Comics: Uncanny X-Men #242

UNCANNY X-MEN #242
March 1989
"Burn!"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Marc Silvestri
Inker: Dan Green
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Wow, if ever there was a doubt about Marc Silvestri's artistic talent, that opening page shatters all of them. The closeup image of Wolverine kissing Jean Grey passionately has become quite iconic, and it makes for a doozy of an opening page. And then...there's the rest of this issue. This giant-size issue. Way too many pages are spent with the X-Men fighting X-Factor for...really no reason. Sure the X-Men are sorta under demonic control, but that doesn't seem to bother Storm whenever she's reunited with Jean Grey. And then everything is back to normal and both teams join up to defeat N'astirh. It's kinda ludicrous and I really could have done without all of it. Yeah the fanboys want to see the two teams fight, but when there isn't really any motivation besides petty name-calling and there's no resolution besides saying "hey, let's not fight," it's just silly. There are some cool moments during the fight to defeat N'astirh, like Iceman creating a slide to hurl a falling Colossus directly at N'astirh. The art is pretty great throughout, I just with this was a normal-sized issue with a lot less ridiculous in-fighting.

MY SCORE: 8.2/10

Comics: Uncanny X-Men #241

UNCANNY X-MEN #241
February 1989
"Fan The Flames"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Marc Silvestri
Inker: Dan Green
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

Yeah, I'm about eight issues behind with these reviews. I'm going to try and speed through them and since they're all part of "Inferno," you can apply the following to pretty much every issue:

1. Including all the build-up, this story has gone on way too long.
2. I think Limbo and all the magic stuff is generally annoying and uninteresting.
3. It's cool seeing a lot of big and iconic plot points happening.

Okay, with all that out of the way I can say that this is another above-average issue of Uncanny. Even though the issue is essentially not much more than an extended fight scene between the X-Men and Marauders, the "not much more" involves Mr. Sinister telling Madelyne Pryor her origin. For that alone the issue is exciting, since as someone who came along way after Pryor's death it's interesting to see the beginning of her end. My biggest problem with this issue is the "demon" Colossus fights on page 19. It's...not a demon. It's one of the Right's armored goons from the pages of X-Factor that, well, looks nothing like a demon. It looks like a robotic egg with a smiley face and Colossus says that he's seen "his kind" before in Limbo. No, I don't think he has. Unless I'm missing something, there was some sorta miscommunication between editorial, Claremont and/or Silvestri.

So, a fine issue with a really weird error.

MY SCORE: 8.6/10

Comics: Uncanny X-Men #240

UNCANNY X-MEN #240
January 1989
"Strike The Match"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Marc Silvestri
Inker: Dan Green
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

The X-Men all begin their descent into madness in this issue. It starts with Madelyne Pryor and Havok on a date at the Rainbow Room in NYC, which turns bloody when the demonized building starts eating people just barely off-panel. Gateway teleports the couple back home and Madelyne then goes out, alone, in full Goblin Queen gear to visit and pout at Jean Grey's grave. Jean's parents happen across the grave and Madelyne turns them into demon henchmen out of anger. Back at the X-Men's Australian headquarters, Dazzler gets extremely mad when Rogue flirts with Longshot. And then Longshot gets upset when he realizes Dazzler considers him hers and, after being a slave for Mojo, doesn't like the idea of being possessed. Cut to the Nebraska orphanage that Cyclops and Jean visited a couple issues ago in X-Factor and Madelyne starts uncovering some secrets about her history. The X-Men then track the Marauders to the Morlock Alley and start getting some revenge. The issue ends with the reveal that Mr. Sinister believes Madelyne should call him...father!

Overall this is a good issue. Several plotlines lurch closer towards their climax, and the issue also includes a lot of slam-bang action. At first I was wondering why the X-Men were all of a sudden so blood thirsty for the Marauders. Sure the Marauders kicked the crap out of them before, but the X-Men have never really been about revenge. It's hinted at later that all of this is dark energy influencing the team. I like that Alex is insecure about his new relationship with Madelyne and I like that Colossus still feels remorse for killing Riptide (who is alive again, shockinlgy) back during the "Mutant Massacre." The end reveal is bold and it feels like all the loose threads that have been dangling for the last few years are coming together...even if this isn't what Claremont envisioned.

The art is fun. Silvestri turns in solid action work, even if his faces tend to be fairly flat when he shows them from a low angle...which he does a lot. But anyway, it's still fresh and crisp. Solid inking from the vet Dan Green helps, definitely. I don't really get why Madelyne Pryor's dress changes from panel to panel during her date with Havok. I'm assuming it's to show her dark mastery over matter, or evil sorcerous ways, and maybe to highlight the surrealness and creepiness of the date and her control over Havok's perception...but none of that is mentioned. It's subtle, so I will take it as intentional.

