To be honest, I wish that DnA would've just stuck to the team enjoying the party without succumbing to the need to throw in the obligatory mid-party battle sequence. After all, we definitely had some issues on the table that could've used some more attention before we turned off the lights on this title. For example, did we know that Amara and Bobby are now together, or did that just happen? I'm not sure, and, given the pages and pages that have been dedicated to that plot over the last 49 issues, we probably deserved a more satisfying resolution. But, I'll concede that DnA at least do a good job of using the aforementioned fight to resolve Doug's paranoia that he's going to become a world-destroying dictator again, so at least something got put to bed here.
It's the rest of the issue that matters to me, obviously, as DnA give us a tour d'horizon of where the members of the team stand, individually and in their relationships. In addition to the lack of clarity on Amara and Bobby, we also leave the Dani/Nate/Sam triangle somewhat unresolved, though Dani at least stresses to Sam that they'll always be friends. On the positive side, I did enjoy watching Nate interact with everyone, particularly the scene where Bobby, Sam, Warlock, and he try to light the grill. In fact, in retrospect, I really wish that DnA had focused more on Nate over these last few issues as opposed to Doug, since I think that it would've been really interesting for them to explore Nate's thoughts on having actual honest-to-goodness friends. We never really got to see his thoughts on suddenly being part of a team and I think that it's probably the plot that I most regret didn't get explored.
At this point, the only other outstanding issue is what happens to the New Mutants as a team. Logan tells Dani that she's doing a great job and, in his capacity as more or less the de facto leader of the X-Men, it seems to imply that the New Mutants will continue operating in San Francisco. We know that Bobby and Sam will be joining the Avengers, so I'm not really sure where we're going to see the adventures of the rest of the team. Hopefully, they'll all turn up somewhere. I read an interview on "Comic Book Resources" where DnA imply that we'll learn their fate as Marvel NOW! progresses, so something seems to be in the works.
But, this iteration of the team i clearly done. I was excited about this series from the start, since the initial few arcs had the original team together. I've talked about my emotional investment in the New Mutants dating to reading them as a kid in the '80s, so it was a thrill to see them together again. The line-up has changed since those first few issues, but DnA have mostly done a good job of keeping that vibe. In fact, I feel like DnA had a lot more stories to tell about them so it's disappointing to know that they won't be telling them. I actually can't believe that Legion is getting his own comic rather than keeping on the New Mutants (or at least giving Nate one, where at least I could see his friendships with the other New Mutants and his relationship with Dani develop). In the meantime, I'll basically be counting the months (but hopefully not years) until Marvel again gives them another shot. For now, though, it's going to be sad not to be hanging with them in their house in San Francisco once a month.
Showing posts with label New Mutants (2009). Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Mutants (2009). Show all posts
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
New Comics!: The Non-"Avengers vs. X-Men" X-Edition #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
New Mutants #49: DnA really wrap up this arc pretty cleverly, even if time-travel stories make my head hurt. The alternate timeline in which the New Mutants found themselves last issue was created as a result of future Doug re-writing the past reality to create a new future reality, one where he is no longer a benevolent dictator but an absolute ruler. His main way of doing so appears to be inserting himself into the new alternate reality earlier than he appeared in the previous future reality. (I know. I'm just going to stop trying to explain it. Suffice to say, it works, if you don't think about it too hard.) At any rate, after future Doug absorbed present Doug, present Doug spent years trying to find a way to stop his future self. He realized that he should send the Hellions after the New Mutants at that crucial moment, since their presence would activate Dani's Valkyrie abilities, which she could then use to "kill" his future self. At that moment, I realized that the genius of DnA is that I'm not sure which idea came first: did they want to incorporate the Hellions as the team's last villains and so invented the plot to make that happen or did they have the future Doug plot in the first place and realized that they could incorporate the Hellions into it? Either way, the fact that either option could be plausible reveals just how tight DnA's writing is. I had actually thought that Doug would stay dead and I had come to terms with it since it's such a better way for him to go than his last death. But, thankfully, we get to keep present Doug. For good measure, Dr. Strange removes the effects of the "interdimensional entity" that caused all the problems in the first place. In other words, all's well that ends well. The only negative to this issue is the abrupt change in the art. I'm hoping that we get someone decent for the last issue.
X-Factor #244: So far, I can't say that I've been all that surprised by the events of "Breaking Points," in part because Peter David has been building the stories that see their denouements here for a long time. It was pretty clear that Guido wasn't magically going to regain his soul, so his decision to leave the team made sense, given Monet's constant rejection of him. Similarly, it made even more sense that Rahne left the team to take care of her son. However, I'm shocked that Terry is leaving. I've always thought of Terry as the heart of X-Factor, the one that notices the things that Madrox doesn't notice, that makes sure everything and everyone are moving in the right direction. In fact, it's exactly this trait that sets up this issue, since she asks for a boon from the Morrigan to repair Lorna's fractured mind.
I'm not really sure what I think about the developments in this issue. First, I had a lot of questions about the Morrigan and her motives when she first appeared. She seemed to be aware of Theresa before Theresa was aware of her, and, after reading this issue, I'm wondering if she had already identified Theresa as her successor before the events of issue #239. Although it makes sense if you don't think about the details too much, it doesn't if you remember that the whole reason that the Morrigan attacked Theresa is that she wanted her to worship her, not become her. Moreover, in terms of this issue itself, how did the Morrigan know to start appearing to Theresa before Lorna actually went insane? Is she omniscient? (In issue #239, I also questioned how she knew that Terry called herself Banshee, which was in theory why the Morrigan originally went after her, since she was offended at Terry for using the name). David doesn't really answer any of these questions related to the Morrigan. Whether she just spontaneously decided to surrender her divinity or had been planning it for a long while, I guess we're not going to know. All we do know is that Theresa has now ascended to some form of godhood and, based on her conversation with Jaime at the end, we're unlikely to see her again any time soon.
Terry's departure definitely leaves a hole in the group. I'm assuming that we'll see Layla step into her role, particularly as Layla has become more human as a result of her decreased ability to "know" the future. But, it's still sad to see Terry go. It's really hard to predict how these departures will change the series, since David has so carefully paid attention to each character's interaction with other characters. In most books, a character is just how s/he is and everyone usually responds to her/him in the same way. David is such a great writer (usually) and has written these specific characters for so long that he has developed a more nuanced set of group dynamics. Everyone interacts with everyone else differently. Without Terry interacting in her specific way with Jaime or with Monet, it's difficult to tell how they'll each be affected, not to mention the team as a whole.
As a side note, I actually thought the most poignant part of this issue was Alex's confession to Lorna. Alex gets incredibly short shrift from Marvel so it was nice to see him in a quiet moment. I particularly liked how he wasn't in costume, perhaps for the first time since he re-joined X-Factor. It seemed to accentuate that he was just a guy trying to figure out a way to lead a team, deal with a girlfriend who needs help, and figure out his own needs and priorities. Given that Alex is going to be in "Uncanny Avengers," I'm guessing that he's going to leave "X-Factor," which is a shame. His dynamic with Jaime has been excellent and I feel like Rick Remender isn't going to approach him with the same care and insight as David would.
Onto the next depressing day...
X-Men Legacy #273: Blah, blah, blah, cats and dogs, living together, blah, blah, blah. I'd say more, but, really, this whole arc has been so tortuously over-written that I'm just glad to see it done.
X-Factor #244: So far, I can't say that I've been all that surprised by the events of "Breaking Points," in part because Peter David has been building the stories that see their denouements here for a long time. It was pretty clear that Guido wasn't magically going to regain his soul, so his decision to leave the team made sense, given Monet's constant rejection of him. Similarly, it made even more sense that Rahne left the team to take care of her son. However, I'm shocked that Terry is leaving. I've always thought of Terry as the heart of X-Factor, the one that notices the things that Madrox doesn't notice, that makes sure everything and everyone are moving in the right direction. In fact, it's exactly this trait that sets up this issue, since she asks for a boon from the Morrigan to repair Lorna's fractured mind.
I'm not really sure what I think about the developments in this issue. First, I had a lot of questions about the Morrigan and her motives when she first appeared. She seemed to be aware of Theresa before Theresa was aware of her, and, after reading this issue, I'm wondering if she had already identified Theresa as her successor before the events of issue #239. Although it makes sense if you don't think about the details too much, it doesn't if you remember that the whole reason that the Morrigan attacked Theresa is that she wanted her to worship her, not become her. Moreover, in terms of this issue itself, how did the Morrigan know to start appearing to Theresa before Lorna actually went insane? Is she omniscient? (In issue #239, I also questioned how she knew that Terry called herself Banshee, which was in theory why the Morrigan originally went after her, since she was offended at Terry for using the name). David doesn't really answer any of these questions related to the Morrigan. Whether she just spontaneously decided to surrender her divinity or had been planning it for a long while, I guess we're not going to know. All we do know is that Theresa has now ascended to some form of godhood and, based on her conversation with Jaime at the end, we're unlikely to see her again any time soon.
Terry's departure definitely leaves a hole in the group. I'm assuming that we'll see Layla step into her role, particularly as Layla has become more human as a result of her decreased ability to "know" the future. But, it's still sad to see Terry go. It's really hard to predict how these departures will change the series, since David has so carefully paid attention to each character's interaction with other characters. In most books, a character is just how s/he is and everyone usually responds to her/him in the same way. David is such a great writer (usually) and has written these specific characters for so long that he has developed a more nuanced set of group dynamics. Everyone interacts with everyone else differently. Without Terry interacting in her specific way with Jaime or with Monet, it's difficult to tell how they'll each be affected, not to mention the team as a whole.
As a side note, I actually thought the most poignant part of this issue was Alex's confession to Lorna. Alex gets incredibly short shrift from Marvel so it was nice to see him in a quiet moment. I particularly liked how he wasn't in costume, perhaps for the first time since he re-joined X-Factor. It seemed to accentuate that he was just a guy trying to figure out a way to lead a team, deal with a girlfriend who needs help, and figure out his own needs and priorities. Given that Alex is going to be in "Uncanny Avengers," I'm guessing that he's going to leave "X-Factor," which is a shame. His dynamic with Jaime has been excellent and I feel like Rick Remender isn't going to approach him with the same care and insight as David would.
Onto the next depressing day...
X-Men Legacy #273: Blah, blah, blah, cats and dogs, living together, blah, blah, blah. I'd say more, but, really, this whole arc has been so tortuously over-written that I'm just glad to see it done.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
New Comics!: The Non-"Avengers vs. X-Men" X-Edition #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
New Mutants #48: I honestly have no idea where DnA are going with this story and I'm not complaining. Although I wasn't that thrilled with the last arc, DnA retool the concept a bit here, putting the focus on Doug as he struggles to make sense of the revelation that he's one day going to become (maybe, possibly) a world conqueror. To that end, I thought sending the group to Colorado was a great move. It gave the story a certain post-apocalyptic feel, with the main characters isolating themselves as they try to plan their next move against a much more powerful force. It also helps focus the attention on Doug. As Bobby says, we watch Doug become increasingly unhinged as this issue progresses, to the point where he contemplates suicide at the end. But, he's interrupted by the transmoded Hellions and I really have to applaud DnA here. Given that this series wraps up its run in two issues (and who knows if we'll ever get another New Mutants series again) bringing back the Hellions really harkens to the New Mutants' beginnings. I can't think of a more fitting final enemy than them. Needless to say, I can't wait to see where DnA go with the story.
X-Factor #243: Jesus. After "Venom" #19 and this issue, I need a drink.
Peter David somehow manages to completely re-write Lorna's history in a way that makes it clear that it was the only plausible history this entire time. The mental instability that has plagued her for her entire life is revealed to have been from Mastermind re-writing her memory, erasing the knowledge that she caused her parents' death when she was a child. It's a devastating issue, because, even if Lorna is theoretically more mentally stable now, you have to wonder how she's going to recover from this revelation. Just the possibility of learning the truth led her to pretty extreme acts of violence in this issue, assaulting both Longshot and Monet. Who knows where she's going to go from here?
(On a side note, it seems odd to me, as we near the final issue of "Avengers vs. X-Men," that Havok isn't more involved. After all, his brother just became Dark Phoenix...and he's on a rooftop waiting for a mystery to be revealed about his on-again, off-again girlfriend that, you know, probably could've waited a few more days while he tried to convince his brother not to destroy the planet. After all, if he failed, the secret wouldn't have really mattered all that much anyway.)
However, despite his usual excellent characterization and emotional command, David isn't perfect here. Since Lorna knew about Longshot's power, you have to wonder why she didn't ask him to hold the photo in the first place. I buy the fact that she just might not have put two and two together, since I think that it's pretty likely that she viewed the picture for a more emotional, rather than rational, place. But, it does make you raise an eyebrow, at the very least. Also, in terms of the art, I'm not really sure why Lorna dropped the photo. Was she walking and tripped over something? It appears like she has a seizure or something. Given that the whole issue actually revolves around that moment, it's a pretty important scene to get right.
Finally, who does Terry think "keeps coming back?"
X-Men Legacy #272: To be honest, I am just not feeling this arc. I've enjoyed Gage's focus on Rogue so far in his run on this title, but I feel like that approach falls apart a bit when you remove her from the X-Men. I just don't find this story all that compeling. First, it still feels totally arbitrary, like the writers didn't realize that they accidentally left out Rogue at the conclusion of "Avengers vs. X-Men" and had to find a reason why she wasn't there. But, even more than that, the big downside is that Gage has dedicated a lot of space over this issue and the last one to explaining the dynamics of the war between the two alien civilizations...and it's just not that interesting. It all just seems like countless "superhero in the middle of a war s/he doesn't understand but will wind up ending" stories and I get the sense that Gage is really phoning in the dialogue, particularly since most of it in this issue is monologue. I'm just waiting for us to return to regularly scheduled programming.
X-Factor #243: Jesus. After "Venom" #19 and this issue, I need a drink.
Peter David somehow manages to completely re-write Lorna's history in a way that makes it clear that it was the only plausible history this entire time. The mental instability that has plagued her for her entire life is revealed to have been from Mastermind re-writing her memory, erasing the knowledge that she caused her parents' death when she was a child. It's a devastating issue, because, even if Lorna is theoretically more mentally stable now, you have to wonder how she's going to recover from this revelation. Just the possibility of learning the truth led her to pretty extreme acts of violence in this issue, assaulting both Longshot and Monet. Who knows where she's going to go from here?
(On a side note, it seems odd to me, as we near the final issue of "Avengers vs. X-Men," that Havok isn't more involved. After all, his brother just became Dark Phoenix...and he's on a rooftop waiting for a mystery to be revealed about his on-again, off-again girlfriend that, you know, probably could've waited a few more days while he tried to convince his brother not to destroy the planet. After all, if he failed, the secret wouldn't have really mattered all that much anyway.)
