Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Countdown to ReGenesis Part 4

OK We finally have full reveals for the Blue and Gold teams!!  I'll be honest, even I am surprised by some of the new additions.  A few people showed up in this last round that I was completely not expecting and some seemed logical even if I hadn't thought of them before!


Generation Hope - The last reveal for Generation Hope is Kenji.  Not a big shock, I assumed that that weird shaped person was him.  Again, still no Idie, but we may now have an answer as to why...just keep reading...but the big question is still why is Sebastian Shaw with them???

X-men (Vol. 3) - With the addition of Domino, this team looks suspiciously like a Wolverine team...except that Storm is leading... Are Jubilee, Psylocke and Warpath playing spies for Logan?  Seems at least like a possibility...

Uncanny X-men - Nothing new here, loving this team set up!  Glad Magneto is still here, thrilled Namor is gone, and excited that Magik has made it from captivity to X-man!  Oh! And Emma is fabulous!!

New Mutants - Our last reveal for the New Mutants are Cypher and Magma.  More shocking then who IS here, is who ISN'T here!  What happened to Cannonball?? He can't still be in the psych ward recovering from Age of X can he???  I mean, I know we still have Dani but still!  It should be Cannonball leading them.



Uncanny X-Force - Just to dispel all rumors, yes its really Psylocke in this picture, not Revanche.  So this brings up the entire "spy" aspect again.However, the big question: Where is Warren Worthington??? Does he not make it through the Dark Angel Saga??

Wolverine and the X-men - Here we get a few surprises actually!  We already saw Wolverine, Iceman, Kitty and Lockheed (and upon closer look at the LAST reveals, we also have Toad at the bottom), but now we have some real bombshells!  As I predicted, we have Kid Omega on the left, but we also have Beast on the right (which I think is messed up because he left when he found out about Scott's X-Force but its not like Wolverine FORCED him to do it, he was more then willing so why does Beast side against his oldest friend???)  A reall shocker is the glowing figure in the back!  Now I know a lot of people were hoping for Rachel (hold for more on that) or even the elusive Jean Grey (NOT!!), but it looks like the fiery schoolgirl might be Idie (aka Oya) which would account for her being missing from Generation Hope.  It really looks like Wolverine's team is all people that have issues with Scott already or are somehow on the run.  So what makes Kitty and Bobby turn against him?

X-men: Legacy - This is the least "wowzers" of all the teams I think.  Not that its a bad dynamic but its not surprising at all.  Gambit and Frenzy just joined Rogue in some sort of team capacity (and they made a big deal over Frenzy) so it would have been silly to get rid of them, and Rachel is being rescued right now in that very book so it makes sense that she sticks with Rogue.  I am a little taken aback that Rahcel returns and quickly sides against her father, but they haven't had the most nurturing relationship so I suppose it's not THAT huge of an upset.  And it makes sense that Magneto would stay with Scott, as far as he's concerned Scott is the leader of the mutant world now.

X-Factor - WOW!  Large cast much??  I will start off by saying that 11 principle members is way too many, but that's where my criticisms stop!  I am thrilled to see that not only is Madrox NOT dead (as was suspected) but Polaris will be joining Havok back on X-Factor (as its damn well should be) as well as the confirmation that Longshot is still around!  I DO wonder what this means for the leadership of X-Factor though, Jaime has done a great job but (minus Quicksilver) this is the full government X-Factor roster that Alex led so it would make sense for him to be back in charge.  Another thing to wonder is who WILL be the team member death we have been hearing about??  I will be super pissed if it ends up being Darwin...

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Flash Review - 9/7/11

Here's the Flash Review for 9/7/11.  I've been really happy with these small weeks at the comic store, been able to give me wallet a bit of a break!  Other then X-Factor, my favorite this week is probably the New Avengers Annual, and the one I could have probably done without, and this won't surprise anyone, was the Fear Itself: Wolverine issue, just not into this series...



