Mary Louise Eklund

Author: Mary Louise Eklund

Comic Comment – Returning to My Bat Roots

Maybe it’s easiest to explain my love of comics by telling you my first word was “Batman.” No really it was, just as my parents. Sure I grew out of DC and into Marvel but still the Bats has held a soft place in my heart. I didn’t jump on the New 52 bandwagon when DC did their whole redo. I just wasn’t certain what line I wanted of the Bats there were choices and I hadn’t a clue. Then on Free Comic Book Day 2011 I got a Batman. I liked it, I really liked it though I was learning the extended Bat family (the Robins have matured dead ones haven’t stayed dead etc.) So I jumped in mid arc. A big multi-title arc “Death Of The Family” Just like in the AvX Interruptus I didn’t chase the story about – I just took what crossed the ONE title I got. Which was Batman issues 13 – 17. Let me tell you I got a good ‘un.

The ever present US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Now credit to the creators: Written by Scott Snyder, Adam Glass, Kyle Higgins, John Layman, Scott Lobdell, Ann Nocenti, Gail Simone, Peter J. Tomasi, and James Tynion IV Issue 13 – Scott Snyder, Writer Issue 14-16, Illustrated by Greg Capullo, Eddy Barrows, Ed Benes, Brett Booth, Andy Clarke, Fernando Dagnion, Jason Fabok, Patrick Gleason, Jock, Timothy Green, Rafa Sadoval, Issue 13 – Greg Capullo, Penciler Issue 14 -16 – Jonathan Glapion, Inker Issue 14-16 – FCO Plascencia, Colorist Issue 14-16 – Richard Starkings & Comiccraft’s Jimmy Betancourt, Letterer Issue 14-16 – Greg Capullo & FCO Plascencia, Main & Variant covers Issue 13, 15, Greg Capullo & FCO Plascencia, Cover #14, 16 & 17, Trevor McCarthy, Variant Cover Issue 14, Alex Garner, Variant Cover Issue 16, Tony Daniel, Matt Banning & Tomeu Morey, Variant Issue 17- Katie Kubert, Asst. Editor- Mike Marts, Editor – Batman, created by Bob Kane.

At the end of each issue is a tie-in story featuring the Joker making plans for the finale. Issue 13 Story Knock, Knock Brought to you by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, Richard Starkings and Comic Craft’s Jimmy Betancourt, Katie Kubert, Mike Marts, Cover by Capullo and Plascencia, Varient cover by Aaron Kuder and Nathan Fairbairn, Batman created by Bob Kane. Issue 14 Men of Worship Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV, Writers, Jock, Artwork, Dave Baron, Colors, Sal Cipriano, LEtters, Katie Kubert, Assistant Editor, Mike Marts, Editor. Issue 15 Red Light, Green Light Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV, Writers – Jock, Artwork – Dave Baron, Colors – Taylor Esposito, Letters – Katie Kubert, Assistant Editor – Mike Marts, Editor. Issue 16 Judgement Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV, Writers – Jock , Artwork – David Baron, Colors – Taylor Esposito, Letters – Kate Kubers, Assistant Editor – Mike Marts, Editor.

WHEW That’s some credits on who did what where!

I jumped in on the big return of Joker story-line. He looks different and through some research I learned why he looked different – he had his face cut off and now wears it as a mask. As a result he is more gruesome than ever adding to the creep factor in his “jokes.” The main story is between Joker and Batman – Joker starts leading Batman back to the places of their big battles. Except this time the Joker has the upper hand, finally in order to lure the Bats to the final finally he kidnaps a member of the Bat family. The final battle is at the Arkham Asylum where Joker was imprisoned after each caper.

