Mary Louise Eklund

Author: Mary Louise Eklund

Oh The Things I’m Learning, The Places This Blog Is Going To GO!

So lesson 3 is complete in my first WordPress class. I have finally learned how to make pages! I know uber simple but I didn’t get how they were organized and nested.

This class works in two ways. One is we have our class project site. We each open and create the same website for a faux animal rescue. (mine is here if you are curious). There we carry out the assignments on setting up the site. They are all just alike but it is a way for the prof to see that we are getting the assignments and mechanics of the lesson. The other part is to start applying what we’ve learned to our own site.

That’s where the changes you’ll be seeing over the next few months come into play. The first change is I’ve categorized and tagged all my posts. That was a big assignment for me because I’ve got 100 posts as of this one. The others in the class have just started their WordPress sites and have at most 10 posts. Heck I’ve even got first tier and second tier categories but doesn’t show in this style. I’ll be changing that up later I think. You can look to the right column there and see what I’ve done.

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August 23, 2012
Comic Comment – WXM Alpha and Omega

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega was a limited run five issue story. I will have to say I LOVED this story. It’s the kind of thing I come to a book about Logan running a school for mutant kids to find. KUDOS! I don’t know why this wonderful arc wasn’t part of the main title. I can only guess it would have interfered withe AvsX Interruptus and we gotta support the annual Big Event to sell dem comic books. Never mind great art and great story telling we need multi-title gimmicks. AT least we got this story!

I want to give credit to the creators of this arc. They are: Brian Wood, Writer; Roland Boschi & Dan Brown, Art (Westchester); Mark Brooks with Andrew Currie, Jay Leisten, Norman Lee, & Ronda Pattison, Art (Construct) Issue 1; Mark Brooks with Andrew Currie, Walden Wong, Ronda Pattison & Andres Mossa, Art (Construct) Issue 2; Mark Brooks with Andrew Currie & Ronda Pattison, Art (Construct) Issues 3 & 4; Mark Brooks with Andrew Currie, Cam Smith & Ronda Pattison, Art (Construct) Issue 5; Mark Brooks, Cover Art issues 1 & 2; Joe Tyler Christopher, Cover Art Issue 3, 4, & 5; VX’S Joe Sabino, Letterer, Jared K. Fletcher, Designer; Sebastian Girner, Assistant Editor; Jeanine Schaefer, Editor; Nick Lowe, Group Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer, Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

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.

I’ll start with the art. I like the covers. Though they aren’t always accurate for the story. Like Beast doesn’t appear in any issue but on the cover of 5. They all reflect the story well and represent what is going on in the books. It’s not stock images stuck on to finish it off. My favorite cover is 4. I just like the composition of it and the idea of Quentin trying to force Logan into doing something and Logan fighting that control. So the covers are cool and despite all the little Liefield pouches on Logan in the first one I like them.

The interior art is well conceived. I like having two distinct styles for the two settings of the story. One is the school – real life what’s going on here in reality. The second is the construct – what’s going on in the mind game Quentin is running. The art for Westchester is bright crisp and clean. The art for the construct (images cobbled together by Quentin from his favorite video games, action movies, and books) is darker and grittier. The concept works beautifully to quickly and clearly let you know where you are. The characters are well done in both worlds. Well except Rachel at times looks odd… in Westchester. I had a few nit picky things because I am a nit picky person when it comes to my favorite character in comic books but over all I was happily reading and enjoying the experience of a good story told with words and art.

The story is a simple one but profoundly reveals much about the two main characters and who they really are. Logan proves he’s a changed man, even the berserker rage in him has changed. Quentin exposes the real kid under all the bravado he puts on most of the time. The only problem is the whole school gets caught up in these two strong personalities coming to terms with each other and themselves.

Quentin is bored. He’s rebellious and resents having to go to classes. He focuses most of his frustration on Logan as the headmaster. Quentin feels he’s being held prisoner here by Logan given how he came to be a student (scroll down for black and white scan to see the deal Logan made). To prove he doesn’t need to go the psychwar 101 class he decides to take over the mind of the headmaster. Also there’s a bit of jealousy that Logan is “the coolest dude in the room.” So he captures Logan’s conscience into this mind construct he’s built. Immediately there are problems. First Logan was sparring with Hisako Ichiki, Armor, at the time and the mind capture caught her in the construct too. Second there’s the bodies of Logan and Hisako collapsing on the grass in front of the school.

