Shadow and Flame with Magik

X-Men 87

Posted by John Klein III on April 10, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: Davis, Farmer - Mark, Magneto War, Nicieza, X-Men. Leave a comment

Plot and Pencils Alan Davis

Script Fabian Nicieza

Inks Mark Farmer

Colors Javins / Vasquez

Letters Richard Starkings and ComiCraft / Saida

Magneto War, Part Five of Five – Conclusion

Cover Dated May 1999

This is the fifth part of crossover, this was during Alan Davis’ awesome (but brief) tenure as both plotter and penciler, of both X-Men and Uncanny X-Men. I’m so happy that Mark Farmer came along for the ride. 90s staple, Fabian Nicieza, assists with the script. I own all five parts of the crossover but I’m reviewing this one, now, as my final look back, for Magneto 21.

I was super excited, when I pulled this out of my short box, when I saw the sliver of black strip that is on the right side of the cover. That meant, that this was part of the pull out cover, that reviewed the cast and the previous issues’ events. Except that at the end of that campaign, which I was a huge fan of, they used it as additional ad space, which makes sense.

There is an ad for The Hulk, b John Byrne, Ron Rarney and Dan Green (whose name, I’m pretty sure, I lost track of, come May 1999). His wife is dead, his friends are gone and all he has left is his rage. That does intrigue me and I don’t recall this era of Hulk, at all.

The inside fold is promoting Disney’s Saturday morning shows on ABC. Recess (such a great show), Doug (that I barely followed), Pepper Ann (that looks familiar) and Mouse Works, something involving Micky and Minnie – I imagine.

Issue opens with beloved television reporter, Trish Tilby, of CBNC News fame. She recaps the events that got us here, which I appreciate. At this point, the two titles were essentially one big bi-monthly series. Trish reports that Magneto is a “mutant terrorist” which seems unnecessarily racist. “Terrorist” is sufficient.

Magneto’s latest plan, is essentially teasing what Ultimate Magneto will do, during Ultiumatum. Except here, he threatens to do it, and there, he just did it. Magneto wants to tip the planet off of its axis. He’s already began the process, and there are massive blackouts – everywhere.

Magneto has sent a robot to the United Nations, to represent him as his ambassador. What is stopping Magneto, right now, is his clone, Joseph. Astra has plotted this Magneto v Joseph fight, for a while now. The caption states that she is a former Brotherhood of Mutants, but I don’t even recall her from that. As the two fight, the X-Men arrive, in a plastic plane.

I like how Xavier dressed up for this confrontation.

This is a pretty good roster, for the X-Men – Marrow, Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat, Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine and Nightcrawler. No Original Five, but plenty of All New, All Different. Nearly, all of them, minus Sunspot and Banshee.

Xavier explains the differences of Magneto and Joseph, which the caption boxes did the same, two pages earlier. Magneto has the experience and the will but Joseph has the raw power but lacks control. Xavier recognizes that Astra is on the field, which is something that gives Xavier an edge up, on me.

Wolverine pops his claws, which is silly as he has no chance against Magneto. Xavier tells him to settle down, as he knows what I know, that Wolverine shouldn’t be able to get too close, to Magneto. Xavier calls him “Magnus” which seems like a weird time to show respect to the super villain.

Xavier wants to split the team into three groups (classic X-Men style!) each to deal with the pieces on the ground – Magneto, Joseph and Astra.

Since they are at the eye of the battle, Kurt feels like he should be able to safely teleport now. Astra doesn’t require an entire dedicated group, Kurt teleports to her and punches her in the face.

Going after Magneto is – Rogue, Gambit and Wolverine. Which makes sense, Rogue has a romantic relationship with Magneto. Wolverine has a score to settle and Gambit goes wherever Rogue goes. Did they ever deal with the fact, that Rogue was attracted to Joseph, under the false premise that he was a younger and gentler Magneto? Only to have him be revealed to be a clone? I suppose that would have been in a X-Men Unlimited issue but they also don’t really publish those stories.

What is happening with Magneto’s face, in that last panel!?! Super menacing but also, creepy.

Wolverine tries to SKRK Magneto but Magneto swats him away – as he should. Wolverine is a giant bag of metal, so he is the worst person to throw at Magneto.

Gambit is curious where he ranks on Magneto’s list of mutants who matter. Magneto throws in Gambit’s face that he is a traitor to his own race. Magneto knows this, as he was the reason Gambit was put on trial, in Uncanny X-Men 350. The Uncanny issues, part of Magneto War, are Uncanny 366 & 367. The other issues are X-Men 86 and Magneto War 1.

Kitty and Marrow arrive, so they must have been mart of the Magneto Team.

On Team Joseph, is Xavier, Storm and Colossus. Joseph, now no longer under Astra’s influence, is trying to right the world. Joseph is becoming one with the electromagnetic spectrum. Xavier is going to work with Joseph, to be his telepathic anchor. It will be up to Storm and Colossus to keep Joseph’s body intact. In classic Claremont fashion, Colossus and Storm Care Bear it up, to save the day. Colossus armors up, becoming a lightning rod. Storm works as a conduit, to seep the energies from Joseph and into Colossus.

Back with Magneto. He swats Wolverine away, again. I do like how Marrow isn’t afraid of Magneto. I imagine the team educated her on Magneto but it is merely facts. They didn’t experience the menace of Magneto (or Spider-Man) in the Morlock Tunnels. Magneto has regretted not doing more, for the Morlocks. Though he did figure out who lead the Marauders to the Morlocks, though only us fans know that Magneto was Erik the Red. Strangely, the X-Men nor Gambit, ever talk about that trial. I get Gambit not bringing it up but the others, I would be constantly asking about how Erik the Red figured all of that out. I’m going on about Uncanny 350, as I no longer own that issue – due to lack of Kitty being in it.

Rogue has called Magneto, Magnus and now Kitty does too. I do enjoy Magneto calling her, Katherine. Kitty was going to stab Magneto with ice! This was all the distraction that Wolverine needed to strike Magneto. Which is also how Eve of Destruction ends, the two examples of Wolverine ever having an edge on Magneto. That happened in X-Men 113. Uncanny issues involved int hat event are Uncanny 392 & 393, so we are a few years away from that. I don’t own any of those issues, also due to lack of Kitty being in them. Decent storyline though.

Joseph is merging with the magnetic field, he feels the source drawing him in.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations. A guy runs into Dr. Huxley’s office, stating that the Earth’s axis is being corrected. So she doesn’t have to go through with her plan to give Magneto what he wants. She goes as far as to set the report that she is given, on fire.

Kurt checks in on Kitty and Gambit (I imagine Gambit happen to be next to the person Kurt was really checking on.). Kurt sees an opportunity and teleports over to Magneto, removing his helmet. Wolverine slashes Magneto’s face! But not that deeply, which is strange. It looks like Wolverine SHREKTH the other side of Magneto’s face, as well but it isn’t really reflected, throughout the rest of the issue – or for the rest of time.

Xavier checks on Joseph, who has aged to what Magneto probably should look like.

Bullpen Bulletins, I must have been reading all of the titles that came out on February 24, as they all sound familiar.
Avengers 15, by Busiek & Perez, but it is dealing with Triathlon’s origins.
Deadpool 27, which is odd as I know that issue 27 guest stars Wolverine and Kitty Pryde, along with Doctor Bong but the issue description describes another issue.
Earth X 1 of 12, such a great series!
Gambit 3, I was reading his first ongoing, at this point.
J2 7, not enough updates with the X-People. Tom DeFalco & Ron Lim, riding the MC2 line, at is high point.
Inhumans 6 of 12, Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, I want to own the motion comic to this as I want to reread it but the trade is in storage, right now.
Slingers 5, another amazing series! Joseph Harris & ChrisCross.
Webspinners : Tales of Spider-Man 4, picking up where Silver Surfer 18 (from 1969) left off.
Wolverine 137, Erik Larsen’s Wolverine Space Opera – that was pretty great.
X-Force 89 – The New Hellions are back!
In Stan Lee’s Soapbox, he teases James Cameron’s Spider-Man film, which still sounds bonkers to me.

Joseph sacrifices himself, so that Xavier and his X-Men can continue his dream.

Xavier, Storm and Colossus regroup with the others – explaining that Joseph is dead. I like how Astra wants to go on about how much work went into this scheme. She has to go from years, to months, to finally, weeks. But it is pretty impressive what she was able to do, in such a short time. She disappears, through a portal, which does remind me that she did appear in Second Coming.

Magneto is back, ready for Round Three!

Xavier is tired of all of this senseless fighting, this cycle that goes nowhere. See Magneto’s face? Those are not very deep cuts. The way it looked, earlier, he should barely have a face! Magneto dares them to kill him, if they want this to truly end. Wolverine hears his cue and charges at Magneto.

Rogue takes Wolverine down, again. Gambit finally has to question her motivations, I suppose it was one to many times.

Just then, Ferris (Magneto’s robot ambassador), Dr. Huxley and some United Nations peeps (with soldiers) arrive onto the scene.

Dr. Huxley hands Magneto a very important piece of paper. Magneto, if he accepts, will be the ruler of . . . Genosha! Which is pretty awesome! Wolverine’s reaction is pretty great, too!

Wolverine wants to keep going after Magneto but Xavier mentally shuts him down. It is a great issue for watching Wolverine get his comeupins.

Xavier, wisely, realizes Magneto is United Nations sworn, so there is nothing the X-Men can do, so they leave.

Magneto and Ferris are by themselves. Magneto tries to magnetically bring his helmet to him but it doesn’t even budge. Ferris retrieves it and asks if this is exhaustion or a problem. It will be a problem, that we will follow in Magneto Rex. Well, not us here at S&FwM as I no longer own any of those issues but the readers of the day.

X-Pressions – the letters page – has letters from – James Knoles of England / Mel Molatore of Portland, OR / Tammy Suto of Rayland, OH and Barry Southgate of New Zealand.

The next issue features Juggernaut. I own that issue, but who knows when I will review that.

Sad Cyclops

Posted by John Klein III on April 9, 2016

Posted in: Fun With YouTube, Songs, Websites. Tagged: Cyclops, Music, Uncanny X-Cast, YouTube. Leave a comment

art by jhirarcfuker
(maybe? He’s hosting the image on Rebloggy and I like to credit original art when I can)

So this scenario came to me the other day.

So let’s say there is a enemy who is taking hostages and Cyclops is the only guy around. He starts optic blasting foes and takes care of business – as Scott Summers do.

Then afterwards – when he is walking back to the Blackbird – he starts walking pass the civilians he just saved. Someone gets bold enough to shout at him, good job with the heat vision!

This, of course, makes Cyclops sad as his powers are not heat generated. It is more of a force. Also, it will remind him of Uncanny X-Men 391 – the awesome issue where Corsair and Scott go camping and poor Christopher Summers makes the huge mistake of asking his adult son, to start the camp fire with his eyes. Scott had to explain to his father, how his powers works. It is a great issue and that is essentially my review of it as it doesn’t have Kitty, Lockheed nor Illyana so this is the only time I can do the review.

I couldn’t find a perfect screencap of it but this website has it in a funny way :

http://comicsfact.com/post/83672995483/cyclops-optic-blasts-are-not-lasers-they-only

I will always remember the issue number as it is the very next issue after Uncanny X-Men 390, the issue Colossus died in. So two great issues, back to back. Scott Lobdell was on all cylinders!

So, Cyclops is still walking away from that guy, maybe he is making a sad face or a grimace – or even a brave face. He will get through this.

Next – some other guy recognizes him as Cyclops of the X-Men and shouts at him – Hey! Do you know Wolverine, that guy is cool! Then adds insult to injury by doing the claws stabbing the air thing that I’ve seen so many people do. Trying to imitate Wolverine.

Cyclops doesn’t respond to this jerk either, but by now, he must be having Joe Harnell’s Lonely Man theme from the Incredible Hulk television series, playing in his mind.

