Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: Hank McCoy

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
Comic Comments – A Little Impossible

This is a great issue! I truly enjoyed the two stories in this stand alone issue 8 of Wolverine and the X-Men. The cover gives away the surprise ending of the last issue. Fleeing the casino planet with Quentin Quire Logan gets zapped by some odd beam. Once in the spaceship he finds his legs are twisted out of shape! HOW his bones are admantium the indestructible metal! Well this issue explains it all. In the meantime Logan is stuck being headmaster from a wheelchair. Sound familiar?

Credits, can’t go on without the credits. First the Dedication – The issue was dedicated to the memory of Mike Pandel. The rest of the credits are as follows: Jason Aaron, Writer; Chris Bachalo, Penciler/Colorist; Tim Townsend, Inker; Rob Steen, Letterer; Irene Y. Lee, Production; 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 the art, I had trepidations with the return of Bachalo as primary artist. I did not like his launching of the series. I still don’t like his fight scenes. However his other scenes have been decluttered and are better. Logan’s tie doesn’t curl over his shoulder like a greyhound tail that has to poop. There is improvement and I get that this style is for a younger audience than me. It’s still overly stylized for my tastes, has photo backgrounds I don’t like, and occasionally the glowy outlines that annoy me show up. BUT over the first few issues this is a vast improvement. I read it and enjoyed it. I didn’t cringe once.

The cover is one of those that’s visually effective but never happens in the book. Logan talks about being rolled into a fight but it doesn’t happen. He doesn’t don his X-Force costume. He is wheelchair bound. That’s about it. I feel it’s a bit dark in printing and more contrast would make it pop.

As for the stories there’s two going on. One is about Logan’s legs and needing to get the matter transducer thingy to fix them. The Bamfs have broken Hank’s transducer. Hank sets out to borrow one from his SWORD girlfriend at her space station. The kids get wind that is what the Headmaster needs to fix his legs so with Quentin’s help they are off to get that one from the casino.

Hanks doesn’t meet his paramour Abigail but instead gets into a space battle with Sabertooth. OMG Sabes is back here and running with the prepubescent HellFire Club. Sabes said the way to get the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning was to go for the heart of the school. I’m still not clear as to why these brats want to destroy the school but oh, well. They determine the heart is Hank and off Sabertooth goes to get ‘im.

**Please note my full on rant about how I hate that Sabertooth is back from the dead is partially here and partially saved for the Wolverine Vol 4 Sabertooth Reborn arc.**

This is a good story we learn that the kids are behind their school and their headmaster. Logan learns a good lesson from them under the leadership of Angel (Warren). The battle of Beast and Sabertooth is a nice twist on the usual battle between Logan and Sabes. The dialogue throughout is snappy and true to the characters. I enjoyed it immensely but was very sad to see the Avenger vs X-Men big event crap comes in to disrupt what had developed into a fun and enjoyable title. This title was bringing back all I loved about the X-Men back in the day, the school aspects with the adventure and fun. My full on rant about that will be in my next Comic Comments. Let’s just say we are stuck with it until at least issue 17.

You know what is coming next – Spoilery comments on pages and panels.

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August 14, 2012
Comic Comments – Mutatis Mutandis

No your eyes aren’t deceiving you, that’s a very pregnant Kitty on the cover there. How and why she got that way is a very important part of this arc. The other key factor is the school needs money. Two story lines run in the arc what’s happening at the school and what’s happening with Logan trying to fund the school. Neither are going smoothly. It all plays out in Wolverine and The X-Men issues 5 – 7.

If you’ve been reading these you know what’s next, yep giving credit to the talent that brought us these books. So here goes: Jason Aaron, Writer; Nick Bradshaw, Pencils; Nick Bradshaw & Walden Wong, Inks Issue 5; Walden Wong, Jay Leisten, Norman Lee, & Cam Smith, Inks Issue 6; Walden Wong, Norman Lee, & Nick Bradshaw, Inks Issue 7; Justin Ponsor, Colorist Issues 5 & 7; Justin Ponsor & Matthew Wilson, Colorists Issue 6; Nick Bradshaw & Frank Martin, Cover Issue 5; Nick Bradshaw & Morry Hollowell, Cover Issues 6 & 7; Rob Steen, Letterer; Irene Y. Lee, Production; 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 money problems at the school are something I love. Why? Because it’s a real world problem that adults have. Logan is now trying hard to be the adult, take responsibility for the children, and do the right thing. One of these is dealing with the money issue with letting the kids know it’s a worry. The hitch is Logan’s not quite got that last one down. He’s grabbed Quentin the Omega psychic mutant trouble making student to come with him to help count cards and see others hands at a space casino. (More damn aliens in my X-Men! I stuck fingers in my ears went LA-LA-LA and voila it was a rich mutant casino) Whoa there Logan this doesn’t sound like a good idea from the start! It’s not but it plays out with comedy and results that even Logan didn’t expect. In the end he’s getting more like Xavier every day!

