Comics VIII - the Crime Syndic8 of America

[Sci-2]

Pretty shit as a 50th anniversary.I'm still appalled that the X-offices didn't have a big Days of future past event planned considering the original comic's future was in 2013. Obviously the comic itself couldn't have 33 years pass (although this wouldn't stop Bendis) but it would have been a great way to celebrate it - possibly by having a sentinel program and registration occurring. It seems the sentinels are floating around in the comics at the moment so odd they haven't capitalised. The only excuse I can think of is that they want to do it next year to co-incide with the film. Far better to pay homage to the fans and have some trades out for the movie. Do a "watchmen" style set of series called "Return to days of future past" or some branding with DOFP at the forefront.

Yeah, it was pretty bad as a 50th Anniversary. What I didn't understand is why there was so much decompression.

I'm trying to recall what exactly happened in the issues and it feels like the entirety of it could've been done in 3 issues. What they might have done was given us some flash-forwards where the future!Brotherhood and future!X-men fight.

I'm still reading but the whole Kang/apocalypse twins just feels like self-indulgent left overs from his uncanny x-men run. I can understand how people have lost interest as the first arc was a lot more about them being heroes and dealing with earth-based threats. This arc is very insular, like an X-men book.

Plus the teams constant bickering is wearing thin - especially when they are just mouthpieces for Remender digging out of his Havok speech. I think they'd have been better going straight into the Red Onslaught story or having some more hero-based solo adventures.

That said I'm reading Uncanny Avengers while avoiding the X-books entirely so Remender is at least doing that right. Maybe they need to crossover into the x or avenger books for a sales boost?

Yeah, Remender's pissiness is a demerit for the book, but I think the plots are actually addressing the new mutant explosion. Besides a few new mutants in the other X-books no one seems to even mention it. The current storyline, Planet X, would've made a much better crossover.

Of course we're at Inhumanity now so mutants feel rather irrelevant.

[red snow]

Yeah, it was pretty bad as a 50th Anniversary. What I didn't understand is why there was so much decompression.

I'm trying to recall what exactly happened in the issues and it feels like the entirety of it could've been done in 3 issues. What they might have done was given us some flash-forwards where the future!Brotherhood and future!X-men fight.

Yeah, Remender's pissiness is a demerit for the book, but I think the plots are actually addressing the new mutant explosion. Besides a few new mutants in the other X-books no one seems to even mention it. The current storyline, Planet X, would've made a much better crossover.

Of course we're at Inhumanity now so mutants feel rather irrelevant.

I guess Bendis is the x-factor when it comes to decompression. That and taking people to the cleaners with making them buy more than they really need to.

I wonder if Uncanny Avengers will get any inhumans on the team soon? Or just ditch the mutants (except for Wolverine, of course) and call the book "inhuman avengers" or ironically "uncanny Inhumans"

[GallowKnight]

I wonder if Uncanny Avengers will get any inhumans on the team soon? Or just ditch the mutants (except for Wolverine, of course) and call the book "inhuman avengers" or ironically "uncanny Inhumans"

I wonder if Wolverine will be revealed to be half-mutant/half-inhuman just for that very reason.

[red snow]

I wonder if Wolverine will be revealed to be half-mutant/half-inhuman just for that very reason.

He's already evolved wolf according to Jeph Loeb! If doing that would allow them to Wolverine in their films they'd do so in a heartbeat. I'm half-waiting for them to ultimately make mutants the desendants of Inhumans although they'd have to be careful with that - they don't want to inadvertently hand the Inhumans property over to Fox.

I wonder if with more aggressive marketing they could make FF without any of the original Fantastic Four and turn that into a film franchise?

I was just reading on BleedingCool how they claim the X-men to Fox deal was one of the biggest mistakes Marvel has made. I'm not convinced - they were bankrupt and when X-men came out they had "Blade" to their name. They seem quick to forget that they were only able to form Marvel Studios off the back of the success of X-men and Spider-man. Would Disney have bought them without evidence of the cashcow comics movies are? I'm not so sure. It's a mistake looking at Marvel now but I think it was a sensible move at the time - my only criticism would be them not having it on a limited lease (they could have sold it for 25 years for instance). In a weird way we are benefitting as I don't think we'd have seen a lot of the films we've had if not for their inability to use X-men, Spidey and FF. I guess comics have benefitted in that the Avengers line of comics wouldn't have been pushed either.

