AIPT was kind enough to ask my Shard question to Saladin Ahmed!
X-Men Monday #338 – Saladin Ahmed Talks ‘Bishop’ • AIPT
Writer Gail Simone
Artist Luciano Vecchio
Color Artist Matthew Wilson
Letter VC’s Clayton Cowles
We open with WARDEN Ellis and dying Phillip in the Graymalkin Prison, the former Xavier Institute. A good reminder that this plot is still around. Once Phillip dies, Inmate X is going to get out, and Ellis is going to be next. We do get Monet for a panel, so that’s nice. She has a picture of Quicksilver, which, not to beat this drum again, why isn’t he trying to break her out? Though this does seem more like a resort, that one just can’t get away from, unless you sign a contract to attend a concert. Would have been nice to see Dazzler here.
They found Xavier’s hover chair, which is fun to see. That thing is a very bright yellow.
Elsewhen. The All Different New Mutants are getting their first Danger Room fight. In a very fun page turn reveal, they are going to fight . . . Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur!
Haven House. Rogue, Logan, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee are looking for the Outliers. Rogue says, “Okay. I don’t think ah need ta say this, bur them kids . . . they gotta be brought back, even if it means hidin” which does that make sense? Repeating it for the sixth time, I think it means if they are hiding from the X-Men, they need to be brought back. Which Nightcrawler must have immediately understood what his sister meant, as he’s not sure if she means it.
St. Thomas Abbey. Abandoned. Mostly. Gambit makes a deal with Vig, who we’re not getting rid of any time soon. 20% of the Thivs Guild profits will go to Vig, just to help find the kids. Gambit says, “I belong to you again.” and he’s sad, which I get, but does he belong to him? Seems like Gambit is going to write him a check every month, and there isn’t much drama there. I mean, should Remy have put an end date on that? Yeah, probably, as even a year’s worth is pretty solid. Plus, what happens when Gambit doesn’t pay? Vig takes the Outliers? Actually, that might be what happens.
Louisiana X-Men arrive home and we see the New Mutants – Moonstar, Karma, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Wolfsbane.
Elsewhen. I’m on record of being a huge fan of Vecchio’s art. But sometimes it is hard to tell Jitter and Deathdream apart, when they are both wearing New Mutants uniforms. They both have short black hair, and are very slender.
Becca says Ember looks very dowdy, and he does!
Ransom wants Calico to “Valley of Gwangi” Devil Dinosaur, a movie that is fully available on YouTube, thanks Adam of ComicsXF, for cluing me onto this! Will I watch it? Could be fun, but I’m three Daredevil episodes behind, and barely started the Punisher second season, but I’ll add it to my list.
Ember does continue to look dowdy here.
Moon Boy attacks Jitter. She tries translates Moon Boy’s language to English, which is handy.
Unfortunately, Mutina is also too handy, and cuts off Moon Boy’s head. Yikes!
So they did survive the experience, which is nice.
Beast tells them that they usually don’t destroy / kill their opponents, but good job.
Nightcrawler alerts everyone Sentinels are at the door, and we get even more twists!
Sentinels hunt mutants . . . to eat them! We have Zombie Sentinels, ya’ll! They’re inmates that the Trasks turned into robots who eat mutants. Imagine the blue prints for these guys?!
Nightcrawler teleports Deathdream and Jitter, and we learn he has two extra, but short, arms. So we are definitely in a different time line.
We get Calico, Ember, and Mutina team up! Mutina was willing to be Becca’s friend, but Becca wants to help out, which is a turn off, which is fun.
Doctor Moira MacTaggert mentions the Professor, and it is around here, that I’m remembering that she keeps saying Professor, but I don’t think she ever said X. Though we do know it is the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
Jitter takes out a Sentinel thanks to field testing the shock gloves that Spider-Man gave her. That feels weird, right? So the Outliers are in the bodies of their counterparts here? I do wish they had their memories of their time together, but it is fun to see their friendships get reestablish here as Random and Deathdream seem to be getting along like brothers.
Mutina decided to stick around, so that’s nice. Ember doesn’t look as dowdy now that he’s lit up again. Becca continues to be a delight, calling the Sentinels “doodyheads.” She’s the best.
