New Comics!: The X-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Generation Hope #7:  Gillen continues to do a great job with these characters, really hitting the nail on the head when it comes to conveying them as ordinary kids who just happen to have super-powers.  I enjoyed that Hope, the Great Messiah, was completely unable to convince the Fetus that life didn't suck.  It's nice to see that she can't solve all the problems the Lights encounter.  Similarly, Laurie's recitation of facts about Germany's excellent education system and highly-progressive work hours and vacation allowances was funny, as was Kenji telling the kid he couldn't really help him.  The ending is cute, keeping with the light-hearted nature of the stories we've seen so far.  Gillen isn't sending the kids against Mr. Sinister in these stories (though I'm sure those days are coming) but he manages to keep me interested, giving us an interesting meditation on life without being overly expository or lecture-y.  All in all, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by this series. 

X-Men:  Prelude to Schism #1-#2:  OK, so I don't know anyone who doesn't have event fatigue, a feeling made worse for me by the pretty awful "Chaos War" and isn't being helped by the somewhat meandering "Fear Itself."  But, that being said, these issues of "Prelude to Schism" were actually pretty interesting.  We see the X-Men facing an unnamed threat that could wipe out Utopia (it could possibly be Bastion, I think), but waiting for Cyclops to make some sort of decision.  Cyclops, meanwhile, is given advice by Professor X (in the first issue) and Magneto (in the second one), both of whom spend most of the issues reflecting on their own failures of leadership and their relationships with Scott.  Although it could've been done cloyingly, Jenkins actually handles it superbly.  He's got a real skill for portraying emotions without inducing eye-rolling, a talent that I wish more comic-book writers had.  I'm excited to see where this event is going, which, honestly, I don't think I've ever been able to say before, at least not recently. 

Uncanny X-Men #537:  This issue starts off angry and just keeps getting angrier.  Gillen really builds the suspense here, giving the issue an awesome Hitchcockian vibe as Kitty wordlessly and frantically stumbles through Utopia seeking someone to save Peter.  I'm going to have to re-read last issue, because I'm not entirely sure why Kruun's knife can magically injure a phased Kitty (maybe it's coated with the cure?) or the significance of Haleena striking what looks like the M'Kraan crystal.  But, seeing Peter in his underwear more than compensates for those questions.  I really like what Gillen continues to do with this book, because he never takes the easy road.  When the Breakworlders appeared a few issues ago, I didn't think we'd see the X-Men on the ropes like we do here.  I'm excited to see how it all resolves itself, because it's anyone's guess at this point.

X-Factor #219:  The General Ryan mystery arc wraps up here in a fairly dark way.  Monet shatters Ballistique's mind, but decides to allow her to live.  JJJ, Jr. is sleazy as ever, revealing that he had held back information from the team.  Layla leaves Guido's hospital room in tears when it's revealed that Guido is, indeed, probably soulless, given that he's talking about the "weight" he feels has been lifted off him.  Unfortunately, despite a lot happening, I can't say I particularly liked this arc.  JJJ, Jr. and the Black Cat seemed more or less oddly wedged into it, distracting from the story .  Monet, Shatterstar, and Wolfsbane also all seemed particularly blood-thirsty here, which isn't exactly out of character for any of them (and understandable given the Guido situation), but it felt little over-the-top at times to me.  Honestly, I'm looking forward to putting this arc behind us.

X-Men Giant Size #1:  Um, OK, I bite.  Wow.  My heart sank when I saw that the Neo were (at first glance) the enemy in this issue, because, after rummaging around my mind a bit, I remembered that it was the terrible Neo stories in "Uncanny X-Men" that partially led me to give up the X-books entirely.  So, I was a bit nervous as I continued reading, despite the fact that I actually found myself enjoying the first few pages.  The art was impressive, and Yost did a great job of giving us an epic battle without the action getting convoluted because of the significant number of characters involved.  Then, just when I was coming to the conclusion that maybe Yost was rehabilitating the Neo as not totally ridiculous villains, we get transported into the past, where we see the original X-Men fight the Brotherhood of Mutants.  (I wasn't as impressed with the art here.  I know they're going for a retro style but I think this section would've been even better if Medina had just done the whole issue.)  Despite feeling like a non-sequitur, the battle between the young X-Men and the Brotherhood was enjoyable.  Just when I'm wondering why exactly we're given this trip down memory lane, though, BAM, we get the Evolutionaries appearing and all Hell breaks loose.  Yost foreshadows the events that are about to happen by giving us a scared Cyclops, something I now realize I don't think we've ever seen before, at least not to the extent we see here.  The reason behind Cyclops' fear becomes readily apparently when the Evolutionaries wipe out the Neo.  When I say "wipe out," I mean, "destroy totally."  All of them.  Yost really shines here, giving us a story that slowly reveals itself to great effect, culminating in a spectacular cliff-hanger that leaves me counting the days until "X-Men" #12.

