New Mutants Film, may be a reality

Posted by John Klein III on June 13, 2015
Posted in: Film, News, Podcasts, Websites. Tagged: , . 2 Comments

http://www.newsarama.com/24486-fox-announces-new-mutants-movie-with-fault-in-our-stars-director.html

In addition to Apocalypse, Deadpool, Wolverine 3, X-Force and Gambit – we are getting the New Mutants!

As a long time fan of the Uncanny X-Cast, I’ve been hoping for a New Mutants film for the longest time!

http://www.uncannyxcast.com/main/2009/4/28/episode-62-pulp-friction.html

That list was made way back in 2009, so none of those actors are probably eligible to play teenagers, as only Tom Welling is capable of not aging in a span of six years.

My idea cast of characters would to be to have all nine of the characters.  With a real emphasis on making Dani Moonstar, Illyana Rasputin and Doug Ramsey – the stars of the film.  The less Sunspot and Magma, the better but I can only imagine that Susnpot and Cannonball are going to lead the film.

I’m really hoping not too many Non-members make up the cast of the film, especially not the characters that would eventually make up X-Force.  Since X-Force would have come out first, I imagine that shouldn’t be a threat.  If it was the other way around, I could see the films having an innocent beginning and then graduating them to a harsher reality strike team.  Let’s hope it doesn’t go in that direction!

The article states that we are at least three or four years away from production, so it may fall through.

Amazing X-Men 13 – Groot Rocket Variant

Posted by John Klein III on June 12, 2015
Posted in: Homage, Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Amazing X-Men 13 Groot Rocket 141 Variant

Writer James Tynion IV

Artist Jorge Jimenez

Colorist Rachelle Rosenberg

Letterer VC’s Joe Caramgna

Cover Dated January 2014

Cover by Sara Pichelli, an awesome Uncanny X-Men 141 cover starring Groot and Rocket!

I thought this issue own a slot on the X-Books 2014 Best Storylines from a Single Storyline.  Instead, James Tynion IV won Honorable Mention for best writer for this very well written Done-In-One.

The main plot of this book, is that Anole is suppose to go out on a blind date with a dude.  The guy knows he is a mutant but Anole worries as he isn’t one of the ‘pretty mutants.’  The poor guy is concern about his green skin, giant one arm and making a good impression.  Lady Mastermind messes with Anole’s head.  We get good moments with Northstar and Nightcrawler, two characters that I haven’t seen interact too much over the years.

Northstar gave Anole a pass to be gone for the entire day, Nightcrawler is more by the books and is concern about Anole – as he has been gone too long.

Lady Mastermind shows Kurt being young and treated like a demon, his father Azazel shows up.  This doesn’t work on Kurt, as he is so beyond this phase of his life.

Northstar’s nightmare is his husband (glad they are together) – Kyle, turning his back on Northstar.  We see that Northstar’s inner Nightcrawler is homophobic.  Real Kurt kills this illusion, as he is super gay friendly.

Anole gets to punch Lady Mastermind, who I like this power upgrade, it seems like it is an obvious direction for her. Especially as she states that she has been training with telepaths, so she has earned this upgrade.

Kurt gives some great advice how he is blue and furry and he does great with the ladies.

Issue ends with the dude going on a date with Anole.

A Conversation I Had Recently

Posted by John Klein III on June 11, 2015
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: . Leave a comment

I was talking to a friend about how Kitty Pryde was the greatest character of all time.

This third party overheard it and decided, foolishly, to throw Harry Potter’s name into the hat, as if we were reenacting the Goblet of Fire.

I bit my tongue for a second, as I wanted to be all like “bitch, please, he isn’t even the best character in his own books”

So after taking a beat, I politely pointed out how Harry Potter’s series of books should be, instead, titled – Hermione Granger Fixing Fools’ Problems – Books One through Seven.

This is what I have to put up with.

