Magneto Volume Three Issue 21

Posted by John Klein III on April 4, 2016
Posted in: Reviews, Websites. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Magneto V3 21

Writer Cullen Bunn

Artist Gabriel Hernandez Walta

Colorist Jordie Bellaire

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Magneto V3 21 Recap

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.

Magneto V3 21 Kitty Pryde 1

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.

Magneto V3 21 Kitty Pryde 2

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: , , , . 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W)
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. 

Marvel June 2016 Solicitations Civil War II X-Men 1 of 4 Cover Magik
Cover by David Yardin

CIVIL WAR II: X-MEN #1 (OF 4)
CULLEN BUNN (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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. 

Marvel June 2016 Solicitations Star Lord 8 Mark Hawthorne Kitty Pryde Cover
Art by Mike Hawthorne

STAR-LORD #8
SAM HUMPHRIES (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 25th 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W)
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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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 (W) • 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: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Uncanny X-Men V2 14

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.

Uncanny X-Men V2 14 Recap Page

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.

Uncanny X-Men V2 14 Magik Phoenix Five

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: , . 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.

 

Bragging Rights : Heroclix – Magik

Posted by John Klein III on March 31, 2016
Posted in: Bragging Rights, Heroclix, Toy. Tagged: . Leave a comment

I own this, from the Critical Mass set

Heroclix Magik Critical Mass

Years of Future Past 4

Posted by John Klein III on March 30, 2016
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Years of Future Past 4

Writer Marguerite Bennett

Artist Mike Norton

Colorist Fco Plascencia

Letterer VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover Art Adams and Paul Mounts

I like how the Character List has Cameron with a spray painted “Pryde” now.  Nice touch!

The Ruins of Centrum.  The Great Mutant Haven.  New York City.  Storm and Rachel are assisting Wolverine, Angel, Colossus and Magneto.  Magneto and Angel discuss how the endgame is near.

No one mentions if they found Lockheed, or if he is alive.  Hopefully we find out his fate, next issue.

The Last Mutant Internment Camp.  The Pryde offspring are trying to free the imprisoned mutants.

Years of Future Past 4 Kate Pryde 1

Destiny starts wailing into Christina.  She sets up Avalanche to kill Christina but Kate saves her daughter and Avalanche, rightfully, dies.

Meanwhile, Cameron kills Pyro, but not until Pryo tells him about the compromise.  The Brotherhood of Mutants have been able to walk freely but they have been giving up their fellow mutants.  Those poor unfortunate souls, have been tortured.  I wouldn’t cry over Pyro’s death but now I really wouldn’t.

Magneto arrives in the Sentinel that was in Centrum, but I thought it was only the head of a Sentinel.  I imagine that, after fighting so many Sentinels – this evening – so that is easily explainable.  Magneto Sentinel starts punching the troops.

Years of Future Past 4 Kate Pryde 2

I could have gone for a full page of Wolverine and Cameron’s exchange.  Christina is happy to see her Uncle Erik.  Would have also been good to have a reunion moment with Storm and Kate.

Wolverine checks in with Christina, who si pretty shaken with all of the death.

Years of Future Past 4 Kate Pryde 3

Cameron, proving he has his mother’s brain – notices the computer screen.  He figures out that Kelly was going to fake an attack on himself but Magneto was going to turn it into a real attack.  Magneto was also going to sacrifice Pryde’s Pride.

There is an ad for Secret Wars 2015 7, and at this point, I only still own the first issue.  Which is one better than I thought, I would.

Years of Future Past 4 Kate Pryde 4

Kate is upset, as she naturally signed on for the death of her children.  Magneto, to shut her down, steals Destiny’s collar dampener and places it around Kate’s throat.  There is also a great moment when Magneto shuts down Wolverine.  Which he should just always be doing.

Years of Future Past 4 Kate Pryde 5

Magneto comes at Christina, like a predator.  She has to die for the cause, which is pretty messed up – as he points out that he raised her for this purpose.  Also twisted is that Rachel was down with the plan.

Years of Future Past 4 Kate Pryde 6

Kate tells her son to give chase.  Cameron kills both Pyro and Magneto in this issue, that’s quite the kill list.