X-Men Legacy #249 (Age of X Epilogue):  This issue is a bit...odd.  Magneto takes Rogue to a museum of the Holocaust in Los Angeles to show her a photo of a man he killed after the war.  The man was a scientist who experimented on Jews held in the concentration camp where Magneto spent time as a child, and Magneto forced him to hang himself lest Magneto injure his family.  He relates this "parable" to Rogue because, to his mind at least, it has something to do with her conflicting emotions about him and Remy and tells her to choose Remy.  I'm still not entirely sure what it means, though.  Is he saying he'll kill Remy if he hurts Rogue or something less sinister?  However, we never really get resolution, because the issue then turns to Frenzy and Legion.  Carey is, I believe, building toward creating the permanent team for this series -- Professor X, Magneto, Rogue, Gambit, Legion, and Frenzy -- but I think he tries to do too much here.  I didn't really buy that Magneto would take Rogue all the way to Los Angeles just to show her a photo, and, again, I'm not even sure what the parable really meant.  At any rate, we'll see what he has in store for issue #250 next month.  Hopefully it'll wrap up the post-"Age of X" stories and move us into the new status quo.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman Beyond #5:  OK, so, one of the challenges of reading this series is that, except what I gleaned from watching a few episodes of the TV show, I really know next to nothing about the universe of "Batman Beyond."  My guess is that I'm supposed to know who the villain on the last page of the issue was, why Dana's brother was in prison (and why his creepy comment about being glad to have returned was so ominous), and who exactly Paxton Powers is/was.  However, I don't know any of those things.  I'm tempted to do a bunch of Internet research, but I think I'll wind up just being confused, since it's still unclear what elements of previous "Batman Beyond" works -- from the TV show to the previous comics -- Beechen is using.  However, despite not entirely following all the ins-and-outs, I still thoroughly enjoyed this issue.  Beechen has a great ear for dialogue, and he gives us a really great version of a cranky Bruce Wayne.  I hope he gives us some background next issue without falling too far on the "super-villain explaining his grand plan while our hero is perched precariously over a ravine" side of such divides.  At any rate, I'm excited to see where this plot goes. 

Dark Sun #4:  Our rag-tag team of (sort-of) heroes gets one more step closer to the Tomb of Ianto in this issue.  Over all, it's a pretty solid issue, with Irvine doing a particularly great job of quietly building the suspense for the first few pages as the team makes it way through the too quiet tombs.  However, a lot of the details of the world are unclear to me, and we're far enough into the series that it's becoming distracting.  For example, Rubi tells us that she can sense Haskyr, since he's a fellow member of the Veiled Alliance; but, when we first met them in issue #2, they appeared to be unaware of the other's connection to the Alliance.  Can members only sense other members when they're revealed?  Moreover, the only real information we've gotten on the Veiled Alliance is in the recap page (paging pet peeve #2), which reveals they're an underground group of mages trying to restore Athas to its former glory.  Irvine probably doesn't have enough time to flesh out these details, which is a shame.  The biggest drawback to the issue itself is the art.  I normally like Bergting's pencils, but it feels a little rushed in this issue.  At times, it was hard to tell who was saying what to whom and the action sequences were somewhat confusing to follow.  The last page, however, is great, thanks to Ronda Pattison's colors; after four issues of a coloring us a bleak, desolate world, we suddenly get a light, green vista, and you realize how much restraint we've seen on the colors over the course of the series.  I'll be sad to see the series end next issue, just as we're seeing some hope sprouting in this really sad world. 