Quentin deals with these problems and goes about playing games with Logan in the construct. Only another problem surfaces, Quentin didn’t capture all of Logan’s mind. The berserker part is still in Logan’s body and now has control of it. Not good to have an angry Berserker running loose in the school screaming for Quire! The school goes into lockdown while Rachel tries to figure out where Hisako is and what’s happened to the headmaster.

Quentin is feeling the strain. Logan very experience in mind games realizes something is up in the construct. He’s fighting against it and trying to put it all together. Hisako is taking his lead. This ups the stress level on Quentin who realizes he has to shut this down and get Logan back in control of his body. After Logan tore up Quentin’s room looking for him.

When in the construct a few things come to light. Quentin isn’t as confident as he seems he’s really a terrified young man with a magnificent power. He’s not totally sure how to use it or control it. He’s lonely and scared and truth be told admires Logan. Logan stays true to himself he’s willing to fight to keep Quentin and Hisako safe. Quentin realizes how important the school is for so many people like himself and Hisako. He knows if Logan doesn’t make it out of the construct then that’s over. Only problem is Quentin can’t get them out! It’s taken on running itself and he has no idea on how to shut it down.

In the end Quentin grows up some and makes a sacrifice of himself for all the others he knows needs Logan and the school. They finally make out of the construct but not damage free. However, both Quentin and Logan learned some important things from the debacle. They come to a new understanding between the two of them.

Like I said this is an awesome story for the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning. It’s what I want from the title. Logan is not Xavier as headmaster but it’s growing into the role and making it his own. His students aren’t being groomed to be a fighting team but they are being groomed to be responsible mutants in life. This story underlines that concept and reaffirms it not only for the title that is currently just supporting the AvsX arc but for Logan himself.

Next up we’ll be leaving Marvel for a look at my free preview issue of DC’s Batman Earth One. A funny fact – you can confirm this with my parents – my first word in life was Batman. No joke. I was DC fan way back but left it behind in the 70s and move to Marvel. Who knows maybe this issue convinces me to try DC again. Stay tuned.

You know what’s after the jump. Commentary on panels and pages.

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August 22, 2012
Went To The County Fair and Other Stuff Was There

The Wisconsin Dairy food stand’s paint job made me laugh.

Our day at the fair was more than just gawking at livestock while they gawked at us. There were demonstrations by the Sheriff (tazed a rookie for us!), winners of competitions, midway, food (only got a diet coke but gawked at the offerings), crafts, sales, static displays, and concerts. All the stuff that makes a local county fair – a local county fair.

We decided not to wait around two hours for the mud racing (in South that’s be racin’). I think Mike kinda regretted that but our day in the sun left us pleasantly tired and hungry. We stopped by one of our favorite Mexican restaurants to split our favorite burrito before heading home to watch movies and enjoy the lake breeze blowing through the house. All in all it was a fantastically relaxing day out.

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August 21, 2012
Comic Comments – Born Warbird

This is Kid Gladiator’s father fighting the Phoenix. Why it’s on the cover of Wolverine and The X-Men is beyond me. Its tie to this title is very tenuous at best. Are we now going to be treated to a series of covers of parents of students at the school reacting to the Big Event? So goes the whole issue 13 of the title. It’s not about the school, staff members, students, but rather the bodyguard of a student.

Still I like to give credit where it’s due. As Charlemagne said no one ever did me a favor or an injustice without being richly repaid (or words to that effect as a high schooler I wanted that on my tombstone see why Wolverine is my favorite). Those responsible for this issue are: Jason Aaron, Writer; Nick Bradshaw, Penciler; Walden Wong, Cam Smith, & Nick Bradshaw, Inkers; Guru EFX, Colorist; Chris Eliopoulos, Letterer; Nick Bradshaw & Justin Ponsor, Cover Artists; Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

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.

We all know my rule about MY X-men – no aliens and no magic! This issue centers around an alien bodyguard of an alien student who I pretend isn’t alien but is a rich mutant brat with a mutant bodyguard. It didn’t work well in this issue. She is of Shi’Tar no that’s not shittier that’s Shi’Tar a warrior like race (think Klingon but cleaner with brighter colors).