However, despite his usual excellent characterization and emotional command, David isn't perfect here. Since Lorna knew about Longshot's power, you have to wonder why she didn't ask him to hold the photo in the first place. I buy the fact that she just might not have put two and two together, since I think that it's pretty likely that she viewed the picture for a more emotional, rather than rational, place. But, it does make you raise an eyebrow, at the very least. Also, in terms of the art, I'm not really sure why Lorna dropped the photo. Was she walking and tripped over something? It appears like she has a seizure or something. Given that the whole issue actually revolves around that moment, it's a pretty important scene to get right.
Finally, who does Terry think "keeps coming back?"
X-Men Legacy #272: To be honest, I am just not feeling this arc. I've enjoyed Gage's focus on Rogue so far in his run on this title, but I feel like that approach falls apart a bit when you remove her from the X-Men. I just don't find this story all that compeling. First, it still feels totally arbitrary, like the writers didn't realize that they accidentally left out Rogue at the conclusion of "Avengers vs. X-Men" and had to find a reason why she wasn't there. But, even more than that, the big downside is that Gage has dedicated a lot of space over this issue and the last one to explaining the dynamics of the war between the two alien civilizations...and it's just not that interesting. It all just seems like countless "superhero in the middle of a war s/he doesn't understand but will wind up ending" stories and I get the sense that Gage is really phoning in the dialogue, particularly since most of it in this issue is monologue. I'm just waiting for us to return to regularly scheduled programming.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
New Comics!: The X-Men Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Gambit #1: Meh. I like James Asmus a lot, but, by my count, we're now talking about the third time that I'm being asked to buy an ongoing series staring Gambit. It's a little hard to put in the emotional investment, when, based on past experience, this series is unlikely to hit 25 issues. But, I gave it a shot. The premise is a good one, focusing on Gambit as a thief rather than Gambit as an educator, but I just wasn't feeling it. If you're a die-hard Gambit fan, though, it's probably a better fit for you. I used to be, but I feel like he's been so reduced to a caricature of himself, or, at least, the self that we first met in the '90s, that I can't say that I'm in that camp anymore. Asmus seems aware of that problem and trying his best to move Gambit past it, but I'm just not ready to follow that journey. See you in the X-titles, Gambit.
New Mutants #44: This issue is a pretty inauspicious start to this new arc. On one hand, any premise that brings together the East and West Coast New Mutants is a good one in my book. But, on the other hand, DnA used some pretty obvious plot devices to move this story forward. First, the Defenders just happened to appear before the New Mutants in time to help them fend off demons from Limbo? Really? It's not a huge deal, since it's not all that consequential to the plot, but it did make me roll my eyes. But, more importantly, it makes no sense that Dani insisted that the New Mutants get a shot at tackling the threat alone or that Dr. Strange allowed them to do so without giving them more information. If I were Dani, I'd want heavy-hitters like Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, and Silver Surfer on my side if I were going against some sort of cosmically significant supernatural threat. If I were Dr. Strange, I'd want to make sure a team of young adults with no sorcerer in their ranks had the resources that it needed to combat such a threat. Even if Dr. Strange wasn't sure what the threat was, he could've at least offered that the Defenders would work to define the threat while the New Mutants tried to identify it in their own way. But, instead, he and the others leave more or less in a huff, like they know what the threat is, but their feelings are hurt so they're not going to tell anyone about it. It read like the forced plot device that it is, and it unfortunately overshadowed the issue for me. (The "disturbance in the Force" crack from Bobby was a highlight, though.) The art also didn't help. Fernandez draws some truly bad faces; at one point, I swear that Nate was missing a nose. All in all, it was a pretty disappointing issue, but we'll see where we go from here.
New Mutants #45: OK, this issue is a lot better than the last one. Although DnA might've used some overly forced plot devices to set up this arc, they stay more grouned here as we get to the heart of the matter: namely, the arrival of future Cannonball and Karma. DnA tell a tight time-travel story, and I thought that future Sam's revelation that they had to remove present Sam and Shan from the present to avoid creating ripple effects was particularly innovative. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Doug being a super-villain, despite the fact that his latest incarnation has always seemed to have the potential to go that way. But, I love the fact that DnA are using past events of this series to move forward the plot. It was pretty clear when Doug came into contact with that metal box with the alien ship in "New Mutants" #36 that it was going to have some serious impact in a later story, and here we are. DnA don't reveal their hand yet, but we do learn that Doug introduced modified Warlock technology to the New Mutants' costumes at some point and then used this technology to control them. We also don't know the scope of Doug's control yet, either. For example, does he run the world, or is he just a super-villain? I guess we'll find out next issue.
In the meantime, DnA heighten the impact of the story by focusing on the emotional ties that the New Mutants have to each other. I've loved this title and its predecessors because they've always focused on a small group of characters. As opposed to the Avengers and the X-Men, with their huge rotating rosters, we've really gotten to see these characters build relationships with each other over the years. DnA use these relationships to make the stakes at play higher. We see a great future where they've moved past some of their current awkwardness and uncertainties to become the family that they've always wanted to be. But, we learn that Doug used exactly these connections to take control of them, and we feel that betrayal all the more because we felt those connections in the first place. I can't wait to see where DnA go with that.
New Mutants #46: Huh. This issue isn't terrible or anything, but, other than establishing Doug as a future menace, I'm not really sure what it accomplished. Sure, we have the inevitable slugfest with Doug, allowing us to see just how powerful he has become. (Shunting the group outside the time stream seems pretty damn powerful.) But, DnA don't really make it clear what power the metal box gave him. Improving his ability to control the transmode virus and controlling the space-time continuum seem to be pretty different abilities. DnA seem to pin it on Doug's ability to "speak the language of dimensions," which unfortunately seems like yet another forced plot device. Is the transmode virus a dimension? I could see where that power would apply to the time stream, but it seems a bit much to imply that it extends to the transmode virus. DnA also don't show how this power enabled Doug to become the world's dictator, as he seems to have become. How did it help him create the "closed system?" We never get answers to those questions, since, instead of defeating future Doug, they just return him (and future Cannonball and Karma) to their own time. The ending is ominous, with Dani and Sam pledging to keep an eye on Doug, but, other than that, it's hard to tell what this story brought us. I mean, it's clear that DnA will return to the idea in the future, but I still feel like we've been drifting lately. When DnA took over the series, they re-focused it to create a team that addressed the X-Men's loose ends. But, between the "Exiled" cross-over event and this arc, it's been a while since we've actually seen them do that. (In fact, this arc is a soft cross-over event of sorts, given that we saw the Defenders in issue #44, even if they, oddly, never appeared again.) Finally, I really just don't like Fernandez's art. Although he had some decent moments early in his run, these last few issues have been incredibly sloppy. It's bad when it's almost impossible to tell Amara from Dani, or Bobby from Nate. I found myself wishing that cover artist John Tyler Christopher had been given the reins. All in all, it's been a disappointing few issues, even if we had some good characters moments in issue #45.
New Mutants #47: DnA decide to keep us in a time-travel story here, revealing that the New Mutants didn't return to their own timeline when they sent future Doug to his, instead entering one that only looked like it was. I really dislike time-travel stories and I wasn't a fun of the previous feeder arc, but DnA do a pretty good job with this issue. They don't rush the story, so it's a surprise when Kitty discloses that the schism between Cyclops and Wolverine didn't happen, raising the team's awareness that something went wrong. We eventually learn that the New Mutants aren't in a different timeline, but one that shouldn't exist in the first place, though DnA are going to have to elaborate on that theme in later issues if I'm going to end this arc satisfied. (Did Doug create it to isolate them, giving him time to consolidate his power in the future?) If nothing else, I enjoyed the return of Cannonball to the fold, and DnA made a good decision splitting the team into two separate groups, using it to build the drama slowly. In a way, the whole issue turned on Dr. Strange: for me, it was DnA's excellent portrayal of him as a broken man driven almost insane by knowing that he was right when everyone else was wrong that sold the issue for me. I'm excited to see where we go from here.
New Mutants #44: This issue is a pretty inauspicious start to this new arc. On one hand, any premise that brings together the East and West Coast New Mutants is a good one in my book. But, on the other hand, DnA used some pretty obvious plot devices to move this story forward. First, the Defenders just happened to appear before the New Mutants in time to help them fend off demons from Limbo? Really? It's not a huge deal, since it's not all that consequential to the plot, but it did make me roll my eyes. But, more importantly, it makes no sense that Dani insisted that the New Mutants get a shot at tackling the threat alone or that Dr. Strange allowed them to do so without giving them more information. If I were Dani, I'd want heavy-hitters like Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, and Silver Surfer on my side if I were going against some sort of cosmically significant supernatural threat. If I were Dr. Strange, I'd want to make sure a team of young adults with no sorcerer in their ranks had the resources that it needed to combat such a threat. Even if Dr. Strange wasn't sure what the threat was, he could've at least offered that the Defenders would work to define the threat while the New Mutants tried to identify it in their own way. But, instead, he and the others leave more or less in a huff, like they know what the threat is, but their feelings are hurt so they're not going to tell anyone about it. It read like the forced plot device that it is, and it unfortunately overshadowed the issue for me. (The "disturbance in the Force" crack from Bobby was a highlight, though.) The art also didn't help. Fernandez draws some truly bad faces; at one point, I swear that Nate was missing a nose. All in all, it was a pretty disappointing issue, but we'll see where we go from here.
New Mutants #45: OK, this issue is a lot better than the last one. Although DnA might've used some overly forced plot devices to set up this arc, they stay more grouned here as we get to the heart of the matter: namely, the arrival of future Cannonball and Karma. DnA tell a tight time-travel story, and I thought that future Sam's revelation that they had to remove present Sam and Shan from the present to avoid creating ripple effects was particularly innovative. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Doug being a super-villain, despite the fact that his latest incarnation has always seemed to have the potential to go that way. But, I love the fact that DnA are using past events of this series to move forward the plot. It was pretty clear when Doug came into contact with that metal box with the alien ship in "New Mutants" #36 that it was going to have some serious impact in a later story, and here we are. DnA don't reveal their hand yet, but we do learn that Doug introduced modified Warlock technology to the New Mutants' costumes at some point and then used this technology to control them. We also don't know the scope of Doug's control yet, either. For example, does he run the world, or is he just a super-villain? I guess we'll find out next issue.
In the meantime, DnA heighten the impact of the story by focusing on the emotional ties that the New Mutants have to each other. I've loved this title and its predecessors because they've always focused on a small group of characters. As opposed to the Avengers and the X-Men, with their huge rotating rosters, we've really gotten to see these characters build relationships with each other over the years. DnA use these relationships to make the stakes at play higher. We see a great future where they've moved past some of their current awkwardness and uncertainties to become the family that they've always wanted to be. But, we learn that Doug used exactly these connections to take control of them, and we feel that betrayal all the more because we felt those connections in the first place. I can't wait to see where DnA go with that.
New Mutants #46: Huh. This issue isn't terrible or anything, but, other than establishing Doug as a future menace, I'm not really sure what it accomplished. Sure, we have the inevitable slugfest with Doug, allowing us to see just how powerful he has become. (Shunting the group outside the time stream seems pretty damn powerful.) But, DnA don't really make it clear what power the metal box gave him. Improving his ability to control the transmode virus and controlling the space-time continuum seem to be pretty different abilities. DnA seem to pin it on Doug's ability to "speak the language of dimensions," which unfortunately seems like yet another forced plot device. Is the transmode virus a dimension? I could see where that power would apply to the time stream, but it seems a bit much to imply that it extends to the transmode virus. DnA also don't show how this power enabled Doug to become the world's dictator, as he seems to have become. How did it help him create the "closed system?" We never get answers to those questions, since, instead of defeating future Doug, they just return him (and future Cannonball and Karma) to their own time. The ending is ominous, with Dani and Sam pledging to keep an eye on Doug, but, other than that, it's hard to tell what this story brought us. I mean, it's clear that DnA will return to the idea in the future, but I still feel like we've been drifting lately. When DnA took over the series, they re-focused it to create a team that addressed the X-Men's loose ends. But, between the "Exiled" cross-over event and this arc, it's been a while since we've actually seen them do that. (In fact, this arc is a soft cross-over event of sorts, given that we saw the Defenders in issue #44, even if they, oddly, never appeared again.) Finally, I really just don't like Fernandez's art. Although he had some decent moments early in his run, these last few issues have been incredibly sloppy. It's bad when it's almost impossible to tell Amara from Dani, or Bobby from Nate. I found myself wishing that cover artist John Tyler Christopher had been given the reins. All in all, it's been a disappointing few issues, even if we had some good characters moments in issue #45.
New Mutants #47: DnA decide to keep us in a time-travel story here, revealing that the New Mutants didn't return to their own timeline when they sent future Doug to his, instead entering one that only looked like it was. I really dislike time-travel stories and I wasn't a fun of the previous feeder arc, but DnA do a pretty good job with this issue. They don't rush the story, so it's a surprise when Kitty discloses that the schism between Cyclops and Wolverine didn't happen, raising the team's awareness that something went wrong. We eventually learn that the New Mutants aren't in a different timeline, but one that shouldn't exist in the first place, though DnA are going to have to elaborate on that theme in later issues if I'm going to end this arc satisfied. (Did Doug create it to isolate them, giving him time to consolidate his power in the future?) If nothing else, I enjoyed the return of Cannonball to the fold, and DnA made a good decision splitting the team into two separate groups, using it to build the drama slowly. In a way, the whole issue turned on Dr. Strange: for me, it was DnA's excellent portrayal of him as a broken man driven almost insane by knowing that he was right when everyone else was wrong that sold the issue for me. I'm excited to see where we go from here.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
New Comics!: The "Exiled" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Exiled #1: OK, as expected, Gillen and DnA (GnDnA?) spend most of this issue setting up the story that they're going to tell over the next four issues. We learn about the Disir, shieldmaidens of the former King of the Gods, Bor. He apparently expelled them from Asgard after catching them eating warriors who he had defeated, cursing them to always be hungry but never able to eat. (I'm not entirely sure why they went all cannibal, but I'm just going to go with it.) They eventually fell under the sway of Loki, who transferred his power over them to Mephisto in some sort of deal. GnDnA actually pull off telling that complicated back story pretty well -- particularly since it happens all in the first two pages -- but all that narrative, no matter how successfully it sets the stage, doesn't exactly make for the most exciting of starts. As the issue progresses, we eventually learn why we care about the Disir: one of the warriors who the Disir allegedly ate managed to survive somehow and is now living across the street from the New Mutants, watching their every move. (It seems that they attracted his notice when he observed one of Hela's minions secreting away the Hel-hound that Warlock has been keeping as a pet, though it doesn't explain why he was living across the street from them (and watching them) in the first place. It appears he might have just been watching them because he's an observant kind of guy, possibly because the Disir have been searching for him.) When Dani discovers him spying on them, she confronts him and, realizing that she's a Valkyrie, he activates a set of armor that he'd been hiding in his apartment. In so doing, he brings himself to the attention of the Disir, who break their bonds and flee Hell. It's pretty clear that we've got a lot of twists and turns ahead of us, but I thought GnDnA did a good job of setting up such an involved story. Hopefully the next few issues will move a little more quickly than this one did as we get into the fights proper.