Dark Sun #5:  I'm sad to see this series end.  I feel like Irvine has left us with enough material for a bang-up ongoing series.  First, he leaves several mysteries unresolved here, almost all of them dealing with Rubi and the Veiled Alliance.  When she first appears in issue #2, she doesn't seem to understand the important of the amulet she gave to Grudvik and can't tell that Haskyr is a fellow member of the Alliance.  However, in this issue, it's clear that she's known much more than she's let the others think.  For example, she knows that Ianto's tomb holds something called Ianto's seed.  If she knew that, I kind of figure she knew the key she gave to Grudvik opened the tomb.  If so, why did she give it him in the first place?  Also, her sudden departure also raises all sorts of questions.  If she could form a portal to leave the tomb, why couldn't she just use that portal to get them into the tomb?  Who's this militia that will be chasing her?  Where is she going?  Second, Grudvik and Aki make a really compelling team, with Grudvik's quiet stoicism and Aki's quick wit.  I hope this title sold well enough for an ongoing series or at least another mini-series.  I'm going to keep it on my pull list just in case something appears one day! 

Fear Itself #2:  OK, this issue is better than the first one, so maybe this series won't be terrible.  Odin brings the Asgardian gods to what appears to be New Asgard, preparing for battle, and the Serpent assembles his warriors, sending them into the world to wreck havoc and spread fear.  Meanwhile, we see the heroes try to get a grip on events as they happen, so they don't really do much this issue, though I'm sure that will change shortly.  I was kind of hard on Odin in the last issue, mostly because I don't read Thor comics so I'm not entirely sure what his deal is.  But, he's a bit more clear here on the fact that the gods will be lucky to survive a war with the Serpent and don't have time to worry about Midgard.  As tempting as it is, I'm trying to keep a handle on my collector obsessivism, because I really have no desire to spend hundreds of dollars chasing down all the tie-in issues, particularly since Marvel did such a poor job of making them count in "Chaos War."  But, it would be useful if Marvel produced some sort of "core book" reading list.  At any rate, I can't say it's worth $3.99 an issue, but at least it's not terrible so far.  (How's that for a back-handed compliment?) 

Fear Itself:  The Home Front #2:  This issue is pretty forgettable, if not downright bad.  The Speedball story is OK, but, unless Gage really throws us for a loop, it seems pretty clear that Ms. Sharpe is going to come to an understanding about Speedball by the end of this story.  We'll probably all hug.  It's just starting to seem a little pat, and we're only two issues into the storyline.  Otherwise, it's fine.  Just like last issue, Gage adroitly presents the anxiety and fear that I imagine regular people would feel in a world of super-humans.  We don't get an insight into those feelings often, and Gage does a really great job with them.  The other stories are actually pretty terrible.  I still have no idea how Jimmy Woo and his "Agents of Atlas" are.  The story is basically a post-script to events we originally saw in the "Fear Itself" prelude, where the Red Skrull attempts to track down Skadi's hammer.  The dialogue is awful, the characters are wooden, and the plot seems irrelevant.  We then have a one-page "Purple Man" story (again, who?) that left me confused, which, really, given that it's a one-page story, is an accomplishment.  Finally, we have a totally random story about Liz Allan, Harry Osborn's ex-wife, that seems to screw up continuity, since Liz says they just visited Harry in New York, but I'm pretty sure Harry fled New York after the events of the "Origin of the Species" arc in "Amazing Spider-Man."  If next month's issue is as irrelevant and predictable as this month's, I'm pretty sure I'm canceling this series and saving myself $3.99 a month. 

