking art style to it (I wonder if that’s a purposeful theme in connection with Uncanny?). Colorist Chris Sotomayor purposely colors things slightly darker to highlight the espionage element. All in all, it actually works pretty well! It’s very similar to Uncanny X-Force and Secret Avengers when those comics are done right.

The line-up is a combination of characters specific to this series (Domino, Warpath and Jubilee) with some shared characters with Uncanny—here, Storm & Colossus. Psylocke is the other major character and I know from advertisement she’s playing both sides of the fence, likely a spy for Wolverine on Cyclops team. The 6 of them work really well together! I’m not sure if other X-characters will be rotated in or out but the basic squad here works just fine. I love that for the first time in forever Storm is getting some real showcase. I’m also loving that Jubilee has made a comeback to prominence and in the process had her power levels amped up. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until this issue.

All in all, I really enjoyed this.

**************************

Up next was the other flagship title, the one for Wolverine’s team entitled (on the nose) Wolverine on the X-Men. Everything about the title of the series means I should hate it but a good review by Rich Johnston led me to check it out. And I’m glad I did—it’s actually very good! Wolverine has led half of the X-characters away from Cyclops and his is the side more akin to Professor X’s original dream and the original thematic principles of the X-Men as a franchise. Here they restablish the old school in Salem Center, NY, but this time it’s the “Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters”. Wolvie is headmaster, Kitty is headmistress, Beast & Iceman and many others are the professors and the vast majority of still living young mutants are the students. As a premise, this is probably the single best of all the X-titles right now.

The writer is Jason Aaron who is one of the best writers in comics. Don’t believe me? Read Scalped. No, seriously, go read it—right now. Its the best comic ever made. Okay, done? Aaron is fantastic on every level and he can write gritty, tough as nails scenes when the time is right, and yet can also have moving, charming or humorous scenes as well. He has a great handle on Wolverine that reminds you why he got so popular and that you actually do in fact like the character. And he’s already a great Kitty. Chris Bachalo returns to the X-franchise as artist here. Sometimes I like his art and sometimes it works—it just kind of fits some series while at times not fitting others. This is a definite fit.

The school aspect just feels so right that it amazes me whenever they get away from it. That never works. It’s welcome to be back and with a nice twist. Charles Xiaver shows up and appears to be a (welcome) recurring presence though the real effort is on the others: Wolverine, Kitty, Iceman, Beast, Canonball, Doop, Rachel Grey, Chamber, Karma, Husk and amusingly enough, Toad as the janitor. All of them are put into roles they are not used to and causes them to have to step up. I’m really looking for Bobby Drake to be held accountable for the responsibility he takes on, as well as others.

Gladiator’s son—“Kid Gladiator”—is also sent as a student here; hilarious. The student I’m most looking forward to seeing is Quentin Quire from Morrison’s run.

This was a really great outing. The best part was the general light-heartedness of the entire issue. It’s just been so long since a ‘main’ X-title has had that kind of tone and you put it down smiling from ear to ear. It’s been long overdue.

**********************

Even though I originally planned on dropping it, I couldn’t help but buy Uncanny X-Force; this is the penultimate issue of the Dark Archangel Saga. I’ll buy the next issue too, and probably the one after to see what the series looks like post-Schism.

As much as the plots can get a little confusing, there’s no denying Remender’s writing style is really engrossing and really tight. I *want* to know what’s going to happen to these characters. His depiction of Warren is so well-done that even though I’m fearful he won’t survive this, it feels right, as if this is what is supposed to happen. Remender pulls absolutely no punches in his depiction of him as a villain and it just feels like a real ballsy move.

The fight scenes are great and the tension is high. There’s no getting around that this is a well put together story. I guess I’ll see—I’m trying to cut down on X-titles but if I keep this, that means I’ll be collecting one more X-title than I was before!
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #2: Containing a good Iceman story. That's right. I typed a 'good Iceman story'. Well, it wasn't just an Iceman story- but that's what is most memorable. Bobby's known as the hero who has this potentially great super-power that he never 'pushes'. Here, he pushes.

And gives a faculty member a slushie of a different kind.

Do you think from a reader's POV that the writer and artist are successful if they make you absolutely despise a team of villains? Or that they've failed if they haven't made them at all sympathetic? I'm not sure. I always liked the adult Hellfire Club and its somewhat shades of gray over/undertones for *some* members. Even the most 'evil' were entertaining in their libertine excesses.

These kids, though-- I hate them. I hope none of ever grow up and become future X-anything, Avengers, etc. I don't want to say I want to see pre-teens killed- but I do.

An issue-ending scene features the return of a 'character' from waaaay back in the X-men's history. It's been spoiled in solicits and publicity, I believe. I think it'd be kind of cool if said character were 'reached' somehow (by Rachel or Broo* or Lockheed, even) and became an X-man. It'd fit right in with the theme of practically all the X-villains joining the team.

*Broo, by the way, just might be the new character of the year. I enjoy every scene he's had and love the dialogue he's getting.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I hate those damn kids too ... they seem so evil. And it's not like you could ever want to be them.

For example: Sebastian Shaw, while evil, it would be cool to be super strong, and he made his money himself ... these kids are just spoiled brats.

I'm so glad Quentin Quire and Kid Gladiator are on this team, I'm salivating for the uber adventure/uber trouble they could get into together.

Or ROMANCE !!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
my store didn't have Wolverine and the X-Men because of a shopping error.

I'm wondering how the X-Men are going to keep their *underdog* status in the MU since they are all so powerful now.

Cyke called his team Earth's Mightiest Heroes but Kid Omega and Kid Gladiator could take out most of the Avengers by themselves, not to mention the others on Team Wolverine .... Polaris, Phoenix, Havok, Ice Man.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
I've just about caught up with Mike Carey's X-Men Legacy.

And despite my "no events" statement before, I did make an exception for Age of X since that was entirely Carey's baby.

I have to say, Rogue has come alive for me in these stories like she never has before under any previous writer, even Claremont. Now I almost find myself wishing that Rogue (whose picture was included on the dossier on the cover of Avengers #18) had made the team instead of Storm. I say almost because Bendis is still writing the Avengers and he would mischaracterize her horrible, the way I can already tell he's mischaracterizing Storm.

Overall, Carey never reinvented the wheel, but he delivered a string of well-crafted tales with welcome spotlights on under-used characters. I particularly appreciate the aftermath to Age of X, where characters were clearly shaken by what had happened, something which Kurt Busiek ignored when he used a similar premise on the Morgana LeFay arc that opened his Avengers run.

I consider Carey to be a writer with great respect for what came before him, who was willing to bite the bullet and acknowledge even the parts he didn't like personally. That, my friends, is integrity, something little seen in recent years from the writers employed by either Marvel or DC.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
YES! I'm so glad you got it. and HIGH PRAISE !!!


I picked up Age of X much like I picked of Legion of the Damned way back when.

It had some great promotional art and character designs by Olivier Coipel. And while not as good as Coipel I knew the artists from his run on Fantastic Force and I found him pretty good, I think he has some growing yet to do but he's starting off as a cross between Hitch and Coipel ... which for me is a good start.

Also, it was a short term elseworlds somewhat self contained that looked action heavy so I knew it would be enjoyable.

But I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much. It's my favorite story arc of a recent x run. (as i've said before in this thread)

In general, I liked the mystery of the story, I liked characters being shook up, for example Cyclops ... who I really enjoyed as a back up character rather than his current leader melodrama in the main series'. I felt like we got to see a bit of the real him.

