Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: Logan

Comic Comments – Dead

Ahh back to routine. We are now to another Marvel title – Deadpool. This 5 book arc is entitled Dead and takes issues 50 – 54. I like him because of his constant stream of conscious prattle. I enjoy it when it’s more pop culture centered. Still this story fits him to a T and I enjoyed it. The art was great and life is good in the Deadpool universe. Except he wants to die.

Let’ s do credits and legal statement. First off 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 the legal is out of the off to give credit for the Merc with a Mouth Dead arc: Daniel Way, Writer; Carlo Barberi, Penciler Issue 50; Ale Garza, Penciller Issues 51-54; Walden Wong, Inker Issue 50; Sean Parsons, Inker Issues 51-54; Dommo, Colorist Issue 50; Dommo Sanchez Amara, Colorist Issues 51-54 (not sure if the same person since credit is listed differently); VC’s Joe Sabino, Letterer; Dave Johnson, Covers; Jordan D. White, Editor; Nick Lowe, Senior Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Find, Executive Producer.

The covers for this arc are awesome. I do enjoy them and like how the hold true to the spirit of the content and reflect Deadpool’s style. The interior art is done by two artist and is very similar in style. I can’t say I prefer one over the other. There are things with each that I love and stuff I don’t care for but nothing I despise. The style leans a bit toward cartoonish at times but that suits Deadpool given his almost Road Runner like behavior at times. I think both the covers and interiors are solid comic book art that I enjoyed very much.

The story is one that builds on Evil Deadpool from the previous arc. For those of you who don’t know Deadpool has a regeneration ability so that makes him unkillable kinda like Logan in that fact. Except a mad scientist kept parts Deadpool had lost frozen and those were thawed out to grow together to make an EVIL Deadpool. Which in theory would also be unkillable. Except in the battle against Evil DP, someone shot him with a serum dart that killed him. Now the real Deadpool thought that was great! He can finally die! He wants the serum. Thus starts this arc where he’s trying to die.

Other mutants who have the regeneration/healing abilities aren’t so keen on the serum and want to control it. Deadpool being his crazy self drags his buddy Hydra Bob into the mess he creates trying to find the serum. DP goes to Fisk, the leader of a world-wide crime syndicate, and tells him about it. Fisk says he’s not interested then goes looking for himself. Which is also the response of Daken. Except Daken wants it to mess with his father Logan. Finally DP goes to the Uncanny X-Force who agree to work with him to find the threat.

What follows is a series of ever more complicated follies of trying to find the serum. Think A-Team when the plan comes together, well DP’s plan of dying is coming together. In the end, the serum isn’t exactly what they thought it was and DP decides he REALLY doesn’t want to die any way. He comes to that conclusion once Bob points out once DP is dead there won’t be anyone to protect Bob, DP’s BFF. Only problem is it’s a bit too late when DP changes his mind because everyone is out to kill him for stirring up more than needs to be stirred up.

Deadpool is classic Deadpool. His internal dialogue is sharp and witty. Everyone’s reaction to him adds a bit of humor to the classic superhero/supervillain match-up. I find it funny that we get what’s going on in his head because we have the stream of consciousness narration boxes in both his internal voices. Psylocke on the other hand is at a loss to make sense of his mind. In the end it is Logan who gets the guy, he knows what it’s like to stick around to save a friend, even when you are tired of sticking around.

I think this starts a new era for Deadpool. For once I’m hoping not too much changes. Sure there are some changes, some that are major but essentially I want him to remain the wacky not quite right reluctant hero. The one that annoys the heck out of everyone even Capt. America. We’ll see what’s up next for the Merc with a mouth, Wade Wilson aka Deadpool.

Up next is another Deadpool arc. This one takes issues 55-57 and is called Reborn. After that we’ll be leaving Deadpool to finish his current arc. That’ll take us out of Marvel for a while. We’ll pass over Dynamite’s Dresden Files and Vertigo’s Fables for the same reason – let them finish their arcs. We’ll settled into Fairest‘s first arc taking issues 1-6, it’s entitled Wide Awake. I think you’ll enjoy that one!

You know what’s after the jump! Panels and Pages Commentary!

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August 27, 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
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 – 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
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
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
Comic Comments – Underneath

This is a story follows up a limited series from 1989 starring Wolverine and Havoc entitled Meltdown.

The story is set back before Schism (the breakup of the X-Men with Wolverine leading one back to the school and Scott leading the others on Utopia) and just after M-Day (when many mutants lost their mutations) so I’m totally confused as why it appears now in Wolverine volume 4, issue 309. Yet here it is folks!

I always like to give credit where credit is due. Here’s the credits for this issue: Ivan Brandon, Writer; Rafael Albuquerque, Art pg 1-13, 18-20; John Rauch, Color pgs 1-13; Jason Latour, Art pgs 14-17, 20-36 and Color pgs 14-16; Jeanine Schaefer, Editor.

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.

Let’s start with the art since art was big part of the Meltdown series. It was avant guard, more impressionistic. That’s how I’d describe it not being an art student but more of an art fan. I didn’t like it because I found it distracted from the story instead of adding to it. The style is reflected here on the pages done by Jason Latour but toned down a whole bunch. I’d refer you to where you could get the TPB but everywhere I looked they were sold out so just sent you to the cover art, the interior was much more abstract.

As for the art of this one, I don’t really care for it. The start is the heavy outline boxy style that reminds me of kids coloring books not a gritty story like this. The other is more focused on being stylistic than telling a story. Comic book or graphic novel art should focus on telling the story, expanding it beyond words through images. Neither hit this mark for me.

As for the story it centers around Elixir as a boy. Elixir was/is a mutant with the powers to heal people, manipulate your body into healing itself. He later learned it could be used in another manner, to make your body destroy itself. That was his downfall. For a time he was on the X-Force team that Wolverine commanded. That was before the downfall and when he was a man. So why this story of him as a boy trying to figure out Wolverine is beyond me. Why it’s here in this volume only the Secret Star Chamber of Marvel knows.

Elixir tags along on a personal mission of James’s. You see James seduced a redhead (he’s got a thing for redheads) who was caught in between her mutant state and human state when M-Day happened. She told him of a place where a mutant man was feeding off other mutants like her. James, being James when to stop it. Elixir wanting to understand James more tagged along.

We see how much James has matured. Now he’d take the adult role and keep Elixir from going into what is going to be a battle to the death of the energy vampire mutant. Then he simply said, “Kid you want to get yourself killed, you get right to it. I ain’t yer Daddy. Just so long as you stay out of my wake.” Not at all the stand he’s chosen to take as Headmaster James “Logan” Howlett.

In the end the energy vampire is the villain of the Meltdown story returned. There is a battle and Elixir gets involved. In the end it’s James himself that gives Elixir the answer to understanding the appeal of Wolverine – He gets back up and tries again to do the right thing despite shortcomings and failures.

The story was a good one. It depends on the reader knowing a lot of background stuff from long ago. It’s very out of place in the flow of what’s going on now in this book and in the Marvel Universe. I felt that somewhere there was a lack of planning on Marvel’s part so they tossed in an old story that was sitting on the shelf unpublished to fill the gap between arcs.

We are going to leave the Wolverine title for now. I’ve reached the current story of Sabertooth Reborn. I know you can feel my <strike>trepidation</strike> excitement over that. My next Comic Comments will move on to the Wolverine and the X-Men volume 1 issues 1-3 the Welcome to the X-Men Now Die arc.

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August 7, 2012