Quote from: AfghanAnt on November 22, 2008, 08:25:23 PM

All of the new costumes are ugly.

you know nothing of design, fool. giant X's and badges are like pouches the more the better. badges and pouches for all

yes yes follow the liefeld way.

Someone has mentioned He Who Must Not Be Named and awakened me from my slumber. Mark my words, the abomination known as LIEFELD shall suffer for the pain and suffering he has caused on comickind.

I still haven't decided how I feel about the new costumes. Sometimes it depends on who draws them, but sometimes I like them.

AA I'm sure Ellis did not have a choice in whether they changed costume philosophy like Morrison did. As I mentioned before the X-Office is handling Astonishing very differently than they did in the past.

Quote from: the_ultimate_evil on November 23, 2008, 05:53:58 AM

Quote from: AfghanAnt on November 22, 2008, 08:25:23 PM

All of the new costumes are ugly.

you know nothing of design, fool. giant X's and badges are like pouches the more the better. badges and pouches for all

yes yes follow the liefeld way.

NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!!!

You forgot the giant, tree-trunk guns (and thighs), enormous upper body muscles and tiny, tiny feet!

Blarg!

Quote from: cmdrkoenig67 on November 24, 2008, 12:13:41 AM

Quote from: the_ultimate_evil on November 23, 2008, 05:53:58 AM

Quote from: AfghanAnt on November 22, 2008, 08:25:23 PM

All of the new costumes are ugly.

you know nothing of design, fool. giant X's and badges are like pouches the more the better. badges and pouches for all

yes yes follow the liefeld way.

NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!!!

You forgot the giant, tree-trunk guns (and thighs), enormous upper body muscles and tiny, tiny feet!

Blarg!

Feet? I thought all Liefeld's characters had their lower limbs terminate behind rocks/fade into nothingness/etc.

Quote from: The Enigma on November 24, 2008, 02:23:14 AM

Quote from: cmdrkoenig67 on November 24, 2008, 12:13:41 AM

Quote from: the_ultimate_evil on November 23, 2008, 05:53:58 AM

Quote from: AfghanAnt on November 22, 2008, 08:25:23 PM

All of the new costumes are ugly.

you know nothing of design, fool. giant X's and badges are like pouches the more the better. badges and pouches for all

yes yes follow the liefeld way.

NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!!!

You forgot the giant, tree-trunk guns (and thighs), enormous upper body muscles and tiny, tiny feet!

Blarg!

Feet? I thought all Liefeld's characters had their lower limbs terminate behind rocks/fade into nothingness/etc.

It's called bodysliding. It's an illusion of teleporters. Sometimes they even teleport into things like water or snow.

this thread finally gets new posters other than the X-crew of me, pod, murs, AA, and SS...and it's because of Liefield? He, like Loeb and Claremont, really does draw a crowd. Wow.

it's like a car crash, you don't wanna but slow down to look

Steering the conversation away from Mr. Liefeld...

A poster on CBR's X-board posted a preview for February's Wizard Magazine:
"From Wizard #209:

X-MEN GO TO WAR! -- Marvel's Merry Mutants may be dwindling in number, but that doesn't stop them from killing one another over the Messiah baby. The time-traveling Cable and his young mutant charge find themselves at the center of a conflict that will shape the X-books for the year ahead: "Messiah War"! Get all the battle plans in this ish. "

Assuming this is correct we have our first major hint of the next X-Men crossover.

Stupid crossovers.

Messiah War? That sounds ridiculous. Then again, so did "The Ultimates" and look how well that turned out.

...they're really going to draw a good story out, no? While MC may have had a little rest as an event, the X-men need a break from crossovers and events because their current one is just about to end and X-Infernus is about to begin.. Besides, the CHILD hasn't done anything to warrant being uber powerful *since* MC minus some random acts of...whatever.

All I want to know is...will the other Marvel U be featured at all? The X-men always seem disconnected from Marvel U and it's weird. This mutant thing does affect the whole universe I would think.

"Messiah War"???  Ugh...What's next, The Twenty Second Coming of Jean Grey?