Plus lots of highlighted characters who at the time were not being highlighted. Dani also got to be a bad ass.

The voices of the characters seemed honest, or like the voices of the characters that i grew up with (which is pushing 20 to 30 years ago)

Kitty Pryde was wily and formidable, Magneto was a control freak, Professor X was an inspiration ... Rogue is courageous and risk taking, and gambit totally loves her.

I didn't like Moira being thrown under the bus but the legion/Moira dynamic was much more interesting than the original plan which was to have it be dark phoenix. Someone had to be the bad guy.

After Age of X I have been following Legacy and keep being pleasantly surprised.

as I've said in this thread.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fanfic Lady:


Overall, Carey never reinvented the wheel, but he delivered a string of well-crafted tales with welcome spotlights on under-used characters.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fanfic Lady:

I particularly appreciate the aftermath to Age of X, where characters were clearly shaken by what had happened, something which Kurt Busiek ignored when he used a similar premise on the Morgana LeFay arc that opened his Avengers run.

---

I agree it makes it so much more real, and makes me feel for the characters a lot more, I'm still enjoying Frenzy's transformation and hope to see Legion again soon.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Thank you, Peebs. I might have missed out on these fine stories altogether if not for yours and Todd's recommendations.

I should also mention I enjoyed Carey's use of his own creations, the Children of the Vault, in X-Men: Legacy. I didn't think the art was as good as it could have been, but at least it was clear and I could follow what was going on, unlike the Chris Bachalo art on the CotV's first appearance.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Re: X-MEN: LEGACY 259-- Is the exchange between Havok and Cyclops the first time the brothers have met since the former Starjammers came back to Earth?

Lame, if so.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
I get the impression that the greetings and reunions took place off-panel between #258 and #259.

I quite enjoyed the space opera arc (infinitely more than Brubaker's white elephant of a space opera arc in UXM a few years back) and now I'm glad Carey's getting a chance at tying up loose ends before he leaves, including an apparent (and welcome, from me at least) reversal of one of the few annoying moments of his run.

Click Here For A SpoilerLooks like Ariel's coming back to life.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
X-Force #18: Click Here For A Spoiler Archangel is apparently killed; however, a naked amnesiac Angel is wandering around in the snow, until he encounters a gobsmacked Psylocke. There're lots of scenes occuring only in a telepath and her subject's mind in this issue, so this *could* be more unreality, but it could also be Warren surving.

If a comic's gotta have an amnesiac, a hunky naked blond's a pretty good way to go.

Genesis aka Kid Apocalypse as a hero raised in a Smallville-like virtual reality? At this rate, there aren't going to be any super-villains left in the Marvel Universe. Not that the setting needs them, as heroes fighting heroes has been what's been buttering their bread for quite a while now.

This was a pretty impressive issue capping a distinctive storyline that I don't profess to fully understand, but do admire.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Uncanny X-Force #18

Jeez I really wish it was as good as the reviews. I thought it was kind of a not so hot mess. the art is good the writing is just plain batshit crazy.

It reminded me of an all you can eat buffet, I don'tmean that as a glamorous metaphor as in it had something for everyone ... I mean it as .... It was like an all you can eat buffet in real life ... a crap load of over cooked food that has been sitting under the warming lamps for far too long .... and has lots of sodium ... "mmm egg rolls!"


It was also very much like a B horror movie .... people keep dying and coming back repeatedly ...

The one thing I really wanted to see more of was the Age of Apocalypse X-Men ... like their Jean Grey and Sunfire (who had some moments) but I found them more interesting than the original cast.

Also, Shouldn't Archangel's wings still cause paralysis ... well I guess the writer has chopped betsy up into whatever character he wants her to be ... why not Warren.

I did like the ending but Click Here For A Spoilerwhat's the point of all that melodrama if Warren turns out to be alive???

It's unclear who moves on to the next level ... as some of the living characters especially the Age of X X-Men was left unclear.


But seriously, this book has been a very long mash up of almost every story we've seen before crammed into a R rated movie.

I was fatigued and confused just by reading the 'previously in paragraphS.'


It's definitely an OPERA, and the art is faboo but, it kind just gos on and on ... snowballing more stuff into along the way .. until I didn't follow it or was annoyed at caring.

Maybe I would do better with it in a trade .... (an 8 issue trade?)

[ December 15, 2011, 10:07 AM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I liked Uncanny X-Force 17 with all the action, and the calvary coming to the rescue, and Betsy in her Lady Mandarin costume.


Click Here For A SpoilerI think the battle where Warren even as Apocalypse can take down Phoenix, Wolverine, Sabretooth, and Wildchild at the same time is a bit much. Also, whatever happened to Phoenix being a prime ... or was that just Rachel Summers who had no duplicates across dimensions?
 

---

Posted by Future on :
 
re: Uncanny X-Force #18

I can agree a bit with what's been said before. I like this book, the art is pretty, and the story felt appropriately like an epic ... but I'll be damned if I can really recall all of what's happened the last few months. Interested to see if any of the few remaining Age of Apocalypse characters (besides the one we know who's joining the team) will be sticking around in some capacity.

Click Here For A SpoilerAoA Jean and Sabretooth, for example, are great characters who I wouldn't mind see filling the void of the 616 versions in our reality much like Nightcrawler looks like he will.

I really loved the 'dream sequence' Betsy fed into the dying Archangel's mind to give him some peace and make him feel like he actually went out like a hero with a full life. That's how I chose to interpret the scene. Her reaction to be left behind felt appropriately rational since she, too, felt their imaginary existence and her connection to him in that moment. I was ready for that to be a great good-bye to Warren, but the amnesiac at the end kind of ruins it a little for me. Still, I'd rather learn amnesiac Warren exists immediately instead of have him show up a few months later.

Not really interested in Genesis / Kid Apocalypse ... or the fact another Apocalypse child is on the way with Pestilence. We've sure met a lot of them the last year or so.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
one more thing ... I thought Apocalyspe reincarnated by regenerating .... not by having heirs ... ?

anyway, maybe this would have been better as an elseworlds since the writer seems to do whatever he wants anyways ... also might also have been better as just a new series period ... like 12 issues or ongoing ...

I did like it fairly well but, I think I have to throw away a lot of what I know and like about these characters and suspend my disbelief to fully enjoy it. If it were an elseworld's it'd be easier to be all in.

one funny thing ... Click Here For A SpoilerWhy is Wolverine ont he cover of 18 ?!?! He's not in the issue at all, except as a pile of carnage to be scooped up at the end!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
oh damnit .... I picked up X-Force #19 ...

and I actually REALLY liked it!!!

even though it is crazy sauce and has some inconsistencies ... the plus outweighs the minus today. It's fun!


Click Here For A SpoilerWolvie tells Hank and Kitty about the X Force!! Kitty Pryde is shown as subtly maternal and commanding. But she rushes to hug the new Kurt .. who roughly tells her he's the Age of Apocalypse Kurt. AND the Captian Britain Corps shows up for some space time continum retribution on the team !! YEE HAWW!! I love them.


some things i was so so about :
Click Here For A SpoilerKid Genesis joins the school but nobody tells him his real past so ... i'm afraid he's gonna find out badly and go into a superboy primeesque rage .. their effort to raise him well and turn him into a good guy gos boom ... very typical .. i hope it turns out some other way. Also I wish some more of those age of A badasses besides Kurt stuck around like phoenix and sunfire but it seems we'll get to see more of them in Uncanny XForce 19.1 (not sunfire though). And amnesiac Warren just seems weird. like he's a Zauriel type Angel. ... and Wolvie giving away his sword to alternate dimension Sabretooth ... did I miss the heart to heart or something ... ?