Just in time, we get the reinforcements!
Professor S, Sauron, is here with his X-Men! Magikossus, Cologik, Siryn, and Warpath.
Magik has Colossus powers, and Colossus has Magik powers, so there’s a whole backstory there I want to see. Siryn is a prisoner of Graymalkin, I’m sure we’re supposed to be reminded of that. I imagine this is Warpath to go with Siryn’s inclusion. Sauron is always a fun pull.
Where is Xavier? Does it matter?
Haven House. Rogue almost touches Cannonball’s hand, and this makes the New Mutants freak out, as her touch is death to men. Rogue tries to reassure them, but they don’t need it.
They’re cool with Rogue and her mission . . . to KILL THE AVENGERS!
So so many twists this issue.
Is this a three or four parter? It seems like we need an explanation issue before we get a concluding issue. We are only getting wilder from here.
Please follow along as I see what interests me that Marvel is releasing in July 2026.
Marvel Comics July 2026 Solicitations
. . .
DNX 1, Marvel’s X-Men event for the summer. Mutants are a disease, X-Men vs 3K, and the Fantastic Four along to help. I want the Checchetto variant cover.
. . .
I’m going to hold out on Armageddon as long as I can.
. . .
X-Men : Hellfire Murder is setting up the other X-Men event of the summer, I guess? Kitty is part of this, and I’m cool with either cover, but I’ll be more interested in a cover that mostly her on it.
. . .
I’m skipping all of Challengers of Doom, and Queen in Black.
Queen in Black : Defenders of Light and Dark is the Cloak and Dagger tie-in. That’s interesting.
. . .
Marvel Swimsuit Special : Brand New Beach Day, is a very fun title. DCBS already has this up for preorder, and as of now, we don’t know all of the variant covers. I would want the main X-Men cover, but had to take a chance on one of them, and went with the Dodson cover. Never a bad choice.
. . .
Godzilla Conquers the Multiverse 1, Emma Frost is part of the main team, and Magik has been in most of the previous two miniseries, so I’ll probably commit to this series.
. . .
I’m already dropping Ultimate Impact : Reborn, 3 is the latest issue. I’m done with the Ultimate Universe.
Gambit Wanted, by Chris Claremont, set during the Ro days, so this is a pass from me, as I doubt Kitty will appear in this.
. . .
Infernal Hulk 9, it seems like the X-Men were only in issue 7, and there is no hint of them in the solicit for 9, so I think I’m done. I was tempted to get issues 9 and 10 as those are the last issues, but now I’m unsure.
. . .
Now the original Ultimate Universe, that one, I care about. I want one of the two variant covers for What If Secret Wars 1? Ultimate Shadowcat was a huge deal at the end of the original Ultimate Universe, so here is hoping we see her in this.
. . .
Jeff the Land Shark : Superstar 1, Mojo has Jeff, and we are introduced to Magikhot – a mix of Magik and Longshot. I want the Gonzales variant cover, with the paper doll cut outs. I used to be super fascinated with those pages in magazines in the 90s.
. . .
Moonstar 5, final issue! No variant covers.
. . .
X-Men United 5 has Lourdes coming back! I want the Hetrick variant, and whichever other covers have Kitty on it.
. . .
X-Men 33 has six covers, so I’ll get one with Magik on it. I guess DNX isn’t an event with lots of tie ins?
. . .
X-Men 34, the Juggernaut spotlight issue! I want the Messina cover. I can’t believe this title double ships.
“But on a team of X-Men who have all, at one point, been villains, how does the Juggernaut stay a hero?” What does that even mean? The team isn’t a villain team. So silly.
. . .
Uncanny X-Men 31, are attacked by aliens, and an Outlier goes on a horrible first date. That has to be Deathdream, right?
Uncanny X-Men 32, double shipping?! The heck?!
Wolverine 23, has Taskmaster in it. He’s usually fun.
Wolverine 24, double shipping?! Who wants this many X-Men comics a month?!
Generation X-23 6, hey, getting a sixth issue, that’s cool.
