Comics VIII - the Crime Syndic8 of America

[red snow]

http://annescherbina.tumblr.com/post/67350574208/i-am-not-the-other-woman-i-am-another-voice

Apparently, she had to quit her job in part because of Wood's actions, which makes things even more serious than the previous accusation.

Yeah - All New Marvel X-men to be announced very soon, I think. Have a lecherous guy writing a book solely about female X-men seems to flip the book's initial purpose. A very honest account from Scherbina too which leaves less room for Wood to wiggle out of. Makes me wonder if his rather sudden departure from Marvel 10 or so years ago was maybe the result of one of those incidents - although I doubt he'd have returned given Quesada was in charge at the time and still is.

And, honestly, Magik learning from Strange is the kind of Bendis retcons that simply don't make any sense whatsoever.

But he does it all the time. It should be more of a surprise when Bendis does something that does fit the character.

I do like the idea of an all magic team - ",Mystic Avengers" or a new take on "defenders" maybe? I do think Magick would need to be in the team, although she is an X-man so probably best stick to characters they can put in a movie. It weirdly sounds more likely as a movie at the moment than a comic but of course Marvel will have to make a comic as soon as a film is announced.

[Nictarion]

Does anyone read Nowhere Men? I was thinking about getting the first tpb, just wondering how it was.

[Sci-2]

Does anyone read Nowhere Men? I was thinking about getting the first tpb, just wondering how it was.

I've been keeping up with it though I've not read the last issue. It's pretty interesting and I like the way the story unfolds.

eta: thought to though

[delete this account pls]

I've been reading Uncanny X-Men from the start of Claremont's run on my Marvel Unlimited thing. Decided to go until I get sick of it, and I haven't so far. Up to around the 170s now and still really enjoying it. Claremont overwrites the hell out of everything of course but you get used to it. And the art is great of course. Cockrum was decent (and an excellent costume designer), Byrne was great of course, but I think my favourite so far is Paul Smith. I love his Colossus and Nightcrawler.

I've read bits and pieces of this run before. The 'classics' like Days Future Past, Dark Phoenix. And of course I was there towards the end of Claremont's run because that was when I first started reading comics. But a lot of the stuff I havent read is still very familiar of course, since even today Claremont pretty much IS the X-Men. Everyone is still playing with the toys he created.

[red snow]

I've been reading Uncanny X-Men from the start of Claremont's run on my Marvel Unlimited thing. Decided to go until I get sick of it, and I haven't so far. Up to around the 170s now and still really enjoying it. Claremont overwrites the hell out of everything of course but you get used to it. And the art is great of course. Cockrum was decent (and an excellent costume designer), Byrne was great of course, but I think my favourite so far is Paul Smith. I love his Colossus and Nightcrawler.

I've read bits and pieces of this run before. The 'classics' like Days Future Past, Dark Phoenix. And of course I was there towards the end of Claremont's run because that was when I first started reading comics. But a lot of the stuff I havent read is still very familiar of course, since even today Claremont pretty much IS the X-Men. Everyone is still playing with the toys he created.

Yeah there's a good reason why the X-men became the premier superhero comic and it was because Claremont and his artists actually created a great comic. I think it would be nearly impossible to do so now as there's too many crossovers and worries over IP to allow it to happen now. That and creative teams rarely stick around for more then 5 years (although Bendis and Johns seem clingy but look how popular those titles became).

I also thought Colossus was a great character back then as well. When I started reading x-men it was in the 90s when colossus was an acolyte and when he died I didn't care. A few months later I started reading the old run and I was all "shit that character was great, why did they kill him". I was still naive then as I didn't think he was coming back - although he did stay dead for a while.

[Winterfell is Burning]

I think Claremont ended up staying for too long- to me he begun to run out of steam around the time the Brood Saga ended- his best stories after that are crossovers like Mutant Massacre and FoM in which he had multiple collaborators- although he got inspired again during the Outback period in which things picked up again.

After they went through the Siege Perilous, though, then it was all downhill, although without a doubt that was in no small part due to Harras intereference.

Still, he wrote many great stories, and that run from Uncanny 125-142 specially is second to no one in history.

[Sci-2]

Avengers 23: Decent. Nice set up to the big finale. Black Dwarf got a good send off - being taken down by four major galactic warriors.

Uncanny X-men 14: Might be the best issue to date. We got an LGBT mutant with powers that aren't combat oriented, plus an issue that didn't involve moping about Xavier's dream [death]. Nice of Emma to let Dugan have a chance to figure things out before the UXM demolish shield.

