Comics X: The Great Ten

[AverageGuy]

I also call bullshit on Brevoort;s claim that the gimmick avengers won't revert back in time for the Avengers film. It probably happens a week after it's release.

Yeah, it's pretty doubtful. But left-handed Green Goblin? I can see that sticking around.

[Lady Octarina]

Yeah, it's pretty doubtful. But left-handed Green Goblin? I can see that sticking around.

Ah, finally a villain I can relate to! :rofl:

[Sci-2]

EXCLUSIVE: Morrison, DC Unleash "The Multiversity" in August

Anyone want to take bets on if this series finished before 2016?

[Sci-2]

Unwritten: Apocalypse #7: Not a bad issue, but definitely feels like the middle of a story...which is weird seeing as there are only 5 issues left. Does this whole thing go out with a whimper rather than a bang?

Saga #21: The slow burn toward what Hazel has already told us is going to happen is sad. The comic is still good though it is hard to move ever closer to the event given how likable the characters are.

So Marko cheats on Alana, who is doped on drugs and likely almost hurts Hazel somehow? Hopefully it's more unpredictable than that.

Supreme Blue Rose #1: Gorgeous artwork, and a promising story. Hopefully Ellis doesn't fuck this one up!

[Nictarion]

Unwritten: Apocalypse #7: Not a bad issue, but definitely feels like the middle of a story...which is weird seeing as there are only 5 issues left. Does this whole thing go out with a whimper rather than a bang?

Saga #21: The slow burn toward what Hazel has already told us is going to happen is sad. The comic is still good though it is hard to move ever closer to the event given how likable the characters are.

So Marko cheats on Alana, who is doped on drugs and likely almost hurts Hazel somehow? Hopefully it's more unpredictable than that.

Supreme Blue Rose #1: Gorgeous artwork, and a promising story. Hopefully Ellis doesn't fuck this one up!

Saga

Prince Robot IV killing Mama Sun was awesome! Really liking his storyline the last few issues.

[Lady Octarina]

So, from today's news... Apparently, Thor will now be called just Odinson. I'll be fine with it if they start calling Angela Odindaughter.

And the news about the AXIS panel, you have to love how Remender manages to keep his cards very close to him. But I'm happy to see that Magneto and the Scarlet Witch will be the major players in the event, along with Red Skull. Not so happy to hear they intend to make the Vision relevant again (as if he ever was...); just as long as they don't shove a rekindling of his relationship with Wanda at us, I suppose it's alright, and inevitable, considering next year's movie.

[Jon AS]

So, from today's news... Apparently, Thor will now be called just Odinson. I'll be fine with it if they start calling Angela Odindaughter.

Wouldn't that be Odindottir?

I gave Marvel Unlimited a try. When I started looking into this, I didn't realise that there's a monthly option, so I wouldn't have had to put down $70 at once (not that what I've bought since doesn't come close to adding up to that amount...). I think giving it a test drive is a good idea, because so far I'm not too convinced by the technical side. I don't know if they are just having server issues or something, but the whole experience is on the slow side and the app has crashed on me repeatedly. Rather disappointing, the Comixology app works like a charm. Still, I find it charming that one of the servers that handles Marvel's transactions has the url annihil.us.

Technical difficulties aside it's kinda hard to argue that this is a pretty neat bargain. Certainly a much saner way of approaching this hobby.

I started on Superior Spiderman. The idea that it isn't that big of a step to go from supervillain to -hero is amusing; though obviously that's truer for some villains than others.

Also read through Runaways. Starts out strong, but seems to lose direction after the first arc. It seems to be shouting a little too loudly how they're not a traditional superhero team, what with not wearing costumes and using code names, but later on they pretty much operate like one anyway. It was kind of amusing to see the Punisher and Wolverine get beaten up by an eleven year old girl and have people comment on how they used to think those guys were cool, though.

I also can't decide if Xavin is a clever take on a transgender person or a cowardly cop-out to avoid having a genuinely lesbian relationship.