We learn Warbird was given Kid Gladiator as her charge to be punished. She tells of how she liked to draw, let an enemy kid go during a battle, and still longs to learn how to live. Her culture teaches her how to die, but she’s struggling to learn how to live.

That story is told with the obligatory cuts to the Big Event story of Warbird going with Gladiator (the father) to get her charge. Kid Gladiator has gone to fight with the X-Men. Since the Phoenix is with the X-Men they have to do battle with it. The warrior race the Shi’Tar get their asses kicked.

No sign of the school, no sign of the staff, no sign of Wolverine named in the title, just the memories of a student’s bodyguard and fights scenes. Don’t care about any of that I come to this title for the stuff that was left out this time.

It is on that note we leave this title to churn away in AvsX interruptus. Hopefully when it pops back up in the rotation we’ll be through with that and can get back to the reason for the title.

Up next is a great limited run title that does take place at the school, that is about the students and staff. Wolverine and The X-Men: Alpha and Omega issues 1-5.

Not much here just one scan of a few panels. You hear Warbird tell us her punishment for letting a kid go and see a bit of the fight action.

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August 20, 2012
We Went To the County Fair, All The Animals Were There

My view of the road with the top down

Saturday was a beautiful clear day. The weather was pleasant and we planned to head out to the country fair. We’ve lived in Kenosha eight years now. We have never gone to the county fair. Where I grew up south of the Mason Dixon fairs were fall things to attend say in September or early October. Here they are things to do in August. To many times they just passed us by because we never thought of it until it was too late.

On this glorious day we put the top down on Mike’s Mustang and headed out from the lake toward the west end of the county. We’re not too familiar with this area of the county tending to be lake people you see. We spent some time driving about in the general area of the fair feeling our way there. Luckily we did find it. Despite our theorizing they kept packing it up and moving it when we got close.

There was one downside. I didn’t get to take my trusty Nikon with me. I’d forgotten to charge the batter D’oh! So I took my small Olympus which I hadn’t used in so long I didn’t notice the white balance was set off for a sunny day. Also the Olympus only has the damn LED screen that’s useless in the bright sun. Yet another reason I shall prefer an SLR or at least require a viewfinder. So excuse some of the pictures harsh contrasts. The Nikon is charged now. I’ve reset the Olympus after re-familiarizing myself with the setting. Oh and I’m eyeballing one of these Agfaphoto cameras. I’m thinking Christmas list for this red baby right here.

It was pretty much like the Greene County fairs I grew up attending. The only difference was the fields were flat and we were glad to have a cool day instead of hoping for a warm one. We paid our fee and set about taking in the sights from displays, to livestock, to demonstrations, to contest winners, to concerts and finally the midway. It was classic Americana of a county fair.

Our local newspaper’s mascot

Back to a great day at the fair, I made many pictures. I’ve broken them up into two posts. This one is centered on my favorite part – the animals. The next post will the other stuff. Come and enjoy the sights with me. (There’s more on Flickr just click on any photo to hop over there and surf until you’re content.)

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August 20, 2012
Comic Comments – Hounded
We’re back for another installment of AvsX interruptus. This is issue 12 of Wolverine and The X-Men which is supposed to be about Logan being headmaster of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning we get Kid Gladiator fighting the Avengers on the cover of an issue about Rachel Summers. Yes the former staff member is doing her part on the X-men side. This issue also features Hank fighting with Bobby as they took opposite sides.

So let’s give credit to those who made this: Jason Aaron, Writer; Chris Bachalo, Penciler/Colorist; Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Al Vey, & Victor Olazaba, Inkers; Chris Eliopoulos, Letterer; Nick Bradshaw & Rachelle Rosenberg, Cover Artists; Jordan D White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

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.

I’ve already aired my issues with the cover. The interior art suffers from my usual complaints with Bachalo – messy confusing fight scenes, too stylized characters, and I can’t tell who is who in the action sequences. I have to admit I am growing to like his down time stuff but it’s not got the bizarre issues of the action that throw me out of the story and leave me clinging to dialogue to figure out what’s happening. His bar scene with Rachel and Logan is good. His classroom scenes are good. So I say give him the issues that are calm, character driven ones and let Bradshaw handle the action issues. Just my personal opinion, kinda like showing you my belly button we all got ’em.