Thanks to YouTuber Gustavo for hosting the video.

Such an amazing song! I will often think about hitch hiking, also, when I think of this song.

So Cyclops is just putting on a brave face, hoping to stop hearing about heat visions and Wolverine being cool, having sad songs playing in his head.

Instead of all that, he should be having :

Cyclops, Just Blast a Dude from Uncanny X-Cast 50, playing in his head. Sung / rap by Brian Perillo. Based off of Young MC’s Bust a Move.

A song that I wake up to every morning. Rob Briscoe’s Muties, We were Born to Run

is another favorite. Of course, taken from Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run.

I just checked this post in preview and it looked like those two links didn’t work so here is the Uncanny X-Cast dropbox link.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/62elslju4q2w6g3/otsnk34rTM/Uncanny%20X-Cast%20-%20The%20Album

Now that I think of it, I guess this scenario only works in a universe where a guy with heat vision is super popular to create the assumption. Do many people have heat vision in the Marvel Universe? I suppose Vision does. Gladiator does too but I can’t imagine many on Marvel Earth know who that is – even though he is the King of the Shi’ar. Hyperion would to, but again, not many would know about the Squadron Squadron. I can’t think of a fourth person and Gladiator and Hyperion are just Superman versions in the Marvel Universe – I’m sure there has been various other carbon copies floating about.

Marvel Knights Spider-Man Volume One 13 through 18, the Wild Blue Yonder, had Spider-Man meeting a new superhero who turn out to be a Skrull, that guy had heat vision if I remember correctly. Virtue, was the character name.

http://comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=8604

There has to be others, I’m sure.

I just like the idea of Cyclops being tired of both – people getting the nature of his powers wrong AND people wanting to talk to him about Wolverine.

X-Men Volume One Issue 1

Posted by John Klein III on April 8, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: Claremont, Lee - Jim, Magik, Orzechowski - Tom, X-Men. Leave a comment

Writer Chris Claremont

Co-Plotters Chris Claremont and Jim Lee

Penciler Jim Lee

Inker Scott Williams

Letterer Tom Orzechowski

Colorist Joe Rosas

Cover Dated October 1991

First off, yes, I count this series as volume one. I know there are some who would say Uncanny X-Men is volume one as its first issue is X-Men 1 and so are all of them until Uncanny 142, but seriously, once Uncanny became the title, then it retroactively became the title, especially once this series came about. Might not be the popular opinion but its mine.

I must have read this comic a bunch of times when it first came out. It has a couple sequences that blew my mind and I reread and reread. I was nine, so I was probably a bigger Jim Lee fan and the words were, if there wasn’t too many of them, were in the way.

This is one of those comics I had up to sell but then Marvel Comics Database states Magik is in the issue and thus, it is now in my proper collection. Though, the blonde in question could be Magma but I can see where, telling from the hair, that it is Magik.

I proudly own the Cyclops and Wolverine cover. It has Cyclops and Wolverine on it, who needs the other ones? Maybe the gatefold cover but I was always happy with the one I have. I feel bad for those who got the Beast / Storm with Xavier in the background cover.

My issue comes with the “Things to Come” middle image, I wish I got the one that would eventually be used for the X-Men Forever Alpha two covers, and yes I did buy both covers to that issue. A has Kitty and B, the bottom half of the poster, has Lockheed. X-Men Forever Alpha is the latest I reread this issue, the nice thing was that that collected all three issues, thus setting up the series itself as issue one would have been X-Men 4, if things went Claremont’s way. Alpha came out in May 2009, and with my memory that feels like forever ago, when it was only five years ago. Still, long enough that it needs to be revisited with how many comics I read.

I wonder if Claremont, when he turn in the script for this issue, if he knew his 17 year run on the title was coming to an end. Or does that happen closer to two’s script and then he does three for the sake of the story.

This also is the beginning of the X-Men Blue and Gold era. Which people love, so much so that when Schism happened, the fonts on books were Blue (for Cyclops) and Gold (for Wolverine). People love those two colors.

X-Men Blue was X-Men 1 and X-Men Gold was Uncanny X-Men 281.

Blue Members were – Beast, Gambit, Psylocke, Wolverine, Jubilee, Cyclops and Rogue

Gold Members were – Jean, Colossus, Storm, Bishop, Iceman and Archangel

You tell me which one is the better line up? That’s right, Blue, even if Colossus was swapped out with … anyone else, it would still be the second team.

I’m not even sure what made me buy this, I know it was on the stands and thus, I bought it for only $1.50, which is good for me. Well, right now at Mile High Comics, you can get my cover for $9.00 in near mint condition and all the covers, including the gatefold for around $30. Can’t be the highest selling comic in history and not have a billion copies out there.

At this time, I’m just enjoying my Excalibur comics, which October 1991 was issue 42, during Alan Davis’ run on the title with Mark Farmer on inks. Good times. Also good? I missed out on a slew of bad 90s comics and X-Events. Most of which, I’ve read summaries on and I didn’t miss out on much.

Now that this issue is in my collection, X-Men now starts with issue one, skips to 17, 18, 19, 20 (the Omega Red / Dead Rasputins storyline), then 24 & 25, 30 then I skip until 77 from there the 35th Anniversary era begins and I’m on from 80 – 110. I have 157, 165, 174, 188, 190, 199 to 204 and then Kitty is in space and I’m off the title until it becomes X-Men Legacy and even then, I’m wishy washy on it.

I own 61 issues in this series, as I own the Wizard 1/2 issue and Annuals 1995, 1999 and 2000.

This is becoming a retrospective on the first issue instead of the last. What I’m saying is that I didn’t follow the title that often a Kitty was off in England, Colossus was mostly in Uncanny and so was his sister. I guess at one point, Colossus joins the Blue Team (or they quit being divided after a year and a half).

All of this before even starting the proper review. That’s what you get here at S&FwM, we go above and beyond! Answering questions you never asked and may not have wanted to know.

The Blue Team, along with Jean and Storm will make up the 90s X-Men cartoon, which is based on Jim Lee’s designs.

Both the Gold and Blue team were living at the mansion, so it must have been awkward with who takes on which cases and battles and when they officially named the members of the teams.

There is an ad for Bill & Ted’s Excellent Video Game Adventure on NES and Game Boy.

Issue opens with some fugitive mutants being chased by Russians, in space! They do it right in front of Magneto’s recently rebuilt Asteroid M. He gets rid of both of their space ships and takes them all into his page. The mutants are in orange suits and the Russians are in green. The mutants tell him that they want to join him in his mission, he tells them that those days are gone, he just wants to be alone.

Due to these actions, Russia wants to proceed with the Magneto Protocols. We see President Bush 41 and Fury discussing Russia’s actions. Fury doesn’t care what they want to do, as long as America can stay out of it.

Then the sequence that I mostly think of when I think of the issue. The X-Men want to test out their new defense system.

In the control room, is Cyclops, Beast, and Storm as official X-Men. Forge and Banshee (poor Banshee) are support staff.

The goal is to be the first X-Man to ‘kill’ Xavier, wins the exercise.

Team A is made up of Rogue, Iceman, Archangel and Colossus. Colossus looks so weird not in his armor form but in his uniform.

Jean is Xavier’s main defense, that and the defense mechanisms. Jean is wearing the Jim Lee deigned gold and blue uniform that will haunt her for years to come. Xavier is talking about how he is back from a long departure, I believe he was with Lilandra. Jean holds the New Mutants photo. Dani, Wolfsbane, Cannonball, Doug, Shan and Warlock. A Blonde and Xavier are also present. I still say it is Illyana, due to the hairstyle and bust size.

Back to the goal. Iceman’s slide keeps melting due to the rockets. Rogue sacrifices herself by having the rockets chase her, and have the rockets destroy the launchers. This knocks her out.

Archangel throws Colossus through the window. He’s about to touch Xavier when Jean psychically knocks him out.

Team B is Psylocke, Wolverine and Gambit, coming up through the tunnels. Cyclops sends robots after them. Psylocke and Wolverine fight the robots, and Gambit sneaks away.

Beast keeps calling Cyclops, Fearless, which starts to bug him after the sixth time.

Gambit throws Jean off by throwing an entire deck of cards at her. Then he goes in for a kiss, when he gets to do but the Jean robot explodes. I like how the explosion blows the cap part of the Xavier robot.

Cyclops wants to throw a giant truck at Gambit the next time he gets a chance for kissing his Jean.

Wolverine claws his way into the control room and extends his claws so that the tip touches Xavier’s head. Cyclops is way angry at Wolverine as the chance of him hurting Xavier is quite high.

Wolverine had Psylocke block Wolverine’s presence and that’s how he was able to get as close as he did, he used teamwork.

Rogue is mad at Gambit for kissing Jean.

Cyclops wants to run another exercise and Wolverine clearly doesn’t.

Later, Fury calls the X-Men about the latest Magneto situation. Rogue stands up for Magneto, as at this point, they had a tad bit of a relationship. Cyclops doesn’t trust him, but it makes sense that Storm wants to at least hear Magneto’s side as those two were part of the team when Magneto took over the X-Men.

We also see that Moira MacTaggert is on the staff.

Right here is the ‘poster’ of ‘Things to Come’ which shows Longsot, the Brood, Omega Red and Sebastian Shaw’s son.

Back with Magneto, the Russians are still hating on the mutants. There is something that turns off mutant powers and Magneto himself turns off the Russian’s armor. Magneto comes downstairs, due to all of the shouting. He is wearing white pajama bottoms, a red slash for a belt and a white cloak that is open wide, showing off his chest. If you are well into your 60s, but have the muscular chest of a 20 year old man, you flaunt that to everyone who you can.

One of the mutants runs to Magneto and one of the Russian’s suits still works so he shots the girl in the back. This outright disgusts Magneto, and he kills the foolish Russian.

Fabian Cortez keeps referring to humans as ‘Flatscans’ so this must be the first appearance of the term, perhaps?

Cerebro detects Magneto, so Xavier sends Cyclops’ Blue Team. As Magneto could be anywhere, the X-Men have broken into two teams, Cyclops’ and Storm’s. So the Blue Team, Gambit, Beast, Wolverine, Rogue and Psylocke are heading to the newly rebuilt by Forge, Blackbird.

Magneto has gone back to the site of the sunk submarine, Leningrad. A nuclear vessel that Magneto sunk back in the day. Rogue tries to talk to Magneto, due to their shared past. Magneto wants the missiles.

Beast and Gambit try the more physical approach and Beast takes a steel rod to the face. Magneto throws Gambit’s cards back at him. This gives Psylocke the opening to Chris Sims’ kick t to the face of Magneto. Unfortunately, Magneto’s costume is really armor, so it takes the blunt of the kick. This still opens Wolverine to violently attack Magneto, drawing blood. This shocks Magneto and Cyclops. Cyclops thinks Wolverine is entering his berserker fury, so he blasts Magneto away.

Magneto ends up in a department of the submarine that the soldiers died in, so there are all of these skeletons, which freaks him out. Magneto flies away with the missiles. Rogue catches up to him and tries to talk with him again.

A Russian soldier in a jet opens fire, shooting Rogue in the back. Right when Magneto was rethinking his tactics. So this angers hiim and he sets off one of the nuclear missiles in the upper atmosphere of Russia.

There is an ad for two of Chris Claremont’s novels, First Flight and Grounded. I wonder if they are any good?

Back at the base, Magneto is wounded, the cuts are deep. Fabian Cortez will speed up Magneto’s healing.

The X-Men are looking for Rogue when Xavier calls them. Rogue is in Genosha. Also there? The newly named, Acolytes. They start killing the Genoshian officers after Rogue turns them down for membership. Genosha has only recently not being racist to mutants but still, the memory of slavery is still fresh.

The X-Men show up to stop the killings.

Issue ends with Magneto showing up, telling the X-Men that the Acolytes were not operating under his orders but he takes full responsiblity for them. It is a pretty awesome panel though I’m surprised the X-Men allow him to say off of it. Oh 90s X-Men when everyone spoke in giant one page monologues at each other.

