J.M. DeMatteis wrote about celebrating Sal Buscema’s would be 90th birthday.
Sal Buscema turns 90 today. There's hardly a Marvel character Sal hasn't left his mark on, from Cap to the Hulk, Avengers to Thor. Working with Sal for two years on Spectacular Spider-Man remains a highlight of my career. And the best part? He's not just a great artist, he's a truly good guy.
I had to write, as I always do when Sal Buscema comes up, I have to share how he’s my favorite Spider-Artist. When I close my eyes, and think, Spider-Man, I see a Sal Buscema Spider-Man.
Then I started seeing posts about how Sal Buscema died before his birthday, and I had to make sure I didn’t misread that original post.
Just a few hours after celebrating Sal B's birthday, I got the news that Sal has passed away. An enormous loss for our industry and for all of us who knew and worked with him. Safe journeys, Sal. We'll miss you.
I’m not usually a X-Force type of guy. Usually none of my favorite characters make the team. Sometimes they show up to lend commentary or teleport the team somewhere else.
Cable arrives in the present, with a mission to save the future first mutant president. I immediately think we are making a President Dazzler reference, and I’m all on board for this team.
Cable arrives, but in very rough shape, and has Swiss cheese memory. He has left himself a note, to recruit Archangel, Hellverine, Boom Boom (who I always like to think of her as Meltdown, just to date myself).
Worthington Industries. Warren is having to deal with his board of directors. I love so much thinking about how frustrated they have been with Warren, since . . . forever? Maybe once he was a blank slate, and they could run the business they wanted to? You know, in a professional matter? They reference X-Corp and X-Factor, and how Warren keeps embarrassing them. Stock is low, but what does Worthington Industries even produce?
Cable talks to Warren later, and Warren comments on how they don’t have much history together. I mean, Warren was around for Baby Nathan, and then they were on different X-Force squads, so it does make sense. I immediately whack my brain for any memorable times together, and I’m pretty sure they don’t have much history together. I always do appreciate new X-Pairings.
Cable recruits Hellverine, who doesn’t have a solo title, so he has free time.
Cable recruits Tabitha, who I really appreciate being on this team, as I’m not much for gritty high violence titles, that’s just not my thing. She is bored, classic Boom Boom, and doesn’t even need to pack a bag, she knows Cable has whatever she needs at his base.
I do appreciate that this is a reunion title, and not a retro mini. I rather stories be set in the now with flashbacks to the old, it just feels current. Unless, of course, we’re getting a retro Kitty Pryde, Lockheed, and Magik series, then I’m all on board, variant covers, and all.
The three villains of the issue – Unveil, Speedburn, and DePop, seem interesting. Not too interesting where we’ll miss them once they are brutally killed, but interesting enough to be subjects of plots.
They are attacking Ms. Marvel, who I really like. Inglorious X-Force arrives to help her out.
Ms. Marvel is so me with this team. Heroes can kick, punch, chop, but they shouldn’t be stabbing everybody with flame swords. Or claws. X-Force isn’t really a team meant to inspire. They are the creepers of the dark, sometimes as nutty as their foes. They use force but not The Force.
Ms. Marvel recognizes Cable and X-Force, neither is really her scene.
Cable reveals Ms. Marvel’s future, she will be the first mutant president. Dazzler truly can’t have anything. I am also reminded that Kitty Pryde is meant to be a future president as well. But it hasn’t felt like we have been moving in that direction for some time. Kitty is tired, so I get that.
I do like the idea that Ms. Marvel, being a late teenager, is already looking forward to the four or eight years of not crime fighting. She’ll help the team out, but isn’t willing to join full time.
I like how in the fight, Warren wasn’t using kill blades, but paralyzing darts. Which I can only imagine still hurt like crazy.
Issue ends with Domino having Cable in her crosshairs. I like how she is looking at Leg Party and Housekeeping magazines. Oh, Domino, you are the best.
I’m not sure if she is joining the team, but I would like another lady or two on this team. This is one of the reasons why I wasn’t into the second volume of Weapon X-Men, as it was all dudes.
This was a fun comic! I got excited to see Deathdream and Ransom, as I thought we were going to get Calitter and Ember, but we don’t. I was also surprised to see present day scenes, as I thought this might be a retro series.