Now for the story I had some questions. First off why do Namor and Scott talk in squiggly yellow bubbles with red writing. Well that was answered when I found out they are now two of the Phoenix Five. Apparently Tony Stark, Ironman, did something to divide the Phoenix and it went into Scott Summers, Emma Frost, Namor, Piotr Rasputin, and Magik. So now they are the Phoenix and that’s why the special bubbles.

Next why is Rachel going to meet Logan when they have already chosen opposite sides in the war? Then why does she lie to Scott? Apparently the rest of this story was told in Avengers issue 29. One of those follow the thread all over the damn place that happens with the Big Events. I’m not. Didn’t know until I read Eric Scroggs’s review there.

So what did I walk away from this issue with?
- Kid Gladiator’s father is coming for him. I don’t care.
- Rachel may be returning to Logan’s point of view. Okay good so we can get back to where we were before this rude AvsX interruption.
- Hank dislikes Scott’s stance as much as Logan does. (Yep B is definitely for Beast on the dartboard)
- Logan gives Kid Gladiator a lesson in How to Fight with Fighting (one of the classes he teacher at JGSHL. The boy’s been schooled by the experienced headmaster.
So the battle rages on and I’m anxiously awaiting school to start back again. Next is more AvsX with issue 13 centered on the bodyguard of Kid Gladiator in an issue entitled Born Warbird then we’ll leave this title for now.

As usual more after the jump but don’t think they are spoilery as this issue really doesn’t have a story arc it’s just supporting the Big Event and stories in other titles to sell more books. I’d prefer if they depended on good title development to that and save the Big Events for once a decade kind of changes, or every other decade…

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August 17, 2012
Wistful Remembering of A Childhood Promise

I laughed at this video. I smiled when Curiosity landed and Mission Control celebrated but it was bittersweet for me, accompanied with a sigh of regret. You see when I was a child I felt I was promised manned space travel. Ya know boldly going to other places, not just going out to the back yard to float around for a bit.

I adore Bobak Ferdowsi but he can’t remember watching men repeatedly land on the moon. He’s only 32. I watched his mission team celebrate and thought most of them didn’t see that first hand. Men going to some thing in space is either history and science fiction for them.

I get it. I know it’s better to do it this way. More cost effective to scope it out with robots and all. Yet, I was raised on Capt. Kirk and watching moon landings. Honestly you can’t tell me if we’d pushed as hard to go to another planet as we did to beat the Russians to the moon that we wouldn’t have been there by now. I mean we already had our natural satellite under our belt in just a few years. I honestly thought we’d be launching to go to other planet’s moons from our own by now.

As a kid I bought those dreams that National Geographic published of lush paintings showing what space colonies would look like. Something happened on the way to that place, just like it did for Allentown. We never quite got there. Instead we grew up, we became practical, and put our money in more earthly pursuits. I won’t even debate what ones were worthy of it and what ones weren’t. We did it, it’s done. I know that’s how life goes. You turn right to pay the mortgage when you could have turned left following the dream while living in a tent by the side of the road. I don’t fault NASA for it. Heck I don’t fault us for it. We made choices for good, bad, or indifferent.

Spacewalking Astronaut John Grunsfeld from NASA Goddard Photo and Video’s stream. Used under license granted by Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution license

It’s just that when I watched those who never crowded three classes into a classroom, dropped the blackout blinds, and watched a the only large black and white TV in that end of the school pick up a snowy picture of people walking on rocks that were NOT ON THIS EARTH… celebrate seeing their remote car do it I felt cheated. Cheated by growing up, cheated by being an adult, cheated of going off this planet to another, cheated of a childhood promise. It was just a wistful sigh for what the 7 year old me thought space travel would be when I was closing in on half a century on this planet.

I watched the younger Mission Control celebrate thinking they can’t even imagine just imagine how hard my 7 year old heart beat with excitement to see a HUMAN do it. They don’t know. They can’t get it. They never believed that promise of “this is just the start – in your life time we’ll…” never set foot off this planet again. No, that was not what they were telling me, but I wish they had. Because then, maybe then I could feel the same thrill Bobak felt.

