Wolverine and the X-Men 36
Uncanny Avengers 12
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Also, we are moving this weekend, so no review posts until Monday, sorry. There will be posts, so feel free to stop on by.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler Chris Bachalo
Inkers Tim Townsend, Mark Irwin, Jaime Mendoza, Victor Olazaba and Al Vey
Colorist Marte Gracia
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
Battle of the Atom Part Four of Ten
Okay, I know I just wrote this about the last part, but this is my new favorite issue of the year.
Amazing writing, fantastic art, maybe not a whole lot of action, but plenty of characterization.
Definitely helps that Bachalo is back on art and Kitty has a great moment here.
Issue opens with Maria Hill stating that she hates Beast, as he is always ruining everything.
Mystique still as Dazzler, this time, no hint that is the case. Hopefully somewhere in Bendis’ notes is “reveal Mystique as Dazzler before leaving, don’t be like Claremont with his dangling plot threads”
I like that the SHIELD database for Beast is not current.
Hopefully the X-Men don’t blow up the moon. We need that thing. If it does happen, someone needs to make a Mr. Show reference, besides me.
So SHIELD is the international spy organization, SWORD is the space organization, ARMOR is the inter-dimensional organization, what is the time organization? I can’t think of one, shoot, it is harder than you think to come up with acronyms.
Odd how much the Cuckoos are coming at Jean, as they seemed okay during the issues where Angel switched sides.
Wished we got more of a reunion scene of the Original Three, just goes to show that Angel was really the odd man out.
Great use of the hive mind, and it sets up an awesome reveal down the line. As this is Jean’s memory, they don’t know who Lady Xorn is, and it pays off spectacularly.
Emma’s reaction to both future Deadpool and Lady Xorn is pretty terrific.
Scott remembers Molly when Logan didn’t, point for Cyclops.
Has anyone called Future Bobby Ice Hulk yet? Or did Cyclops just name him that? I want to type that Bobby probably did already. I guess it is the obvious name for him.
Magik references she had met the Future X-Men, but we haven’t seen that yet. I know one of the upcoming issues tells that story, I’m excited about that.
The Cuckoos are little scene stealers this issue.
You don’t ever enter Illyana’s mind, ever. I don’t like her being written that scary, as she has a light side, but no one on this team is a friend of her’s, so she is in a constant state of having her guard up and living her image. Hopefully she can start having fun again, soon. Just feel bad for her.
I really like that Angel keeps harping on the fact that he’s been wanting them to go back to their time. And he knows what is in store for him ish. He knows something bad.
I also like that Tempus asks if any of the new class was part of the Future X-Men.
Jean and young Scott ask for help and we cut to the other side.
Is there a story reason for Kitty and Rachel to be on their knees? I know the art reason, is to stage more characters into the panel.
Kitty standing up for her students is awesome, and that speech is even better!
Storm really comes off poor here. Especially bringing up Professor Xavier’s death. No one was talking about it, or hinting at it, but she uses it gas the excuse to belittle Kitty’s stance. So odd, I know Storm is thinking about Xavier, as his would-be grandson is standing there, and her brain is trying to figure out who the mother could be.
Kate and Rachel actually spoke to each other! Kate seems to feel like she can speak freely to Rachel.
Yenta means gossipy or meddlesome, had to look it up. That is one of the cool things of Bendis writing Kitty, he can have her bust out some Jewish in her. That little moment, you can tell that Kitty needs a friend who is also Jewush, so she can speak with more Yiddish expressions.
Though I really don’t like Kitty saying she is not a big fan of herself, that makes me feel sad for her. She should, as we all should, be our biggest fans. If we don’t celebrate us, no one will.
Maybe she made that up to garner some sympathy votes.
Logan holds his line of how he also wanted to send the Original Five back as soon as they got here.
Why Beast didn’t just put an automatic retrieval system on them, I will never understand.
Bachalo really knows his craft. I want to say that he usually makes the exact middle of the comic have a great layout. Ten panel grid with Xavier linking the two. Maybe he rarely does it, but I feel like it happens as much as it doesn’t. I like how Ice Hulk is looking around, haming it up in the middle two panels.
Kitty threatens that she is willing to make a choice, that no one will like. Then Storm belittles Kitty some more, in the very next panel!
Kitty should have shoryuken Storm right there. Kitty is going to straight up switch sides, I bet. Hopefully she takes Rachel with her. This also adds to my theory that Marvel is trying to turn Storm heel, they are just doing it slowly.
