Cover Dated September 1998

http://uncannyxmen.net/secrets-behind-the-x-men/changing-x-men-directions

UncannyXMen.net has this great series of, Secrets of the X-Men, feature.

There are several Wizard issues that are referenced.  So I rescued this issue from my For Sell list from Lonestar Comics.

Other issues that are on my Wishlist are – 90, 159 and 219.  My collection has several before and after 90, so I am not sure where issue 90 is.  I own the Elektra / Jennifer Garner cover instead of the Cassaday Astonishing X-Men cover for 159, so on the For Sell pile it stays.

The Chris Claremont interview is on pages 46 – 50.  In it, there is a sidebar where Claremont wanted Kitty Pryde for his terrific Fantastic Four run.  The X-Office turn down his request.  The entire interview is about his Fantastic Four run, that is just starting, along with his short Wolverine run.  The run that marries Wolverine and Viper, that we will review here one of these Novembers.

Other points of interest in this issue :

The first five pages are ads for Marvel that I really wanted to own when I was at San Diego Comic Con that year.

These were celebrating the X-Men 35th Anniversary issues.  Uncanny X-Men 360 and X-Men 80.  MC2 is just about to start.  As is Mutant X and yet another Blade miniseries.  Along with a checklist for all of Marvel’s August comics.

I harassed the Marvel stage guy for a little bit, trying to take these two cardboard posters home with me.  I’m sure they were thrown away soon after the convention.

Wolverine and Superman cover is by Kevin Maguire, and they are promoting the Top 25 Moments in Comics.

There are several DC Comics’ ads promoting how they are the Original Comic Universe.

I love how much this is a time capsule of what was happening at the time.

Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty came out.

Halloween H2O came out, it is only okay.  Though it will turn out to be the last good one in the franchise.

There is a poll result with which Marvel Knight book is most anticipated –

Daredevil 74%

Punisher 11%

Black Panther 10%

Inhumans 5%

Only Punisher is not good.

Dark City is on DVD now.

There is another poll asking if we would buy a second Green Lantern title and if we would support a Hal book and a separate Kyle book.  Oh, how I have forgotten the Hal v Kyle debate.  Kyle, for me.

October will be Deadpool month, which was awesome.  Joe Kelly’s run, go buy it!

Rumor that Gambit will join the 35th Anniversary team.  He does.

Vampirella is getting a revamp, mostly getting a full body armor.  Which I can only imagine that putting clothes on her is the go-to idea to revamp her. I am sure that it is never successful.

Battle Chasers is hitting big.  I really liked it.

Generation X 40, the infamous issue that explains the complicated Penance and Monet origins.  It is not very good.

Last Man Standing – Superman v Spawn.  Superman wins.  Drawn by Barry Kitson.

Joe Casey interview on pages 38 – 44, I wonder if Chad Nevett knows about this.  I just love Casey’s Cable run – which the interview covers.

The 25 Most Memorable Moments –

25.  Hal Jordan destroys the Green Lantern Corps from Green Lantern 49 (I’ve read it and owned it for some time)

24.  Terra revealed as a traitor from New Teen Titans 34 (I own it from the Judas Contract trade)

23.  Flash dies saving the Universe from Crisis of Infinite Earths issue 8 (I own the trade)

22.  A Man Without Fear from Daredevil 229 (I own the Born Again trade)

21.  Death of Krypto from Action Comics 583 (I own the Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow two issue trade)

20.  Thor threatens Loki’s head from Thor 359

19.  Cap defies Thanos from Infinity Gauntlet 4 (I own the trade)

18.  Galactus Falls from Fantastic Four 243

17.  Doom outwits the Devil from Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom : Triumph and Torment (I own this)

16.  Reed Richards learns his baby died from Fantastic Four 267

15.  Morpheus leaves Hell from Sandman 4

14.  Return of Kid Miracleman from Miracleman 15 (I own the trade, 3 : Olympus)

13.  Superman to Mongul : Burn from Superman Annual 11 (I’ve seen the Justice League episode :  For the Man who has Everything)

12.  Elektra dies from Dardevil 181 (I own the Frank Miller Visionaries trade)

11.  Thunderbolts revealed as Masters of Evil from Thunderbolts 1 (I use to own the entie run until the stupid Fight Club storyline)

10.  Gwen Stacy Dies from Amazing Spider-Man 121 (I feel like I use to own this in various editions and trades)

9.  Batgirl Shot from Batman : The Killing Joke (I own this)

8.  Cap decapitates Baron Blood from Captain America 254 (I own this in the War & Remembrance, I believe)

7.  Wolverine Dead from Uncanny X-Men 142 (I own this issue)

6.  Captain Marvel arrives at the Gulag from Kingdom Come 3 (I own this trade)

5.  Spidey discovers Burglar that killed Uncle Ben from Amazing Fantasy 15 (a story I own and read in numerous reprints.  It is only a 15 page story, so Marvel has tacked it on, so many times)