Christina and Cameron start having an intellectual conversation, but it leads to fisticuffs.  Cameron wants the mutant race to end, as clearly nature is trying to undo this evolutionary hiccup.  Issue ends with Christina, ready to attack her brother.

I can’t wait to find out how this concludes, if the next issue is even the final issue.

Bragging Rights : Heroclix – Lockheed

Posted by John Klein III on March 29, 2016
Posted in: Bragging Rights, Heroclix, Toy. Tagged: . Leave a comment

I own this!  He’s from the Giant Size X-Men collection.

Heroclix Lockheed Giant Size X-Men

Ultimate End 4

Posted by John Klein III on March 28, 2016
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Ultimate End 4

Writer Brian Michael Bendis

Penciler Mark Bagley

Inker Scott Hanna

Colorist Justin Ponsor

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Avengers Tower.  The SHIELD Hellicarrier arrives.  Our Maria Hill is talking to Ultimate Nick Fury, they are not finding either Iron Man.  Out from the Hellicarrier comes – Ultimate Thing, Ultimate Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Ultimate Cap (who they still not explaining how he is no longer dead), FalCap, Ultimate Human Torch, Ultimate Invisible Woman and Black Widow.  The gathered heroes are not looking forward to fighting two Iron Men and a Hulk.  They are not sure how to proceed, as they are in front of the door.  Do they knock, or do they knock the door down.

Just then, every Iron Man armor greets them.  Without a minute passing, Ultimate Cap figures out what is happening.  Cap notices that the Iron Man armor was holding back.  This was all a distracting ploy.  Our Tony wants to protect his friend, Banner, and he really didn’t want to fight his friends.  He’s okay with annoying Ultimate Fury.  Ultimate Stark wants Tony to break the communication signal.

Brooklyn.  Bombshell is telling civilians to run, as the Punisher is trying to kill her, with a sniper rifle.  I didn’t know she could use her blasting powers to fly (or jump high).  She finally gets to where he use to be, but only sees the rifle.

Punisher was behind a wall and shoots Bombshell.  Just then, Ultimate Cloak and Dagger (to bad that we won’t see the two Cloak and Daggers meet!) arrive on teh scene and take out Punisher.  Bombshell is bleeding but only from her ear.  Punisher is constantly ranting about how it is all of their faults.  Cloak absorbs the Punisher, into his . . . cloak.

Cloak gets a belly ache and Punisher comes out, firing.  Punisher throws some grenades and leaves.  I do believe this is Ultimate Punisher, who is crazier than regular Punisher.

I like how Bombshell says “swear word” instead of actually swearing, when Ultimate Iron Man arrives.  He needs the young heroes help.  He has called the FBI and the police, to deal with the Punisher.  As that has always worked in the pass.

Doomstadt.  The High Court of Doom.  Doom.  Valeria is talking to Doom, informing him of the Manhattan domain.  We get a hint that there are dimensional anomalies, that has resulted in doppelganger chaos.  So that might explain why nothing there makes sense.  Doom has a special interest in this region.  She tells him that there is a fraction that is going against his will.

Ultimate Tony wants to tell Doom’s Science team of their findings.  Proper Stark wants to keep it a secret, until they know something for sure.  Proper Banner really suspects that they should have worked this out before hand.

Ultimate End 4 Magik Ultimate Shadowcat 1

I’m not really sure what this page is for, besides to give Bagley a chance to draw all of these characters.  Which is pretty great but it goes to show, that this isn’t quite the last hurrah of the Ultimate Universe, like how it was billed.

It does have Old Man Logan in it, as he has escaped his region and is now touring Battleworld.  Which is tight continuity, but it helps that Bendis is writing both of these titles.

Doom wants to see how this all plays out.

Ultimate End 4 Magik Ultimate Shadowcat 2

This is essentially the same page as from Issue One –

Ultimate End 1 Magik Ultimate Shadowcat 1A Ultimate End 1 Magik Ultimate Shadowcat 1B

No, it is exactly the same page.  Still pretty great, but I’m glad the previous page was included.

Ultimate End 4 Magik 1

I’m not really sure what makes the two universe’s heroes start fighting each other, the next issue is the last – so we have to get to this moment eventually.