Wolverines 8

Posted by John Klein III on June 10, 2015
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Wolverines 8

Writer Fawkes

Art Juan Doe

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Wolverines 8 Shogun 1

The alien wants to know which of these villains killed Wolverine.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 2

Turns out, the alien is none other than . . . Imperial Guard member, Fang!  Wolverine and X23 have both worn this guy’s costumes, for moments in time.  Has it been revealed yet, how X23 got a lady version of the outfit?

Sabretooth attacks Fang and is brought down hard.  Mystique has heard of Fang before, she is well versed in all the crazies that inhabit the entire Marvel Universe.  Mystique knows that Fang should be dead, killed by the Brood.

Fang laughs, as no one – including the Brood – know how to kill a member of the Lupaki race.

Mystique can tell that Fang is only messing with them, he isn’t out to kill any of the gathered villains.  He is merely after sport.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 3

X23 tells everyone to attack Fang as a team, which means to dogpile (wolf pile?) which is not the same thing.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 4

Very much like a cartoon character, he Triple H no sells everybody off of him.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 5

Daken, the only one to not attack yet (why would he, without his healing factor, one eye and one arm?) tries to talk to Fang.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 6

Lady Deathstrike checks on Shogun, he is knocked out.  Once he comes to, he says he can’t see, but I don’t show from any of the previous pages, where he suffers any damage to his eyes.  Maybe his mask is covering his eyes?

Daken, while Fang is telling stories of his father, puts three claws through Fang’s head.

Fang laughs this off, as humans are so silly to put their brains in their heads.  Silly humans.  Fang goes back to wondering who killed Wolverine, he did his research, it should have been one who is present here.

Some Time Ago . . . Fang and Wolverine are drinking beers and talking about their lives.

Apparently, like Sabretooth – but the opposite – Fang hung out with Wolverine, one day a year.  Sabretooth, use to, try to kill Wolverine on his suspected birthday.

Wolverines 8 Fang crying Shogun watches

Fang starts crying, realizing that his friend is dead and he wasn’t there to help.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 8

We get another scene where X23 really doesn’t belong on this title.  She has to be the one to tell Fang that done of them killed Wolverine, though many wanted to.  X23 never really thought Wolverine would ever be dead.

Mystique goes to a website, I wish she name checked it, and learns that Lupaks’ have a semi-autonomous gland that is invisible to the human eye.  It floats about a foot away from their bodies.  Reminds me too much of how EVA works for Fantomex, unless that has always been the case with Fang but it feels like a retcon.

Mystique wants someone to head back to their ship and ready the cannons.  Junk is far too eager to do it, he’s probably tired of only watching this very confusing issue (from his perspective).

Daken tackles Fang.

Fang tries to explain that it isn’t a gland, necessarily.  Sabretooth punches him to Fang’s face, which he doesn’t appreciate it as he is trying to give some never-before-known-factgs.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 9

Lady Deathstrike gets into the fight, and knees Fang to his face.  Shogun stabs Fang to the leg with an s-word.

Shouldn’t somebody be trying to attack the air around Fang, to try to hit the gland.

Junk opens fight with all of the canons.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 10

There is now a giant crater.  X23 feels bad as she was using her words to get through to him.  Then laughter comes from the grater.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 11

Fang is having such a great time.  This issue feels like a real departure from the previous seven issues (I imagine issue two wasn’t like this), as it is light and there are jokes throughout it.  I could use more of these type of issues.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 12

Fang comes up with the premise for the next several issues (I imagine).  He wants to go on an adventure with each member of the Wolverines.  Fang chooses Daken to be the first one.

Fang states that it isn’t a gland, but doesn’t elaborates on that.

Wolverines 8 Shogun 13

Fang is taking Daken to the Mountains of Jotunheim.  Which is exactly where a guy without a healing factor wants to, where Frost Giants are.

Issue ends with Mystique wanting to be ready to kill Fang once he returns.  She doesn’t care if Daken returns alive.

So this issue doesn’t have any Ogun voice captions but I think, with this series, going forward – that I am only going to post the pages with Ogun’s narration boxes.  Something I’m thinking about as Shogun is clearly becoming a larger part of this series and I am hesitant of posting so many pages from every issue.