I will say this is a fresh new take on the oft repeated battle between Bats and Joker. It is well written and pulls many emotional strings not just of Batman but the readers too along the way. There isn’t shying away from a large body count here of guilty as well as innocents making the stakes grow higher with each issue. In the end I felt Batman proved to be who we know him to be but instead we learned something very important about the Joker – his weakness. If DC keeps up with the power and tight writing of this story they have got fodder for many story lines to come. The Bat family has been deeply changed by the results, if not Batman himself. The Joker has shown he knows more than he lets on but his ultimate weakness kept him from using it. So I was left wanting to know – how will the Bat family be after such horrid experiences? will the Joker have the guts to use his knowledge when he returns from wounds? Because he’s gotta come back, right? I mean that’s what he DOES right?

There were more aspects to the story than the interactions between the main guys. Joker’s interactions with the various members of the Bat family appeared in their comics. The bonus story at the end of each Bat comic showed the Joker recruiting various villains to help him complete the final showdown in the asylum. It makes for an excellent two page splash piece in Issue 16 complete with Faux DC superheroes. I like the insight to each villain. I was reminded that a good villain is a hero in his own head – sure they see what they are doing as right and have to be coerced into going along with the Joker’s plan. Admittedly some needed more than others. It is interesting to see a story were both are villains. Here it leads you to wondering just what is Joker’s grand plan? When we see it, it’s chilling but follows a certain twisted logic. That’s good writing. That’s staying true to what makes the twisted mind of the Joker the best comic book villain ever. Cudos to the writers!

Now to the art – It was wonderful. I can say it supported the story didn’t make me wince or gawk, instead I saw the movie in my head. Isn’t that what comic books are supposed to do? Here the art and the story worked perfectly together. There were small touches I like – the flies increasing around Joker’s rotting skin mask. The slight touches of how Alfred puts his arms around the Robins when they are in danger. Images like that add to the story, increase the depth of the characters and make the comic experience complete.

To be my arc venturing back into the DC and Batman world I have to say this hit a home run for me. I only hope it can keep up these high standards.

Okay you know what comes next… scans from the comics

I’m gonna be spoilery

So if yo don’t want to be SPOILED

STOP

Scrolling

NOW! (more…)

June 5, 2013
I Love A Museum

Really I do. You see things you’d never see otherwise. You learn stuff while just looking at neat things. It doesn’t even have to be a modern interactive type of museum. To give you a perspective on how much I love museums – Once I had a day to burn in Boston. I wasn’t far from the Boston Museum of Fine Art. So my plan was to spend the day there, grab lunch there then walk back to the hotel. Well I’d finished the Ancient Egyptians, then took in the Impressionists (my top two things I wanted to see before lunch) when they were announcing that they were closing. Yes CLOSING. It was almost 10pm. Time had flown and I was just getting started! I took a cab back not sure about walking the blocks in the dark and had room service for dinner getting my order in just before they closed at 11pm! THAT’S how much I love museums. Let me add that my husband is the same way.

Thus when we found ourselves with most of a day to burn at Aaron’s graduation from basic at Fort Leonard Wood (remember the nickname is Fort Lost In The Woods because it is so far from anything) and learned there were museums on base… guess where we went. Yep we went museum-ing again closing the place down. There are three under one roof – Military Police Museum, Chemical Corp Museum, and Army Corp of Engineers Museum. Across the street is a collection of buildings preserved from the World War II era of the base. Much like my tale of the Boston Museum we closed down the three under one roof and didn’t get to see the WWII one.

You know I took my camera and here’s a few shots from the Museums. As always you can click on the images to go to Flickr see their new layout, more stuff from the trip, as well as larger versions of the images themselves.

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May 30, 2013
Join Me At My New Addiction

So it’s not like I’ve got enough to do… I mean work is about to get swamped. I’m flowing on a novel. I’ve got jewelry projects out the wazoo. Genealogy is only adding more people as I type this. Summer is coming and that’s photography time for me… BUT I needed one more thing to keep up with. Yes, apparently I did.