Good issue, and a lot better than the New Mutants and X-Terminators issues of this crossover since it doesn't focus on the demons as much as it does on the characters.

MY SCORE: 8.7/10

Comics: Uncanny X-Men #239

UNCANNY X-MEN #239
December 1988
"Vanities"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Marc Silvestri
Inker: Dan Green
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor In Chief: Tom DeFalco

And so it begins. After reading months of buildup in various titles, "Inferno" starts up here. This is a relatively quiet issue, with a decent amount of time spent on all the main team members and setting up the inner struggles that are plaguing them during this stretch of issues. The pacing works at building up tension since the issue starts with a very dark scene between Mr. Sinister and Malice. Just knowing that Sinister is out there scheming affects all the scenes with the X-Men that follow. The readers know a horrible challenge is coming and seeing all of our heroes in such emotional turmoil doesn't lead us to believe this is going to be a pleasant action romp. This is going to be tough.

The first couple pages of the issue follow a family visiting the Empire State Building in the slowly demonized New York City. An elevator eats the entire family, and a clueless janitor accidentally mops up all their blood. Wow, 1988, epic bloody win right there. Shock of shocks.

Havok is a very complex character and I like that Claremont has dusted off his old paranoia about his power using instances that recently occurred, like him trying to kill his possessed ex-girlfriend and a couple Brood aliens. I'm glad that his reckless actions are taking a toll on him.

Other than that, Storm gets freaked out because she finds out that Wolverine has been keeping the news of Jean Grey's resurrection secret and a sparring match between Psylocke and Rogue and Colossus gets a little too serious. Yep, our team isn't in the best of shape, putting them square into the underdog category. The issue ends with Madelyne's downright creepy seduction of Havok, which is expertly laid out by artist Marc Silvestri who manages to capture a dark atmosphere in the middle of a bright and scorching Australian summer. We then find out that Madelyne has gone nutso and is working with the demon N'astirh to kidnap a buncha babies.

Claremont's strong characterizations are again running amok all over this issue, and his wordiness is only a small problem (like during Havok's dream sequence, the art explained it all perfectly and was only hurt by all those flowery words). Silvestri's art is solid and despite my dislike of aspects of his sketchy style, it tells the story beautifully. Although seeing art like this in 1988 and knowing it's leading to the insane art of the early '90s...it's hard to appreciate something knowing it's going to inspire tons of crap imitators. It's like trying to listen to Nirvana and not hearing a bit of Puddle of Mudd in there.

MY SCORE: 8.6/10

Top 10 2008: Comics

10. SECRET INVASIONIssues #1-8 / Written by Brian Bendis, Art by Leinil Yu

You'll note that this is the only Skrull-related comic in the top ten, mostly because I was absolutely green in the face (PUNZ) after about two months of all the wrinkly-chinned hullabaloo. It got old, Marvel. And yeah, as the flagship series this series weighed way too heavily on slow-paced action and not enough on big reveals or characterization...or plot really. But okay, the art was amazing, the entire creative team was A-list (Mark Morales and Laura Martin rounded out the team, and they're the biggest inker and colorist working today) and the kick-off issue was downright paranoid glee. Good stuff and, as a whole, a bit more sturdy than Civil War. So that's it, no more Skrulls on this list. For the most part.

9. UNCANNY X-MEN
Issues #494-505 / Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, Art by Mike Choi, Greg Land and Terry Dodson

A lot of Uncanny's 2008 was spent with its wheels furiously spinning around with the car parked in neutral (that car metaphor works, right?). The great "Messiah Complex" storyline of 2007 ended and, well, led into five months of farting around until the fancy and multiple-covered 500th issue. Since then things have been slowly improving, with Fraction (and a bit of Brubaker) bringing in a bunch of slow-burning plots that all seem to be destined to dovetail together in a big ol' Claremont-ian event of awesomeness. Along with having a downright retro feel, the book is also breaking new ground with the current San Francisco locale change which has made a huge impact on the line as a whole. It's not great yet, and Fraction can do great things, so I'm looking forward to 2009.

8. ASTONISHING X-MEN
Issues #24-27 and Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1 / Written by Joss Whedon and Warren Ellis, Art by John Cassaday and Simone Bianchi

The stellar Whedon and Cassaday run came to an end with a truly epic moment and probably the biggest sacrifice the X-Men have endured since...well, the first death of Phoenix. There's not much more I can say about that part of Astonishing's run that I haven't said before. Whedon ruled, Cassaday did the best art any x-book has seen in a long time, the only problem was with the book's scheduling and the fact that the big climax was ruined in the other titles a month before said issue hit. Following that team's run was going to be hard, but Ellis and Bianchi haven't done...horribly. Okay, Bianchi's art is...odd...but I always appreciate Ellis' insane take on tradition and his seeming respect for continuity. This is no longer the flagship title but under Ellis, it's an okay one.

7. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON EIGHT
Issues #10-20 / Written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, Art by Georges Jeanty and Karl Moline

2008 was split between two storylines, one stellar and one fun, and a couple one-off issues that were all enjoyable. Drew Goddard's "Wolves at the Gate" really nailed the humor, conflict and bloody death that made the best episodes of Buffy memorable. The more recent "Time of Your Life" crossed over with Fray, a series that I just read. This was plagued by a bit of a delay, a fact that hurt the story a lot since I had no clue what Fray was all about. I now do. The storyline was better in retrospect. Big things are coming in Buffy, and I'm stoked.

6. CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI: 13
Issues #1-8 / Written by Paul Cornell, Art by Leonard Kirk

If you had told me a year ago that a series starring Captain Britain and a bunch of D-List English heroes would be in my top ten list of 2008, above two X-Books, I would have said something ridiculously sarcastic, rolled my eyes and walked away asking myself why you even bothered talking to me. And now, here we are, stepping into 2009 and Captain Britain is one of my most-anticipated books each month. Solid art, intricate and careful characterization and some big ol' action with a shot of the UK added in. It's a pretty great read month in and month out and MI: 13 is becoming a ragtag group of heroes up there with the old school X-Factor team. Good stuff.

5. RUNAWAYS
Volume 2 Issues #29-30, Volume 3 Issues #1-5 / Written by Joss Whedon and Terry Moore, Art by Michael Ryan and Humberto Ramos

This book spent most of 2007...um...not coming out, so it was nice to have seven months of Runaways in 2008. Both of the creative teams lacked what the other had and vice versa. Michael Ryan has the strong storytelling that Humberto Ramos lacks, but Ramos makes up for it with tons of attitude and charisma. And while Terry Moore is crafting a story that feels much more like Runaways than Whedon's time travel story, there's no denying that Whedon's run was much funnier and snappier. So, you know, good and bad. Overall I'm ecstatic about where this book is going, especially because it's coming out regularly again. Moore may not be as flashy or buzzworthy as Whedon, but he really appreciates these characters and knows how to craft stories with them. The future is bright.

4. X-FACTORIssues #27-38, Layla Miller and Quick & The Dead one-shots / Written by Peter David, Art by Pablo Raimondi, Valentine De Landro and Larry Stroman

The first half of 2008, X-Factor was experiencing a creative rebirth. Wolfsbane's departure yielded one of the series' best issues and led into one of its best storylines with "The Only Game in Town." That arc was aptly named as it was the only X-Book to really kick the events of "Messiah Complex" into high gear instead of sitting around for five months. The two one-shots spotlighting Quicksilver and the time-displaced Layla Miller were real highlights, especially Layla Miller. And then...well, the team moved to Detroit and lost a lot of its appeal. This coincided with the awkward return of Larry Stroman, a move that was highly anticipated and ended up disappointing. With 2008's close, Stroman has departed and Peter David has acknowledged the series' slide. He promises that things are going to pick up and with Madrox and Siryn's baby being born right now, well, I believe him.

3. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
Issues #118-129 / Written by Brian Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Yeah, this is probably the best this book has ever been. Stuart Immonen's art is perfectly suited for the title and the fresh energy he has brought to Spidey has completely rejuvenated Bendis' writing. Venom, Gwen Stacy, last month's arrest of Aunt May...everything is illustrated with a detailed urgency unlike any this series has ever seen. Bagley was great, yeah, but this title really needed an offbeat artist to make it stand out. The teenage angst has never been this palpable. This is the only "Ultimate" book that matters.

2. X-MEN/X-MEN: LEGACY
Issues #207-219 / Written by Mike Carey, Art by Scot Eaton

This is also the title everyone either loved or hated in 2008. I, obviously, fell on the "love it" side. Of course I'm obsessed with continuity, so Mike Carey going back and fixing past wrongs and making every bit of mutant minutiae make sense had me in giggle fits every month. We saw Hazard again this year, people! Hazard! He appeared like, once! Fifteen years ago! Awesome! But seriously, Carey's doing all this while telling a smart story and making Professor X a relatable and complex character. Plus, you know, Gambit came back and didn't suck. So, that was cool. The Legacy setup is ending soon I think, and Carey said the book is going to change into something else that has never been seen in this corner of the Marvel Universe. I'm excited to see where this book goes.

1. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Issues #546-581 / Written by Dan Slott, Bob Gale, Zeb Wells, Marc Guggenheim, Joe Kelly and Mark Waid, Art by Steve McNiven, Salvador Larroca, Phil Jimenez, Chris Bachalo, Barry Kitson, Marcos Martin, Mike McKone and John Romita Jr.

Thirty-six issues. This one comic alone shipped three times the amount it normally does in a year and somehow managed to make every one of them (of the twenty I read) the most worthy additions to the legendary Spider-Man mythos that I've read in my long tenure reading comics. The writers and artists listed up there are not only among the best in the industry, they're among my personal favorites. Slott and Romita Jr.'s "New Ways to Die" arc was a thrilling read every week, an arc that successfully re-purposed Eddie Brock and brought him back from obscurity. Marcos Martin's page layouts during his two storylines ("Peter Parker, Paparazzi" and "Unscheduled Stop") were divine, his completely unparalleled and unique vision of the webhead surely inspiring artists all over the country to give it a try. And of course, I can't say enough about all of Chris Bachalo's work on the title, especially his arc with writer Joe Kelly. Their two-part "Family Ties" arc was simply, well, amazing. Spider-Man's one-liners had never been so hilarious and his look had never been so abstractly exhilirating. In all of Marvel Comics, there really is none better when you look at the monumental goal they set for themselves by deciding to publish thirty-six issues in a year and see how they succeeded. And no, "One More Day" did NOT need to happen and Peter Parker SHOULD still be with Mary Jane, but "Brand New Day" is the best thing that could have happened to Spider-Man. Things are only going to get better.

Comics: 3-05-08

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON EIGHT #12
"Wolves At The Gate 1"
Writer: Drew Goddard
Penciler: Georges Jeanty
Inker: Andy Owens
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy
Executive Producer: Joss Whedon
Editor: Scott Allie

March 5th was Frustrating Comics Day, leaving me uninspired to write the reviews until now. This one has maybe the most talked about fourth page of any comic ever published. You know, the one that reveals that Buffy has had a one-night stand with Satsu, the slayer who confessed to her love of Buffy last issue. My immediate reaction to this was one of shock, the page screaming "look how high above the shark I am!" Buffy has never been a lesbian, never had lesbian tendencies, and this new development just pushes the comic further away from being the Buffy I love. The main cast feels splintered and the new characters are all one-note. Making Buffy act out of character is just insult to injury. Upon another read and having a couple more weeks to digest the turn of events, I can see where this fits in with her character. This is the woman who had sex with Spike, someone she loathed, in the Bronze while watching her friends dance. This is the woman who immediately fell for Parker and slept with him on the first date. Buffy is a young woman with sexual desires and it's not unusual for her to do whatever she can to satiate them. When faced with an attractive individual that admits to loving her, it's not that surprising that Buffy would jump on it (hmm). Thankfully Goddard has the entire cast of the book find out about the tryst in one of the funniest sequences in a comic from recent memory. This gets the secrecy problem that plagues even the best of series out of the way, sparing the audience a year's worth of stories about Satsu and Buffy almost getting caught. I'm actually glad to see Dracula back. His episode was never one of my favorites because it always seemed, well, fan fictiony and it never played a big part in the Buffy mythos. I think this arc will, if it's done well, make that episode even better.

MY SCORE: 8.3/10


CABLE v.2 #1
"War Baby 1"
Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Artist: Ariel Olivetti
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo
Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

Pretty underwhelming, I have to say. As far as plot, this issue doesn't really have one. Cable arrives in New Jersey in the future, takes out some troublemakers, and then gets shot by Bishop at a diner. The mood is great, the artwork is really different and sets the tone well, I just wish something would have happened to make me want to buy the second issue. It seems like Marvel is making ongoing series now knowing that, in today's market, it's rare that an issue makes it past issue 12. I don't know how else to explain the current crop of comics being released with such light premises that you have to wonder how long they can really run. This, X-Force and the renamed X-Men: Legacy all seem like books that will have run out of story and momentum in a year when their simple premises stop generating ideas. Maybe that's why nothing happens in this issue. I'm not a fan of Bishop's portrayal at all. I can understand his turn to the dark side, which was done pretty believably. I do not believe that he needed to get a monstrous robot arm and glowing red eyes. It's like they're trying to make Bishop out to be 1940s Red Skull, some huge caricature of a villain. Really, just ditch the ridiculously huge arm and red eyes and Bishop would be a lot more believable. I'm interested in knowing more about the mutant baby but, art aside, nothing about this premise or setup really fascinates me. There was plenty of space in this issue to discuss more of Cable's plan, why he's in the future, what he thinks of Bishop, what he thinks of the baby, just, you know, more. As it is we have a very one-dimensional portrayal of Cable and the mustache-twirling Bishop, neither of which I'm that interested in.

