Full review posted to cxPulp.com.
Story: 4/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Filed under: Curse of the Mutants (event), cxPulp.com, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, X-Men | Tagged: Adi Granov, Axel Alonso, Curse of the Mutants, Cyclops, Daniel Ketchum, Joe Caramagna, Juan Vlasco, Jubilee, Marte Gracia, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Paco Medina, Pixie, Vampires, Victor Gischler, x-men | Leave a comment »
Second Coming (chapter 11)
Written by: Zeb Wells
Art by: Ibraim Roberson, Lan Medina and Nathan Fox
Colored by: Brian Reber, Matt Milla and Jose Villarubia
Lettered by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover by: Adi Granov
Associate Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Published by: Marvel Comics
Xavier enters the mind of his son, David (Legion) Haller, to prepare him to help the X-Men. In the real world, Cyclops deputizes every mutant present as X-Men…the dome trapping them and the nimrods arriving every few minutes means that every individual must come together, to “Fight or die.” Meanwhile, Rogue and Hope share a moment, as Colossus and Namor have their hands full holding the Golden Gate Bridge against Nimrods. In the future, the X-Force contingent has their hands full with their own problems…including multiple Master Molds. Back in the present, Hank McCoy–Beast–says his goodbyes as he prepares to enter the fray, and another player joins the battle.
The multiple artists / multiple colorists team is quite noticeable, and while in some ways it’s distracting, it’s also fitting to the story, as we’re dealing with several very different locales: David Haller’s mindscape, the X-Men in present day, and X-Force in a dark future. I’m not particularly a fan of any of the art–the only issues of this series I’ve bought have been whatever issues were earlier chapters of Second Coming–and offhand I don’t even recognize the artists’ names from any of their previous work that I might have seen. Of the differing visuals, the most off-putting is David Haller’s mind…but that seems intentional, and works well. The future scenes with X-Force are fairly slick, and I do like the distinctiveness. The present-day scenes are probably my favorites.
The story seems fairly simple and generic in that this is “just” another chapter in the ongoing crossover Second Coming. This continues from the previous chapter, and leads into the next chapter; we get forward movement in the crossover, but as a shared story, there’s not a whole lot moving whatever the New Mutants story is along, that I can tell. Again, as with the art…this isn’t a bad thing…perhaps because I have no real interest in this title standing alone, don’t know the newer characters, and picked this up as Second Coming Chapter 11 rather than New Mutants #14. Despite that, I really don’t feel lost–and the unfamiliarity is something I expected for this story, since I barely touched the X-books after Messiah Complex. I enjoyed the interaction with Rogue and Hope–the characters seem well suited for each other, and could make for an interesting friendship in future issues.
All in all, another solid chapter of Second Coming. I’m not yet sold on whatever the story is that’ll immediately follow this arc’s conclusion, nor the next big story with the vampires. Still, this keeps me interested in Second Coming, and I’m very, very interested to see what unfolds next week. This issue’s cliffhanger also reminds me somewhat thematically of the season finale to the first season of the 1990s X-Men animated series.
If you’ve already been following New Mutants, or are following the Second Coming main story, this is not an issue to be missed. If you’re not following this, you’ll probably be better off waiting for the next arc.
Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2010, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, New Mutants, X-Men: Second Coming (Event) | Tagged: Adi Granov, Brian Reber, cable, Comic Reviews, Daniel Ketchum, Hope, Ibraim Roberson, Joe Caramagna, Jose Villarubia, Lan Medina, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Matt Milla, Nathan Fox, New Mutants, Nick Lowe, Second Coming, x-force, x-men, x-men: second coming, Zeb Wells | Leave a comment »
When I want to touch on more than I care to review, I post “mini-reviews” under this heading. These, after all, ARE the rest of my stack for the week.