Issue opens with them fighting a giant mutant possum.
Rogue loves Gambit, but sometimes he needs a kick in the arse.
The giant mutant possum, is destroying the Louisiana airport. A building is going to fall on some people. Rogue recognizes a guy in a wheelchair, who doesn’t have anything below his knees. She isn’t sure where she has seen him before.
Rogue mentions how she has her invulnerability swiped from Wonder Man. Is that right? She’s been keeping that power since her original Uncanny Avengers days?
We get a camp fire scene, and I immediately have to look at the credits of the comic. Erica Schultz is writing such a good issue. Luigi Zagaria is a terrific artist. Espen Grundetjern is the colorist, and I can only imagine is making Matthew Wilson proud as this felt like a spinoff of Uncanny X-Men, which it is. VC’s Ariana Maher is great as the letterer, as always.
At the camp fire, we do get a questionable narration boxes that I keep reading to try to make sense of it.
Deathdrream – Hotoru – is healing . . . or at least how he heals.
Ah made a rookie mistake goin’ off with the fairies like that.
We’re tryin’ ta train these newbies, but we gotta be careful.
They don’t know their own limits.
Ah made a rookie mistake goin’ off with the fairies like that. Fairies?! What an interesting choice of words. Is that used in the South in a positive way? I imagine she means they are very young and fresh, but I feel like that is a very loaded word choice.
Rogue is having nightmares from her Brotherhood days. But these are an unseen Brotherhood days as both Sabretooth and Constrictor is there. That team was already boy heavy as it is, and doesn’t need two more added to it. Though Sabretooth and Destiny on the same team as Mystique is very interesting.
Rogue wakes up, and has matured a bit, and doesn’t take the entire comforter to wrap around her, but has bought a robe. Progress!
Rogue needs answers, and seeks out her moms.
I like the continuity that Mystique isn’t better, she still looks like she did at the end of Mystique V2 5. Shame this is the first time Rogue has seen her this way, as I would have thought she had seen her in the meantime.
Mystique doesn’t want to discuss Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., which makes sense, as no one does. But we’ll get more of that next issue.
Great issue! I’m just not on board for a Sabretooth story, and from what we’ve seen, it looks like it is going to be the traditional Sabretooth story.
I do love a Villian issue! We see that 3K’s alliance is on very shaky grounds. Chairman Beast of Krakoa has been gone a week, giving Cassandra Nova and Astra (with Joseph) time to plot the other’s death. Cassandra Nova has her own Pixie, Myraid. Wyre and his X-Men just want to see who wants leadership more. Cassandra Nova puts the leadership to a vote. Joseph dons his helmet, but Myraid takes off the helmet, and Cassandra Nova is on the verge of winning, when Beast shows up! He is full Beast mode, but all white to match his Age of Revelation body. He was in a synthetic body, which I still feel like wasn’t fair for the home audience’s guessing game. He reveals the plot of Age of Revelation. We get one splash page of the events, so if anyone is interested, they can check out Amazing X-Men V3 for Cyclops’ journey, The Last Wolverine for Logan Death, and Laura Kinney Sabretooth for her adventure. We get this page, and earlier, we get a few panels of him and Animalia .
They are going to use a virus to turn all humans into mutants, succeed where Doug got the job mostly done.
Beast also knows one other thing, that Schwarzschild will eventually join Cyclops, so he has Wyre’s X-Men kill him, and they don’t even hesitate, so we have successfully splintered from the AoR future.
Issue ends with us seeing their base, which is a cool looking flying saucer above a nice mountain range. Are they near Alaska?
No Magik, but I’m getting the Clayton Crain variant cover, so this issue is a keeper.
It also feels like a big step in the direction this series is going in. Maybe not the franchise as I don’t see X-Men United dealing with this, but maybe? They have Armageddon to hopefully dodge, and whatever the 2026 Comic Giveaway issue is. (so silly of a name)
You can’t make people love you by lobotomizing them, or traumatizing them, or manipulating them. Thanks, Jan!
I wasn’t thrilled with this issue, until the final page got me back in. Issue opens with Jan talking to Korvac. He’s in love with Carina, but he’s worried she won’t love him back, because of all of the horrible things he’s done. So, he’s tempted to just rewrite history, and erase her memory of the old timeline, and we get Jan’s helpful quote above.