MY SCORE: 7.2/10


UNCANNY X-MEN #496
"X-Men: Divided 2"
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Mike Choi
Color Art: Sonia Oback
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo
Editor: Nick Lowe
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

Click here to read the review at Comixfan.


X-FORCE v.3 #2
"Angels & Demons 2 of 6"
Writers: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Artist: Clayton Crain
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Production: Paul Acerios
Assistant Editor: Aubrey Sitterson
Editor: John Barber
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

I think the last thing the comic world needed was the mindless gore, guts and guns of the early 90s to meet the hyper dramatic modern realism style of today's comics. That's what X-Force is. It's a brainless cavalcade of blood dressed up with melodrama to seem intelligent. Isn't it cool how X-23 totally blew up the Purifiers' headquarters and all the key players happened to survive??!!! Isn't it so cool that Warpath is all like "how can you have all this blood on your hands?" and X-23 is all like "whatever you're a pussy I'm a bad ass!"??!!!! Whoah!!! But really, the combination of ruthless violence with strong characterization is painful to read. I don't want to see Warpath's will get broken. I don't want to read about Wolfsbane becoming overrun by vengeance. I don't even know X-23 that well, but I don't like seeing her turned into a complete killing machine. The premise of the series becomes even more ridiculous in this issue when Angel drops by (no clue when all of this fits in with what's going on in Uncanny). If Cyclops is trying to keep X-Force a secret, why is he having meetings at Angel's place? How stupid does he think Angel is? He flies down, sees everyone in their black/sneaky/obviously x-uniforms and isn't supposed to make the connection, especially considering how X-Force was used openly during "Messiah Complex"? The art is also hit or miss. Crain's depiction of Rahne in captivity is strikingly creepy, but he also managed to give Warpath huge breasts and an hourglass figure three pages prior to that one. Crain's not consistent, but his work is definitely at home in this title. His work with Magus on the last page was wonderful. On the topic of Magus, much like The Kitty Pryde Fiasco, this is another huge continuity blunder. Bastion says that Magus was left at the bottom of the ocean by the X-Men when, in fact, he was last fought almost 20 years ago on another planet. So...is this an untold tale that we're about to see? Unlike Cable, X-Force has covered a lot of ground in the first two issues and proven that it does have a reason to exist. Actually, the premise of a black-ops X-Team is one that could go for a good long while, I just don't think I can read it for very long without getting thoroughly depressed.

MY SCORE: 7.4/10

Comics: 2-06-08

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON EIGHT #11
"A Beautiful Sunset"
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Georges Jeanty
Inker: Andy Owens
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy
Editor: Scott Allie

Season Eight has been a troubled little book. Aside from an above average arc by Brian K. Vaughan about Faith, it's been pretty standard fare. Joss Whedon's voice is coming through loud and clear, it's just that his witticisms are sometimes confusing when read and not heard. Also, the art hasn't been anything to get excited over. Jo Chen has provided some striking paintings for the covers but Georges Jeanty is merely passable. He tells the stories well and gets the likenesses down, but nothing past that. In my opinion, a book as important and event-y as the eighth season of one of the most important and influential television shows of the past twenty years deserves an artist of some merit and individuality (Adrian Alphona would be amazing).

All that aside, this is a better than average issue of Season Eight. I'm glad to read single issues by Joss; they show that he has a real grasp on the medium moreso than the sprawling epics hes doing on Runaways and Astonishing X-Men. It feels like we're finally getting a direction and a real threat after eleven issues. Twilight, the person or organization or whatever, is not happy with the slayer-filled world and is going to do something about it. It feels like a big threat since it's a direct consequence to what Buffy did in the series finale. Whedon's universe is full of consequences so this is a natural fit. I'm pleased to see her second guessing her decision. The single issue format is great and I like the alternating between longer arcs and individual stories. Joss' fake-out with the identity reveal of Mr. Twilight is such a clear sign of his understanding of the medium; he knew how to mess with his audience on TV and now he knows how to do it in comics. I almost clapped when Mr. Twilight said "sorry, itchy neck." Great.

This issue also answers some questions raised by the series so far instead of the tv series. Buffy deals with Satsu and the love kiss she placed on Buffy in the opening arc and also hints at an explanation for Willow's awkwardness as of late. Everything's becoming clearer and I think this'll help the past issues. Buffy's speech about her exes all getting hurt is a nice nod to continuity (as is the mud-faced Satsu reminding Buffy of the dream she had in "Restless") but I find it pretty self-centered that it immediately turned back on self-pity. Then again, Buffy's self-pity has been a character point before so no reason it shouldn't pop up here.

