Swing

Swing 1-5

There’s not much more to say about Swing that I haven’t already mentioned in my original reviews.  This is an engaging story about a young couple who discover swinging/ethical non-monogamy to be an exciting way to spice up their marriage.  It’s a worthy treatise on the importance of trust, communication, and doing what works for you as long as it’s not hurting anyone else.  A nice series by Matt Hawkins and Yishan Li, with initial contributions by Jenni Cheung and Linda Sejic. If they do continue with a new Swing arc in 2023 as advertised, I'm in.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Cinderella, New comics

New comics!

Swing vol. 5

The romance of our swinging couple comes to a happy ending, with a lot more time jumps than I expected.  Moral of the story: Do what works for you and your partner if it makes you happy and it doesn’t hurt anyone else.  Communicate.  Don’t judge.  

Very nicely done by Matt Hawkins and Yishan Li.

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love 1-6

The first of two Cinderella miniseries.  Reading them now because this is where they were roughly originally published in the Fables run.

A fun little James Bond-esque caper written by Chris Roberson where Cinderella encounters Aladdin and her Fairy Godmother.  We also find out what happens to the three slave girls Sinbad emancipated in the “Arabian Nights” arc.  Shawn McManus isn’t the perfect artist for this kind of story (this would be right in J Scott Campbell’s Danger Girl wheelhouse), but he’s not bad at all.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Jupiter's Legacy, New comics

New comics!

Swing vol. 4

Top Cow’s line of erotic comics continue to impress.  By focusing on the very real-feeling relationships (which organically include sex), writer Matt Hawkins renews my faith in romance comics.  (I used to love them, but I feel like I’ve reviewed a run of not-so-good ones.  I was beginning to think that I’d lost my taste for them, which would have made me very sad.)  

Jupiter’s Legacy 1-5

Jupiter’s Legacy 2 1-5

Jupiter’s Circle 1-6

Jupiter’s Circle 2 1-6

I’ve been unimpressed with Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem, but before I cancelled my sub, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just because I’d forgotten the original comics and was missing out on a ton of context.

Well, Mark Millar’s on top of his game here, there’s no doubt about that.  Both the present day Legacy story (drawn by the magnificent Frank Quitely) and the prequel Circle arc (multiple pencillers) held my rapt attention.  Excellent stuff here.  It’s also one of the few times where Millar’s characterizations and interpersonal relationship are more interesting than the plot.  (Which doesn’t suck either.)

Stunning.

The prequel does an effective job of adding emotional weight to a number of the deaths in Legacy, where most of the old guard dies with no fanfare and little reflection.   

Having these issues fresh in my mind certainly improves Requiem.  And while it’s still not as good as its predecessors, it’s improved enough that I think I’m going to stick it out.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Uncanny X-Men, New Comics

New comics!

Swing vol 3

Swinging lifestyle aside, this is a surprisingly predictable look into a marriage between two people who clearly love each other but have some communication issues.  Which isn’t a bad thing, it’s still a nice relationship comic with a not-so-predictable twist in the formula.  Sexy and well drawn, but not salacious for fan service’s sake.  Still enjoying the heck out of this.

Die 15

Things finally come to a head in this issue, and makes the slow build up of the arc totally worth it.  The shit really hits the fan, and it’s super fun to read.  Removes any doubts I had about waiting for the trade when the next arc starts up in a few months.

Rorschach 2

A well done murder mystery, solved by fine detective work by the protagonist.  No idea how it ties in to the big picture, but that’s Tom King for you.  (In a good way.)

Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity 6

Nothing new to say; this is still creepy and well done.  Continuing to hope that it doesn’t fall into the stereotypical Joker/Harley dynamic.

Uncanny X-Men 239-243

X-Factor 37-39

Inferno.  Madelyne Pryor’s swan song.  (Though I’m pretty sure she comes back at some point.)  The X-Men have always been a metaphor for how minorities have been discriminated against in society.  Madelyne’s arc for the last seventy issues or so takes it a step further, and I can’t help but see a parallel to class stratification - Here’s someone born (created by Mr Sinister) into circumstances beyond her control.  No matter how much she tries, she can’t break free of the downward spiral she’s caught in.  There’s a longer essay in there somewhere, I wish I had the time to delve into this.