Dana :P

Ok, Firstly, I'd like to point out that I've written so many sumviews that this month alone I got a character count of around 25,000 BEFORE this batch. That's situated clearly in the novella arena (the word count is much lower...so technically it'd still be a short story or some such). Now, if I were to combine all my reviews...I'd have a full fledged book on my hands. You people better be appreciative, darnit. :P


SI: X-men #4:

Here we are...the final ties to the One Day Invasion. On the cover is Magma (I think), a mutie I haven't seen in ages. Last issue, we were left with quite a cliffhanger. Was Cyclops going to allow skrull genocide or decide against it and find a better way. Let's find out now!

[spoiler]The book opens with an "unusual"* skrull with short range telepathy talking to a commander. Despite her impurity and her lack of melding with the mind wall, she will be used to send the X-men a message. The message is basically a threat to blow up thousands of people in San Francisco if the X-men don't surrender themselves within the next ten minutes. The X-men try to come up with a plan, but Cyclops is fairly certain the skrulls won't keep their word and they have a backup plan...the Legacy virus. Cyclops is ready to live with the consequences of skrull genocide, but Beast is not and he asks Cyclops if maybe he wants to consult someone else before finalizing his decision.

In the buildings, the people ar epaniced. There's still some mutant hatred going about and some people believe the X-men will save them.

Back with the X-men, Cyclops prepares the troops for war. They appear in different parts of the city in small groups of 5+ and allow the skrulls to capture them. On the skrull ship, Nightcrawler tries to be religious and pays for it with a punch to the face. Colossus and Iceman are ready to fight, but Cyclops orders them to stand down. Cyclops is brought to the commander to talk about his surrender. Cyclops says the X-men didn't surrender and just then, a ship falls out of the sky. Cyclops tells the commander that he's now ready to accept his surrender because every batch of X-men had the legacy virus sprayed on their clothing and it spread to every skrull that touched them. The skrull scolds Cyclops for his death plan, but Cyclops informs him that they WILL die if they don't stand down. The x-men also have a cure for the virus. Cyclops thinks he has this won, but the skrulls surprise him by sacrificing themselves via self-immolation. The X-men all escape just as the ships explode.

The X-men, finished with the skrulls, begin to save the people who are grateful. Beast talks to Cyclops in private and wonders about his decision to use the virus without knowing he had an antidote. Cyclops explains that he values Beast's conscious and he wants Hank to always challenge him. The book ends with the X-men greeting their adoring public.[/spoiler]

This...was ok. I wasn't all that impressed and after a fairly good cover, the art was a MAJOR letdown. I just felt like the story was bland and the X-men barely did anything. It mainly focused on Cyclops and his decision. It's a 2 out of 5 for me. Also, I don't recall seeing Magma one time in the actual story. How disappointing.

Wolverine Origins #30:

This is the finale to the Original Sins storyline, which, btw, you can grab as a hardcover/tpb sometime in January or February. Last issue, Xavier and Wolverine finally found Daken and were tricked into setting off his mind trap. Daken stabbed Ms. Sinister and Xavier was basically knocked out. Now we get a Wolverine vs. Daken showdown...or do we?

[spoiler]The book opens where it left off. Wolverine tells Daken he's in no mood to fight and Daken tells Logan that he made a terrible mistake. The fight is on. Well, a one-sided fight is on. This is one of the few times Wolverine decides not to fight back. Daken tells Wolverine he better do something because he won't be showing mercy. Wolverine still refuses and tells Daken he doesn't know what to do to help him. This sets Daken off. Meanwhile, Logan keeps thinking back to the time he lost Itsu, who, iirc, was also a major part in some miniseries I reviewed awhile back. I might be wrong. Anyway, Wolverine keeps reliving the vision because he doesn't want Itsu to go into her house. Suddenly, Xavier appears in his dream even though he's unconscious.

Xavier tells Logan he didn't kill Itsu. He also explains that the mind bomb Romulus left in Daken didn't have the desired effect on Xavier because his psyche is already fragmented. Xavier explains that Romulus was the person behind Itsu's death, not Logan. He wouldn't allow Logan to be happy. We relive some revelations that I suspect were announced ages ago that involve Romulus stealing Daken as a child and Bucky. Wolverine wonders why he was being retold all of this and Xavier reveals that he was showing it to Daken. Daken doesn't believe it and attacks Xavier.