I think the real problem with this book is that it feels too removed from the TV series. I respect the decision to make a bold change, I'm all for that. I'm just finding it hard to adjust to not seeing Willow and Xander together in every issue, or Buffy talk to Giles, or even just seeing people hate Spike. There really is no cast here and so far Satsu is the only new character to, well, have a personality. It feels really fractured, moreso than season 4. I want to see the gang all back together eventually. Eventually.

So, good issue. The single issues are shaping up to be way better than the big event storylines. Here's hoping that Drew Goddard's big arc starting next month is better than "Long Way Home."

MY SCORE: 8.6/10


UNCANNY X-MEN #495
"X-Men: Divided 1"
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Mike Choi
Color Art: Sonia Oback
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Assistant Editor: Will Panzo
Editor: Nick Lowe
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

For the first time in ten years (seriously, I just checked), nothing happened in this issue. Yes, there have been one or two quiet issues in that time period, but it seems like they've been leading up to either a new creative team or a huge event. Even though this issue is labeled as "part 1," it's the X-Men just chilling with no huge change looming. For the first time in a long time, I finished reading the book with a nod and realized that I was simply going to read an Ed Brubaker story next month, and the month after that, and the month after that. I'm not worried about what a new writer is potentially going to mess up. I'm not worried about having to buy a title I don't want to to get the rest of the story. I'm just going to read #496 and find out what happens. That's it.

And I am so happy.

Everyone claims that Joss Whedon's Astonishing is way old-school, but Claremont never did decompression with delays on top of that. If you want old-school, this is it. Cyclops and Emma are on vacation in the Savage Land. Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Colossus are in Germany. There's no action whatsoever, just solid characterization. In that way, it's like a Scott Lobdell issue, but the whole vibe is very post-Siege Perilous Claremont. There's no X-Men, as far as the government is concerned, and that is genuinely exciting to me. If the whole point of "X-Men: Divided" is to actually focus on the characters' relationships instead of just sticking them in the crossover-o-matic (Hot Creator + New Status Quo X Variant Cover / Death = Event) then I am on board.

The scenes with Cyclops and Emma work for me. Somehow they are way more interesting than Cyclops and Jean ever were, which is a shame. Shanna points out that Emma has a soft side which, my only complaint, is what I fear we're seeing too much of. Emma's love for Cyclops is interesting and I'd like to see more of her reasons for loving him. I particularly enjoyed the exchange where Emma revealed that she could also look him in the eyes (due to her diamond form) as well as look into his mind. That simple feat sets her above Jean Grey in the intimacy department since not being able to look him in the eyes was a plot point for that couple.

Cyclops is also getting some nice attention finally. It has been pointed out that Cyclops isn't the big gun that he should be in the Marvel Universe. Mr. Fantastic and Captain America (and I guess Iron Man) are huge names and also lead the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. Cyclops has never been anything more than a boy scout and a follower. It was Professor X that joined the Illuminati after all. His worry about what to do without Professor X is so right and such an interesting angle for the character. The problem is...it should have been done before. Cyclops has led the X-Men during three of Professor X's absences: when he died in the 1960s, when he was in prison after Onslaught in the late 90s, and when he was in Genosha after Grant Morrison's run. During all three of those times he never had this type of crisis. I guess his death has heightened his inner turmoil, but it's laid out in the first page of this issue that Cyclops doesn't think he's dead. He should be upset that the Professor is missing, but I don't really buy the whole "without him there is no purpose" line. It might be a front for the government at this point, so I'll wait it out.

On the topic of Professor X's death, how botched was that? If I had not read the solicitations for this month's comics and read this directly after the 13th chapter of "Messiah Complex," I would be giving a big "a-huh?" to this. Professor X was shot in the head. The disappearance of his corpse on the last page was done in such a way that it seemed more like an artistic goof than a plot point, and it wasn't even addressed or pointed out. Then in this issue, the recap page says he was shot in the head and seemingly dead with no mention of the disappearance. I assume all of this will be cleared up in X-Men: Legacy when it comes out, but if so it should have come out this week instead of Uncanny.

The bits with the Giant-Size boys club (Peter, Kurt and Logan, the only surviving guys from Giant-Size X-Men) were pretty great. Those three have always been close friends and I'm so pleased to actually see it addressed and to see them just hanging out. Moments like these don't come along often and when they do, they are so important.

The art leaves a lot to be desired. It's nice, professional, tells the story, but it's too pretty. It looks like an ad for hip new cologne, not a comic book. I'm not a fan of the photo-realism, I kinda wish it would go away.

This issue didn't break any new ground, nothing important really happened, and the cliffhanger is so darn unexciting. For all of these reasons, I loved it. It feels like this is a comic book about characters, and after the long and hard decade Uncanny has had, it's about time.