I’ll have to settle for the enjoyment of watching them celebrate wildly. Don’t get me wrong I read every article I see on what Curiosity is doing. I love the images and jokes made from them. I’ll still breathlessly follow Space X and NASA hoping that maybe I’ll see another human, this one now as much younger than me as the astronauts I watched were older than me, go somewhere in space. I firmly believe we can to do it. We can solve those problems of deep space travel. I know we can because I have a Dick Tracy tv-phone crossed with Star Trek tricorder in my purse right now. I still believe the promises, I just don’t think I’ll live to see them fulfilled. So now I’m hoping for a holodeck here on earth.

August 17, 2012
Comic Comments – Got Hope?

After some internal debate I decided to take this AVX tie-in stories one at a time. They hop all around the major story time line so really they are single stand alone vignettes related to the characters featured in Wolverine And The X-Men title. This one centers on the staff in their new positions on their chosen sides in the war. It’s issue 11 for the title and has very little to do with the operation of the school. I’m not buying the titles in AVX so I have fill in here and there with what I learn of the other story lines that are effecting what’s going on here. I’ll try to keep up but if you can fill me in or correct me that’d be great.

As always there’s credits to be given: Jason Aaron, Writer; Nick Bradshaw, Penciler; Walden Wong, Nick Bradshaw, & Norman Lee, Inkers; Justin Ponsor, Colorist; Chris Eliopoulos, Letterer; Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

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.

First off the cover – I have no clue why Hulk is red and don’t really care. I’m not into Hulk comics too much SMASH not enough story. Next it’s Bobby all iced up again doing that multiple man trick he developed back in issue 1. Has nothing to do with why I come to Wolverine and the X-Men title which is Logan and his school. This cover has everything to do with the event I have no interest in at all.

Interior is just a choppy mess. We jump from fight to fight with the only slim thread tying it to this title is each fight either has a staff member or student in it. The fights are all fan-boy match-ups shown in just a few panels before we jump over here then over there. I can name the characters because I recognize them and am familiar with the Marvel Universe.

There was one big thing I got from this issue. Logan realizes he can’t kill Hope even if it’s to save the world. It’s not what he’s been fighting for, it’s not who he chose to be from now on. He’s not the guy who kills kids, he’s the one who saves them. He’s determined to save Hope.

A few asides I picked up are: Capt can kick Gambit’s ass. Kid Omega sided with Scott. Quentin complains about not being able to fight doesn’t care which side just hates doing homework. Hope has some Phoenix in her right now and wants to get to the moon for some reason.

That’s it. That’s all I got. Glad Logan reaffirmed his reasons for founding the school. Don’t care about the rest. Just wish this big fight would be over so we can reboot – sorry that’s a DC term now isn’t it – so we can be Marvel NOW!’d and get back to Logan being headmaster at a school for mutant kids.

Next up is issue 12 entitled Hounded with more AVX crap. Yeah you can feel my excitement over this radiating out through the screen can’t you? **YAWN**

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August 16, 2012
Back To School Yet Again

Back to school was always an exciting time for me. For most of my life I welcomed it. It was a time to get to see people of my own age on a regular basis. Living out where we did I didn’t see my friends as much as I wanted in the Summer. I envied city kids on TV who could walk out there door and BOOM! there were their friends and in a short walk together they could be at school. For me to see friends it took planning. The trip home from school was over an hour on the crowded school bus as it wound in out of tiny country lanes to drop off a person here and there.

That’s me back row second from left. I have on the light shirt and have shoulder length hair.

College for me was an exciting time in the big town of Knoxville. Going home to puny Greeneville paled in comparison. Heck there wasn’t even a midnight showing of Rocky Horror! GASP! Most of my high school friends didn’t go to UTK like I did. I’d made a whole new set of friends (and a boyfriend that became my husband) that didn’t just scatter across the state for the summer but the world. Once I moved into an apartment I went to summer school in college. Honestly I liked that better than regular quarters. It was smaller classes and closer knit group but I was also an upper classman by then so who knows.

Then my next school experience was at Western Michigan University. It was different this time – I was working and paying my own way. I loved it. I liked the organization of it. I liked learning new things. Heck I even like the stuff of school pens, paper, books, and such. I went from the social aspect being the strongest attraction to learning being the big attraction.

From there life has been a series of seminars, self teaching, parenting a school age child, on-line classes, and supporting Mike’s various graduate degree processes (he’s gotten three so far). I think I turned to writing because I love the research it takes to write fiction well. I like learning new things then exploring them in my writing.