Fear Itself: Wolverine #3 – Well what’s there to say…at least it’s over.  I know I’m being a bit repetitive with this, but this was absolutely the worst limited series I ever read.  It had NOTHING to do with the entire Fear Itself crossover, and it’s only redeeming factor was that I got to know Melita Garner a bit.  I think this was a really terrible attempt by Marvel to make us buy more books under the illusion of a Fear Itself tie-in.

Heroes For Hire #11 – This was a fairly good tie-in for Fear Itself.  I don’t follow the series too closely so I don’t have a lot of commentary on these issues, but it was really exciting to see Elektra in action since I haven’t followed her since her late 90’s solo series.  I’m also really interested in seeing more of this “Monstrosity” character, but it might have to be in other books since the next issue is labeled “The Final Hire”

New Avengers Annual #1 – WOW!  I already know that some people didn’t like this storyline and those people I say, “Bah!” This was an excellent issue!  This goes back to the very beginning of the current Avengers series when a very angry and unpleasant Wonder Man was asked to rejoin the Avengers and harshly turned it down.  It’s also nice to see the follow through on this story as they explain that he’s been behind the scenes trying to sabotage the Avengers teams since they reformed.  What really grabbed me was his new team, the Revengers, which is full of former (and in some cases thought-dead) Avengers and Avengers-related characters.  I am a little shocked at how easily the New Avengers were taken out, and the battle seemed a bit rushed, but I am still really excited to see the next battle with the main Avengers team.

X-men (Vol. 3) – Considering this is the “add-on” X-men book, I never expect much out of this series.  That being said, this issue and this storyline are…ok.  It seems like a generic Savage Land story (except that it’s not the Savage Land) with the X-men (kinda) and the Fantastic Four (kinda).  One high point is the reappearance of Lee Forrester!  As the human woman who dated Cyclops AND Magneto, she’s a tough chick and a perfect stand-in for Shanna the She-Devil, but how many lost at sea/hidden island storylines are we really going to see with her?  Emma: Hilarious as usual.  Doom betrayed everyone? Surprise!!  Not a bad storyline and definitely one of the better ones they’ve told in this book.  Makes me very anxious for when Storm takes over during ReGenesis!

My Weekly Pull List - 9/14/11



So we're back to a bunch of Fear Itself tie-ins this week but not like iut was a few weeks ago, so we're all good here!  And on the cover of X-men Legacy we see Polaris vs Magneto, and since they are now being seen on opposite sides of the Schism maybe there's a connection here...
Alpha Flight #4 FI
Black Panther: Man Without Fear #523 FI
Fear Itself #6 FI
Fear Itself: Monkey King #1 FI
Ghost Rider #3 FI
Hulk vs Dracula #1 FI
Journey Into Mystery #627 FI
New Avengers #16 FI
Uncanny X-Force #15
X-men: Legacy #255

FI = Fear Itself

And of course lets not forget Buffy Season 9 #1!!!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Marvel Comics On-sale - 9/14/11


Its a big week for all your variant collectors!  Tons of Fear Itself 2nd, 3rd and 4th printing!  Also, a whole bunch of Amazing Spider-man reprints!  The big gem this week is Buffy Season 9 #1!!  Let the slaying begin!!