I know the internet can be a big help or a big time waster. I do my best to keep up with Google+, Twitter, Flickr, favorite blogs, and writing here regularly. So I’ve avoided Pintrest like the plague. Not because I thought it was bad or any thing (like the evil Facebook) but just because I didn’t want another thing to keep up with.

Then it happened. I had all these visual references for this story I’m writing. I was wanting a place to keep them so I could access them from any computer/device where I was writing. That’s when a friend who shall not be named or blamed suggested using Pintrest for this. “But I don’t want them to be publicly seen as I’m working.” That was my comeback but quickly they disarmed me “Oh but then you could make a secret board. Then to access it from say your phone, netbook, desktop or any where just sign in.”

So I did. It’s great but then I thought well I should have a public board… I made one to keep all my Wolverine links to images, scans, fan art, previews, etc. So if one hobby has it why not the other – thus the bead board was born. But wait! I like books too! and coffee, and writing, and so on, and so on…. until it became THIS!

Now part of my unwinding to go to bed is pinning stuff… At least hop over there (link in the THIS above) and look around. If you are Pinterest let me know and I’d love to follow you. Now to make sure I don’t waste too much time there…

Except there’s this great Logan over at Comic Art fans… I’ll just pin that… .

Until next time!

May 27, 2013
Comic Comments – A Wolverine Arc That Is Dead To ME!

There are some arcs in the Wolverine solo title universe that just don’t exist in my Earth -616ML version. One is the Enemy of the State (Wolverine Vol 3 #20-25)/Agent of SHIELD (Wolverine Vol 3 #26-31 arc which I lovingly refer to as Mindless Enemy/Agent of YAWN because the whole mind controlled Wolvie crap had me bored to tears yet again. Another was the Return of the Native arc (Wolverine Vol. 3 #12-18 ) which still has what I refer to as frozen-Wolverpups still out there somewhere. Lame, lame, lame to do yet another rewrite of Weapon X. Oh and finally the whole Lupine, Romulus crapola fest (Evolution arc Wolverine Vol 3 #50-55) – not human but descended from dogs. Yeah way to negate the whole mutant thing of that universe. I dropped the series for a few years after those horrid messes of story lines. So when it comes to those arcs I stick my fingers in my ears sing LA-LA-LA-LA and ignore it all. BUT the ghost of the Evolution arc is baaaack to haunt me. Yes this arc entitled Sabertooth Reborn (Wolverine Vol 4 #310-313) is based on the whole Evolution arc from the Romulus crapola fest. Totally ignoring that we know Sabes is back from the Then There Was A War/Back In Japan arc of this Vol 4 that preceded this one. Not to mention Logan showing up at Sabes b-day party in One More Round. So I started off really annoyed that in the same volume that couldn’t keep their conitunality straight for five issues! Stay tuned and I’ll really tell you what I think about it!

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May 15, 2013
Return To Routine Can Be Challenging

Following a plan

I hate excuses. I love reasons. Sometimes reasons are used as excuses. I think that’s what I’ve been doing about blogging. You see there were good reasons for the disruption to my routine with all the trauma of last month. I tend to cope with such things by battening down the hatches, pulling inward and getting through. I did that. I’m through and emotionally I’ve dealt with it all.

However I’ve not returned to my 5 days a week blogging. I intend to but well reasons became excuses and I languished in the new/old habit of not blogging. Except for that nagging desire, that I want to to it. Yet we all know inertia is hard to overcome or establish. Yes just as a moving blogging truck is hard to stop, a blogger at rest is tends to stay at rest. I hope to muster the energy to overcome the rest and build my blogging inertia.

Energy, I have to admit it is something I have always struggled to get, use wisely, and not exhaust totally. Still learning what is my best pace. Seems just when I get a handle on it, circumstances shift. It doesn’t help I have the desire to do the work of 100s and the energy of half of one… LOL!