Doom isn’t concern, as he can just undo and restart this region – like how he has, in the past.

Issue ends Valeria wondering what would happen if something unexpected happens – which we see Miles Morales webslinging, so I guess he’s the last hope.  It would make sense, as he has to jump over to the Proper New Marvel Universe.

Hopefully we get answers in the next and final issue.

Mystic Arcana : Magik

Posted by John Klein III on March 27, 2016
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Mystic Arcana Magik

Writer Louise Simonson

Penciler Steve Scott

Inker Kris Justice

Colorist Pete Pantazis

Letterer Blambot’s Nate Piekos

Cover by Marko Djurdjevic

Cover Dated August 2007

To let new visitors know what is happening, every Easter, I feature a comic that features Magik.  Thanks to Comic Book Queers, Episode, 93, gave me this great idea.  What better character to spotlight on this day of Resurrections, than Illyana Rasputin!  So I’ve been doing titles that chronicle her return to us after her tragic death in Uncanny X-Men 303.

Comic Book Queers Episode 93 :

http://www.comicbookqueers.com/?p=28

Onto the issue!

Mystic Arcana Magik Recap

This issue takes place during New Mutants Volume One Issue 32.  I reviewed that issue here –

New Mutants Volume One Issue 32

Mystic Arcana was a very soft event where Marvel was hoping this event would spark a renew interest into the magic corner of the Marvel Universe.  Sort of like how Marvel is currently doing just their latest crop of magic titles.

I sort of love that (very hard to read) opening paragraph.  1602 played with the concept of the importance of the series of four and the elements.  It starts with references to the first two heroes of the Marvel Golden Age – the android Human Torch and the great king, Namor.  Next came Captain America.  The first heroes of the Silver Age – the Fantastic Four – all of them being elemental base – water (Reed), air (Sue), flame (Johnny) and earth (Grimm).  There are four higher cosmic beings.  Four types of magic.  Four cornerstones of creation.

We get a break down of who Magik was, as she hadn’t returned at this point in time.  W get the note about how this issue takes place during New Mutants Volume One Issue 32.

Ian McNee, who frames the entire Mystic Arcana event.  He wants to rival Doctor Strange. I’ve never heard of this fella until this event and haven’t heard from him since.

Issue opens with Doctor Ian McNee has summoned Oshturi, one of the great cosmic beings.  McNee is stuck on the bottom of a mystic frozen ocean.  Oshturi will help him but only McGee will have to restore an ancient magician – Heka-nut.  McGee agrees and is teleported to his Magic and Curid Shop in Brooklyn, New York.

So this issue is going to be setting up who Heka-nut is.

Mystic Arcana Magik 1

Someone is looking at tarot cards, that match both Illyana and Dani.  The two best New Mutants.  The third card is Storm’s great Egyptian ancestor.  Heka-nut, who must be the one holding the cards, implies that he is the brother to Storm’s ancestor.  Ancestress?   That can’t be it, right?

Illyana and Dani have left the pages of issue thirty-two of New Mutants’ first volume.  Illyana instantly knows she royally screwed up her space and time jump.   Dani is happy that they are in Egypt

Mystic Arcana Magik 2

That’s an impressive tarot set, that has a card for time travel.

Illyana quickly reminds Dani of her powers’ weakness.  The farther she goes, the more unbalanced her timing is.  She wanted five thousand miles and got there, but five thousand years into the past.

Xavier never taught them Egyptian, but they get that they are in trouble.

Dani wants Illyana to teleport them but Illyana’s powers are not kicking in.  She needs to rest.

Mystic Arcana Magik 3

Ashake finds the two New Mutants and tells them to hide with her.

Mystic Arcana Magik 4

Ashake must look like Storm as that is who Magik thinks saved them.  Ashake is glad that her bloodline is still alive.  A spell makes it so that they understand each other.

It was Ashake with the tarot cards earlier.  Illyana takes an interest in the cards, I do miss this more innocent Illyana.  Maybe not innocent but definitely younger.  We won’t be seeing her belly button nor thighs in this issue.