Marvel Zero, I do like how Marvel collects the FCBD comics for anyone who may have missed them. $4.99 is probably better than having to pay for the free comics on eBay, and getting hit with shipping charges.
Iron Man 7 no longer has Carnero nor Wilson on art. Probably three more issues in the run?
Predator vs Planet of the Apes 1, is such a silly concept.
Marvel / DC Dead of Knight collects the Marvel side of the recent crossovers, including digital comics, that’s nice. I’m sure DC is releasing a similar trade. $25 doesn’t seem too bad for a hardcover.
. . .
Okay, let’s see how expensive July 2026 is for me.
DNX 1, the Checcheto variant, with Magik
X-Men : Hellfire Murder 1, any variant cover, ideally one that really spotlights The Cat
Marvel Swimsuit Special : Brand New Beach Day, already have the Dodson cover, so this doesn’t count toward the total, BUT! I do want to keep checking back for a X-Men cover. But unless it is Kitty or Magik related, I’ll pass on even that one.
Godzilla Conquers the Multiverse 1, any variant really. Emma is on the main cover.
Maybe Infernal Hulk 9?
What If Secret Wars 1, one of the two variant covers.
Jeff the Land Shark Superstar, the Gonzales variant.
Moonstar 5
X-Men United 5, the Hetrick variant, and any that have Kitty on it
X-Men 33, a variant with Magik on it
X-Men 34, the Messina variant
10 comics, ooof, and the summer is notoriously tight for us, but I’m not buying back issues this summer, so we’ll see. I could always buy Infernal Hulk 9 later.
. . .
What are you interested in, dear reader?
. . .
Update, as I have to do this constantly with DCBS, Jeff the Land Shark Superstar is already up on DCBS to preorder, so don’t miss out!
Variant Cover Erik Larsen & Edgar Delgado, Cyborgs Spider-Man & Superman
I have to say, this is exactly what I want in these crossovers. Good main story, and the backups have a fun mix of characters. Nothing, besides the main story, overstays its welcome, and even that, maybe just be three pages shorter so we can get another backup?
Our Kryptonite
Spider-Man & Superman
Writer Brad Meltzer
Artist Pepe Larraz
Color Artist Matthew Wilson
Letterer Clayton Cowles
This comic looks gorgeous, and how could it not be drawn and colored by Larraz and Wilson?
Spider-Man & Superman wake up together. Superman isn’t at the top of his game, as he’s being poisoned by Kryptonite. Spider-Man doesn’t know what that is, maybe it is like adamantium? Which is cute.
Superman wastes no time x-raying Spider-Man’s waist area to discover an old watch Spider-Man keeps on his belt. Which seems like the worst place for that, with how often Spider-Man is thrown through buildings. But sure.
Spider-Man and Superman exchange some opening jokes which is fun. Superman isn’t great at it, but he’s also poisoned.
They are fighting Lex Luthor and Green Goblin. We get a terrific Spider-Man holding up rubble sequence that we love to see. Spider-Man needs a distraction, which Superman isn’t great with, so asks about motivation. Spider-Man is racked with guilt, that’s what keeps him going.
The Venom symboite is there, for some reason, and Superman and Spider-Man exchange some memories. Then we get Venom-man, which is cool. We also see that Brianiac, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Parasite, Doomsday, and Rhino are there. So, a Sinister Six, plus two, situation.
Still bugs me we didn’t get Michael Keaton in Spider-Man No Way Home, the one chance we had at a live action Sinister Six, and we didn’t get it.
I like Superman using his own heat vision to start the process of getting the symbiote off of him. Then a Hulk inspired thunder clap, and Superman is fully back.
The day is saved.
Queens, New York. Three Weeks Later. Peter Parker is at Uncle Ben’s grave, and gets a visit there by Clark Kent. He keeps a pair of his father’s glasses with him at all times. Which also seems like a bad place for it, with how often he’s thrown through a building.
That Evening. Peter and Aunt May are invited to Smallville? Seems like expensive tickets, but they get a meal with the Kents, so Jonathan is alive, but I guess it is an old pair of glasses.