X-Men Legacy #248 (Age of X Epilogue):  This issue actually clears up some questions left lingering from "Age of X," particularly who Revenant (aka Phoenix) was.  We learn here it was Rachel Summers, who got caught in the event while trying to connect with Professor X telepathically, inadvertently rendering her mind separate from her body.  I was excited to see Rachel here.  Havok and Marvel Girl are two of my favorite X-Men, reminding me of the awesome issues in the early and mid-200s from my youth.  They've been gone WAY too long and, hopefully, this issue sets in motion their return.  Carey cleverly uses "Age of X" to move along some long-stalled plots here, such as giving Legion more control over his powers (again) and addressing Gambit and Rogue's relationship problems (which I feel like have just been left to linger for a long, long time).  I'm hopeful that we actually get to see Legion start on the road of playing a role as something other than his usual "greatest mutant threat alive."  Also, I'm sure the psychological effects on the X-Men of "Age of X" are going to be totally forgotten soon, but it's interesting seeing Carey not completely ignore them immediately.  I still find Carey's writing somewhat...overwrought, making "X-Men Legacy" a book that I read more from obligation than enjoyment.  But, even if I don't exactly emotionally connect with his characters here the way I do with Gillen's in "Uncanny," Carey definitely does some interesting things here.  I actually find myself anticipating the next issue for the first time, possibly ever, in this title.

New Comics!: The Age of X Edition #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Age of X:  Universe #1:  This supplemental title gives us some insight into the events that were happening before Fortress X was built.  This universe's Avengers team is a group of mutant hunters, led by Captain America.  Iron Man is a twisted version of his former self (his body has now bonded to his armor thanks to some mutant-derived virus), Sue Richards turned in the other members of the Fantastic Four for harboring mutants, and Bruce Banner was apparently driven insane when a mutant caused his accident, which led him to slaughter his fiancée, best friend, and colleagues.  (Ghost Rider and Spider-Woman are also on the team, but they're pretty much just filler.  In fact, Ghost Rider dies almost right away.)  It's an interesting story, but I'm left to wonder again about the dynamics of this world.  For example, Magneto seems to have discovered that nothing really exists outside the walls of Fortress X, though clearly something does based on these stories.  (Moreover, something had to exist before Magneto created Fortress X, since, after all, Magneto existed before Fortress X.)  Marvel isn't obviously going to rush the reveal, so we're left with these sorts of stories, where you just have to ignore the inconsistencies and enjoy them for what they are.  Separately, we discover that the reason Legacy is treated as special is that she's collecting all the memories of the mutants who die.  In the secondary feature, we see Spider-Man send away a pregnant Mary Jane as the government captures him to sterilize him, given his status as a "post-mutant." 

X-Men Legacy #247 (Age of X:  Chapter 5):  We finally get to the heart of the matters here, and, unfortunately, I have to say I'm a little disappointed.  First, I feel like we've gone to the well a few too many times when it comes to portraying Legion as a reality-warping sociopath.  In fact, the first arc of the new "New Mutants" series dealt with Legion, and it was one of the better (and grounded) storylines I've ever read dealing with him.  In truth, this fantastic (in the "unbelievable" not "amazing" sense of that word) story somewhat pales in comparison to the more realistic story found in "New Mutants" #1-#4.  But, I could handle my disappointment if it was limited to Legion.  Instead, I found myself equally disappointed when it became clear we weren't going to see the Basilisk/Wolverine team-up we seemed promised to get in "X-Men Legacy" #246.  Instead, we see Basilisk give a fairly uninspired speech to Cannonball and the assembled Fortress X inhabitants about how nothing makes sense, somehow convincing everyone to abandon their posts.  It was this wasted opportunity that left me perhaps the most disappointed, given that a Basilisk/Wolverine assault on the system could've been awesome (and would've probably provided a resolution that felt more organic than Basilisk just convincing everyone that something was wrong).  As a result of these two disappointments, this issue really lacked any sort of excitement or tension for me.  It just seemed to pretty much check the box and move along the plot, bringing us one step closer until the inevitable return to the way thing should be.  I'm pretty sure Mike Carey had something grander in mind than that.  Hopefully we see that in the last issue. 