The very last panel is Moira telling Banshee that everything that is happening is her fault.

As I won’t be revealing the next two parts until I get around to reviewing X-Men Forever Alpha, Magneto is only recently a man again. Nanny had turn him into a baby (sort of like how she turn Storm didn’t a child) and Moira had oversaw Magneto’s aging. While she had the opportunity, she tampered with his DNA to make him more understanding. This will annoy him to no end once that is revealed.

TAB Soda

Posted by John Klein III on April 7, 2016

Posted in: Dining Out. Tagged: Drink. Leave a comment

Ever since I read this line from Uncanny X-Men 139, I have been curious what TAB soda tasted liked. But not that curious to actively seek it out.

Then a few weeks ago, a Super 1 Foods store opened and were selling cases of the soda for a dollar fifty. So I picked up a case.

Next, I Wikipedia-ed TAB soda, which I wish I did first.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_(soft_drink)

Apparently, it was Coke’s diet soda until they finally created Diet Coke. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have bought the case.

But I did. TAB tastes like a weaker cola, so it is drinkable and the other eleven cans shouldn’t be a bear to drink.

This post brought to you by :

Go get some!

Uncanny X-Men 150

Posted by John Klein III on April 6, 2016

Posted in: Review, Websites. Tagged: Claremont, Cockrum, CSBG, Marvel Comics Database, Orzechowski - Tom, Rubinstein - Joe, Simek - Jean, Uncanny, Wein - Glynis, Wiacek. Leave a comment

Writer Chris Claremont

Artists Dave Cockrum, Josef Rubinstein and Bob Wiacek

Letterers Tom Orzechowski and Jean Simek

Colorist Glynis Wein

Cover Dated October 1981

Before I start, let me just type this – this is an outstanding issue that starts Magneto’s redemption in such a way that – in fifty issues – we can believe that Magneto can be changed. Also great is that this issue proves how important Magneto is to the X-Men and how great of a threat he is, to the entire world.

Issue opens with Magneto addressing the world. He wants complete political control, or he will end life as we know it. The political figures he is addressing are – America’s President Ronald Reagan, Soviet leader Leonid Breshnev, English Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Deng Xiaping, General Secretary Hu Yaobang and King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz.

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Uncanny_X-Men_Vol_1_150

Thanks to Marvel Comics Database for hosting the information of the world leaders. I knew Reagan and Thatcher.

Once Magneto ends his transmission, he goes to talk to Lee Forrester and Cyclops, who doesn’t have his powers – thanks to the properties of Magneto’s island home. I do like the real moment of, after explaining his motivations, he asks Cyclops, who this Lee Forrester is, and why isn’t he with Jean Grey. Cyclops explains to his greatest enemy, that Jean died, on the moon. Magneto tries to sympathize with Scott but Scott swats him away. Scott doesn’t believe Magneto’s sincerity. Magneto shouts at him, his family use to be massive but now he is alone – due to Hitler and his Nazi scum.

Just then, before Magneto can mention Nazis, missiles are shot at the island. Magneto shuts them down and seeks out the vessel that fired them, Cyclops yells at him that Magneto can’t do that. Which seems silly, as that would make Magneto want to prove himself to the young pup.

Magneto projects himself onto the submarine, Lennigrad. He explains the situation, that they shouldn’t just follow orders and sinks the submarine. The soldiers, on board, never had a chance. In Moscow, generals are freaking out and want vengeance. Magneto beats them to that score and causes an eruption of magma to spill out onto Varykino’s Center Square. He does take measures to slow the path of the magma, so that the city can escape. Though I don’t think that headlines, the next day, will read as “Magneto — Hero?”

At sunset, Lee is trying to gather her wits. Scott comes to check in on her, she finds his courage – as he will be confronting Magneto – to be very sexy. As she should! They start making out, as we see a plane fly above them.

In the Blackbird, the plane’s controls get locked up. Wolverine, being an idiot, went to get a sandwich and loses his balance. Such a great touch, having Wolverine’s head “krak” Storm’s skull. Metal on bone, Storm is knocked out. Without Storm, the plane nose dives into the ocean.

Colossus, being the massive fool that he is, decides to armor up and break the control panel. That’s Colossus, the worst. Kitty is able to wake up Storm and she is about to create a wind current and gets the plane to make a softer landing, than it would have done, without her.

Xavier, Moira MacTarrgett and old friend, Peter Corbeau – astronaut, physicist, engineer, creator of the Starcore manned orbital solar laboratory- he’s a busy guy – are on a ship, trying to get to the island. Xavier loses touch with the X-Men, so they know they are heading in the right but dangerous, direction.

The X-Men, thanks to their scuba gear, are swimming to shore. They didn’t have enough of the air tanks, but Colossus wasn’t worried, as he doesn’t need to breathe. As they approach the island, Colossus loses control of his powers and transforms back to his human form. Imagine if there was a “What If Colossus died in Uncanny X-Men 150?” and how barely nothing would be changed? That would be a fun series to read.

Lee Forrester is enjoying the moonlight, she is thinking about how Scott can sleep through anything but he did confide in her about the X-Men, so she knows that help is on the way. She has made her mind and she will help Scott fight the powerful Magneto. Just then, a gloved hand grabs her handle and freaks her out.

Wolverine doesn’t give a shit about her, or her safety, as he assumes that she works for Magneto. Storm and Kurt break through the water and the X-Men refer to each other, as their hero names. So Lee figures out, these are the X-Men. Lee, quickly, tells them that she knows Scott, so they know that she’s pretty cool. Kitty is crying, as Colossus isn’t breathing. She is also confused, why his powers deactivated.

Cockrum does a great job of not hiding Kitty’s self-made costume, but also not spotlighting it, so the costume doesn’t distract from the important story. Wolverine breaths life back into Colossus.

Wolverine’s nose smells something familiar and goes to check it out.

Scott taps Logan on the shoulder and almost gets six claws to the chest. Scott is barely recognizable in that outfit, plus I imagine no one on this team, has seen him without his visor on. Wolverine does notice that his senses are dimmer.

Look at that big hug and even bigger smile, that Storm has for Scott! Note, that it is only a hug with their upper bodies, they are friends but they are not, great friends.

Kurt notices Scott’s eyes and Scott explains how their powers are deactivated. Scott also explains Magneto’s schemes. The X-Men know that the stakes have never been higher than now, and they are at their all time lowest. The odds are not in their favor, but that’s what it is like, with the X-Men.

For some reason, the team splits into two smaller teams – boys and girls. With the boys, Wolverine takes the time to mention how they never defeated Magneto, with their powers, so what chance do they have, now that they do not have their powers.

Scott also explains that the ladies’ “talents” wouldn’t be of much use, where they are going, as they head downstairs. Scott’s plan isn’t to confront Magneto, himself, but to shut down his plans. Scott wants the boys to break down the energy field, to restore their powers.

As the boys went down, the ladies went up. Storm picks a lock and gets them into the secured quarters of the castle. Kitty is looking for any type of computer, so that she can do the hacks. In no time, Kitty finds a computer, not only that, but she finds Magneto’s programming book, and Magneto’s coffee, which is still warm! Storm heads off to find Magneto. Once she is gone, Kitty realizes that the programming book is in, both, a foreign language and in code! One would be bad enough, but both!?!

There is a two page ad for Mile High Comics, which is pretty great. Uncanny X-Men issues 123, through 129 are only $5, buy them now!

Storm finds Magneto, in a very famous scene, and he is sleeping. We can see his manly chest and she marvels at the sight.

Da boyz see the massive computer displays and the machinery. They are dummys so they turn away from the computers and decide to wreck the machines. Wolverine starts to slice and dice. Wolverine slips off the side and Kurt doesn’t grab him. Kurt dives after him and, thanks to Kurt’s tail, clings to a pipe and Kurt saves the both of them.

Back with Storm and Magneto. She is inching closer to Magneto, debating if she should just slay him. While she debates, with knife in hand, Magneto wakes up and flings Storm out the window. Magneto creates his classic costume, out of the fibers in the air – which is pretty bad arse. During his haste, Xavier is able to mentally attack Magneto, both of them, pushing the other to the brink. Xavier suspects that Magneto is weakening, but instead, he was turning his attention to the screws of Xavier’s safety harness. Xavier (and his chair) are carried form the ship to the tower. I wonder if this is when Xavier gets the bright idea of a hoverchair but that’s still like twenty years from this issue.

Back with da boyz, Wolverine slashes the final structure. Colossus catches Wolverine, as he – again – almost falls to his death.

While da boyz are trying to celebrate, Magneto busts up their style and groove that they are use to. He has Xavier, Lee and Kitty, captive. To add insult to sweet injury, he waves a hand and reforms the structure, so the X-Men’s powers are back to zero use.

Magneto now has the entire team captive, Well, except for one, as Storm clings to sweet life. If it wasn’t for her cloak, she would be dead, right now.

Storm makes her to way to the computer terminal that Kitty had located. She takes a cue from da boyz and throws a chair at the computer. Scott, instantly feels his powers coming back and has to shut his eyes. Xavier knows what is up.

Cyclops blasts a dude, named Magneto. Scott dons his emergency visor, that the X-Men (for some reason) brought along with them. The X-Men are back in full force! Unfortunately, for them, they are still battling Magneto. Who, for my money, has the greatest powerset, of them all. Having power over metal, which is essentially everywhere, does make him the most powerful mutant.

Kurt takes a pipe to the back of Magneto’s head. Colossus punches a wall onto Magneto. Magneto lifts the debris off of himself, with ease. Cyclops Colossus and Wolverine try to triple team on Magneto, but he waves them off. Storm sends lightning bolts at him, and this is the first attack that catches his attention. Which makes sense, as they both have elemental powers. Storm sends a tornado to deal with Magneto.

Colossus, being worthless, but not to Magneto – is flung into Storm, knocking the two of them out. To make matters worst, Magneto flings Colossus into Cyclops.

Xavier tries to attack Magneto again, I’m not sure why his helmet isn’t working like it should. While distracted, Wolverine attacks Magneto, ripping Magneto’s helmet apart.

Cyclops tells Sprite to go hack Magneto’s computers, which serves the double purpose of getting her out of harms way.

Somehow, turning human, makes Colossus able to punch Magneto to the point where it can hurt him. Storm shoots lightning at Magneto, which charges him and drains her.

Kitty, gets excited about her mission – not knowing the overwhelming odds. Kitty walks through the computers, which fries the electronics.

Kurt saves Storm by teleporting the two of them away from the fight, falling into the ocean.

Magneto senses that his computers have been fried and goes to see out what caused the disturbance. He finds young Katherine Anne Pryde and tries to murder her.

What is awesome, is that this page is followed by Hulk v Phoomie Goonies, in a Hostess Fruit Pie ad. I guess that is an act break.

Magneto, in his blind rage, shuts Kitty Pryde down! This startles him to his senses and he can’t believe he almost killed a child. I don’t recall if they ever talk about this, once he joins the team, but I know I would have brought it up. Like, the very first time we got in an argument, I would be all “yeah, I guess you’re right, like that time you almost killed me” then he would have to let cede the point.

As Magneto is comparing himself to the Nazis, Storm comes flying into the room. If she wanted to kill him before, she is all set to do it now. Magneto, recognizing how far he has fallen, is cool with it.

Magneto becomes more human in those top three panels, than any character has ever been shown, in that amount of time. Storm wants her kitten back, and Magneto hands her over.

Then there is a time cut, which is odd but I imagine they didn’t want to commit two more pages of the entire team letting Magneto fly away but it is odd how he does just that.

Some time later, enough time for Wolverine First Class 12 to occur, the X-Men are relaxing on the beach. They deserve a break.

Kitty evokes Star Wars and lifts the sunken Blackbird. The team can’t believe their eyes! Of course, it is Colossus who is lifting it but what a great and fun way to end such an emotionally heavy issue.