BUT really cool :

Click Here For A SpoilerThe school is REALLY taking it up a notch with uber powered kids. Quire. Gladiator. and now Genesis. Love how theyre taking it up a notch.


now I have to read my Wolverine's X-Men ... which I totally perked up and grabbed when i saw it on the shelf!!

I haven't been this X-cited in a long time!

It feels good, having basically dropped DC due to their ho hum relaunch.

[ December 23, 2011, 11:32 AM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Wolverine and the X-Men #03 was a romp and focused on Quentin Quire, who I kinda like ...

Click Here For A SpoilerThis issue focused on Quire and softening him. And added a new uber kid to the school ... Krakoa! The living Island moves into the school after being freed from the Hellfire Club's control.


Other than that, it's mostly just fun, Kid Gladiator likes to punch stuff, and Kid Brood comes off a bit too much like Henry McCoy Jr. for my tastes.

For a species undergoing extinction there are always new young mutants to write about! What happened to the huge group of "Young X-Men" (Gen 5) ?
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
So far I'm loving Uncanny, Wolvie & kids, Legacy and even the adjectiveless X-Men title which has been great! All four have has VERY strong relaunches with characters and a purpose that I like and want to know more about.

I'm behind on X-Force though I'm so tempted to read Peebs spoilers.

Of the main four, Gillen may be doing the best writing (on Uncanny) but Wolverine and the X-Men may be my favorite with it's true sense of fun (finally!) and tight characterization by the masterful Jason Aaron.

I quit like how the teams have a lot of odd pairings mixed with some appropriate ones.

Oh, and my crush on Kitty is back.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
my review of X-Force 18 was pretty scathing !

I think if I just let it go and not think about it too much, I'll enjoy the book more.


------------------
New Mutants #35

was so so, I think I'll drop it, the art is not up to snuff ... Magma looks like she's flying in one panel.

... and as far as the writing goes ... the bad guys are a band.

The cover has absolutely no relation to the innards.


 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Was looking over my recent Uncanny X-Force's last night ...

Click Here For A SpoilerWhat happened to Deathlock, he hitched a ride back and then wasn't in 18 and isn't on the cover of 19 ? I was enjoying his humor.

Also, I'm just LOVEing how much panel time Rachel Grey has been getting across Wolvie and the X-Men and Legacy!!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Uncanny X-Force #20 was fun,

a bit too much of *this isn't our nightcrawler*

the story isn't so believable in my eyes ... Click Here For A SpoilerCaptain Britain and the Britain corps intervene to punish Fantomex for killing a child Apocalypse who had already been brainwashed to be evil. Of course putting Betsy in a hot position because she has feelings for Fantomex. Anyway, I don't think the Omniversal guradians would care very much. no matter what they say.

Also, I am tired of being teased with Click Here For A SpoilerStorylines that propose Betsy returning to her Caucasian body, I would actually really like for it to happen, I think it's really really (i mean very troubling weird) weird that she *wears* an Asian body. I also think it would be cool for her to get her lady Britain powers back! Which oddly, her failure as Lady Britain started this whole domino effect where she wanted to be harder and harder until the siege perilous granted her wish and she was delivered to the Hand which changed her into a Ninja in a new body.


I like the art, it's a bit messy, but it reminds me of Rick Leonardi, I think the colorist is a bit murky too which dosn't help.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
NEW MUTANTS #37... wherein Magma goes on a date with Mephisto. That's right. A date with a Lord of Hell. She goes to fulfill a promise she made in order to save her teammates lives and souls. Which is pretty brave, when you think about it.

Of course, the date turns out to be something quite different than an honorable obligation. Magma comes off rather well, here. It's nice to see her featured in a story that has nothing to do with her confusing background (though I *do* want to see that explored-- I'm of the long live Nova Roma, down with Allison Crestmere opinion).

I don't think you need to have been reading the series to enjoy this story. All you need to know is that the New Mutants have moved to San Francisco and are all living together. They have a friendly Polish or Russian older neighber who cooks for them.

There's some nice bits of humor and human(ish) behavior here. Well worth checking out if you enjoy something a little different than superhero hijinks featuring characters who just happen to be mutants and mythological characters and Lords of Hell.

A nod to JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY appears-- the now-teen-age Loki has given a hel-wolf-puppy to Dani. Though it appears that Warlock has taken it in and is hiding it from his 'self-friends'. Why? We don't yet know. We also don't know if the Valkyrie-on, Valkyrie-off Miss Moonstar knows anything about the cute pup.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
This cover was so beautiful ... I picked up the previous three issues to catch up with the story ...




Story focused mostly on Jamie being bounced around alternate universes ... which was fun ... the few spots with the rest of the team over issues 229 to 231 ... had them arguing.

oh and we find out where Polaris and Havok are going to be in the Wolvie vs. Cyclops X-Universe.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #5... OK, all you lapsed X-readers- this just might be the comic for you. Yes, Wolverine's in the title and yes, he's now the headmaster of a very different school. Lots has happened.

But none of it really matters, since this is a book full of humor, interesting, newish characters and a hard-to-achieve light touch that's just serious enough.

Here's some of the current student body-- the son of Krakoa (you remember, the living island from Giant-Size X-Men #1), a teen-aged clone of Apocalypse who's been raised in an artifical environment that's just like the Kent farm from DC, Gladiator's son (Gladiator's now the emperor of the Shi'ar empire, by the way), his gung-ho cleavage-bearing bodyguard, a kind, funny, non-Brood like Brood named Broo, and many more students you might of might not recognize- depending on when your lapse started.

The facutly? Wolverine's the headmaster. I know, I know. But it works (and I'm not a big Wolverine fan, particularly). Shadowcat, Beast, Iceman, Rachel Summers, Rogue... and others I'll leave it to you to discover.

In #5, among other events, a group of the students shrink down to take a tour of the insides of the school janitor (Toad) as part of Professor McCoy's science class. The usual hijinks occur, but they also view what is identified as cells that are or create the X-gene. And they find it/them beautiful. Not what I'd have expected these days. I found that a nice moment, in a thoroughly comic-booky way.

Give this book a try, even if you've been sneering at all things X, and I think you'll enjoy it.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
totes agree. A refreshing comic.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Power Boy:

oh and we find out where Polaris and Havok are going to be in the Wolvie vs. Cyclops X-Universe.

---

I can't wait to see how Lorna and Alex are incorporated into X-Factor. That pair working for/with a detective agency isn't the most obvious of developments.

Though after their time in space, more 'down to earth' work might be something they'd choose. Little do they know how far afield X-Factor is of that!
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Agree 100% on Wolvie & X-Men! Utterly fantastic comic, the best X-comic in possibly 15 years. Highly recommended to the lapsed X-fan, which is what I was when I bought #1.

Actually, most of the 'main team' titles have been really good since this last relaunch: Legacy, Uncanny and adjectiveless! I'm really enjoying all four as they all have a very distinct identity.
 

---

Posted by Legion Tracker on :
 
Agreed on Wolverine and the X-Men. That's some good, fun readin'!
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
BTW, I read #5 and the moments Todd mentions above--especially the shrunken student body within the Toad's body--were as awesome as they sound!

My favorite moment might be at the end when Kid Gladiator shrinks himself to travel into a certain somewhat and battle a certain somewhats. That moment clicked for me and hereafter, I offically like Kid Gladiator!