Ashake has a tarot set, made from bone!  Illyana tells her how, in her present day, they use paper instead of bone.  Thus, paper beats rock.  Which I still don’t get, as I place a rock on a piece of paper, that paper isn’t moving one bit.  Sure, it’ll try to escape but it won’t.  When has paper ever defeating rock?  So silly

Ashake can read Dani’s mind but she can’t read Illyana’s.  Ashake consults with the cards.  She can tell that Illyana is a ruler but of a burden land.  Illyana reveals that her kingdom is Limbo but on Earth, her powers manifest in two ways.  She also reveals that her powers have a dark undercurrent.  Ashake admires how Illyana fights that temptation.  Ashake sees that Illyana and Dani are in danger.  Danger from . . . Heka-Nut!

Heka-Nut’s forces enter Ashake’s home, she quickly turns Dani invisible.  Illyana isn’t worried about him corrupting her soul, as hers is already corrupted.  Illyana tires to teleport away but she’s still too tired.

Since Heka-Nut’s forces are powered by magic, Illyana’s soulsword actually has an effect on them.  Ashake tells Illyana the Heka-Nut wants the New Mutants for his quest for the Sword of Bone.  One of the goons isn’t magically endowed and in her shock, another one knocks her out.

Illyana wakes up with Heka-Nut monologuing over them.  Magik tries to escape but any pressure against the binds hurts Ashake.

Heka-Nut wants to take Magik’s soul so that he can use her in his quest.  He can’t as her soul is corrupt so he threatens to hurt Ashake unless Magik helps him.  Illyana killed a version of Storm, so she feels like she owes Ashake.

There is an ad for the Fantatsic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer game, which if it was as bad as the first game, I recommend skipping this one.

Heka-Nut explains the backstory of the Sword of Bone.  Turns out, it is one of the cornerstones of existence.  Magik tells him that she will help.

Hours Later.  Ashake and Magik are exploring a temple.  I guess Dani must be sleeping in that invisibility spell.

The two spring a trap and Magik teleports them to Limbo.  Ashake is taken back by the sight.  Magik says this is home, which I like her owning it.  While there, Magik is able to locate the sword.  They get in front of the sword but it is defended by a giant snake.  Magik’s soulsword is powerless against the snake.

A mystic alligator, sent by the Great Ma’at, steps on the snake.  Ashake casts a spell, and the Sword of Bone is seen and she picks it up.  It really needs a better name.

They are about to give the sword to Heka-Nut but he betrays their deal.  They knew this was going to happen so they gave him a fake sword.

There is a quarter ad for Marvel Adventures Hulk, coming in July2007.

Heka-Nut is defeated and the two ladies both have swords now.  Ashake refuses to kill Heka-Nut as it is both the wrong thing to do and it will taint her soul.  The Bone Sword wants a new master but Ashake sends it away to where they found it.  The story ends with Ashake returning Illyana to Dani, who was sleeping during all of this.  The two teleport back to their present.

Ritual of the Sphinx

Part One

Story – David Sexton

Art – Eric Nguyen

Lettering – Blambot’s Nate Piekos

Place : A train bound for the Theban Necorpolis.  Time : The Present.  Ian McNee is flirting with a gal who is wearing an ancient perfume.  The girl, of course, is another magic user.  This is McNee getting the Sword of Stone, from the beginning of the issue.

This section continues to Sister Grimm’s tie-in, next will be Scarlet Witch and finally, Black Knight.

Back cover ad is a Got Milk ad featuring the film versions of the Fantastic Four, the original cast of the 2007 film.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2

Posted by John Klein III on March 26, 2016
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2

Writer Sam Humphries

Artist Alti Firmansyah

Colorist Jessica Kholinne

Letters VC’s Joe Sabino

Cover Yasmine Putri

I had to add the Annie Wu Variant to my Wishlist.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 1

Pizza My Heart.  Best Slice in the Manhattan Domain.  Shadowcat has Quill handcuffed to her arm.  We get our first glimpse of . . . The Mutdroids!

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 2

The Mutdroids are awesome!  These are robotic New Mutants – Cannonball, Dani Moonstar, Warlock, Magik and Sunspot.  Shadowcat is not intimidated by these foes.  She slices Sunspot’s knees, which is awesome.

