Shadow and Flame with Magik

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Artis Sara Pichelli

Colorist Marte Gracia

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

There is no handy editorial note, so let me be the one to tell you – this issue takes place right before Uncanny X-Men Volume Three Issue 24.  I wish I knew that ahead of time, as I read it in opposite order.  Which was fine as it didn’t really matter, it was more like a surprise connection.  I like Bendis embracing his inner-Claremont.  That’s something you can do when you write both main books.

Onto the issue :

The issue opens with the next morning, after Angel and X23 had a wild night together.

Poor X23, can’t get away from covers that have her kissing dudes.  She really isn’t that type of character but at least the kissing was implied in this issue.

Warren has taken her to one of his family estates.  Must be nice!  He flew in, without breakfast.

Angel and her went to a nightclub and some jerks try to start a fight Warren and X23 puts a stop to it.  She gets a little too involved in the fight though.  She rips off a dude’s nipple ring (why he has those, I have no idea – especially if he’s going to start fights and such in bars) and is about to claw a dude when Angel grabs her arm.

I’m pretty sure it is super implied that the two had sex.  Which, besides the time she was a prostitute, (how much does Marvel wish that wasn’t part of her back story now?), I believe her only other romantic relationship was with Hellion.  And I’m pretty sure that those two barely kissed.  It was mostly warm feelings and maybe hugs?  I don’t know, I didn’t read New X-Men that much.

One of the jerks pulled on Laura’s hair.  What man does that?

This has been the first time I enjoyed Angel since the days he dated Psylocke.  I guess that is the secret to the character, he needs to be paired with a much stronger and better female character.

There is a line from X23 that she doesn’t know what Warren sees in her.  Jean is prettier than her, which Angel quickly disregards.  I’m right there with him, between the two, Laura is much prettier and such a better character than Jean.  Jean always benefited from being one of the Original Five and also being the sole lady on the team.

Meanwhile, at the Secret Xavier School.  Emma is trying to train Jean.  Just above them on a hill overlooking them – Hank, Bobby and Irma are watching.  Bobby calls Irma his new best friend, which she likes.  I like seeing the All New team and the Uncanny team getting along.  They live in the same place, so there should be more mixing of the two teams.  Plus, the two teams are predominately teenagers, so it makes sense they will huddle together.

Emma tries to get Jean mad enough to attack her.  Jean doesn’t take the bait.  Then Emma does the mess up / cruel thing, and gives Jean Emma’s memories of how she won Scott from Jean.  It is pretty intense!  Jean shouts that it is also highly inappropriate – which it totally is!

Though I’m with Cyclops, if you have a shot with Emma, forget Jean.  Though I would say, get a proper divorce first and end the relationship, cheating is never cool!

I can read Pichilli’s take on famous X-events all day!

I like how red Jean’s hair is.  It really pops on the page.

Jean turns into her full purple body form.  Emma turns diamond.  Fun that they both have secondary forms.

Phoebe takes this opportunity to use her telekinesis, that I didn’t know the Cuckoos had, and dumps a bowl of Apple Jacks on Bobby’s head.

Jean creates an illusion of her as an adult and straddles Emma, which is odd.  Jean isn’t thrilled that her legacy is for shit.  She is mad, all the time.

By this point, all of the students are outside watching the Emma and Jean fight.  Hank and Bobby get the bright idea that they should probably get Professor K.

Thanks to my pal Kaiolino for the first picture :

I knew better than this but I totally read this double page spread wrong.  I went traditional route and read the first six and moved down to the second row instead of across the page divide.  I mean, it is a Bendis comic after all, I know better than to do it.  I even sat there and debated (for like a mill-second) if I should just go across or move down.  Usually the next word balloon gives a hint but read the two, it could go either way.

We don’t get a good look at Kitty’s uniform but did Pichelli give her a slight redesign?  It seems like more black space in the middle of her suit.  Which makes it seem wider or something, I don’t know, maybe I’m desperate for her to get a costume design that any change seems like a vast improvement.  It makes her seem older, which I like.

I really like StarKat as a couple.  Even their merged name seems pretty cool.  Oh how I wish we could get these two in a film.  Maybe Ellen Page and Chris Pratt could do a comedy together one day?  That could happen!

I like the constant reminder that Kitty hates space.  She was stuck in a bullet for months, all by herself.  One doesn’t get over that easily.

I also like the idea of people making fun of Kitty for dating a hologram.  That feels like what would really happen.

I like that they are taking it slow, they sort of have to with their unique circumstance.

Hank and Bobby interrupt my favorite scene of the issue, and for some time, tell her that Emma and Jean are close to murdering each other.

Bobby makes a joke about Kitty breaking up with his older self to date a hologram.  That Bobby better watch his mouth!

I sort of love this issue!  So many great and funny moments!

Kitty asking Illyana what is happening, Illyana shushes her, Kitty whispers her question.  That is awesome.

Magik tells Kitty that the two telepaths are having a psychic battle.  Celeste isn’t able to get into it.

I wonder what the two of them have in common?  Probably similarities between young and old Cyclops.

I adore how funny and dry witted Magik is.  I wonder how often she brings up Limbo and her lousy childhood.

There is something about Kitty’s costume here, I really like it.  She looks like a woman there.

Issue ends setting up Uncanny X-Men Volume Three Issue 24, with a lot of the same dialogue for that extra continuity.

Poor Cyclops, missed out on all of this.

Next issue, All New X-Men go to the Ultimate Universe.  The covers I’ve seen have only shown the kids.  I really want Ultimate Shadowcat to meet Kitty Pryde (and hopefully, Lockheed!).

I suspect that Miles Morales is coming back to the Proper Marvel Universe just so he can attend the Spider-Verse crossover that is coming.  That is my theory.