Fun With YouTube : Ultimate Spider-Man 1 x 16

Posted by John Klein III on June 9, 2015
Posted in: Cartoon, Fun With YouTube. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Thanks to YouTuber WatchIT for hosting the video!

Beetle Mania

The X-Men are apparently coming to Ultimate Spider-Man at some point in season three.  I read that Kitty Pryde was mention once as to existing in this universe.  Doing a little research revealed that she is named in the Daily Bugle news tickler to be appearing in an upcoming movie.  This happens at the 2:07 minute mark of the episode.  You will need to enlarge the video and then pause it as soon as Peter falls out of his chair.  Her name isn’t on the screen for long.    

Here, I did the hard work for you –

Ultimate Spider-Man 1x16 207 Kitty Pryde 1

It is a closer look at the name –

Ultimate Spider-Man 1x16 207 Kitty Pryde Name

It is repeated again at the 18:57 mark, but you have to be pretty fast on the pause button to see it –

Ultimate Spider-Man 1x16 Beetle Mania 1857 Kitty Pryde 2

Scott Mosier, the M in Smodcast, and if he isn’t on the episode, I don’t even bother listening as a general rule.  I make rare exceptions for Walt Flanagan and Brian Johnson appearances.

Scott wrote eight episodes of the series and I made a point of watching all of them.  I just didn’t pay attention to the news tickle the first time around.

His episodes are :

Beetle Mania
Damage
Attack of the Beetle
Hawkeye
Sinister Six
Swarm
Venom Bomb
Return of the Sinister Six

Spider-Man and the X-Men 3

Posted by John Klein III on June 8, 2015
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Spider-Man and the X-Men 3

Writer Elliott Kalan

Artist Marco Failla

Colorist Ian Herring

Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

Spider-Man and the X-Men 3 Recap Page

Not that helpful of a recap page BUT a very funny one!  Spider-Man and his class of X-Students fought Sauron and Stegron last issue.  His students are – Eye boy, Martha Johansson, Shark Girl, Hellion, Ernest Rockslide and Glob.  I like how the Jean Grey School didn’t go crazy with their e-mail addresses, like most offices, their e-mails are straight forward.  OMonroe@JGS.edu (Storm) and SMan@JGS.edu (Spider-Man).

This issue, they are (forced) into the Mojoworld!

Mojo has three shows on the upcoming schedules

  • 11:30pm – Late Night with Spider-Man
  • 12:30am – Dissident Executions
  • Mojo Face

Spider-Man seems like a good fit for a late night show, he and the students are mind controlled to participate.  Eye boy is the camera man, which makes sense.  Martha Johansson is above such manipulation, so Mojo has four mental slaves quiet but she is burning through them rather quickly.

Spider-Man’s show is interrupted by an appearance of . . . The Sinister Sixty-Six!  Which is pretty fun.  Let’s see how many I can name.  Scorpion, Venom, Gibbon, Vulture, The Ringer (looks more like his Ultimate counterpart), Mysterio, Sandman, Carnage, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Jackal, Kraven the Hunter, Rhino, Lizard and Shocker.  I knew Gibbon but not Grizzly.  I feel like I should get points for remembering him from Spectacular Spider-Man 146, where he was (with Gibbon) a team member of Legion of Losers along with Spot and Kangaroo.  I thought White Rabbit was in the group but she must have been in one of the issues around that one.    She is in issue 256, which does have Gibbon and Grizzly in the issue.  Those issues, and in-between (and a little before and after) are all by my favorite Spider-Writer – JM DeMatteis.

The X-Students start helping Spider-Man in the fight.  Hellion is mad that he doesn’t get to sing his song now.

I typed that it was the Jackal on the previous page but I’m sure that is Vermin now as the Jackal is standing near Vermin in the fight.  Kingpin, Beetle, Jack O’Lantern, Demogoblin and Hobgoblin (all in one panel, which is pretty fun! – Green Goblin is also in that panel) and Hammhead makes 21 characters.

Spider-Man notices that Eye boy is not helping out in the fight, he is providing some fake exposition.  Spider-Man and Ernst start shaking off the mind control.  Spider-Man starts shouting and insulting Mojo through a camera.