Love how Iceman is shining so far, even in the quieter scenes. And my favorite of them all might be Quentin, who I'm glad to see back at the forefront. Aaron has a good handle on making him antagonistic but also enjoyable.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I LOVE KID GLADIATOR.

<--- duh. In Fact, I love Kid Omega, Genesis, and even the addition of Krakoa ...

and I really enjoy Ice Man being written as ... 'necessary' and 'adult'. Also, really enjoying Rachel Grey's portrayal as a *supporting character*. It's cool to see her beyond the Phoenix and being wanted by everyone.

The book is really well rounded, it has a maturity but lots of cute/wacky moments for younger readers ... as well as action ... (and what has been missing from the X-Men for quite some time under the rule of Nazi Cyclops) ... camaraderie. I like my X-Men acting like family, or at least friends.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
And once again, the internet will break in half...maybe
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I think I just broke in half.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Saw that earlier. Logged off the Internet so it wouldn't ruin my Friday.

(The X books FINALLY started being good across the board again...)
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fanfic Lady:
And once again, the internet will break in half...maybe

---

If ever anything made me instantly wanna throw my dining table through a window ......

aww mannnnnnn

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:

(The X books FINALLY started being good across the board again...)

---

what CK said ....


I love his Powers series, but the Avengers has been ........ I can't even come up with a metaphor ... 'something about road kill' ...


I will belay my million frantic questions about Aaron and Rick Remender's future involvement.


<---- *curses* *shakes fist at the sky*
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
He's a good, even great, writer. But he needs to move on from this 'architect of Marvel' / writer of superhero teams that in actuality encompass entire populations of the MU. It went from exciting to tiresome to annoying. He needs to take a step back again.

I can already see 'X-Men' meaning all mutants, a few humans, a couple aliens and Maria Hill. I'm already exhausted by that lack of focus in the other segment of the MU.
 

---

Posted by Dev - Em on :
 
Turns out...Luke Cage was really a mutant.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Spidey joins the X-Men.
 

---

Posted by Dev - Em on :
 
Squirrel Girl has slept with Prof X...and Cyclops.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
NEW MUTANTS #38-- wow, an update on a New Mutants character that I've seldom seen requested to be featured... Birdbrain!

The story's actually pretty entertaining, with the team traveling to the Ani-mator's island in a nice little entry in the adventuring-into-the-unknown field.

There's a pretty fun, if somewhat self-referential, discussion about the team's status as 'clean-up' squad, and how they interpret that towards their own ends.

There's starting to be a little too much 'who likes who' in the romantic sense. One of the couple just needs to pull the trigger already. When everybody's up in the air, it's a bit... desperate. IMO.

Not as fun as last month, but a good read.
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #6. Continues the goodness. I loved son-of-Krakoa's giant eye forming out of the ground. There's beginnings of how fun and unique this character could be. I hope he's allowed to be around for awhile to see that happen.

Likewise for the character most in peril this issue- and I don't mean the one running around with a micro-brood in her belly.

I'm thinking of Broo, the endearing brood with a difference, that's been captured by the big bruiser who's using brood soldiers as his cover. Cover for what, we don't yet know.

Wolvie and Quentin are off in space- their story's fun, but I frankly wanted the panel for the students and faculty left back at the school. The LEGACY title now features some of them; I haven't yet adjusted my thinking to remember that. But don't Wolverine and QQ have a mini-series of their own currently seing print? It seems a little overkill, to me. Like that's ever stopped Marvel and X-publishing.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Just read the AWESOME Wolverine and the X-Men #6!!!!

Loved it, it harked back to the famous solo issue of Uncanny X-Men where Kitty faces a brood beast ... (I think this one)



If you aren't in love with Kitty Pryde read the above issue and you will be. (Also, there is a similar style issue with Psylocke and Sabretooth when Psylocke first joins that is not as great but still very good)


Anyway, Issue #6 had it all ... homages, wacky hijinks, action, and an escalation of the stakes ....

Click Here For A SpoilerKid Gladiator is taken over by the Brood! egad. and a mega brood mysterious type. is he brood ?

(and i was expecting this to be the end of the story arc, usually i don't like drawn out stories but this one has me wanting to stay on the ride longer!)
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Aaron please don't leave Wolvie and the X-Men ! Who woulda thought the writer of Scalped could do such a great super hero comic ??
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
The art on X-Force lately has really impacted on my enjoying (or even understanding) the title.

Anyone else have that problem?

The New Mutants Ani-Mator storyline took a creepy turn with the disease-as-means-of-acquiring-immortality thing. And more merging everyone into a big ugly blob. I really don't like that little plot point that comic book creators use every now and then. If they have to merge, why not use the Composite Superman model, instead? I mean- readers know who/what that is when they read or see the image, don't they? Even across generations, I think. Lord know the amorphous blobs won't be remembered years later.

Warlock's a pill. His narration makes the issues. Though, I wish 2 issues ended the storyline. I think I've got all I want from it. Time to move on.

X-Men Legacy had a nice ending twist I didn't see coming with three characters with similar powers becoming a cliffhanger. Earlier, Cannonball and Rogue had a nice scene (though the Southern speak was pretty heavy-handed... or would that be heavy-tongued?). The issue features the guest-star turns of Mimic and that guy that killed, or seemed to kill, Alpha Flight a few years ago.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I just read the best X-Men comic since Joss Whedon's days on Astonishing, In fact it was better than Whedon's.

Even Claremont, the baby daddy of the X-Men would have a hard time getting the X-Men so right !!!!!


Wolverine and the X-Men is ludicrously good.

#7 has it all, funny, homages, twists, violence, action, huge character development ...

oh shit Peebs the all art boy .... didn't even talk about the art yet ?!??! THAT'S HOW GOOD THE F-ING STORY IS!! (the art is good too )

I think I have a headache from how good it was.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
The art on X-Force lately has really impacted on my enjoying (or even understanding) the title.

Anyone else have that problem?

---

mmm yeah, the guy does his own art and then the color art is separate but something needs to change. His penciling is pretty good, a bit wonky sometimes but overall it has a lot of energy like Rick Leonardi's and the composition of his panels are good.

but somewhere it gets really really muddy.

So, I think he needs an inker to polish up his figures and line weights ... AND they need to ditch the all sepia all the time color artist!

There's a huge depth problem throughout the book with everything in a panel being given the same weight or emphasis. The focal characters of the panel look the same depth as the backgrounds ...

All of these problems together result in a big flat piece of mud.

which is a shame because, like I said, his figures, pencilling, and breakdowns seem pretty damn good.


------------------------------------------

But I digress .....

Everyone should be reading and talking about

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN


... especially those people over in the All Avengers thread talking about those has been Avengers!
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Your mind was so blown, your review blew *my* mind! Can't wait to read it!

Ps - I've also fallen out of love with X-Force. I can't get over the art and AoA Kurt isn't doing it for me--I want real Kurt. But it was the non-ending of the Dark Angel Saga that left ms feeling a little Hohn and dry. It was this awesome story but I felt Remender just didn't deliver on the ending. I'm a huge Warren fan but the story dictated something a little firmer for his resolution.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I actually like Wolverine in this book. I'm not sure I've ever really liked Wolverine ... ever .... he had some nice moments of friendship and mentoring in the Claremont era with Storm, Kitty, Rogue etc. But as a character I'm not sure I've ever heard a believable voice come from him off the page .... before now!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Wolverine and the X-Men #8


I thought 7 would be hard to follow but .... 8 was great ... some plot lines are coming full circle and some plot lines are done in one or two issues . ..

even in a great issue there is one thing that stands out as delightfully SCREAM WORTHY!!!