. . .

Most of the higher quality images come from Brian Cronin’s incredible “Month of Cool Avengers / X-Men Comic Moments”

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2013/09/10/month-of-cool-avengersx-men-comic-book-moments-magneto-begins-his-long-road-to-redemption/

Thanks for those!

X-Men Apocalypse Third Trailer

Posted by John Klein III on April 5, 2016

Posted in: Fun With YouTube. Tagged: Apocalypse, YouTube. Leave a comment

Thanks to 20th Century Fox for hosting this video.

After the Super Bowl ad, we got an official two and a half minute trailer.

I really like Magneto and Xavier repeating the conversation their future selves will have in X2, about people coming for Xavier’s students.

Is it me or is Apocalypse a darker shade of blue? Now he looks less like the Power Rangers’ Ivan Ooze – which is a step in the right direction.

I like when they are talking about the Four Horsemen, they show Angel with Psylocke clearly in the background, then cut to her in the foreground. Maybe unnecessary but I’m cool with more Olivia Munn footage.

No wonder people hate and fear mutants, this looks like destruction on a global level.

Quicksilver playing Ms. Pac-Man is awesome, as I love Ms. Pac-Man.

I’m fine with Jennifer Lawrence not being blue for the majority of the time. Maybe it is because I totally get it from a production side, if you still have Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence contracted for your film, you put her in the film as much as possible, looking like her recognizable self. Plus, we still get the blue skin with red hair look from time to time. Plus, I also understand that she doesn’t want to be in that makeup all of the time. If they just went with the classic comic book look, it would have just been a red hair dye and blue face and hands makeup job which would have been faster and easier to do.

I also like how much the students are involved in this film, I want a whole lot of Scott and Jean, or at least, Scott in this film.

Psylocke v Beast, looks decent.

I do, still, wish that Iceman could be in this, just for the sake of having all five original X-Men in a film again.

Cyclops v Storm, should also be pretty great!

I’m pretty jazzed for this film! If we could get a babysitter and can afford the movie tickets, I would love to see this in the theater.

Magneto Volume Three Issue 21

Posted by John Klein III on April 4, 2016

Posted in: Review, Websites. Tagged: 2015, Bellaire, Bunn - Cullen, Last Days Of, Magneto, Petit - Cory, Secret Wars 2015, Tumblr, Walta. 2 Comments

Writer Cullen Bunn

Artist Gabriel Hernandez Walta

Colorist Jordie Bellaire

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

This issue, which is pretty great, has plenty of flashbacks. This great website has annotated issues, three of which I own and will be reviewing next.

https://www.tumblr.com/xcyclopswasrightx/127801022372/by-any-chance-did-you-read-the-recent-magneto-21

The buzz for this title has been outstanding, and I’m glad I finally had a reason to buy an issue. Bunn did such a great job with this series, that it got him the Uncanny X-Men Volume Four gig. I’ve been a fan of Walta’s work since the Dark Iceman Saga in Astonishing X-Men. Bellaire does such a good job, with giving the present day and the flashbacks, very distinctive looks.

This is the final issue of the series, has – from the cover – these are Magneto’s Las Days, prior to the start of Secret Wars 2015.

I guess, from the recap page, that Post-AXIS, when Magneto lost his parentage of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, so he has made attempts to get closer to his only child, Polaris. Unfortunately, he has absorbed her powers, so that he can attempt to fight off the Incursion, that ends the Marvel Universe. Spoilers, he doesn’t succeed, but I like the idea of him, admitting to fight the Incursion. Which does form a nice framework, that as he sacrifices his life, he also sees his life, flash before him.

The reds of the flashbacks are so bold, as are the yellows of the present day.

Issue opens with Magneto and a flashback to his, and the X-Men’s first appearance. He is fighting the troops at Cape Citadel, as the X-Men approach.

In the present day, Magneto is absorbing all of the military planes – which, naturally, looks like him attacking them.

Flashback # 2. This is from Uncanny X-Men 150, wherein Magneto sinks a Russian nuclear submarine. The submarine was filled with soldiers and Magneto (as a hologram) watched them die. I’m surprised the Marvel AR logo isn’t all over this issue.

There is an ad for the Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon, coming to Disney XD, it already aired on September 26 (I’m typing this on, September 29th – which is forever ago, when you read this!) but I have to wait until it comes to Netflix. Too bad the cast is missing Kitty Pryde and Thing!

In the present day. Magneto is thinking about how he will never shake the label of being, a monster. It is uncanny how much the X-Men have just shrugged their shoulders and accepted these deaths as something that happened but they don’t question it now.

Raleigh, Magneto’s lady companion – I guess – tries to comfort Polaris. Polaris is having none of that nonsense, as Raleigh lured her there, just so Magneto can steal her powers. Raleigh has a leg brace, a metal one, that tears off of her leg, Polaris catches her, before she can fall to the ground. Magneto is absorbing all of the metal, that is around. Polaris recognizes that Magneto, is always good at sacrficing himself. Especially as he doesn’t usually pay the price.

Flashback 3. This one is from X-Men 87, the conclusion of the Magneto War. Xavier, in classic hoverchair, is confronting Magneto, about how he has gone too far. They couldn’t try Magneto back in Uncanny X-Men 200 (they tried) but flatscans won’t get a second chance. Magneto will not stop until mutant kind stands above the humans. Magneto, at this point, was trying to tilt the poles, which is what Ultimate Magneto did, at the beginning of Ultimatum. If humans could have given him a small country, they sure would have, if they known the utter destruction that that action will bring.

Wolverine tries to rush Magneto, Rogue and Storm holds him back – which is silly, as the worst Wolverine can do, is be thrown down into the snow.

The United Nations Security Forces arrive, I can’t recall if this is the North or South Pole, I believe it is the South Pole, a it doesn’t look like a floating land mass.

Dr. Alda Huxley, representing the United Nations, is here to cede Genosha to Magneto’s rule. That face of Xavier’s, is so fantastic! Made even better, by the smirk of Magneto!

Present Day. Magneto is taking on all of the power of every device, that is around him.

I’m not sure what the quick glimpses are for Flashbacks 4, 5 & 6. The sixth involves the Avengers but the other two look like generic Magneto v Wolverine & Cyclops and humans (for the fifth one).

Flashback 7 is from X-Men 25, so the flashbacks are not in chronological order. I owned X-Men 25, until this post but Kitty Pryde isn’t involved in this issue. Nightcrawler and Captain Britain are, but not Shadowcat. She is in Wolverine 75, which takes place, after X-Men 25, but I added it to my For Sale pile, over at MyComicShop.com. Their website stated that they won’t be buying it for a few months, but still, another lost that this blog has caused. X-Men 25, of course, is the issue wherein Magneto ripped out the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton, which brought on the bone claws of Wolverine.

Present Day. Magneto forces all of his absorbed energy into the Incursion but it fries him in the process. Then it engulfs the of the peeps in the crowd. At least Magneto tried.

Such a great issue! I may have to try to read the trades of this series, or at the very least, follow along Bunn’s Uncanny X-Men run.

Marvel June 2016 Solicitations

Posted by John Klein III on April 3, 2016

Posted in: Solicitations. Tagged: Hawthorne, Newsarama, Solicitations, Yardin. Leave a comment

http://www.newsarama.com/28501-marvel-comics-full-june-2016-solicitations.html

Civil War II is upon us! From the teasers, the X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy are going to be involved with this. So I’ll be getting some parts of this crossover.

CIVIL WAR II #1 (OF 7)
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • DAVID MARQUEZ (A)
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
CIVIL WAR II 1 BLANK COVER VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE (MAR160714)
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER B BY Kim JUng Gi (MAR160712)
TEAM CAP HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY TERRY DODSON (MAR160713)
VARIANT COVER BY DAVID MARQUEZ (MAR160711)
VARIANT COVER BY STEVE MCNIVEN (MAR160709)
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY STEVE MCNIVEN (MAR160710)
VARIANT COVER BY MICHAEL CHO (MAR160708)
TEAM IRON MAN HIP-HOP VARIANT COVER BY RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE (MAR160706)
CHARACTER VARIANT BY PHIL NOTO (MAR160707)
Hot Wheels VARIANT COVER BY MANUEL GARCIA (MAR160705)
BATTLE VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS SPROUSE (MAR160704)
PARTY VARIANT BY YASMINE PUTRI (MAR160719)
IT’S HERE!
The explosive first chapter in the comic event EVERYONE will be talking about. And we come out swinging with a blistering double-sized first issue from the creative team behind last year’s best-selling debut of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN and Miles Morales. A new Inhuman, with the ability to profile the future, emerges and the ramifications ripple into every corner of the Marvel Universe. Lines are drawn, bodies fall, and the Marvel Universe will be rocked to it’s very core. The action starts here!
56 PGS./Rated T+ …$5.99 (MAR160703)

CIVIL WAR II #2 (OF 7)
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • DAVID MARQUEZ (A)
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant cover by Jim Steranko
CONNECTING VARIANT C COVER BY Kim JUng Gi
VARIANT COVER BY MICHAEL CHO
CHARACTER VARIANT COVER BY PHIL NOTO
Two issues in one month? Hell yes! As the Marvel Universe reels from the events of the first issue, Tony Stark decides to take matters (and the law) into his own hands and declares war on the Inhumans. But not everyone agrees with Tony’s perspective and they are willing to die trying to stop him.
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

$6 and $5 per issue, isn’t great. All I can care about is that I know I shouldn’t be getting these early issues of the event.

CIVIL WAR II: CHOOSING SIDES #1 (OF 6)
DECLAN SHALVEY, BRANDON EASTON, CHAD BOWERS & CHRIS SIMS
DECLAN SHALVEY, GORAN SUDZUKA & LEONARDO ROMERO (A)
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
VARIANT COVER BY DECLAN SHALVEY
CHARACTER VARIANT BY PHIL NOTO
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
If you knew something bad was about to happen, would you stop it? How far would you go? The line is drawn. Everyone in the Marvel Universe has to ask themselves: are you with Captain Marvel or Iron Man? Kicking off an all-new series, this first issue features Nick Fury, Damage Control and Night Thrasher!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

Kudos for listing the main characters, helps me know that I can avoid this first issue. Hopefully the cast changes every issue.

Cover by David Yardin

CIVIL WAR II: X-MEN #1 (OF 4)
CULLEN BUNN • ANDREA BROCCARDO (A)
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
CHARACTER VARIANT COVER BY PHIL NOTO
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
Terrigen Mists circle the globe, igniting the Inhuman race while crippling mutantkind, pitting the two nations against one another. But when a new Inhuman with the ability to profile the future emerges, the X-Men fear that he may tip the scales in the Inhumans’ favor, spelling doom for their kind. And one mutant is willing to wage war with the Inhumans AND his own people to prevent that from coming to pass… The X-Men enter the fray of CIVIL WAR II when the world’s most terrifying mutant, MAGNETO, takes mutantkind’s fate into his own hands!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Magik is on the Yardin cover, so I’ll be buying the first part of this, at least. I do like how we should be getting more light on what happened during the missing eight months between Secret Wars 2015’s first and last issues.

THE TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #7
GREG PAK • ALAN DAVIS (A/C)
CIVIL WAR REENACTMENT VARIANT COVER BY Mike Perkins
CIVIL WAR II TIE-IN!
• BRUCE BANNER’S fate during the 8-month gap post-SECRET WARS is revealed!
• Was he really cured by AMADEUS CHO? Did he survive?
• Has Amadeus made a disastrous miscalculation?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

We finally learn what happened to Banner during the missing eight months.

ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #9
TOM TAYLOR • MARCIO TAKARA (A)
Cover by BENGAL
CIVIL WAR REENACTMENT VARIANT COVER BY Joyce Chin
On the road to CIVIL WAR II!
• LAURA and LOGAN. We’ve seen it before.
• But this isn’t the man Laura once knew. OLD MAN LOGAN has stepped out of a dystopian future and into our world. His past full of horrors, he’s about to bring a lot of baggage, and carnage, Laura’s way.
• With a CIVIL WAR set to divide the heroes’ world, will Old Man Logan and WOLVERINE stand together against the coming nightmare? Or will they shred each other apart?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

New Wolverine and Old Man Logan meeting could be pretty interesting.