Journey into Mystery #637: First, the intro page was awesome. Since comics and Dungeons and Dragons overlap significantly in my Venn diagram of nerdiness, I loved the use of Dungeons and Dragons terms to describe the events of the first issue. But, most importantly? "Adventures in Babysitting" is probably my favorite movie of all time, if I'm being honest. I mean, sure, I'm supposed to say that it's something like "Germinal," but, it's not. It's "Adventures in Babysitting." As such, this comic is FULL OF WIN not only for giving us the Thor-as-a-mechanic scene but acknowledging that said scene comes FROM "Adventures of Babysitting." FULL OF WIN! (Sorry, I just had to repeat that, to accurately portray my excitement.) The minute Thor appeared on the New Mutants' doorstep as a mechanic, I was like, "OMG, 'Adventures in Babysitting.'" But, I lost my %&^* when he actually referred to it! Well effing done, GnDnA! Well effing done! Of course, the reason why Thor appears as a mechanic is because Sigurd apparently cast a spell when he went to his armor at the end of last issue and wiped clean the memories of all Asgardians near him. Apparently, when he recognized Dani as a Valkyrie, he panicked that he had been discovered by the Asgardians and deactivated the shield that hid him from the Disir. He did so in order to attract them to him so that he could use a spell that Loki gave him to erase their memories. (Loki apparently gave him this spell when he was Adult Bad Loki and not Kid Mischievous Loki.) The good news is that the Disir have, in fact, forgotten who they are; they form an eating-disorder support group. The bad is that all the other Asgardians who had assembled to fight the Aesir when they noticed them convening on Sigurd have also forgotten who they are, which is why Thor suddenly finds himself fixing the New Mutants' car. Besides the Thor bit, GnDnA play up this premise for yucks (Volstagg runs a bakery, Fandral owns a bar, Hela is a recycler screaming, "Bring out your dead!"). For me, it works. It probably only works for this issue, but GnDnA make it pretty clear that they're not going to ruin it by dragging out the joke too far, since the New Mutants already remind Kid Loki who he is by the end of the issue. Based on the ending, where one of the Disir realizes that she can eat whatever she wants (namely, a cat), I'm guessing that Loki and the New Mutants are going to find a way to revive the other Asgardians' memories fairly quickly lest the Disir eat most of San Francisco.
New Mutants #42: OK, so I'm a little confused by what happens at the end of this issue. For most of the issue, the New Mutants go about gathering the materials necessary for Kid Loki to cast a counter-spell to undo the spell that Sigurd cast, allowing the Asgardians to remember who they are. (I'm not entirely sure what was supposed to happen with the Disir, since I'm pretty sure that Sigurd and the New Mutants wouldn't want them to remember who they were, since they would beeline for Sigurd. But, as you'll see, that becomes a moot point.) Kid Loki is under the gun because reality is reasserting itself against the spell that Sigurd cast; if he doesn't cast the counter-spell in time, reality will cause Sigurd's spell to snap, killing the Asgardians. The Asgardians, including the Disir, begin to remember vaguely who they are. (I think the Disir remember more quickly as a result of finally being able to eat.) As predicted, the Disir come gunning for Sigurd, and the New Mutants and the recovering Asgardians have to protect him (and the rest of San Francisco). I get all that. (I mean, you know, more or less.) But I didn't get the part about Kid Loki not being Kid Loki. Are we really supposed to believe that he was just a kid living down the street from the New Mutants, who happened to have Hela as a foster mom? Without the Hela connection, I might have bought it, but I'm pretty sure that the Hela connection makes it a non-starter. So, did the spell that Kid Loki cast misfire and make himself forget all over again? I'm hoping next issue gives us some clarity on that. I'm also assuming that the Asgardians remembering who they are is really bad, since it means reality must be seriously fighting the spell and ready to burst. But, no one seems all that concerned about it here, though, admittedly, the New Mutants have a lot on their plate at this point.
Journey into Mystery #638: OK, so, the twist here is clever. The shieldmaidens didn't eat the warriors that Bor defeated; they slept with them. He cursed them with "desiring flesh" after they had, you know, desired flesh, thought in a different way than we were originally led to believe. Seriously, I so didn't see that coming. It was unclear from the start of this arc how exactly Sigurd had escaped the shieldmaidens (when it seemed that he had escaped from being eaten) and why the shieldmaiden still hunted him, but here we learn that it's because the curse that Bor put on them stipulated that they had to either kill or marry Sigurd to become their former selves. (Yeah, I thought it was kind of odd as curses go, too, but at least we got the cannibalism explained.) But, I still have a bunch of questions that I don't feel like we've seen answered yet. First, how did the shieldmaidens escape Mephisto in the first place? Hell isn't generally the type of place you can just leave if you want. Given that Mephisto obtained the shieldmaidens through a deal with Loki, I'm guessing that it's some sort of detail of their deal. In re-reading "Exiled" #1, it appears that Loki is on the hook to round up the Disir and return them to Mephisto, lest his role in giving them to Mephisto in the first place is revealed to the other Asgardians. I'm assuming this issue isn't done (particularly given Amara's, um, connection to Mephisto). But, in addition to the details of the Loki/Mephisto deal that (presumably) would allow the shieldmaidens to escape once they sensed Sigurd, I'm also a little unclear on what Loki got from the deal with Sigurd. Sure, he gave him the spell to use if the shieldmaidens ever found him, but what did Loki get in return? Loki doesn't really just make one-sided deals where he doesn't benefit. (Also, how did Loki come in possession of the shieldmaidens in the first place?) I wonder if DnAnG are going to manage to answer all those questions next issue. Also, it seems that we're no longer worried about the snapping of the spell. By the Disir marrying Sigurd, does that undo the spell, saving the rest of the Asgardians? That seems implied here, but I feel like it probably merited DnAnG mentioning it specifically. Since they didn't, we did seem to suddenly branch into a totally separate plot (Sigurd and his relationship with the Disir) without really addressing the one that had been driving most of the arc (undoing his spell before it broke and killed the Asgardians). I will say that it still read as a fun issue, but I think I'll be a little disappointed if we don't address some of these outstanding issues in the last issue.
New Mutants #43: DnAnG actually manage to deliver a fun issue here, even if they don't really address a lot of the loose ends. I thought it was interesting that they introduced dramatic tension by having Dani rebel against the paternalistic nature of the wedding vows. I was wondering going into this issue what they were going to do to make this issue interesting, since it wasn't like I was going to be on the edge of my seat reading 20+ pages of Sigurd complaining about getting married. (That said, I loved that they paired up Sigurd and Sunspot. When Sigurd first appeared, I actually confused him for 'Berto, so it seemed fitting that they were all buddy-buddy here. I'd totally buy a buddy comedy mini-series featuring the two of them.) I thought having Dani rebel was remarkably clever, and it set up the much more satisfying conclusion of Hela and Loki essentially forcing Bor to free the Disir than watching them marry Sigurd.
Although I go into more detail below about the loose ends that GnDnA don't resolve, they do manage to wrap up some of them in this one. We don't actually ever learn the nature of their deal or how the Disir managed to escape Hell in the first place, but we do get confirmation that Loki was, in fact, on the hook to round up the Disir for Mephisto; his failure to do so is clearly going to cause him problems in the future, I assume in "Journey into Mystery." (I will say, in terms of "New Mutants," I thought it was weird that we seem to end the Amara/Mephisto relationship so quickly. As Mephisto himself implies here, I assumed that he (and DnA) had much greater plans for Amara in the future, so it would be weird to just see this sub-plot disappear. Maybe they felt that they couldn't really go where they wanted with it? I can't say that it was a sub-plot that felt like it belonged in this title, but it was probably worth at least another issue or two.)
Final Thoughts: OK, I'm going to go with the dreaded numbered list to address some of the sub-plots and existing threads that, so far as I can tell, never got fully resolved or were dropped completely:
1) As mentioned in the review of "New Mutants" #43, we never do get an answer on how Loki got the Disir in the first place or, as mentioned in "Journey into Mystery" #638, how they managed to escape Hell so easily.
2) As mentioned in the review of "New Mutants" #42, we never really get an answer why Sigurd just happened to live across the street from the New Mutants or, as mentioned in "Journey into Mystery" #638, what Loki got from his deal with him (where he delivered him the spell that wiped away the Asgardians' memories).
3) Perhaps most disappointingly, we never really discover what happened with the spell. It was the major driving force of "New Mutants" #42 and seemed to be the real focus of the arc, but it essentially gets dropped as a pressing issue in "Journey into Mystery" #638. In "New Mutants" #43, after the Disir become Valkyries, we learn that the spell was broken, even though, as far as I understood it, the spell really had nothing to do, specifically, with the Disir. For example, it's not like the spell broke the minute that the Disir remember who they were; that happened in "New Mutants" #42, but, as we saw in "New Mutants" #43, the other Asgardians still didn't know who they were when they were at the church. So, it's pretty clear that the implication is that the breaking of the spell had to do with the resolution of the Disir/Sigurd situation, even though the spell didn't seem to have anything to do with the breaking of the curse itself.
I actually enjoyed this arc. The writing was sharp, the banter was witty, and the turns were twisty. But, I don't think you can leave this many loose ends on the table and feel like you're leaving your audience satisfied. I could see if they left just enough loose ends to get people to pick up the series that they weren't reading; although I'm not intrigued enough by Mephisto's vow of revenge against Loki to pick up "Journey into Mystery," it's pretty clear that it's what Marvel was hoping would happen. Instead, these loose ends are central to the plot of this arc itself, but they never get addressed. We're supposed to just accept Loki one day found the Disir and gave them to Mephisto. We're supposed to just believe that they suffered his torment for millennia for fun, since, apparently, they could've left Hell at any time. We're supposed to just believe that rent on Mission Street is so cheap that every superhero and Asgardian inevitably will move there. Finally, we're just supposed to believe that reality-altering spells crafted by Asgardian demi-gods just stop the minute that they're no longer helping advance the plot. Unfortunately, I can believe one of those things, but not all of them. If I were giving this arc a rating, I'd desperately want to give it a three, but would probably have to give it a two. [Sad trombone.]
New Mutants #42: OK, so I'm a little confused by what happens at the end of this issue. For most of the issue, the New Mutants go about gathering the materials necessary for Kid Loki to cast a counter-spell to undo the spell that Sigurd cast, allowing the Asgardians to remember who they are. (I'm not entirely sure what was supposed to happen with the Disir, since I'm pretty sure that Sigurd and the New Mutants wouldn't want them to remember who they were, since they would beeline for Sigurd. But, as you'll see, that becomes a moot point.) Kid Loki is under the gun because reality is reasserting itself against the spell that Sigurd cast; if he doesn't cast the counter-spell in time, reality will cause Sigurd's spell to snap, killing the Asgardians. The Asgardians, including the Disir, begin to remember vaguely who they are. (I think the Disir remember more quickly as a result of finally being able to eat.) As predicted, the Disir come gunning for Sigurd, and the New Mutants and the recovering Asgardians have to protect him (and the rest of San Francisco). I get all that. (I mean, you know, more or less.) But I didn't get the part about Kid Loki not being Kid Loki. Are we really supposed to believe that he was just a kid living down the street from the New Mutants, who happened to have Hela as a foster mom? Without the Hela connection, I might have bought it, but I'm pretty sure that the Hela connection makes it a non-starter. So, did the spell that Kid Loki cast misfire and make himself forget all over again? I'm hoping next issue gives us some clarity on that. I'm also assuming that the Asgardians remembering who they are is really bad, since it means reality must be seriously fighting the spell and ready to burst. But, no one seems all that concerned about it here, though, admittedly, the New Mutants have a lot on their plate at this point.
Journey into Mystery #638: OK, so, the twist here is clever. The shieldmaidens didn't eat the warriors that Bor defeated; they slept with them. He cursed them with "desiring flesh" after they had, you know, desired flesh, thought in a different way than we were originally led to believe. Seriously, I so didn't see that coming. It was unclear from the start of this arc how exactly Sigurd had escaped the shieldmaidens (when it seemed that he had escaped from being eaten) and why the shieldmaiden still hunted him, but here we learn that it's because the curse that Bor put on them stipulated that they had to either kill or marry Sigurd to become their former selves. (Yeah, I thought it was kind of odd as curses go, too, but at least we got the cannibalism explained.) But, I still have a bunch of questions that I don't feel like we've seen answered yet. First, how did the shieldmaidens escape Mephisto in the first place? Hell isn't generally the type of place you can just leave if you want. Given that Mephisto obtained the shieldmaidens through a deal with Loki, I'm guessing that it's some sort of detail of their deal. In re-reading "Exiled" #1, it appears that Loki is on the hook to round up the Disir and return them to Mephisto, lest his role in giving them to Mephisto in the first place is revealed to the other Asgardians. I'm assuming this issue isn't done (particularly given Amara's, um, connection to Mephisto). But, in addition to the details of the Loki/Mephisto deal that (presumably) would allow the shieldmaidens to escape once they sensed Sigurd, I'm also a little unclear on what Loki got from the deal with Sigurd. Sure, he gave him the spell to use if the shieldmaidens ever found him, but what did Loki get in return? Loki doesn't really just make one-sided deals where he doesn't benefit. (Also, how did Loki come in possession of the shieldmaidens in the first place?) I wonder if DnAnG are going to manage to answer all those questions next issue. Also, it seems that we're no longer worried about the snapping of the spell. By the Disir marrying Sigurd, does that undo the spell, saving the rest of the Asgardians? That seems implied here, but I feel like it probably merited DnAnG mentioning it specifically. Since they didn't, we did seem to suddenly branch into a totally separate plot (Sigurd and his relationship with the Disir) without really addressing the one that had been driving most of the arc (undoing his spell before it broke and killed the Asgardians). I will say that it still read as a fun issue, but I think I'll be a little disappointed if we don't address some of these outstanding issues in the last issue.
New Mutants #43: DnAnG actually manage to deliver a fun issue here, even if they don't really address a lot of the loose ends. I thought it was interesting that they introduced dramatic tension by having Dani rebel against the paternalistic nature of the wedding vows. I was wondering going into this issue what they were going to do to make this issue interesting, since it wasn't like I was going to be on the edge of my seat reading 20+ pages of Sigurd complaining about getting married. (That said, I loved that they paired up Sigurd and Sunspot. When Sigurd first appeared, I actually confused him for 'Berto, so it seemed fitting that they were all buddy-buddy here. I'd totally buy a buddy comedy mini-series featuring the two of them.) I thought having Dani rebel was remarkably clever, and it set up the much more satisfying conclusion of Hela and Loki essentially forcing Bor to free the Disir than watching them marry Sigurd.