Feel a little bad about Benjamin still being useless over with the Uncanny team. Is he going to be the next Mystique, or is he going to be next to die, as he is the most undevelop member of the team.
I like the implied friendship Warren and Triage have.
Hijack looks good in his X jacket.
Cyclops has decided to help Jean and Scott. Emma and Magneto could hate this decision so much more. Implying that he only wants to spend time with his second wife and younger idealized version of himself.
Lady Xorn freezes everyone in place, which reminds me of the films, as that is Xavier’s go to move.
That final page is awesome beyond words!
Emma versus Older Jean
I don’t know about the message boards, but I’m loving it.
Another fun list!
My favorite made it to number one! Such a great cover, Uncanny X-Men 141, it just keeps on giving.
Writer Paul Cornell
Penciler Alan Davis
Inker Mark Farmer
Colorist Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer VC’s Cory Petit
Killable Part Two of Six
How great is it to read a comic with the amazing team of Davis / Farmer drawing Kitty Pryde again? This issue, we get them drawing Rachel too!
So between last and this issue, Mystique destroyed most of Logan’s items in in his bedroom at the mansion.
Which is a horrible thing to do, but hasn’t this been done before? I know, there are no new ideas anymore, but as far as I know, it has been done only once before, and within the past two years.
The Hellverine Saga, where Logan died, and demons took over his body, and the X-Men had to bring him down. There was a moment wherein this group of henchmen found Logan’s secret storage unit in a distant land and set all the contents on fire. When I read that issue, there was a moment of shock, as Logan is so old now, and those items are personal and highly likely to be one of a kind. Plus, I worry about my possessions being burn or water damaged beyond repair.
Poor Logan here, thought his bedroom in the mansion was safe enough to start collecting possessions again. I like that you can tell that the items are relatively new or bought.
Warbird’s “It’s precisely that, you should respond with massive retaliation.” Makes me smile. Her character does lend herself to some nicer comments.
When Logan uses his double negative, you can see that Logan meant to do it, and Kitty caught it.
I really like how Cornell has been building a friendship between Logan and Hank. You can really tell that Hank values Logan, and just wants to look out for him.
We officially start the Wolverine / Kitty road trip!
First stop, getting blown out of the sky, by Batroc, The Leaper!
Now, I know that Batroc is seen by most as a joke character. I know Marvel has gone out of their way to protray him that way, but I like Batroc the Leaper.
I like that he is an expert in savate, the French version of kickboxing.
I just want to be on record, before the next Captain America movie comes out, and more people come around on Batroc. I am really hoping, that his movie costume has at least some type of purple color scheme, as it really is a nice classic costume design.
Kitty’s “oh no, it’s Batroc the Leaper. The category is — phrases you never hear.” Great line! Kitty is funny, and I am not sure when was the last time I heard her make a joke.
Also, great use of turning the page reveal.
The six page fight between Wolverine and Batroc is stunning. The art pips off the page, I want to say it is do to the background having been colored mostly yellow, as they are outside and in the wilderness, so all three costumes (which are all yellow based or accented) non-yellow parts really stand out.
Excellent fight choreography too!
I like the concept of Wolverine having to pick his spots, of when to pop the claws. He has gotten lazy due to having one of the best weapons around. He is famous for his fighting styles, but he rarely has to utilize those skills.
Next issue, Logan takes Kitty home to the Howlett Estate. Which I am pretty sure, is the first time Wolverine has been back there.
Brian Cronin made this list.
Lockheed made the list! He made it to number three!
Only got beat out by Juggernaut and Longshot.
Juggernaut, I get. Longshot, ooof, that has to hurt the entire franchise, if he’s number one.
Then again, I have no personal connection to the Outback years and Long was barely even okay in Peter David’s X-Factor.
Writer Brian Wood
Penciler David Lopez
Inker Cam Smith
Colorist Laura Martin
Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna
Battle of the Atom Part Three of Ten
I really like how each chapter leads into the next title’s involvement.
Rachel Grey walked into the room, last chapter, now it is X-Men time. This issue ends with the Uncanny X-Men showing up, and the next part takes place in Uncanny. That is a very smart way to do a segue. Plus, if you were not interested in this saga, this issue still serves as an issue of X-Men.
We get the explanation of why Future Jean is wearing the Xorn mask.
I don’t care for Future Kitty is still referred to as Kitty. I guess they made the decision to make sure people are not confusing these future X-Men with the Days of Future Past X-Men. They are from two different timelines. Their future timeline is probably going to be known as the Battle of the Atom Future. DoFP and BotA timelines.