All this is to say, I’m sorry I’ve not been here regularly as I was. I long to be and am working how to do that while doing all the other things I want to do too. The latest challenge is the month of the June. At my work this is our big year making month. I know most retail industries it’s December but for us it is June. Don’t ask I won’t explain as my job is beyond the scope of this blog. However, it is where I go during Real Life and will be demanding more of time in the next month. My part time job will become full time then go back to part time again. I hope to balance that with getting back in the blogging groove.

Maybe my best bet is to start with small goals – a post a week at least. If I do more GREAT! Exceeded my goal. I just get one GREAT! Reached my goal! That way I don’t think nope can’t write five posts now so what’s the point? I believe in times of struggle or need to move to a goal, set yourself up for success. Sure I pretty much know I can do ONE post a week but you see feeling successful builds energy that I can put toward making inertia of blogging that will help me reach my big goal of 5 posts a week. So until July it’s a goal of just write one and go from there.

So today that’s what I’m doing…

May 13, 2013
Spring Is Springing In My Own Backyard

Been awhile but here’s a photo post. Getting to be nice weather so time to get out with the camera! So sit back and enjoy the first photo post in a long time… as always click on any photo to be taken to my Flickr account where there are more photos on the topic.

Yes the catnip (or cat mint ) is returning!

Until next time!

May 2, 2013
Comic Comments – Awaken

This was a short arc of just two issues Astonishing X-Men # 57 & 58. The story focuses on Warbird as the new member of the Astonishing X-Men. If you remember back in Wolverine and the X-Men # 13 (which was as aptly named as the Holy Roman Empire) she was left here on Earth by her people. Now she’s trying to cope and find her place. We also know she has an artistic soul which is not just frowned upon but destroyed by her culture. So what happens to an alien that’s artistic when its no longer forbidden. What does it take to let go of your home world and embrace the new one? Maybe meeting a dying race?

Let’s switch it up a bit and do the legalese first. Eh? Living on the edge here aren’t I? So here goes – All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Now to give credit where credit is due. Marjorie Liu, Writer – Gabriel Hernandez Walta & Felix Ruiz, Artists Issue 57 – Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Artist Issue 58 – Cris Peter w/ Dan Brown, Color Artists – VC’s Joe Caramanga, Letterer – Phil Noto, Covers – Jennifer M. Smith, Assistant Editor – Jeanine Schaefer, Editor – Nick Lowe, Group Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

If you know my comic book preferences you know I HATE absolutely HATE aliens, magic, time travel in my X-Men. No I think there’s enough to explore about humans/mutants without getting into that. It’s not that I don’t like sci-fi and fantasy in comic books. I do but just not here, kinda like just because I like peanut butter and ribeye doesn’t meant I want to slather my ribeye with peanut butter. Any way the way I get around it is create my own little personal Earth-616-ML (for those who aren’t comic geeks the main Marvel universe is called Earth-616) universe where I sing LA-LA-LA in my head and make all aliens just more mutants.

Given that I took this to be a story about a mutant from a family that discourages artistic endeavors. She meets up with another mutant that is dying but awakens such things in others. Well, that given they fight because that’s what comic book heroes do when they are made to feel uncomfortable. He dies leaving money for an interactive museum dedicated to awakening the artistic endeavors of everyone. As a result she embraces that part of her nature and becomes a whole person. That’s the Earth-616-ML verison. In the real one – he’s the survivor of genocide by her people against his and the story progresses from there.

What I liked about the story is how the team worked together. Yes they were concerned about her but they didn’t charge in and fight this battle for her nor did they lecture her to be something she was uncomfortable with. Also they didn’t fall into the trope of fighting her because she’s gone rogue. Instead they gave her room to work it out while doing their best to protect her and the survivor. THAT is what true teammates do.

I also enjoyed getting glimpses into the life of other X-Men during the holidays. (Yes I’m that far behind on Comic Comments that this arc started at Christmas time!). We see the newlywed couple dealing with what will be the subject of the next arc – illegal Canadians! Gambit reveals what he’s done on his holiday break. He’s such a flirt with all the ladies watch out Dr. Reyes. Karma has Warbird join her family for the holiday dinner. Seems they are coping well with the events of the previous arc. I always enjoy the glimpses of heroes being people.