VOTE LOKI #1
CHRISTOPHER HASTINGS • LANGDON FOSS (A)
Cover by TRADD MOORE
Variant Cover by VALERIO SCHITI
Loki is many things — god, trickster, brother, liar, son, villain, even hero. Now he wants to add one more thing to the list: President of the United States. That’s right, the God of Lies has set his sights on becoming the ruler of the free world, but is this just another scheme? One thing’s for certain — with Loki’s winning smile and silver tongue on the campaign trail, this election just got a lot more interesting…
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

How can Loki even run for President of the United States? This being a one shot means it could be a silly issue but it seems super missable.

ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS #10
MARK WAID • MAHMUD ASRAR (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
• The Search for Nova’s father begins! The Avengers join Sam Alexander for a spacefaring mission to find Nova’s lost father–
only to find themselves trapped on a galactic prison planet!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS #11
MARK WAID • MAHMUD ASRAR (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
• The Avengers–captives on the Stalag of Space! Its mysterious alien warden cannot be beaten by conventional means, but the Avengers’ prison break will take them into an even more dangerous realm!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Are they still looking for Nova’s father? Might be time for a new plotline!

UNCANNY AVENGERS #10
GERRY DUGGAN • PEPE LARRAZ (A)
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
ULTRON!
• Hank Pym’s journey leads him to a dark discovery.
• Something wicked this way comes…from outer space!
• Plus: the eagerly awaited return of Janet Van Dyne!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Where has Janet Van dyne been? Since when has Hank Pym part of the Uncanny Avengers?

THE ASTONISHING ANT-MAN #9
NICK SPENCER • RAMON ROSANAS (A)
Cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
• It’s Ant-Man’s Eleven! To pull off the job of a lifetime and stop a mastermind criminal, Scott has to pull together a new gang of… yeah, you guessed it. Criminals. It’s a vicious cycle.
• Wait, are you allowed to count yourself in the eleven? This is confusing…
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Would the eleven be from his own title or will this be a fun team-up opportunity?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #13 & 14
DAN SLOTT • GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (A)
CoverS by ALEX ROSS
POWER PLAY CONTINUES!
• Things aren’t going well between the Amazing Spider-Man and the Invincible Iron Man and their conflict is opening the door for Regent and his plan against our heroes!
• Now that Regent has started imprisoning HEROES and stealing their powers things have gone from bad to worse.
32 PGS. (each)/Rated T …$3.99 (each)

Makes sense that Spider-Man and Iron Man would have beef, with Mary Jane being in Iron Man’s story.

SPIDER-GWEN #9
JASON LATOUR • ROBBI RODRIGUEZ (A/C)
“WEAPON OF CHOICE” STARTS NOW!
• Gwen is dealing with the effects of the SPIDER-WOMEN crossover but has to face FRANK CASTLE head on!
• And The Mary Janes are all over this issue!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

SPIDER-WOMAN #8
DENNIS HOPELESS • JAVIER RODRIGUEZ (A/C)
• Even though, she’s a mom now, Jessica Drew is still kicking ass and taking names as SPIDER-WOMAN!
• This time, she’s tangling with the baddest fish in the sea – TIGER SHARK!
• FUN TIGER SHARK FACT: Did you know Tiger Shark has the DNA of both Namor the Submariner AND a tiger shark? Think about that for a second.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

SILK #9
ROBBIE THOMPSON • STACEY LEE (A)
Cover by HELEN CHEN
• With Silk’s life turned upside-down by the events of SPIDER-WOMEN, she’s not sure what to do.
• I’m pretty sure running more robberies with Black Cat is the wrong choice.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Seems like Spider-Gwen and Silk are worst to wear, after the SPIDER-WOMEN crossover. Jessica seems to have come out of it okay.

SPIDER-MAN 2099 #11
PETER DAVID • WILL SLINEY (A)
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
SINISTER SIX 2099!
• Stranded in a 2099 he doesn’t recognize, Miguel wakes to find himself held captive by a group of villains calling themselves the SINISTER SIX!
• But how is it that this timeline is so different than the one Miguel left behind?
• Can Spidey escape the clutches of his captors and find a way back to the past so he can fix the future?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

That doesn’t seem overly complicated, at all. I guess he doesn’t recognize his own future, and he’s use to the past, he might as well try to get back to the past.

SILVER SURFER #6
DAN SLOTT • MICHAEL ALLRED (A/C)
SILVER SURFER #200! Oversized anniversary issue!
• After Norin Radd’s massive status quo change in the 50th Anniversary issue (no spoilers!), it’s now Dawn Greenwood’s turn. With one simple act of kindness, the Surfer may have forever changed her world.
• What’s going on? Why is San Francisco overrun by monsters? And what wall-crawling, web-spinning guest-star is swinging by to help out? (Okay, we’ll tell you that one! It’s Peter Parker, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!)
• All this and tons of cosmic weirdness, surprise super heroes, and special stories as we celebrate the 200th Silver Surfer issue!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

What surprise super heroes will appear!?!

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #9
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • VALERIO SCHITI(A)
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
GAMORA AND DRAX FIGHT A MONSTER OF THE BADOON!
• The two most deadly people in the galaxy together again! Drax and Gamora go on a side mission involving the Badoon that’s going to put their skills to the test like never before.
• But the Badoon aren’t just playing the same old game and these Guardians are going to have to learn the rules really quickly.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

This title does seem to be becoming the place where the team members who don’t have solo or buddy titles, go to have adventures. I was hoping it’ll be more like Grant Morrison’s JLA, wherein this title had the epic and grand adventures. Seems like I’ll be skipping some issues.

Art by Mike Hawthorne

STAR-LORD #8
SAM HUMPHRIES • JAVIER GARRON (A)
Cover by MIKE HAWTHORNE
VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
VARIANT COVER BY JIM STARLIN
MAKING UP IS HARD TO DO!
• Especially when you and your ex are being held captive by THE COLLECTOR!
• And he wants to acquire the story of your breakup for his personal use! So GROSS! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!
• Can Kitty and Peter come together to defeat this cosmic conundrum, or will their house divided be unable to stand?!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Whereas this title is going to be my new favorite as it seems to be where Kitty should be in every issue. I really hope these two crazy kids can get back together, just so Kitty can be in a title every month. Are all Marvel books now $4, that’s going to hurt my budget.

ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT #6
SKOTTIE YOUNG • Brett Bean (A)
Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
MADNESS ABOUNDS!
• We’ve gotten Rocket and Groot in trouble before, but this…HOO BOY.
• Seriously, what is this? What are we doing in this book? Someone should probably stop us.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Kitty was in issue three of this title, so now I have to really pay attention to it.

GUARDIANS OF INFINITY #7
DAN ABNETT & ROBBIE THOMPSON • CARLO BARBERI (A)
Cover by GARY CHOO
• God of the Newcomers HERMETIKUS was there at the inception of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY…
• …and if he has his way, he’ll be there at the END!
• And writer ROBBIE THOMPSON (VENOM: SPACE KNIGHT, SILK, SPIDEY) reveals more about the noble, mysterious SPACE KNIGHTS!
40 PGS./Rated T …$4.99

No mention of a backup feature, which has been the best part of this title.

DRAX #8
CM PUNK and CULLEN BUNN • SCOTT HEPBURN (A/C)
REFUGEE KIDS FREE TO A GOOD HOME!
• Drax’s mission to return all of the Fin Fang Foom refugee children continues to go well. Except, you know, for all the bounty hunters after him.
• Ironically, one of the bounty hunters is CAMMI, another child Drax was tricked into caring about. Will she lead him to the person who put the hit out on Drax?
• Who are those other bounty hunters she’s with? Oh, only PIP THE TROLL and…PLANET TERRY???
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Cammi is in this, she is going to end up being my last recruited character on Facebook’s Avengers Alliance, as – once again – I’m having to stop playing that game as it was just simply taking over my life again.

MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #8
AMY REEDER & BRANDON MONTCLARE • NATACHA BUSTOS (A)
COVER BY AMY REEDER
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
“COSMIC CUTIES” CONTINUES!
• Nothing scares fearless genius LUNELLA LAFAYETTE more than change. So of course, big change is at her doorstep!
• How big? How about finding her mind trapped in DEVIL DINOSAUR’S body?
• And how does the big red T-Rex feel about being trapped in a 9-year old human girl’s body…during a test?
• All this and the first appearance of MOON GIRL’S new 9-year old super-powered rival: KID KREE!!!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

This sounds like a very fun twist on the whole body swapping plot.

BLACK PANTHER #3
TA-NEHISI COATES • BRIAN STELFREEZE (A/C)
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER C BY SANFORD GREENE
VARIANT COVER BY KYLE BAKER
• The most anticipated Marvel series since Whedon & Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men!
• The Midnight Angels continue the liberation of Wakanda with extreme prejudice, and T’Challa’s indecisions could cost him more than just the throne.
• Coates and Stelfreeze weave a quintessential Black Panther tale that will change the tapestry of the Marvel Universe forever.
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

I find it very hard that this book is going to rank up there with Whedon/Cassaday/Martin’s Astonishing X-Men. That type of hype makes me imagine my future self reading each issue with my arms cross thinking “this is no where near that good.” Plus, I haven’t even heard of these creators before, besides Kyle Baker on a variant cover. Way to oversell and put yourself way behind on the eight ball. Hopefully it is good but time will tell.

GUIDEBOOK TO THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE – MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. SEASON ONE
Written by MIKE O’SULLIVAN & THE OHOTMU TEAM
Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
Level 7 access granted! The MCU Guidebooks reach a new milestone as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the first Cinematic Universe TV series, takes center stage! Our comprehensive coverage of the fan-favorite Marvel Studios films and Marvel Television shows continues as we reveal everything you need to know about the worldwide peacekeeping organization and Agent Coulson’s elite team!! Featuring fact sheets, movie-to-comic comparisons, behind-the-scenes artwork and production stills, this issue is packed with profiles and updates on agents including Phil Coulson, Skye, Melinda May, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Antoine Triplett and the Koenigs; and foes including Grant Ward, John Garrett, Raina and Ian Quinn!
Plus: Deathlok! Sif! Victoria Hand! And Hydra! Relive the thrills of 2013-2014’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season One right here, and continue building your indispensable library of Cinematic Universe reference books!
32 PGS./ One-shot /Rated T+ …$3.99

Maybe I can finally learn more about Victoria Hand but I recall the first season was pretty rough until like the midway point when it got totally retooled. Well, not totally but they were put on notice and got their act together.

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #6
MARC GUGGENHEIM • GERMAN PERALTA (A)
Cover by MIKE NORTON
• “The Coulson Protocols” concludes! Coulson’s strategies could kill every super-hero in the Marvel Universe… unless the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have something to say about it. Guest starring as many super-heroes as we cram into 20 pages. Plus: The moment you’ve been waiting for: Coulson vs. Ward!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

hmmmm, so lots of guests stars seems to be becoming a new trend. Here’s hoping three of my favorites make it! What’s this business about 20 pages? I had to double check the page numbers, most state they are 32 pages so I guess there is 12 pages of SHIELD focus.

THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #9
RYAN NORTH • ERICA HENDERSON (A/C)
• The comic that got TWO #1s in its first year now reaches a new milestone: its very first #9!
• In Part 2 of “I Kissed A Squirrel And I Liked It,” Squirrel Girl’s date with a chump gets interrupted by MOLE MAN, who is a man who lives underground and can’t see that well! Hence the name!!
• Squirrel Girl is really good at empathizing with bad guys and talking them down, but what happens when she’s TOO good at that?
• Buy this comic to find out, because we show exactly that taking place! Spoiler alert: there’s punches AND jokes.
• Not a dream! Not an imaginary story! ONE the following three things WILL ACTUALLY OCCUR in this issue! 1) A pleasant visit to a coffee shop with friends; 2) A man with fishy powers suggests using fish to solve a problem, big surprise; 3) SQUIRREL GIRL USES HER TAIL TO KNOCK THE SMIRK RIGHT OFF A DUDE’S FACE!!
• Haha whoa I hope it’s the third one
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Wow, nine issues is pretty impressive! Plus, her first ninth issue, that’s a big deal! I remember when Nova finally got a 25^th issue. Though, I recall that not being consecutive. So that is the opposite of that.

A YEAR OF MARVELS: THE INCREDIBLE #1
DENNIS CULVER & TBA • LEONARDO ROMERO & TBA (A)
Cover by Jamal Campbell
• AT LAST! The Infinite Comic that had everyone talking makes it to print! Full of fun, heart, and pranks, this is one folks’ll be talking about for years!
• Presenting: a Mother’s Day story to curdle the blood!
• Meet the sinister Wendigo Sisters! Will the combined might of She-Hulk and Wolverine be enough to stop them from murdering their OWN MOTHER?
• Could there be more to this story than we’re telling you? Probably! Read and find out!
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99

I must be on the wrong websites as I never hear about hype, maybe I need to start visiting some main pages but seriously, if Newsarama nor Comic Book Resources are not going out of their way to promote, which websites are?

CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS #9
AL EWING • PACO MEDINA (A)
COVER BY SKAN
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• A new team of heroes is registered for the Contest —and they are VERY pro-registration!
• Their next mission: exterminate the renegade champions scattered across Battleworld!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

I wonder who these new heroes are? Magik finally showed up in a flashback sequence in issue seven.

UNCANNY X-MEN #8 & 9
CULLEN BUNN • KEN LASHLEY (A)
Cover by GREG LAND
“APOCALYPSE WARS” CONTINUES!
• Fearing their teammate Archangel has once more fallen under the sway of the villainous Apocalypse, Psylocke and Magneto have embarked on a mission to save his life.
• But little did Psylocke suspect that the mission would bring her face-to-face with her former flame, Fantomex! (And believe me, things did NOT end on good terms!)
• Meanwhile, Sabretooth and M make a horrifying discovery in the Morlock tunnels beneath New York City. A ghost from M’s past has resurfaced…and she’s determined to make this run-in their last!
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (EACH)

Magik was in issue five of this series, so I imagine she’ll keep being involved in the Apocalypse Wars. She better be, if I’m going to be buying it. Glad this title is still $4 instead of $5.

ALL-NEW X-MEN #10
DENNIS HOPELESS • MARK BAGLEY (A/C)
“APOCALYPSE WARS” CONTINUES!
• The ALL-NEW X-MEN are on a mission to write their own futures…and none is more determined to escape their destiny than Evan Sabahnur, who is to one day become the next host for the genocidal villain APOCALYPSE.
• But now, by way of unintentional intervention by his teammate Beast, Evan finds himself thousands of years in the past, in Egypt…and on the run alongside his predecessor, En Sabah Nur, the boy who will one day become Apocalypse himself!
• To change his future, will Evan literally change the course of history?
• Or will he instead be Apocalypse’s first victim??
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

This one seems more like an intimate look at Evan, so maybe I won’t have to get this one.

EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #11
JEFF LEMIRE • HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C)
“APOCALYPSE WARS” CONTINUES IN “OMEGA WORLD” PART 4!
• Trapped one thousand years in the future on a world ruled by the genocidal tyrant Apocalypse, the X-Men are literally mutantkind’s last hope!
• But in fighting Apocalypse’s newest horsemen, the X-Men’s future is slipping away from them…
• …especially when one of those horsemen is a Wolverine with a Venom symbiote!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

This crossover is starting to remind me of Battle of the Atom, having way too many side storylines with visits to both the past and the future.

DEADPOOL V GAMBIT #1 (OF 5)
BEN ACKER & BEN BLACKER • DANILO BEYRUTH (A)
Cover by KEVIN WADA
Variant cover by Tim Seeley
Gambit—one of the smoothest, best-looking operators in the world of the X-Men. Deadpool—one of the most annoying, ugliest dirtbags in the world of everything. Naturally, these guys got beef. But do you know what they have in common? A secret history of working together to pull con-jobs. That’s right—the grift is on as the Regeneratin’ Degenerate and the Ragin’ Cajun begrudgingly take on one last job together. Writers Ben Acker & Ben Blacker (THUNDERBOLTS, The Thrilling Adventure Hour) and artist Danilo Beyruth (GWENPOOL) lead us into the dirty underbelly of Deadpool and the squeaky-clean abs of Gambit!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

Could this be a preview of what the Gambit movie might end up being? If it ever comes back on track.

DEADPOOL #13
GERRY DUGGAN, CHARLES SOULE, & DAVID WALKER
MIKE HAWTHORNE (A)
Cover by FRANCISCO HERRERA
VARIANT COVER BY ROB LIEFELD
VARIANT COVER BY RON LIM
DAREDEVIL VARIANT COVER BY KHOI PHAM
POWER MAN & IRON FIST VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS STEVENS
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
HIT-MONKEY VARIANT COVER BY Brent Schoonover
An all-new epic four-issue crossover in one package! This issue of Deadpool (lucky number 13) LITERALLY contains two issues of DEADPOOL, one issue of DAREDEVIL, and one issue of POWER MAN & IRON FIST! When Deadpool take a gig protecting a banker who betrayed his cartel partners, they seek the help of Assistant District Attorney Matt Murdock, who calls in the assistance (and fists) of Power Man Luke Cage and Danny Rand, master of the Iron Fist! A mega-violent, street-level, face-punching, gut-busting, kung-fuing, ninjitsuing crime story guaranteed to knock your teeth out! Bringing together the writers of the DEADPOOL, DAREDEVIL, and POWER MAN & IRON FIST series: Gerry Duggan, Charles Soule, and David Walker!
96 PGS./Parental Advisory …$9.99

Now this, I like this concept of a four part series, done in one issue. Sure ten dollars is high but it is a real savings! I’m intrigued.

X-MEN ‘92 #4
CHAD BOWERS & CHRIS SIMS • ALTI FIRMANSYAH (A)
Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
• The X-Men face the danger of THE DARKHOLD…
• …in a new “virtual” realm called “CYBERSPACE”!
• Plus: they’re still surrounded by VAMPIRES!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Still no Magik, I really expect her to show up at one point. Probably be in a flashback sequence if Colossus can ever appear.

X-MEN: WORST X-MAN EVER #5 (OF 5)
MAX BEMIS • MICHAEL WALSH (A/C)
• What becomes of the worst X-Man ever?
• Journey decades into the future and find out!
• Is it possible for things to actually get worse for Bailey?
32 PGS./RATED T+ …$3.99

I really liked the first issue, still can’t find a website that confirms if Kitty is in the second one. I didn’t see her in it and comicbookdb clearly has the cast of the first issue copied and pasted to the other four issues.

TIMELY COMICS
They’re the comics everyone is talking about, now is your chance to hop on board before you get left in the dust! Marvel is proud to announce TIMELY COMICS, a new imprint of titles specially designed to get you caught up with hot All-New, All-Different Marvel titles! Reprinting the first three issues of select titles at an introductory price point of $3.00, Timely Comics will take you on a path through the restored Marvel Universe! The forming of the Avengers, Daredevil’s fight for Chinatown, the birth of the Totally Awesome Hulk and so much more! These titles sold out and burned up the charts, so don’t miss out on them now. Your new favorite series awaits, so get three issues for the $3.00 this June with TIMELY COMICS!

TIMELY COMICS: INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1
Reprinting INVINCIBLE IRON MAN (2015) #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS #1
Reprinting ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS #1 (A STORY) and #2-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: ALL-NEW INHUMANS #1
Reprinting ALL-NEW INHUMANS #1
(A STORY) and #2-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: CARNAGE #1
Reprinting CARNAGE (2015) #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: DAREDEVIL #1
Reprinting DAREDEVIL (2015) #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: DRAX #1
Reprinting DRAX #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: DOCTOR STRANGE #1
Reprinting DOCTOR STRANGE (2015) #1
(A STORY) and #2-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #1
Reprinting MOON GIRL AND
DEVIL DINOSAUR #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: NEW AVENGERS #1
Reprinting NEW AVENGERS (2015) #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: SCARLET WITCH #1
Reprinting SCARLET WITCH (2015) #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: SQUADRON SUPREME #1
Reprinting SQUADRON SUPREME (2015) #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: THE TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #1
Reprinting TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #1-3.
80 PGS./Rated T …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: ULTIMATES #1
Reprinting ULTIMATES (2015) #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: UNCANNY INHUMANS #1
Reprinting UNCANNY INHUMANS #1
(A STORY) and #2-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: VENOM: SPACE KNIGHT #1
Reprinting VENOM: SPACE KNIGHT #1-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

TIMELY COMICS: WEB-WARRIORS #1
Reprinting WEB-WARRIORS #1
(A STORY) and #2-3.
72 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.00

I have to agree with Rob and Brian of the Uncanny X-Cast, I bet I don’t ever come across these. If I do, at Hastings, I would recommend – Drax, Venom Space Knight and Doctor Strange. Three out of twelve, so a quarter, that isn’t bad. Nine issues for ten dollars is a pretty decent tale. Half of a trade for a quarter of the price too. If Marvel is smart, they would have the trades coming out pretty soon after this too. Or at the same time, but then again, who buys half a story when for five dollars more, you can get the whole thing. Well, maybe ten dollars more. Plus, if you are going to sample it, you might as well sample the entire trade, you’re flipping through pages already, what’s 60 more?

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS ADAPTATION #1 (of 5)
Chuck Wendig • Luke Ross (A)
Cover by Esad Ribic
VARIANT COVER BY TBA
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY ESAD RIBIC
BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
VARIANT COVER BY John Cassaday
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY John Cassaday
VARIANT COVER BY JOE QUESADA
SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY JOE QUESADA
MOVIE VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
It’s true—all of it! The biggest movie of the year jumps from the big screen to the comic book page! It’s been three decades since the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star and toppled the Galactic Empire…but now, on the remote planet of Jakku…there is a stirring in the Force. A young scavenger named Rey…a deserting stormtrooper named Finn…an ace pilot name Poe…and a dark apprentice named Kylo Ren…Their lives are about to collide as the awakening begins. Written by Chuck Wendig (STAR WARS: AFTERMATH) and drawn by Luke Ross (HERCULES), take us on our first steps back into the Saga of a lifetime!
40 PGS./Rated T …$4.99

So, five dollars an issue and it is five issues long, so that’s $25 dollars. So you can spend five dollars a month on this adaption or just spend the $25 for the bluray that is already out. Who buys these adaptions? They must sell well as they keep making them. The trade might end up being just $20 but that’s still six months away. It is faster to read the thing than sit through the movie but I feel like the movie is the way you want to revisit the story.

AVENGERS: STANDOFF HC
Written by NICK SPENCER, MARC GUGGENHEIM, GERRY DUGGAN, MARK WAID, AL EWING,
JOSH WILLIAMSON & FRANK BARBIERE
Penciled by MARK BAGLEY, JESUS SAIZ, DANEL ACUNA, GERMAN PERALTA, RYAN STEGMAN, MAHMUD ASRAR, ADAM KUBERT, GERARDO SANDOVAL, MARCUS TO, PAUL RENAUD,
MIKE HENDERSON & BRENT SCHOONOVER
Cover by JESUS SAIZ
On his 75th anniversary, Captain America is about to face a challenge unlike any other. Prepare for an assault on…Pleasant Hill! Three shield-wielders past and present — Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson — find themselves in a standoff, with high and very personal stakes. And as this tense conflict quickly escalates out of control, it draws in three teams of Avengers, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and more! But it all begins in an idyllic community with friendly neighbors…and a terrible, dark secret. What is going on behind Pleasant Hill’s closed doors? Collecting AVENGERS STANDOFF: WELCOME TO PLEASANT HILL; AVENGERS STANDOFF: ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL ALPHA and OMEGA; AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #3-4; UNCANNY AVENGERS (2015B) #7-8; ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS #7-8; NEW AVENGERS (2015) #8-10; CAPTAIN AMERICA: SAM WILSON #7-8; ILLUMINATI #6; and HOWLING COMMANDOS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. #6.
384 PGS./Rated T+ …$34.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90147-9
Trim size: oversized

The idea of brainwashed villains to serve out their sentences in relative peace, is pretty clever. This would be the format I would want to read that story, but I haven’t read any buzz about it besides that it sets up Civil War II.