Ma Kent and May Parker arm wrestle, so that’s fun.
“Metropolis Marvels” Spider-Man Noir & Superman 
Dan Slot (A) Marcos Martin (CA) Muntsa Vicente (L) VC’s Joe Caramagna
I really like the idea of 30s Spider-Man teaming up with 30s Superman, that’s a fun idea. They are fighting businessman Lex Luthor, who has framed J. Jonah Jameson as the kingpin of crime.
We are treated to a very fun Amazing Fantasy 15 homage, with Superman holding Lex Luthor.
No one lifted a car in this segment.
“Sweethearts”
Gwen Stacy & Lana Lang
Writer Joe Kelly
Artist Humberto Ramos
Color Artist Edgar Delgado
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
Gwen Stacy & Lana Lang at Empire State University, New York. They are talking about their similarities and differences, as well as those things about the men in their lives, Peter Parker and Clark Kent.
Superman fights Sandman, and Spider-Man fights Metallo. I think.
Lana redeems all red heads for Gwen, which is cute.
Clark shows up, covered in sand, and Peter shows up all wet. Which is funny.
“Identity War”
Mysterio vs Superman featuring The Thing (and more)
Writer Geoff Johns
Artist Gary Frank
Color Artist Brad Anderson
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
Mysterio and Saturn Queen are making everybody angry with a rage-powered red lantern.
I like that we get a segment with the ever loving blue eye Thing! He has to fight off the Legion of Superheroes.
Spider-Man & Jessica Drew Spider-Woman fight off the Legionnaires.
Grimm says Cloak & Dagger are X-Force, fighting in Gotham. I’ll chalk this to either (1) Thing doesn’t know who X-Force is, or who Cloak or Dagger are, or (2) Gary Frank doesn’t know, and no one caught it, or (3), the captions and art are not supposed together, as having the Legion of Superheroes and Legionnaires, doesn’t make sense either.
But we also get Power Pack at titans Tower, and we see Miles Morales Spider-Man fighting maybe Rewind and Reel?
Of course, you can’t have a story about people getting angry, and not feature the Hulk.
Superboy punches Fred Dukes, but doesn’t move him, I like that.
The gathered heroes are – Captain America, Stargirl, Superman, She-Hulk, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, and Thing. So a great group of heroes.
They all fight the Hulk, except for Superman, who is trying to calm Hulk down. The sun is getting real low.
Superman tells Thing that it isn’t always clobbering time, which feels like a real jerk thing to say. Now Ben has to think about that every time before he says it?
I do like the story ending with Ben and Banner eating doughnuts.
“Ghosting”
Hobgoblin vs Steel
Writer Louise Simonson
Artist Todd Nauck
Color Artist Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
I love whenever Todd Nauck and Rachelle Rosenberg work together, so you know this story looks perfect.
For anyone who might thing Steel is just a guy with a hammer, he’s super smart too, as Hobgoblin keeps trying, but failing, to outsmart him with the tech he’s trying to steal. Or steel.
There is another guy known for a hammer, and we get Thor to help out, which was quite the surprise.
They click hammers like hammer bros do.
“Remarkable”
Ghost Spider & Supergirl
Writer Stephanie Phillips
Artist Phil Noto
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
This was very fun. Is Ghost Spider the type of person to want autographs? That seems more like a Ms. Marvel thing, but Stephanie Phillips would know. She is hoping to see Superman, but gets Supergirl in Metropolis. They don’t get along, which as a reader, I just figure this is how it starts, but we’ll see at the end, them being friends.
They fight Livewire, who seems like a fun villain to pick. Reminds me of the animated series with Supergirl and Batgirl.
Noto does a great drawing everybody, as he does.
Story ends with Supergirl signing the autograph book in a fun callback to the story.
“The One Thing”
Miles Morales & Superman
Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Artist Sara Pichelli
Color Artist Federico Blee
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
This was also a fun story. Miles is bored, then sees a giant explosion. Superman asks for his name, he gives his real name, and oh, Miles. Brianiac is attacking the city, and Superman teaches Miles the most important lesson, showing up is the right thing to do.
This was very short, but tells the full story in like three pages.