As for the art I can’t say I enjoyed it – I found it good but not great. The morgue scene in Issue 57 was better but it’s Ruiz’s work where most of the arc is Walta. I don’t dislike Walta’s effort here some panels I found myself enjoying but many others irked me by being either too boxy in the depiction of characters or too cartoony with expressions. It’s a fine line to get an action comic right – not too much in any direction. I know I’m picky. Yet I know what I like, what I find irksome, and what I dislike. Walta is good and I felt it ranged from serviceable to great. Then again that’s my taste. Who am I to criticize when I can’t draw a lick?

Overall I put this down as one of the better arc that highlights a team member. I liked the pacing and story even if the alien thing reared it’s ugly head I just ignored that bit. I like how the team worked together to deal with yet another member’s personal issues (last one was Karma’s family yeah her sister made my Wolvie into a BOMB!) and next one is focusing on Northstar’s immigration issues. Gosh knows we need to get those illegal superpowered Canadians deported! Wait, no – my Wolvie!

Here’s the spacing to warn those who are further behind in their comic reading than me of possible SPOILERS BELOW.

Yep down here are interior scans that may reveal too much for the SPOILER phobic.

If you feel that might be yo don’t keep scrolling down.

Really I can’t be responsible if you get spoiled. I posted warnings and ample space…

here goes…

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May 1, 2013
My Son The Army Man

During the initial stages of dealing with Rappy’s injury (She did it right before we left and was hospitalized the whole time we were gone) we attended a joyous occasion of Aaron graduating from Basic Training. He’s in the ROTC program for the Army/Wisconsin Army National Guard. Part of this is he has to complete Army Basic Training. He did his at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Here’s the trip in pictures. As always you can click on one and go to my Flickr account where there are many more (yes this for the grandmothers.)

To get there we went through St. Louis.

Then we got to the base. Now I know why the Army guys called it Ft. Lost In The Woods because it’s in the middle of NO WHERE!

RHP – rank has privileges. Yet being an Senior Officer Mike reserved a cabin for us and his parents. It was nice with two bedrooms, full kitchen, living room, and bath. If you are really curious there are photos of the interior over on Flickr. We were on base and didn’t have a far drive to anywhere. Not that there was a lot to go to other than the graduation. We did spend time at the museums on base (another post for that) when Aaron was busy.

Needless to say I was thrilled to see him. (not at all thrilled to see myself in a photo it always makes me feel physically ill). We had to sign him and his friend out for the evening. It was nice and we took them to dinner on base. His friend didn’t have family coming in for the ceremony so it was good to take him away from the barracks to relax. It was their first time out since they got there in January. Which reminds me here’s a picture of Aaron talking with Mike as he waited to leave for Basic.

Always going through the ever present paperwork.

Any way we got the guys back to the barracks and signed in for the night. Len and Donna, Mike’s parents, arrived later that night and we all got some sleep. It was a long day and stressful dealing with Rappy’s medical decisions multiple times a day during the whole process.

There aren’t any really good pictures of the ceremony. It was dark. We were far away. It was packed crowded. Still the graduation consisted mostly of jodis (the chants they march to), slide shows, music, and speeches.

Aaron was one of three graduates to make a speech. He was the last and spoke on courage. The funny story to that is he got up to the podium to find his speech notes gone, they were supposed to be there. So he just had to give it off the cuff from memory after only doing it a few times before. He did excellent his time as a state officer in DECA served him well. He maintained excellent eye contact with the audience and didn’t faulter. Talk about courage – then again he’s like me performing in front of people isn’t too bad.

We did make more pictures of him in his dress uniform after. Here he is with his proud dad.