SPIDER-MAN: CLONE SAGA OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by TERRY KAVANAGH, JM DEMATTEIS, TODD DEZAGO, HOWARD MACKIE, TOM DEFALCO, TOM LYLE, TOM BREVOORT, MIKE KANTEROVICH & MORE
Penciled by STEVEN BUTLER, LIAM SHARP, PHIL GOSIER, MARK BAGLEY, JOHN ROMITA JR., TOM LYLE, MIKE MANLEY, SAL BUSCEMA, BOB MCLEOD, RON LIM, STEWART JOHNSON, TODD SMITH & MORE
Cover by MARK BAGLEY
One of the most explosive sagas in comics history! Peter Parker’s world is rocked like never before by the return of his clone, long thought dead. For years, the clone has lived in peace as “Ben Reilly,” but now he’ll be drawn back into wall-crawling action as the Scarlet Spider! But who or what is Kaine? Both Peter and Ben will be caught in a web of death spun by the Jackal, and their power and responsibility will be tested to the limits as the villain’s game of smoke and mirrors raises the question: Just who is the real Amazing Spider-Man? Collecting WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) #117-125, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #394-401, SPIDER-MAN (1990) #51-58, SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN (1976) #217-224, SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED (1993) #7-9, SPIDER-MAN: FUNERAL FOR AN OCTOPUS #1-3, SPIDER-MAN: THE CLONE JOURNAL and material from SPIDER-MAN COLLECTORS’ PREVIEW.
1240 PGS./Rated T …$125.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90216-2
Trim size: oversized

I wish they would say Volume One of Five or something, how many would it be? Web Of doesn’t last through the run of it. Amazing ets rebooted, Sensational doesn’t start it out. I know Amazing Spider-Man 425 guest stars X-Man and has Peter in the red and blue. I would totally love to revisit this story gain but $125 times even two, is way out of my price range.

INHUMANS/X-MEN: WAR OF KINGS OMNIBUS HC
Written by ED BRUBAKER, CHRIS YOST, DAN ABNETT, ANDY LANNING, CB CEBULSKI, CHRISTOS GAGE
& JAY FAERBER
Penciled by BILLY TAN, CLAYTON HENRY,
PACO DIAZ, PAUL PELLETIER, BONG DAZO,
DUSTIN WEAVER, HARVEY TOLIBAO,
WELLINGTON ALVES, ANDREA DI VITO, KEVIN SHARPE,
BRAD WALKER, WES CRAIG & MORE
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
A cosmic epic connecting the Inhumans, X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy! The Inhumans leave Earth and take their destined place as rulers of the Kree Empire! Meanwhile, Cyclops and Havok’s power-mad brother, Vulcan, claims the Shi’ar Empire’s throne, bringing the galaxy to the brink of destruction! With the Nova Corps, Starjammers and Guardians caught in the middle, two empires make cosmic war — and the fallout might just tear the galaxy in half! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #475-486, X-MEN: EMPEROR VULCAN #1-5, SECRET INVASION: WAR OF KINGS, X-MEN: KINGBREAKER #1-4, WAR OF KINGS: DARKHAWK #1-2, WAR OF KINGS: WARRIORS #1-2, WAR OF KINGS #1-6, WAR OF KINGS: ASCENSION #1-4, WAR OF KINGS: SAVAGE WORLD OF SAKAAR and WHO WILL RULE?, NOVA (2007) #23-28, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2008) #13-19, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: WAR OF KINGS and material from X-MEN: DIVIDED WE STAND #2.
1304 PGS./Rated T+ …$100.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90225-4
Trim size: oversized

Look at them trying to bill this as Inhumans / X-Men, instead of Annihilation : War of Kings. I’m not being fooled.

THE UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
(NEW PRINTING)
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT with JOHN BYRNE, MARY JO DUFFY, SCOTT EDELMAN & BOB LAYTON
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE & DAVE COCKRUM with JOHN ROMITA JR., BRENT ANDERSON,
MICHAEL GOLDEN, PAUL SMITH, GEORGE PEREZ, JOHN BUSCEMA, BOB McLEOD, KEN LANDGRAF
& JIM SHERMAN
Cover by JOHN BYRNE
Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and John Byrne took a little reprint series called X-MEN and turned it into the all-new, all-different titan that conquered comicdom. Now, you can experience the thrills and excitement of their classic tales from “The Dark Phoenix Saga” to “Days of Future Past” and so much more in this enormous Omnibus! Including the debuts of X-universe mainstays Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde, the threat of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Magneto’s return, Wolverine’s first solo story and a rare Savage Land adventure — plus the original ending of “Dark Phoenix” and a host of bonus stories! Collecting X-MEN (1963) #132-141, UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #142-153, X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #4-5, AVENGERS ANNUAL #10, MARVEL TREASURY EDITION #26-27, BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27, PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY, and material from MARVEL FANFARE (1982) #1-4 and MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #100.
912 PGS./All Ages …$100.00
ISBN: 978-1-302-90166-0
Trim size: oversized

This bugs me so much. The volume should really go from 129 through 160, right before the Brood Saga and then the next volume could be the Paul Smith hardcover we’ve all been wanting. Or go 129 through 150, at the very least. Splitting the Dark Phoenix Saga into two omnibus doesn’t make sense to me. I would have been tempted, seriously tempted, to get this one of these days. At leats the third volume should complete all of Paul Smith’s run.

SPIDER-WOMEN TPB
Written by ROBBIE THOMPSON, JASON LATOUR & DENNIS HOPELESS
Penciled by VANESA DEL REY, TANA FORD, BENGAL, JAVIER RODRIGUEZ & JOELLE JONES
Cover by YASMINE PUTRI
The Spider-Women of two worlds join Silk for a story too big for just one of their books! New mother Jessica Drew is taking a mentor role with Silk and Spider-Gwen, and the trio enjoys a brunch break on Gwen’s Earth-65. But when nefarious spy organization S.I.L.K. and its leader — a certain Cindy Moon — notice the interdimensional interlopers, everything goes wrong! Can the arachnid adventurers find a way home, or will they be trapped in a world they never made? And if they do escape Earth-65, will their troubles follow? Jess meets the Mary Janes, and Silk comes face-to-face with her counterpart’s family — but who’s looking after little baby Drew? It’s an epic that will shake all three Spider-Women to the core! Collecting SPIDER-WOMEN ALPHA and OMEGA, SILK (2015B) #7-8, SPIDER-GWEN (2015B) #7-8, and SPIDER-WOMAN (2015) #6-7.
176 PGS./Rated T+ …$29.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90093-9

I do like the concept of this crossover, small and precise and self contained. Might be worth a flip or two.

UNCANNY X-MEN: SUPERIOR VOL. 1: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST TPB
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Penciled by GREG LAND
Cover by GREG LAND
Desperate times call for a darker team of X-Men! With mutantkind in extinction’s crosshairs once more, Magneto leads a group of the deadliest that Homo superior has to offer to fight for the fate of their species! Refusing to accept even one more mutant death, the most ruthless possessors of the X-gene on Earth — deadly warriors like Sabretooth, Fantomex, Mystique and Psylocke — have banded together to proactively mow down their enemies. But with a team populated by killers, can they stay away from each other’s throats long enough to take down their targets? And can the Master of Magnetism curb his own homicidal instincts long enough to find out who’s trying to speed up mutantkind’s descent into the grave? It’s X-Men with the emphasis on Uncanny! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN (2016) #1-5.
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9607-5

Magik is in the fifth issue, and that was pretty good.

VENOM: SPACE KNIGHT VOL. 1: AGENT OF THE COSMOS TPB
Written by ROBBIE THOMPSON
Penciled by ARIEL OLIVETTI
Cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI
Flash Thompson is many things. Soldier. Veteran. Double amputee. Guardian of the Galaxy. Host to a powerful yet newly tamed alien symbiote. Now Flash is tasked with being an intergalactic ambassador of Earth and an Agent of the Cosmos! Join Flash for high adventure in deep space as he swashbuckles his way across the universe! But as Venom travels the galaxy, helping the helpless and punishing the violent, he will go from Guardian to gladiator when he’s made to fight in an alien arena. And when facing an emergency on a planet of volcanoes, how can he serve as a Space Knight when his symbiote suit of armor is afraid of fire? And when an enemy seeks to corrupt the symbiote, will this mark the return of the big bad Venom? Collecting VENOM: SPACE KNIGHT #1-6.
136 PGS./Rated T+ …$17.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9654-9

Kitty was shown in an early issue of the series and it wasn’t a bad issue.

ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT VOL. 1:
TRICKS OF THE TRADE TPB
Written by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Penciled by FILIPE ANDRADE, AARON CONLEY & JAY FOSGITT
Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Rocket Raccoon breaks bad! But can Groot bring back his best pal from the dark side? Find out in the ultimate buddy book, filled with tall tails and arboreal adventures! When Rocket undergoes a dastardly transformation, Groot battles to remind him who he truly is — but will that only leave the walking, talking tree in the dictatorial Lord RakZoon’s torture dungeon? RakZoon may be short, but he casts a long shadow over his empire — one that may bring about a bleak future for the galaxy’s greatest friendship! Is this the end for Rocket and Groot? Or will Raccoon-narok come later, with the epic voyage of Rocket the Red and Leaf Grooterson? And in between all this drama, there’s fun and games to be had — with our heroes as ringers in an intergalactic football league! Collecting ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT #1-6.
136 PGS./Rated T …$17.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9973-1

Kitty was also in issue three of this series.

THUNDERBOLTS CLASSIC VOL. 2 TPB (NEW PRINTING)
Written by KURT BUSIEK, ROGER STERN & JOHN OSTRANDER
Penciled by MARK BAGLEY, JEFF JOHNSON, RON FRENZ & PASQUAL FERRY
Cover by MARK BAGLEY
The Thunderbolts’ true identities as the villainous Masters of Evil have been revealed to the world! Leader Baron Zemo’s plans for global domination have been put into effect! The world’s greatest super heroes have fallen under Zemo’s mental control — including the Avengers, Fantastic Four and more! Who can stop Zemo’s mad plans from escalating before it’s too late? Only the Thunderbolts! Their time in the heroic limelight has changed some of them for the better, and they’re not ready to give up these new lives just yet. But are these former villains willing to complete their redemption and fully side with the angels? Or will hard decisions and deadly consequences split the team right down the middle? Guest-starring Black Widow, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and the Heroes for Hire! Collecting THUNDERBOLTS (1997) #6-14 and HEROES FOR HIRE (1997) #7.
256 PGS./Rated T …$34.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9684-6

HAWKEYE & THE THUNDERBOLTS VOL. 2 TPB
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA & KURT BUSIEK
Penciled by MARK BAGLEY, PATRICK ZIRCHER, GEORGE PÉREZ & PAUL RYAN
Cover by MARK BAGLEY
Earth’s mightiest marksman continues to steer the Thunderbolts to greatness in a volume filled with revelations! Citizen V is unmasked at last! A heartbreaking killer is exposed! And Moonstone learns far more than she bargained for about the source of her power! As the team enters a showdown with the V-Battalion, Sandman lends a great big hand — but can he be trusted? Wonder Man has it in for Atlas, and Black Widow swings by — could this be a warmup for a full-on Avengers/Thunderbolts crossover? You betcha! And Count Nefaria might be more than both groups can handle! Old friends return, and a new Scourge attacks — but as more secrets spill out, will this be the end of a beautiful friendship for Hawkeye and the Thunderbolts? Collecting THUNDERBOLTS (1997) #38-50 and AVENGERS (1998) #31-34.
440 PGS./Rated T …$39.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9547-4

So weird that they are not just waiting for Thunderbolts Classic Volume Three to come out before releasing the Hawkeye era of the title.

