You Know Who Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 Uncanny X-Men #138: Jean Grey's funeral after the conclusion of the Dark Phoenix Saga, as told by Cyclops. I have a soft spot for the Claremont-Byrne run on X-Men, as it was one of the first comic book series I ever read. I wanted to see if the exposition was as bad as people said it was. This issue was more about cataloging every single God-damn X-Men adventure since 1963 (even those with foes who never came back, like Factor Three and the Stranger) than showing readers what was so great about Jean Grey. The only really good thing about the issue is that it alludes to Professor X's tendency toward secrecy and not being entirely honest with his X-Men, something which comes back in Astonishing X-Men. Uncanny X-Men #141-142 (Days of Future Past): This is more like it. While the exposition is heavy (to the point that I skipped the captions altogether), this truly is one of the best X-Men stories ever told. What was most surprising when revisiting it was that Claremont actually made Storm worth a damn in the fight with the Brotherhood. That said, while the inking was awesome, I wasn't high on the coloring in any of these three issues, and think I would have liked them better if I'd read the Essentials again rather than getting them from the Marvel iPad app. Astonishing X-Men, Vol. 1-4: Worth all the hype that it gets and possibly the best run on X-Men ever. Doesn't overplay the Wolverine card and makes Kitty Pryde, who I've never been that crazy about, a fantastic character. Having the big moment #23 spoiled for me from Earth-2.net: The Show did not take any power away from it. Cassaday's work here is as good, if not better, than Joss Whedon's writing is, putting his early Planetary work to shame. My only really gripe is that Whedon writes Emma Frost as very British in the first two trades, when the character is Bostonian. Wolverine #66-72 + Giant Size Wolverine #1 (Old Man Logan): Beautifully rendered and brutal as a Wolverine story should be, but feels very rushed, especially for such a delayed series and the overall product is ultimately uneven. As bloated with alternate futures as the X-Universe is, I hope this isn't the last we see of the one Millar constructed. Issues: 106 Collections: 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 My only really gripe is that Whedon writes Emma Frost as very British in the first two trades, when the character is Bostonian. Emma's very much a "Boston Brahmin" stereotype (this is going back a ways, but David Ogden Stiers in M*A*S*H is a pitch-perfect example, so much so that people here in Boston often thought he was British). It's not as prevalent as it used to be, but it's still a thing, and Whedon writes it pretty accurately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You Know Who Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 Do they say "bloody" and "sodding" though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 I can't think of "sodding" offhand, but "bloody" is actually not uncommon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You Know Who Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 We3 #1-3: This really didn't do a lot for me, even after reading it a second time. We3 doesn't get enough pages or panels, while the general and his staff get too many. Also, I have to wonder why the device controlling the rats looks like a video game controller and what about the animals' armor makes them in any way practical for stealth missions like the one at the beginning. Quitely does have a strong grasp on the animals and some of the panel layouts are cool, but the storytelling overall wasn't great and its message rang hollow for me. Issues: 109 Collections: 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 I'm not saying you don't have a soul for not liking We3, but I am carrying a crucifix around, just in case you decide to feed on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 X-Force #1-17 + four issues of Cable (Messiah War): Overall, it's pretty good. I do feel like the motives and methods are uneven. Scott Summers is really out of character in a lot of places. Inappropriately so. Wolverine spends far too much time warning people about the dangers of going "over the line" especially when the people he lectures - Warpath and X-23 - have already gone over the line time and time again. The art is great and I do like the line-up of villains even though it feels like a cheat. Loved the Archangel/Apocalypse stuff. Not completely sold. Inhumans volume 3 #1-4: a weird era for Marvel when they felt a little creatively desperate (2000). It did result in some good stuff. This is essentially the follow-up to the Marvel Knights series by Jenkins and Lee. It's pretty good. Written by Carlos Pacheco (?) and drawn by Ladronn (!) it really has the look and feel of a Heavy Metal magazine story. Pretty cool. Comics: 684 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted August 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 