X-Men – Second Coming: Prepare #1 – I got back into the X-Men comics for a short time a couple years back for the Messiah Complex story. I don’t think I even really meant to, but I wound up picking up the one-shot that kicked the story off, and found myself interested enough to follow it through the various books. I even followed some of the books for a short time after, taking in the new direction of the X-Men stuff (and the milestone issues of X-men and Uncanny X-Men). I passed on Messiah War, though I still hold some small hope at eventually acquiring the hardback to get to read that story. This preview is very underwhelming in and of itself, but the preview art, the slight bit of characterization given of Wolverine, Cyclops, Magneto, and Cable pricked something within me that now has me on the fence about picking up this arc. The “reference materials” in the back of this issue seem to be reprinted from various other works–though as those had been freebies as well, I’m not bothered by it, and they are pertinent to this current stuff. This was a free issue, and there’s a chance it might have done its hoped-for job with me. Time will tell.
Superman #697 – I’m tired of the current Mon-El stuff. I don’t care for the costume–at all, not just the recent changes–and the way the character’s been handled…I just don’t care for the character. There’s not a huge case of dislike, just a case of disinterest. I feel like I SHOULD like the character, but I don’t. This is yet antoher issue of Superman in which Mon-El is the stand-in, though we do see a bit of personality and authenticity here when he admits that he wasn’t ready to take Superman’s place. Though the story and art are not to my liking in general–they just don’t appeal to me–possibly my largest complaint is the gratuitous near-nudity, and general explicitness of a sexual relationship Mon-El’s involved in, which seems to be something that wouldn’t be shown in such detail between Superman and Lois, and does not strike me as something that needs to be anything more than alluded to in general. It looks like Adventure Comics (#8 continues the story from this issue) is becoming little more than an extension of this book…but if that speeds getting this story over with and Superman back into his own title, I’ll be more than happy for that.
Deadpool #20 – After what has seemed at points to be longer than 4 weeks but less than 8 weeks between issues, this title now has reached a 3-parter being told in 3 weeks of 3 consecutive issues. Though I enjoy Deadpool, and am leaning toward a consideration of choosing a single Deadpool title to follow (and this one’s in the lead should such a decision be made), I’m still not a fan of Hit-Monkey or Hitman-Monkey or whatever the character is. I do like that this issue saw the return of Deadpool’s hallucinations–to great effect, I might add. I also like the fact that Spider-Man clues in on and confronts Deadpool about his apparent fear early in this issue, as it addresses a question I had…and was wondering if Spidey was gonna just get screwed over (er…that is, if the character hasn’t already been that way for a couple years now). This is the best (and MOST) of Spidey I’ve read in awhile, and I appreciate the opportunity to read the character as himself, without having to face the changes wrought in that infamous story. Definitely a worthwhile issue for Deadpool fans; not sure it’s a selling point in and of itself for new readers, though. Probably’d also be enjoyable for Spider-Man fans as well…especially those avoiding the Amazing Spider-Man for one reason or another.
Filed under: The Rest of the Stack | Tagged: DC, DC Comics, Deadpool, Hit-Monkey, Hitman-Monkey, Krypto, Man of Valor, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Mon-El, Prepare, Second Coming, Second Coming: Prepare, Spider-Man, Superboy, Superman, Whatever a Spider Can, x-men | Leave a comment »
His Father’s Son
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Pencils: Arthur Adams
Colorist: Aspen MLT’s Peter Steigerwald
Digital Inks: Aspen MLT’s Mark Roslan
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comic Craft’s Albert Deschesne
Production: Irene Y. Lee
Assistant Editor: Sana Amanat
Senior Editor: Mark Paniccia
Cover: Art Adams
Published by: Marvel Comics
Okay…so, I can hardly remember the last time I read an Ultimate comic. After reading from issue #3, I let Ultimate Spider-Man go around issue 80 when I gave in on the realization that the stories just weren’t being written for the single-issue format, and I wasn’t enjoying the pacing for the price per issue. I’m pretty sure I gave up on The Ultimates before that due to lateness, and I don’t recall sticking with Ultimates 2 more than a couple issues. All the hype over Ultimatum and the Ultimate Comics relaunch didn’t pull me in. I read Ultimate Iron Man 2 when I scored the hardback for the $6.