I am still going to call her Kate, as that is an easier way to distinguish the two Prydes.
They do that thing I don’t like with future characters, where Future Beast states that The Dove is his masterpiece, like really? In the next twenty years, you don’t create anything worth a damn, and it is all down hill from here?
Storm tells Kitty and Rachel to hang back as nearly everyone else is going on the mission to get Scott and Jean back.
Scott and Jean steal some clothes. During this scene, is when I start really noticing the art. On the top page, where Jean is trying to cover up, Lopez (probably) draws her like she is fifty, and in the middle of the same page, she looks attractive again. Like, the panels that are just her face, are nice, but if he gets a chance to draw anything else, he rather do that.
Then in a few panels, like the away team is existing The Dove, he straight up doesn’t drae any faces! They are as blank as Blank from Dick Tracy.
I like the idea of Cerebro as a pill. Not sure what it does for your digestive system.
The home team is probably my favoite part, or any scene with both Kitty and Rachel. The art team and Martin on colors, really went all out at the mansion. I really like Rachel’s hair style here, have no idea what it would be called.
The ladies want leftover Chinese, and then you see them have fifteen cartons out! I don’t know why more Chinese restaurants don’t label the cartons better, especially with larger orders.
Really like Kitty’s point of how she believes the Original Five need to go back, but it has to be their own decision. This is now the driving force behind the series.
Really like that someone realized that Rachel did the exact same thing, time travelled and stayed in the present. But it is different, as we now know that if something horrible happens to the Original Five, their present day selves are affected.
This issue is probably going to be my favorite issue of the year, topping All New X-Men 14. So much happens in this issue, Kitty is crucial to the story, art is really good. It is a great issue.
Scott and Jean take on ten X-Men, and hold their own. Pretty impressive.
Kitty and Rachel come and break up the fight. This might lead to Kitty joining the Uncanny team, which would be a big get for Cyclops. Plus, if Rachel comes too, then those two will be on the same team as Magik, for the first time ever!
That panel where Kitty says “and you Wolverine–” his face is perfect! He really is only tagging along on this quest, he is letting Storm and the Future X-Men take the lead here.
The next part takes place in Uncanny, and it promises to be good.
Lopez makes Magneto in White, look good. It is not an easy task. The shade helps a lot.
I was mostly a Spider-Man fan during the 90s and then Heroes Reborn happen, and all of those shiny new issue ones came out. I had already fallen in love with Busiek thanks to Thunderbolts and I hadn’t read much of Perez at that time but he art blew me away. I picked up Busiek’s Avengers and Iron Man run (with Sean Chen on art). I read a little of Mark Waid’s Captain America and Dan Jurgens’ Thor was mighty until John Romita Jr. left the title.
I left those titles shortly after Busiek did, as Geoff John’s Avengers was not very good but I came back for Bendis’ run as it promised to be bold and new, which there is no denying that it was at first. I probably got the first 30 issues of New Avengers.
If you are ever looking for a decent modern Iron Man tale, Joe Quesada’s Man in the Iron Suit arc is pretty incredible. It is like five issues or something and it is essentially the armor takes on a life of itself and Tony and to fight it by himself. Great story.
Never really got into the Hulk too much, read some Peter David’s legendary run but I left when he did and that whole Mr. Blue / Mr. Green thing of Jenkins’ with the whole personality disorders concept, I didn’t care for.
I got Kevin Smith’s run of Daredevil and stuck with that for some time into Bendis’ run but I was getting to many books and that was an easy cut.
Captain America, never really followed again.
Thunderbolts I stuck with until Marvel made it into a lame Fight Club title, but I came back for New Thunderbolts but jumped off once Beetle wasn’t there and Songbird was the last standing member. Once Zemo was gone, I was gone too.
I didn’t get Fantastic Four right when it relaunched, but the few I read by Scott Lobdell were interesting but once Claremont started his brief stint on the title, those stories was amazing with the whole Reed / Doom body swap. I stuck with that title too until like that Marvel Knights 4 series got out of hand.
Though thanks to that time of my life, I was able to read what will be known as the greatest era of Fantastic Four comics, the Mark Waid / Mike Wieringo era. I should have jumped off when Waid Ringo were done but I kept with it, which was a mistake as it was not the same thing.
This is all making me think about when did I start following X-Men. I know which issue is my first X-title I ever bought but not sure what was my first monthly story.