Korvac kills / erases Jan, which upsets Pym, naturally. Bucky and Britainicus Rex, who isn’t used nearly enough, neither is Days of Future Past Storm, but more on that later, show up to help DoFP Storm, and others. Too late to do anything else, really.
Pym & Korvac yell at each other. Hank has the “brilliant” idea to force Carol to trauma dump with Korvac. She doesn’t love the idea, why would she?, but agrees to it. We do get an awesome page of her history, including The Brood Saga, where she turns into Binary. We also get Rogue stealing her powers, and of course, ugh, the Marcus of it all. But The Brood Saga, that’s cool.
Korvac recognizes how cool Carol is, and brings Jan back, and we’re all good now. With a few pages left, I start thinking this was a bit of a waste, a decent enough story, but underwhelming, and does kill my buzz for 2099 The End.
Then everyone is set back to their respected realities. EXCEPT! DoFP Storm is about to commit to her, and the X-Men’s end, and we learn Earth-811 is, well at least this version, is now Earth-813! Korvac is going to help sort this timeline out! That’s pretty cool! Kate Pryde is not seen or mentioned, so this isn’t needed for the collection.
Do we get a fun “The End…?” caption, and I’ll definitely buy a Days of Future Past miniseries, I’m a sucker for those. Kate Pryde has to be seen in that, right?
I did look it up. Earth-812, was established by legends Johnathan Hickman and Tini Howard in X of Swords : Destruction, as one of the Earth’s Liz Braddock is from. She is in a giant group shot of other Captains Britain, but we learn on a text page that she’s from Earth-812. So that is why this Earth is Earth-813.
The potential of future stories does make this mini fun, but also, I’m okay with we don’t get a sequel series. This one would just get summarized in a caption box, or a dialogue exchange.
I love Peach Momoko. I haven’t been keeping up with Sai, as I didn’t have a way to play Marvel Rivals, so I was being butt hurt about anything connected to that game. I can play Marvel Rivals now, and so I’m hoping to all of the opportunities now. I like seeing Beast, and Galactako, who must be a play on Galacta. I like the editorial page in the back, stating this is a five issue series. It isn’t an anthology, it is one complete story, just told in an artistic round robin sort of way. Which is fun, I would have liked that page of explanation closer to the front. I also like Stan Sakai, the legend, Usagi Yojimbo creator himself, doing a few pages.
For these alternative takes, I’m mostly looking for characters I recognize, I got that with Beast, and a fun story to escape to, which I got fully heartly. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series, and I should check out Demon Days, but I know there are no references to Kitty, Lockheed, or Magik, but I should just read it as it is Peach Momoko, doing what she wants to do, freely.
Spider-Man / Superman 1, and I’m actually legit interested in a few covers. Walker D wants the Kaare Andrews cover, and I want the Erik Larsen cover. I just love that it is both Cyborg Superman and Cyborg Spider-Man, such a fun concept!
. . .
With me getting two Spider-Man / Superman covers, I’ll have to keep that in mind as I do my order this month, as I do want to try to stay under $50. I definitely want the regular cover of Ultimate Wolverine 16, for Ultimate Sprite, but Hanna’s variant cover has Magik on it, so maybe I’ll get both?
. . .
The Ultimates is ending with 24.
. . .
Ultimate Endgame 5, hopefully Magik is on one of the four variant covers not shown.
. . .
Ultimate Universe Finale 1, be nice if one of the eight variant covers has Sprite & Magik on it.
I wonder how I read Spider-Man solicits is the way some people read X-Men solicits? There’s just so many books, and I have zero interest in them.
Captain Marvel : Dark Past 1, written by Paul Jenkins, sounds interesting.
Wonder Man 2, hard pass.
Sentry 2, hard pass.
Eternals 50th Anniversary, written by Fallout Boy.
Doom 2099 : Rage of Doom 1, versus Ultron. What are we even doing?
Wolverine : Weapons of Armageddon 2, still looks pretty contained.
Jubilee : Deadly Reunion 1, I do like Jubilee getting a one shot finally. She was the last of the X-Ladies who got solos or minis after Blood Hunt. Hopefully her lost family member isn’t a gangster or a ninja.
. . .