I’m not even sure what intrigued me with this issue. The teaser ads? Perhaps in small part–after all, WHAT is there to be done with Wolverine that’s NEW? Would this be something interesting like the Mary Jane and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane series? Would a book about a teenaged Logan in modern high school (thinking “Wolverine” instead of “Sparkly Vampire”) come across well?
So, despite my extreme dislike of the $3.99 cover price, I grabbed the issue–choosing the cover whose image I recognized from the teaser ad. Behind Siege #2 (which was spoiled for me via twitter prior to reading), this was near the top of my stack this week–bypassing Deadpool and even a couple Blackest Night issues.
One of the things that Marvel has done well for many years is “The ‘Previously…’ Page” at the start of their issues. This is a page that is basically prose or just non-story content that serves to get a reader up-to-speed on stuff, contextualizing the story that’s about to begin; it also serves to have the issue’s credits all in one place, so that when this page is omitted, a collected volume flows as one long work, uninterrupted by titles and credits every chapter or so.
Opening this issue, we have a series of images with seven simple sentences that serve to place this story. Context provided–whether as wholly new information, or to catch one up. I’d read The Ultimates, and Ultimate Spider-Man, followed a bit of Ultimate Fantastic Four, and even some of the Ultimate X-Men. The pictures and words tell all I need to know–and the world in this issue is apparently the same as I’d read before, but much changed by Ultimatum. The world exists, but even though I haven’t read in years, I’m not lost.
This issue’s story begins with narration from James Hudson, talking about his son–a son brought to him by an old friend years earlier. That old friend wasn’t able to raise the boy, but knew James and his wife Heather could, and so entrusted them with the child. Now a teenager, and running concurrent with the narration of how the boy came to be Hudson’s son, we see this son discovering what he is, and how his being different changes his life. Kitty Pryde–a name and character I’m somewhat familiar with from both the Ultimate comics and mainstream Marvel continuity–enters, with a classic trapping of such stories: the message from a person to their loved one, recorded shortly before dying. This child–Jimmy Hudson–is confronted with the image of his father, and the reality of who he really is. We also learn the difference in his mutant ability from that of his father.
The story, surprisingly enough as I have really not enjoyed Loeb‘s work for years–is relatively engaging. It’s not perfect, but I remained interested throughout the issue, and that’s quite the achievement in my eyes. As a long-time comic reader familiar with much of the Marvel universe in general throughout much of the last couple decades, names were familiar, but as this is not the mainstream Marvel universe, I had zero problem with the Hudsons being different than the characters I knew before this issue, and rather enjoyed the reference to how James’s codename is come about. There was also something to the realization of who the main character is that is at once obvious and yet not exactly what I expected–and any duplication of a similar character in the main Marvel books works so much better to me here.
The issue reads like an origin issue. We have the introduction of characters who are (presumably) going to be much of a supporting cast. We’re introduced to who assumably is the main character of the book. We learn where he came from, how he is seen by his family and others. We see his discovery of his identity, and what that does to him. We’re left on an ending that both provides actual conclusion to this specific single issue’s story, and yet it is clear this is by no means the end–the issue is not a one-shot.
The art isn’t the greatest I’ve ever seen, but–except for one panel that really put me in mind of Millar‘s Kick-Ass–never really took me out of the story. It’s clear what’s going on throughout the issue, even the effect as we find out Jimmy’s “other” mutant ability. Particularly with no previous issue to go on, Adams’ art actually stakes itself as definitive to me for this character, and does quite a good job of it.
Again–I despise the $3.99 price point, particularly for a mere 22-page issue. As I’d already compromised my principle (avoiding all Marvel $3.99 books) with Siege and Siege: Embedded, I allowed myself a further compromise to pick this up, since it’s a debut issue of a new series, and I was actually somewhat intrigued.