New Mutants #24 (Age of X:  Chapter 6):  OK, this issue saves the concept a bit, though I still have a disappointment hangover from Chapter 5.  Legion ultimately gets his heroic moment here, a different ending than we usually see for him.  Based on the way the book ends (and the solicits for "X-Men Legacy" #248), it appears that Legion's story doesn't end here, and "Age of X" may wind up being the spark that begins to resolve the Legion issue.  If it does, I think I can handle my disappointment over him being the culprit behind the "Age of X."  One of the consequences of having only a seven-issue story (nine-issue, if you count the "Age of X:  Universe" mini-series) is that Carey never gets the chance to fully explore some of the characters who showed the most promise in the beginning.  For example, just like the dropped Basilisk/Wolverine partnership, we never discover whether Phoenix is Jean, Rachel, or Hope.  It's these sorts of absences that leave me felling a little disappointed at the end of the day and not altogether upset the "Age of X" is over. 

Age of X:  Universe #2:  We learn, in this last installment of "Age of X," how the Avengers, who defy General Castle's orders and stop the Hulk from exterminating all the mutants, wound up being the inspiration for the Force Wall.  (I didn't catch that General Castle was Frank Castle -- a.k.a. the Punisher -- in the first issue.)  The issue definitely focuses a little more on "tell" not "show."  Mystique's monologue was unnecessarily heavy-handed, given that I'm pretty sure Captain America had already come to the conclusion that their mission was unjust when he saw she died defending the children.  But, it wraps up some loose ends, which is more or less what it was supposed to do.  Despite, like the Spider-Man back-up story in the first issue, not really contributing much to the plot, the Dazzler back-up story is well done.  I was initially skeptical that Stephen Strange -- even another universe variant of him -- would be a mutant hunter, so I was pleasantly surprised when it's revealed he was working with the mutants all along. 

Final Thoughts:  I enjoyed "Age of X," at least more than I was enjoying the usual stories in "X-Men Legacy."  I do feel like it fizzled in the conclusion, and was too derivative of "Age of Apocalypse" to have the sort of lasting impact that storyline had.  It mostly covers familiar ground, allowing us to see old characters in a new light.  Other than the switch in responsibilities between Cannonball and Basilisk, though, I can't say anyone is really all that different from their prime universe counterpart or an alternate universe counterpart we've already seen.  Moreover, the revelation that one of Legion's personas was behind the whole ordeal made it a little more predictable, if only in retrospect.  But, as I said earlier, if it gives us some sort of eventual resolution of the Legion problem then I'll retroactively think it was worthwhile.  It's disappointing that Carey et al. never got the chance to explore some of the more intriguing sub-plots, such as the Phoenix's actions in Albany or the various romances depicted in the first few issues.  It seems that the upcoming issues of "X-Men Legacy" will determine the legacy of "Age of X" and I look forward to seeing how Carey wraps up some of the loose ends.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman:  The Dark Knight #2:  OK, here's the thing.  I've got to be honest:  I'm kind of tired of the "girls Bruce Wayne loved" schtick.  We saw it with the Absence in "Batman and Robin," we see it in "Batman, Incorporated" #4 (see below), and we see it here with the second installment of "In Golden Dawn."  Based on information we got last issue, Dawn Golden was a childhood friend who broke Bruce's heart after college graduation.  OK, sure.  That sucks.  Do I believe that his love for her and his need to find her are so strong that he would savagely break the Penguin's arm and leg?  Um, no.  I mean, we're talking about a guy who manages not to do that to the Joker, who beat Jason Todd to death with a crowbar and paralyzed Barbara Gordon.  But, Dawn Golden is the one to really push him over the edge?  I just don't buy it.  Also -- and I think I might raise it to status as pet peeve #3 soon -- the Penguin and Killer Croc really didn't take the chance to peak under Bats' mask to see who he is when they had him unconscious?  Or, you know, just kill him, like Penguin tried to do at the start of the issue?  Really?  Speaking of pet peeves, per pet peeve #2, we see Bats holding Dawn Golden on the cover of this issue, but he doesn't actually find her in the book.  Also, why is a mutated Ragman killing homeless people?  (Maybe something was supposed to happen in the Ragman secondary feature in "Batman:  Streets of Gotham," but the series got canceled before we could see it?)  I'm not sure Finch is a talented enough writer to keep all the balls in the air that he's got going here.  After waiting three months, I needed something more than essentially a poorly-written "Detective Comics" issue to justify keeping this title.  I'm not sure if I got that here. 