While Daken, Xavier, and Logan are in a trance, Shaw arrives into the room and asks Sinister what's going on. She tells him they are in a trance. Shaw orders her to go get into a boat. As she runs off, Shaw prepares to bash in Xavier's head. Meanwhile, Logan, Daken, and Xavier relive Wolverine's vision of Itsu. It's not enough for Daken and he starts to get riled up again. Xavier tells him it won't work in Logan's psyche, but Daken reveals that he was talking to Shaw (Romulus in his mind)...who he stabs and kicks out a window.

Xavier finally awakens just as Logan explains that maybe he and Daken can do something together...kill Romulus. Xavier is worried and asks Logan what he is now. Logan explains that killing Romulus out of vengeance doesn't matter just like what Xavier did in his past doesn't matter. Wolverine then forgives Charles and hopes he can one day forgive him as he and Daken leave. END![/spoiler]

Well...this mini event was actually pretty good all around. Way impressed me more here than he has since I was introduced to him. I still think his issues were weaker than Carey's, but he held his own for sure. I'll rate it a 3.2. I enjoyed it enough to recommend it, but it still has some flubs in it. Ultimately, it did what it needed to do and pushed all the characters involved further along their story arcs and I approve of that. Hopefully the story between Wolverine and Daken won't be uber smooth from this point on. Also, I'd love for X-23 to be worked in so Logan can have his own little claw family...of claws.

Hrm, there're like two more X-books to review, no? I *might* get to them today...might not.

Ok, on the SI thing. This is a one day event that's supposed to be huge. Why are there not more heroes and civilians dying? The only ones dying in droves are skrulls. How P.O'd are they gonna be after this?

Quote from: thanoson on November 26, 2008, 02:38:53 PM
Ok, on the SI thing. This is a one day event that's supposed to be huge. Why are there not more heroes and civilians dying? The only ones dying in droves are skrulls. How P.O'd are they gonna be after this?

That can't happen! There's already an event going on where heroes die in the ultimate universe! It happens there first THEN transfers over. That's the formula. :P

I've said time and time again that Secret Invasion is a subpar event. I had low expectations. and outside of a few issues of the main event and some very good tie-ins, this event has left me very cold. I just don't think Bendis is good at plotting out his "big" events.
------

X-force #9:

Another Wolverine book. He was almost completely missing last week, so he's making up for it this week with two appearances. You go, Logan! Last issue, the X-force team, with Elixir and Domino added to the fray, tracked and found Vanisher and infected him with a tumor. Meanwhile, Warpath fought with Demon Bear. No idea what happened to Hepzibah. This issue...Ghost Rider appears

[spoiler]Continuing where last issue left off, X-force (X-F) have Vanisher surrounded and are questioning him to the whereabouts of the Legacy virus. It's revealed that Vanisher was attacked by the Marauders and he dropped the vial. This gives the X-F a new plan of action. Go to Sinister's lab, find the vial, and then destroy the lab.

Meanwhile, Warpath continues to fight Demon Bear. He realizes that he can't physically harm his enemy and the scene shifts to Ghost Rider who hears the bear roar. Back at the mansion, Rahne is sitting all by her lonesome as it snows. Through a window, she can see two yellow eyes peering back at her.

In Japan, the X-F arrive at a plant. Wolverine forces Porter to lead them to Sinister's lab and he begrudgingly does so. In his thoughts, he says that Cable smiled more than the current X-force does. Ha. Wolverine and X-23 soon realize they have company and we get this awesome splash page of the Marauders rushing in to attack the X-F.

Back with Warpath, he's doing miserably against the Demon bear, but he refuses to give up. If he's going to die, he'll die as an apache...a proudstar! Just as his body is slammed itno the ground by a demon paw, Ghost Rider shows up and offers a distraction.

Returning to the plant, the X-F continue to fight the Marauders as Domino thinks about how different each of the members seem. In the interim, Elixir and Porter are hiding out behind a corner watching. Porter asks Elixir why he's not out killing with the others and Elixir says he doesn't want to hurt anyone. Porter points out that Elixir did give him a tumor and that the enemies they are fighting are nothing but clones. Laura chimes in and tells Elixir not to hold back.