“The Wondrous & The Worthy” Symbiotes in Metropolis Jason Aaron (A) Russell Dauterman (CA) Matthew Wilson (L) VC’s Joe Caramagna
Jane Thorster, who must be early in her career as the new Thor, is fighting off symbiotes. Wonder Woman shows up to help. I like Jane having the thought of “say something cool,” and all that comes out is “you’re Wonder Woman.” Which I imagine she gets a lot.
Darkseid has a mix of symbiotes and his cronies.
Dauterman gets the chance of draw some of his favorites, is what I imagine the script called for. We get – Batman (with packed in sword), Ghost Spider, Superman, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man (the Peter one), Supergirl, John Stewart Green Lantern, and Wolverine, the boy one.
“One of Those Days”
Spider-Man & Superman
Writer Jeph Loeb
Artist Jim Cheung
Color Artist Jay David Ramos
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
This was an interesting choice to end on. Must be days after Gwen’s death, and Spider-Man is having “one of those days.” Superman shows up, and offers some Pa Kent observations. You are born, and you die, neither are up to you. It is what you do that matters.
And you’ll eventually feel better, better is good, but there will be good days, and bad days.
A hopeful message at the end.
THE cover of the year dropped, ya’ll!
I’ve been wanting a Luciano Vecchio Kitty Pryde style variant for so much! I own the Magik one (X-Men V7 25), and I have the Calico one on my wish list (Uncanny X-Men V6 11).
Honestly, I almost bought it right now for $10 on eBay, but I’m trying not to buy back issues until the summer is over.
Now we just need the Russell Dauterman Kitty costume gallery cover, and Lovable Lockheed in print, and things-in-my-heart-now-in-the-real-world wishlist will be complete.
I saw it was listed on DCBS, and took a chance on ordering it, hoping the cover will be Kitty related, and here we are!
Writer Chris Condon
Artist Alessandro Cappuccio
Color Artist Bryan Valenza
Letterer VC’s Travis Lanham
Regular Cover Alessandro Cappuccio & Frank Martin
Variant Francesco Manna & Mattia Iacono
Final Issue!
We get Magik continuing her origin story. One day on Earth equals one week in Ultimate Limbo. When she went missing, her father was utterly broken. Colossus, on the other hand, was determined to find her. When he couldn’t, he assumed she was taken by dark forces.
Magik had become a Dark Child, which is just cool to work all of her monikers into this story.
I love so much that Colossus took care of her, she wasn’t a monster to him, but his sister. Also, sleeping is such a great cure for so many ails.
Balga Castle, E.R.
Logan and Jean Grey are trying to find a way into Limbo. A find a person who can open and they both enter it. They locate the missing people, and Jean starts getting them all to safety. Logan is going to head off by himself to confront Magik. He comes across a dreamscape, and sees Colossus chopping wood.
Logan finds Magik sleeping on her bed, with her giant souldsword out. A younger Illyana shows up with her little teddy bear.
Little Yana wants Logan to read her a story, just one story. My heart is breaking reading these pages.
I love so much that Logan, the killer that he is, still read her a story. There’s always time for one last story.
But! He didn’t forget what Magik did to him, with the mind control, turning him into the Ultimate Winter Soldier. Logan kills Magik.
Jean rescues Logan, and they are ready now for Ultimate Endgame 5.
So this new Ultimate Universe killed both Katherine Pryde and Magik. We never got Lockheed introduced, or even teased. I would love to say this is me being done with the Ultimate Universe, but I can’t as I already preordered Ultimate Endgame 4 & 5, and I’ve been searching every panel for Magik, but that’s not going to be necessary anymore.
I imagine we might see them as characters we lost along the way. I also preordered Ultimate Finale, and the first issue of the Miles Morales Ultimate Reborn miniseries, but I am definitely done with this Ultimate Universe. All of my enthusiasm for it is gone.
It is nice that with four bonus issues, we got Magik’s origin story, and also, her last story.
Writer Ashely Allen
Artist German Peralta
Color Artist Arthur Hesli
Letterer VC’s Ariana Maher
Variant Cover Nimit Malavia
The Rasputin Household. UST-Ordynsky Collective. Russia. Then.