[john]

You can sync the comixology and marvel accounts so you should be able to read the marvel stuff on the comixology app, as far as I know.

[Lady Octarina]

You can sync the comixology and marvel accounts so you should be able to read the marvel stuff on the comixology app, as far as I know.

I don't think Marvel Unlimited allows that, though.

[Snow Dottir]

Doom Patrol !!! The Grant Morrison run specifically. No-one mentioned Doom Patrol?

[Winterfell is Burning]

New Avengers #21 was probably not only the most important issue of Hickman's run, but the most important Marvel issue in a long time

Dr. Strange murders the Secret Society, except one of them which is killed by Black Bolt, and Namor pushes the button and destroys their world

. Marvel will probably have it all retconned eventually, specially if it ever makes the news. But it was an oustanding issue nevertheless.

Meanwhile in Uncanny X-men

Xavier married Mystique. Yes, seriously.

[Jon AS]

You can sync the comixology and marvel accounts so you should be able to read the marvel stuff on the comixology app, as far as I know.

You can read stuff you bought on a Marvel account with Comixology (I think the app Marvel offers for the store is a version of the Comixology one in the first place), but Unlimited is a different system (though it also allows you to buy comics, which you then presumably could read via Comixology). It stores all account data serverside, so it constantly tries to sync your local data with the server and has a tendency to crash whenever that connection gets interrupted during this process. Sometimes it also seems to want to redownload comics you've picked for the "read offline" feature for no reason.

Right now it's working reasonably well, though.

[john]

Actually it does make sense to separate the streaming side from the buying side. Shame though, since the marvel digital reading experience is crap compared to comixology, even when it's working properly.

[Jon AS]

Actually it does make sense to separate the streaming side from the buying side. Shame though, since the marvel digital reading experience is crap compared to comixology, even when it's working properly.

The actual reading experience isn't much worse than with Comixology (haven't actually tested if it supports frame-by-frame), and it's still better than reading comics on the Kindle app.

[Lady Octarina]

Uncanny Avengers #22 was a poor conclusion for that arc (I'm particularly disappointed at Wanda being there just to look pretty and worried, and Immortus being a glorified deus ex machina who wasn't even necessary), but still the most entertaining issue of the week. Maybe of the month. I mean, my suspicions were correct and now

Wonder Man seems to be stuck inside Rogue, which is always a delicious way to describe things. I can't imagine how pleasant it must be for them to share all their memories - including their most recent, very related, lovers.

This development is so messed up, I love it. God bless Remender. :bowdown:

New Avengers #21 made me realize I basically despise everyone on that team except for Namor and Strange, which probably means I'm a terrible human being. I don't care; they were right.

Uncanny X-Men #24 just confirmed that Bendis has the most stupid ideas, but it was all worth it just for Emma's reaction to the news.

Low #1 was a better first issue than Black Science, but that's it. It will be interesting to see Remender writing an optimistic character for once.

[john]

The actual reading experience isn't much worse than with Comixology (haven't actually tested if it supports frame-by-frame), and it's still better than reading comics on the Kindle app.

Oh I dunno. I love comixology's guided view system, it's better than reading it on paper as far as I'm concerned. Marvel's smart panels system just isn't as good. It doesn't focus on details as well and it doesn't guide the narrative by panning to speech bubbles as they join the conversation. It's true that it's mainly lag time and the app breaking that causes problems though.

And I guess it doesn't matter as much if you read it on full page. I tend to read on a ten inch tablet so that's not really possible. Never tried it on a browser.

[Jon AS]

Oh I dunno. I love comixology's guided view system, it's better than reading it on paper as far as I'm concerned. Marvel's smart panels system just isn't as good. It doesn't focus on details as well and it doesn't guide the narrative by panning to speech bubbles as they join the conversation. It's true that it's mainly lag time and the app breaking that causes problems though.

And I guess it doesn't matter as much if you read it on full page. I tend to read on a ten inch tablet so that's not really possible. Never tried it on a browser.