In S.H.I.E.L.D, Agent Morales and Young discuss X-23's troubling past and how she's been killing people since she was nine. Morales explains they can do nothing to her until she makes another move.

Zooming back over to James Proudstar, he awakens to see Ghost Rider sitting on a log. He wonders why he's in Hell and Ghost Rider tells him he knows nothing of Hell. Tonight, Warpath will be taught how to kill a demon.

Flashing back to Domino, she's found the vial. She's lucky and she alarms the others. Unfortunately, thing never go that simply for the X-men. Robots burst into the room and lasers are on every one of them sans Elixir and Porter...and that's how the book ends.[/spoiler]

This was a pure action book in every plot. Only thing, sometimes I forget Rahne is on the team because she shows up so infrequently. I can't wait for her to really get the chance to show her stuff again. Keeping Porter around actually proved to be a good move, me thinks, and I love Domino. It also looks like Elixir may get a bit more focus as time goes on and I'm all for character development. I'll rate this a 3.5. I enjoyed it much more than Legacy, but I don't think it's 4 worthy.

Quote from: thanoson on November 26, 2008, 02:38:53 PM
Ok, on the SI thing. This is a one day event that's supposed to be huge. Why are there not more heroes and civilians dying? The only ones dying in droves are skrulls. How P.O'd are they gonna be after this?

If you're referring to the X-Men mini (not the full Secret Invasion story) it's just because this mini is just a 'fun' tie-in. The X-books are run very independently so they usually don't like to derail their plans for MU stuff. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is open for debate (I'm actually pro separate X-verse).
Also I suspect there will be some deaths in Secret Invasion #8 next week.

The art in SI:X was arse. The story itself was only ok as it was but the art just dragged it down. I was very disappointed with this series, and I shouldn't have been. How hard is it to write a 4 issue series highlighting the various X-Men as they beat up Skrulls? The World War Hulk X-mini was much better in almost every way.

And yeah Magma appeared in about 2 or 3 pages (excluding the X-Men briefing scenes where I can't identify anyone) and Wolverine didn't appear at all. Great looking covers but not the best choices on them. Should have gone with a more diffused focus and included more characters.


X-Force was great. Unlike SI:X X-Force has awesome art. Choi doesn't bring the mood and tone like Crain does but his art is clear detailed and just great looking. I have some issues with how he draws characters but it's good enough that I overlook them.
I really enjoyed X-Force this week. This is how you do an action comic (yeah I'm still angry at SI:X :angry: ).

One thing about the title is stuff kinda feels like it comes out of nowhere, it works out in the end, but you go through each issue and there's this unpredictable appearance that occurs. Bastion, Magus, Archangel, the resurrected villains, Eli Bard, Legacy Virus, Domino, Demon Bear, Ghost Rider, Marauder clones. That's lots of stuff, and almost all of it you could never guess was coming the issue before without the help of solicits and interviews. It's not necessarily the best way to tell a story, but it only bothers me in a peripheral way. I still love the book.

i personally love choi, but i can see why he'd be an acquired taste for some...

i've been having problems with cyclops since messiah complex... they seem intent on making him a monster of epic proportions, and it's just wrong imo...

Wolverine: First Class #9

Another X-book and it marks Wolverine's THIRD appearance. He's really making up for last week. I don't think anyone here reads First Class, so I really don't know why I still review them. Maybe a misguided attempt to draw interest or because I hate to start something and not finish it? Maybe because of continuity reasons? Maybe I like to torture myself? I don't know. Let's call it a curse. Last issue, um...Wolverine, Kitty, and Colossus traveled to Russia to help save the country from destruction. This issue, Shang Chi appears. I haven't seen Shang Chi since.......um...HoM:Avengers?

[spoiler]We begin in Madripoor as Wolverine searches for Shang Chi. After climbing a tower of staris, Logan eventually finds him outside meditating. Wolverine wants help in controlling his rage when dealing with Sabretooth because Creed has taken someone very dear to Logan. Shang Chi tells Logan that he's misinformed and that he no longer practices Kung Fu. He now practices "Koan" and he's willing to teach Logan that instead. Shang Chi asks Logan what he sees in his hands (Shang Chi is holding onto an apple). Wolverine says this and Shang Chi instantly attacks him with a bo staff :P. Logan chops through it and isn't impressed. Shang Chi then knocks him down and informs him that mst people would think his weapon was useless after it was chopped in half, but to him, it just provided him with TWO weapons. This "koan" thing continues on for the next few pages and I won't go into it. It eventually frustrates Logan to the point that he gives up and leaves.