The story is Kitty and her sudden pregnancy. Now she’s shocked, it’s been some time since she and Colossus split up. In the Schism she went with Logan agreeing with his philosophy. Colossus stayed with Scott agreeing with him. The couple regretted not coming to terms but with such differences they couldn’t continue. Hank is all understanding when she come into medical and excited about being Uncle Hank, except he finds out she’s not preggers she’s infected! She’s infected with brood (more damn aliens). As members of the staff shrink down to deal with that the school is under attack AGAIN! Except we learn that Kitty’s pregnancy was just a diversion from the real goal of the attackers.

I enjoyed this issue. It has Logan being his own headmaster. No Xavier wouldn’t have funded the school in this manner but it’s pure Logan and I loved it. The school coping with multiple crises at once reminded me of the old day and why I read X-Men all those years ago. To see a school of cool mutant kids led by cool mutant heroes try hard to just be a school. It wasn’t about setting a mutant agenda to rule the humans but rather just to be part of society and deal with threats to the peace of that blended society. Great story fun arc!

The interior art is fun and I enjoyed it. There were little things that irked me. Logan’s hat when at the Worthington Industries didn’t fit right – that bugged me. It’s clean, it’s clear, it’s straight forward. It’s not stylized and overly cluttered. I enjoy reading it and found it did support the story rather than detract from it. At times I feel it’s a bit cartoonish for what is rated as a more mature comic but only a tad. I found it highly enjoyable.

The covers are fun. Issue 6 is my favorite of course except for the aliens. NO ALIENS PLEASE! I thought the cover for issue 7 looked too busy and too tabloid or Vogue-ish. I mean the “X-Man MUST DIE!” and “LOST INSIDE KITTY PRYDE” headlines with the duo art brought that to my mind. Oh and even in an Pym-particle suit Bobby is iced up… WHY?!?

Next is a stand alone issue entitled A Little Impossible. This is the last issue before the Avengers Versus X-Men craptastic over arching Marvel Universe wide story comes marching in to disrupt everything. I’ll rant more on that later but I think you get the gist of where I’ll be heading.

There be spoilery bits after the jump! It’s all comments and laughs on a few specific panels and pages.

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August 13, 2012
Comic Comments – Just Another Day In Westchester County

In Wolverine and the X-Men, issue 4 we get a look at the staff and students at Logan’s (yes I’m shifting to calling him Logan since that’s what the characters call him) school, The Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

As always I love to give credit where credit is due. The credits for this issue are: Jason Aaron, Writer; Nick Bradshaw, Artist; Justin Ponsor, Colorist; Nick Bradshaw & Frank Martin, Cover Artists; Rob Steen, Letterer; Irene Y. Lee, Production’ 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 have to say I ADORE this cover. The sign on his back is PERFECT! I like he’s cutting the board in frustration. The Bamfs are running loose. It’s mentioned in the staff meeting in the issue that the Bamfs found Logan’s stash of martial arts instruction videos and warn him to keep his other *wink wink nudge nudge** video collection more secure.

Warren Worthington comes in as a student which is one of the main themes of this issue. The former X-Man comes in as a student not a professor because he’s had his mind wiped. Also an Apocalypse clone checks in as a student. We see a future flash of how these students work together as a team when they are adults.

Logan considers how to balance being a Headmaster who teaches English Lit among other things with his night job as Wolverine on the X-Force team. He comes clean with his staff about what he’s doing on X-Force. None are happy about it but some take the news better than others.

This is the kind of story I enjoy from time to time. We see how life is day-to-day at a school run by superheroes. It’s fun to see them as people not as just fighters. I like that they fret over finances, tater tot complaints, and getting new students to fit into the dynamic of the classroom. It well done and gives us a feel for how Logan’s school differs from Xavier’s school.