Young Piotr is getting super bullied, which I don’t care for. Mama Rasputina, who we never really got much of before, needs to toughen up her middle child.
Possibly the youngest we have ever seen Illyana?
Now.
Illyana is in an arena, being run by Koschei, who is trying to absorb magik.
I like how smart Illyana is, that she knows that’s the plan, so she’s just punching and kicking goons, and doing quite well for herself.
Then Magik has to fight . . . Count Kaoz, who seemed very familiar with me, and I wasn’t sure if we were going to get an editor note telling us where we know him from. He made his first appearance in Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo’s Doctor Strange V4 7, part of the Last Days of Magic arc, that I own many issues of. Which I’m sure whenever we get Doctor Strange 3, would be the storyline I’ll cover on the pod.
The Lucky Bear. St. Petersburg, Russia. Piotr is hassling some goons in hopes they’ll lead him to where Illyana is. I like that we get a Mikail reference here, that’s how Piotr knows who to talk to in the Russian criminal underground.
Colossus, one of the few guys who can headbutt a fool, and not also take damage doing so.
I love Magik & Kaoz’s chemistry so much! They are in danger, but they’re not in serious danger, so they are having fun.
Colossus breaks through the barrier, and starts helping out. Did I need four pages of Colossus getting closer to Magik? No, show us that he’s on the right track, and then surprise us with the reveal. That’s such great pacing.
Colossus rips off a demon cow’s head, that’s pretty intense. Anyone start watching Primate now on Paramount Plus? We thought the trailer looked good, and been eager for it to start streaming somewhere. We got to the first scare, a gorilla ripping off some dude’s face, and Walker D noped out. I should try to go back, but it is hard to watch a movie by myself. The demon cow wasn’t as intense as that.
Magik does not want to end up back in Florida.
The trio leaves, and Koschei takes it pretty well.
I love so much the three pages we get of Illyana and Piotr sharing their feelings, I just love them communicating. It was worth the effort.
I also love so much that Illyana takes after her mother. If this entire miniseries was to make us love Mama Rasputina, then mission accomplish!
Count Kaoz is leading the Rasputins to his ex-girlfriend’s house. His ex-girlfriend being . . . Baba Yaga. Who is NOT happy to see Kaoz.
Next issue should be very fun!
Writer Eve L. Ewing
Artist Tiago Palma
Color Artist Brian Reber
Letterer VC’s Joe Sabino
Regular Cover Stefano Caselli & Federico Blee
Variant Cover Mahmud Asrar
I got both the regular cover by Stefano Caselli & Federico Blee, and the Mahmud Asrar variant with Kitty & Lockheed (who doesn’t appear this issue, nor does Marigold, so she’s already living up his legacy).
Graymatter Lane. A Mind Palace Situated on the Psychic Plane.
Ben Liu, who is getting more page time in these two issues than he’s gotten in X-MEN, is trying not to get burned alive.
I love seeing Magik and Nightcrawler chatting. These two barely have history together, but I immediately remember that time Magik was hoping up portals for Kurt during AXE Judgment Day. That was a great moment.
I looked all over the background here to see if Bronze & Marigold could be found, but nope.
I still like how this is the comic that is going to deliver us match ups we wouldn’t go elsewhere.
Cyclops finally gets to Ben. Emma tells Scott that this was all for nothing, there was no reason to attempt to burn down the school. Plus, how does that even work? Emma states everyone is at lunch, so no one is noticing this fire. Which I thought we would get a panel where Emma immediately shuts down the fire, but it doesn’t seem to be doing any harm.
Quentin Quire is actually the person who started the fire, so his track record of failed school destructions is now 0-2.
I love seeing the bookcase in the back here. The Weapon X helmet, Jean’s yellow mask, and one of Storm’s tiaras. That’s a fun background detail.
Meanwhile. Prodigy is trying to get Iceman & Kitty Pryde involved in how to teach combat teamwork. Kitty is distracted by Rogue’s comments about internal threats. Which is odd, as half the school is on fire, but I guess she really didn’t notice. Plus, the real threat is from Mister Sinister, unless the X-Office keeps him pretty busy, which I believe they are, but we’ll get to that later. (He’s busy over in Inglorious X-Force 4).