Anyway, this arc is pretty good on the X-Men side, way less good on the X-Factor side.  I never warmed up to the run by Mr. and Mrs. Simonson.  In issue 37, for example, Madelyne literally rants for an entire issue, it’s zero fun.  Her death is also completely anti-climactic.  She just...fizzles out.

That's it?  A tiny panel in the middle of a page?

Classic image.

Regular check in on Tom Orzechowski's brilliance

A sweet reunion that will be mirrored next post.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good (Fine for X-Factor)

Uncanny X-Men 246-247

The fight scene between the X-Men and Master Mold stands out as a really well done sequence.

She doesn't look unconscious, she looks like she's posing for SI.

It's hard to take Nimrod seriously when he has mittens for hands.

Early Jubilee speak is like totally painful.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Uncanny X-Men 248-255, 259

The Australia roster of X-Men never really clicked for me.  Claremont never developed them the way he did for the Giant-Size X-Men team.  Dazzler, Longshot, and Forge never gained that third dimension.  Rogue and Psylocke didn’t blossom until Jim Lee started drawing them.  Havok and Polaris needed Peter David to work his magic in X-Factor.  These issues aren’t bad, but they don’t sing, either.  

First Jim Lee X-Men!

Great, great color.  The purple and green is unorthodox, but effective.

A tiny panel, but super creepy.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice to Fine.

Uncanny X-Men 256-258

Jim Lee and the introduction of Asian Psylocke!  Another instance where Claremont makes an insane change to a character and it doesn’t get reversed.  (Ignoring all the Kwannon nonsense.)  A major improvement over Psylocke 1.0 in every way.  And the art!

(I didn't do it for Rogue, but I'm totally keeping track of the focused totality of Psylocke's mental powers.)

1.  (LOVE this costume!!)

2.  (Jim Lee fight scenes are so kinetic.)

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

Uncanny X-Men 265, 267

Gambit!  Now we’re really getting into my favorite era of X-Men.  It unsurprisingly comes with the installment of Jim Lee as regular penciller.  (Though he doesn’t draw either of these.)  I like Storm-as-child, it made for some interesting storylines.  I’m also glad it didn’t last for long.  Gambit!  (So sad I don’t have 266, his first appearance.)

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Uncanny X-Men 268-269

Jim Lee joins full time.  It’s so glorious.  

This original art recently sold for $300,000

Like I said earlier, Rogue didn't come into her own until Lee.

Heh.  Reminded me of...

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Really good

End of X-Men Box 3!

Box summary

Time spent reading: 21 hours 7 minutes

Issues read: 164

Issues cut: 0

Highlights (Good or better): Uncanny X-Men 131-137 (Dark Phoenix Saga), New Mutants Special Edition 1, Uncanny X-Men Annual 9 (Asgardian Wars), Uncanny X-Men 205, Uncanny X-Men 256-258, 268-269

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 31 days, 5 hours, 25 minutes

Issues read: 6405

Issues cut: 815

Sojourn, Swing

One of this week’s new comics:

Swing Vol. 2

The second volume is as excellent as the first.  Matt Hawkins continues the story of a couple exploring the swinging world in a thoughtful, respectful, playful, and sexy manner.  The art by Yishan Li and Linda Sejic is beautiful and hot. The Sunstone/Sugar/Swing universe is one that I’m always happy to return to.  

Sojourn 1-12

Ron Marz writes as standard of a fantasy story as you can imagine - The hero seeks revenge on the big bad for killing her family.  She’s joined by a wise-cracking sidekick and her dog. A mysterious sage directs her to collect five quest items that will allow her to kill the bad guy.  

I bought this back in 2002 for the Greg Land art, of course.  I wouldn’t have made the same decision today. His Arwyn is still gorgeous, but the blatant photo referencing is always a bit disconcerting.  And there isn’t enough to the story to make me want to read it again. But at the end of it all, it’s still too pretty to cut from my list.    

Land's goal for this image was to draw something "that wasn't too over-the-top."  Okay...

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Didn’t suck for the first trade, Fine for the second