I mostly read it in full page mode on a 7 inch tablet, switching to guided mode very rarely. There's lots of bigger pictures or two-page spreads that just don't work in guided mode, and I find it breaks my reading flow less to zoom in to pick up a detail than to zoom out to get a full view of what's going on.

Marvel actually has some comics that take full advantage of guided view, not just for conversation flow but acutal storytelling through minimal visual modifications of a scene. Sort of like decompressed comics in print format, I guess, only it works really well with the digital form.

Of course I can't for the life of me remember which comics used it (they obviously had to be relatively new, so probably some of the free promotional ones), so the writing can't have been all that.;)

Since I still have a couple of weeks or so left on my Unlimited subscription, can I ask for some more suggestions for worthwhile story arcs or good runs for specific characters or teams? I was thinking about looking into Dr. Strange or Black Panther, but I really have no clue where to even start with either one.

[red snow]

EXCLUSIVE: Morrison, DC Unleash "The Multiversity" in August

Anyone want to take bets on if this series finished before 2016?

Pretty much. That said I noticed some of the artists on board now are ones that can get shit drawn fast so it may be that some of the notoriously slow ones have been replaced. That said Frank Quietly has only had 4 years to draw an issue which given he's doing that Millar book means there is a good chance his issue will be last and in 2016.

Reading up on it Ivan Reis and Joe Prado - the quick artists are assigned to the bookends. Worrying sign when the last artists to be added are the ones who will draw the first issue. Theirs will be out but who knows for the rest of it.

Basically I'll wait for the trade. I like Morrison's meta stuff and this seems to be the culmination of his DC meta work. But I can't enjoy a story when there's massive gaps in publication. Moreso when it's a comic.

Otherwise I'm behind on my comics as I've been on holiday. I did read some more of uncanny x-men and weirdly find it a lot more tolerable than all new despite it being by Bendis. Only managed the first arc though.

[red snow]

The conspiracy talk about Cyclops being evil/apocalypse has me actually interested in the whole Axis event. Although I think part of the theory is wrong as, from what I gather, good becomes bad and v.v. so surely summoning Apocalpyse during the inversion would be the equivalent of bringing a Messiah into the world? Otherwise I can't see why Apocalypse would give a shit about mutants being wiped out - if they can't survive they aren't worthy by his ethos.

I also enjoyed reading this conspiracy theory. The quotes from Brevoort basically admit to them playing down the FF and probably the X-men as well. It explains why we aren't getting any X-men cartoons at least.

[Lady Octarina]

The conspiracy talk about Cyclops being evil/apocalypse has me actually interested in the whole Axis event. Although I think part of the theory is wrong as, from what I gather, good becomes bad and v.v. so surely summoning Apocalpyse during the inversion would be the equivalent of bringing a Messiah into the world? Otherwise I can't see why Apocalypse would give a shit about mutants being wiped out - if they can't survive they aren't worthy by his ethos.

Apocalypse, the Messiah, certainly has a nice ring to it. I sort of disagree with you; one of the things Apocalypse wants is to ensure evolution, isn't it? He'd need the mutants for that.

I don't recall it being mentioned that Cyclops will be inverted - and how would that even work? I mean, is he currently a hero or a villain? He's too complicated for that, like Magneto; they can't be inverted. And Remender said inversions make them act the opposite way they normally would. Cyclops normally does whatever it takes to get the results he wants; the inversion of that would be doing nothing, and where would the story be then?

I'm admittedly more interested in what happens when Wanda is inverted. I mean, she tends to have the best intentions and get the worst results from that; so what happens now? She gets great results but for all the wrong reasons? Poor woman.

Anyway, in this week's comics:

• Bendis proves once again that he's out to destroy the X-Men. Emma Frost and Jean Grey are now BFFs.

Remender reminds people that he never truly kills the characters he borrows. Everyone stays eternally angry at him.

if I understood it correctly, we get the most underwhelming answer for the "Who killed the Watcher" question.

and we get mutated zombies in The Walking Dead. Or not.