Although I go into more detail below about the loose ends that GnDnA don't resolve, they do manage to wrap up some of them in this one. We don't actually ever learn the nature of their deal or how the Disir managed to escape Hell in the first place, but we do get confirmation that Loki was, in fact, on the hook to round up the Disir for Mephisto; his failure to do so is clearly going to cause him problems in the future, I assume in "Journey into Mystery." (I will say, in terms of "New Mutants," I thought it was weird that we seem to end the Amara/Mephisto relationship so quickly. As Mephisto himself implies here, I assumed that he (and DnA) had much greater plans for Amara in the future, so it would be weird to just see this sub-plot disappear. Maybe they felt that they couldn't really go where they wanted with it? I can't say that it was a sub-plot that felt like it belonged in this title, but it was probably worth at least another issue or two.)
Final Thoughts: OK, I'm going to go with the dreaded numbered list to address some of the sub-plots and existing threads that, so far as I can tell, never got fully resolved or were dropped completely:
1) As mentioned in the review of "New Mutants" #43, we never do get an answer on how Loki got the Disir in the first place or, as mentioned in "Journey into Mystery" #638, how they managed to escape Hell so easily.
2) As mentioned in the review of "New Mutants" #42, we never really get an answer why Sigurd just happened to live across the street from the New Mutants or, as mentioned in "Journey into Mystery" #638, what Loki got from his deal with him (where he delivered him the spell that wiped away the Asgardians' memories).
3) Perhaps most disappointingly, we never really discover what happened with the spell. It was the major driving force of "New Mutants" #42 and seemed to be the real focus of the arc, but it essentially gets dropped as a pressing issue in "Journey into Mystery" #638. In "New Mutants" #43, after the Disir become Valkyries, we learn that the spell was broken, even though, as far as I understood it, the spell really had nothing to do, specifically, with the Disir. For example, it's not like the spell broke the minute that the Disir remember who they were; that happened in "New Mutants" #42, but, as we saw in "New Mutants" #43, the other Asgardians still didn't know who they were when they were at the church. So, it's pretty clear that the implication is that the breaking of the spell had to do with the resolution of the Disir/Sigurd situation, even though the spell didn't seem to have anything to do with the breaking of the curse itself.
I actually enjoyed this arc. The writing was sharp, the banter was witty, and the turns were twisty. But, I don't think you can leave this many loose ends on the table and feel like you're leaving your audience satisfied. I could see if they left just enough loose ends to get people to pick up the series that they weren't reading; although I'm not intrigued enough by Mephisto's vow of revenge against Loki to pick up "Journey into Mystery," it's pretty clear that it's what Marvel was hoping would happen. Instead, these loose ends are central to the plot of this arc itself, but they never get addressed. We're supposed to just accept Loki one day found the Disir and gave them to Mephisto. We're supposed to just believe that they suffered his torment for millennia for fun, since, apparently, they could've left Hell at any time. We're supposed to just believe that rent on Mission Street is so cheap that every superhero and Asgardian inevitably will move there. Finally, we're just supposed to believe that reality-altering spells crafted by Asgardian demi-gods just stop the minute that they're no longer helping advance the plot. Unfortunately, I can believe one of those things, but not all of them. If I were giving this arc a rating, I'd desperately want to give it a three, but would probably have to give it a two. [Sad trombone.]
Thursday, April 26, 2012
New Comics!: The X-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
New Mutants #41: This issue is the "Avenging Spider-Man" #5 of the X-books! I love this issue. I don't know how you write chemistry, but, as Magma says, DnA depict Dani and Nate having so much chemistry that you need lab coats and goggles. Their conversation in the alley is awesome. I loved Nate fumbling over his words, trying to explain to Dani why he's been in such a bad mood (he was afraid that the events of Paradise Island screwed up where he thought that he was going with Dani, preventing him from saying what he wanted to say to her). I also loved Dani just reaching for the brass ring and telling him to "shut up and say it anyway." Don't get me wrong: I love Sam, and I liked Dani and Sam together. But, they don't have anywhere near the chemistry that Dani and Nate do, so it's hard to argue that she should stay with Sam, who lives across the country and with whom she has less chemistry, when she could be with Nate, who lives across the hall and with whom she has amazing chemistry. I'm officially Team Nate on this one, I'm surprised to say. In terms of the other characters, I hope to God that we saw the end of Bobby pining over Amara, even if we all know that her dating Mephisto is going to end in tears. I also loved Warlock getting play, particularly given the reaction it inspired in Bobby. In fact, my only complaint in this issue is that I just don't understand why Lopez draws Doug like he has some sort of facial deformity. He used to be a decent enough looking guy, but he just so is not here. (That said, I liked that DnA actually made Doug act almost human, if still weird, in this issue.) All in all, this issue is exactly the type of issue I'd hope we'd see under DnA, portraying the team as not just a team but also a family. It reminds me when they used to go to the mall in the original series and try to just act like teenagers. So long as DnA keep peppering this series with issues like this one every once in a while, I'm going to be a happy camper.
X-Factor #234: Um, I loved the group hug. Actually, I could just end this review right there. I loved the group hug. Done. Shazam!
But, I'll continue, because the rest of this issue is equally awesome. I thought Layla's explanation of how her powers work and why she resurrected Guido were both compelling and fascinating. It was compelling, because it reveals how difficult it must be for her not to try to affect the future on a day-to-day basis. She says here that she resurrected him because Monet will one day be her best friend and she wanted to spare of her the pain of feeling responsible for Guido's death. I mean, David really knows how to tug at the heart strings here. We're left to ponder how painful it must've been for Monet to realize that she was responsible for Guido's death. After all, it's always seemed that part of her rage at Layla was based on her vague sense of responsibility for his death; when she learned that Layla resurrected him, she had to realize that she did, actually, contribute to his death, since he did actually die and didn't just miraculously survive. But, David also shows how hard it must be for Layla to live life day-to-day when she essentially lives in the past, present and future; for example, in this situation, she knows that this woman will one day be her best friend but has to face the reality that said woman doesn't even really like her now. It was also fascinating because it seems to be the first time that we've gotten that good of an explanation of how Layla's vision works. Since we saw how she got her vision in the first place (after she downloaded her memories in her younger self in "X-Factor" #50), we haven't really explored how perfectly or imperfectly that process worked. We knew it wasn't perfect, but I don't think we knew that its imperfections were related to how close the event was to happening. Moreover, now, we're not really sure if it does work anymore, given that Layla has altered the future, resulting in the future in her head becoming an alternative one. Interesting stuff.
In terms of the rest of the issue, I will say that I'm not particularly interested in Havok and Madrox constantly engaging in a pissing contest, but David seems to imply that's why we have Lorna and Terry who, you get the sense, will more or less really run the show. I'm totally fine with that, because, seriously, it could lead to some comedy gold.
(Oh, yeah, the Isolationist stuff looks interesting. I'm not sure who Jezebel is, but she certainly seems like someone who means business, and not just in a stereotypically villainous kind of way, but in a sanely homicidal way.)
X-Men #27: This issue is pretty bad-ass. This arc has really picked up steam as it's gone, and Gischler does a good job wrapping up the story, putting Jubilee front and center. I thought that he used her brillaintly here, showing how she's a tactician, having been trained by Wolverine (and, more recently, Raizo) but how she's also impulsive, deciding to let Lord Deathstrike stab her with his metal sword so that she can get closer to him. It's allowing him to do that that wins the day, and I thought that it was a clever way for Gischler to really bring her change front and center. By using her immortality (since only wood works when staking a vampire) to her benefit, Gischler shows Jubilee coming into her own. It's a nice way for us to say good by to Jubilee, who I'm guessing will be MIA from the X-books for a while (until everyone magically gets back their powers). It also brings an end to this title for me. It's been fun for the most part, but it seems pretty clearly geared towards readers who are a little less invested in the X-Men than I am. As such, adieu, "X-Men." Thanks for all the fish.
X-Factor #234: Um, I loved the group hug. Actually, I could just end this review right there. I loved the group hug. Done. Shazam!
But, I'll continue, because the rest of this issue is equally awesome. I thought Layla's explanation of how her powers work and why she resurrected Guido were both compelling and fascinating. It was compelling, because it reveals how difficult it must be for her not to try to affect the future on a day-to-day basis. She says here that she resurrected him because Monet will one day be her best friend and she wanted to spare of her the pain of feeling responsible for Guido's death. I mean, David really knows how to tug at the heart strings here. We're left to ponder how painful it must've been for Monet to realize that she was responsible for Guido's death. After all, it's always seemed that part of her rage at Layla was based on her vague sense of responsibility for his death; when she learned that Layla resurrected him, she had to realize that she did, actually, contribute to his death, since he did actually die and didn't just miraculously survive. But, David also shows how hard it must be for Layla to live life day-to-day when she essentially lives in the past, present and future; for example, in this situation, she knows that this woman will one day be her best friend but has to face the reality that said woman doesn't even really like her now. It was also fascinating because it seems to be the first time that we've gotten that good of an explanation of how Layla's vision works. Since we saw how she got her vision in the first place (after she downloaded her memories in her younger self in "X-Factor" #50), we haven't really explored how perfectly or imperfectly that process worked. We knew it wasn't perfect, but I don't think we knew that its imperfections were related to how close the event was to happening. Moreover, now, we're not really sure if it does work anymore, given that Layla has altered the future, resulting in the future in her head becoming an alternative one. Interesting stuff.
In terms of the rest of the issue, I will say that I'm not particularly interested in Havok and Madrox constantly engaging in a pissing contest, but David seems to imply that's why we have Lorna and Terry who, you get the sense, will more or less really run the show. I'm totally fine with that, because, seriously, it could lead to some comedy gold.
(Oh, yeah, the Isolationist stuff looks interesting. I'm not sure who Jezebel is, but she certainly seems like someone who means business, and not just in a stereotypically villainous kind of way, but in a sanely homicidal way.)
X-Men #27: This issue is pretty bad-ass. This arc has really picked up steam as it's gone, and Gischler does a good job wrapping up the story, putting Jubilee front and center. I thought that he used her brillaintly here, showing how she's a tactician, having been trained by Wolverine (and, more recently, Raizo) but how she's also impulsive, deciding to let Lord Deathstrike stab her with his metal sword so that she can get closer to him. It's allowing him to do that that wins the day, and I thought that it was a clever way for Gischler to really bring her change front and center. By using her immortality (since only wood works when staking a vampire) to her benefit, Gischler shows Jubilee coming into her own. It's a nice way for us to say good by to Jubilee, who I'm guessing will be MIA from the X-books for a while (until everyone magically gets back their powers). It also brings an end to this title for me. It's been fun for the most part, but it seems pretty clearly geared towards readers who are a little less invested in the X-Men than I am. As such, adieu, "X-Men." Thanks for all the fish.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
New Comics!: The X-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
New Mutants #40: DnA cleverly force Doug to face his fears and fight the Ani-Mator here by having Warlock merge with Doug to become Douglock. Since Warlock's techo-organic virus protects Doug from the Ani-Mator virus that has already consumed Amara and Roberto and is in the process of consuming Dani and Nate, Doug and Warlock are forced to make the stand, since they're the last ones remaining. I have to say, I'm not really sure where DnA were going with the resolution of the plot, with the now-benign virus that Ani-Mator initially corrupted "running" Paradise Island. How does that work? Does it tell the Ani-Mates not to engage in destructive activity? I felt like DnA could've explained that part a little more, given how much of this issue was already given to scientific mumbo-jumbo. That said, I still thought it was a good issue, particularly because it spoke to a problem that's plagued me since Doug's return, namely how odd he's been behaving. DnA reveal here that it's because his intellect continues to grow as he continues to "understand" the world around him, somewhat separating him from the rest of humanity. It's a totally logical extension of his mutant power, and it went a long way to satisfying me. I still miss Doug, the human. He was one of my favorite characters in "New Mutants" because he often acted as I think a reader would were he suddenly to find his non-powered self facing down a Sentinel. In other words, he was one of us. He's not anymore, but DnA at least explain why. I'll miss him, but I get that this evolution is necessary if his character is going to have a power set that adds something to the X-Men. Before I wrap up this review, I have to say that I really dug Warlock injecting a bacteria-sized version of himself into the Ani-Mator to conduct some reconnaissance. I mean, how cool was that?
Wolverine and the X-Men #8: The kids continue to be my favorite part of this series, to the point where I wish we left the teacher stuff to Gage and the kid stuff to Aaron. (That said, it's only because Aaron has comparative advantage in the kids; I'd argue Gage has absolute advantage in both the teachers and the kids.) Aaron continues to do a good job of giving each kid a voice, from Broo somewhat snarkily (I'm so proud!) assuming Quire's continued abuse of him is some sort of "involuntary verbal tic" to Idie asking Angel if he can speak to God for her. Moreover, I'm glad that he's realized that the Kiddie Hellfire Club would work better as an arch-enemy for the kids rather than the teachers. I've never quite bought this idea that a bunch of human kids "empowered" only for its ruthlessness would be able to take down the X-Men, but I do believe that the Hellfire kids could probably give the School kids a run for their money. But, honestly? I hope Aaron shelves that storyline for a while. I'm really over the Kiddie Hellfire Club, to the point that I'm actually excited about the "Avengers vs. X-Men" cross-over event in this title only because it means I won't be subjected to them.
(After I wrote this review but before I published it, I went to X's site and realized that I hadn't even mentioned the main storyline, Beast fighting Sabretooth. Although it was fine, it felt essentially like filler for the kid story, despite the fact that I think Aaron meant the opposite. Moreover, the more I think about it, the more confused I get. Did Sabretooth just happen to know that Hank was going to be heading to S.W.O.R.D., so he made sure to attack Abigail then? Or, did he intend to kill her and Beast just happened to happen upon him trying to do so? I have to say, although I love Bachalo, a lot of my confusion comes from the fact that I found it occasionally difficult to follow the action, a problem exacerbated by his use of overly dark colors that often made it difficult to differentiate images against the black space backdrop. In other words? Forgettable. Aaron should really stick to the kids and keep around the teachers as occasional comic relief.)
X-Men Legacy #264: OK, seriously, Gage keeps giving us a phenomenally better version of the Jean Grey School than Aaron is. I can think of no better example than the scene depicting Chambers' "Coping with Physical Changes" class. I mean, I LOLed reading the panels depicting the rock guy's "Why do I still get horny when I don't have junk?" question and Chamber's "Straight into the deep end it is" response. (I also loved the crack about the "spandex prom kings an' queens.") But, Gage doesn't reduce it just to comedy. Chamber's speech -- about the fear that the kids all obviously feel that no one is ever going to love them -- is truly lovely. It's honest but hopeful, and Sandoval amplifies the emotion by doing a great job showing the confusion and fear on the kids' faces, like Chamber had read their minds. It's the rare author and artist that can combine so much comedy and emotion in just one page, but Gage and Sandoval do it here wonderfully. It's all the proof that you need to show how this series is the best core X-book right now.