[Sci-2]

Good points Red Snow. It's entirely possible due [to] circumstances outside their control - or within their control - that Iron Man would have bombed which likely would've led to an quick end to the MCU.

eta: It's only in hindsight that the selling of those properties worked out.

[red snow]

Good points Red Snow. It's entirely possible due [to] circumstances outside their control - or within their control - that Iron Man would have bombed which likely would've led to an quick end to the MCU.

eta: It's only in hindsight that the selling of those properties worked out.

Exactly, in which case Disney may not have been as interested. I remember years back sony was interested in buying Marvel which could have happened due to Spider-man. If Iron Man hadn't performed so wel I'm sure they'd still be kissing fox and Sony's ass and changing character costumes whenever a film came out.

[Sci-2]

Cable & X-force is actually pretty good.

Argh, am I actually liking post-AvX books? Damn it.

[red snow]

Cable & X-force is actually pretty good.

Argh, am I actually liking post-AvX books? Damn it.

I really like Avengers Arena so I should give Cable and X-force a shot because of the writer.

Appareantly uncanny Avengers has a big x-event occuring in issue 14 that may bump sales a bit. I'm guessing it could be the "death" of Wolverine that was rumoured a while back? It would fit with the release of Origins II as I guess he won't be appearing in many places while dead. I assume the solo titles will do "in the past" or out of continuity stories.

That or the mutants all turn into inhumans. Havok probably thinks it's ok to say you're an inhuman afterall.

[Winterfell is Burning]

Good points Red Snow. It's entirely possible due [to] circumstances outside their control - or within their control - that Iron Man would have bombed which likely would've led to an quick end to the MCU.

If Marvel had the rights, it's quite possible we wouldn't have had an Iron Man movie- even with the success, they're still not making more than two movies per year, so they'd be more likely to focus on the properties that seemingly had more potential: Spider-Man, X-men (and Wolverine as a solo hero), Hulk, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, etc.

[Sci-2]

I really like Avengers Arena so I should give Cable and X-force a shot because of the writer.

Appareantly uncanny Avengers has a big x-event occuring in issue 14 that may bump sales a bit. I'm guessing it could be the "death" of Wolverine that was rumoured a while back? It would fit with the release of Origins II as I guess he won't be appearing in many places while dead. I assume the solo titles will do "in the past" or out of continuity stories.

That or the mutants all turn into inhumans. Havok probably thinks it's ok to say you're an inhuman afterall.

C&XF is a bit crazy in that actual events happen every issue, and there's a distinct lack of talking heads. ;-)

Well someone is supposed die. A few people were predicting Rogue but that would mean Woods loses her as well. Wolverine's death would get the book the press it needs if it hopes to bring in readers, more so than the death of any other character.

Inhumanity really guts the importance of Cyke's revolution if a lot of humans are transformed. However, seems like it might only be a couple thousand. If they gather themselves into the Inhuman houses quickly, it could very different from the X-men comics which would be nice though IMO it seems Marvel is improvising like crazy at this point.

[Lady Octarina]

Appareantly uncanny Avengers has a big x-event occuring in issue 14 that may bump sales a bit. I'm guessing it could be the "death" of Wolverine that was rumoured a while back? It would fit with the release of Origins II as I guess he won't be appearing in many places while dead. I assume the solo titles will do "in the past" or out of continuity stories.

I already thought Rogue was one of the strongest candidates for dying in that issue, but yesterday there was the Resurrection teaser, now the CBR story and the cover. And who is not on the cover? Kitty, who went to the dark side, and Rogue, why...? But this will be the most pointless death if it happens in November and she's brought back in February. Unless she returns as some kind of Sisterhood half-zombie, and it takes a while longer for her to be herself again.

But this buzz on UA#14 and talks of something big that would attract the mainstream press etc, would a death be enough for that? Wolverine's, maybe, but after #13 I don't think he'll even show up again until this arc is over. Rogue is a well-known character, but, honestly, when I first read the rumors, I thought maybe Remender was introducing some crazy new thing to the X-Men continuity. Maybe some part of Planet X won't be abandoned?

