Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artist Andrea Sorrentino

Colorist Marcelo Maiolo

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Black Vortex, Chapter Four

Due to the massive delays happened with All New X-Men, issue 37 is being skipped until issue 39 ships, as they didn’t want to mess up Black Vortex.  Which makes sense but ooof, that isn’t great.  Especially as 37 is suppose to be the filler Iceman and Beast friendship issue.  Time will tell if it is awesome or not.

Here is the link to the Bleeding Cool website, that explains it in more detail :

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/02/06/new-x-men-37-published-39/

Though why they didn’t just renumber them, is beyond me.  Issue 37 coming out on the same day as issue 39 seems awkward.

Onto the issue, which opens with Beast’s mind being more open than ever before.  The secrets of the universe are there for the taking.  I do like how easy Gamora is getting along with Beast and Warren.  Everyone has goals – Beast is going to become smarter, Gamora is going to fight Thanos and Warren will get more to submit to to the Black Vortex.

The three of them go to a nameless planet, with aliens who are still at the ‘almost discovering fire’ stage of development.  They are all about evolving them when the Kree show up.  Ronan the Accuser arrives on the planet, steals the Black Vortex, and flies away in their ship.  The three enlightened heroes are going to go to the Kree homeworld and get the mirror back.

The Moon of Spartax.  Storm is standing in the debris of the surface, Jean reaches out to her, telepathically.

Kitty phased herself, Jean, Quill and Rocket – that is how they survived J-Son’s attack.  Jean can’t sense the other heroes.  Rocket believes they are all dead.

Turns out, Magik teleported who she should, to safety.  With her was Captain Marvel, Groot, Nova, Bobby, Drax – who is holding an unconscious X23.  Kitty is so excited to see her friend.  Where is Lockheed during all of this?  I hope Marvel doesn’t use this crossover to kill him.  Bobby hugs Jean, the most those two have interacted.  Jean senses more opponents.

Storm tells Magik to teleport them, but Magik needs a destination.

Magik casts The Crytorrak Spell of Invisibility from the Book fo Vishanti, Page 456.  So that is a spell of unstoppable invisibility?

Did Kitty really not know that Magik has been training with Doctor Strange?  What do they talk about when they are alone?

The Slaughter Lords walk right pass them and leave.

Everyone is concern for X23, as with her healing factor, she shouldn’t be knocked out as long as she is. Quill summons his, Bad Boy spaceship.  Maybe Lockheed has been with Lydia, this whole time?  Pryde is so thankful, she is willing to marry Quill.   He says he can do better, and that reminds her of her own mother – which is nice that Kitty and Teresa are talking again, or at all.  Though I’m pretty sure it is just the typical mother joke slash reference.

The Slaughter Lords notice Bad Boy flying off.

Hala.  Homeworld of the Kree.  The Crown Jewel of the Kree Empire.  The Enlighten arrive and start hand blasting the place to smithereens.  Gamora calls themselves, New Cosmic Protectors of the Galaxy.

The heroes try to regroup.  Nova panics as they are way overpowered.  They have no clue where anyone went.  Bobby thinks about going to Earth and get the Avengers, Carol shoots that idea, fast, as they are not going to do anything.  Which seems odd, as she was with the Avengers during Infinity.

Issue ends with Scott calling them, and offering to help along with the Starjammers.  So they should help, as much as they help anything.

On the checklist, it is implied that All New X-Men 39 is the next chapter, so we may get two issues back to back.

We are a fourth of the way done, and I still think we are in good shape.  This has been all build up so the next five should be pretty intense with pay offs before the final four conclude the story.