Here he is with his friends that came with us. They didn’t have family attending so we took them out to eat off base to celebrate. Where did they want to go? Buffalo Wild Wings of course! LOL! Then just hang out at the cabin enjoying seeing tv, having their cell phones, and internet available for the first time since January.

Really it wasn’t THAT serious of a dinner but I KNOW he got tired of having his picture taken. He was also anxious to get some private time to call and talk with Sara. Once that was done it was a quick dinner on base then back to the barracks for the boys (I guess they are men now being in the Army and all). We chilled at the cabin. I had a good cry about Rappy as her prognosis wasn’t improving.

The next morning was a bit more time to ourselves as Aaron had to check into his next training school. That was 88Mike a big equipment/truck driving school. We checked out the on base museums. Something to see and got lots of photos for another post. Rappy was stablizing but still didn’t know if shew was going to make it until we got home.

After that we got Aaron. First he ad to deal with some uniform stuff. Also had to get the internet repaired at the cabin so Aaron could do his taxes. It wasn’t fun but we got it done.

Yes there were more pictures posed for to avoid Mom taking candids. He likes his picture taken just a wee bit less than I do.
Under his new command he had to wear a water camelback at all times.

I teased him about he wouldn’t dehyrdrate while driving that way. Also they marched about wearing eye protection glasses. I asked if eye injuries resulting from marching had resulted in this new development (new since Mike went through his training *cough* 30 yrs ago *cough*) Aaron just laughed and said the Drill Instructors wouldn’t put it past new recruits to poke themselves in the eye while walking. LOL!

We took Aaron to lunch on base at the golf course then dropped him off at his new school. That was the trip. Now he’s finishing up that school. Scary thought my son could now be driving a big rig – the boy I taught to drive! He’ll be coming home in a week or so. Then it’s back to college a changed man from the experience I’m sure.

April 30, 2013
Comic Comments – AvX Conclusion

So I’m getting back in the blogging saddle with comics. They are comforting and I have a box to review. Before we get on with that I want to thank you for all the support from friends during our family’s losses. Of course after such an emotional blow our immune systems were low and we battled the cold from hell. Never bad enough to toss in the towel and go to bed but bad enough that life was work and sleep until we healed. We are well now, Spring is attempting to spring and life is blooming again.

Now to the comic – a limited series to wrap up the Avengers vs X-Men shenanigans or as I liked to call it AvX Interruptus because many good titles were interrupted in their strong story lines to tell this weak story that was an excuse to undo M-Day. Honestly this was a weakly veiled Marvel marketing ploy to sell more comics trying to get people to buy comics across titles. Unfortunately the title samples they are buying weren’t as strong as the story that was interrupted by the ploy. Don’t get me wrong I like a well done cross title story (see House of M and M-Day, Don’t see Civil War or World War Hulk) but forcing one at least once a year not to expand the universe but to push sales is lame and gives you at best something like Civil War that started out strong and ended weakly or just stupid.

I wasn’t going to get this title due to my avoiding of the whole cross over except when it intruded into my normally subscribed titles. Yet I saw a few sample scans of the scenes between Logan and Scott and wanted see how they played out. I do like how they officially switch roles. Yes it had happened with Schism but this solidifies it with Scott truly a criminal and Logan the experienced headmaster proving to be Xavier’s real disciple.

Now for the credits: Kieron Gillen, Script – Tom Raney, Art Issue 1 – Steve Kurth, Pencils Issue 2 – Scot Eaton, Pencils Issue 3 – Mark Books, Pencils Issue 4 – Gabriel Hernandex Walta, Art Issue 5 – Jim Charalampiois, Colors – Allen Martinez, Inks Issue 2 – Andrew Hennessy, Inks Issue 3 – Mark Brooks & Andrew Hennessy, Inks Issue 4 – VC’s Clayton Cowles, Letters – Patrick Zircher & Dommo Sanchez Aymara, Cover Art Issue 1 – Paolo Rivera, Varient Cover Issue 1 – Ron Garney & Jason Keith, Cover Art Issue 2 & 3- Shane Davis, Danny Miki, & Morry Hollowell, Variant Cover Issue 2- Adi Granov, Variant Cover Issue 3-5 – Salvador Larroca & David Curiel, Cover Art Issue 4 & 5 – Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor – Nick Lowe, Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