MY SCORE: 8.7/10

Mexican Angel Demon

It's hard to remember what I have and haven't blogged about with no internet at home. I'm going to have to fix this problem...at some point. It involves calling the landlord, and I'm always paranoid about that. I think it's post-traumatic-stress from the previous one.

I saw improv at Gotham on Friday night, all really solid and enjoyable. I've discovered seeing improv at other places, although I've lost touch with some of my favorite UCB shows in the process. That and I'm starting to get really tired lately; I think it's all catching up with me.

I started not feeling well late Saturday night, an unpleasant happening alongside lots of merry events from that night. It was a good night, but my throat was hurting by Sunday morning. After watching a 201 class show at noon, hanging around at Chelsea Piers, and arriving in Hoboken for the improv group practice I organized...not feeling so well. The sore throat gave way to a bit of fatigue (the night after night of 4-5 hours of sleep probably helped this) and my improv was really affected. I usually am very loud and boisterous and sucky; I was instead uncooperative, lazy, tired, and sucky. I did learn a lot, mainly that I need to focus on forming a real connection with my scene partner instead of just going ca-razy right off the bat. The only thing I was really proud of was me and Katey's subway-breakup-scene. Class was more of the same, too tired and now hungry to do anything worth while. I rushed home, ate lots of food (nachos, chips and salsa, and pop tarts) and read comics.

I read Uncanny X-Men #236 (pictured above) and discovered that it is a surprisingly solid issue. Issues #235-238 introduce Genosha, the prosperous island of mutant slavery. The story as a whole is good, #236 being the best of the bunch. There are decent supporting characters who have interesting motives and, for this story only, Genosha seems like a decent story idea. Genosha then became a war-torn country where no writer could ever really figure out who was fighting who until Magneto was given free reign over it and the entire place was obliterated by Sentinels. Still, the concept got off to a nice start.

The fatigue and sore throat led some to believe I could have mono, although I don't know where I would have caught that since the symptoms started popping up well after I was around anyone who has/had mono. Plus, I looked it up on webmd and I'm not showing signs of the yellow skin or mouth sores. I'm hoping this is just due to my lack of sleep or eating three meals a day, plus my constant contact with people in various stages of cold-dom.

The office is half empty today and I thorougly enjoy it. There's a nice sense of calm around here...a calm that was disrupted when I ran across the video posted below. Watch it. It's freaky. The fun starts around 41 seconds in.

Please someone verify if this is real or a hoax. I can't find any info on it.

Comics: 2-7-07

MS. MARVEL: VOLUME 2 #12
"Something Dark Is Coming"
Writer: Brian Reed
Pencilers: Roberto De La Torre & Patrick Zircher
Inker: Jon Sibal
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Greg Horn
Production: Paul Acerios & Kate Levin
Assistant Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Editor: Bill Rosemann
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

Ms. Marvel has been an okay title so far. It was finding its voice and then got steam rolled by Civil War and still managed to get some good stories out of it. According to Brian Reed's interesting letter at the end of the issue, some big changes are ahead and that has me interested.

The issue at hand, though, is another okay offering. This series isn't doing anything spectacular and it doesn't have the unique voice of She-Hulk, but it does tell good stories with a strong character and with consistent artwork. It's a good book. This issue takes a nice spin on an old villain and puts Carol in some not-so-light places. The last pages especially drive this home (sorry Arana fans). And hey, what's up with Carol's PR lady? She's seeming quite dubious after disappearing for a while. Hmm...

MY SCORE: 7.9 (out of 10)

NEW AVENGERS #27
"Revolution part 1"
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Leinil Yu
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Letterer: RS & Comicraft's Albert Deschesne
Production: Brad Johansen
Assistant Editors: Molly Lazer & Aubrey Sitterson
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

New Avengers has been underperforming for me lately, so this issue marks a strong upturn in quality. It's not that the stories have been lame lately, it's just that they've been so quiet. Now, I like a quiet comic, seriously, I'm all about some introspection...but the previous issues have been that and nothing of great consequence seems to have happened. Bendis' naturalistic dialogue is great...unless it's in an extremely natural setting. Then it's seriously like listening to the people next to you on the subway converse. Okay, maybe not that boring. Or scary.

The art is the standout this time around. New penciler (regular, I hope) Leinil Yu is better than ever, his splash of Echo on the opening page is particularly breathtaking. But, ah, Echo, yeah, um, when was she revealed as Ronin? Did I miss that? Was it the same issue when it was revealed that it was actually Xorn posing as Magneto in New X-Men #150? Hmm, Bendis? He seems to rely on those opening recap pages for important info.