Quill is trying to understand why Shadowcat is working for Doom.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 3

This Shadowcat is intense!  Cannonball comes . . . cannonbaling towards the non-couple, and Shadowcat opens the microwave and melts the young man from Kentucky.

Quill is trying to explain to Shadowcat that Battleworld is a fake, he is from the previous world, and knows that Doom has masterminded this world’s creation.

Quill gets in the fight, flinging pizzas around the place.  Shadowcat phase punches Dani to her dumb robotic face.  So fun having Dani say “malfunction..the focused totality of my psyyyychic powwwwwers” even though that isn’t the thing she says – that would be Psylocke but I love that silly expression.

We get a slight tease of a Shadowcat v Magik fight but it is over, off panel.

Quill takes the time to see the similarities between this Shadowcat and his fiance, Kitty Pryde.  He can’t help falling in love, though she frightens him.

We do see that Shadowcat has pushed her claws through the bottom of Magik’s head and straight through her eyeballs.

Warlock shows up, upset that all of his friends are dead.  Shadowcat notices that he is speaking with nouns, so she shreds into him.  Doug was using Warlock like a suit of armor.  She forces him to reveal where Gambit is.  He tells her Gambit is at the museum.  Shadowcat and Quill start walking away when Doug makes the fatal mistake of recognizing Shadowcat.  She can’t let him live, and snikts him through the chest.  Warlock is sad and self-destructs.  Selfgoodbye.

The Union of Doom Square.  Later.  Shadowcat wakes up, to discover that Quill has undone his handcuff.  She is impress that he didn’t run off.  She saved him, so he felt obligated to stick around.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 4

Since the stakes are low, they take the time to chat.  This issue can be broken down into three parts, the first opening battle.  This nice scene in the Square and the final one, but I really adore all three of them.  This is such a great issue.

Shadowcat asks about her counterpart, Quill really loves her.  The coloring in this issue, is outstanding.  Kholinne makes the issue look light hearted and fun.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 5

Shadowcat asks if the two ladies are the same, and Quill is far to quick to say that they are nothing alike.  This, naturally, offends her.

I can’t believe we got an issue where Kitty Pryde killed both Magik and Doug Ramsey!  At least there wasn’t a scene where she strangled Lockheed!

They get heated, which is also fun to see.  She’s a freakin’ psycho.  He’s a lousy singer and she isn’t good at kissing.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 6

I like the very real quiet beat there, for the top panel.  The two let the moment rest, probably replaying the previous minutes, in their heads.

Quill needs to have the situation explained to him.  Kitty can’t request backup, as she is on a renegade mission.  Doom has two hands – one hand with Science, the other, Law.  The two often collide.

Shadowcat confirms that she is from the Kingdom of Apocalypse, so now we know that she is the AoA Shadowcat – or some version of that one.  If she didn’t go work for Doom, everyone in the region would be killed.

Shadowcat allows Quill to walk away but he is committed to follow this through.  This doesn’t thrill her, at all.

The Doomenheim Museum.  Quill isn’t impressed that Doom made himself a museum.  Shadowcat has to explain that Doom had nothing to do with it, Doom doesn’t care about any of this nonsense.  She phases the two of them through the ceiling, which the falls excites Quill.  Who lets out a giant scream, when they are on a covert mission?

They fall to the ground, she falls on top of him and they look like they are about to kiss.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 7

Shadowcat pulls away, as she sees Gambit’s bag, with the lock of hair in it.  She opens the bag to reveal . . . WIDGET!!!  That’s right, ya’ll, Humphries straight up brought Widget back!  So awesome!

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 8

Widget is able to cancel Shadowcat’s powers, which informs her that Widget is an alternate version of herself.  Quill doesn’t know how to make of this.  Gambit, who I haven’t enjoyed this much – in years – waltzes in.

Star Lord and Kitty Pryde 2 Shadowcat 9

Issue ends with Gambit revealing that he wants to add Shadowcat to his own collection.  So creepy!  but understandable – still creepy!

Such a great series!  By far, the best series to come out of Secret Wars 2015 – including the mains series, itself.