But, the exciting part is that the Chamber scene is just one of many great ones. Gage began this issue with Rogue pondering how best to move forward with Magneto and Wolverine, and I thought Cannonball's response was insightful. He talked about the fact that the thing that makes Rogue a great leader -- her ability to care deeply about other people -- is also the thing that makes her feel the difficult consequences of her decisions more profoundly. It's totally true. In fact, it's the thing that might make her the winner at the end of the day, because we're starting to see how the walls that Cyclops and Wolverine have built around themselves are leading them increasingly to disaster. Moreover, Gage subtly shows how Rogue continues to grow as a leader, highlighting her ability to take other people's powers and use them better than they can. Rogue is the high-water mark for someone taking her powers and moving them to the next level. Her instruction of others not just comes from a "fresh set of eyes," as she says, but also the moral authority of having evolved herself. Gage totally gets that here. I fact, I can't recall anyone stating Rogue's two great strengths -- her caring and her evolution -- than Gage has Cannonball do here. I'm excited about seeing what he does with Rogue over the coming issues.
But, Gage makes sure this issue isn't all quiet hugs and meaningful conversations. In fact, Gage shows that we saw those hugs and conversations because they have a direct effect on the outcome of the main plot, the need to disperse Weapon Omega's absorbed energy before he explodes. Contrasting the earlier discussion about her evolution into the leader that she now is, Rogue reflects on the time when she needed help to control her powers, and commits to help Omega despite the fact that he doesn't think he's worth it, just like she once did. I mean, seriously, Gage gives us Rogue in full in this issue, the sum of her challenges, her failures, and her successes. He uses this history to propel the action that unfolds as we move through the issue, and leaves us with a great cliffhanger. The pacing of these last few pages is great, because I don't know if I'd normally believe that Beast would make a mistake like the one that he does here, but Gage made sure to make it clear that he was operating under significant duress. Finally, Sandoval gives us a really beautiful issue. I don't know if anyone's ever drawn Bobby so well and he makes Hank's lab feel like the flight deck of the Millennium Falcon.
All in all, a great issue of a great series. If you're an X-fan and you're not reading this series, you're missing something great.
Wolverine and the X-Men #8: The kids continue to be my favorite part of this series, to the point where I wish we left the teacher stuff to Gage and the kid stuff to Aaron. (That said, it's only because Aaron has comparative advantage in the kids; I'd argue Gage has absolute advantage in both the teachers and the kids.) Aaron continues to do a good job of giving each kid a voice, from Broo somewhat snarkily (I'm so proud!) assuming Quire's continued abuse of him is some sort of "involuntary verbal tic" to Idie asking Angel if he can speak to God for her. Moreover, I'm glad that he's realized that the Kiddie Hellfire Club would work better as an arch-enemy for the kids rather than the teachers. I've never quite bought this idea that a bunch of human kids "empowered" only for its ruthlessness would be able to take down the X-Men, but I do believe that the Hellfire kids could probably give the School kids a run for their money. But, honestly? I hope Aaron shelves that storyline for a while. I'm really over the Kiddie Hellfire Club, to the point that I'm actually excited about the "Avengers vs. X-Men" cross-over event in this title only because it means I won't be subjected to them.
(After I wrote this review but before I published it, I went to X's site and realized that I hadn't even mentioned the main storyline, Beast fighting Sabretooth. Although it was fine, it felt essentially like filler for the kid story, despite the fact that I think Aaron meant the opposite. Moreover, the more I think about it, the more confused I get. Did Sabretooth just happen to know that Hank was going to be heading to S.W.O.R.D., so he made sure to attack Abigail then? Or, did he intend to kill her and Beast just happened to happen upon him trying to do so? I have to say, although I love Bachalo, a lot of my confusion comes from the fact that I found it occasionally difficult to follow the action, a problem exacerbated by his use of overly dark colors that often made it difficult to differentiate images against the black space backdrop. In other words? Forgettable. Aaron should really stick to the kids and keep around the teachers as occasional comic relief.)
X-Men Legacy #264: OK, seriously, Gage keeps giving us a phenomenally better version of the Jean Grey School than Aaron is. I can think of no better example than the scene depicting Chambers' "Coping with Physical Changes" class. I mean, I LOLed reading the panels depicting the rock guy's "Why do I still get horny when I don't have junk?" question and Chamber's "Straight into the deep end it is" response. (I also loved the crack about the "spandex prom kings an' queens.") But, Gage doesn't reduce it just to comedy. Chamber's speech -- about the fear that the kids all obviously feel that no one is ever going to love them -- is truly lovely. It's honest but hopeful, and Sandoval amplifies the emotion by doing a great job showing the confusion and fear on the kids' faces, like Chamber had read their minds. It's the rare author and artist that can combine so much comedy and emotion in just one page, but Gage and Sandoval do it here wonderfully. It's all the proof that you need to show how this series is the best core X-book right now.
But, the exciting part is that the Chamber scene is just one of many great ones. Gage began this issue with Rogue pondering how best to move forward with Magneto and Wolverine, and I thought Cannonball's response was insightful. He talked about the fact that the thing that makes Rogue a great leader -- her ability to care deeply about other people -- is also the thing that makes her feel the difficult consequences of her decisions more profoundly. It's totally true. In fact, it's the thing that might make her the winner at the end of the day, because we're starting to see how the walls that Cyclops and Wolverine have built around themselves are leading them increasingly to disaster. Moreover, Gage subtly shows how Rogue continues to grow as a leader, highlighting her ability to take other people's powers and use them better than they can. Rogue is the high-water mark for someone taking her powers and moving them to the next level. Her instruction of others not just comes from a "fresh set of eyes," as she says, but also the moral authority of having evolved herself. Gage totally gets that here. I fact, I can't recall anyone stating Rogue's two great strengths -- her caring and her evolution -- than Gage has Cannonball do here. I'm excited about seeing what he does with Rogue over the coming issues.
But, Gage makes sure this issue isn't all quiet hugs and meaningful conversations. In fact, Gage shows that we saw those hugs and conversations because they have a direct effect on the outcome of the main plot, the need to disperse Weapon Omega's absorbed energy before he explodes. Contrasting the earlier discussion about her evolution into the leader that she now is, Rogue reflects on the time when she needed help to control her powers, and commits to help Omega despite the fact that he doesn't think he's worth it, just like she once did. I mean, seriously, Gage gives us Rogue in full in this issue, the sum of her challenges, her failures, and her successes. He uses this history to propel the action that unfolds as we move through the issue, and leaves us with a great cliffhanger. The pacing of these last few pages is great, because I don't know if I'd normally believe that Beast would make a mistake like the one that he does here, but Gage made sure to make it clear that he was operating under significant duress. Finally, Sandoval gives us a really beautiful issue. I don't know if anyone's ever drawn Bobby so well and he makes Hank's lab feel like the flight deck of the Millennium Falcon.
All in all, a great issue of a great series. If you're an X-fan and you're not reading this series, you're missing something great.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
New Comics!: The X-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Generation Hope #17: I was wondering how Asmus was going to bring Kenji's revolt to an end without essentially causing another schism between the X-Men on Utopia. The answer, that he had been manipulating everyone the whole time, was clever, because it made him into a clear hypocrite (and a more clear bad guy) and it isolated him as the sole agitator. It allowed for the revolt to die once he was eliminated, despite the fact that several people didn't really need his encouragement to revolt in the first place. (Along those lines, I was surprised we don't see a scene between Cyclops and Emma, since I'm pretty sure Emma fell in the "there of her own accord" camp, and you'd have to imagine Cyclops wouldn't have exactly been happy about that. But, I'm guessing we'll see that conversation, or a version of it, elsewhere during "Avengers vs. X-Men.") Asmus does a good job of showing real contrition on the part of Hope, something that pretty effectively brings this plot (Hope controlling the Lights) to an end. It'll be interesting to see where it all goes from here. Even if Hope does actually abide by her commitment not to use her power over the Lights in the future, the fact that she admitted having done so shows her potential as a threat (something of which we're not so subtly reminded by the photo of the Dark Phoenix in Shaw's file). Although the issue dragged at times under the weight of the necessary exposition, Asmus livened it up a bit with Gabriel and Pixie; I particularly liked Gabriel talking about his realization, when he became a superhero, that one of his friends would inevitably go through a super-villain phase and Pixie teleporting away Magneto. (Though, I will say, I thought Magneto was Team Hope, so I was confused that he seemed to be Team Kenji, particularly since I doubt Kenji could've successfully manipulated him.) Before I finish, let me rave
about Miyazawa's art. Wow. He draws pretty stark lines that add a
certain grimly realistic grativas to the scenes, something that matched
the tone of this issue perfectly. All in all, it
was a pretty good ending as we segue into "Avengers vs. X-Men."
When I first wrote this review, I hadn't realized the series had been canceled. I was actually planning on dropping it after "Avengers vs. X-Men," to be honest. I've always enjoyed it (except for, you know, Hope), but I was having a hard time justifying the $2.99 a month. To me, Gabriel was really the only break-out star and I hope we see him somewhere else soon. I'm figuring Laurie will appear at the Jean Grey School soon, since she pretty much only stayed to keep Hope honest, similar to Storm staying with Cyclops. All in all, it was a decent series that enjoyed consistently good writing and art and helped flesh out some important details about Hope while introducing some new characters into the fold. Not bad for 17 issues! Moreover, I hope Marvel keep Asmus and Miyazawa together; I could particularly see them doing great work on a new "Nova" series (hint, hint, Marvel).
New Mutants #39: This issue felt like the old-school "New Mutants" to me. Maybe it's because we've returned to Paradise Island, where the death of Doug occurred, something that scarred me as a teenager reading the old series. Maybe it's because the way the team behaved had a similar vibe, slightly less adult than they've been depicted lately (maybe because of all those raging hormones) but still fairly serious. Maybe because it still had elements of fun, despite the grim situation in which the team found itself, because of Warlock's fairly hilarious narration. (I loved when he kept focusing on smiling a lot in order to encourage the team to follow his leadership.) Maybe it's because DnA finally did something interesting with Amara and Bobby, something that made Bobby feel like Bobby and not the love-sick fool we've seen over the course of this new series. (When I say "finally," I don't mean it as a criticism of DnA, since they really just picked up this book. I mean it more as a criticism of the fact that we've been watching this largely one-side relationship burn up pages upon pages for the last 38 issues. Having Dani tell Nate that Amara does love Bobby, finally making it a two-way relationship, was a major step. It might not end with them getting together, but it at least moves forward this plot.) Maybe it's because DnA have Dani and Nate get caught holding hands, a juvenile moment to be sure, while at the same time using it to show the larger threat. But, at the end of the day, it felt like it used to feel reading the original "New Mutants" series, and I can't think of any higher praise than that.
Uncanny X-Men #9: Seriously, I'm starting to believe that Kieron Gillen isn't actually writing this series any more. Maybe he's like Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler or Robert Ludlum, and they just sort of slap his name on the book to get people to buy it, while the real work is done by an unnamed drone. At least, I'm at the point where I'm hoping it's the case, because it's just too difficult to believe that someone that used to write such fun and interesting stories is now producing such dull and formulaic drivel. I don't even know where to begin with this issue. First, the obvious statement is that an Avengers/X-Men team-up issue should not be this dull. It's hard to put my finger on the problem, exactly. I mean, the conceit of the issue -- tracking down villains who escaped from S.W.O.R.D.'s inter-galatic prison -- is pretty solid in terms of the possibility for a rollicking good time. But, in practice, this issue is remarkably dull. It could be because the actual action -- the team-up episodes themselves -- happens in a series of four panels. We're essentially told what happens; we never get to see it. You can tell it's a rush job in advance of "Avengers vs. X-Men," since I think it's clear that these stories could've been told in a much more enjoyable (and engaging) way over the course of five or six issues, not the two, maybe three, issues that we're going to get here. I mean, I would really like to see a Magneto/Spider-Man team-up story, not just get told that a lot of quips happened during it. Given how dreadfully dull the Tabula Rasa story was in the last few issues, I'm surprised Marvel wasted time with it and didn't green light using those issues and the ones actually dedicated to this arc to tell a pre-"Avengers vs. X-Men" story, the "last team-up" that we were promised in the promos. Then, we could've gotten the longer five- or six-issue arc, and I probably wouldn't have been left feeling cheated of an actual story. Second, I found it hard to take "Unit" seriously as a threat. I mean, he essentially looks like the Silver Surfer's board if the top half developed a body. His power appears to be controlling people, but he doesn't seem to have much else going in his favor. Moreover, he doesn't seem all that removed from the Savage from the Tabula Rasa story; we've got yet another alien who learned our language quickly. Seriously, I just don't know what else to say. I'll stay with this series through "Avengers vs. X-Men" and then I'm going to have to seriously re-assess whether I stay with it, something I never thought I'd be saying about "Uncanny X-Men." But, at $3.99, Marvel needs to offer me something better than it has.
X-Factor #233: I don't have a lot to say about this issue because it's standard David strong. I thought it was a great move getting the team off-site so that we delay the inevitable Alex/Madrox confrontation. Similarly, I enjoyed David underscoring the change by bringing in Val. I wonder if the team is going to break along Val and Wolverine lines, something that would definitely help David juggle ten characters on one team. At any rate, David manages to make progress on these various sub-plots while giving us a fun one-and-done story. Solid.
When I first wrote this review, I hadn't realized the series had been canceled. I was actually planning on dropping it after "Avengers vs. X-Men," to be honest. I've always enjoyed it (except for, you know, Hope), but I was having a hard time justifying the $2.99 a month. To me, Gabriel was really the only break-out star and I hope we see him somewhere else soon. I'm figuring Laurie will appear at the Jean Grey School soon, since she pretty much only stayed to keep Hope honest, similar to Storm staying with Cyclops. All in all, it was a decent series that enjoyed consistently good writing and art and helped flesh out some important details about Hope while introducing some new characters into the fold. Not bad for 17 issues! Moreover, I hope Marvel keep Asmus and Miyazawa together; I could particularly see them doing great work on a new "Nova" series (hint, hint, Marvel).
New Mutants #39: This issue felt like the old-school "New Mutants" to me. Maybe it's because we've returned to Paradise Island, where the death of Doug occurred, something that scarred me as a teenager reading the old series. Maybe it's because the way the team behaved had a similar vibe, slightly less adult than they've been depicted lately (maybe because of all those raging hormones) but still fairly serious. Maybe because it still had elements of fun, despite the grim situation in which the team found itself, because of Warlock's fairly hilarious narration. (I loved when he kept focusing on smiling a lot in order to encourage the team to follow his leadership.) Maybe it's because DnA finally did something interesting with Amara and Bobby, something that made Bobby feel like Bobby and not the love-sick fool we've seen over the course of this new series. (When I say "finally," I don't mean it as a criticism of DnA, since they really just picked up this book. I mean it more as a criticism of the fact that we've been watching this largely one-side relationship burn up pages upon pages for the last 38 issues. Having Dani tell Nate that Amara does love Bobby, finally making it a two-way relationship, was a major step. It might not end with them getting together, but it at least moves forward this plot.) Maybe it's because DnA have Dani and Nate get caught holding hands, a juvenile moment to be sure, while at the same time using it to show the larger threat. But, at the end of the day, it felt like it used to feel reading the original "New Mutants" series, and I can't think of any higher praise than that.