Click Here For A SpoilerLETTER COLUMN ANSWERED BY BROO !!! just like in the old days (Claremont Smith to Romita era) where an X-Man would answer the letters each month in their own personality !!

Would've loved an image of Broo opening letters like they had in the old days.

and Wolverine in a wheelchair bwahahahaha ...

Click Here For A SpoilerLast issue when Wolvie said he wanted to write Professor X a letter apologizing for how annoying he used to be was so perfect … it explains why he's invested in kid omega and how much Wolvie has grown since the early days …

last issue I totally fell in love with Broo who before I thought was boring and a one note copy of the beast

Kid Gladiator and Warbird continue to provide laughs.

It's madness how good this comic is.


bachalo is a little less good than the bradshaw on art (IMO)but a good colorist has made bachalo less confusing than usual ... and bachalo is not poorly suited for this wacky+aliens+action book!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I also gave Avengers versus X-Men a try:

It's drawn by John Romita Jr. It's quite light and quick to read through.

there's more drama about Hope being the new Phoenix avatar ... but the more I think about her the more I'm not convinced ... I mean she duplicates powers so maybe she's just duplicating the Phoenix force ... dosn't necessarily mean she's the only new avatar.

Anyhoo ... there's all this drama about the Phoenix returning to Earth ... to destroy and find an avatar ... and the last time it was here Jean Grey killed herself to stop it ... more dire warnings and pearl clutching.

I guess the Avengers and the X-Men haven't been keeping up with their comic books and the last five times the Phoenix has returned to Earth!!!

I mean what telepath hasn't been an avatar for the Phoenix at this point? Dr. Druid? maybe?

Cyclops wants to use the Phoenix force to restore mutant kind to prominence in true super villain fashion ... even though like ALL the X-Men stories for Claremont's entire first 32 year run were about NOT using your powers as a bully.

... and then at the end of the issue everybody fights.

I confess part of the appeal of this book is seeing a bunch of despicable characters beat the tar out of each other.
 

---

Posted by MLLASH's back on :
 
TOTES glad I bypassed that at the CBS Weds. I *almost* gave in and got it. Hmm. Must try to find Wolvie and X-Men 7-8 on the shelf then wait for a trade of 1-6! Marvel does 6 issue trades, right?
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Although still an entertaining comic, I was a little less impressed with #8 than with the rest of the run. I thought it was a little too soon to revisit the gambling world. That well ain't deep enough to keep dippin' the pail in this often this soon.

Unlike the very disturbing Helltyke Club.

One thing I don't get- Angel *did* heal mutants, and only mutants, for awhile. It makes sense that he wouldn't remember how, but everyone else? Why?
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
New Mutants ends their Paradise Island/ Ani-Mator storyline in a satisfactory manner. There was some semi-fascinating internal dialogue between the two halves of Douglock.

Once separated Doug gets a new pet, of sorts. Though not one he can take home with him.

Was anyone else creeped out a bit by the concluding therapist scene? I'm not sure that was intentional. I hope DNA keep Doug grounded as his intelligence continues to expand.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I was actually considering if I wanted to keep going on X-Men: Legacy, and then in the latest issue, Chamber, who I've always been ambivalent about, gives a quick speech about love that is one of the best things I've read in an age. That enough reaffirmed this is a series I want to keep reading.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Power Boy:
I also gave Avengers versus X-Men a try:

It's drawn by John Romita Jr. It's quite light and quick to read through.

there's more drama about Hope being the new Phoenix avatar ... but the more I think about her the more I'm not convinced ... I mean she duplicates powers so maybe she's just duplicating the Phoenix force ... dosn't necessarily mean she's the only new avatar.

Anyhoo ... there's all this drama about the Phoenix returning to Earth ... to destroy and find an avatar ... and the last time it was here Jean Grey killed herself to stop it ... more dire warnings and pearl clutching.

I guess the Avengers and the X-Men haven't been keeping up with their comic books and the last five times the Phoenix has returned to Earth!!!

I mean what telepath hasn't been an avatar for the Phoenix at this point? Dr. Druid? maybe?

Cyclops wants to use the Phoenix force to restore mutant kind to prominence in true super villain fashion ... even though like ALL the X-Men stories for Claremont's entire first 32 year run were about NOT using your powers as a bully.

... and then at the end of the issue everybody fights.

I confess part of the appeal of this book is seeing a bunch of despicable characters beat the tar out of each other.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
Although still an entertaining comic, I was a little less impressed with #8 than with the rest of the run. I thought it was a little too soon to revisit the gambling world. That well ain't deep enough to keep dippin' the pail in this often this soon.

Unlike the very disturbing Helltyke Club.

One thing I don't get- Angel *did* heal mutants, and only mutants, for awhile. It makes sense that he wouldn't remember how, but everyone else? Why?

---

I wasn't so glad to see the gambling world again but I am glad they seem to have wrapped it up ...
Click Here For A Spoilerand giving Wolverine the use of his legs! I find the wacky comaprisons between him and Prof. Xavier hilarious.

I am excited to see the HellTykes verus the students !

In issue 7 (or 8) I loved how Kid Gladiator ... Click Here For A Spoilerdidn't want to be cured of his brood state! "I look awesome!!" haha, and I also like him seeing Evan in battle and gaining soem respect .. maybe he won't be such a bully to him now
 

---

Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Hee-hee! That make me chuckle, too. Kid Gladiator is so bombastic it's kind of cute. He, Broo, Kid Apocalypse, Quentin Quire and Krakoa (who really ought to get his own name...) are the most bizarre team- it's beautiful!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I was quite shocked to find Wolverine and the X-Men sold out today! It's been some time since I haven't been able to get X anything!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Picked up Uncanny X-Force today ... it's getting a bit messy. I think I'll keep getting it because it is sensationalist and the art is ok, and there's action BUT ... I don't really have anything nice to say about the characters or the maze of plots ... so I'll stop reviewing it in depth.


really not liking where they have been taking Betsy ...

and the fight between Nightcrawler II and Iceman II was melodramatic.

I'm losing faith quickly ... If I keep getting it, it's because it's a guilty pleasure not because I'm taking it seriously.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Finally got Wolverine #9.

This is the worst of the entire run but, still good. it's an Avengers vs. X-Men tie in. I would bet good money it's the best tie in of the whole event.

It begins with Click Here For A Spoilera bunch of wacky aliens betting on which planets the Phoenix force is going to eat next …. betting on Earth.

... and we get some friendship between Hank and Logan.

One thing that confused me was, It seems like this is another Warbird character. and that 'Warbird' is a class of Sh'iar warrior.

we get some fun Kid Gladiator scenes, and some Idie and Wolverine character development. Even the Toad gets a sweet scene!

Anyway, lots of "The Pheonix is coming ... The Phoenix is coming". The issue really suffers for it and I wish Aaron got to just do whatever else he would get to do.

One more fun thing:

Click Here For A SpoilerDaddy Gladiator is coming with a bunch of 'death commandos' to stop the Pheonix force and/or rescue Kid Gladiator … which I don't think KG is gonna like. Besides I would put Gladiator near the Pheonix force in power level ?

One thing I really don't get is why Rachel Grey just dosn't grab the Phoenix force ... "I knew I left that somewhere!"


The whole event is shrugworthy and puzzeling

 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
This might be a little off topic, but did anyone ever notice how many students the Xavier Institute had?