X-Men United 2, the cover that showed us that Kitty Pryde was officially on the team! There’s five variant covers, and I’ll probably buy whichever ones have Kitty on them. I believe I’m getting four covers of issue one? That might be right.
. . .
Magik and Colossus 3, the regular cover does look pretty cool, but if one of the four variant covers is purely Illyana, I’ll get that one. I am going to stay committed to getting Magik comics that I am aware of, but I do think I’m going to focus on only ensuring that I’m keeping up with my Kitty Pryde and Lockheed collection.
. . .
Rogue 4, issue one was amazing.
Cyclops 3, sounds cool.
Inglorious X-Force 4, first issue was pretty solid.
. . .
Moonstar 2, I have to support both Dani, and Ashley Allen. Maybe a Magik appearance on one of the three other variant covers?
. . .
Storm : Earth’s Mightiest Mutant 3, she is having a multiverse story, so maybe some cool characters will appear?
Generation X-23 3, this does sound interesting.
. . .
This feels like I’m screen capping so many comics! I wonder if Magik appears on one of the other four variant covers for X-Men 28?
. . .
Wolverine 18 & 19, this title is double shipping?! Why?! 18 ends Silver Sable, which I liked the first part, and 19 starts a Hercules arc, so that’s probably why, but no comic needs to double ship. At least it isn’t a title I’m buying.
. . .
Is that Kitty Pryde on the regular cover of Uncanny X-Men 26? Maybe it is Mutina in a trainee uniform?
. . .
Uncanny X-Men 27, doesn’t hint at who is on the cover of 26. Also, this is double shipping?!
Uncanny X-Men Annual, is dealing with the aftermath of the Dark Artery arc.
. . .
Deadpool : April Pool’s Day, written by Gail Simone, and is hinting at having a slew of guest stars. We’ll have to wait and see if I need this for my collection.
. . .
Imperial Guardians 2, for that sweet Dark Hawk content.
Sorcerer Supreme 5, I completely missed out on knowing Madelyne Pryor was in issue 3, so I have to pay more attention to this title.
Psylocke : Ninja 4, the first issue was okay.
Sai : Dimensional Rivals 4, the first issue was good.
Marvel Rivals : Duel of Kings 1, Namor vs Black Panther, I’ll have to see if Magik appears in this, or on the variant cover.
The End 2099 5, I’ll have to see if any characters I like show up in this.
Iron Man 4, still with Carmen Carnero on art. So, it will look delicious. I man, gorgorous.
Fantastic Four 10, I saw a slew of fallen heroes on the regular cover, but Logan was the only mutant.
Logan : Black, White, and Blood 4, none of the stories seem to guest star any X-Men. Odd this is listed so far away from the X-Titles.
Hulk : Smash Everything 5, two issues have been out, and it has not been a hero cameo fest like I thought it was going to be.
Godzilla : Infinity Roar 3, this does seem committed to only be space based, so I feel like I can skip this.
Planet of the Apes / Fantastic Four 3, one of these days, the X-Men will star in one of these fun crossovers.
. . .
Alright, let’s see how much damage this is.
Spider-Man / Superman, times two! Andrews and Larsen covers, unless one of the other 20 has a mutant on it.
Ultimate Wolverine 16, at least the regular cover, maybe the Hanna cover as well?
Ultimate Endgame 5, one of the variant covers.
Ultimate Universe Finale 1, one of the variant covers.
X-Men United 2, the regular cover for sure, check for Kitty Pryde variant covers.
Magik and Colossus 3, regular cover would be fine, but check variants.
Moonstar 2, check for a variant cover.
X-Men 28, check for a variant cover.
Uncanny X-Men 26, regular cover for sure.
Deadpool : April Pool’s Day 1, probably have to pass on this one as I’m looking a ten comics, with possibly a few more. I know DCBS gives a better discount with more comics, and the shipping goes down, I believe? Maybe?
This is a lot of comics for me, but this is also the last of the announced Marvel DC crossovers, until they announce another one. Hopefully that one would focus on a mutant. That’ll be nice.
They got me with Magik being on the cover. Magik does not appear in this comic! But it is a cool cover.
