Molina

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X-Men Legacy Volume Two

Posted by John Klein III on February 23, 2017
Posted in: Retrospective. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Now, I never referred to it as Volume Two as Volume One started with issue 208 so there was no need to clarify which volume of the title it was but this has been Volume Two of X-Men Legacy.

Of the 24 issues, I own 14 of the issues – 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 and 14.  On my Wishlist are two issues – 20 and 23, both of which are due to Hastings not having my comics in.

The reason I own so many of these is how often Magik showed up in this series.  A few of them are due to Kitty being there for Illyana being part of Cyclops’ Uncanny team helped keep her involved.

There have been some great storylines in this series, such as Prodigal, Invasive Exotic, Hope and Glory, Wear the Grudge Like a Crown and the concluding storyline.

This series was written by the mastermind that is Simon Spurrier.  Along the way, he had some excellent artist on board.

1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 23, 24 – Tan Eng Huat

4, 5, 6 – Jorge Molina

10, 11, 12, 16 – Paul Davidson

17, 18, 21, 22 – Khoi Pham

My favorite would have to be the Wear the Grudge Like a Crown.

Some might have dismissed the title as a solo David Haller title or as a satellite title but it tied into and used the current titles’ continuity to both enhance and place this title.

This was also Blindfold’s title, as she was in each issue and was crucial to the overall story arc.

There will be an issue 300 of Legacy but issue 24 concluded this second volume.  Spurrier does have a section of 300 that will involve his Legacy run but that is technically part of volume one with the renumbering.

A-Force 5

Posted by John Klein III on May 18, 2016
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

A-Force 5

Writers Marguerite Bennett & G. Willow Wilson

Artist Jorge Molina

Colorist Laura Martin

Letterer VC’s Cory Petit

Another Secret Wars 2015 series ends, and this is the only issue that I really read.  Let’s see how we do.

A-Force 5 Recap

A-Force cast is – She-Hulk, Dazzler, Captain Marvel, Loki, Nico Minoru and Singularity – who is still a mystery.  They live on Arcadia, which is on the border of the Shield (that is mostly, the Fantastic Four’s Thing).  Loki, apparently tore a hole into it and now Marvel Zombies are coming through.  So this issue is mostly a lot of fighting – which is nice for me, as I missed out on four issues.

I do like this cast though, I was hoping Singularity was going to be Cosmic Kitty Pryde (or that Kitty would be in this title) but she isn’t.  I thought that as they both are blue and sparkly.  We do get Kitty in this issue, hence why I own this comic.

Issue opens with She-Hulk giving an inspirational speech.  Everyone who stands up, and fights, will become a member of A-Force.

I see Winter Solider in attendance, so dudes are on the island.  On the zombie side, Green Goblin, Venom, Doctor Octopus, Magneto and Sabretooth.

A-Force 5 Shadowcat

Hulkling is there, as well as, Namor.

I’m not sure who Sera is but she knows Angela, but that is some fun dialogue.  Molly, like Nico – is from Runaways – and she is standing between a brunette with yellow gloves and a blue shirt, as well as Colossus.  So I agree with Marvel Database, and that must be Kitty Pryde.

Luke Cage, is holding Danielle, while Jessica fights zombies – I like that.

Spider-Gwen saves Mary Jane, so I’ve now officially read a comic that had Spider-Gwen in it.

On the very next page, I get some Ms. Marvel, so now I’ve read a comic with her in it.  So she has, basically, Reed Richards’ powers, right?  Stretching powers?  She’s fighting along with Spider-Woman and Captain Marvel in the background.  On this same double splash page, we get lots of mutants – who haven’t been in this series, to much.  Dazzler and Jubilee are present, along with Runaways’ Karolina.  X23 is slashing away.  We get a SHIELD panel, with Mockingbird and Black Widow.  I like how all of the ladies are keeping a light attitude, in the face of the living undead.  That’s the way to do it.  We also get a ninja panel with Elektra and Psylocke.  We see where the zombies are heading, to the Jean Grey School.  Dust and Rescue are in front of the school.  Jean, Scarlet Witch, Emma and Storm are on the steps of the school.

Black Bolt is losing a fight with the zombies.  Which seems silly, even with his dying breath, he can clear the area with a stutter.  There is a Zombie Hulk, which seems super scary.  Monica, former Captain Marvel, is she Photon now?  I can’t keep up with her.  She blows a giant hole through Hulk’s chest.