What I got was a very enjoyable issue, that really does what a first issue of any series ought to do…and it stands alone. I won’t be picking up future issues, as I refuse to pay $3.99 as a regular, ongoing price for a “standard” comic.
In and of itself, though, this was a good read, and actually mostly worth its cover price for the experience. While I don’t plan to purchase future single issues…provided the inevitable collected volume is reasonably priced, I expect I’ll have some interest in picking that up to read this story and go from there.
Story: 8/10
Art: 7.5/10
Overall: 8/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2010, MARVEL, Ultimate Comics, X | Tagged: Albert Deschesne, Art Adams, Arthur Adams, Aspen MLT, Comic Reviews, Comicraft, Heather Hudson, Hudson, Irene Y. Lee, James Hudson, Jeph Loeb, Jimmy Hudson, Mark Paniccia, Mark Roslan, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Peter Steigerwald, Richard Starkings, Sana Amanat, Ultimate, Ultimate Comics, Ultimate Wolverine, Ultimate X, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimates, Ultimatum, Wolverine, X, x-men | 3 Comments »
Want You to Want Me Part Three: The Revolution Will Be Televised
Writer: Daniel Way
Penciller: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Assistant Editor: Jody Leheup
Editor: Axel Alonso
Cover: Jason Pearson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
It’s hard to believe this is only the third issue of Deadpool that I’ve bought new of this series. Since picking up #15 to “try” at a friend’s persistent urging/recommendation, I’ve gone back and bought issues 12-14, the Secret Invasion trade, the Deadpool/Thunderbolts trade, a Suicide Kings hardcover, Merc With a Mouth 1-3 (and 4 “new”), as well as Deadpool #900 and Deadpool Team-Up #899. (And of course, also picked up this week’s Amazing Spider-Man #611 just because it had Deadpool in it).
As the above paragraph probably suggests…I’m hooked. I’m a total sucker for anything Deadpool right now. Of course…that’s for good reason The character’s at the top of his game under the various creative teams right now. And over-exposed or exploited as the character may be, I’m thoroughly enjoying such a concentrated dose of the character at present.
This issue picks up on Deadpool seeking to prove himself to Cyclops, that he can cut it s an X-man. Cyclops is handling a sensitive political situation, and Deadpool doesn’t exactly help. His involvement leads Cyclops to send Domino after the Merc…and a misunderstnding with her overhearing Cyclops talking to Wolverine keeps them from hanging onto Wade once they have him. We’re also given a sort of wacky take on H.A.M.M.E.R. and its agents that fits perfectly with Deadpool. The ending sets up the concluding chapter of this arc on a fairly generic cliffhanger.
The art’s good stuff here, and I continue to really enjoy Medina’s work. This contrasts with the cover art, which–while amusing enough–isn’t all that appealing. Still, I’m thankful for the interior being to my liking.
I like that this title is fairly well self-contained; despite the large number of other Deadpool comics and appearances going on at present, this story isn’t forced to acknowledge all of that; its story is its own entity.
This isn’t a great jumping-on point, really (but certainly is not the worst, thanks to the “Previously Page” that Marvel actually does very well with). As a whole, this really feels like the “main” Deadpool book, allowing the other books their status as “secondary” or “side” titles. This seems the book you’ll want to give a look at if you’re interested in Deadpool’s place in interaction with the current Marvel Universe’s ongoing continuity (Dark Reign and all that).
All in all, another solid issue, and I’m ready for the next.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 8/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, Deadpool, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Axel Alonso, Cyclops, Daniel Way, Deadpool, Domino, Jason Pearson, Jody Leheup, Joe Sabino, Juan Vlasco, Marte Gracia, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Paco Medina, x-men | Leave a comment »
Want You to Want Me Part Two: No Man is an Island
Writer: Daniel Way
Penciller: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Assistant Editor: Jody Leheup
Editor: Axel Alonso
Cover: Jason Pearson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
After the cliffhanger emphasis put on Deadpool’s decision last issue, this issue was rather abrubt to start out. Deadpool is flatly turned down and away. Upon further consideration, Cyclops sends Domino after him to bring Deadpool in to the team. This results in some misunderstanding between Deadpool and Domino, before Deadpool spills the beans on his plan to show the X-Men what “moves” he’s got to bring to the team.
