Phoenix: Endsong

Phoenix: Endsong 1-5

I’ve forgotten a lot of the lead up to this series, but here’s what’s going on: Jean Grey is dead.  (Again.) The Phoenix Force was scattered across the galaxy, but slowly coalescing back into form. Some fanatical Shi’ar accelerate the process so that they can destroy the Phoenix for good.  (Stupid stupid Shi’ar!) They fail, and the disoriented Phoenix returns to Earth, resurrecting Jean.

Pak hits all the right notes.  He primarily uses the classic team - Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Wolverine, Kitty, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus.  Emma Frost has to be involved as Scott’s new love interest, and Quentin Quire is the wildcard. Like the New Mutants relaunch, there’s an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia here.  The specter of the Dark Phoenix saga looms over everything that this team does.  The horrors from that trial, with the death of five billion souls and the emotional trauma of Jean’s death, remain seared into their psyches.  

The same holds true for the readers.  At the time of publication, it had been twenty-five years for them.  For me reading it today, almost forty. Yet the events remain just as fresh in my memory as they do for the X-Men.  It’s a powerful thing.

That history lends such emotional weight to the whole affair that I was completely sucked into the drama of the story from the get go.  Pak mixes the action with pitch perfect character moments. Some of my favorites:

Logan’s weary acceptance what he needs to do, then his brutal follow through.

Scott dealing with the same anguish as Logan:

Emma’s acknowledgement that she’ll always be second in Scott’s heart.

Emma in a rare vulnerable moment.

Colossus’ little moment with Kitty as Pak writes him out of the story.

Justify it with the story all you want, Pak.  You just didn't want to juggle another piece for another two issues.

Storm kicking ass.

Land draws a mean Nightcrawler, too,

Emma and Kitty continuing to snipe at each other.  

Scott’s heart skipping a beat.  And how Kitty is able to tell.

I’m not a fan of how love saves the day or the ambiguous final page, but with something as cosmically powerful as the Phoenix, that’s usually how this sort of thing has to end.  Greg Land’s art was mildly distracting in its usual way, but managed to stay on the “pretty enough for me to not care” side of things.

This was a really fun read, and another reminder of why I love the X-Men.  Few other titles can draw upon their history to create something this powerful.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good

NYX, Young Justice, Prodigy

New comics!

Prodigy 3

A welcome improvement after last issue.  As I said last time, it’s the character moments that shine, not the plot.  (At this point, all I know about the story is that Crane and Rachel are globehopping Indiana Jones-style in search of...something.)  What attracts me to the comic are the revelations about Professor Crane’s personality - His deep-seeded need to help those in dire straits and his gravitation towards high risk situations.  Mark Millar illustrates both with compelling examples - He talks his way out of being held at gunpoint while dangling over a long fall and gives his assailants an opportunity to run a “post-capitalist micro-society,” then goes swimming with sharks.  (And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t actually have been able to shoot them underwater.)  

Yeah, not happening IRL.

Still on board, but that plot is seriously underwhelming with a MacGuffin that I can’t remember three issues in.

Young Justice 2

Hrm.  Brian Michael Bendis focuses on Wonder Girl and Gemworld.  I find myself meh on the former and completely bored with the latter.  Jinny Hex has potential, but Tim Drake’s the only hero I really want to see, and he’s in this for two pages.  If the third issue doesn’t look good in the store next month, it’s probably not going to make it home.

NYX 1-5

Joshua Middleton has not done a lot of interior work, which is a shame.  His covers are gorgeous, and I’d love to see more of his art.  I’ll take what I can get with the first four issues of this title.  (I stopped buying after 5, when I realized he was no longer the artist.)  On the downside, Middleton’s predilection for drawing underage girls in uncomfortably sexualized poses continues.

Why in the world is an upskirt necessary here?

First comic appearance of X-23, looking disturbingly like she's twelve.