4.  Wolverine emerges from sewer from Uncanny X-Men 132 (I own this in the Dark Phoenix Saga trade.  It is also the first appearance by Kitty that I don’t own.  She appears via flashback)

3.  Phoenix kills herself from Uncanny X-Men 137 (I own this via the Dark Phoenix Saga trade)

2.  Ozymandias Victorious from Watchmen 11 (I own the trade)

1.  Batman beats Superman from Dark Knight Returns 4 (I own the trade)

Decent list

Danger Girl gets the Casting Call treatment.  This and Battle Chasers, I was a huge fan of.  I didn’t get the vampire title Cliffhanger released.

These are pretty decent.

Charlize Theron as Abbey Chase

Who is Gena Lee Nolan?

Elizabeth Hurley as Sydney Savage

Claire Danes as Silicon Valerie

Who is Dan Schneider?

Sean Connery as Deuce

Timothy Dalton as Donovan Conrad

Jon Polito as Peach

Billy Zane as Johnny Barracuda

Cheech Marin as Kid Dynamo

Richard Moll as Mr. Giggles

Coming Attractions, oh boy, this brought me back.

FOX had the Captain America and Avengers movie rights.

Batman the Animated Series is entering its final season.

Marvel is still in bankruptcy at this point.

Dilbert, the cartoon, is coming to UPN.

Doctor Katz is entering its fifth season.

Futurama is just starting.

King of the Hill is starting its third season.

Men in Black, the cartoon, is starting its second season.

Micronauts is slated for a movie on the SciFi channel – it never came out.  Nor the cartoon series.

Simpsons are starting their tenth season.

South Park starting its second season.

Spawn is also starting its second season.

In Trailers,

Tom Cruise is working on an Iron Man treatment for FOX.

Bryan Singer is getting close to finalizing an X-Men film.

Matt Damon is rumored to be Daredevil, which I would have preferred.

Batman / Superman Adventures won a Daytime Emmy for World’s Finest.

Rumor is Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is going to be made into a film.  Oh dear

Fantastic Four 1/2 is being offered.

Basic Training with Dale Keown, how to draw proportions

Toy Chest

JLA toys based on Rock of Ages, I own both sets

Video Games

Sega Dreamcast is coming

X-Men fighting game coming to PlayStation One.

Tomb Raider film is coming, no actress has been chosen yet.

Superman is coming to Nintendo 64, oooof

Metal Gear Solid is also coming

Top Ten Heroes and Villains

1.  Batman

2.  Wolverine

3.  Witchblade

4.  Spawn

5.  Captain America

6.  Deadpool

7.  The Darkness

8.  Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner

9.  Savage Dragon

10.  The Demon, which is Gene Simmons in the KISS comic

Comic Picks

Untold Tales of Spider-Man : Strange Encounter

300 : 4 of 5

Astro City 17

Avengers 9, si close to the better 10

Battle Chasers 4

Hitman 31

Iron Man 9

JLA 23, Grant Morrison and Howard Porter – Starro the Conqueror

JLA Year One 10 of 12

Justice League of America : The Nail 3 of 3

Preacher 42

Strangers in Paradise 17

Superman For All Seasons 2 of 4

Thunderbolts 19

Uncanny X-Men 360

X-Men 80

Character Profile – Angel Supergirl

Top Ten Creators

I always wished there was a way to get the two to work on a project together

Writers / Artists

1.  Kurt Busiek / Joe Madureira

2.  Joe Kelly / Michael Turner

3.  Mark Waid / Jim Lee

4.  Grant Morrison / J. Scott Campbell

5.  Grant Ennis / Alex Ross

6.  Steven T. Seagle / Andy Kubert

7.  Peter David / Chris Bachalo

8.  Kevin Smith / Adam Kubert

9.  Matt Wagner / George Perez

10.  Christina Z / John Romita Jr.

I’m pretty sure none of those pairings have happened.

Top Ten Comics

1.  Battle Chasers 1

2.  Oni Double Feature 1

3.  Thor 1

4.  KISS : The Psycho Circus 1

5. Danger Girl 1

6.  Clerks 1

7.  JLA 1

8.  Witchblade 1

9.  Uncanny X-Men 350

10.  Mage : The Hero Defined 1

June Top 100

1.  Uncanny X-Men 358

25.  X-Factor 128

75.  Legends of the DC Universe 7

100.  Ka-Zar 16

Price Guide

Uncanny X-Men 129 … $28.00

Uncanny X-Men 166 … $6.00