MARVEL FIRSTS: THE 1990S VOL. 2 TPB
Written by DG CHICHESTER, FABIAN NICIEZA, TOM DEFALCO, TERRY KAVANAGH & MORE
Penciled by RON GARNEY, ART THIBERT, RON FRENZ, GABRIEL GECKO, TOM TENNEY & MORE
Cover by VARIOUS
The notorious nineties roll on! The decade’s biggest stars — Venom, Cable, Deadpool and Gambit — win solo titles! The clone-tacular Scarlet Spider swings in, as Bishop and X-Man blow away the competition! The Avengers and Fantastic Four get Force-ful spinoffs, as do Thor and Iron Man! Generation X joins the Xavier School! Blade and the Nightstalkers rise! ClanDestine makes its uncanny debut, Nightwatch’s origin is revealed, and Vengeance goes solo! Collecting NIGHTSTALKERS #1, VENOM: LETHAL PROTECTOR #1, CABLE (1993) #1, DEADPOOL: THE CIRCLE CHASE #1, THUNDERSTRIKE (1993) #1, GAMBIT (1993) #1, WAR MACHINE (1994) #1, BLACKWULF #1, FORCE WORKS #1, BLADE THE VAMPIRE-HUNTER (1994) #1, GENERATION X SAN DIEGO PREVIEW, FANTASTIC FORCE (1994) #1, WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) #118, BISHOP #1 and X-MAN #1 — plus material from WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) #100, and MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #147 and #158.
472 PGS./Rated T …$39.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90097-7

This is so weird, these collections, as they don’t print the second issues or make them readily available. Plus, there isn’t a way to tell which stories are the reason people are buying this.

X-MEN: THE TRIAL OF GAMBIT TPB
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, BEN RAAB & STEVE SEAGLE
Penciled by JOE MADUREIRA, MELVIN RUBI, BRYAN HITCH, CHRIS BACHALO, ANDY SMITH & CARLOS PACHECO
Cover by JOE MADUREIRA
For years, they’ve loved each other from a safe distance. Now Rogue and Gambit will become closer than ever — and it may shatter their lives permanently! For when Remy LeBeau’s past actions are revealed, he’ll be put on trial — but who will serve as judge, jury and executioner? In other action, a suitably uncanny battle between Cannonball and Gladiator sends one squad of X-Men on its latest intergalactic adventure. Can they free the Shi’ar from the deadly grip of the Phalanx and return to Earth in one piece? Meanwhile, another team grapples with the Kingpin and Sebastian Shaw over a possible cure for the Legacy Virus! Plus: Flash back with Rachel Summers and Magneto, witness a furious Marrow take on Spider-Man, and meet the mighty Maggott! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #341-350 and #-1, and X-MEN (1991) #62-64 and #-1.
400 PGS./Rated T …$34.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90070-0

I really like the fact that this is pretty printed, makes me hopefully that other 90s X-Men trades might come of it.

LUKE CAGE: AVENGER TPB
Written by MIKE BENSON, ADAM GLASS, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, JOHN ARCUDI & FRANK MILLER
Penciled by DALIBOR TALAJIC, LEINIL FRANCIS YU, BILLY TAN, ERIC CANETE, PEPE LARRAZ & HERB TRIMPE
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
The steel-skinned Avenger shows exactly why he’s one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Discover how young Carl Lucas, imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, gained his powers and became the hero he is today! As Civil War rages, Luke picks a side and makes a stand — but it might divide him from his wife, Jessica Jones! But when their daughter, Danielle, is captured by Skrulls, Luke will make a deal with the devil to save her. Then, a ghost from Luke’s past takes him back to the Hero For Hire biz — and a classic street level team-up pits Luke, best pal Iron Fist, Daredevil, Moon Knight and Spider-Man against the Kingpin and Killgrave the Purple Man! Collecting AVENGERS ORIGINS: LUKE CAGE, NEW AVENGERS (2005) #22 and #49, NEW AVENGERS: LUKE CAGE #1-3 and MARVEL TEAM-UP ANNUAL #4.
200 PGS./Rated T+ …$24.99
ISBN: 978-1-302-90194-3

In time for this to hit shelves for the Netflix show in September, though it would be way early and have lots of dust on it, by then.

. . .

So looks like June might be pretty expensive for me –

Civil War II 1 $6
Civil War II 2 $5
Civil War II X-Men 1 $4
Guardians of the Galaxy 9      $4
Star Lord 8      $4
Rocket Raccoon & Groot 6    $4
Uncanny X-Men 9      $8
All New X-Men 10     $4
Extraordinary X-Men 11        $4
Worst X-Man Ever 5 $4

Ten titles for $47, with a dollar off per title, gets me to $37 – which right at my budget limit. Grant it, I probably won’t be getting those Civil War II issues, besides the X-Men tie-in. So there’s eleven dollars off, right there. I probably own’t get Rocket Raccoon & Groot either.

. . .

I have to add Civil War II and Civil War II X-Men to my pull list.

Uncanny X-Men Volume Two Issue 14

Posted by John Klein III on April 2, 2016

Posted in: Review. Tagged: AvX, Caramagna - Joe, Charalampidis - Jim, Gillen, Magik, Uncanny, Weaver. Leave a comment

Writer Kieron Gillen

Artist Dustin Weaver

Colorist Jim Charalampidis

Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna

Covered Dated August 2012

In the middle of AvX, Gillen decided he wanted to get back to his Sinister plot.

Inside front cover ad is for Amazing Spider-Man’s video game.

Previously. The Phoenix Force is back, and it has empowered five X-Men – Cyclops, Emma, Magik, Namor and Colossus. Meanwhile, and this will be the entire plot of the issue – we catch up with Sinister, as he is living in his own SinisterWorld, where everyone is Sinister.

Weaver does an amazing job of painting the issue, it is just unfortunate that it is a purely Sinister issue. I had originally didn’t buy this issue as I never saw Magik in it. That was prior to learning about Marvel Database, I saw this issue was listed, luckily – Hastings had a copy and I had enough time to read the issue and I finally saw the page, with Magik. We’ll get to that below.

Since I didn’t read this issue, the following issues left me a tad cold. I didn’t quite get the entire atmosphere. It also didn’t help that I’ve never been much of a Sinister fan.

Sinister has always been huge on cloning and he finally realized a dream, to live in a world of himself. If something were to happen to him, his mind would just move to another clone body – an upgraded clone body.

Sinister London. Deep Beneath the Earth’s Surface. The main character we follow, is actually a man who has turned into a Sinister clone. He gets to interview Sinister-Prime. Sinister likes milk, so he has cows all over the place. He doesn’t care for women, so there are no women, he has nothing against women or for them – so why bother.

Gillen takes the opportunity to world build here. There is a creation engine, that is constantly making Sinisters. If the machine stops, half of the clones will become women. As soon as the engine is fixed, those women will revert to males again.

A moloid breaks to the surface and Sinister shoots him dead – on the spot! It is a nice reminder that they are under the surface. Sinister London, is actually an old Moloid cavern. After his last defeat, he went underground to hide. Now, he is just waiting for the Phoenix Five to come gloating. Also, the milk is not really milk but a nutrient-enriched brew.

There is an ad for Ghost Rider, Spirit of Vengeance on BluRay – which we own but have yet to watch. One of these days.

The interviewer has murderous intentions but wants to give Sinister away from eyes and guards.

Sinister really adores 19th century London, but he chooses to live in a castle. This society is art – and art requires appreciative criticism, history and hagiography. Which does sound right.

In Sinsiter’s living quarters, the interviewer (who has a toothache of free will) wants to take a picture. By doing so, he teleports the two of them away.

The art direction (and story) draws our attention to the fact that Sinister Prime has his forehead diamond being the color of red. The rest of the clones, have a flesh colored diamond.

Prime is forced into a chair but the diamond fades away. Prime comes down the stairs. Rebels against the system, are still part of the system – so, naturally, Prime has anticipated rebels.

Prime sends the interviewer to the edge of town. From there, he is given thirty minutes to run from . . . Sabretooth clones! Which makes sense, as Sinister has all of the Marauders’ DNA.

Prime talks to the fake Prime, he predicts that Cyclops will have the thought that he can make the world better. After changing deserts to gardens, he will have the thought that the world doesn’t need Sinister in it.

There is a two page house ad for Ultimate Comics storyline, Divide We Fall. Which was more of a common theme, than a proper crossover. I only own the X-Men tie-in, wherein Ultimate Shadowcat grows Utopia. Ultimate Cap will become the President, and I’m not sure what happens to Miles Morales Spider-Man. Ultimate Comics X-Men is their first issue, of three – perhaps?

We see several trophy cases. Sinister has been making a slew of clones – Gambits, Cyclops, Sabretooths and Phalanx. Though I don’t quite get how the Phalanx clones work. We see that the Gambit clones have accents. Turns out, the accents are not genetic but trained as it is folksy and charming – which is pretty funny. The Gambit clones are brain damaged as Gambit has always leaned that direction – oh Sinister, you clever minx! Sinister hints that he has a twist that Cyclops will not appreciate.

This issue is getting better, it helps that clearly the interviewer was going to die – it was just a matter of time of waiting for it.

See the Phoenix Five at the bottom of the page? I couldn’t see Magik but she’s on the other side of Cyclops. That Cyclops, I feel like he is always portrayed standing inbetween Magik and Emma – he likes his blondes on either side of him.

Sinister Prime has stolen power from the Dreaming Celestial, now he plans on stealing from the Phoenix Five.

Sinister knew that the Avengers would step in, preventing the true host – Hope Summers – to not fulfill her destiny. You don’t know this, but I’ve been staring at this laptop (that sucks!) trying to come up with the word “fulfill” I’m the worst.

Issue ends with the big reveal that Sinister does have women folk in Sinister London. He has six Madelyne Pryors running about, in very nice dresses.

Seeing Madelyne (and a half dozen of them!) should rock Cyclops.

There is a house ad for X-Treme X-Men – the attempt to try an Exiles style book but with our Dazzler, in the lead role. It started in July 2012, by the creative team of Greg Pak and Stephen Segovia. I own issue 7.1, and that’s pretty much it.

Inside back cover ad is for the Civic HF.

Ranking the New Mutants

Posted by John Klein III on April 1, 2016

Posted in: Lists. Tagged: Magik, New Mutants. Leave a comment

So I was commenting in some thread the other day about how I would rank the New Mutants cast. My list starts off strong and then I have those I don’t favor as much but my middle section changes. After thinking about it, it really doesn’t change all that much – I just forget about certain characters. Which, I suppose is better than not liking them.

1. Magik

2. Doug Ramsey

3. Dani Moonstar

4. Karma

5. Cannonball

6. Wolfsbane

7. Warlock

8. Magma

9. Sunspot

I also forget Warlock sometimes. When Sunspot left the team for a while, it made me realize how much I didn’t miss him. Also, Fallen Angels was not very good. Wolfsbane, if this list was made back during the last days of Excalibur – would rank much higher but since then, I haven’t really followed her and from what I’ve read, I haven’t missed much except for the ruining of the character.

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Shadow and Flame with Magik

The website for the greatest fictional character of all time – ESTABLISHED JUNE 30, 2013

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X-Men Volume One Issue 1

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Uncanny X-Men 150

X-Men Apocalypse Third Trailer

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Marvel June 2016 Solicitations

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Ranking the New Mutants

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