I've had this crackpot theory for a while... Immortus told Cap back in #8, I think, that something would happen that would split the timeline in seven new ones, all prime. That event probably has something to do with whatever spell Wanda is casting next issue. My theory is that we won't simply get one death, but several, probably seven - one member of the team dies in each timeline, but at some point they manage to fix that wibbly wobbly timey whimey mess and only one timeline remains prime. And so, while seven Uncanny Avengers die in this arc (and maybe only Thor and Wasp fail to die in any of those, since they're the only ones mentioned in the latest solicits), only the one that died in the timeline that ends up as prime will actually be dead. And that's Rogue. If not Rogue, then Wonder Man, but the cover to X-Men really convinced me that it's her.

[red snow]

I've had this crackpot theory for a while... Immortus told Cap back in #8, I think, that something would happen that would split the timeline in seven new ones, all prime. That event probably has something to do with whatever spell Wanda is casting next issue. My theory is that we won't simply get one death, but several, probably seven - one member of the team dies in each timeline, but at some point they manage to fix that wibbly wobbly timey whimey mess and only one timeline remains prime. And so, while seven Uncanny Avengers die in this arc (and maybe only Thor and Wasp fail to die in any of those, since they're the only ones mentioned in the latest solicits), only the one that died in the timeline that ends up as prime will actually be dead. And that's Rogue. If not Rogue, then Wonder Man, but the cover to X-Men really convinced me that it's her.

that sounds fun :)

Rogue dying shouldn't really shake the x-men to the core so I agree that something that affects the line may be more important. Although i guess Rogue is long overdue a death (has she ever had one?) Maybe the Onslaught thing?

[mormont]

that sounds fun :)

Rogue dying shouldn't really shake the x-men to the core so I agree that something that affects the line may be more important. Although i guess Rogue is long overdue a death (has she ever had one?) Maybe the Onslaught thing?

Well, she 'died' along with the rest of the X-Men fighting the Adversary (though they were resurrected in the same issue): then again, when she went through the Siege Perilous (Uncanny X-Men 246 - she was out for a year that time, as I recall).

[Sci-2]

If the timelines split, might allow for the O5 to go back while still changing history.

Because I really doubt they'll actually return to their time sans memories. Angel and Jean would be forced to march toward their own insanity and death.

[Lady Octarina]

Alright, today's comics:

• Amazing X-Men is superior to any X-books we've had in years! It reminds me of the best things in the Claremont era (humor, good character interactions, slightly mad Beast, endless flirting...). And Kurt!
  
• Captain America #13 is still as uninteresting as the previous issues. This is a terrible arc; I wonder if Remender was forced to write this, or if he truly has no idea of how to make an adequate transition from Dimension Z to regular 616 stories.
  
• Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe was not perfect, but adorable, and there's potential for good stories now that the stage is set.
  
• Captain Marvel #17 was a different kind of adorable, but I must say the Serval Industries adds distracted me from the story itself - though not enough to fail to see that this villain sucks.
  
• Marvel Knights Spider-Man #2 is as insane as #1. I love it.
  
• Mighty Avengers #3: good story, and while Land's art has been bearable, I couldn't stop laughing when I saw how the people covered in goo near the end of the issue looked like they were posing for some summer catalogue.
  

[Sci-2]

Forever Evil #3 was decent. Felt like the pacing was a bit off though?

Amazing X-men #1 It was okay....God the Jean Grey School is incompetent. Beast is just pathetic. That said, cool to see Kurt bamfing it up again.

Will read more comics later.

[red snow]

The newsarama reviewing was positively gushing over most of the comics this week. throwing 10 out of 10s everywhere.

I'm going to skip amazing but it will be interesting to see if Aaron can maintain the quality. I thought Wolverine and the X-men was great fun for the first 6-8 issues and then I lost interest (although crossovers was probably the real deterrant)

[Winterfell is Burning]

East of West was very disturbing. Great, of course, but very disturbing.

Mighty Avengers #3 was a fine book as well. I liked that they didn't job Shuma-Gorath too badly, making clear it was only at a fraction of it's full strength. Plus, some good character beats, although the ending was kinda cheesy.

[Sci-2]

Mighty, Iron Man, and Kindt's Spiderman were all good.

I think land might actually be drawing again.

[Sci-2]

Via Bendis's blog:

richardterrones asked: In BOTA Raze spent three minutes in the past as young cyclops viewing xavier in the Garden.. but we all know xavier wasn't any where near the mansion during X-men issue #8 during Stan and jack run so will this lead to anything

Very astute observation and absolutely yes

eta:

I filled out the Iron Man issues in Gillen's run. The adopted storyline actually is kinda interesting. It doesn't work that well continuity wise but it isn't a bad idea on it's own.