The villains start fading away as the holograms are turn off, Morbius makes twenty two, that I can count.  Mojo tells Eye to zap Spider-Man, so now we know he is a traitor.  Actually, he quickly reveals himself to be . . . Chameleon, making 23 villains!  Chameleon turns on the holo-villains and escapes in the battle.

Glob Herman can’t believe they are having to save Eye boy again, so that must be happening a lot lately.

Rockslide figures out that they are in a Danger Room-esque room, so Spider-Man comes up with a plan to break down a wall.  Hellion fast ball specials Ernst, who is very excited to be the Wolverine of the maneuver.  Is Ernst still suppose to be Cassandra Nova, in a little girl’s body – but with an old lady face?  Spider-Man keeps missing Ernst using her super strength.

Martha Johannsson is causing Mojo so many problems.  Meanwhile, Eye boy is being forced to watch twenty television screens – but they are all showing the same thing – what a waste of fifteen eyes!  Eye boy is saved via a small handed claw fisted person, who likes to say ‘bub.’

Once outside, Spider-Man is mobbed by a slew of Mojo-bodied civilians.  A voice opens a window and invites them up.  It is Gambit!  Rockslide sees through the costume, so quickly.  Chameleon is upset, as he had to do a very poor French accent, to get into character.  Chameleon pulls a gun on Glob Herman, and turns on a Mojo image replicator, so now there are twenty sets of Chameleon Glob.  Spider-Man is upset that X-Men villains keep giving his villains power upgrades.  There seems to have been a lot of stories done in only two issues.

Eye boy blasts into the room and reveals which set is the real set.  Thanks to all of that television watching, he has additional eye related powers – he can see electronic transmissions, he can see through false images and emotional connections.

Chameleon teleports out of the room with a Mojo-branded teleporter.

Eye boy introduces – The All-New Uncanny Astonishing X-Babies!  Which are Wolverine, Iceman, Rogue and Storm.  If only Shadowkitty was there.  But don’t worry, there is a reason why I bought this issue, so that is coming.

Spider-Man, the X-Kids and the X-Babies are going after Mojo and Chameleon.  But first, Spider-Man has to tell Wolvie some bad news about proper Wolverine.  Wolvie hugs Spider-Man, and is ready for a fight.  Such a tender scene.

Meanwhile – Storm, Iceman, Nightcrawler and Rachel are all very mad that Spider-Man and his students are missing.  Well, they don’t mind that Spider-Man is gone, they worry about their students.

The heroes break into Mojo’s office.  Hellion goes to help Spider-Man up and by showing his concern for his teacher, Spider-Man knows it is Chameleon.

Mojo loses a fight to his greatest enemy – gravity!

Spider-Man and the X-Men 3 X-Babies Magik

Spider-Man webs Mojo and Hellion brings both of them up.  Mojo starts kissing Spider-Man’s feet, for the safe.  Mojo opens a portal back to Earth.

Spider-Man offers to bring the X-Babies to Earth, for a visit.  Wolvie goes on a tad speech about how he can’t be distracted.  Just then, we get to the reason why I bought the issue.  Cyclops and his X-Babies come through the portal.  We get the first appearance of X-Baby Magik!  X-Babies Emma and Magneto are also there, but I believe we have seen these two before.

Spider-Man and the X-Students finally go through the portal and Spider-Man is greeted by a very angry Storm.

Epilogue!  Mojoworld.  Major Domo (Mojo’s assistant) is visiting Mojo and Chameleon, who are in jail.

Epilogue 2!  Rachel wakes up, she now knows Spider-Man’s secret identity – so that has been a mystery, I suppose.

Epilogue 3!  Some future villain turns off the view screen, as they know that Spider-Man is back on Earth.

I’m not sure if I will be getting another issue of this series, but this issue was a lot of fun.

Secret Wars 2015 4 Delayed

Posted by John Klein III on June 7, 2015
Posted in: News, Websites. Tagged: , . 2 Comments

Thanks to Bleeding Cool for the initial article –

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/05/31/secret-wars-4-slips-two-weeks-takes-other-crossover-series-with-it/

Well, I can only imagine it is due to Esad Ribic’s fantastic art style, issue four is running way behind and with its delay, the other titles are going with it.