And the fact that most of them are dead kind of puts the Titans deathrate to shame.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Northstar proposes to boyfriend:

http://majorspoilers.com/2012/05/22/northstar-proposes-to-his-boyfriend-in-astonishing-x-men-50/

The big two seem to have their events in synch ... maybe they have moles at each others office ... or it's like a coke-pepsi conspiracy!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
The preview pages are really cute.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
DC better step up and have Thomas Wayne marry Jor-El!
 

---

Posted by Candlelight on :
 
Unfortunately, I'm only reading the Avengers vs X-Men so I'm missing most of the story.
sigh

Who is Rachel Grey?
I know who Rachel Summers is, or was.
Isn't she Scott's and Jean's daughter from another universe or something?

Who's daughter is Hope, anyway?


I still like the characters and I'm not burnt out on the Phoenix.
Anyway, I find that I like Hope.
Is her power like Duplicate Boys or like Nemisis Kids?

Finally, given Wanda's current history, I don't think that I would trust her to 'fix' mutantkind, either.
So, Scott makes perfect sense to me.

If I were a mutant
 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
Rachel Grey is Rachel Grey Summers.

She's Scott and Jean's daughter from a parallel universe, the Days of Future Past storyline.

We don't know who Hope's parents are, but Cable was a surrogate father to her.

Hope can manifest the power of any mutant on the planet, I believe.

I'm not reading the story, but I don't think Scott's in any position to judge anyone. I mean, considering he left his wife and baby son without even stopping to think about it when his dead ex-girlfriend came back.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
yeah, somewhere along the way she got called Rachel Grey instead of Rachel Summers ... now I think it's interchangeable. She changed her name to honor her mother...and rejoined the X-Men and took the name Marvel Girl, and also because Cyclops was starting his Emma Frost thing ...

Hope is a random, she is supposedly the daughter of someone in Alaska, a regular human ... though it may come out later she is the child of someone well known.

Anyway, she is the first new mutant birth after the Scarlet Witch decimated the mutant population ... including the potential for mutants to be born.

she was sent into the future under Cable's supervision to protect and train her. now she's back ... a teenager ... and has the ability to find 'new' mutants as the mutant population seems to be bouncing back.


she is the latest line in Phoenix avatars apparently ... she has the power to mimic powers. more like duplicate boys but she uses it rarely ...
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sarcasm Kid:

I'm not reading the story, but I don't think Scott's in any position to judge anyone. I mean, considering he left his wife and baby son without even stopping to think about it when his dead ex-girlfriend came back.

---

A lot of people felt this way, that's why they had to make her evil ... also ... he's not doing too hot lately, I consider his X-Men team villains. considering part of his motivation for having Hope is that she's a big weapon.

When Wolverine says you're crazy ... you know you're crazy.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
The latest Avenegrs vs. X-Men was so ridiculous I'm not buying it any more even for laughs ...

Not only did Marvel already do the Power Rangers thing already, it was so recent.

Wonder how long it will be before the 'Hammers' meet the 'Pheonixs'


(who are all bad guys buy the way, demonic Illyana, Juggernaut Colossus, Emma Frost, Namor, and Cyclops)

are the Hammers still around ?

someone please help Marvel ... and let Aaron take Wolverine and the X-Men to a pocket universe.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
Okay, according to Bleeding Cool, you can all breathe easy. Jason Aaron is staying on Wolverine & the X-Men. Bendis is taking over Uncanny, though, and will also have a second book, probably a relaunched X-Men.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Oooh boy. Just when the X-books had gotten really good. Well, good news on the Aaron W&tXM, which is the highlight of the group.

I've really enjoyed Gillen's Uncanny X-Men, but he's headed over to Iron Man, which is in desperate need for a strong writer, so I'm feeling pretty good about that. As long as he stays on the fantastic Journey into Mystery.

The current X-Men title isn't bad but I wouldn't mind a change.

One thing interests me. When Bendis took over the Avengers series, he was "hot". Meaning, there was some real buzz, so deserved or not, the titles sold well. I'm curious if Bendis has 'cooled' by now? Every writer does eventually, and their work is left standing as the only draw. This change for Bendis might be the jumping off period for his readers if he's cooled.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I think everyone is 'on' to Bendis ... meaning everyone knows what books he writes well and what books he's ... just f-ed it up on. Even my friends that aren't that into comics are like ... Powers is awesome ... avengers sucks.


so I don't know what's going on ...
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:


The current X-Men title isn't bad but I wouldn't mind a change.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fanfic Lady:
Okay, according to Bleeding Cool, you can all breathe easy. Jason Aaron is staying on Wolverine & the X-Men. Bendis is taking over Uncanny, though, and will also have a second book, probably a relaunched X-Men.

---

... even Aaron can't rescue me from my despair ...


:C ...

The X-Men are beyond repair! ... off to the Overreacting thread am I ...
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
ie: The latest X-Men Legacy where Kitty Pryde was made a big deal of ... and then phased through Tony Stark to take him out ... and then of course ... Iron Man trumps all ...


here's a letter to Marvel:

Don't give Kitty Pryde two pages of lead up ... just to have her be trumped by the be all end all Iron Man.

Nobody likes a "Deus ex machina" ...
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
"A deus ex machina is generally undesirable in writing and often implies a lack of creativity on the part of the author. "

Power Boy hearts Wikipedia.

mmm hmmm. f yeah!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
According to this article ....

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=39246

I might be dropping X-Men titles soon ...

This preview page is meant to say Sinister is gay ?

http://www.comicbookresources.com/prev_img.php?pid=12687&pg=4

... do we really need the pinky in the air ?

OH RIGHT, He's got this Victorian England thing going ... so he must be "A" gay right?!?!


... Besides that all the concepts in the article sound pretty basic yet Gillen seems so proud of himself!

Even Acuna's art which would usually be a selling point for me ... is coming off sketchy and blocky. IMO.

The last Sinister arc was boring, I have Sinister fatigue ... I'm not really a fan of him as a main villain anyway ... he's more of a behind the scenes manipulator.
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
Wow, I'm not in love with the Phoenix Five choices.

I'd trust *one* of those five, and only from before he was at least partially possessed by a demon-god...

Some more idealistic or responsible, like Hank McCoy or Kitty Pryde or Cecelia Reyes would have been less dramatic, but more intriguing choices, particularly since they tend to run at the lower levels of the mutant power scale, and an influx of cosmic power might have a greater impact on them than it does on someone like Namor (who already hangs with people like the Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange, and is used to having the fate of bunches of people, his own race, in his hands).
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
To my shame ... I bought A vs. X 'round 6'.

Because it was drawn by Coipel.


I was happy to see it was ... some of his more outstanding work than usual!!

also, the story was a bit better, The Avengers try to take down the X-Men ... because the X-Men are doing all this good ... and the Avengers are irrelevant and they've gotta do something.

haha, that's my take ... no, its really because everyone is afraid that the Phoenix Five are gonna flip out ... and Cyclops shows some warning signs but its unclear if he's just being his usual dick self or if hes being corrupted by power.

#7 also looks to eb drawn by Olivier ... so I will probably get it. He really was on the top of his game with #6.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Wolverine and the X-Men #12 was one of the best superhero books I have read in a while.

It features Rachel Grey. One of my all time favorite characters.

And Jason Aaron really did his research and had a great handle on Rachel Grey, her voice, and awkward position in all this Phoenix, Avengers vs. X-Men madness.

Including a face off with Thor, Hope, and especially ... Kid Omega.