This is my first new, bought-day-of-release issue of Deadpool in years. I vaguely recall picking up the final issue of Cable/Deadpool a few years back; prior to that, I don’t recall if I picked up the first issue of whatever the long-running solo Deadpool title became with that “reboot” back in 2001/2002ish. And before that, I’d picked up the first issue of the first 1990s mini-series (that came out the same summer as the first Sabretooth miniseries…guess which character’s ultimately had “legs”?).
The “previously” page lets one in on the bare essentials you need-to-know for this issue…I don’t even need to remember what happened in the previous issue (though I’ve enjoyed issues 15 and 12-14 [in that order]). This is one thing I definitely applaud Marvel on that I’ve long felt DC needs to do–especially the WAY Marvel does it, it’s something that adds to the single issue format, and is easily removed for the collected volume with zero loss of story or story pages. But it adds a lot to the issue itself…not to mention providing a consistent place to see which creator did what on a given issue.
Though there’s some dark, violent stuff to this series…there’s a warped sense of fun about it, too, that makes it simply an enjoyable book to read, with some amusing gags and pokes through the “fourth wall.” The art just plays right into this, as the visual style is very solid…and really quite good in and of itself. Cyclops, Domino, and of course, Deadpool all look quite good in this issue, and for that alone the art gets props from me. The visuals bring in contemporary looks for the various characters…and really makes ’em look about the best I’ve seen them in awhile–particularly Cyclops and Deadpool himself.
This issue and its story are grounded in the “Dark Reign” status quo the overall Marvel Universe is mired in…and yet thankfully keeps somewhat above it, in a way. There’s also the fact that the issue is a mere $2.99…which is QUITE a steal on a book from this publisher of late.
There’s plenty of backstory to be had in Deadpool as a character, even just from this current series. That context will add an extra layer of enjoyment to the reading of this issue. At the same time, short of another reboot or an issue specifically labeled on its cover or in solicitations as a jump-on point…this is about as good a jump-on point as one’s gonna get.
If you like the character and aren’t reading this book, I’d recommend giving it a shot. ALso, if you’re avoiding Marvel for all the $3.99 books and yet want a peek into the Marvel Universe of late…this seems an excellent title for peeking in on things at the already-high-enough $2.99 price point.
Story: 7/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 8/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, Deadpool, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: Axel Alonso, Comic Reviews, comics, Cyclops, Daniel Way, Deadpool, Jason Pearson, Jody Leheup, Joe Sabino, Juan Vlasco, Marte Gracia, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Paco Medina, Wade, Wade Wilson, Wolverine, x-men | Leave a comment »
Random Acts of Redemption
Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: David Yardin and Kraim Roberson
Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn
Letterer: Rob Steen
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover: David Yardin
Publisher: Marvel Comics
I broke a personal rule for this issue: I actually paid the $3.99 cover price for it–a price that I despise and on the whole make a point of avoiding on principle alone. However, it’s a one-shot, and I count 30 pages of story, which is slightly higher than a standard issue.
The story of this issue basically follows Gambit–Remy Lebeau–from childhood until what I believe is the incident that introduced him to the X-Men (though I’ve never actually read his first appearance). This is a bit of a recap sort of issue, taking what’s been revealed and established through the years on the character and putting it into a single chronological narrative. That feat is accomplished quite well, and I enjoyed the story as its presented here. It’s also interesting to compare to what I remember of the Gambit series that ran for a couple years back in the late 90s/early 2000 to this…I’m pretty sure that a lot of the story here is based on what was established in that series.
