Posts Tagged ‘comics’

Review: A+X #13

A+X #13Our first team up is the unlikely duo of Cyclops and Captain America… and when I say unlikely, I mean they pretty much wreck the place because they can’t stop fighting for five seconds.

As much as this is probably true and there was that spark of a small moment where they actually worked together, the whole thing just felt like a big ol’ dose of trope thrown on top a three-trope layered dip. From the fighting to the convenient breaking of the Skrull reader… the whole thing was nearly painful to read. The only godsend was that Cap didn’t cuff himself to Scott cause then that would have just taken the cake.

Apparently this is going to play out over five more issues so… yeah… I hope this isn’t a sign of what’s to come.

In the second story, which was horribly drawn, it literally look like half-finished sketches, I felt that I’m supposed to jump up and yell ‘girl power!’

But again with the straight up been there, done that, story full of every trope they could find. It’s hard to think that there is anything ‘girl power’ about this when the writer obviously knows nothing about girls. Then he finishes the story on a very crude (and overused) joke.

I’m struck between wanting to be offended and not really caring enough to be offended.

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Uncanny X-Men #13Everyone gets impaled on a sword! You get impaled, and you get impaled, everyone, gets, impaled!

That’s pretty much the only thing I got from this issue. Everyone is fighting each other. A lot of people got stabbed. It’s pretty much the issue where most of the characters get offed so that there won’t be many loose threads to deal with at the end.

It’s also the issue that would make River Song scream. Seriously, the amount of ‘stops right before reveals something of the future’ and spoiler alerts is just bloody annoying, especially since, as I’ve said before, unless some of this stuff is to pay off nearly immediately, it will all be forgotten in a year. So why do this to us? It’s bloody pointless.

But there is the interesting point that the kids can’t go back it seems. Basically they mucked up the time stream royal. 

Why does this not surprise me?

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X-Men Legacy #18I’m not sure if I agree with David’s ‘end justifies the means’ approach to everything… but it definitely makes for some interesting reading.

I mean, he’s right, sometimes you have to take an active approach… but using a brain dead girl and letting himself get the crap beat out of himself just to lure out Luka? It’s definitely questionable. But it worked, and it worked well. A little too well.

Emma had the Cuckoo’s put the whammy on David because they thought he was a threat, well, a bigger threat than he actually is. Now he’s blacked out and the Xavier in his mind looks to have escaped.

But here’s the thing, it put him down by bringing up his crippling depression. Yes, he has that. It’s quite obvious from the fact that he acts out the way he does. True, his depression takes the shape of ‘daddy issues’ as it looks like he was never good enough for his father, but that is just the face, a representation.  It’s really about his own self-esteem. He’s been cataloged as crazy, and believes himself crazy. He has powers he can’t handle. He’s horrible at relationships. And apparently he will be the end of his own race.

So, yeah, the boy has issues.

Is it a wonder that the weight of them would take him down so easily?

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Review: Deadpool #18

Deadpool #18Can this story get any more heart breaking?

I mean, yay, that they managed to save who they did and all that, but the shear amount of loss is incredible. And in Wade’s mind it’s all because of him. He is the one to blame.

It’s not his fault of course, there is no way he could have expected this or been able to do anything about it, but he still places all the blame on himself. So no matter what actually happens in the final part of this arc, he’s going to carry that with him and it will just be another scar amongst others. I really don’t think he’s going to come out okay at all to be honest.

It really seems like this is one of those ‘there are no happy endings’ kind of story… I really hope not, but I’m bracing for the worst.

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Fearless Defenders #10I have to give it to Bunn, he’s doing something that is very hard to do in any franchise: bring in a new original character. keep them in the front, and make it work.

Right now there is a lot of new mutants popping up, especially in Bendis’ Uncanny X-Men you have a whole group of original characters, but they tend to just be more of a story device than actual full characters. The stories still revolve around the core group of mutants, Scott, Wolverine, Kitty, Storm, Emma, etc… characters that have at least been around since the 80s. Even in Wolverine and the X-Men , most of the story revolves around pre-existing characters like Quire and Idie, with of course a heavy dose of Wolvie. It’s like no one is really trying to shake things up and do new things.

Part of the reason is because readers will only spend so much money on the comics, it’s purely economics, there are a lot more titles to choose from and only so much money to spend. Marvel feels safer giving us known characters rather than risking new ones. Granted, that’s probably the best idea when it comes to Solo’s, but for team books, you think they would let the writers experiment more, freshen things up?

That’s what happening here in Fearless, not only do we have some of the B-List characters who are kicking butt, we’ve also been introduced to Annabelle, a brand new character who literally shares the spotlight with Valkyrie and holds her own as a character. Through her life, death, and weird body time-share thing, the reader is made to care about her and see her as a hero even if she doesn’t weld a big sword. She’s not a story device, she’s a main character along with all the others. Even if you’re not a fan of Annabelle, you’re not overwhelmed with her presence any more than, say, Misty.

This is what we should be seeing in all the X-Titles, new characters alongside the characters we already love as equals. Someone give Marvel the memo…

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Review: Deadpool #17

Deadpool #17Deadpool put a Hello Kitty band-aid on Wolverine’s wound… that’s just the best thing ever.