Batman:  Streets of Gotham #21:  I read this issue first before re-reading the entire arc.  I can say now that "House of Hush" will make a really great trade paperback.  The plot is compelling, we get new insights into old characters, and the insight into old-school Gotham is fun.  However, as a storyline with installments of varying length spread over eight issues, it was hard to stay engaged with the story to the level necessary to fully appreciate it.  For example, it wasn't until I re-read the entire arc that I remember Judson Pierce's connection to Roger Elliot (Hush's father) and I had totally forgotten about the Bedbug sub-plot.  (Although Bedbug is actually a cool idea for a character, I think it would've been better to save that story for a different arc or a secondary feature, rather than wasting the pages on a story that only served to draw out the primary storyline.)  My guess is that the blame here lies with the editors who recommended the page lengths and chapter divisions than Dini, who really delivers a great story.  I'm pretty sure they could've had Hush encounter Jane Doe to the same effect (Hush losing Bruce Wayne's face, an important moment in the post-"Return of Bruce Wayne" world) in a three-issue arc that didn't bring us on the convoluted ride we've experienced here.  Moreover, if this issue is indeed the last issue of the series, then I'm pretty sure we're denied a conclusion to the Ragman secondary feature, which sucks because it was, for the most part, more compelling than "The House of Hush."  In the end, it's a sad ending to a series that showed a lot of promise.  (P.S.:  After I read the first issue and wrote the original version of this review, I read some other reviews online and someone noted that this arc gives us the origin -- or at least a glimpse into the past -- of the Joker.  When I re-read the overall arc, I'll admit my mind was BLOWN.  I give Dini a lot of credit for the way he subtly and deftly wove that in that plot.  The boy who would become the Joker suffers terribly and it really gives us insight into why he becomes who he becomes.  However, it's not enough to make me wish that the overall storyline hadn't been partially ruined by editorial interference.) 

Batman Incorporated #4:  OK, I've read issue #3 three times and #4 twice, and I've been able to piece together the following:  Kathy Kane, the former Batwoman, is the biological daughter of Agent-Zero, the head of the spy ring for whom Agent-33 (now known as the Gaucho) worked.  Agent-33 recruited Kathy into the ring for an as-yet-unnamed mission for Agent-Zero, who also happens to be an "unrepentant Nazi master criminal" known as Dr. Dedalus, who was locked into some cave (or something) in the Falkland Islands by a group of British superheroes during the Falkland War.  Meanwhile, Batman is trying to bring the Gaucho into "Batman, Incorporated," only to learn that he's the one that got Kathy Kane involved in the spy ring that allegedly killer her, and the new Batwoman is on the trail of an Argentine gang who killed three Marines.  Um, yeah.  I get that, to understand (and appreciate) Morrison, you've got to put in work.  I get that.  I also appreciate what Morrison does here with the original Batwoman, bringing her back into continuity.  In fact, the flashback sequences are amazingly well done, both in terms of the scripting (where I can almost hear Adam West's voice every time Bruce or Batman speaks) and in the art (aping the 1950s and 1960s style, right down to the original Batmobile design).  But, I still feel like Morrison is suffering from being too clever and sacrificing some coherence in the plot to do it.  I mean, we're juggling A LOT in these two issues (I didn't even mention "oroboro" in the above recap, and it's pretty much central to the plot), and I think Morrison forgets sometimes that he's competing with ten other Bat-books.  That said, this issue is a vast improvement over the last one and I'm now at least interested to see where it leads. 

Captain America #615.1:  I read the other day that Marvel has announced that Steve Rogers is going to take over the role of Captain America again, something I figured was going to have to happen given the upcoming movie.  This issue sets that stage, with Cap encountering a faux Captain America who steps into the vacuum left by Bucky's ongoing legal troubles.  I can't say I'll be disappointed to see Steve return, since, to be honest, I've missed reading about him, having to settle only for his appearances in "Secret Avengers."  But, I hope Bucky gets his own kick-ass series, because, if he doesn't, THEN I'll be disappointed.  Maybe he, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird can get a combined series called "Love Rectangle" or something. 