The quality of the art is the only reason I bought this, because the story by Joe Quesada is a major downer.  Unlike Runaways, where the kids love each other and manage to keep a positive attitude about themselves, these outcasts carry an air of hopelessness wherever they go.  There’s no indication that they’ll ever find a safe haven. This went for another two issues, followed by another miniseries. I’m fine with what I have.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Fine

New X-Men, Bingo Love

Bingo Love

A graphic novel by Tee Franklin and Jenn St-Onge.  Two high school school fall in love in 1963, are forced apart by their families, then chance upon each other after fifty years.  They’re both married and have kids/grandkids, but make the bold move to divorce and marry each other, pursuing a joy that they’ve denied themselves for far too long.  

It hits all the beats that you’d expect from a romance, but the sexuality (bi) and race (African American) of the female leads lend it significance.  At the same time, it’s nice that Franklin doesn’t make either point a major issue in the story - Hazel and Mari could have been drawn as a white guy and girl and the conflicts would have remained basically intact.  The representation itself is what’s notable here.

I also like that Franklin takes the time to show the effects that Hazel and Mari’s reunion has on their families.  It’s painful and generates really difficult conversations, and she doesn’t skimp on them, while remaining true to her belief that it’s never too late to snap out of something if it doesn’t make you happy, no matter how hard it is.  

I found this on the library shelf, and I’m glad I took the time to read it.     

Would buy: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

New X-Men 1-4, 10, 11

Yeah, less interesting this time around.  The squabbling between the New Mutants and the Hellions feels a lot more petty and less rooted in substantive conflict than in the previous New Mutants title that this follows.  Ah well. Past me stopped buying before the end of the first story arc, and present me is fine with that.  I came back for issues ten and eleven because it centered on Prodigy, who I’ve always liked.

David Alleyne has a great power - He’s able to telepathically share the knowledge of those around him, for as long as they remain in close proximity.  Like Peter Petrelli from the show Heroes, but with information instead of powers.  Super cool.

In these last two issues, David is faced with the opportunity to remove the mental blocks that make the knowledge sharing temporary.  What follows is a well done Elseworlds that goes the same way that most stories involving Omega-level intellects go. (Poorly. He loses empathy, sacrifices the individual for the greater good, etc.)

I’m happy to keep these in the collection, but I’m sorry that the focus on Moonstar was de-emphasized from New Mutants.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No (Yes for 10, 11)

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice.  (Pretty good for 10, 11)

New Mutants

New Mutants 1-13

Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir bring back some of the original team members as mentors for the new class of students at Professor X’s school.  It’s a wonderfully executed conceit. The old New Mutants have grown out of my main complaint about the original title yesterday, that they were too stupid to enjoy reading about.  (Though to be fair to Dani and Xi’an, they weren’t the ones I had problems with.) The idiocy of youth has mostly been transferred to the next batch of kids, and it’s somehow less annoying with these students.  

I really like how the writers portray Dani, Xi’an, and Rahne here.  They’ve clearly matured from their days as students, but are still young enough to remain open to changes in their life direction.  There’s a freshness to it, depicting a time in one’s life that’s clearly recognizable and all too rarely shown in comics, what with all the fighting and action.  

DeFilippis and Weir are particularly strong at making these characters people.  The whole first issue is spent on Sofia’s origin, and by the end, I was really rooting for her to succeed.  The tragedy of her mother’s death, the pure assholery of her father, her inability to fit in despite her positive attitude, and her sweet relationship with her dad’s assistant all combined to create someone that I was eager to read more about.  

As more and more students are introduced, cliques are formed and adjusted, friendships are made and broken.  I love the focus on interpersonal relationships instead of superheroics, especially when done this adroitly.

Some additional notes:

The writing’s good enough to overcome some questionable interior art.  Carlo Barberi is the only one to distinguish himself, with a Humberto Ramos-looking style.  

On the one hand, I like how the writers got rid of Rahne’s accent.  On the other, it’s a little weird seeing her talk with a ‘normal’ voice.  It’d be the same with Rogue or Gambit.