As for the art, OH THANK GOODNESS it’s better, much much much better than that first arc. I don’t cringe reading it. I can tell what’s going on and who is who. I like it much better. Still it’s not my favorite and looks a bit too, cartoonish? clean? Something… but if given a choice of this or that. I’d take this every time! Here the bodies are correctly proportional and it’s not hard to tell who is who.

This issue ends with a real surprise for Kitty. It’s the basis of the next arc, Mutatis Mutandis. That arc takes us through Wolverine and the X-Men issues 5-7.

After the jump will come comments on specific panels, might be considered spoilery by some. You have been warned.

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August 10, 2012
Comic Comments – Welcome to the X-Men! Now Die!

This story kicks off the Wolverine And The X-Men series. It’s a three issue arc. James “Logan” Howlett, Headmaster as it now says on his new business cards, is facing the first day at his new school. The story opens up with him giving Professor Xavier a tour. Then the next day the New York State board of education inspectors make a visit to 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, New York (that’s in Westchester county ya know) to inspect the school and finalize its accreditation. To say thinks didn’t go smoothly would be an understatement.

If no issue is noted after their credit they deserve credit for all three issues: Jason Aaron, Writer; Chris Bachalo, Pencils & Colors Issues 1 & 2; Chris Bachalo, Duncan Rouleau & Matteo Saleara, Pencils Issue 3; Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza & Al Vey, Inks Issue 1; Tim Townsend & Jaime Mendoza, Inks Issue 2; Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Al Vey, Mark Irwin, Victor Olazaba, Duncan Rouleau, & Matteo Scalera, Inkers Issue 3; Chris Bachalo & Jason Keith, Colors Issue 2; Rob Steen, Letters’ Chris Bachalo, Cover Issue 1 shown here; Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend, Cover Issue 2 & 3; Irene Y Lee, Production, Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor Issue 2 & 3; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Cheif; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer, Dan Cuckley Publisher, 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.

If I was to sum up this arc for me it would be stellar writing and detestable art. I know there are people out there who like this art. I am NOT one of them. I find it overly stylized and way too busy. There is no realistic anatomy in any of the figures. If not told by the dialogue I’d not recognize some of the main X-Men characters by their appearance. The proportions of the figures morph constantly in relation to each other and heck on body part to another. There are times I can’t tell what the heck is going on visually! I had to rely on the writing to tell me. Thank goodness that was good.

I cringed at the art when reading but kept reading because the writing was wonderful. The dialogue was snappy, the characters were true to themselves but were obviously out of their comfort zones. That makes a good story, stories move forward by character change/growth. It could be for the better or for the worse but we watch/read to see how characters change. This was doing it so well as far as the writing goes.

There were some fun extras tied to this launch of a continuing series. First off was the flyer for the school. Look James teaches three classes! Witness to history, the art of fighting without fighting and the art of fighting with fighting. He’s also scheduled a field trip to his favorite sushi restaurant. The guy is trying.

He’s not the only one that steps up to the plate and matures here. Bobby Drake, Iceman, finally gets a chance to mature. He was one of the original X-Men but has perpetually been treated as a teenager/junior member. Here he’s a full fledged professor and told by James to use his full potential. He remembers this and taps into aspects of his abilities he’s not used before to help save the day.

Oh and we learn who is James “Logan” Howlett’s lawyer. It’s Matt Murdock, Daredevil! That was good.

There are things I don’t like in the story. I don’t like the aliens there. I sing la-la-la-la in my head and they are just other mutants. I don’t like a children’s Hellfire Club. Do your research on the REAL Hellfire Club is – it’s a sex club, a club for rakes like Ben Franklin. Today it’s an S&M club. That’s why all the corsets, whips, and such in the original Marvel villains Hellfire Club. It was inspired by real life. To have rich brats doing it was just so not right.

Also why didn’t they tell the staff, Hank especially, that TODAY IS INSPECTION DAY? Hmm? Look Hank is the known political animal on the team (pun intended). He’s always been good at working through the system. So why in the world is he taken by surprise if James knows enough to but on the weird tie. (more about that after the jump)

Still with all its faults I loved the series. Why? Because it’s something we’ve not seen before. It’s new, it’s fresh, it’s different, it’s hideous art! As a Wolverine fan I’m so starved for good well written new stuff that goes to different places than where we’ve been that I lapped this up.

Next is a stand alone story entitled Just Another Day in Westchester County which is Issue 4 of Wolverine and the X-Men. Stay tuned for the spoilery bits.

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August 9, 2012