Luna Snow is about to put on a concert for the nice folks of Seoul. Some in the audience haven’t forgotten her time on Doom’s Division. But they’re more upset she turned on Doom to side with Sunfire. She didn’t know he was a bad guy, but Sunfire rightfully points out, much later in the comic, that the name should have been a clue.
The record label is done with her, immediately, and hires Vibe, who isn’t as talented, but the manager has particular set of skills to get her over. Let’s get this out of the way now. The manager is secretly Starfox, who is the absolute worst. Should be a warning that he is in this comic. So, this is that warning.
There was also parts where I kept thinking, so we’re doing the Dazzler down slope part of her career for Luna Snow? Where she has to build herself back up, or at least, back in some people’s good graces? Shame she can’t be loved, and we get a fun one shot of her being a huge success with personal drawbacks, or something. People do like an underdog. I just would have liked to see a woman succeed.
Tokyo, one month later. Some guy is harassing her, she asks if his mom cuts his hair, he admits she does, and Luna softens. I really like that moment.
Did you know they have released five KPOP songs for Luna Snow? That’s fun. She’s had two different singers to be her, Hyungseo, and Krysta Youngs. The songs seem good. I haven’t bought them.
Sunfire shows up to help Luna Snow. They go to Vibe’s concert. Her song has something to it, that people can tell it isn’t good, but it is very catchy. Wave is part of Vibe’s security detail. I don’t know Wave that well, besides people like her in Marvel Snap. Wave has special ear plugs, so she can hear, just not the music.
We get the Starfox reveal, ugh. I imagine Thanos rather him not name drop him in his name reveal. The Titan of Desire, double ugh. I just hate emotion manipulators. In comics, and in life. They’re gross. Especially when they lean into the grossness.
Rick Jones shows up. Luna Snow calls him the greatest superhero musician of his generation. He correctly corrects her that Dazzler has that title, so I like that.
It is a good comic, I wanted more from it, but it isn’t an X-Men comic featuring Luna Snow, this is her one shot, so we got Sunfire, that’s the X-Content, with Dazzler references. That should be enough.
We’re back! Issue opens with MacKenzie and Kurt, who I really like together. In a lot of relationships, that first kiss is something to really anticipate. But imagine waiting to be bamfed? And four times?! She wasn’t ready for that.
Kurt wasn’t ready for his surprise birthday! I have to remember this issue come November 11, Kurt and Dave Cockrum’s birthday. That splash page is perfect for that post.
I like all of the love Kurt gets this issue.
Logan notices someone at the door, it is Mutina, who wants to join the X-Men. Logan isn’t having it, and they fight. He thinks she is all talk, that she hasn’t killed anyone, but even if that is true, she’s getting closer to finally killing. She has definitely cut some fools, as she gets two clean hits on Logan. Does she have a Nightcrawler like shadow power? She keeps fading into the darkness. Was she born in the darkness, molded by it? Or has she merely adopted the dark? Do the shadows belong to her?
Mutina has done her homework on the Uncanny X-Men.
Screenshot
As Logan is confronting her, nearly the full cast of The X-Pets comes out. Ember, the dog shaped Sentinel, all of Gambit’s cats. Mutina tries to feed good boy, Ember, but he doesn’t want her food. The cats literally eat up the cat food she brought for them.
Mutina discloses information about The Outliers. She implies Calico burned her family home down, but I feel like that was heavily implied before.
Ransom threw four kidnappers out a window, which we also knew.
Jitter hurt a girl so badly, she can barely walk. I feel like this may have been a bully, which you shouldn’t beat a bully until they can’t walk, but you have to stand up to bullies. Or tell someone at your school, as there should be zero tolerance for that. Or she hurt someone who shouldn’t have been hurt, and there’s a story there.
Where there is a story is Deathdream. He apparently has a brother, and the story is awful. We do know that he is almost on the verge of tears whenever Ransom calls him, brother, so there’s a story there that I want to be told about.
What was in her box? Cupcake or thumbs? It was cupcake!
So, I’m liking Mutina, until I don’t. Logan goes inside, and we see she has a knife up to MacKenzie’s throat. Poor MacKenzie is in tears. Kurt talks Mutina into a duel. Mutina gets a cut on Kurt. He tells her she’ll never be an X-Man, but there is a path, which is odd. So, she could be an X-Man?
Shadow and Flame with Magik 