I do remember when this happened with Civil War, but as I was only buying the X-Men tie-in, I wasn’t all that bothered by it.  This on the other hand, I am super affected.  I don’t usually post responses to news stories but since this changes my calendar, I thought I would do this as a quick reference to what I’m buying.

Though I imagine with

http://www.comiclist.com/index.php

I would have kept up with it, regardless, but now I know with a month’s advance, which is nice.

Secret Wars 4 was due for June 17th and now is July 1st

Slipping one week

Master of Kung Fu 1

Years of Future Past 3

Age of Apocalypse 2 & 3

Slipping two weeks

Years of Future Past 2

Slipping three weeks

Secret Wars 2015 6

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2

Slipping four weeks

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 1

Slipping six weeks

Secret Wars 2015 5

Slipping twenty weeks

Uncanny X-Men 600

I also just want to point out how, according to Rich Johnston, the fifth issue of the crossover comes weeks after the sixth issue.  The story was published on May 31 and they still haven’t caught that so who knows if any of this is true.

Now that I’ve taken my list from the big one, it doesn’t seem all that bad.

Also, Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 comes out before 1, so that isn’t right either.

I’m sure these creative teams wouldn’t have minded knowing about the delay in advance, as I’m sure Marvel knew, and could have had more time to fine tune their own issues.

I’m sure they gave Ribic several months in advance to get started on this but I guess it could be Hickman too, but I have to imagine that he has all eight issues plotted and ready to go.

I just imagine that it isn’t Marvel purposely trying to push things out as they are going to have to get their issues printed prior to the eighth issue.

Though I guess that they really don’t as they have titles still bring printed that exist prior to Secret Wars 2015’s first issue and those are sent to still be printing by the crossover’s mid-point.

I’ve done a quick search and no one else is really covering this story so who knows what is really happening.

I did think that two issues a month was pushing the crossover pretty hard but that’s how we get in these messes.

Wolverines 6

Posted by John Klein III on June 6, 2015
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Wolverines 6

Writer Ray Fawkes

Art Jason Masters

Colorist Guy Major

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Issue opens with the Amazing X-Men – Colossus, Firestar, Nightcrawler and Storm; arrive in Sinister’s Fortress, they want Logan’s statue corpse.

Wolverines 6 Scarlet Spider A Wolverines 6 Scarlet Spider B

Sinister sends his henchmen after the X-Men and a fight breaks out.  Fantomelle comes up with a scheme to steal Logan’s body.  Scarlet Spider clones take on Sabretooth.  The fox refers to the statue as, Logan’s remains; that is a decent description for it.

Wolverines 6 Shogun 1

If Neuro can give Sinister the Wolverines, he will cure the Paradise folks of their decaying disease.  Neuro reveals that Lady Deathstrike’s control word is, Parthenogenesis – so she has to do whatever Sinister says.  Sinister tells her to kill the X-Men.

Wolverines 6 Shogun 2

Neuro starts to say X23’s control word, which starts with “meli.”  X23 and the other stab their eardrums in their ears, so they can’t hear anymore.  Which seems silly, as at best, that is a temporary solution as their eardrums should heal back quickly.  Skel essentially calls Neuro a dummy as the Wolverines had a plan for when this moment finally happened.   Shogun also calls him pretty foolish.

Wolverines 6 Shogun 3

Neuro can’t process this entire battle, he isn’t use to how quickly battles work.  Neuro recognizes how strong and important Sinister is.

Storm threatens to end Sinister.  Sinister says that they can have Wolverine but they have been interested in letting him do what he had plan.  They don’t care but when Colossus tries to grab Logan, his hand goes right through the image.

Fantomelle has the statue.  Sinister is in the process of shutting the place down.  Fantomelle has access to all six dimensions (I am not sure what the other two are) and is able to escape.

Wolverines 6 Shogun 4

Fantomelle only escapes to another floor where Shogun and the others are.