Rachel Grey is an overlooked badnass with a rich character, overlooked by everyone except for Aaron!


and Kid Gladiator is adorable.

great great stuff!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
not much to report lately ... a lackluster month of X.

That is all.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Even the stellar Wolverine and the X-Men had an overwhelming tie in with the A vs. X as Colossus the evil phoenix Colossus ... took Kitty out on a date for the whole issue ... which culminated only in him being shocked by how corrupted he is. Also fill in artist was not quite as good as the two alternating regulars.

There was a Doop appearance. He shot guns.


....................................


btw, I used to like Warbird but then they made her the token naysayer of Northstar's wedding ... and now I hate her. She said she couldn't recognize the wedding so she couldn't attend.

well ... i mean even if she's not all for it, she can just go and be nice and sit in the audience ... her 'principles' are more important than her friends feelings?

anyhoo ... I thought it was ridiculous that an ALIEN ... who may or may not be hatched from an EGG!! felt so strongly about the validity of a male on male wedding!!!

(of course she dosnt recognize the validity, she's from another planet with all sorts of different laws!)

It was just dumb, and the writers poorly threw Warbird under the bus, just to have someone mimic a conversation in today's news.

Also, Ice Man mentioned something about "what would my grandma think"

.... aren't his parents notoriously bigoted against mutants and pretty japanese girls??? He should be over it, and for him to mention it was pretty grody and dosn't reflect a major part of his character growth over several decades.
 

---

Posted by Reboot on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Power Boy:
btw, I used to like Warbird but then they made her the token naysayer of Northstar's wedding ... and now I hate her. She said she couldn't recognize the wedding so she couldn't attend.

anyhoo ... I thought it was ridiculous that an ALIEN ... who may or may not be hatched from an EGG!! felt so strongly about the validity of a male on male wedding!!!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Power Boy:
...her friends feelings?

---

She has friends?
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
It was left a bit vague in the language, she said she didn't recognize the validity of the vows. I don't think it takes a large stretch of the imagination to see what Marvel was trying to do here.

Also, as I've said before, why would she recognize the vows? Its against the law to kill people in New York but clearly she has no problem doing that. She dosn't go around saying "I do not recognize your laws against killing people in this country. For me not to kill would be a lie!" The two page dramatization of her telling Jean Paul she's not going to his wedding in Astonishing X-Men #51 comes off as absurd.

Northstar called her a friend and teammate, he dosn't seem the type to call people friends casually. If anything, Wolverine and the X-Men #13's point was to show that she does have the capacity for friendship.

Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men # 13 was Aaron's attempt to rescue the character ... strategically planned right after Warbird was thrown under the bus in Astonishing X-Men #51 to merely play the devil's advocate. This faux debate amongst mutants and aliens seems ludicrous.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
MAJOR SPOILERS IN THE SPOILER BOX.

Click Here For A Spoilerhttp://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=40958

Click Here For A SpoilerCyclops the Phoenix kills Professor X. Frakin Hell. Are they determined to kill every good character and have the Marvel U dominated by a bunch of nasshole thugs. now I know how fans of the Titans feel. And I don't think Professor X is an anachronism Mr. Bendis because his students have grown up, its because writers have turned them all into assholes. It is all the other characters that are anachronisms because so many have become villains .... It is not Professor X who is out of place. Its the whole bloody MARVEL UNIVERSE that is out of place. Not to mention that a literal death of professor X comes far after his metaphorical 'death' as a mentor. Its like beating a dead horse. and really blatantly dumb writing. dumb yes dumb. Kill an irrelevant character??? How can you make a martyr out of someone irrelevant Mr. Bendis?

I'm sad.

[ September 12, 2012, 07:02 AM: Message edited by: Power Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
and c'mon Click Here For A SpoilerProfessor X can't beat Cyclops when he has fought Phoenix and TELEPATH Jean Grey to a standstill. BLEH!!!!
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Click Here For A SpoilerIt's made even worse by being so damned obvious. Cyclops killing Prof. X is like the #1 prediction everyone probably made at the start of the whole thing. We can all expect Cyke and Emma to die in #12 too at this rate.

The whole thing is really poorly done. It's so weakly written and telegraphed. Compared to the original Phoenix Saga, which was so cutting edge and well-crafted, this feels like a steaming pile of shit.

Plus, Professor X has died so many times already that it feels like a rip off. I don't expect for a minute he won't be back within 5 years.

FYI, #6 was my last issue, as it was just too bad to keep going.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I'm imagining a Fred Hembeck style What If issue where ... the Marvel bullpen is in chaos with people running around and shouting:

"September is coming!!! KILL EVERYONE!!! EVERYONE TURNS EVIL!!!! CHANGE THE LINE UP OF ALL THE TEAMS!! CHANGE THE NAMES OF THE TEAMS!!! BRING THEM BACK TO LIFE!!! WHAT THEY'RE NOT DEAD YET!!! MORE COSMIC POWER!!!"

and then a drawing out of a hat for who is on what team.


 

---

Posted by Set on :
 
For the longest time, I really appreciated Cyclops for being the one holding it all together and staying the course, while Wolverine was tearing things down and going his own way.

Marvel seems to have spent the last decade doing everything in their power to reverse that impression, and only succeeded in making me dislike *everyone* involved...

From 'boyscout who is occasionally badass' to 'just another grimdark jerkwad.'

They've dirtied up Angel, they've dirtied up Professor X, they've dirtied up Cyclops, they've even managed to dirty up Colossus, of all people. This character arc has gone past old, to moribund, to dead, to resurrected, to still old.

Is it time for Iceman to go on a grimdark rampage, perhaps after his parents are murdered by anti-mutant extremists? (Or has that already happened and I missed it?)

.

On the other hand, snagging Havok away from PAD's X-Factor for this new Uncanny Avengers thing is agreeable to me. X-Factor was already pretty loaded, with a dozen main cast members, and I don't feel like Havok and Polaris were really necessary (Havok in particular).

Getting Rahne back from X-Force was a gift. Losing Havok to Uncanny Avengers will be icing on the cake, since I'm not loving him in X-Factor.
 

---

Posted by Blacula on :
 
When I heard about _____________ dying in the latest issue my first reaction was "I thought they were aready dead?"

Now that I've discovered that they were dead but came back a few years ago it makes this death seem even MORE cheap and meaningless, even by the already low standard of modern comic books.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I'm taking a leave of absence before they have Kitty Pryde behead small orphaned children.

Thanks for your comments guys ... I am actually really bummed by this new development. just by the craptacularness of it ... the shamelessness of carting out an irrelevant retired character for a big death! and that character didn't even get to go out in a big defining way IMO.

Click Here For A Spoilernot to mention that they had some out of order issues. about wether Professor X was on board against the phoenix or not. He joined the fight ... and then apparently they did a retroactive issue where he says "i cant fight my students" and then hes fighting them in the regular issues. weird. sloppy.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I can imagine the huge group of writers sitting around a table writing Avengers vs. X-Men or "A v X" or whatever the frack its called ...

Click Here For A Spoiler"dude, peace sucks ... let's kill Professor X. Yeah peace is lame! Let's martyr the old guy. Is he still alive. yeah, It'll be a big deal. Yeah ... "
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:



They've dirtied up Angel, they've dirtied up Professor X, they've dirtied up Cyclops, they've even managed to dirty up Colossus, of all people. This character arc has gone past old, to moribund, to dead, to resurrected, to still old.

---

It gets better ... Colossus will be in the new title Cable and the X-Force. haha.

Alongside Forge (Isn't he dead and/or a villain) Cable (see Forge comment) Domino and a strange looking Dr. Nemesis.