I bought that four-issue Inhumans run on the strength of the Jenkins / Lee book, but I can't say I ever did more than flip through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothian Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I've ducked into the library to kill a few hours, and after listening to the recent outpouring of love for the guy, I've picked up 'Nikolai Dante: THe Beast of Rudinshtein'. The best way to describe the 2nd story is "Dante pisses off Wonder Woman" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Wolverine # 66-72 + Giant Size Wolverine Old Man Logan #1: Old Man Logan. Bought some of the issues as it was coming out but I think because of the fucked up schedule that it carried, I missed requesting some from my LCS. Just recently got the remaining four issues off eBay and read the whole story. Not bad. I enjoy the world Millar creates. What the villains did to Wolverine was amazing. But as far as the quest is concerned, it is paced horribly. Not a lot happens and then everything happens in the last two issues. Also, Giant Size, does not mean "5 extra story pages and a page of back matter." McNiven's art is badass as always. Super violent though. Wasn't used to Marvel comics this violent not in the Max imprint. Comics: 692 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Wanted - I knew that the movie was not a straight adaptation, but damn. Reminds me of the old Mitch Hedberg joke, "I like when they say a movie is inspired by a true story, because that's weird; it means the movie is not a true story, it was just inspired by a true story. Like, hey Mitch, did you hear the story about that lady who drove her children into the river and they all drowned? Yes I did, and it inspired me to write a movie about a gorilla!" That said, I don't think the book is worse than the movie, but is different. I like the premise of the book, but feel something is missing from the execution. Comics: 25 Graphic Novels: 1 Trades: 135 (750) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 I'm going through the Showcase Presents: Brave and the Bold: The Batman Teamups. The first volume just stands to show how much Neal Adams changed the game. Damn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 X-Force #18-28: Nowhere near as strong as the first batch of issues. First half, strong. This half, pretty bad. I'll read a little bit of Uncanny because of the inclusion of Archangel and a new writer. X-Force Sex and Violence #1-3: Domino steals a lot of money and conceals the reason from Wolverine which really pisses him off. But it's okay because she gives him a blowjob at the end. Really. Justice League Elite #1-12 + JLA Secret Files and Origins 2004, Action #775 and JLA #100: The dark side of the X-Men is what sent me to read JL Elite (which I loved on the first read). Also, I finally found a cheap copy of Action #775 ("What's so funny about Truth, Justice and the American Way?") to read for the first time which introduces a lot of the main characters. Super. Excellent. Joe Kelly clearly has a strong vision and a love for these characters. Mahnke fucking rocks balls here as usual. Amazing shit. Goddamn. Comics: 721 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 X-Men vs. Avengers & X-Men vs. the Fantastic Four - I don't know. I like the FF mini better, but I think the Avengers mini has the better plot. I think I like the FF mini better because I can place it better in my head. I have no idea who these Avengers are. Also, I think this would be considered my comic version of the X-Men so I think I would enjoy this regardless. Lastly, the covers to these issues are horrid. Comics: 25 Graphic Novels: 1 Trades: 136 (758) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 Millar & Hitch's FF run: I read this as it came out and overall I remember liking it. I thought it might be interesting to check it out again. I also fionally realized how this was connected to Old Man Logan after finally reading that whole thing. I couldn't fucking imagine reading this monthly these days. First of all, four fucking issues of near-to-nothing for the first arc. The ONLY thing it does is set up the next arc and give The Thing a girlfriend. Awful. The New Defenders arc was good. I liked the FF from the future idea that arc was great. Then it was followed up by what has to be one of the worst two issues of comics I've ever read. The Scotland Christmas story is so fucking bad and indulgent that it made me literally angry. The Masters of Doom arc was badass and deserved a full six issues. Out of the 16 issue run, there are 2 good stories out of four. On top of that, the New Defenders story was fine for four issues. Really, the whole run could have been boiled down to 8 issues and been great. INstead it will forever be scarred by terrible storytelling for at least half. Comics: 737 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Posted September 14, 2012 Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Wolverine: Old Man Logan - I