Sinister is defeated, somehow.  Firestar turns to the Wolverines and threatens to burn them (I imagine X23 would have been spared) and Sabretooth surrenders.  Storm instructs everyone to get out there, since they teleported in, I’m not sure why they are not instantly leaving.  X23 doesn’t want to explain why she is with these clawed villains, there isn’t any time for that nonsense.

Sinister turns off the self-destruct sequence, so that he can safely get out.

Sabretooth vs Colossus is a fight I wouldn’t mind seeing.

Wolverines 6 Shogun 5

Neuro wants to knock out Fantomelle and escape with Wolverine.

Wolverines 6 Shogun 6

Fantomelle is almost to the exist when Nightcrawler teleports on top of Wolverine and teleports away.  Fantomelle and Kurt get a quick moment to flirt.

Skel sees that Endo is in a glass cage.

The Sinister that was defeated by Storm, was only an empty shell; that’s how we got two Sinisters in two different locations.  Colossus threatens to crush Sabretooth, as if he didn’t, all those he kills will be on Colossus’ soul.  Sabretooth tries to explain that isn’t who he is anymore.  Which, shouldn’t Storm know that, as she was involved in AXIS?

Mystique reveals to Wolverine as, the statue, so no one can settle on what to refer to him as.  Lady Deathstrike is ripping into the Sinister shell.

Issue ends with X23, Sabretooth and Mystique on board their plane.  X23 is sad that they failed to get Wolverine, and now he is lost.  But is he?  Isn’t he with Nightcrawler?  So X23 can see the statue anytime.  Sabretooth wants to be dropped off anywhere that is warm and dangerous.  For some incredibly odd reason, Mystique tells them that they are not leaving.  But she does so as she shifts into a bulky man with tighty whities.

I’m not sure if Shogun is in issue seven, but if he is, I will be buying that issue.  This series has been very good thus far.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2

Posted by John Klein III on June 5, 2015
Posted in: Reviews, Websites. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2

Writer Robert Kirkman

Art Salvador Larroca

Colors Jason Keith

Letters VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover 2006

For anyone who wants to follow along, this website as all of the images :

http://www.spumonte.com/files/PDFs/_Ultimate%20X-Men%20%5BSeries%201%5D%20Vol%201%20%2801-100%29_/Ultimate%20X-Men%20%5BSeries%201%5D%20Vol%201%20-%20Issue%2074%20%28Annual%202006%29/

Which is pretty nice!

Oh the Nightcrawler is crazy issue!

Many months ago.  Nightcrawler is doing a Weapon X mission.  He’s teleporting and killing fools, all over the place.

One month ago.  Rogue has recently come back to the X-Men.  Back in Annual One, Gambit died.  Before he did, he asked Rogue to kiss him, which she did.  Now she has his powers and only his powers.  She’s back at the Xavier School to try to control her new powers.  For a while there, she had Gambit’s thoughts and voice in her head but now she just has the powers.

Last night.  Westchester General Hospital.  Dazzler’s Room.  Dazzler finally wakes up out of her coma.  Nightcrawler is by her bedside.  Now that she is awake, he teleports her out of there.

Moments later.  They are in a cave, he has made a bed for her to lay down on.  He tells her that the X-Men were attacked and the team is scattered.

Today.  Xavier’s School for the Gifted.  Xavier is meeting with Wolverine, wanting to make sure he is okay.  He is.  Xavier gets a phone call, he is informed that Dazzler is missing.

In the cave, Nightcrawler has gotten Dazzler some food.  She really appreciates all that Nightcrawler is doing for her and touches his hand.  Poor Nightcrawler, this touch is all that he needs to go even further crazy in love with her.  She is still waiting for Angel to appear, as they are a bit of a couple.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 1

Back at the Mansion.  Xavier explains to the assembled team that Dazzler is missing.  She could have just gotten up and left but Xavier wants to make sure.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 2

Nightcrawler comes into the meeting, Shadowcat tells him that Dazzler is missing.  He does some decent acting.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 3

Wolverine wants to team-up with Nightcrawler.  Nightcrawler tells Wolverine that he is faster by himself.  You can see the panel where Wolverine sniffs Nightcrawler’s hand.