GUNS GUNS GUNS!

anyway, I just dropped Uncanny X-Force because it was spiraling and I found it repetative and seemed to just be jumping across some of the popular stories that had been told already.

And the violence and drama was just ... so much .. that it was ineffective actually to shock. I was asking "Didn't they do this already? Didn't this person die and come back already?" And the series is only on issue 31, 32 ...

You know something's gone wrong when a fan like me ... follows a series for 30 issues and drops it right before the final two series concluding issues!!!



Anyway, back to Colossus ... I am reminded of an article (or maybe just my own thoughts? hard to remember.) that was talking about characters being changed so much they no longer made sense ... they've lost their purpose and what made them interesting. (also seems to apply strongly to the DC Reboots)

Colossus is a gentle giant, because he's so strong he's afraid he could hurt someone, because he's protective, an artist ... etc!

Now he's just another butt kicking strong guy.

remember when he used to train and train in acrobatics so he wouldn't just be another strong guy?!

Anyway "Cable and the X-Force" is drawn by Larroca ... who is good and while I like all the characters ... I'm afraid I've been burned too many times by Marvel throwing a new product at me.
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Colossus has totally lost his way. Marvel honestly has not used him effectively since Fatal Attractions.
 

---

Posted by Dev - Em on :
 
Colossus is one of my favorite X-Men, if not my favorite (Nightcrawler is the other that vies for that honor,) and I thought he should have stayed dead.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I actually really really enjoyed his return ... it was one of the few times I gasped out loud from turning the page. And Kitty finding him.


Then it seems like people don't know what to do with him.

There's no room for nice guys in the Marvel U.


Nightcrawler is also one of my favorites, I'm not sure about his priest phase though, seems like they did it just for the look, to have a demon in priest's clothing. In my bitter jaded opinion.

Actually, most of my favorites have jumped the boat. Kitty Pryde is hanging on for dear life ... she's going to go crazy and start beheading students soon.

Storm as well, but she's just irrelevant eye candy now, when she used to be such a dominant personality.

i can go on and on ...


Magik ... if she's actually evil ... it defeats the purpose of her character. There's no conflict. no irony or juxtaposition.




the only thing that is keeping joy alive is the rare bits in Wolverine and the X-Men ...

I like the new kids ... Kid Omega, Genesis and Kid Gladiator.

But it really suffers from the company wide events. The Avengers vs. X-Men crossovers have been by far the worst issues of the short series. Its a shame really because its gone from the best X-Book in years to something muddled. (Hell the best Marvel book in years probably)


Also, The Uncanny X-Force finale may take Genesis away from us ... or turn him evil or into Apocalypse or some such thing.
 

---

Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
 
Honestly, I wouldn't mind if some of the newer characters would just go away for a while. There are so many now that a lot of them will probably just be used as cannon fodder.

And deaths don't sadden me anymore, considering how many have died recently.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I would agree with you but the most recent batch of kids ... is so much more interesting to me than most of the characters added over the past 20 years. They're fun! and have a lot more going on for them !
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Wolvie & the X-Men is a great combo of fresh new characters and old favorites used *very* well...if only they'd stop with the damn crossover tie-in nonsense.

Otherwise it'd be perfect.
 

---

Posted by Fanfic Lady on :
 
I don't know, I like a lot of the next-to-last batch of kids!

Has anyone else read the Pixie Strikes Back mini-series from a couple years ago? I thought it was delightful!
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
I like them too ... ( Prodigy and Anole especially )

I think I only read # 1 of the Pixie Strikes Back mini ...

I liked her stories in the x books though, she got a lot more attention than the rest of those kids.

But the latest batch are more my cup of tea and they are a smaller group basically running all over Wolvie and the X-Men ... and even the other books when (and getting loads of attention and story) ... the last batch have kind of disappeared.
 

---

Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
 
Hmm, I haven't read that many comics but I prefer the young X-Men generation (Surge, Anole etc. and so on up to Graymalkin and Cipher) over the Hope generation. Except Hellion, they can write him off into limbo and I wouldn't mind

I wish all the X-Books would do something like Wolvie and the X-Men, and just keep their lineups stable but rotational. I say have a moratorium on introducing new characters, since we already have so many right now.

Split all the existing characters among the current books, maybe 10-12 per book, and rotate the 10-12 in each book for a bit. At least until things settle down. I mean, lately the X-Men (and Avengers, kinda) have been going through so many upheavals. It seems like just as things start to settle down and they begin to deal with the consequences of the LAST big event, we're hit with yet another big event. I haven't even absorbed the last four crossovers yet yeesh!
 

---

Posted by Set on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac:
Hmm, I haven't read that many comics but I prefer the young X-Men generation (Surge, Anole etc. and so on up to Graymalkin and Cipher) over the Hope generation. Except Hellion, they can write him off into limbo and I wouldn't mind

---

Ha, Hellion is one of my favorites! Him, Dust, X-23 (who I went in expecting to loath!) and some of the less-used characters like Elixir and Anole.

I was never that fond of Surge or Rockslide or Mercury, but not every character was written for me, obviously.

I do wish that Wind Dancer had made it through the Decimation and been a New X-Man, 'though.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Hellion is also one of my favorites ... I wish he had arms though, seems too contrived that the TK kid loses his arms ...

quote:

---

Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac:
I mean, lately the X-Men (and Avengers, kinda) have been going through so many upheavals. It seems like just as things start to settle down and they begin to deal with the consequences of the LAST big event, we're hit with yet another big event. I haven't even absorbed the last four crossovers yet yeesh!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Set:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac:
Ha, Hellion is one of my favorites! Him, Dust, X-23 (who I went in expecting to loath!) and some of the less-used characters like Elixir and Anole.

I was never that fond of Surge or Rockslide or Mercury, but not every character was written for me, obviously.

I do wish that Wind Dancer had made it through the Decimation and been a New X-Man, 'though.

---

We agree on Anole, X-23, Dust and Wind-Dancer, definitely
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Wolverine and the X-Men #17 gets my highest recommendation!


http://www.avclub.com/articles/jason-aaron-and-michael-allred-embrace-the-weird-w,85809/
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Re: the Allred Doop issue.

'Effin Brilliant. From start to finish. That Marvel would publish this in one of their best selling titles says a lot.

One could only hope it's a recurring thing.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
It was fantastic ... the perfect artist for this book.

Sadly, Other than Wolverine and the X-Men ... I am dropping all X and Avengers books.

Even Wolverine and the X-Men looks like it is going to have to have regular tie ins with the Marvel U events ... their preludes and aftermaths.

To no fault of its own, Wolverine and the X-Men has become a home run or strike out book (IMO). Some issues are especially good, like the first 8 or 10 ... before it got sucked into the regular Marvel events ... and some are really bad ... like the one where Phoenix Colossus forces Kitty to go on a date with him. Effectively ruining their relationship.
 

---

Posted by Power Boy on :
 
Wolverine and the X-Men #21

The circus comes to town. and this continues to actually be a book about the kids.

for me, the pacing of this title has suffered possibly because of the intermediary cross over issues ... but its issue 21 and we are still on the Hellfire tots.

Also, this issue is a homage to earlier classic uncanny x-men stories. the captive or circus x-men stories were never my favorites.

The second issue of this story line should be better as the action picks up.

I think this book better get an injection of something soon!


 

---

Posted by Sarcasm Kid on :
 
Hi guys.

Does anyone have any good scans of Mondo from Generation X? Hopefully from between issues #10 to 25?
 

---