liked this. However, I think I hyped this up a little too much in my own head. Also, not crazy about Millar using the plot from Wanted in this. Just makes the thing seem unoriginal. New X-Men - Really a tale of two vastly different series. I absolutely adore the 1st half of the series. Making this a teenage high school drama (with superpowers) was a fun read. Maybe it is the New Mutants mark in me, but I like the idea of young mutant learning about their powers. Granted, it still had some flaws, but most were minor and could (and I think would) have been fixed if this book stayed on course. Then 'M Day' happens. Gone is the setting that I enjoy. Gone is the fun. Not to say that these issues are bad, cause they are not, but the fun is just gone. I do like the characters and their progressions, but the dark tone almost overshadows it. (Tangent time: Emma. I get that the world changed. But she went from bitchy to Bitch with little explanation. I get that it probably happened in Uncanny, but if she is going to be in this book, I should be told in this book. Really annoyed me.) All in all, I enjoyed the series, but I just wish I could have gotten more of the pre-M Day stuff. Comics: 25 Graphic Novels: 1 Trades: 147 (809) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted September 14, 2012 Report Share Posted September 14, 2012 Uncanny X-Force #1-28 and 2 useless .1 issues: Wayyyyy fucking better. Remender knows what he's doing with these characters. With exception to the Otherworld storyline (which was boredom personified), this is one of the best X-Books I've read in some time. Fun stuff! Opena's art is fantastic. The .1 issues are stupid because for a lot of the meaning behind it, it has nothing to do with the actual books themselves. Terrible way to get people into trying out a new series. Also, who wants to pick up a series at issue 19.1? As if continuity and storylines weren't difficult enough, now there are decimal place comics. Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force: Pure bullshit. A complete hackjob to get sales. Has nothing to do with the event and is well below the regular book's quality. A turd. Comics: 770 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted September 15, 2012 Report Share Posted September 15, 2012 X-Force #116-129: Been meaning to reread this for ages. While it is dated now, taken in context, it is likely the most revoltutionary superhero comic since Watchmen. The way they take completely reprehensible characters, completely redeem them and then kill them repeatedly is an insane meta statement on comics at the time. The best thing Milligan's ever writte. Not to mention the amazing Allred art. Stunning. Oh yeah, he couldn't stay comkpletely monthly so who were his two fill-ins? Darwyn Cooke and Duncan Fegredo. Fuck. I wish I would have bought the X-Statix Omnibus a couple months back. Now to move onto X-Statix. Fantastic Four Unplugged #1-4: Unmitigatingly awful. Comics: 788 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted September 15, 2012 Report Share Posted September 15, 2012 X-Statix is fantastic. Is FF Unplugged the series where Ben beats the Super Adaptoid with beer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted September 20, 2012 Report Share Posted September 20, 2012 Over the last couple of days, I reread All Star Superman and Thor: The Mighty Avenger. Both are, for my money, the best books each of the big two have done in some time. And, beside the more epic scale of Supes, they're actually pretty similar books. Landridge is no Grant Morrison, but both guys infuse that Silver Age sensibilty into a modern book, masterfully. It's really something I wish more modern comics did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koete Posted September 20, 2012 Report Share Posted September 20, 2012 You and me both, my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Operation Galactic Storm crossover: a pretty fun little bit of an Avengers crossover that got no press because Jim Lee was drawing X-Men. Basically, the Kree/Shi'ar war. Early Greg Capullo on the Quasar book is like a lot lighter of a JRJr. I like it better. Amazing linework. Comics: 812 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You Know Who Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Over the last couple of days, I reread All Star Superman and Thor: The Mighty Avenger. Both are, for my money, the best books each of the big two have done in some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Even if you haaaate Quitely's art, which I don't, Morrison's story is pure Silver Age awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dread Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Name a better Superman story. No, don't. You're wrong. Amazing Joy Buzzards #1-4: Silly rock and roll fun. Too silly for my liking. Good, but not for me. Comics: 816 Graphic Novels: 18 Trades: 40 Omnibus: 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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