Uncanny X-Men #9: Seriously, I'm starting to believe that Kieron Gillen isn't actually writing this series any more. Maybe he's like Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler or Robert Ludlum, and they just sort of slap his name on the book to get people to buy it, while the real work is done by an unnamed drone. At least, I'm at the point where I'm hoping it's the case, because it's just too difficult to believe that someone that used to write such fun and interesting stories is now producing such dull and formulaic drivel. I don't even know where to begin with this issue. First, the obvious statement is that an Avengers/X-Men team-up issue should not be this dull. It's hard to put my finger on the problem, exactly. I mean, the conceit of the issue -- tracking down villains who escaped from S.W.O.R.D.'s inter-galatic prison -- is pretty solid in terms of the possibility for a rollicking good time. But, in practice, this issue is remarkably dull. It could be because the actual action -- the team-up episodes themselves -- happens in a series of four panels. We're essentially told what happens; we never get to see it. You can tell it's a rush job in advance of "Avengers vs. X-Men," since I think it's clear that these stories could've been told in a much more enjoyable (and engaging) way over the course of five or six issues, not the two, maybe three, issues that we're going to get here. I mean, I would really like to see a Magneto/Spider-Man team-up story, not just get told that a lot of quips happened during it. Given how dreadfully dull the Tabula Rasa story was in the last few issues, I'm surprised Marvel wasted time with it and didn't green light using those issues and the ones actually dedicated to this arc to tell a pre-"Avengers vs. X-Men" story, the "last team-up" that we were promised in the promos. Then, we could've gotten the longer five- or six-issue arc, and I probably wouldn't have been left feeling cheated of an actual story. Second, I found it hard to take "Unit" seriously as a threat. I mean, he essentially looks like the Silver Surfer's board if the top half developed a body. His power appears to be controlling people, but he doesn't seem to have much else going in his favor. Moreover, he doesn't seem all that removed from the Savage from the Tabula Rasa story; we've got yet another alien who learned our language quickly. Seriously, I just don't know what else to say. I'll stay with this series through "Avengers vs. X-Men" and then I'm going to have to seriously re-assess whether I stay with it, something I never thought I'd be saying about "Uncanny X-Men." But, at $3.99, Marvel needs to offer me something better than it has.
X-Factor #233: I don't have a lot to say about this issue because it's standard David strong. I thought it was a great move getting the team off-site so that we delay the inevitable Alex/Madrox confrontation. Similarly, I enjoyed David underscoring the change by bringing in Val. I wonder if the team is going to break along Val and Wolverine lines, something that would definitely help David juggle ten characters on one team. At any rate, David manages to make progress on these various sub-plots while giving us a fun one-and-done story. Solid.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
New Comics! The X-Edition #4 of 5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
New Mutants #38: I've essentially been waiting for this issue for, like, 25 years. Doug Ramsey dying had a serious impact on me as a 12-year-old, because I really identified with Doug. He was a nerd and an outcast, like I felt I was, so I took his death particularly hard. Since he returned a few years ago, I've been disappointed that he's been treated as an autistic version of his former self. Doug Ramsey was a perfectly normal kid in the old "New Mutants" series, and I haven't liked this revisionist history that he wasn't. As such, when it became clear that DnA planned on addressing his emotional troubles in this current arc, I could barely contain my excitement. As Dough himself says, he is a loose end, and leave it to DnA to recognize it.
On top of the implicit promise of a changed Doug, this issue was also just damn good. DnA give us a tour of the New Mutants' relationships with one another, and it feels like the old New Mutants, with a complicated series of crushes and jealousies, all serving to bind them together in ways that no other X-team has been in a long time (at least since the Outback days). Of note, DnA manage to present this tour with humor and wit. I loved Dani and Nate's conversation, in part because they were so true to their characters. Nate was kind of being an asshole and Dani wasn't tolerating it. Although I love Sam and I liked the idea of him being with Dani, I have to say that the sparks between Dani and Nate fly off the page. ("Wow." "I know." "Where did that come from?" "I don't know. Nate, I apologize.") I also love how DnA use these moments to tease out the sense of isolation Doug feels, from him commenting on the attraction Dani and Nate feel to one another to noting that everyone else was checking on each other after the fight with Birdbrain, but no one was checking on him. Even though they're depressing, these moments are equally funny and smart.
In addition, the plot itself is great. DnA do an amazing job building up the tension as the team makes it was through the island, and then pulling us into the story even further by bringing back Bird-Brain. I'm intrigued by the ending, since it's unclear whether it is actually the humans affected or if it's Warlock. The only off-note that I would make is that I'm surprised Amara, Bobby, and Dani haven't really commented on Doug's death. They were all there, so, when Doug commented that he doesn't remember where he died, I'm surprised one of the three didn't admit to remembering. I'm hoping that DnA get them a little more involved in this search for Doug's past, because it's their past, too. I really can't rave about this issue enough. If you haven't been reading "New Mutants," it's actually a great issue with which to start, and you absolutely should.
Uncanny X-Men #7: OK, this issue wasn't terrible, but, I have to say, I'm not entirely sure why Gillen went with this offbeat story so early in this new run. First, it replicates similar stories we've seen over the last year or so in "X-Men," such as the Evolutionaries arc in issues #12-#15 and, as I mentioned in my review of issue #5, the Fantastic Four/X-men team-up arc in issues #16-#19. Second, the story seems as mismatched for the X-Men as those previous two stories did. Both the Immortal Man and the Savage are totally beyond the X-Men's power class; the Immortal Man essentially dispatches the entire team with a gun blast. It's a bit like Spider-Man fighting the Beyonder. I get that it's part of the new modus operandi for the X-Men, that they're confronting foes outside the mutant sphere in their attempt to usurp the Avengers as the world's premier superhero team. However, it still seems mismatched. In the end, the only reason they "win" against the Immortal Man is because Storm lays down a guilt trip. Don't get me wrong; it's an interesting story. Gillen really makes you feel the pain of both the Immortal Man and the Savage, and implies a parallel to the threat of extinction that the X-Men themselves are facing, making you wonder which side the X-Men would ultimately take if faced with a similar choice as the Immortal Man and the Savage. But, even with this parallel, I'm just not sure it's an X-Men story. (On another note, the intro page is bizarre. It gives the names of the Immortal Man and the Savage to the two surviving members of the Apex, despite the fact that, in the issue, they're called "good Apex" and "bad Apex." WTF?)
X-Factor #232: First, I love the cover. Love it. It's just so awesome and trippy. In fact, it's an excellent preview of the actual issue, which is also awesome and trippy. I mean, Jamie as the Sorceror Supreme's apprentice? How amazing was that? I mean, yes, it's a little deus ex machina-y, since it allowed for Dr. Strange to send Jamie home to his original dimension. But, still, I don't care. It was awesome. (It's also a great example of telling a story outside a series' usual tropes in a way that brings something new to the table while also advancing the plot. After just complaining about the fact that the current storyline in "Uncanny X-Men" doesn't feel like an X-Men story, we get David essentially telling a Dr. Strange story, but totally making it work within the confines of "X-Factor," because it still put Madrox front and center. That's why he's the best there is at what he does.) I'm still not sure why the shard of crimson bonds of Cyttorak piercing Jamie as he went through the portal resulted in his three antagonists returning to his dimension with him or what exactly Mr. Tryp's role in this whole affair was. But, I trust that we're going to see all four of them again, and probably soon, because David isn't one to drop storylines. With this arc wrapped, I can't wait to see how Madrox is going to handle the addition of Havok and Polaris to the team. The roster is getting a little crowded, and I wonder where it's all going.
On top of the implicit promise of a changed Doug, this issue was also just damn good. DnA give us a tour of the New Mutants' relationships with one another, and it feels like the old New Mutants, with a complicated series of crushes and jealousies, all serving to bind them together in ways that no other X-team has been in a long time (at least since the Outback days). Of note, DnA manage to present this tour with humor and wit. I loved Dani and Nate's conversation, in part because they were so true to their characters. Nate was kind of being an asshole and Dani wasn't tolerating it. Although I love Sam and I liked the idea of him being with Dani, I have to say that the sparks between Dani and Nate fly off the page. ("Wow." "I know." "Where did that come from?" "I don't know. Nate, I apologize.") I also love how DnA use these moments to tease out the sense of isolation Doug feels, from him commenting on the attraction Dani and Nate feel to one another to noting that everyone else was checking on each other after the fight with Birdbrain, but no one was checking on him. Even though they're depressing, these moments are equally funny and smart.
In addition, the plot itself is great. DnA do an amazing job building up the tension as the team makes it was through the island, and then pulling us into the story even further by bringing back Bird-Brain. I'm intrigued by the ending, since it's unclear whether it is actually the humans affected or if it's Warlock. The only off-note that I would make is that I'm surprised Amara, Bobby, and Dani haven't really commented on Doug's death. They were all there, so, when Doug commented that he doesn't remember where he died, I'm surprised one of the three didn't admit to remembering. I'm hoping that DnA get them a little more involved in this search for Doug's past, because it's their past, too. I really can't rave about this issue enough. If you haven't been reading "New Mutants," it's actually a great issue with which to start, and you absolutely should.
Uncanny X-Men #7: OK, this issue wasn't terrible, but, I have to say, I'm not entirely sure why Gillen went with this offbeat story so early in this new run. First, it replicates similar stories we've seen over the last year or so in "X-Men," such as the Evolutionaries arc in issues #12-#15 and, as I mentioned in my review of issue #5, the Fantastic Four/X-men team-up arc in issues #16-#19. Second, the story seems as mismatched for the X-Men as those previous two stories did. Both the Immortal Man and the Savage are totally beyond the X-Men's power class; the Immortal Man essentially dispatches the entire team with a gun blast. It's a bit like Spider-Man fighting the Beyonder. I get that it's part of the new modus operandi for the X-Men, that they're confronting foes outside the mutant sphere in their attempt to usurp the Avengers as the world's premier superhero team. However, it still seems mismatched. In the end, the only reason they "win" against the Immortal Man is because Storm lays down a guilt trip. Don't get me wrong; it's an interesting story. Gillen really makes you feel the pain of both the Immortal Man and the Savage, and implies a parallel to the threat of extinction that the X-Men themselves are facing, making you wonder which side the X-Men would ultimately take if faced with a similar choice as the Immortal Man and the Savage. But, even with this parallel, I'm just not sure it's an X-Men story. (On another note, the intro page is bizarre. It gives the names of the Immortal Man and the Savage to the two surviving members of the Apex, despite the fact that, in the issue, they're called "good Apex" and "bad Apex." WTF?)
X-Factor #232: First, I love the cover. Love it. It's just so awesome and trippy. In fact, it's an excellent preview of the actual issue, which is also awesome and trippy. I mean, Jamie as the Sorceror Supreme's apprentice? How amazing was that? I mean, yes, it's a little deus ex machina-y, since it allowed for Dr. Strange to send Jamie home to his original dimension. But, still, I don't care. It was awesome. (It's also a great example of telling a story outside a series' usual tropes in a way that brings something new to the table while also advancing the plot. After just complaining about the fact that the current storyline in "Uncanny X-Men" doesn't feel like an X-Men story, we get David essentially telling a Dr. Strange story, but totally making it work within the confines of "X-Factor," because it still put Madrox front and center. That's why he's the best there is at what he does.) I'm still not sure why the shard of crimson bonds of Cyttorak piercing Jamie as he went through the portal resulted in his three antagonists returning to his dimension with him or what exactly Mr. Tryp's role in this whole affair was. But, I trust that we're going to see all four of them again, and probably soon, because David isn't one to drop storylines. With this arc wrapped, I can't wait to see how Madrox is going to handle the addition of Havok and Polaris to the team. The roster is getting a little crowded, and I wonder where it's all going.
Friday, March 9, 2012
New Comics!: The X-Edition #2 of 5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
New Mutants #37: Um, I kind of love this issue. Seriously, it was like watching a romantic comedy where the girl is thinking of getting together with her terrible ex-boyfriend and you're just sitting there thinking, "Girl, what are you doing...?" I spent the entire issue on pins and needles, afraid that Amara was going to fall for Mephisto's trick, only to discover that the trick was that he didn't have a trick. Morever, we got to see DnA start focusing on the dynamics within the team, with Bobby and Nate having guy talk in the foyer while Amara and Dani have girl talk in the bedroom. Since DnA aren't trying to balance nine or ten characters like seemingly everyone else writing team books, they really get to spend time with their characters. Awesomeness all around. Plus, the ending is pretty...ominous. Maybe Mephisto did have a trick...
Uncanny X-Men #6: To be honest? I'm not entirely sure what's going on here. To be even more honest? I can't say I really care. Cyclops winds up discovering the guy who captured him last issue is a super-genius when he manages to learn the English language in a few hours just by hearing his captives converse (the only reason he kept them captive). Cyclops brings him to meet with the other X-Men and the guy explains the history of Tabula Rasa. Or, at least, I think he does. To be honest, I didn't really follow. It seems that he and the guy who fought Betsy and Magneto earlier in the issue, called the Immortal Man, are the last members of their race and the Immortal Man isn't really happy about it. It seems he's planning to restore their race, but the result may, I don't know, destroy Earth? Gillen isn't really clear; we just see a mushroom cloud in the last panel. (Subtle, I know.) Honestly, it's just not that gripping of a story. Plus, the Colossus/Magik and Hope/Namor teams seem totally irrelevant to the plot, a plot that really could've used a little more time being explained. I'm really over these nine- or ten-person teams, since only Peter David in "X-Factor" actually seems capable of writing one well. At this point, honestly, this title is on notice.
X-Factor #231: I love how I seem to know even less about what's happening to Madrox than I knew last issue, but it just makes it all the more intriguing. (Take notes, Bendis.) Tryp appears again in this issue, and he informs us that Jamie's dimension hopping is the result of a thinning of the separation between worlds. (He, naturally, is a little vague on the details, such as why Jamie is getting a "preview" of the thinning and who exactly is causing it.) We also get a new twist to Jamie's powers, with his dupes in this world not only having their own powers, but also only lasting five to 20 seconds. David is obviously having a lot of fun exploring these various worlds and different Madroxes, and it's equally fun taking the ride with him. This issue isn't quite the characterization tour de force last issue was, but it's a fun, tight read. I can't wait to see where it's all going next issue.