Young Avengers: Cool to see so many kid heroes in one panel. Oubilette is an odd one - wasn't she reformed at the end of Marvel Boy? [Did the break up turn a reformed woman back into a crazy villain....] I think Gillen kinda droped the ball on the pro-women aspect of his run. He started with Kate refusing to be slut shamed...only to shackle her to Marvel Boy. And while Chavez got some dialogue, it almost all centers around Billy or Loki. And finally the bad women exes are all concerned about their relationships to males. At least Mother is focused primarily on feeding, so I'm not going to count her obsession with Billy and Teddy.

Have some other comics to go through but will read them later.

[red snow]

I think Claremont ended up staying for too long- to me he begun to run out of steam around the time the Brood Saga ended- his best stories after that are crossovers like Mutant Massacre and FoM in which he had multiple collaborators- although he got inspired again during the Outback period in which things picked up again.

After they went through the Siege Perilous, though, then it was all downhill, although without a doubt that was in no small part due to Harras intereference.

Still, he wrote many great stories, and that run from Uncanny 125-142 specially is second to no one in history.

Sadly he didn't know when to leave. I think I didn't get past the Brood Saga in those black and White phonebooks so I guess I was lucky in stopping when I did. His couple of attempts at returning to the franchise in the 2000s were mostly let downs but I guess this could be a case of his style no longer working with modern comics and the fact that editorial wasn't sure how much to let him loose with and tended to give him his own pocket franchises that were excluded from events and therefore considered non-important. That said his X-men 2000 runs were still a lot better then say Milligan or Austen's.

[Lady Octarina]

X-Men #7: just sucks. The art is horrible, and we're back to the 60's, when everyone had blue eyes. Zero investment in team-dynamics, no explanation to Rogue's absence (I wonder if she really dies in Uncanny Avengers and this book was supposed to be published after that?), and Monet sounds completely OOC. Also, the villain is boring and one-dimensional.

Young Avengers #12: this issue made me realize I can't stand this series anymore - when you start counting the pages, hoping it will end, you know you have a problem. But since I got this far, I'll have to keep buying it. I do hope they give a satisfying conclusion to the whole Tommy-Patrinot thing.

Uncanny X-Men #14: first good issue in Bendis' run! This Benjamin kid is the only new mutant BEndis has managed to make me care about, so adorable. Emma finally does something other than repeat Cyclops' lines, though she still doesn't entirely sound like herself. And Magneto is once again absent. Does Bendis actually have any plans for him, or is he being forced to use the guy?

Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe #2: deliciously random, and Wanda looks just as dull in white as her father.

Sex Criminals #3: this thing is just too amusing, and I can't believe this book actually found a villain.

Sadly he didn't know when to leave. I think I didn't get past the Brood Saga in those black and White phonebooks so I guess I was lucky in stopping when I did. His couple of attempts at returning to the franchise in the 2000s were mostly let downs but I guess this could be a case of his style no longer working with modern comics and the fact that editorial wasn't sure how much to let him loose with and tended to give him his own pocket franchises that were excluded from events and therefore considered non-important. That said his X-men 2000 runs were still a lot better then say Milligan or Austen's.

I really enjoyed his last run; his take on the Nightcrawler-Storm-Wolverine relationship in those years is among the best team dynamics we've had this century. But then we have things like his one-shot with Manara...

[Winterfell is Burning]

X-men #7: I agree with pretty much everything Lady Octarina said. And the worst part this is 1 out of 6, ugh.

Young Avengers #12: Yeah, Gillen seems to be losing the plot here. That said, the book is worthwhile because McKelvie is a genius.

Indestructible Hulk #15: Speaking of losing the plot, I can barely tell what happened in this arc, and I don't care.

Daredevil #33: That was better. I hope Waid continues when the book is relaunched.

Uncanny X-Men #14: Great issue, giving the theoretically most useless character a sense of purpose as well as a personality.

Avengers 23: Set-up for the big finale mostly, but entertaining. I could read a team-book starring this alien Fantastic Four of sorts.

[Nictarion]

I agree about X-Men 7, really bad. Considering dropping that title. Maybe replace it with Amazing.

I also agree Uncanny was really good this week, but I've actually been liking that book for the most part.

[red snow]

I agree about X-Men 7, really bad. Considering dropping that title. Maybe replace it with Amazing.

I also agree Uncanny was really good this week, but I've actually been liking that book for the most part.

Wood has picked a bad time for a weak arc. It should make Marvel's decision easier.

Haven't got round to new comics this week as weather was crap. Have started east is west and it's an interesting jumble of ideas,

[mormont]

Yeah there's a good reason why the X-men became the premier superhero comic and it was because Claremont and his artists actually created a great comic. I think it would be nearly impossible to do so now as there's too many crossovers and worries over IP to allow it to happen now. That and creative teams rarely stick around for more then 5 years (although Bendis and Johns seem clingy but look how popular those titles became).

