Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: Warbird

  • Comic Comments – Awaken

    Comic Comments – Awaken

    AXM 57 Cov

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

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

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

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

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

    AXM 58 Cov

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    here goes…

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  • Comic Comments – Finally A Honeymoon!

    Comic Comments – Finally A Honeymoon!

    AXM 2012 Annual Cover

    In the last arc of Uncanny X-Men Kyle and Jean-Paul were married. Then Wolverine exploded at their reception at the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning and their honeymoon got postponed. (I’ve heard exploding Wolverines will do that.) So the 2012 Annual of this title’s first story Welcome To The Family covers the delayed honeymoon – that’s even further delayed. No Wolvie didn’t explode again, thank goodness! That’s a mess to clean up and heal from!

    The second story is a reprint of Alpha Flight issue #106. This is the issue is entitled The Walking Wounded where Jean-Paul Beaubier comes out to the world. He loses his adopted daughter to AIDS, she was found in a trash can as an infant. He feels he can live in hiding no more and must come out to bring open the discussion of the AIDS epidemic at the time. This was set in the 80s.

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

    Now the credit for Welcome to the Family: Christos Gage, Writer – David Baldeon, Penciler – Jordi Tarragona, Inker – Veronica Gandi, Colorist – Chris Elipoulos, Letterer 0 David WIlliams & Jay David Ramos, Cover – Daniel Ketchum, Editor – Nick Lowe, X-Men Group Editor – Azel Alonso, Editor In Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

    Credits for the Walking Wounded story are as follows: Scott Lobdell, Words – Mark Pacella, Pencils – Janice Chiang, Letters – Bobbie Chase, Edits – Tom DeFalco, Editor In Chief.

    The first story is Welcome to the Family of how Kyle’s and Jean-Paul’s honeymoon is interrupted by the team. There is a threat to all non-mutant loved ones of the team. Northstar is the only one with enough speed to reach all of them and warn/take them to safety. He does want to go but Kyle says – go the team will be enough to protect me here and they’re family! So Kyle is left in his honeymoon suite with the team. He tries to get to know each one individually. As he has a conversation with each he gets relationship advice of course. None of it sounds promising as each has a heartbreaking story of loss of a loved one.

    I felt for Kyle in this issue. Having been a Navy wife for going on 28 years I know what it’s like to have a spouse that must leave to harms way when duty calls. Yes when we were starting out I got a lot of advice. I faced the highest divorce rate in the services at the time – submarine wives (back then only men were on subs that’s changing). As I read the issue I reflected on the advice and stories I was told. What helped the most oddly paralleled what Logan tells Kyle in the end. Strength holds you together because you know you are better and stronger together than you could ever be apart, because your love for each other is strong enough to flex and not break, because you are strong enough to be on your own when you have to be and strong enough to lean on the other when they are there. Yeah that’s strength to take the risk of loss because the moments together are worth it. In the end Kyle has to find his own way to cope with Northstar’s X-Family and their world saving needs. Just like all military spouses every day have to do the same.

    As for the art of this story – it was okay.  I found the colors a bit too glowy for my taste, too bright or primary not blended or muted enough.  Also the heavy outline of each character gave them cartoony looks at times.  I didn’t care for that effect.  Though I like the depiction of Logan more as a short powerhouse almost barrel chested than the more Hugh Jackman look he gets at times.  (not that I object to Hugh playing Logan in the least!  I don’t but it’s nice to see him portrayed as the powerful runt from time to time).  Over all it did nicely.

    The second story struck me as somewhat of a cop out for an Annual.  I like it when they are one long stand-alone story or two new stories that are asides supporting the title’s continuum.  I get that this coming-out issue was an important one for the star characters of the story – Marvel’s first married gay couple.  But really there was an era there that was horrid in art – it was called the 80s.  Time has not been kind to it as it has say the comics of the 50s, 60s, or even 70s.  Instead I think as time goes on it becomes more atrocious to me.  I’ve read the issue years ago and this time I couldn’t make it deeper than a quick scan due to the art.  OMG!  I just couldn’t stomach it.  I began to think of what I could say good about it – at least there were any ties going back and curling up like greyhound tails that have to poop.  Oh and at least I could follow the story with the images, though it wasn’t pleasant.

    So that’s this year’s annual Kyle meets the family and comes to terms with Jean-Paul’s 24 hour, 7 day a week, on-call job.

    ****You know what’s next SPOILER SCANS***You’ve BEEN WARNED**** LOOK AWAY IF YOU MUST*****

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  • Comic Comments – Born Warbird

    Comic Comments – Born Warbird

    Wolverine and the X-Men Issue 13

    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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