Carey does an excellent job of boiling things down and hitting “the main points” of Gambit’s background. It’s kinda hard to believe (in a way) just how little was known (established) for so long about this character in the first few years of his existence, particularly throughout the 1990s…I’d be quite curious as to how one would “read” those issues in light of currently-established facets of the character, and see how all the cryptic comments/references to vague events hold up–how well more recent writers have fit things to those.
The art somehow reminds me a bit of the Ender’s Game/Shadow books–moreso with the coloring, I think. The style works well, and it’s enjoyable to see the “modern” take on glimpses at 20-year-old events in the X-Universe…characters look as they should on the whole, but the art style is obviously in line with this book as a whole.
If you’re a Gambit fan, this issue’ll be well worth snagging if you haven’t already (I had to wait an extra week as it sold out at my local shop the first week). As a one-shot with extra pages, it’s even worthwhile if–like me–you hate paying $4 for any single issue.
Story: 8/10
Art: 7.5/10
Whole: 8/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, X-Men Origins | Tagged: Comic Reviews, Daniel Ketchum, David Yardin, Gambit, Kraim Roberson, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Mike Carey, Nathan Fairbairn, Nick Lowe, Origins, Random Acts of Redemption, Remy LeBeau, Rob Steen, x-men, x-men origins | Leave a comment »
Salvage (part one)
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciller: Scot Eaton
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Colorist: Frank D’Armata
Cover: Lee Bermejo
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This issue continue’s Xavier’s quest for self-understanding via reconnecting with those who have played important roles in his life–or who have otherwise been significantly impacted by his own existence in their lives.
We open with a flashback to events during the Secret Invasion…than transition to Xavier and Gambit over a meal as they discuss where they’re headed and what they expect will come of seeking out Rogue. (Rogue made it clear awhile back she didn’t want Gambit following her and wants nothing to do with Xavier). We’re given a glimpse of what Rogue is up to these days in a ghost town where she and other X-Men apparently had once taken residence. While there, she is approached by a stranger supposedly looking to study the history of the town…but as Rogue quickly discovers, appearances can be quite deceiving. The issue ends with a revelation of who the stranger is, why she sought Rogue, and a vaguely familiar kind of cliffhanger as Xavier and Gambit are en route.
The art on this issue is good stuff…not only does it simply fit and serve the story, but I actually like this depiction of Xavier, Gambit, and Rogue visually. No complaints on this aspect of the issue.
Story-wise, it feels like we’re FINALLY getting somewhere with this book. Part of my initial interest a year or so ago in this title was that it’d basically feature Xavier, Gambit, and Rogue. This year later I’ve nearly lost interest in the waiting and the promised premise finally seems about to come about. The characters all come across as in-character with what’s been recently established.
This issue seems to have left out creator credits. The cover tells us that “Carey / Eaton / Hennessy” are to be associated with this issue. The interior features no credits–I had to go to Marvel’s website to research what creators were involved with the issue, and that’s assuming the site is accurate to this final product.
All in all, if you’re interested in the current Gambit/Rogue dynamic with Xavier, this seems a decent enough point to jump in, or to come back if you’ve lapsed for lack of the promised characters. The Xavier-tracking-down-old-acquaintances-to-find-himself is getting a bit old at this point…it remains to be seen how long that element drives the title and if it’ll be a point that’s beaten to death before resolution.
You could do far worse than this title–and as this X-book seems to be playing outside the stuff tied to Dark Reign and whatnot, it’s a chance to read a mainstream Marvel book without being subjected to that branding.
Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 7.5/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, X-Men: Legacy | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, Comic Reviews 2008, Frank D'Armata, Gambit, Lee Bermejo, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Mike Carey, Rogue, Salvage, Scot Eaton, x-men, X-Men: Legacy | Leave a comment »
Wolverine and the X-Men Magazine #1 cover
Normally, I wouldn’t consider a magazine something worth writing a review over. However, this one struck me as something I definitely would like to write a bit about.
I came across this at a Wal-Mart last weekend, and decided to flip through it, just to see what it contained. Once I saw what it contained (as well as its price), I decided it was worth picking up.