At his hotel, Logan receives a note from Sabretooth that details where the two will meet. He has Kitty and Logan feels like he wasted a whole day talking to a loon instead of tracking Kitty down. Logan meets him there and it's revealed that Logan helped to hide some valuables in Madripoor awhile ago. Sabretooth wants them or else he'll drop an unconscious Kitty off a cliff. Wolverine refuses and tells Sabretooth to just come and fight him. He can dump Kitty later anyway. Sabretooth leaps at Logan, but Wolverine calmly dodges every attack. As Sabretooth continues to talk/taunt, Wolverine just headbutts him over the cliff, frees Kitty, and walks away.

Wolverine returns to Shang Chi in costume and we go through the whole apple thing again. Logan grabs it and bites into it. He finally passed the test. The book ends with Wolverine coming to the realization that he is what he is...a guy that tries to do the right thing.[/spoiler]

Tis a simple story. I don't know how well it actually fits into the timeline it's trying to emulate, but it's a different take on Wolverine trying to deal with Sabretooth. Nothing fancy, but passable. A 3...out of 5.

Shang Chi attacks him with an apple?  Seriously?  Is "koan" self-defence as taught by Monty Python? 

"And then I eat the banana, thus disarming him!" 

"What if he's got a pointed stick?"

he doesn't attack him with an apple. The apple is part of "Koan" which is basically a technique based on Japanese riddles. The meaning behind it ties directly into what Wolverine came to the conclusion of. "He is what he is."

Shang Chi attacked Wolverine with a Wooden Bo-staff. Guess I kinda skipped over mentioning that. My bad. ^_^

X-Infernus preview (13 pages!?)
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=92159514&blogID=452023400

4 issue mini starting next week.

Quote from: Podmark on November 26, 2008, 09:55:48 PM
X-Infernus preview (13 pages!?)
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=92159514&blogID=452023400

4 issue mini starting next week.

oooo...what a low blow by Colossus to bring up Jean AND Havok/Rachel. I like him so much more now. It actually looks interesting and Pixie took on some of her old traits again. Nice. Thanks for the link, Poddy. ^_^. Now...go review ultimate X-men. You know ya wanna.

Quote from: Previsionary on November 26, 2008, 10:07:14 PM
Now...go review ultimate X-men. You know ya wanna.

But I don't read Ultimate X-Men  :blink:....Oh alright I'll try:

Ultimate X-Men #uhhh lets go with 346 that's a good number
[spoiler]This issue starts off with Nightcrawler, Beast, and Dazzler going to a movie or something like in Ultimatium. Then the flood hits. Nightcrawler does a blind teleport and ends up unconscious in the Candyland. Dazzler is recovered by Angel but it's too late she's already dead. This causes Angel to go crazy and transform into Ultimate Archangel ™.

He is attacked by Apocalypse and his new Horsemen: Optimus Prime, Scooby Doo, Batman and Grissom from CSI. Angel is losing the attack when Cyclops arrives with the rest of the X-Men. They fight and Apocalypse surrenders.

Having defeated Apocalypse the X-Men retire and go away to Hollywood where they all become movie stars. Cyclops and Jean get married, and Cyclops meets a woman named Emma Frost and has lots of sex with her.

Oh and Beast evolved into a fish and swam away. [/spoiler]

It's was one of the greatest issues I never read. 1,000,000/5.

Quote from: Podmark on November 26, 2008, 10:25:11 PM

Quote from: Previsionary on November 26, 2008, 10:07:14 PM
Now...go review ultimate X-men. You know ya wanna.

But I don't read Ultimate X-Men  :blink:....Oh alright I'll try:

Ultimate X-Men #uhhh lets go with 346 that's a good number
[spoiler]This issue starts off with Nightcrawler, Beast, and Dazzler going to a movie or something like in Ultimatium. Then the flood hits. Nightcrawler does a blind teleport and ends up unconscious in the Candyland. Dazzler is recovered by Angel but it's too late she's already dead. This causes Angel to go crazy and transform into Ultimate Archangel ™.