Nico comes across a zombie shark, which sounds awesome!  Singularity saves Nico from the shark.  Singularity talks in one word sentences or fragments.  I guess Nico learns her name, which makes me think that Singularity may be too mysterious.  Singularity drops Nico near She-Hulk and Captain Marvel (Carol) and goes to face off with the, now, giant shark.

Maybe I’m not following the art, but it looks like Singularity whirlwinds up all of the zombies and the water and goes into the higher atmopshere and explodes.  Everyone is sad, Nico implies that they lost someone else, recently.  I haven’t really heard any news about this series, besides that they will be getting a new number one, Post-Secret Wars 2015.

The day is saved!  Carol, She-Hulk and Nico are crying.  Tigra and Ms. Marvel are happy.  Black Cat and Spider-Gwen are high fiving.

She-Hulk brings Loki to Sif, Valkyrie and another green Asgardian lady.  Is it racist to think that this lady is a powered up Gamora?  I should have read further on the page, it is Gamora.

Two Days Later.  The ladies are repairing the damage done to Arcadia.  Spider-Gwen has a giant wrecking ball amount of debris – sort of like her move in Avengers Alliance.  Captain Marvel has a slightly less bag.  Steve Rogers, wearing the outfit from Heroic Age or the Winter Soldier film and Spider-Woman is carrying some pipes.

She-Hulk checks in on Nico, who is crying.  She has lost America (who I only know from the Siege series – which may be where she disappeared to), Loki and Singularity.  She-Hulk doesn’t believe that Singularity is dead.  Apparently, Medusa died but lived on in Singularity, so who knows what that broad can do.   She-Hulk goes on to describe how they schooled Singularity and essentially shaped her to be who she was / is.

The last page shows Singularity, floating about in space.  Which is hinting at her moving over to the All New All Different Marvel, Post-Secret Wars 2015.

Not a bad series, there is an ad (which is pretty smart) showing the cast of the new title.  Nico, Dazzler – still in her Bendis Anka punk look, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel and Medusa.  Singularity makes up the background.  Which will be a tad awkward, if the ladies don’t recall her at all, if their memories of Secret Wars 2015, don’t survive.

Wolverine and the X-Men

Posted by John Klein III on March 4, 2014
Posted in: Retrospective. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

I own these 33 issues :

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 42.  Plus the Annual.

I have these issues on my Wishlist :

1 the Nick Bradshaw Variant, 2 the 50th Anniversary Variant, 3, 4 the Venom Variant, 25 the McGuinness Variant, 32 and 36 the Kris Anka Variant.

Once I own the 25 Variant, then I can get rid of the issue proper as Kitty doesn’t appear in it besides on the last page with the names of faculty members.  The variant has a picture of Cameron Drake, her and Bobby’s son.  32, I need as Hastings never got that issue in.

Of the 43 issues, Jason Aaron wrote every issue.  Which is pretty impressive at modern day Marvel.

Chris Bachalo – 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 16, 42

Duncan Rouleau – 3

Matteo Scalera – 3

Nick Bradshaw – 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 19, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 42 and Annual 1

Jorge Molina – 14, 15 , 18

Mike Allred – 17

Steve Sanders – 20, 42

David Lopez – 24

Ramon Perez – 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 42

Salva Espin – 30

Pasqual Ferry – 30

Pepe Larraz – 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

Giuseppe Camuncoli – 36, 37

Todd Nauck – 41

Nuno Alves – 42

Shawn Crystal – 42

Tim Townsend – 42

Actually the only issue Aaron didn’t write was 27U, the Age of Ultron tie in which I don’t believe should count against him.  Art for that issue was done by Paco Medina, Jack Kirby and John Buscema.

Storylines included Regenesis, Mutatis Mutatandis, Avengers Vs. X-Men, the unnamed Frankenstein Monster arc, Savage Learning, The Hellfire Saga and Battle of the Atom.  Including the Annual, which was the title’s Infinity tie in.

This was the core title, once Schism happened, that Wolverine’s side had.  I was a huge fan of the title, then Battle of the Atom happened and Kitty changed sides and I quit reading the title as she no longer appeared.

Issue 17, the Doop issue, is still my favorite of the run.

Thanks to this title, not only did I gain a new found appreciation for Doop, we got to see Kitty become the Headmistress of the Jean Grey School, see her go from her red phase to a pink phase, Kitty officially getting over Colossus so we are now done with that relationship, Colossus as one of the Phoenix Five place crab legs on whales and most importantly, I discover Nick Bradshaw and fell hard for his art style.