I like Emma talking about whatever did she see in Scott, but also, I love Scemma, but it is fun to poke at the relationship.
Iceman references Scott’s flame war, so what is Kitty distracted by?
Captain America stops by, as he has a mission for the X-Men. Iceman starts talking like he’s from the 30s, which I imagine Cap doesn’t love.
He wants to use the Empathy Engine to reach out to all of the Weapon Plus people, and make sure they are okay.
Kitty is surprised that Cap knows about the machine, which does have a pretty cool name. Empathy Engine.
I don’t love Emma having to try to convince them to get on board here. It is Captain America, asking for help, and it doesn’t even seem like a big ask.
I do like Kitty and Magneto chatting. I know they were on the Quiet Council together, but it feels like forever since these two actually talked to each other.
I imagine Cap does make Kitty think about WWII, and all that deals with it, and her talking to Magneto, immediately, is there to make us think about those implications.
I don’t care for the idea that the X-Men have to have a meeting to help Cap out. Maybe if it was to strategize about how to do it, but to vote on it? I’m not sure about.
Emma and Prodigy vote, yes. Iceman votes, no. Kitty abstains, which all of this feels weird.
Prodigy is going to pick the team, so that’s fun.
Prodigy picks Wolverine, as she’s the best, Melee, who I love, and apparently in the 50s, the Bureau of Indian Affairs moved her family to Chicago, so she’s motivated, and Jitter! Quite the trio of brunettes here.
I like how the 50s feels like long enough ago that it doesn’t call into question any sliding timescale stuff. Unlike the 80s, that feels like it would question the sliding timescale.
I also like how one of Laura’s strongest character points is how much she hates people being experimented on, especially against their will.
Jitter is a wild card
I like how impress Cap is with this team.
I do like Kitty and Beast being in the same room. Though this isn’t her Beast, so these two need to really connect, and rebuild that relationship.
Now, if the X-Men voted after this scene, that’ll make so much more sense to me.
Beast states it is possible to do the mission, but there are some major issues of gaps and errors to be accounted for. Axo doesn’t want to do it as there are gaps and errors that haven’t been accounted for. As far as we have seen, this will only be the second major test of the Empathy Engine.
I guess in my mind, the thing worked by sending out a pulse, and then the X-Men connect to it, and we go from there. Like, they think “rescue kid,” and the engine links up to the kid. So, to make this work, they send a pulse of “all thoughts involving Weapon Plus,” and anyone having those thoughts and memories, gathers, and links are made. That doesn’t seem to be the case here. Maybe because they are creating a mind palace so they can interact with it? Maybe? This could just be a case of comic book science, and of course, a world of fiction, so a problem has to happen.
So cute the hand holding here. Melee holds Jitter’s hand, who is holding Captain America’s hand, and he is holding Laura’s hand.
Jitter has her stutter here, but she seems overly scared, which makes me think that’s more of a Calico character trait. Jitter recognizes she’s in a haunted house, and is worried about dying.
I do like her wanting to hold Melee’s hands, though I don’t love that for Becca. But this also makes me feel like something Becca would want to do, find a strong lady, and hold her hand, and not necessarily what Jitter would do.
Cap comes across a young Maurice Canfield, but then he immediately turns old and evil.
70s Beast believes he has made a big oopsie.
Pretty solid second issue!
Writers Gail Simone & Mikki Kendall
Arists Francesco Mortarino with Elisabetta D’Amico (inks)
Color Artist Mattia Iacono
Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles
We learn more about Logan’s connections to Haven House, and the St. Juniors, and another old timey adventure with Lady Henrietta.
But I’m just here to see Ember being a good horse boy.
Plus, we get Calitter, and I love them so much!
They are so fun together!
I like how we get Jubilee and Logan hanging out, that’s nice.
That’s pretty much the comic.