inFAMOUS #2:  The plot continues to build here.  Moya, who last issue was working with the First Sons, appears to resume her government role here, ordering the capture of Sasha and the invasion of Empire City.  Cole is still trying to put himself back together, and works with the Warden and Zeke to fend off the invasion.  The Beast is loose in the city, but Moya appears to have another version of him ready to go.  This issue really builds on the energy of last issue, clarifying some mysteries and deepening others.  For example, Moya mentions that Sasha got her powers at the same time as Cole, which I don't think we knew before.  (I'm not really sure how that happened, unless she was holding some secondary Ray Sphere that also absorbed the abilities of all the people who died.)  Also, one of the soldiers refers to Moya as "Mother," which makes me wonder whether that's her First Sons codename and where the line between the First Sons and the military is drawn.  You get the sense that things aren't going to go well for our guys... 

New Mutants #23 (Age of X:  Chapter 4):  As expected, Legacy and Gambit survive Magneto dumping debris on them.  In fact, Magneto dumped debris on them on purpose, so he could hide them in an underground tunnel and reveal that he's the one who sent Kitty Pryde outside the walls.  (He realized it's pretty bizarre that they all keep repeating the same day, over and over again, like "Groundhog's Day.")  It's revealed here that the reason Kitty's camera was full of blank pictures is because nothing exists outside the wall; when she said she saw "nothing," she meant it literally.  (I'm not sure, logistically, how they're going to make that work, since the humans have to be attacking from somewhere.)  Magneto goes into full revolt to distract attention from Legacy and Gambit going to a newly-discovered room in the center of Fortress X.  Magneto liberates Professor X, who speaks to him cryptically, but he's interrupted by Dani's squad, who's been sent by "X" to capture him.  Just as he convinces Dani to listen to Professor X (when he regains consciousness), Magneto is defeated, and removed from command, by the Force Warriors.  Meanwhile, Legacy discovers that someone (a "she") has stolen the universe and put it in a box.  This cross-over event continues to be interesting, with Carey doing a great job of making it a good read not just because we can see what's different in this world but because it's a fascinating story.  I'm wondering now if "X" isn't Cassandra Nova or even Jean Grey.  Guessing is half the fun! 

Uncanny X-Men #534:  The "Quarantine" storyline wraps up here in a more or less satisfying way, with the humans who took Sublime's drug learning the hardships of mutanthood in a way that borders on "After-School Special" territory but doesn't cross into it.  The Sebastian Shaw sub-plot is resolved oddly, though.  If wiping his mind of his memories was such an easy solution, I'm confused why Emma just didn't do it in the first place, since it's pretty clear it was the only option other than killing him.  Then again, Professor X wiping Magneto's mind didn't turn out so well, so maybe that gave her pause (though I think I'm giving the writers too much credit for thinking about her motivations).  The main problem with this series for me, at this point, is the same I have with the other two main X-books.  We see little in the way of character development (Dazzler learning Welsh slang from Pixie doesn't count) because every character appears in practically each issue of each series.  We need to return to the days where each book had a set roster.  I mean, you can still handle 18-21 characters over three books if you put six or seven people on each team!  Also, I'm kind of ready for Kitty to be able to talk again.  To the extent character development occurred in this arc, I think it's due to Gillen's addition to the writing team, so I'm looking forward to his reign beginning soon on the book.

New Comics!: The Age of X Edition #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Age of X:  Alpha #1:  Mike Carey explains in a note at the end of this book that the Age of X was meant to be an in media res exercise, with the reader being dropped immediately into the story with little in the way of explanation of how we got there.  This issue is meant to be, as Carey says, an overture to the symphony that follows, establishing the back stories of some of the major characters and dropping some hints about the different past of this new world.  It's a different approach from the Age of Apocalypse cross-over event (upon which this event is clearly modeled), since that event had a specific catalyst (the assassination, in the past, of Professor X).  But, Carey creates a lot of really compelling characters here (or, to put it more specifically, re-creates a lot of really compelling characters).  The story of Cyclops -- now known as Basilisk -- is compellingly sad.  It's interesting to see him in a follower role, with Cannonball serving as the field general.  In "New Mutants" #10, we saw Cyclops implying Cannonball might not be the leader of the future that he's always been more or less groomed to be, so it's interesting, in this world, that it's Cannonball and not Cyclops running the show.  I also applaud Carey (if it sticks) for taking out Wolverine so early.  As I've mentioned in this blog, I'm SO over Wolverine, and I'm actually even more looking forward to this event now that I know it won't just give us yet another iteration of the Cyclops/Phoenix/Wolverine love triangle! 