I’m pretty sure it was roughly at the end of Excalibur’s original run, as Marvel at around that time was doing these fold out covers where on the reverse side the fold out was a list of all the characters, what their powers were, and what happen in the previous issue or issues. I’m pretty sure I bought several titles that I was not already interested in, just to see what each of those said about the characters.
I remember one of those Access minis came out at that time so it was fun to see the few DC characters get the treatment.
Man, did I enjoy those Access miniseries. It all started with Marvel vs. DC, then we got All Access, and then Access Unlimited, plus the Amalgam one shots (both waves!).
Definitely was not an X-Men fan at that time but got exposed to them that way.
I know for a fact that I was there to get the X-Men 35th anniversary issues, and Marvel was smart about making both Uncanny and X-Men essentially a bi-monthly title for a great deal of that era.
I was getting pretty much all of the core X-Titles at that time, but then I started dating my wife and starting scaling it way back. While we were dating, I did that thing where I hid how many titles I was buying. Then we moved in together and couldn’t keep that a secret anymore. After talking about which titles I really am enjoying and which ones I was not – though still buying as I had that collector mentality, it pretty much came down to just buying Kitty Pryde comics. Or comics staring Lockheed and Magik, which back in 2006, was super easy to do as Kitty herself was barely making appearances.
I’m sure my love for Kitty Pryde essentially just came out of me wanting to collect every appearance of a character and she was the most affordable as Wizard had a feature that spotlighted all appearances and a cost of it. I remember Spider-Man being ridiculous but they had a Kyle Green Lantern and a Nightcrawler one. I liked Nightcrawler but Kitty always seemed like a better character.
I also had plans to get every Black Widow appearance but once I saw how expensive her 60s era comics were and reading reviews of how not good a bunch of her Daredevil appearances were, I let that idea go.
I know my first Spider-Man title was Amazing 379, an issue that was in the middle of a Spider-Slayer arc. It didn’t make any sense to me but I was hooked. Then my final issue was whichever issue was One More Day nonsense. And that made up nearly ten to fifteen years of Spider-titles there and there was a bunch of bad titles and some wonderful titles there. That era right after the Clone Saga ended with Revelations might be my favorite era, had some great moments and fun again. Though I do like Ben Reilly’s era of a character. That Scarlet Spider costume is the bomb!
My absolute favorite Spider-Writer of all time, will have to be J.M. DeMatteis. Because of him, I even got a love for Russian literature that I wouldn’t even had been exposed too, and that’s due to a letter’s page comment he made about the real name of the Chameleon and him being Kraven’s half brother, and the origins of the original names. I read Anna Kareinina, which I adored and War & Peace wasn’t as horrible as people said but Crime & Punishment was a real chore. I’ve been working myself up to starting Brothers Karminiov for a while now, which is where he got the name for Chameleon. His work with Sal Buscema on Spectacular Spider-Man has yet to ever be touched in terms of quality and impact. Also where I got the idea that Sal was the better Buscema brother, which I know many find that to be crazy, especially as I never really read any of John’s work.
There was a time where I would have said my favorite era of Marvel was 1996/1997. They had a slew of number ones such as Deadpool, Quicksilver, Heroes for Hire and Alpha Flight. Which thanks to my mother, I was able to try all of these titles and stick with all of them then they cancelled out – besides Deadpool which I have every issue until they relaunched that title. I even got two letters published in Deadpool.
I really am against relaunches and renumbering as it gives me a prefect jumping off point.
The rest of my comic knowledge comes from online communities, magazines like Wizard, which I collected so many of these issues until I was part of the reason why that magazine ceased, why buy a magazine with last month’s information when I can just go to online websites and get the information now. But thanks to Wizard, they published a Top 100 Trades of All Time, and I made it my life’s mission to collect all 100 trades, and I did just that. Took like four years or something like that, but I did it. So great to own all of them too. Then they did a Top 100 Trades since Wizard began with issue one type of list and I have that issue to buy on my wishlist but I doubt I would ever actually pick up that quest. Especially has I think I only owned like ten of them or something like that. If I had like 25 or 50, I could see myself trying for the rest of them. That and I am not single any more, like I was when I accomplished my last quest so it would be hard to justify the new quest with my lovely wife.
Uncanny X-Men Volume Three 12
X-Men Legacy 17
Ultimate Comics X-Men 31
Writer Simon Spurrier
Artist Paul Davidson
Colorist Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer VC’s Cory Petit
Wear the Grudge Like a Crown Part One
Is there a reason why other writers write Bendis’ Uncanny X-Men, better than he does? Is it because he has to give them depth and such, and others get to just use their powers? Because this is the third time I’ve seen this team, working together to great effect.