He is attacked by Apocalypse and his new Horsemen: Optimus Prime, Scooby Doo, Batman and Grissom from CSI. Angel is losing the attack when Cyclops arrives with the rest of the X-Men. They fight and Apocalypse surrenders.

Having defeated Apocalypse the X-Men retire and go away to Hollywood where they all become movie stars. Cyclops and Jean get married, and Cyclops meets a woman named Emma Frost and has lots of sex with her.

Oh and Beast evolved into a fish and swam away. [/spoiler]

It's was one of the greatest issues I never read. 1,000,000/5.

I have to agree. Greatest. Comic Book. Ever.

Prev-O-Meter: Infinity x 11 out of 5.

Quote from: Podmark on November 26, 2008, 10:25:11 PM

Quote from: Previsionary on November 26, 2008, 10:07:14 PM
Now...go review ultimate X-men. You know ya wanna.

But I don't read Ultimate X-Men  :blink:....Oh alright I'll try:

Ultimate X-Men #uhhh lets go with 346 that's a good number
[spoiler]This issue starts off with Nightcrawler, Beast, and Dazzler going to a movie or something like in Ultimatium. Then the flood hits. Nightcrawler does a blind teleport and ends up unconscious in the Candyland. Dazzler is recovered by Angel but it's too late she's already dead. This causes Angel to go crazy and transform into Ultimate Archangel ™.

He is attacked by Apocalypse and his new Horsemen: Optimus Prime, Scooby Doo, Batman and Grissom from CSI. Angel is losing the attack when Cyclops arrives with the rest of the X-Men. They fight and Apocalypse surrenders.

Having defeated Apocalypse the X-Men retire and go away to Hollywood where they all become movie stars. Cyclops and Jean get married, and Cyclops meets a woman named Emma Frost and has lots of sex with her.

Oh and Beast evolved into a fish and swam away. [/spoiler]

It's was one of the greatest issues I never read. 1,000,000/5.

I also never bought or read it. I still loved the bit where Thor-Pool fought Bizarro Superman for control of the Zombieverse and then Jubilee was made queen. double infinity / 10

Too awesome. So it's definitiely on my [never] buy list when that bad boy comes out!
-------

You know what weird? I was reading a review of Hulk 8 and it said Storm appeared in it with one of her costumes on (definitely not current). Know what else is weird...Spider-Woman was in it. Hulk takes place after She-hulk SI...so...does that mean the real Spider-Woman is back? @_@
-------

PREVIEWS:

CABLE: #10 PREVIEW

King Breaker: marvel preview

Chris Yost interview: Click

Quote from: Podmark on November 26, 2008, 09:55:48 PM
X-Infernus preview (13 pages!?)
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=92159514&blogID=452023400

4 issue mini starting next week.

cyclops is my favourite x-man, has been since i was a kid, but he had that coming... love that colossus said that, and would have loved to see them throw down...

Quote from: pr1983 on November 26, 2008, 09:15:21 PM
i've been having problems with cyclops since messiah complex... they seem intent on making him a monster of epic proportions, and it's just wrong imo...

I actually like Cyclops post-MC (well except for the whole constant bedroom scenes). It's a good storyline for him with a perfectly hypocritical similarity to his issues with Xavier. It's obviously going to develop further into a major storyline.
Yeah he's not really acting like a superhero, he's more like a general or a kind. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing in my opinion.

Also I don't think he's done anything totally evil yet. X-Force could be argued a necessary action, and his actions against the Skrulls could be seen as the only possible action.

i just think that they're out of character, personally... i'm getting the impression from marvel that when they decided to do messiah complex and have him as a main character, they felt he wasn't good enough to carry his own weight, so decided to tinker with him...

imo, whedon did a great job with cyclops, showing natural progression and growth due to having emma in his life... i really enjoyed the issue of cable where he just spent the night wondering if he was doing the right thing...

if he's making decisions that would seem to be morally wrong, i'd at least like to see that it does bother him, and he hasn't lost what made him such a good character in the first place all those years ago...