I also thought Colossus was a great character back then as well. When I started reading x-men it was in the 90s when colossus was an acolyte and when he died I didn't care. A few months later I started reading the old run and I was all "shit that character was great, why did they kill him". I was still naive then as I didn't think he was coming back - although he did stay dead for a while.

Yeah, Colossus was definitely a terrific character back then, as was Nightcrawler. Writers need to realise that these characters work much better without the angst and crises of faith. Simpler is better.

I recently reread those 'classic' Claremont X-Men issues myself, and was struck by just how good they were - and how much they got through in a short space. Look at Uncanny 160: we get Illyana aging up and acquiring her powers, the introduction of S'ym, Belasco and Limbo, complete with a set of alt-X-Men including creepy evil Nightcrawler and kickass sorceress Storm (albeit Wolvie and Colossus are, um, corpses) - and all that in one issue. The next issue introduces the idea that Charles and Magneto not only knew each other of old but actually teamed up to fight HYDRA - all in a flashback, while the main plot (Deathbird teaming up with the Brood) progresses.

OK, to some extent this is a reflection of different styles of comic writing these days, but the ideas were certainly flowing thick and fast back then, and right up to the Siege Perilous era, really. Thereafter it all comes to bits, with the introduction of Jubilee and Gambit and Psylocke's transformation into a lingerie-ninja, all of which simply screamed 'fan-service'.

[Ouroboros]

Longshot saves the Marvel Universe is the embodiment of everything I love about super hero books.

[Nictarion]

Longshot saves the Marvel Universe is the embodiment of everything I love about super hero books.

Might have to check it out. Is it going to be an ongoing monthly book?

[Ouroboros]

Might have to check it out. Is it going to be an ongoing monthly book?

No, just a miniseries.

[Lady Octarina]

I recently reread those 'classic' Claremont X-Men issues myself, and was struck by just how good they were - and how much they got through in a short space. Look at Uncanny 160: we get Illyana aging up and acquiring her powers, the introduction of S'ym, Belasco and Limbo, complete with a set of alt-X-Men including creepy evil Nightcrawler and kickass sorceress Storm (albeit Wolvie and Colossus are, um, corpses) - and all that in one issue. The next issue introduces the idea that Charles and Magneto not only knew each other of old but actually teamed up to fight HYDRA - all in a flashback, while the main plot (Deathbird teaming up with the Brood) progresses.

Now imagine that plot you described these days. Written by Bendis. 10 to 20 issues, at least?

I haven't read the Uncanny X-Men of those days, but I just read the Magik miniseries and I'm amazed at how much of a more interesting character she was back then. Before, I had only read her in recent series, and New Mutants vol.3. When did she get like that? I assume the reason for her being pretty much devoid of a personality while acting cold and demonic nowadays has to do with her being further corrupted by the whole thing with Belaco etc., but is there an actual reason for her being written like that or is it just that none of the writers have managed to deal with that personality properly?

[Sci-2]

I might start hating Hickman more than Lady O if Strange gets jobbed in the next issue of New Avengers.

In other news next UA looks awesome. Kang fights back using time travel.

[red snow]

Now imagine that plot you described these days. Written by Bendis. 10 to 20 issues, at least?

I haven't read the Uncanny X-Men of those days, but I just read the Magik miniseries and I'm amazed at how much of a more interesting character she was back then. Before, I had only read her in recent series, and New Mutants vol.3. When did she get like that? I assume the reason for her being pretty much devoid of a personality while acting cold and demonic nowadays has to do with her being further corrupted by the whole thing with Belaco etc., but is there an actual reason for her being written like that or is it just that none of the writers have managed to deal with that personality properly?

I think Bendis wants to imitate Claremont's thowing everything and the kitchen sink into a story along with soap opera but because of his decompressed style it really does take him forever. the phoenix saga these days would be a summer event with 50+ tie-ins. DOFP would be at least 6 issues possibly more.

I think Remender is pretty good at a fast pace with lots of ideas and Fraction can do the same as well (although Fraction does so with a very modern twist)

[GallowKnight]

I think Bendis wants to imitate Claremont's thowing everything and the kitchen sink into a story along with soap opera but because of his decompressed style it really does take him forever. the phoenix saga these days would be a summer event with 50+ tie-ins. DOFP would be at least 6 issues possibly more.

I think Remender is pretty good at a fast pace with lots of ideas and Fraction can do the same as well (although Fraction does so with a very modern twist)

I don't know about Remender, his Uncanny X-Force arcs started becoming very dragged out with the Dark Angel saga.

Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe is just as delightfully good as I had hoped it would be, and the cover for next issue promises Venom-Punisher (Venisher?), Hulk-Thor (Thulk?) and Phoenix-Kraven (I got nothing).

I also read somewhere that Anarky popped up in last weeks issue of Green Lantern Corps. Anyone care to tell me why a relatively minor Batman character/villain was doing in a Green Lantern comic?