X-Men Gold 1

Posted by John Klein III on November 24, 2013
Posted in: Review. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Now this is how you celebrate the X-Men’s 50th Anniversary.

Look at that gorgeous cover by Olivier Coipel.  That would be a pretty good lineup as well – Kitty, Lockheed, Gambit, Angel, Jean, Bishop, Cyclops, Jubilee, Wolverine and Storm. Someone for everyone.

This issue has five stories, but only one of them has Kitty and Lockheed, and that is the main attraction.

First Story

Writer Chris Claremont

Art Bob McLeod

Letterer Tom Orzechowski

Colorist Israel Silva

This story takes place between Uncanny X-Men 173 and 174.  Bob McLeod is a legend – he gave us The New Mutants, after all.  But how much better would this story have been with Paul Smith on art?  After all, he was that era’s original artist.

This story also proves that if you give an older artist a modern colorist, their style still holds up.

X-Men Gold Lockheed 1

Lockheed is sleeping on Kitty’s shoulders while she is doing homework.  She is also feeling bad about Logan’s failed wedding.  She starts talking aloud about it and this is when Logan sneaks up on her.

X-Men Gold Lockheed 2a X-Men Gold Lockheed 2b

A warning alert happens, Sentinels in China and they wake the team.  The two spread where she informs the team, looks as if Steve Dillon drew it.

Since this is takes place after the wedding, the Starjammers were in attendance and are giving the team a lift to China.  Scott still is deciding if he wants to join his father in space.

Kitty is wearing that blue and white unitard, with that exta white cloth around her shoulders, not sure what you call that item.  She is talking to Rogue and was about to touch her, when Rogue warns her not too.  Kitty isn’t wearing gloves, but Rogue is fully covered besides her head, nothing to worry about.

In China, there is a giant Sentinel.  So giant, that it is capable of manufacturing proper size Sentinels – which are giants themselves.  It is like an action Master Mold.  The Sentinels it creates, can adapt to the situation.

Colossus and Wolverine are too small, so their punches have hardly no effect.  Rogue flies in and tears off an arm.  That arm targets the Starjammers.  The Starjammers are now busy defending themselves against a group of Sentinels, in space.  Lilandra is quick to don her battle armor.  Even Madelyne gets into the action and starts firing a turret.

Kitty remembers her power ruins machines, as Cyclops put her on civilian duty, he doesn’t have much experience with her at this point.  I can see her not speaking up.  She starts fighting Sentinels, as does Lockheed.  His flames look amazing!

Kitty comes up with a plan – daring but also odd.  She is going to phase into Wolverine, Colossus is going to twirl the combination, Lockheed is  going to burn all three of them.

It looks cool, all three are in extreme pain, but it works.

Storm sets off a massive lightning storm and this fries all of the Sentinels.  The team heads back to the Starjammers for drinks.

Second Story

Script Stan Lee

Plot Louise Simonson

Pencils Walter Simonson

Inks Bob Wiacek

Colors Andres Mossa

Letters Tom Orzechowski

Cute story about Beast, Iceman and Angel making fools of themselves to try to win a date with Jean.  Cyclops, at Xavier’s demand, shuts that party down.

Third Story

Writer Roy Thomas

Penciler Pat Olliffe

Digital Inks / Colors Chris Sotomayor

Letterer Tom Orzechowski

Story about Banshee and Sunfire in Memphis.  The story would be better if it didn’t imply it took place two days before Giant Size X-Men 1.  That seems silly, but it leads into the next story.

Fourth Story

Writer Len Wein

Artist Jorge Molina

Letterer Tom Orzechowski

This takes place right after Cyclops is introduced to the All New All Different X-Men team, during Giant Size X-Men 1.  The story is essentially, how would Wolverine kill all of these characters.  The answer is, with his claws.  You also get his first impressions of the team members.  Funny caption about how Thunderbird is Wolverine without the cool powers.

Fifth Story

Writer Fabian Nicieza

Artist Salvador Larroca

Letterer Tom Orzechowski

Colorist David Ocampo

This story takes place within Magneto’s mind as Xavier shuts it down in X-Men 25.  Pretty cool how Xavier wants to give him one last happy thought, even after Magneto has ripped out all of Wolverine’s adamantium.  Reed Richards is there for some reason.  Bastion is in the audience, hinting at Onslaught is coming.

Tom Orzechowski was very busy putting the words into this issue.

Issue ends with short reprints from both Amazing X-Men 1 and All New X-Men 18.  How anyone who reads that snippet from 18 and not buys that issue is insane.