Now it’s time for my new experience. I’m taking an on-line class on how to use WordPress. I know I use it regularly here but I feel I under use it immensely. I know there are many resources out there to learn how to use it but they haven’t quite fit my need. I love the structure of school learning, remember? I want one lesson to build on the other. I’ve tried books but never found one that worked well for me either moved WAY TOO SLOW or WAY TOO FAST. Finally I looked about at local schools and found that University of Wisconsin Parkside offered two on-line classes, WordPress 101 and 102. Looking them over 101 starts out basic (how to set up a blog on WordPress, got that check) but ended past my knowledge. That’s where I started it moves fairly fast looking at the syllabus. My first week starts – TODAY!

I am looking forward to getting more out of WordPress and spiffing things up around here. Making the place more my own, kinda like I did in a dorm room or college apartment. But this means a few things for you dear reader… you might experience some assignment posts. Don’t worry they’ll not be painful, nothing required on your end but a look-see, and there will be NO POP QUIZ at the end of them. Next my new routine posts might not be daily now, depends on the workload. I’d like to keep Comic Comments daily until my backlog of arcs has been worked through but, I’m making no guarantees here until I see how class fits into other required life things. I’d like to get no lower than three a week on those. Photo posts are up in the air, I’m getting slim on new photos and have to get out there to get more of them. So again it depends – I’d like to stay at least weekly on those.

There you go I’m going back to school today. I’ve got a new notebook, new pens, new paper, my computer, and my blog. I’m set to learn!

August 16, 2012
Comic Comments – Day of the Phoenix, Dark Night of the Soul/Avengers vs X-Men…vs X-Men

It’s happened, I didn’t like it. It disrupts the whole great thing that was starting at Jean Grey School For Higher Learning, Avengers versus X-Men. I’ve grouped Wolverine and the X-Men issues 9 and 10 cover Scott coming to the school to see who will side with him and who will side with the Avengers.

Credits for the issues are as follows Jason Aaron, Writer; Chris Bachalo, Penciler/Colorist; Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Al Vey, Inkers Issues 9 & 10 Victor Olazaba joined the Inker team for issue 10; Chris Bachalo, Cover Issue 9; Tim Townsend, Cover Issue 10; Chris Eliopoulos, Letterer; Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

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.

Before I get into a long thing about the story and the AVX let me address the art. There on cover 9 is my main complaint about Bachalo’s art. Logan is a retangle with a pin head. His torso is too wide, his arms too large, the whole thing is too square and the head is too small. I don’t like the style. I’ve come to take some of his moments when it’s downtime as just art I don’t like as much as others. However when the bodies get boxy, the fights get overly done, the characters are unrecognizable I have to ditch the art and rely of Jason Aaron’s writing to carry me through. Luckily it does. So I know now I really don’t like Bachalo’s fights because I can’t tell what’s going on, I don’t like his Iceman because it’s so cluttered and over done I can’t tell what’s going on. I don’t like it when goes for more style than story telling, I can’t tell who is who or what’s going on. It’s me. I’m not the target market. I’m over 45 not young but dear Marvel I have a very deep pocket and if you want me buying up say 20+ titles a month again, well I have to tell what’s going on and who is who in well written not told before stories.

Let me explain to those who read this but aren’t really comic geeks. Yes, yes there are some and I’ve heard from them, positive stuff. I figure if I entertain non comic book geeks rambling on about comic books then I’m doing something right. Maybe just maybe they might pick one up and find out they like them too. BACK on topic here just what is Avenger Versus X-Men? Well it’s and “event” that crosses into many Marvel Universe titles and makes changes to the whole universe or at least a majority of the characters. First time it happened it was awesome, it was a way to make deeply needed changes in many titles all at once while telling an epic story that showed how everything was related in the Marvel Universe. The one that did this as it should have been done was House of M. It sold well, as in fabulously well. So Marvel made a big changing arc an annual event even though the story lines didn’t need such drastic revision so frequently. Marvel wanted the sales. The next big event I liked was Civil War it started out great but ended with a whimper in my opinion and drove me from buying Marvel for about 4 years. (I came back because Logan was becoming headmaster and I wanted to catch up on how he changed so much). You don’t really need to worry about Civil War because unlike House of M it’s changes didn’t last and we’re still not feeling their effects today. Ironman and Capt America are on the same team again for years and mutant registration went away and the broken stuff they stopped for isn’t broken any more. There were other arcs that sounded stupid and when I’d see posters for them I’d roll my eyes and dispargeningly say “Fanboys, the damn company is run by adolescent fanboys.” It seemed the HULK SMASH of World War Hulk and the bizarre in fighting was the ultimate fan boy argument of “What if Hulk fought Ben Grimm who’d win?” or what if this character fought that one… No reason, no ramifications, no real changes just smashing and fighting and hype.