The ever present US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

WOW! Look at the artists that contributed to this 5 issue run. Lots of them and honestly I don’t have a complaint about any. They all have their own quirks and styles but I like them. They aren’t overly stylistic so that it becomes painful (yes I’m thinking of the first few issues of Wolverine and the X-Men, OUCH) nor are they too cartoony. All these artists hit that balance I look for in a comic, realism with just a toe over the line to make it fantasy (trust me boobs don’t do that on their own). So reading this I didn’t cringe and cling to the script for the story nor did I stop astounded at the artistic beauty. The art completed the tale, added dimension, and made it a full experience. I have my personal favorite Tom Raney and personal least favorite Gabriel Hernadez Walta. But still I enjoyed them all. Cudos all the way around!

Now the story – or stories I should say. It’s a follow up on the Phoenix 5 focusing mainly on Scott in jail. We get glimpses of other aftermath but the central thread is Scott Summers. We see Tony Stark dealing with the illogic of the Phoenix. Hope Summers try to be a typical girl who goes out to hunt for her partly cyber foster father from the future. Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost exchange zingers at each other. We learn what the fugitives Namor, Magneto, and Magik are up to. Also get the low down on Agent Brant and Hank McCoy’s relationship status. We see Colossus dealing with part in the whole thing, poor woobie. Oh and Danger the AI droid from the previous declared “totally separate” Ultimate universe is here throwing in with the fugitives. (I hate hate hate that Ultimate has crossed into 616 cannon really enjoyed the separate takes for separate generations of fans). Storm takes her place at the Jean Grey School and Logan chats with Capt America. (does Steve Rogers ever get out of costume? I think he wears it like Bobby Drake runs around iced up in every day life)

Since I’m a Wolverine fan you’ll know I’ll spend the most time there. I liked the dynamic between Logan and Scott. It was interesting to see reluctant partners with totally different approaches in life, personal life differences, still go after agreed upon goals for the common good. But as they matured and one lusted after the other’s wife you knew it wasn’t going to work long term. As a Logan gal I can see how Xavier’s dream appealed to the man who had high goals and morals but always fell short of them. Honestly you take in the whole of Logan’s path and Xavier gave him a way to mature as a man into the son of John Howlett not the biological pup of Thomas Logan. When you get down to it that’s Logan’s story nature vs nuture. He chose to be more than his genes. Xavier helped him see how to do that. While Scott always lived the good boy dream raised to be a superhero, and was the expected heir. I’d say he rebelled when he dumped Jean for Emma. That he was always prone to rebel to the dark side as part of his growing. So no surprise he’s now thrown in with Xavier’s arch nemesis Magneto. I can see the progress of the two down these paths. I could also see how it could have gone the other way with Scott never rebelling and Logan becoming say a Nick Fury like black ops go to guy for mutant issues. But then neither gets much character growth from that scenario. I always contended once Logan got back his memories and processed them he’d have to be more mature than any of the other X-Men because you can’t have over a century of life experience and not become more than what those with less than half a century are. So it makes sense that out of the two Logan would be the most mature adult about dealing with things.