All-Winners Squad: Band of Heroes #4
Alpha Flight #4 FI
Alpha Flight #4 (Eaglesham Variant) FI
Amazing Spider-man #669 SI
Amazing Spider-man #669 (Slott Variant) SI
Amazing Spider-man #669 (Architect Variant) SI
Amazing Spider-man #669 (Architect Sketch Variant) SI
Black Panther: Man Without Fear #523 FI
Captain America #3
Captain America #1 (2nd Printing)
Criminal: The Last of the Innocent #4
Daken: Dark Wolverine #14
Daredevil #1 (2nd Printing Variant)
Daredevil #3
Deadpool #43
Fear Itself #2 (4th Printing) FI
Fear Itself #6 (Variant B) FI
Fear Itself #6 (Architect Variant) FI
Fear Itself #6 FI
Fear Itself #3 (3rd Printing Variant) FI
Fear Itself #6 (Avengers Three Variant) FI
Fear Itself #6 (Mike McKone Variant) FI
Fear Itself #6 (Architect Sketch Variant) FI
Fear Itself: Monkey King #1 FI
Ghost Rider #3 FI
Halo: Fall of Reach – Covenant #4
Herc #7 SI
Hulk vs Dracula #1 FI
John Carter of Mars: A Princess of Mars #1
John Carter of Mars: A Princess of Mars #1 (Andrade Variant)
Journey Into Mystery #627 FI
Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #18
Mystery Men #5
New Avengers #16 FI
New Avengers #16 (Architect Variant) FI
New Avengers #16 (Architect Sketch Variant) FI
PunisherMAX #17
Spider-Island: The Amazing Spider-girl #2 SI
Supreme Power #4
The Mighty Thor #4 (2nd Printing Variant)
Punisher #1 (2nd Printing)
The Stand: The Night Has Come #2
Ultimate Comics: Spider-man #1
Ultimate Comics: Spider-man #1 (Pichelli Variant)
Ultimate Comics: Spider-man #1 (Miles Variant)
Uncanny X-Force #15
Uncanny X-Force #15 (Architect Variant)
Uncanny X-Force #15 (Architect Sketch Variant)
X-men: Legacy #255

Also this week Buffy Season 9 #1!!!!!!!!

FI = Fear Itself
SI = Spider-Island

Spotlight On...X-Factor - Review X-Factor 224.1


Let me start of by saying that I've really enjoyed the "Point One" issue from Marvel this year.  They did exactly what we were told they were going to do, gave easy jumping on points for new readers while also moving forward with the storyline for the veteran fans.  Now of course some have been better then other, and for the most part the contained stories have been pretty weak, but they did their job and did it well!  I particularly enjoyed the Uncanny X-men Point One issue where Magneto had his public unveiling as an X-man.

X-Factor's Point One installment was no different.  Set to the framing story of Layla Miller and Madrox visiting his old farm, where he grew up "alone", and getting into a conversation with the family who resides there now.  Meanwhile, the rest of X-Factor is out on a mission staking out an old woman who MAY be demon.Well of course she IS a demon and as Madrox is talking about his teammates to the mother and her child on the farm, we are getting flashes and highlights from the battle between them and the "old woman".  Perfectly in synch with the whole Point One thing, this issue didn't give us experienced readers much but, for new readers,  there was a wealth of knowledge as they one by one went through the member of X-Factor and gave the audience a run down of them and their powers (or in some cases lack of).  It was a perfectly crafted stand alone story that served its purpose, was self contained, and MAY lead to future stories but doesn't necessarily have to.  It even left us with a a murderous cliffhanger with everyone wondering, "Who's BB????" All in all a good issue.

But of course every good issue has its problems right?  For one thing there is the aforementioned weak storyline.  This is a small complaint and it was done almost one purpose, I think so that they could focus on the characters, fine.  There are even stories this boring and its NOT done on purpose so that just fine.  The really big gripe was that Layla and Jaime let that woman die!  If you read the pages close enough you saw Jaime tell the mother and son that he used to live there, but no where on any page were we necessarily told that that was for sure his old farm so who's to say that it was even the same farm.  There's also Layla's sly little comment, "you should have hid better."  So unless there was a really large coincidence, they came there stalking whatever monster was inside the young boy, not for a friendly visit to his childhood home.  Which means that Jaime and Layla knew that there was a dangerous monster there (maybe not killer dangerous but at least dangerous enough to be checked up on) and not only did Layla taunt it, but they left that poor woman there with no protection besides a business card.  Now, there is always the chance that Layla knew and Jaime didn't (she's pulled that crap before so we already know that she's kinda shady) but I just don't get that impression plus that silence and sideways glances between them tell me that Jaime knows the score.

Overall, a good issue, just like most of the other Point One's, but it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth as far as Jaime and Layla are concerned, I somewhat expected better from at least him.  I almost wonder if this storyline is a lead-in to whatever caused Jaime to be absent from the X-men: ReGenesis X-Factor promo (meanwhile Alex Summer is miraculously front and center in the picture.)  However, new readers were treated to a continuity-lite story and explanations on all the major players on X-Factor so its a job well done and a thumbs up from me for this issue!