Saga, Archangel, Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, Astonishing X-Men

Saga 13-30

I don’t own these issues yet, but I will in 5-8 business days.  I borrowed these from the library, and they confirm that this series is amazing.  It continues to read so well in big chunks, and that’s how I’ll continue to buy it moving forward.  (Depending on how sweet the deluxe collections are, I may get Book 3 of that instead of buying volumes 7-9.)

Vaughan, though Hazel’s narration, is so skilled at sprinkling his story with just enough spoilers to drive you crazy.  (In a good way.) Things like, “She and her pals eventually find what they’re looking for...but at a much higher cost than they’d expected.”  And, “This is the story of how my parents split up.” These come issues ahead of the actual events, and knowing things are going to end poorly only increases the tension.  The only sure thing is that Hazel survives long enough to tell this story. Though she could just as easily be dead, like Izabel.

Some other things of note:

“There are only three forms of high art: the symphony, the illustrated children’s book and the board game.”  First of all, thumbs down to Eric Stephenson (listed as the coordinator) for missing the Oxford comma. Secondly, while I don’t necessarily agree with D. Oswald Heist’s list, it’s a perfectly valid one, and I love the sentiment.

Fiona Staples continues to draw both sublime quiet moments and batshit crazy “wtf am I looking at” splashes.

This is the sweetest, most life-affirming thing I’ve ever read.  It should be mandatory reading for anyone who’s been through anything like Sophie:

Best Lying Cat ever.

Love that all the people have different kinds of wings.

So obvious, but still so hilarious.

NEVER thought I'd be looking at a self-fellating dragon.

I’m finally on the bandwagon that everyone’s been riding for years.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Really good

Archangel 1

After almost starting on my indie comic boxes, I opted to move on to my X-Universe boxes.  It’s a lot more manageable (three of them as opposed to like six), and it’ll be nice to finish off all the Marvel boxes.  This box includes all the non-main titles, beginning with this random one-shot issue.

Written by Peter Milligan and drawn by Leonardo Manco, this takes place after Sabretooth kicked the crap out of Archangel circa Uncanny 328.  Warren deals with the trauma of the event by...getting kidnapped and working out his issues with his ghostly captor?  I don’t know why this couldn’t be an issue of the main title, nor why it’s in black and white. I really wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t want to spring for a colorist.  

It’s not Manco’s best work, and Milligan leans into his incomprehensible Vertigo-weirdness.  Easy cut.

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Stupid (cut)

Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix 1-4

From an X-Men history standpoint, this is a neat miniseries.  While on their honeymoon, Scott Summers and Jean Grey are transported to the far future by Rachel Summers.  There, they raise Nathan Summers for the first eight or so years of his life, providing the foundation for the boy who will become Cable.  Meanwhile, Apocalypse rears a young Stryfe, a dark mirror for Cable from the very beginning.

This is epic stuff, and it’s cool that Scott Lobdell ties together Nathan’s youth with his parents.  (Kind of. His mom isn’t actually Jean Grey, but a clone of her who later went mad and became the Goblin Queen, transforming New York City into a demon-filled hellscape, etc.  God, I’ve missed X-continuity!) It’s nice that Cyclops gets the opportunity to raise his son after being forced to send him two thousand years into the future in a last-ditch effort to save him from the techno-organic virus that Apocalypse infected him with as an infant, etc.  (Love it!!)

It’s too bad that the details aren’t that interested.  Lobdell’s story is really kind of meh. The only thing keeping it in the collection it’s key place in X-history and Gene Ha’s art.  I think this is the first place I’d ever seen him, and while his work on Top 10 is far more polished, the pencils here are still unique and worth keeping around.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Didn’t suck

Astonishing X-Men 25-27

Warren Ellis as his worst.  It’s a bad sign when I need to read the “Previously in Astonishing X-Men” summary in the next issue to understand what I just slogged through.  These issues are super wordy, trying and failing to be witty while attempting to explain a plot that’s unnecessarily complicated.  Not even the really cool looking art by Simone Bianchi saves it from the donation box.

Dude can draw.

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Stupid (cut)