Writer Gail Simone
Artist Luciano Vecchio & Cover
Color Artist Matthew Wilson
Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles
Woldenberg Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. Issue opens with Rogue and Gambit on a date, which is very sweet. They are thinking about adopting the Outliers. Which seems to be a bit much. I would love to see the Outliers side of the story, where they are like, “um, we’re in our 20s, you can’t adopt us, we thought we were on the X-Men track?”
Though in Age of Relveations – Unbreakable X-Men, we see that Calico is their daughter.
Their date is interrupted by a punk robbing an older lady. He wants to be part of the Thieves Guild, and I like so much how quick Gambit is to tell them that he wouldn’t want some punks who rob old ladies, that isn’t impressive at all. But doing all of this, he’s coming off very intense, causing Rogue to try to calm the situation down.
Haven House. Kurt believes MacKenzie broke up with him, so he is very down, so this all makes sense to me. He’s wallowing in the fact that he can’t play the piano, though I am certain that there are hundreds of people with only three fingers one each hand that actually do play the piano. I imagine they do the classics, but have created beautiful music to match their abilities.
Jubilee is trying her best to be a friend, and I like that we’re finally getting these two hanging out. They probably have less time together than Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde.
Kurt is going to sleep, and Jubilee is going to check on the kids. Are they teenagers or are they young adults? I can’t get a feel for their ages anymore.
Ransom is having a nightmare from his hostage days. Taking on the Ransom moniker, he’s probably never far from this pivotal day.
Jitter is having a nightmare involving her mother’s lack of understanding of how she can do what she does, making a cheese souffle. Did she not even consider mutation? I just imagine all public schools include mutations when they talk about puberty. I imagine in elementary schools, that kids tease each other, cruelly, about who might turn into a mutation. Kids can be cruel. Her mother sends her to school, knowing poor Jitter will get taunted there. This is shown as a nightmare, but I can only imagine this happened all the time to her.
Deathdream sleeps the way I pretend to, with my arms crossed on my chest. Like, if I’m waking up in a hotel room with my family, I’ll like to strike the pose before opening my eyes. I’m usually up first, so no one sees. He’s having a nightmare involving his younger brother not breathing.
Calico is having a nightmare. I do NOT like her mother, at all. A boy asked Becca about a lost dog, and her mother is just losing it. She claims Becca has a filthy mind just like Becca’s father, and anyone who uses the phrase “filthy mind” just isn’t right. Somehow Ember is next on the hitlist, Becca’s mother thinks the horse is coming between them, so naturally, she burned the stables. The heck?!
Jubilee wakes up Kurt, who sleeps in white briefs. I feel like, with how sexy Kurt is, he has a responsibility to his housemates to wear pajamas. That’s right, right?
MacKenzie shows up, and she was afraid for Kurt and his life. She wasn’t that thrilled with Mutina, but it is Kurt’s life she’s worried about. Plus, Kurt is talking to her in his underwear, so there are no hard feelings that we can see.
Waffles, the Sentinel shaped dog, shows Jubilee that the Outliers are all missing.
Sentos Island. Singapore. Elsewhen. This is odd. We just had the Outliers as Outlaws, and now we’re having a maybe time travel adventure with them? This is going to be interesting. Dr. MacTaggart recues Jitter. Beunos Aires, Argentina. Cyclops rescues Ransom.
Loudoun Metallurgical Mine, Virigina. Calico and Ember rescue some miners. One thinks she may be a mutant, but the other believes she must be a miracle. Bro, she’s both. C’mon.
Logan and Beast picks her up.
Nightcrawler rescues Deathdream, so we know something is off if Deathdream doesn’t recognize Kurt.
Westchester County, New York. Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. The Outliers are brought together. There is a sixth member . . . Mutina!
We have The New Mutants! Becca as Cannonball is a fun idea. They’re both from the country. She’s rich compared to his working class. They both have a flame element, I guess? Ransom as his cousin, Sunspot, seems to be the inspiration for this adventure.
I thought it would be Mutina from the cover, and we were right, though Simone tried to throw us off. I know Cannonball will eventually show up. Time will tell if we get Magik.
And, of course, who is behind this? Must be pretty massive if they were pulled from around the world, but also, were they?
Shadow and Flame with Magik 