Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Sam Humphries

Penciler Paco Medina

Inks Juan Vlasco

Colorist David Curiel

Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna

This is it, the date issue!

Planet Spartax.  Capital of the Former Spartax Empire.  What happened to the Spartax Empire?  I feel like it was still a thing at the end of the Trial of Jean Grey and by issue three of this series.

This issue reminds me of what I saw from ABC’s (now cancelled) Manhattan Love Story – my wife really liked that show.  On the show, we are given the dialogue and the inner monologue of the newly together couple.

Both of them have the same concerns and thoughts.  They are both excited about the date, that it finally came and that this really needs to be well.

Quill gets dark blue narration boxes and Pryde gets light blue.  Quill really needs this date to go well, as this is sort of his final chance with her.  He is wearing this powder blue tuxedo.  Kitty is in a pretty business casual dress, not revealing at all – but that isn’t really her style, anways.  He starts with a lame joke.

I like that Rocket gave Quill dating advice.

Both of them don’t want Quill to blow this opportunity.

Their date starts at the opera.  This issue takes place soon after last issue, as Mr. Knife’s Slaughter Squad is still after the Legendary Star Lord.  The first one to attack, is Delphinia.

Now, I’m not sure why he doesn’t just tell Kitty that he is avoiding being killed.  She appreciates honesty.  I get that she really can’t do anything to assist, it isn’t really a situation where wearing a banana costume will help him.

This is the beginning of how the method of this relationship doesn’t work.  He tries to give her a flower but can she even feel the texture of it?  She is seen sitting in a chair, but I imagine that means she had to pull a chair into the room and sit on it.  Can she even really see the opera or even hear it, that well?  Like she see a 360 replica of his environment?  I get the impression that he can only see her like how we only see her, so the opera was a waste too.

Quill ushers the two of them out of the opera house.  We see him pushing her, so maybe she could have felt the flower.  Though, does she really have to be standing up?  Isn’t he just moving the hologram device to where he needs to place her?  I really am fascinated with how the hologram devices work, more so than anyone else online, from what I can tell.

We see how Kitty sees Quill now, which is a great panel layout, good job Medina!  So, from her perspective, she went from sitting down on her bed to now standing in front of it.  For some reason, she is actually wearing skates, so she must be scratching that Weapon X facility’s floor, poorly badly.  Probably nowhere near as bad as Wolverine did.

We also get to my favorite part of the issue, that Lockheed is back!  He hasn’t been seen in forever!  but really, it was only two months ago in Wolverine and the X-Men Volume Two 11, but he hasn’t received this much panel time in quite some time.  Which would have been the two pages he got from Wolverine and the X-Men 32, over a year and a half ago in August 2013.

We see that she only can see Quill as well, so the opera was a waste.

Lockheed seems, I don’t know, off model.  I can’t tell if he looks too lizardy (a word) or to much of a dragon.  I don’t know.  He does look pretty cool, though.

Misa, the Hunter, is the next squad member to try to kill Quill.

Quill throws Pryde cover to a giant stuff bear.  He dons his mask, for the only time in the issue, and I’m not sure if it is even necessary.

Turns out, the space panda is alive and pretty handsy.  Kitty tells Lockheed to fry the bear, if he tries anything.  I miss these two interacting.

So when Quill holds Pryde (and I sort of enjoy referring to them both by their last names) like he is recruiting the Pieta, what is she really doing?  Having her legs draped over the foot of her bed?  Are they secretly whispering stage directions to each other?

It makes sense when they were briefly chatting, they are relaxed and probably only talking or pacing around the room.

Quill’s next destination is to take Pryde to a restaurant.  Boy, he really doesn’t know how the holophone device works.  She can’t taste the phone and she may be barely able to see it.  Pryde finally tells Quill that the holophone only has so many advantages and mostly disadvantages.

Father Diablo is at the restaurant and attempts to kill Quill.  Quill turns off the visual aspect of the phone call.  I guess he doesn’t tell her the truth as too much has happened now.  This doesn’t make Kitty happy at all.

I was wrong, Quill does don his hero mask.  I guess he has to have it on to fire his gun, does that make sense?

So funny, as I type this review, we are about to start Season Three of Parks and Recreation and I can’t stop thinking of Andy (Chris Pratt) portraying Star Lord.  I really need to own that BluRay.

Okay, that panel Lockheed is in, he looks like a horse, that was the other creature I couldn’t think of above.  Medina got to draw horses last issue, so maybe he’s still working out all of that desire.

Quill turns on the holophone again and Pryde sees the restaurant is trashed.

Pryde is pretty annoyed at this first date.  Him taking her to a garden makes sense, if she can see it.  I’m back to thinking that they can see maybe three feet around the other person’s sphere.

Kitty can see a statue, so she can look around.  I guess I’m use to the idea of a holodeck from Star Trek Next Generation.

We see that patented Pryde-rage.  Quill has been messing up for weeks now, which goes and shows how patient Pryde has been, thus far.

Kitty’s main concern is that she is in an extremely long distance relationship.  Quill ponders what is the next thing to say.

Kitty admits that it isn’t like their relationship has been meaningful or anything, they have been mostly chatting.  Which has been nice but they can cut their losses and their days would remain the same.

Quill finally lands on something, he admits that he thinks of Kitty – all of the time.  Pryde is comforted by it.

Him telling her that she is the coolest girl in the galaxy – which, from him, means something.  He has been around.  Kitty’s comment about – not even being the coolest girl in the X-Men.  Who is cooler than Kitty, in the X-Men?  Not Storm, not Rogue, not Psylocke.  Maybe she is thinking of Dazzler – that could make sense.

Kitty repeating her oft-said, I hate space, will pay off later.

Quill finds her brave, a great leader, a smart teacher.  He insults himself and she finally smiles.

That left side of the page is so beautiful with the lighting and such.

Quill thinks kissing is second base, is that what it is?  I thought it was barely first base.

Quill admits that he got the powder blue tuxedo from Stark, not the ideal romantic guide.

Pryde believes Quill has a cute butt.  He tells her that her butt is even better and that her hero uniform is a real turn on.

They are about to kiss . . .

When Czar Doon and the Slaughter Squad show up and ruin everything!  Now Kitty knows what has been happening this entire time.

Pryde witnesses Quill being captured.  Quill leaves the room saying that this date was totally worth being captured for.

See Kitty’s costume hanging there on the bottom of the page?  I’m super fascinated (strangely) by the idea of superhero closets or drawers.  So many uniforms would look silly on a hanger.  But imagine what Colossus’ costumes look like on a hanger?

We get our first of two pages of non-Shadowcat nor Lockheed pages – which isn’t that great.  We learn Mr. Knife’s identity is . . . J’son – Peter Quill’s father!  oh noes

That mud planet he calls home.  Avengers Tower.  Tony Stark (so this takes place before AXIS) is informed that someone is stealing one of his space ships.  Tony knows who it is, as only one person can hack his gear AND walk through walls.  I sort of adore that, at this point, Pryde and Stark have some history.  The previous time they chatted, was in A+X 2 – a fantastic issue.

How great is next issue going to be with team, Shadow & Flame, coming to Star Lord’s rescue?