The cover’s nothing too special–although, I have to give it credit for grabbing MY attention (a nice, classic image, there). This debut issue of the magazine (headlining Wolverine…after all, there IS a movie coming out in a few months) contains no articles–it’s not that sort of magazine. Instead, this is more of a magazine-sized collected-volume.
This contains Wolverine: First Class #1, Incredible Hulk #s 180-181, and X-Men: First Class #1. There’s also a Mini Marvels short by Chris Giarrusso that was probably contained in one of the First Class issues originally.
For a $5.99 cover price, one gets the contents (uninterrupted by ads except between stories) of four comics. The price is a mere penny ($.01) more expensive than the two First Class issues combined, PLUS the two classic Incredible Hulk issues are present (these featured the very first appearance of the Wolverine).
What really struck me as the value here was that where many of Marvel’s comics are now at the $3.99 point for a standard size issue, for only $2 more one has two issues of recent content, plus the two Hulk issues. That the magazine is a first issue and contains the contents of two first issues and a first appearance works very well–no one’s really being plopped in the middle of some story from the get-go here.
As an adult, I enjoyed this. I’d never picked up any of the First Class comics so those were both new to me. I’d also never read the Hulk issues Wolverine first appeared in–I don’t know if I even have any reprints despite 20 years of comic collecting.
I’m looking forward to the next issue, to see what they do–if this is (for awhile) basically a reprint magazine with two recent comics and a couple classics (or even a move to more recent comics), I’ll be quite pleased, and more than willing to lay out the $6 for an issue.
Definitely recommended!
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, MARVEL, Wolverine and the X-Men | Tagged: First Class, Incredible Hulk, Incredible Hulk 180, Incredible Hulk 181, Marvel Comics, Wolverine, Wolverine and the X-Men, Wolverine and the X-Men Magazine, Wolverine: First Class, x-men, X-Men: First Class | Leave a comment »
Original Sin part four
Writer: Mike Carey
Penciller: Scott Eaton
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Colorists: Jason Keith with Brian Reber
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Production: Joe Sabino
Assistant Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Editor: Nick Lowe
Cover: Mike Deodato
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Wolverine and Professor Xavier infiltrate the place Daken is being held, and a battle erupts between them and Sebastian Shaw with Miss Sinister…Daken caught in the middle.
The story is at once simple and somewhat boring. I don’t care about Daken, I knew nothing of the character prior to this Original Sin story. I do not like the way Marvel (in general) seems to be shoehorning so much crap into the past of their characters, casting a 180 on how they were viewed for the last three to four decades.
It’s fairly interesting seeing Wolverine and Xavier interact–I have long enjoyed their dynamic, as Wolverine struggles to be his own person, and almost grudgingly respects the professor–the man who helped him reclaim his humanity. This story suggests that a certain amount of Wolverine’s memory loss was actually caused by Xavier himself all those years ago–that Wolverine joined the X-Men intent upon killing Xavier, and I just don’t buy that. I have never found the Hellfire Club interesting, nor do I care one bit about their internal political maneuvering…I just don’t find it engaging at all.
The art of the issue is the best part–it’s pretty good, and I actually like the way Xavier and Wolverine are depicted. No real complaint visually…or at least, any visual complaint would have to do (Daken) with a story element I disagree with.
You could probably do much worse than this issue…but if you’re not interested in Daken-Son-of-Wolverine, and you’re not already following this Original Sin story, you’re just as well skipping this issue and coming back when X-Men Legacy is its own story again.
Story: 6/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 7/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2008, MARVEL, X-Men: Legacy | Tagged: Andrew Hennessy, Brian Reber, Comic Reviews 2008, Cory Petit, Daniel Ketchum, Jason Keith, Joe Sabino, Marvel Comics, Mike Carey, Mike Deodato, Nick Lowe, Original Sin, Professor X, Scott Eaton, Wolverine, x-men, X-Men: Legacy, Xavier | Leave a comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 