I mean, really, it was. Deadpool didn’t have to do it. He didn’t even ask if could do it. He doesn’t even point out that he does it. He pats Wolverine on the shoulder and leaves a band-aid behind because the mutant can no longer heal himself. It’s these little things that show the nuance of his character beyond the ‘one note joke’ people often accuse him of being.

He may joke a lot, be rude and crude, but he’s not a bad person. Somewhere underneath there is a decent man, one who is just very horribly scarred, and I’m not talking about his cancerous skin.

As for the main story, it ranges between hilarious and really sad. And good on Captain America to not back off simply because of the possibility of making an international fubar, what with them being in North Korea and everything. He’s doing what’s right for these unfortunate people who have been experimented on. I know Cap and Wolvie ‘say’ they aren’t Deadpool’s friend, but their actions speak louder than words… it’s just sad that this is the way they have to play this game.

Next issue we’ll come face to face with Butler and possibly even more mutated experiments… and perhaps learn the truth about Eleanor.

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Review: X-Men #6

X-Men #6Seven chapters into the Battle of the Atom and suddenly everything starts to happen.

The supposed good future X-Men turn bad pretty quickly, mostly cause future!Xavier (or whoever) lost his temper for no reason.  I can understand him going nuts after he learned that young!Bobby and young!Hank went into the future… but he lost his marbles before that even happened. It all felt really pushed in a ‘quick, they need to be the bad guys now’ kind of way.

Jubilee so far has been a pretty fun mom, and I think it’s awesome the students made Shogo a ‘hamster ball’. That’s just the cutest thing ever. And future!Shogo showing up and calling her mom, one of the first moments in this time travel thing that’s made me not cringe.

But what did was the shape shifting ‘son’ of Mystique and Logan? I mean? Wha? Huh? I call B.S.  And have I mentioned I hate these types of time travel arcs? And is Wolverine’s healing factor messed up? Did I miss something there? That’s what I get for not reading the bazillon Wolverine titles…

But Deadpool was awesome… then… when is he not?

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Astonishing X-Men #68And Astonishing X-Men leave us, not with a bang, not with a futile attempt at over-existentializing, but with grace and dignity.

I mean, a lot of comics and tv shows, when they end, try to do things up with big, massive, world-ending stuff that’s wrapped up in a few panels. Others try to get a bit too deep, like the characters inside are actually ‘dying’. Then some just leave us on some WTF cliff-hanger.

Astonishing takes the inspired way out and simply doesn’t end. Not in the ‘wait, what the heck happens next’ kind of way Gambit ended, but in the ‘these characters are going about their lives, I’ve simply stopped being the one telling the story’.

It is kinda annoying we don’t know the legal state of Jean-Paul and Kyle, but in the way that’s kinda better because otherwise the whole issue could have devolved into legal mumbo and socio-political boxing. Which wouldn’t have been bad if it wasn’t the final issue. I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ve heard of this situation, though I’m not sure of the how/where for now.

So, yeah, the biggest lesson from this finale is that life goes on. It may seem difficult and lost at times… but it always finds its place.

Damn, I’m gonna miss this title.

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All-New X-Men #17Time Travel! You get to time travel! And you get to time travel! Everyone gets to time travel!

Have I mentioned how much I hate time travel arcs? Jubilee is going by Wolverine now, which is kinda nice, except it will never actually happen because they will never let Logan die. And how does Quire play host to the Phoenix Force if it’s been destroyed? Why can’t it stay dead too? Don’t get me started on the possible parentage of Kymera. UGH!

It is interesting to see that glimpse of the future and just how the one group of X-Men went off their rocker. Dazzler as President? Yeah, I can see it.

But all things considered, this “Event” has been running at a pretty slow pace. If they are giving us this pay off in part 6 of 10… I have a feeling there really isn’t much left for them to do and it will either end anti-climatically or very rushed. And except for whoever leaves/stays, none of this is going to matter in the long run.

What I really wanna know though… where is Rogue and/or Gambit in this future? Yes, I have a one track mind. If they aren’t going to get a direct mention then I’ll just assume they got married and shacked up in an Italian villa… totally plausible.

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Review: A+X #12

A+X #12Not really knowing the history behind these two character’s relationship, I don’t know if I should be smiling or really sad.

I’m guessing, from how it’s portrayed in the comic here, that Beast and Wonder Man had a pretty close friendship until Wonder Man did something that pretty much ended it. It’s an awkward reunion but after some greasy food and a few beers, they spend the evening just doing stuff like taking on the Circus of Crime and randomly shaving Wolverine’s head (classic!) and the night ends on Beast getting sexually assaulted by ‘Poundcakes’.

It’s all pretty hilarious and socially aware, but I have a feeling it was supposed to be poignant too. It does kinda make me wish I knew more about their relationship.

Our second unlikely team-up is Captain America and Jubilee. Apparently Nazi Vampires are a thing now.

The fact that Jubilee is a vampire now, and all that entails, doesn’t get touched on that much. Even in X-Men where she’s a major character and has adopted a kid, it’s something that’s only briefly touched on in her comments that her kid won’t exactly have a normal childhood, but then who does when it comes to the X-Men? As decently written as it was, it was still just your typical PSA on ‘not letting your situation control who you are as a person’ kind of thing.

Just cause you’re a vampire doesn’t mean you have to be a monster. Truer words to live by, no doubt…

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