It’s not that Logan doesn’t deal with the feelings. He admits to Capt America that his emotion is to deal with Scott by killing him but he learned from Xavier what he should do and that’s why he gave Xavier’s eulogy. He can be what Scott called in issue 5 “the better man” but it’s a struggle. That’s why I like Logan he’s honest about his internal struggle between wanting to just go with base reaction rather than reason. Yet he has matured enough to know when that’s called for and when it’s time to grow up and do what you should instead of what you want. Which is what leads to the Issue 2 and the conclusion note to Logan from Scott in Issue 5. It’s previews of those two scenes (you’ll see a my preview choices from them below) that drew me to purchase the arc. Both characters make choices that if they hold as long as Jean’s death, Logan having his memories back, and a few other things have these developments will change the characters significantly. I also like it because it follows what has been my impression of the characters for years. It also nicely mirrors the Xavier/Magneto split of the generation before, former teammates now arch enemies. I wonder who will be the two for the next generation- will Quire follow in Xavier/Logan footsteps or Magneto/Scott? Who will be his balance Evan? or have we not yet met the two future leaders?

That leads me to say to be an all around trying to gather up loose ends and point to the new directions and arcs of multiple titles the writing in this is good. Gillen succeeds in his labor intensive task of staging the relaunch/launch of many titles under the Marvel NOW! banner. Not only does he achieve his corporate directive but he writes some great scenes that redefine characters as well as give them the starting point for new growth down divergent paths. As a writer who knows the difficulty of fusing your contractual assignment with the art of writing I give him praise for taking what could just be a through the paces move characters about to get them where they need to be for the title launches into a true story that can be used a defining moments for the storylines to come.

Over all if you are into the Marvel universe and want to keep abreast of what changes were wrought by the AvX Interruptus these 5 issues are for you. They are not the jumping in point for those who aren’t familiar with the characters. It for those of us who know the characters and want to get insight into where they are now.

Next up from the Review Box – Astonishing X-Men Issue 57-58 a mini arc that centers on Warbird.

Below here there maybe SPOILERS in scans

You have been warned

Don’t want to see then stop scrolling

Really this is your last SPOILER ALERT. (more…)

April 29, 2013
If Brains Came With An Owners Manual – THIS Would Be It

Have you ever thought ‘why can’t I do this? it’s so simple!’ or when someone points out a simple better approach to a problem ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ or wonder why some days you can bust the problem of the day but others you are stymied by three simple problems? Well in this book David Rock explains the answers to those questions and much more.

No he doesn’t tell you how to think. Instead he takes the latest neurological understanding of how our brains operate and puts it in every day terms. He makes so we understand what the limitations and the strengths. He then takes normal every day situations and applies what science has learned. There are two takes to each scene. The first is how I’d do it if I were in that situation. No, Rock didn’t interview me but instead took the typical approach of an adult to real world situations. Then he explains what the brain was doing and why we think it works that way. Finally he redoes the scene taking the new information into account.

I was amazed at what I learned. First off just what a power (glucose) monster the brain is! Really, all these years when I’ve complained of mental fatigue I was right. Next how to approach layered problems by grouping things before approaching them. Prefrontal cortex is where we do our fresh thinking. It’s the most powerful part of the brain, the most energy hungry, and surprisingly the most limited. It’s a serial processor. He illustrates it well in the start of this talk from 2009.

Actually that talk is just a glimpse into what the book is about. I found the book more entertaining and of course more informative. No disrespect to his talk, it’s great but there is much more room in the book to go into more detail. Oh and the applying things to everyday life helped me immensely.

I always wondered how things became easier as we did them. No I get that practice makes perfect but how does it make perfect. Why is it the first time I drive to a job getting there consumes me but three months down the road I can listen to a book on tape and get there just fine without thinking about it. Or when I learn a new crochet stitch – I’m consumed in getting it right, reciting the steps as I do them but a week later I’m doing it while watching TV and chatting with Mike. What happened? Well, the short answer is the activity moved from the prefontal cortex to deeper regions of the brain that don’t require so much of the body or myself to run.

There’s a lot of information in this book. I’ve already started using some of the tips and mastering them. I know that if I read it or listen to it again (I got the audiobook version now too) I’ll pick up new steps to try. It’s the kind of book that you process in layers, and now I know why startling new things are like that.

I heartily recommend it to everyone who has a brain and wants to use it. Until next time!

April 11, 2013