Still, good issue and when the New Avengers appear towards the end, well, it has a great energy to it and the banter is pitch perfect.

MY SCORE: 8.7 (out of 10)

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #105
"Clone Saga: Epilogue"
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Mark Bagley
Inker: Drew Hennessy
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Production: Brad Johanssen
Associate Editor: John Barber
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

"Clone Saga" lived up to the hype, I'd say, and this issue really hit home how monumental the arc was. Pretty strong issue, one of the best in recent memory. This book is at its best when it's dealing with teen angst, and "Clone Saga" provided bucket tons of it. Yes, bucket tons. I'm not looking forward to Kitty getting dumped; that relationship has been a recent highlight of the book.

MY SCORE: 8.8 (out of 10)

UNCANNY X-MEN #483
"The Rise & Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire 9 of 12: Vulcan's Descent"
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Penciler: Clayton Henry
Inker: Mark Morales
Colorist: Frank D'Armata
Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan
Editor: Nick Lowe
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

This story is reaching epic proportions, mainly because it’s already at epic lengths. Part nine. Dang. Still, a nice momentum has been maintained and last issue's shocking cliffhanger has, rightfully, a full issue dedicated to it.

Vulcan is showing signs of another dimension, so that's a good thing. Pairing him with Deathbird, an established lunatic, gives him a nice foil and he comes across as almost...almost normal. Almost. But not really. There's a nice sense of importance and grandness to this story and it feels like it matters. Three more chapters to go and I think it's only going to get bloodier.

The art is just okay. I mean, Billy Tan's is awkward at times but Henry's gets me a little more. His torsos are long, his necks and foreheads are long, some of his poses are too stiff (not good in a love making scene...well, I mean, stiff posture). It's all good, but it's not the best. Still, it's really good...just some problems. Eh.

MY SCORE: 8.4 (out of 10)

X-MEN #195
"Primary Infection 2 of 3"
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Humberto Ramos
Inker: Carlos Cuevas
Colorist: Studio F's Edgar Delgado
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

Mike Carey's run on X-Men has exceeded all of my expectations to become the most consistently entertaining of the three main titles (Astonishing is held back since it comes out only after the tribal dancers celebrate the moon ritual of Ma'Gog). It's witty, action packed, and doesn't aim to do anything above be a great read. If Carey didn't take "being a great read" so seriously, the book could have continued down the road that Peter Milligan was taking it down. The soap and over-the-top action is still here, but there's a darkness and realism to it that makes this book stand out for the first time since Morrison left two and a half years ago.

The first arc was great; it made Rogue a readable character again (a star, in fact) and gave cause to the crazy roster (was anyone clamoring for the return of Karima?). "Primary Infection" has a different artist and a less sturdy idea, but the way it reads is just a pure rush. Iceman, Lady Mastermind and Karima's infiltration of Palance's headquarters was great fun and I was definitely cheering when Iceman held his own; Carey's starting to finesse him like he has Rogue.

The art has improved. I usually don't like Ramos over-exaggerated characteristics but it seems to work moreso than in the previous issue. His final splash page, and the idea itself, has me giddily waiting for the next issue.

MY SCORE: 8.9 (out of 10)

X-MEN ANNUAL: VOLUME 2 #1
"Covenant"
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciler: Mark Brooks
Inkers: Jaime Mendoza with Victor Olazaba
Colorists: John Rouch & Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan
Editors: Andy Schmidt & Mike Marts
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

Annuals were lame. That's why Marvel got rid of them five or so years ago. They were the dumping ground for forgotten characters in non-canonical adventures told by second rate writers with third rate artists. But because everything is cyclical (like Rogue's costume), they're back and they actually matter.

I thoroughly enjoyed this issue for one reason: Mike Carey has a memory. My main problem with comics nowadays (to sound like I'm an old-timer) is their treatment of the past. It's usually forgotten or contradicted for no good reason, the newer writers jettisoning what they don't want and amplifying what they do. Carey, though, has thus proven to be knowledgeable of the past and able to adjust it to meet his current needs without rendering it unrecognizable. This issue features Exodus, Random, Tempo and Frenzy, all of which are portrayed correctly and have a wee little goal. I also enjoy the interactions between Mystique and Rogue; Carey's handling that well and it's really making both characters shine. Lastly, Carey ran us through the history of Northstar and Aurora in an attempt to heal both of their fractured minds. That's right, Carey, the best way to appease fans is to let us know that you know where they're coming from. Thanks.

The story is okay, the art is acceptable (some of Brooks' stronger work), and the ending is oh-so-delightful to me. That is, if Carey follows up on all this at some point. I hope so, because I really think Carey could do the character on the last page justice.

MY SCORE: 8.7 (out of 10)