Uncanny X-Men #6: To be honest? I'm not entirely sure what's going on here. To be even more honest? I can't say I really care. Cyclops winds up discovering the guy who captured him last issue is a super-genius when he manages to learn the English language in a few hours just by hearing his captives converse (the only reason he kept them captive). Cyclops brings him to meet with the other X-Men and the guy explains the history of Tabula Rasa. Or, at least, I think he does. To be honest, I didn't really follow. It seems that he and the guy who fought Betsy and Magneto earlier in the issue, called the Immortal Man, are the last members of their race and the Immortal Man isn't really happy about it. It seems he's planning to restore their race, but the result may, I don't know, destroy Earth? Gillen isn't really clear; we just see a mushroom cloud in the last panel. (Subtle, I know.) Honestly, it's just not that gripping of a story. Plus, the Colossus/Magik and Hope/Namor teams seem totally irrelevant to the plot, a plot that really could've used a little more time being explained. I'm really over these nine- or ten-person teams, since only Peter David in "X-Factor" actually seems capable of writing one well. At this point, honestly, this title is on notice.
X-Factor #231: I love how I seem to know even less about what's happening to Madrox than I knew last issue, but it just makes it all the more intriguing. (Take notes, Bendis.) Tryp appears again in this issue, and he informs us that Jamie's dimension hopping is the result of a thinning of the separation between worlds. (He, naturally, is a little vague on the details, such as why Jamie is getting a "preview" of the thinning and who exactly is causing it.) We also get a new twist to Jamie's powers, with his dupes in this world not only having their own powers, but also only lasting five to 20 seconds. David is obviously having a lot of fun exploring these various worlds and different Madroxes, and it's equally fun taking the ride with him. This issue isn't quite the characterization tour de force last issue was, but it's a fun, tight read. I can't wait to see where it's all going next issue.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
New Comics!: The "Regenesis" Edition #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
OK, "Wolverine and the X-Men" #4 finally arrived, so I can now make my way through my backlog of X-books. It appears that the issues in this review are the last ones branded with the "Regenesis" banner, so I guess it's the end of the beginning.
Generation Hope #15: This issue continues to set up Hope embracing her possible role as future host of the Phoenix Force. As Kenji and Laurie have speculated, Hope pretty clearly uses her power at the end of the issue to telepathically command every one to leave the battlefield. It's a powerful moment, because Asmus is unambiguous about the danger Hope could pose. Asmus also continues Gillen's practice of using Hope to question Scott's decisions, particularly the morally ambiguous ones. Whereas Scott might have been able to argue Shaw was a menace before Emma mind-wiped him, Hope manages to score some points in arguing that his role as a menace ended when Emma made the decision to be his judge, jury, and executioner. The only negative to this issue is that I only recognized Random of the group of malcontents who attack Hope's team. But, the attack itself worked well, given that it deepened the questions about the extent to which Scott is really in control of Utopia and Hope is really in control of her team. Neither Hope nor Scott leave this issue looking particularly good. Asmus also seems to set in mention the sub-plot that's been building for a while, namely Kenji's lack of total commitment to Hope. I'm not entirely sure if it's self-motivated, or if it's coming from the malcontent who attacked him, but I guess we'll see. All in all, it's another dark yet compelling issue of this series.
New Mutants #36: Huh. DnA manage to sell me on a story that features a heavy-metal rock band somehow coming into possession of a metal box that contained an alien ship powered by chaos energy that's trying, almost literally, to phone home. Go figure. (I believe they told us where the band got the box in the last issue, though I couldn't remember.) It's a decent issue. It's not Earth-shattering (heh, maybe it is) or anything, but it's a fun conclusion to the story arc. I liked what DnA did with Amara and Bobby here. Past authors have had Bobby following around Amara like a lonely, lovelorn puppy, but he's more the cocky, confident Bobby I recognize in this issue. Having just read "X-Factor" #230, I realize that the New Mutants play a similar role for Team Cyclops as X-Factor will for Team Wolverine, which inevitably leads me to hope for a cross-over event!
Wolverine and the X-Men #4: OK, Aaron does a pretty good job here of moving us past the somewhat mediocre opening arc by introducing a few new interesting elements. I thought he did a really great job of integrating the "Uncanny X-Force" characters, the young Apocalypse and the amnesiac Angel, in a way that didn't rely on obvious exposition. (I am hoping, however, that we don't go to the "future history" well too often, because it can get old seriously quickly.) I was also pleased that the students played a pretty prominent role in this issue, and I hope we stick to the "more Kid Gladiator, less Quentin Quire" formula. We also got some great moments with the teachers, particularly Bobby and Logan's conversations about Warren. I thought Aaron did a great job in general with Bobby, Hank, and Kitty all showing their disapproval of (and helplessness over) Logan's extra-curricular activities, but I thought Bobby challenging Logan when it came to Angel was the best. I have high hopes that Aaron is going to be the author that lets Bobby become the characters he's always had the potential to be, so I'm excited to see where this storyline goes. I was less thrilled by the "OMG, Kitty is pregnant" storyline, but, even though I have my doubts that it could be anything more than a clichéd alien-baby story, I guess I have to give Aaron the chance to prove me wrong. At any rate, Aaron seems to be settling into a rhythm in terms of dividing time between the teachers and the students that works for me.
X-Factor #230: Amazing issue. Amazing. First, David totally blew my mind with the idea that Madrox's power works by pulling in dupes from alternate realities. BLEW. MY. MIND. I'm pretty sure it's not going to be the resolution, but it's such a fascinating idea. Leave it to Peter David to turn even the not-resolutions into amazing plots. Second, the Layla/Wolverine scenes were really well done. We not only learn that Layla feels guilt for Jaime's death because she inadvertently caused it by resurrecting Guido, but we also get a really lovely moment between her and Wolverine, where she acknowledges that she's telling him her feelings because only he truly understands what it's like to be alone in the crowd. After suffering through a lot of pop psycho-babble in "Avenging Spider-Man" and "Venom" over the last few days, it was refreshing to see someone write emotions that felt neither excessively expository nor blatantly forced. Third, speaking of emotions, the fight the team has over what Layla did to Guido is both hilarious AND revealing. David did a great job using the debate to reveal the characters: Monet and Theresa fighting about religion, Rictor retorting, "Oh, look who's talking about making up minds!" when Shatterstar tells him he needs to make up his mind about his feelings for Rahne. It was all just amazing character work. Whereas authors like Bendis use characters interchangably like they're set pieces, David makes me forget sometimes that I'm not watching a reality TV show of real people. ("This is the true story...of seven superheroes...picked to live in a house...") The disputes that we see here come from real differences of opinions based on the characters' experencies in life. They're not just spouting lines that need to be said to move the plot forward; they're having real arguments about philosophical issues. It's so rare for an author to pull off team dynamics so well, particularly given how large the team is. But, I ended this book feeling like I knew this team all the better, despite the fact that I already knew them pretty well to start. Fourth (yup, I'm just going to keep on raving), Wolverine putting X-Factor on retainer was brilliant. It's the perfect solution to how they're going to stay X-Factor AND be part of the new "Regenesis" status quo. To sum: it's an amazing issue by an amazing writer of an amazing series.
X-Men Legacy #260.1: I was excited abou this issue before I opened it. I never really liked Carey's work, so I was pleased to see that this third core title would get a new creative team. Over the last few "meh" issues of "Uncanny X-Men" and "Wolverine and the X-Men," though, my hopes raised that this title would somehow give me the X-book I was hoping we'd see from "X-Men: Regenesis" but so far haven't. I wasn't disappointed. I feel like Gage gets the fact that the school is a school better even than Aaron, who's writing "Wolverine and the X-Men," given that he has Rogue adamantly refuse to allow the kids to skip class to fight the demons. The way he weaved the teachers' lessons (Beast's history of the N'Garai, Sam's lecture on ethics) into the battle was nothing short of brilliant. Plus, we essentially, honestly, get all my favorite X-Men. I was thrilled to see Cannonball, given that he's pretty much my favorite X-Man. I was also glad to see that Gage is also using the darkness that surrounds him after DnA's amazing "Fall/Rise of the New Mutants" arc. Whether or not he overcomes it is going to be the thing that eventually determines if he's the X-Men's next leader, as he's always been groomed to be, and I like how the jury still hasn't reached a verdict on it. It's given his character more depth than he's had in years. Plus, it's also great to see Marvel Girl, another favorite, really in the mix at this point. She's been so misused over the years, particularly when she wasn't used at all (and just sort of floated in space), that I'm really excited to have her re-enter the core titles. I also hope we continue to get Iceman. Great plot, great writing, great characters: thank God. The X-Men, for me, are back.
Generation Hope #15: This issue continues to set up Hope embracing her possible role as future host of the Phoenix Force. As Kenji and Laurie have speculated, Hope pretty clearly uses her power at the end of the issue to telepathically command every one to leave the battlefield. It's a powerful moment, because Asmus is unambiguous about the danger Hope could pose. Asmus also continues Gillen's practice of using Hope to question Scott's decisions, particularly the morally ambiguous ones. Whereas Scott might have been able to argue Shaw was a menace before Emma mind-wiped him, Hope manages to score some points in arguing that his role as a menace ended when Emma made the decision to be his judge, jury, and executioner. The only negative to this issue is that I only recognized Random of the group of malcontents who attack Hope's team. But, the attack itself worked well, given that it deepened the questions about the extent to which Scott is really in control of Utopia and Hope is really in control of her team. Neither Hope nor Scott leave this issue looking particularly good. Asmus also seems to set in mention the sub-plot that's been building for a while, namely Kenji's lack of total commitment to Hope. I'm not entirely sure if it's self-motivated, or if it's coming from the malcontent who attacked him, but I guess we'll see. All in all, it's another dark yet compelling issue of this series.
New Mutants #36: Huh. DnA manage to sell me on a story that features a heavy-metal rock band somehow coming into possession of a metal box that contained an alien ship powered by chaos energy that's trying, almost literally, to phone home. Go figure. (I believe they told us where the band got the box in the last issue, though I couldn't remember.) It's a decent issue. It's not Earth-shattering (heh, maybe it is) or anything, but it's a fun conclusion to the story arc. I liked what DnA did with Amara and Bobby here. Past authors have had Bobby following around Amara like a lonely, lovelorn puppy, but he's more the cocky, confident Bobby I recognize in this issue. Having just read "X-Factor" #230, I realize that the New Mutants play a similar role for Team Cyclops as X-Factor will for Team Wolverine, which inevitably leads me to hope for a cross-over event!
Wolverine and the X-Men #4: OK, Aaron does a pretty good job here of moving us past the somewhat mediocre opening arc by introducing a few new interesting elements. I thought he did a really great job of integrating the "Uncanny X-Force" characters, the young Apocalypse and the amnesiac Angel, in a way that didn't rely on obvious exposition. (I am hoping, however, that we don't go to the "future history" well too often, because it can get old seriously quickly.) I was also pleased that the students played a pretty prominent role in this issue, and I hope we stick to the "more Kid Gladiator, less Quentin Quire" formula. We also got some great moments with the teachers, particularly Bobby and Logan's conversations about Warren. I thought Aaron did a great job in general with Bobby, Hank, and Kitty all showing their disapproval of (and helplessness over) Logan's extra-curricular activities, but I thought Bobby challenging Logan when it came to Angel was the best. I have high hopes that Aaron is going to be the author that lets Bobby become the characters he's always had the potential to be, so I'm excited to see where this storyline goes. I was less thrilled by the "OMG, Kitty is pregnant" storyline, but, even though I have my doubts that it could be anything more than a clichéd alien-baby story, I guess I have to give Aaron the chance to prove me wrong. At any rate, Aaron seems to be settling into a rhythm in terms of dividing time between the teachers and the students that works for me.
X-Factor #230: Amazing issue. Amazing. First, David totally blew my mind with the idea that Madrox's power works by pulling in dupes from alternate realities. BLEW. MY. MIND. I'm pretty sure it's not going to be the resolution, but it's such a fascinating idea. Leave it to Peter David to turn even the not-resolutions into amazing plots. Second, the Layla/Wolverine scenes were really well done. We not only learn that Layla feels guilt for Jaime's death because she inadvertently caused it by resurrecting Guido, but we also get a really lovely moment between her and Wolverine, where she acknowledges that she's telling him her feelings because only he truly understands what it's like to be alone in the crowd. After suffering through a lot of pop psycho-babble in "Avenging Spider-Man" and "Venom" over the last few days, it was refreshing to see someone write emotions that felt neither excessively expository nor blatantly forced. Third, speaking of emotions, the fight the team has over what Layla did to Guido is both hilarious AND revealing. David did a great job using the debate to reveal the characters: Monet and Theresa fighting about religion, Rictor retorting, "Oh, look who's talking about making up minds!" when Shatterstar tells him he needs to make up his mind about his feelings for Rahne. It was all just amazing character work. Whereas authors like Bendis use characters interchangably like they're set pieces, David makes me forget sometimes that I'm not watching a reality TV show of real people. ("This is the true story...of seven superheroes...picked to live in a house...") The disputes that we see here come from real differences of opinions based on the characters' experencies in life. They're not just spouting lines that need to be said to move the plot forward; they're having real arguments about philosophical issues. It's so rare for an author to pull off team dynamics so well, particularly given how large the team is. But, I ended this book feeling like I knew this team all the better, despite the fact that I already knew them pretty well to start. Fourth (yup, I'm just going to keep on raving), Wolverine putting X-Factor on retainer was brilliant. It's the perfect solution to how they're going to stay X-Factor AND be part of the new "Regenesis" status quo. To sum: it's an amazing issue by an amazing writer of an amazing series.
X-Men Legacy #260.1: I was excited abou this issue before I opened it. I never really liked Carey's work, so I was pleased to see that this third core title would get a new creative team. Over the last few "meh" issues of "Uncanny X-Men" and "Wolverine and the X-Men," though, my hopes raised that this title would somehow give me the X-book I was hoping we'd see from "X-Men: Regenesis" but so far haven't. I wasn't disappointed. I feel like Gage gets the fact that the school is a school better even than Aaron, who's writing "Wolverine and the X-Men," given that he has Rogue adamantly refuse to allow the kids to skip class to fight the demons. The way he weaved the teachers' lessons (Beast's history of the N'Garai, Sam's lecture on ethics) into the battle was nothing short of brilliant. Plus, we essentially, honestly, get all my favorite X-Men. I was thrilled to see Cannonball, given that he's pretty much my favorite X-Man. I was also glad to see that Gage is also using the darkness that surrounds him after DnA's amazing "Fall/Rise of the New Mutants" arc. Whether or not he overcomes it is going to be the thing that eventually determines if he's the X-Men's next leader, as he's always been groomed to be, and I like how the jury still hasn't reached a verdict on it. It's given his character more depth than he's had in years. Plus, it's also great to see Marvel Girl, another favorite, really in the mix at this point. She's been so misused over the years, particularly when she wasn't used at all (and just sort of floated in space), that I'm really excited to have her re-enter the core titles. I also hope we continue to get Iceman. Great plot, great writing, great characters: thank God. The X-Men, for me, are back.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
New Comics!: The "Regenesis" Edition #5
I decided to take a little break from making my way through two months' worth of Spidey books to spend some time with the X-Men. I've left their stack for last in my "Let's read and review three weeks' worth of issues as fast as we can" exercise because my pusher (comic shop) accidentally left out "Wolverine and the X-Men" #4 in my last shipment. I initially thought I'd get it sooner, so I delayed reading the X-books. But, it's probably going to be a few weeks, and I've got at least seven books to read before I hit its sequential absence, so I figured no time like the present to start the show.