X-Men Legacy #245 (Age of X:  Chapter 1):  OK, as Carey promised, we're in the thick of things immediately.  As we saw in "Age of X Alpha," Magneto ("the General") is leading the last group of mutants at a refuge called "Fortress X," and they've apparently been fighting off the human armies for the last three years.  We see a number of familiar faces here, but what happened in the past to create their new selves and this new world is still unclear.  The person who appears to be Hellion is still missing his hands, so it's unclear whether a version of the events from "Second Coming" happened.  We've seen Phoenix in both the last issue and this one, but we haven't really been told who she is.  (My guess is Hope, not Jean, since we also have heard that the Phoenix destroyed Albany at some point.)  We've heard mention of someone called "X" who appears to be a computer and who I'm guessing in some version of Professor X.  Speaking of Professor X, Legion is sane (or at least appears to be) and Moira (who someone calls Legion's stepmother) is alive.  Wolverine appears to have survived the events of "Age of X Alpha" (I'm glad to see his role is at least muted), though we learn other mutants (Madrox, Nightcrawler) are dead.  We've also seen a number of intriguing couples (Basilisk and Frenzy, Betsy Braddock and Iceman, Storm and Namor).  However, Carey has succeeded in making the book not just about noting the difference between the two worlds.  We get some intrigue here, learning that Magneto is keeping certain mutants under house arrest, when Kitty Pryde is discovered to have escaped the barrier that surrounds Fortress X.  Rogue retrieves the camera Kitty hid and what she sees on the camera appears to make her question Magneto and his leadership. 

New Mutants #22 (Age of X:  Chapter 2):  After spending the first issue mostly establishing who's who, Carey focuses on advancing the plot here, with Rogue (now known as Legacy) looking into the camera that Kitty Pryde brought into Fortress X.  She heads into the brig, where she encounters Blindfold (who we last saw having visions of this world in "X-Men Legacy" #244).  Blindfold directs Legacy to Professor X, who is indeed locked in the brig.  (Is "X" Cable, then?)  Legacy goes rogue (heh) after getting busted by Danger for talking to Kitty.  I have to say, I'm intrigued where this storyline goes.  I thought I recognized Magik and the Stepford Cuckoos in the brig when we saw it in the last issue, and I think that makes sense, since Magneto seems to be keeping hostage the people who can reveal the truth about the old world.  If so, this twist would be significantly different from the Age of Apocalypse, where Magneto was nothing but a full-on hero. 

X-Men Legacy #246 (Age of X:  Chapter 3):  OK, things get interesting real quick here.  First, we learn that the prisoners are segregated at the order of X, not Magneto, implying that Magneto may not be the one trying to prevent the truth from being revealed.  Along those lines, based on a conversation between Wolverine and Legacy, it appears that telepaths have been entirely removed from the equation in this world (possibly by X).  We see Gambit join Legacy in her escape; I don't buy that Magneto actually killed them.  But, even if he did, Legacy's efforts won't be for naught; we see Wolverine share what she told him to Basilisk, who agrees to help him dig.  Also of note, Moira refers to herself as one of Magneto's kind here, more or less implying she's a mutant.  All in all, this plot is just getting more and more intriguing.  Seeing Gambit & Rogue and Wolverine & Cyclops working together, I'm reminded of the halcyon days of the 200s of "Uncanny X-Men."  The X-books are so filled with characters right now that you don't often get that sense of intimacy that you used to get reading these books; Carey has really tapped into that by putting some old-school favorites front and center.  Also, I have to mention Clay Mann's art.  The characters and the setting really jump off the page; he's doing amazing work.  I can't say I was a super fan of his work on "X-Men Legacy" before (because it wasn't until I Googled him that I realized he's been on the book for a while), but these Age of X issues have been great.