So the big events started to refresh then got stale themselves. Now the current big event is Avengers versus X-Men the title even belies my reason for dropping out of Marvel for four years. The story stems back to two things 1) there are few mutants after the House of M and 2) the Phoenix force (a fiery space bird that’s been WAY over used for DECADES at Marvel). It’s coming back to earth, Jean Grey the only character that finally and thankfully has stayed dead (PLEASE LET HER STAY THAT WAY) isn’t here to host it so it’s thought it’ll destroy the planet or get Hope Summers the child of Jean. X-Men under the leadership of Scott Summers who is acting more and more like Villain Magneto did in the old days – sees this as a good thing to make more mutants. Avengers don’t want the planet to die and think it’s a bad thing. Now you’re up to speed. An over used reset tool with an over used plot devise has now become an event that will disrupt titles that didn’t need resetting or disrupting.

So now to Issues 9, we rap up the problems from issue 8 Hank is well Logan has his legs back. Then the school becomes aware the Phoenix is coming to earth. The ball starts rolling – Logan is an Avenger and has been an X-Man for years but he’s now on the outs with Scott (see the dartboard here figured out the B isn’t Bobby it’s Beast) thus not part of the team any more. Capt America shows up to talk to his Avenger teammate with the most Phoenix experience, Logan. Everyone involved knows this is going to be drawing up sides, Logan makes it clear he’s on the Avenger’s side because he thinks that the only way for the planet and thus his school will survive. He doesn’t want the kids involved. As it is none have tossed in with the X-Men yet but Hank makes it clear he’s joining Logan with the Avengers. The other staff opts to stay at the school and keep the kids on routine and protected from all of this.

Issue 10 takes place after the Avengers try to take Hope Summers (the believed Phoenix Target) from the X-Men. There has been the first battle, and now Scott Summers himself shows up at Jean Grey’s School of Higher Learning to find who stands with him from the staff there. He first approaches Logan which makes sense being the leader of the group and all. It leads to some really excellent dialogue between the two frienemies. Logan carried a torch for Scott’s wife for years still does in that he named his school after her maiden name and the statue is the Marvel Girl costume.

Speaking of the statue there is a well written moment between Logan and Idie at Jean’s statue. He takes on the headmaster/father role very well and very comfortably. I was impressed how he put aside all the adult crap about AVX to chat with her about how she was doing. That’s what a mature man does when he’s responsible for kids. He protects from the adult problems and helps them with their problems. Admittedly most kids don’t list flame thrower toilets as among their problems but when you integrate the Danger Room training through out the building that’s what you get. OH BTW Capt America only got a B- when battled the new integrated Danger Room… issue 9.

In the end we know the staff divides Bobby, Rachel, Gambit and Chamber go back to Utopia and follow Scott. Cannonball, Husk, Kitty, Rogue, and a few others I can’t recognize from Bachalo’s art stay on the school as staff. They will protect the school no matter what and keep the kids out of the fight. Hank and Logan are off on different missions to support the Avengers.

The sides have been taken let’s get this over with so we can HOPEFULLY go back to a good comic centered on a school for mutant kids with James “Logan” Howlett as the headmaster. In the end I think he should have told both sides to go F**K YOURSELF, holed up in his school and become the Switzerland of AVX to keep the kids safe but then again he is the best at what he does, and what he does isn’t pretty. Besides it’s a fight against Summers no way Logan’s not gonna throw a punch at Scott when given the chance.

Next up more AVX tie-in story lines. We see the fractured staff on their new lines. Each has to decide what they are willing to do to former teammates in this battle. I’ll do two issues again Got Hope and Hounded, issues 11 and 12.

Spoilery comments on specific pages and panels after the jump.

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August 15, 2012