New Mutants #35: It took me a while to realize what DnA were doing here. By sending Blink and the New Mutants into a concert, it's a subtle reminder that "normal" young adults their age go to concerts all the time. The New Mutants, however, go to Limbo all the time, so you can sort of see why Dani notes that they'll "try" moshing. So, rather than this arc being just about some demonic rock band, DnA use said demonic rock band to remind us just how far the New Mutants have to go in terms of the "blending" Dani wants them to do with the rest of the world. Damn, they're good. In addition, DnA continue to soften the New Mutants' personalities and interactions. We got pretty grim during "Fall/Rise of the New Mutants," and DnA are taking us back a step, making everyone like one another again. I am really just so excited about their tenure on this series!
Uncanny X-Men #3: [Sigh.] When I read issues like this one, I'm left to wonder just how much control the marketing department at Marvel has over authors. This issue devolves into an advertisement for "Avengers vs. X-Men," with Sinister essentially having staged this entire fight merely to tell Hope that she'll become the Phoenix and Scott that he'll be more hated than even Sinister, outcomes, I'm left to assume, of this summer's event. To drive home the point, Gillen is left to have the characters make all sorts of thinly-veiled comments about the Avengers being "obsolete" and the X-Men becoming the "world's premiere superteam." It's all terribly boring. I'm honestly left with no real clear idea of why Sinister did what he did, how exactly Emma defeated him, why Sinister stopped doing what he was doing, and why the Dreaming Celestial was involved. "Disappointing" is probably too weak of a word. I like Kieron Gillen a lot. But, this issue just seemed to underline how "X-Men: Schism" and its successor, "X-Men: Regenesis," are too overtly a marketing exercise to promote the brand rather than an honest attempt to refresh the titles. Marvel needs to let the authors spend more time telling a coherent story and less time pitching an impending event.
Wolverine and the X-Men #3: Honestly, I'm good with just this exchange between Bobby and Logan: "There has to be a way to kill this thing!" "We're all ears, Professor Snikt." "Rachel, get Hank on the Iine." Heh. (Srsly, Professor Snikt. Heh.) But, Aaron goes beyond those quips to give us a pretty good story. I liked Kid Omega saving the day in the end while at the same time not compromising his street cred. Aaron moves him past the one-note prick he's been for most of his printed history. I also thought the idea of Krakoa becoming an X-Man was sharp. In fact, it makes you wonder just how different from Scott and his team Logan and his team are if their first response was to resort to violence when Krakoa attacked. (Aaron doesn't necessarily draw that line here, but I think it's an interesting point.) In truth, the kids so far are the most promising part of this story. I totally dig Kid Gladiator. I mean, sure, he's kind of a caricature at this point, but he's fun. Like I said in the "New Mutants" review above, we're leaving behind some pretty dark times in the X-books, so any sort of levity is a good thing. I'm equally fond of Brod, and I think Aaron will have plenty of opportunities to tell some great stories of Quentin trying to make friends. The only negative I have to mention is that I thought the deus ex machina of having the inspectors from the Department of Education lose their memories was a little much. Sure, Hank was charming, but, even if they didn't remember how it got that way, didn't they notice the school was in ruins? I mean, why bother including this sub-plot if it's just going to be resolved in, like, two panels by a mindwipe? But, it's early days, so I'm willing to cut Aaron some slack.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
New Comics!: The "Regenesis" Edition #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Generation Hope #13: First, I was excited to see that James Asmus is taking over this title. Gillen did amazing work with this title, but I also loved Asmus' "Escape from the Negative Zone" annual cross-over. In fact, I liked his version of Hope better than anyone's, including possibly Gillen's. He portrayed her as the arrogant teenager she is, and it worked. I'm glad to say, it also works here. Asmus picks up the personalities of the Lights so well, you'd be forgiven for thinking Gillen was still on board. But, he makes the characters his own fairly quickly. I'm intrigued by the Hope/Laurie dynamic. If they find a way to work together, they'll be a great pair. We see it here, with Hope reminding Laurie that sometimes you don't have time to plan, and Laurie reminding Hope that you should plan when you can because it results in better outcomes. If they don't find a way to work together...well, we'll see. I loved that he had Kenji fall in love instantly with No-Girl. It wasn't an obvious call, but it shows a real insight into his character, to know that Kenji would be drawn to her and her ability to manipulate the way people perceive the world. Velocidad is also great here ("Yeah, but one of them is Boom-Boom."), though we probably don't need him noting that his powers are killing him every issue, particularly since we only really established that he feels panicked by the prospect last issue. But, his "I'm a teenage boy, I should be hitting on girls while I can" schtick is great. Again, he could probably use some adult supervision (or at least an older brother figure) to help get him through this trouble. But, the lack of attention to him shows that Cyclops is really just interested in them as warriors, as we see in the opening of the book. I'm intrigued why the Cuckoos hid the newest Light from Hope, even though it appears it's because it's Sebastian Shaw's powers re-manifesting themselves. It's a great first issue for Asmus, and I'll definitely be there next issue.
New Mutants #34: So far, so great. DnA give us a fun start for the latest iteration of "New Mutants." First, looking at the overall story DnA are starting to tell here, I love the idea that the New Mutants are now living like "real" people, particularly with the proviso that Bobby isn't allowed to fund them. Are they all going to get jobs like Amara? Is Nate going to be a fry cook? Will Bobby be a bus driver? The mind boggles. I also like the Bobby/Nate dynamic. I'm hoping we're going to see them interract more, given that Bobby's only really itneracted with Amara for almost every other issue of this series. Moreover, forcusing on this arc in particularly, the next "loose end" case is awesome. I had't realized that we had resurrected Blink. I still remember how surprised I was at the end of "Phalanx Covenant" when they seemingly killed her, so I'm glad that, based on my Wikipedia reading, they managed to "resurrect" her in a way that more or less made sense (or, at least, as much sense as these sorts of things can make). She seems like an ideal candidate for membership in the "New Mutants," so I'm excited to see where DnA go with the story.
X-Men #21: This issue is just as fast-paced and fun as the last one. I'm even willing to overlook the sudden arrival of Symkarian jets that broke the no-fly zone and conveniently allowed War Machine to join the X-Men in their fight against the Sentinels. (How did the Symkarians discover that Puttanescaland had Sentinels? It wasn't like they took out an ad.) The revelation that the Puttanescans had been obtaining Sentinels thanks to the wealth they've stockpiled from uranium mining was cool, as was the revelation that the scientist had successfully reprogrammed Sentinels to think anyone the Puttanescans wanted was a mutant. This issue is picking put the thread of the disastrous disarmament conference that Scott and Wolverine attended in "X-Men: Schism," and in fact shows us that the world is the dangerous place Scott predicted -- for humans and mutants alike -- with this many Sentinels in play. Gischler manages to shows the Puttanescan governor's hatred of the Symkarians without getting too preachy, and it really instills the book with the sense that some serious shit is going to happen if the X-Men don't get their asses in gear (and maybe even if they do). Again, Gischler is making it really hard for me to drop this book...
Wolverine and the X-Men #2: Ok, wow. I certainly did not expect that the monster attacking the mansion was Krakoa. Excellent, excellent idea, Aaron. I mean, who better to kill Wolverine and his new school than the monster who Wolverine and the other "new" X-Men fought on their first mission? (I'm not entirely sure how it works, logistically, though. First, how did the Hellfire Club fit an island under the mansion? Is there enough room? Second, at the end of issue #1, he seems poised to eat the school. Yet, when this issue starts, he's nowhere to be seen, like he suddenly decided, mid-bite, to go somewhere else. Confusing.) I can't say I've been that fond of the kiddie Hellfire Club, but I might change my mind after this issue. Turning the school inspectors into Sauron and Wendigo? Sending "Frankenstein monsters with flamethrowers" after the X-Men? Wanting the students "charred and melted" so that Wolverine has to contemplate his failure every time he looks at them? I can respect the fact that these kids are not joking. It's been a while since the X-Men have faced a villain (or group of villains) this committed to evil, and I can be convinced that this new Hellfire Club could surpass the old one in terms of constituting a deadly constant threat to the X-Men. (I think I'm actually becoming fond of Kade and his downright evil-ness.)
Bachalo is pretty on fire in this issue. I have to make particular mention of his work as a colorist. I hadn't realized he colored last issue, but I had actually noticed the color, particularly the scene where Quentin was lying on the floor surrounded by markers that he had used to write "I'm a political prisoner" on the floor. I noticed, at the time, that the colorist had colored outside the lines; the red of the marker was a little past the black of the border. I thought it was interesting, but now, seeing Bachalo here, I realize it just adds to the kinetic sense of his art, the sense that the characters are literally breaking beyond their borders with action. I mean, yes, you get some of the usual problems with Bachalo. For example, I wasn't entirely certain what Bobby did, and it took me a second reading to realize he essentially went Multiple Man on himself. (I thought he had maybe taken control of the Frankentsein monsters.) But, the good outweighs the bad here, because Bachalo, as usual, just propels you through this issue at full speed. (Also, I LOVE Rachel's new look. Thank God she's not wearing a bikini top as a costume anymore.)
I also enjoyed Aaron's attention to the characters, particularly Bobby. As I think I've mentioned, I'm excited about this series in part because, to put it in Logan's words, I'm anxiously awaiting Bobby getting the chance to "step up." We see him do it here, not only in terms of his powers but also by kissing Kitty. I can't say that pairing ever dawned on me, but, now? I'm all for it. Team Kibby. I also loved Broo's infatuation with Idie, which I hope continues to be cute and endearing. All in all, a great issue that I'm going to have to read again to get all its nuances.
New Mutants #34: So far, so great. DnA give us a fun start for the latest iteration of "New Mutants." First, looking at the overall story DnA are starting to tell here, I love the idea that the New Mutants are now living like "real" people, particularly with the proviso that Bobby isn't allowed to fund them. Are they all going to get jobs like Amara? Is Nate going to be a fry cook? Will Bobby be a bus driver? The mind boggles. I also like the Bobby/Nate dynamic. I'm hoping we're going to see them interract more, given that Bobby's only really itneracted with Amara for almost every other issue of this series. Moreover, forcusing on this arc in particularly, the next "loose end" case is awesome. I had't realized that we had resurrected Blink. I still remember how surprised I was at the end of "Phalanx Covenant" when they seemingly killed her, so I'm glad that, based on my Wikipedia reading, they managed to "resurrect" her in a way that more or less made sense (or, at least, as much sense as these sorts of things can make). She seems like an ideal candidate for membership in the "New Mutants," so I'm excited to see where DnA go with the story.
X-Men #21: This issue is just as fast-paced and fun as the last one. I'm even willing to overlook the sudden arrival of Symkarian jets that broke the no-fly zone and conveniently allowed War Machine to join the X-Men in their fight against the Sentinels. (How did the Symkarians discover that Puttanescaland had Sentinels? It wasn't like they took out an ad.) The revelation that the Puttanescans had been obtaining Sentinels thanks to the wealth they've stockpiled from uranium mining was cool, as was the revelation that the scientist had successfully reprogrammed Sentinels to think anyone the Puttanescans wanted was a mutant. This issue is picking put the thread of the disastrous disarmament conference that Scott and Wolverine attended in "X-Men: Schism," and in fact shows us that the world is the dangerous place Scott predicted -- for humans and mutants alike -- with this many Sentinels in play. Gischler manages to shows the Puttanescan governor's hatred of the Symkarians without getting too preachy, and it really instills the book with the sense that some serious shit is going to happen if the X-Men don't get their asses in gear (and maybe even if they do). Again, Gischler is making it really hard for me to drop this book...
Wolverine and the X-Men #2: Ok, wow. I certainly did not expect that the monster attacking the mansion was Krakoa. Excellent, excellent idea, Aaron. I mean, who better to kill Wolverine and his new school than the monster who Wolverine and the other "new" X-Men fought on their first mission? (I'm not entirely sure how it works, logistically, though. First, how did the Hellfire Club fit an island under the mansion? Is there enough room? Second, at the end of issue #1, he seems poised to eat the school. Yet, when this issue starts, he's nowhere to be seen, like he suddenly decided, mid-bite, to go somewhere else. Confusing.) I can't say I've been that fond of the kiddie Hellfire Club, but I might change my mind after this issue. Turning the school inspectors into Sauron and Wendigo? Sending "Frankenstein monsters with flamethrowers" after the X-Men? Wanting the students "charred and melted" so that Wolverine has to contemplate his failure every time he looks at them? I can respect the fact that these kids are not joking. It's been a while since the X-Men have faced a villain (or group of villains) this committed to evil, and I can be convinced that this new Hellfire Club could surpass the old one in terms of constituting a deadly constant threat to the X-Men. (I think I'm actually becoming fond of Kade and his downright evil-ness.)
Bachalo is pretty on fire in this issue. I have to make particular mention of his work as a colorist. I hadn't realized he colored last issue, but I had actually noticed the color, particularly the scene where Quentin was lying on the floor surrounded by markers that he had used to write "I'm a political prisoner" on the floor. I noticed, at the time, that the colorist had colored outside the lines; the red of the marker was a little past the black of the border. I thought it was interesting, but now, seeing Bachalo here, I realize it just adds to the kinetic sense of his art, the sense that the characters are literally breaking beyond their borders with action. I mean, yes, you get some of the usual problems with Bachalo. For example, I wasn't entirely certain what Bobby did, and it took me a second reading to realize he essentially went Multiple Man on himself. (I thought he had maybe taken control of the Frankentsein monsters.) But, the good outweighs the bad here, because Bachalo, as usual, just propels you through this issue at full speed. (Also, I LOVE Rachel's new look. Thank God she's not wearing a bikini top as a costume anymore.)
I also enjoyed Aaron's attention to the characters, particularly Bobby. As I think I've mentioned, I'm excited about this series in part because, to put it in Logan's words, I'm anxiously awaiting Bobby getting the chance to "step up." We see him do it here, not only in terms of his powers but also by kissing Kitty. I can't say that pairing ever dawned on me, but, now? I'm all for it. Team Kibby. I also loved Broo's infatuation with Idie, which I hope continues to be cute and endearing. All in all, a great issue that I'm going to have to read again to get all its nuances.
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