Really enjoy Spurrier’s low build up for David and Blindfold’s relationship.
Davidson draws a nice Magik.
David fighting the team, single handily is pretty impressive.
The Magneto confrontation is my favorite. Magneto recognizing that this is a moment. Him verses his best friend’s son.
By the time he is done monologing, David has removed his helmet, match up over.
Magik, I feel, wouldn’t call a fellow woman, a little loser slut.
But she did and I know she will. It seems harsh, but it isn’t like they are friends, or that they have even met before.
Some very dramatic moments for Illyana here.
Nice to have Blindfold get a win over the Cuckoos, even if it was due to a power boost. Definitely has an asterisk next to it.
How great and well paced is the Cyclops vs. Legion fight set up? A god has decided to turn off his powers to fight a regular guy. That has always gone well in the past.
I will let you read this, I am very excited to read the next issue. An old school punch fight. I like Scott stating that he is a trained martial artist.
And it started to rain, next issue should be beautiful.
For those who don’t want to follow Battle of the Atom, either because it is an event or what have you, Legacy is the ideal book for you. Either stand alone issues, or small two part stories.
Not only is Brian Wood killing it on Ultimate X-Men, but he’s also murdering it on X-Men. He has Ultimate Kitty at the forefront of that title and OG Kitty as not the lead character, but at least the third most important character.
That is a key different there. X-Men is more of a cast title whereas Ultimate is clearly Kitty centric but things either happening from her, to her, or around her. She is the focal character and either we take a break from her vantage point for a page but we are always checking in with her.
I know that Jubilee is suppose to be the main star of X-Men as the other members, besides Rachel, show up in at least one other title than this one. Storm and Psylocke have Uncanny X-Force together, Rogue is in Uncanny Avengers, and Kitty has both All New X-Men and Wolverine and the X-Men, which from time to time, has a guest appearance by Storm. Rachel has no other book, as does Jubilee. Making her equal to Storm, as five issues into this new title, and Storm and Rachel have a clear disagreement on leadership and operating procedures. Jubilee is the light character so she will steal the most scenes and has the baby, Shogo, who will also be helping in the stealing scenes department.
Ultimate Kitty doesn’t have to worry about such things. She’s fighting Jean right now, so Jean steals the show, just like General Ross in the story arc previous, and Mach Two in the story behind that. Once they are no longer the spotlight opposition, they disappear into the background – in Mack Two’s case, or disappear altogether in General Ross’s case.
Ultimate Rogue is in the picture, but she can be along with the plant life, then she doesn’t require too much attention. Storm has a budding relationship with the farmer mutant as well as a friendship with Colossus. Who in the Ultimate Universe is more Russian Mafia than Russian farmers, though I doubt anyone remembers Ultimate Colossus’ origins. If you can’t be one, might as well be the other, I suppose. Ultimate Psylocke is on Mach Two’s side that means we barely get anything from her these days.
Now that I’m writing all of these, it dawns on me that both titles are predominately female cast. Which makes sense as X-Men has always been known for their strong female roles, especially Giant Size X-Men 1 and forward. Maybe not so much pre-Giant Size, as it is hard to do with only Jean and Polaris. Have to at least have a few female members on a team to be predominately female. With only Storm and Jean in the Giant Size cast, the X-Men proper didn’t become that way until at least 167 wherein Kitty was already on the team but Rogue made it three female team members.
The point is, that even with only a few characters, if you wanted strong female characters, you had to come to the X-Men. Avengers may have a few female members, but they are nowhere near as interesting or layered as the X-Men. Maybe Carol Danvers, but that’s largely due to her time with the X-Men and by Chris Claremont’s genius writing. Then there is Wanda, who also has her roots in X-Men lore, but only her roots; she’s been Avenger proud since her fifth appearance. Or something like that, if she isn’t paired with Vision, I have no true interest in her. I started out my love for Avengers with the Kurt Buisek / George Perez run n the title. Sue Richards is an awesome character, but being only one fourth of a title hurts that title’s record of strong females, but they do get She-Hulk from time to time.
Some how this became more about strong female characters than it did Brian Wood but the thing is, you can’t go wrong with Brian Wood. And at some point, I might venture out into his indie work but for now, I am quite happy with his Ultimate and X-Men work.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 