Right?  Very Ramos-like.

The covers by Joshua Middleton are astounding in their craft, but also a little disturbing in their content.  All the women look scarily waifish and underage, like they’re out of an American Apparel ad.

Ugh.  Makes me feel squicky.

Chris Bachalo follows Middleton on cover duty, and while I’m never going to complain about his art, it strikes me as an odd editorial decision to lead your title with eleven straight issues and no men on the front.  Normally, I’m all for more female representation, but I don’t think they’re dominating the covers in a statement of equality, especially on a team with a number of guys.

The series ends with issue thirteen, to be continued in New X-Men.  Same writing crew, I can’t remember if it stays as good with the focus moved off of Dani and her old teammates.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

New Mutants

New Mutants 18-21

For all the focus I had on the X-Titles growing up, I never delved into the back issues of New Mutants.  While I would read about Cannonball, Sunspot, Boom Boom, and Wolfsbane in X-Force and X-Factor, I had very little in seeing what they were like when they first started out.  The little exposure I had to their New Mutant days (the Asgardian Saga, Fall of the Mutants crossover) gave me the impression that they were clueless innocents who rarely got their shit together, and not in an endearing way.  

That assessment remains intact after these four issues.  Claremont writes Sam Guthrie as a try hard hick who can’t seem to do the right things.  Rahne Sinclair is the naive waif, unable to control her emotions and prone to curling up into a figurative fetal position whenever she gets scared.  It’s not fun to read about stupid people, even if they are young.

It’s a good thing that there are plenty of capable people on this team.  Dani and Illyana, in particular, seem to have some idea of what they’re doing.  Not that they always succeed, but their behavior doesn’t read as egregiously ridiculous.  

I bought this trade, of course, for Bill Sienkiewicz’s art.  And it does not disappoint. I’ve already shown one of his amazing New Mutant works in a previous post, here are some other highlights:

This was a stunning way to start the story.  (Of course, in vintage Claremont fashion, it’s all set up for a future storyline that isn’t addressed for the rest of the arc…)

The Demon Bear would be silly in most series, but Sienkiewicz makes it a total force of nature, implacable and intimidating.  A perfect enemy for him to draw.

Love how it takes up the whole panel.

This arc also introduces Warlock for the first time.  Like Penance with Chris Bachalo, Warlock is best when rendered by his creator.

So unlike anything else in the Marvel Universe.

This was totally worth picking up for two dollars.  I don’t need to read anymore of Sienkiewicz’s run on New Mutants, but I’m happy to have this sample from it.  

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

God Loves, Man Kills, Princeless, Longshot, Unstoppable Wasp

Unstoppable Wasp 4

It feels like it’s been more than a month since the last issue.  I’m happy to see it again.

Nadia goes a little crazy in her efforts to protect her friends and track down the people who hurt them.  Janet posits that Nadia may have inherited Hank Pym’s bipolar disorder. I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out.  I trust Jeremy Whitley to handle it gracefully.

Princeless Book 2 1-4

Another Whitley creation.  I had been tempted to buy the whole series after reading the first volume.  After reading the second, I’ve changed my mind. It’s not that the quality of the series has dropped, just that I don’t need to read it over again.  I actually don’t need to read the rest of the series, either. (Though I wouldn’t say no if presented with the opportunity….(five minutes later) I just reserved the next three volumes from the library.  Hey, they’re there. Why not?)

The positive message of Adrienne breaking both her gender and class roles still carries through this book.  It remains entertaining and I like how Whitley uses additional short stories to build out the backstories of his ancillary characters.  For example, it prevents Adrienne’s father from becoming a one-note tyrannical king.

Would buy: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice

X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills

This is pretty much the textbook example of a Chris Claremont X-Men story, executed at its highest level.  It’s got all the elements: A mutant-phobic hate group eager to exterminate that which they fear and do not understand, backed by a groundswell of public support.  The X-Men showcase their abilities, both as a team and as individuals. Magneto bringing his conflicting point of view. Big speeches as everyone gets a chance to espouse their opinions on the topic.