There is an ad for Civil War with Iron Man punching Captain America.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 4

The team leaves and Wolverine informs Xavier that Nightcrawler stinks of Dazzler.  Xavier sensed it as well.  Xavier makes Wolverine promise to not use excessive force.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 5

Nightcrawler gets back to Dazzler.  Shadowcat saves her from being possibly murdered.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 6

Nightcrawler knows this is now the worst case scenario.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 7

Nightcrawler gets to the surface, as Shadowcat and Dazzler do.  The team is ready to confront Nightcrawler.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 8

What I like about the rest of the issue is that we get to see how Nightcrawler would take down the X-Men.  He punishes Wolverine to his face.  Dazzler is not pleased that she was being held hostage.  I imagine she’s thinking of how horrible her life was going to be like in the future.

Colossus tries to confront Nightcrawler.  Nightcrawler is disgusted by Colossus’ lifestyle, which is a shame as that is the best part of Ultimate Colossus.  Nightcrawler teleports Colossus into the cave.  Nightcrawler teleports Wolverine away from the team.  Then, Nightcrawler teleports Cyclops into the air.  Later, he punches Storm to her face.  He is one of those face punchers you hear so much about.  Iceman tries to freeze Nightcrawler but he teleports Storm right into the blast.  So far, so good.  Rogue throws some charged playing cards.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 9

The cards lose all of their energy before they collide.  Rogue is taken back by the last of power.  Shadowcat tries to comfort Dazzler.  Cyclops, because no one is trying to save him, optic blasts the ground, and lands in soft mud.

Iceman keeps trying to tag Nightcrawler.  Rogue is trying to charge some rocks.  Colossus comes out of the ground.

Dazzler finally gets to start punching Nightcrawler.

Nightcrawler tries to explain himself, through tears.  He was hoping the time alone with him, Dazzler would have grown to love him and they would have just laughed about this later.  Everyone feels sad and disgusted by this.

Rogue touches Nightcrawler, absorbs his powers and a bit of his memories.  She starts teleporting all over the place.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 10

Wolverine finally gets back as the fight is way over.

Xavier Institute for Gifted Children.  Xavier is explaining how Nightcrawler is going to get treatment.

Ultimate X-Men Annual 2 Kitty 11

Dazzler quits as that is horribly unjust.  She could have been raped for days before anyone even knew she was in a cave.

Issue ends with Rogue talking to Nightcrawler, she has some of his memories.  She tells him that she knows.  She knows that he is a monster.

There is an ad for V for Vendetta, now on DVD.

There is a two page story about why Xavier’s cat’s name is Mystique.  It is because Emma named her that as she destroys everything, just like Mystique.

Inside back cover is an ad for Zoom, which is not very good.

Back cover ad is for he Dodge Caliber, that the Hulk thinks is a new boom box.

Wolverines 5

Posted by John Klein III on June 4, 2015
Posted in: Lists, Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

Wolverines 5

Writer Charles Soule

Art Jonathan Marks

Colorist Lee Loughridge

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

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Finland.  Paradise Wolverines (which is how they cast list has them, but not as a combined word) are falling towards Mister Sinister’s fortress.  Lady Deathstrike wants to know what the plan is, which I would think they should have talked about before they were in mid-air and falling to the floor.  Neuro states that they need to keep the element of surprise, which Shogun agrees with.

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Shogun is surprised as they have stopped mid-air.  We learn that the person Mister Sinister was ordering at the end of last issue is Starky Gripes.  Gripes reveals the fortress’ true form, which annoys Mystique as they clearly know where it is as they were falling towards it.

Gripes has a lake of lava appear below them and he states that Mister Sinister knows Lady Deathstrike, very well.  Fantomelle’s fox doesn’t like that they are part of this mission.  Gripes doesn’t speak like how I thought a Sinister lackey would, he sounds like a regular guy.

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Gripes sets everyone on the ground, if they don’t want to go inside, they don’t have to.  Endo really doesn’t want to go inside and runs off. Gripes presses a button on his watch and dark matter opens around Endo.

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Shogun takes his sword to Gripes’ neck.  He reveals that no one leaves so Shogun slices off his head, Highlander style.  Ogun compliments Sharp.

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Sinister being who he is, has cloned several Gripes.  They have individual names, with a theme – Parky, Barky, Harky, Zarky and Glarky.  Shogun agrees that they should just enter the fortress, there is no other options.  X23 isn’t thrilled about the decision.  Sabretooth assures her that he will protect her, which doesn’t assure her.

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Mister Sinister has a giant recording image of himself.  He wants them to stay entertaining and give his experiments a workout.  Or, at the very least, die in engaging ways.  Mystique isn’t happy with Shogun’s goal of coming here.

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Sinister separates the group into two.  Shogun and Nuero are one group and the other is X23, Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike; for sure but I’m not sure where everybody else lands.  Fantomelle is above them, on some wires.  Her fox reveals that she is only six months old, as she is also a Paradise experiment but one of the good ones.

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Shogun, Skel and Neuro land in a new room.  Shogun reminds the two of them that they only have a year to live.  A gate opens and it looks like a giant creature is about to come out.

In another room – Sabretooth, Mystique, Lady Deathstrike and X23, land.  I wish the two teams were more combined, as it is now, it is the Paradise team and the other is the Wolverines.  Lady Deathstrike regrets to simply killing the Paradise crew when they first arrived.  Sabretooth re-explains that since AXIS, he has a new outlook on life – mainly that he is done killing.  Mystique shifts into Mister Sinister, only to quote him, that seems unnecessarily.  X23 notices a fifth person.

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Paradise Crew.  The big creature isn’t just a big creature, it is living legend . . . Fin Fang Foom!  I like how quick Sharp asks if Ogun knows what they are facing and Ogun doesn’t know.  Neuro is there to give the name.  Fin Fang Foom admits that he isn’t the genuine article.  Just then, Thor hits Foom.

Wolveirnes 5 Scarlet Spider

Wolverines.  The person X23 saw was . . . Ben Reilly, in the most beloved Scarlet Spider outfit!  Man, I do enjoy that red suit with that silly blue sweater.  Ever since Web of Spider-Man 118, which came out in November 1994.  Which I can’t believe was 21 years ago!

Mystique sort of recognizes Scarlet Spider.  He says that he has friends up ahead, and it turns out that there are even more Scarlet Spider clones.  Hopefully one of these guys can escape and get a proper series.

Parky Gripes appears in the room and states how proud Mister Sinister is of his Scarlet Spider experiment.  Then he admits that he isn’t Parky, he is Marky – what a twist!  Lady Deathstrike kills poor Marky.  This upsets the Scarlet Spiders.

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Paradise.  Shogun takes on the Thor Clone, Clhor!  He ends up killing both Thor and Fin Fang Foom.

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Neuro hopes that, if Mister Sinister can create all of these different types of clones, that he may be able to cure them.  Neuro offers control over the Wolverines in exchange for the cure, which Sinister finds to be interesting.

Mister Sinister isn’t that concern that Fantomelle and her fox are unaccounted for – though he keeps calling the fox, a dog.  Fantomelle sees Wolverine, the only problem is that Sinister stands right next to it, the entire time.  Sinister has Daken’s blood and hopes to use it to relive Wolverine.  Sinister hopes there will be no more interrupts, so of course, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus appear.  I still want the scene where X23 calls the X-Men about Wolverine’s death.  How did they know the location of the fortress?  Maybe we will find out next issue?

. . .

The Top 12 Comics of 2015!

  1. Legendary Star Lord 8
  2. Legendary Star Lord 7
  3. All New Ultimates 12
  4. All New X-Men 35
  5. Uncanny X-Men 30
  6. Wolverines 5
  7. X-Force 14
  8. Weapon X Program 5
  9. Wolverines 1
  10. Wolverines 4
  11. Amazing X-men 16
  12. Amazing X-Men 15