It’s all so familiar and comforting.  Claremont’s message of tolerance and acceptance, of embracing those who are difference instead of pushing them away, is still sadly necessary almost four decades later.  Maybe I’m responding so positively to it because I haven’t read any Claremont X-Men in a long time.  It’s possible that I’m going to be completely sick of it when the time comes to read through his entire run on Uncanny.

I really like the art by Brent Anderson (who I’ve only really seen on Astro City).  His pencils are so perfect for the 80s X-Men, and Steve Oliff’s colors add an emotional darkness that isn’t usually present on the monthly title.  (This was originally published as a graphic novel.)

Don't know if this is the first time Wolverine's done this.  Won't be the last.

Modern day lynchings.  Modern then, modern now.

It’s a lamentable comment on the state of society today that I was shocked to read a situation where a police officer (correctly) shoots the white guy spouting hate instead of the members of the hated minority.  

Then there’s this scene, which I doubt Marvel would publish today.  Which makes it all the more powerful.

For all his ticks and faults, Claremont is darn good when he’s on his game.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Longshot 1-6

I remember reading this either in college or high school.  I remember it not being that good, which is probably why I didn’t keep the issues.  But I saw the TPB on sale for two dollars a year ago, and thinking that the value was too good to pass up.  (Art Adams on pencils!)

I never got around to reading it again until now.  I went into it with trepidation - Some primal part of me knew I wasn’t going to enjoy it, and I found myself putting it off for a couple of days, reading other library comics and what not.  Turns out past me from a year ago should have listened to past me from 20 years ago. This was terrible.

Sure, the Adam art is really good, but it’s actually his comic debut, and he would go on to do better and more consistent things.  This is also one of Ann Nocenti’s earlier scripts, and it’s just as incomprehensibly scattered as her later works.  (Though as with her work on Daredevil, she does come up with some truly fucked-up and memorable moments.  Ricochet Rita’s torture at the hands of Spiral is really scary and affecting.)

I really want to cut this, since the story is just atrocious.  But the art....When in doubt keep it around. I can always cut it later.

Regret buying: Yes

Would buy again: No

Would read again: No

Rating: Hated

Action Comics, Skyward, Heroes in Crisis

New comics!

Action Comics 1007

At this point, I’m looking back at Brian Michael Bendis’ runs on both Action and Superman and thinking that I have no real desire to read either of them over again.  I’ve got to take that as a signal to stop buying both. I’ve given them seven issues apiece, and there hasn’t been enough improvement.  Sigh, that’s such a huge disappointment, I so wanted these to be good. Eh, if they improve, I can pick up the trades. (Which is actually cheaper, anyway.)  

So what happens this issue?  Jimmy Olsen realizes he’s dating a member of Kobra.  (Isn’t that where things were going with Ganke’s girlfriend in Spider-Man at the end?)  Lois tells her dad that Clark is Superman.  Whoa, that’s a major big deal. Did she even run that by Clark?  Seems like a horribly misguided decision.

I may never discover how it turns how.  I can live with that.

Nice alt cover by Patrick Gleason.

Skyward 10

Skyward is more fun when it’s exploring how reduced gravity has affected the world, less so when it gets involved with the plot. This is a plot issue, and ends with everyone in a race to reach Chicago first.  Necessary to get the story moving, but not as fun as some of the earlier issues.

Heroes in Crisis 5

Who’s supposed to be taking these photos on the cover?

I still hate Booster Gold.  Still love Clay Mann’s art.

Beautiful use of shadow here.

Superman’s speech is Tom King overtly talking to the readers about real life soldiers and the sacrifices they make for their fellow citizens.  It’s well written, and worth reading. (It also succeeds in its ostensible purpose as Superman’s attempt to mollify the unthinking masses.)

This is going to be a joy to read in its entirety.