OCH Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 5 minutes ago, Maf said: Alanna is an absolute bitch. I don’t know what her endgame is or what she has got Adam to do but someone needs to punch her in the jaw. I didn't want to say too much in case you hadn't got to read it yet. But yeah, I got all that too. she has a constant vibe of 'Starscream' aka treacherous as hell. I need another Mr Terrific issue to make my mind up on him. He is a bit of an unknown to me, prior to this book. So I don't really know what to make of him yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 @Maf The opening chapter (Creation) is due next week. So I thought this might be helpful if you were looking to keep you with the X of Swords event: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Ta. I’m already subscribed to everything on that list already so I should be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 I pre-ordered Creation, Stasis and Destruction. Other than that, I only follow X-Men and Hellions. So I also noted the Hardcover for the event has a January 2021 release date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 I was watching a YT video about Mister Miracle and it was bringing it all back to me. This comic is so clever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 New This Week... Hellions #4 - A decent conclusion to the first arc. If there was any doubt as to why Havok is on essentially a team of villains and psychopaths, this issue answers that. All is not well with the youngest Summers brother. Scalphunter continues to be the break out star of this book. Nanny and Orphanmaker IMO the weak link, so far. They are fine, just a bit generic. Next up, X of Swords tie-ins, I guess? 8/10 X-Men #12 The quote being a taste of things to come. This is an X of Swords prologue, but also Hickman experimenting with some more world building. This time, a bit of Apocalypse retcon.. kind of? We get a new backstory to Apocalypse, set at an undefined period in time. Which honestly I don't think contradicts anything that came before? King of a former Mutant kingdom. His Four Horsemen: his wife and children. It is intriguing and although I'm not normally a fan of Leinil Yu's artwork, his Apocalypse looks fantastic. Roll on Event Book! 9/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 I still don’t like Yu’s artwork. Also I’m let down by the fact that Apocalypse is the biggest, baddest mutant in history and now the 3 times he has been involved in a fight during this era of X-Men he has been made out to be a bitch. I hope in X of Swords we get a moment where we get the full fury of Apocalypse on the enemy. I want to see what Apocalypse can do in this reality when there are no heroes to stand against him. It’s just him taking it to the bad guys. So far he has just had the anime treatment that when he is evil he is almost unstoppable but when he turns good* his power level shrinks massively. *Good as in relative good I still don’t believe any of the X-Men/Mutants are the good guys right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 It has been a long time since Apocalypse has displayed his full power... X-Factor #67 But I don't think Hickman has really done anything of substance with Apocalypse yet. Granted I've only read the main x-book so far and I am aware he features more prominently in Excalibur. But since no one is on Apocalypse's level, Hickman has lowered him down to everyone else. Which is weird, considering it was Hickman that reclassified all the Omega Level Mutants. He hasn't really applied that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Wait until you read X of Swords: Creation. It’s the worst appearance of him yet if you ask me. The issue as a whole is...good, I suppose. But Apocalypse gets wiped out probably quicker than he has ever been wiped out. At the end of the event he needs to have a moment. I just want to see a fight where he is truly unleashed and takes it to everybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Then again, they are building up Dracula as a threat in the new Wolverine book. So maybe Apocalypse might get his next moment elsewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 This Alex Ross variant for FF#24 is awesome When will the Thing become part of the MCU? He is the most perfectly suited character for the tone of those movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 On 28/09/2020 at 17:56, Maf said: Wait until you read X of Swords: Creation. It’s the worst appearance of him yet if you ask me. ... Yep. X of Swords: Creation #1 I think this is Hickman's first X-Men crossover event. Interestingly enough he uses it to mine the vast lore of Captain Britain, Excalibur and The Fall of The Mutants (ominous implication there). I doubt the average reader will have any idea who Saturnyne is, or her level of importance. So this issue does a very good job of filling you in. Without the more convoluted bits... Excalibur #34 I'm guessing he chose this, as this reads just as high concept as House of X/Powers of X. Clearly something Hickman likes to write. As noted by Maf, Apocalypse has some good dialogue here but isn't really written very well, if that makes sense? The problem here though, is X of Swords is a 22 issue event. Most of those books I simply won't be buying. But this book has tempted me to do so. 8/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 There are two things I didn’t like about Apocalypse in the issue. Firstly is how far they’ve bent his survival of the fittest philosophy. In HoX/PoX they leveraged it and it kind of works. Mutants have effectively put them selves on top and proven to be strong in all sorts of ways so he is happy to join them. That works enough for me. But here when he meets his kids you think he would be really happy about the fact they have survived all this time. Yet he seems really soft and sad he hasn’t seen them which doesn’t feel very Apocalypse-y to me. Also just how quick he is despatched. I get that these Horsemen will probably be his strongest horsemen ever but still, 1 attack? That’s the 3rd time by my count Apocalypse has been undersold in Hickman’s X-Men. He lost the fight against Nimrod which fair enough. 3 Nimrods are not anything to sneeze at and he still beat one of them. Then on the Excalibur series there’s a bit where he is fighting cannon fodder outside their base and says he needs help or something. Like really, dude? And now OHKO’d. I’m hoping at some point Apocalypse gets his moment. I want a scene or a battle where he is purely a god of war and wipes out legions of people and main villains and even the X-Men are like...glad he’s on our side now. Show us some of that Age of Apocalypse type Apocalypse. Pit him against an army on a battlefield and let’s seem him raze them like a sweeping firestorm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 8 minutes ago, Maf said: Yet he seems really soft and sad he hasn’t seen them which doesn’t feel very Apocalypse-y to me. Yeah, I didn't like that at all. Apocalypse cried WTF?? Whatever the circumstances, I don't buy it for a second. Spoiler ^That is the Apocalypse I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Look at this cool Patrick Gleason cover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Marvel announces the stars of it’s new young artists program Quote Marvel Comics has announced the debut of MARVEL’S STORMBREAKERS, its latest preeminent talent distinction program to spotlight the next generation of elite artists in the industry. Launching today, the inaugural class selected for their groundbreaking portfolio work and achievements include Josh Cassara (X-Force), Patrick Gleason (Amazing Spider-Man), Peach Momoko (known for her best-selling covers), Natacha Bustos (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur), Iban Coello (Venom), Carmen Carnero (Hellions), Juann Cabal (Guardians of the Galaxy), and R.B. Silva (Fantastic Four, Powers of X). This year’s Stormbreakers embody pure talent and creativity that, time and time again, have shown us all there are no limits to what visual storytelling can do. We are continuously blown away by their innovative styles and by the power in how they capture the heart, humor, and humanity of our characters,” said Cebulski. “These eight artists have proven their unrivaled talent and passion for storytelling, and much like Beta Ray Bill, they are truly worthy of taking up the mantle as one of Marvel’s Stormbreakers, the next generation of elite artists. We can’t wait to show you all what’s next. And to all our Stormbreakers – take up your hammer!” MARVEL’S STORMBREAKERS is the next evolution of Marvel’s Young Guns program. Over the past 15 years, Marvel selected and recognized 36 up-and-coming artists who went on to draw some of Marvel’s greatest events, iconic series, and beyond, solidifying their place as luminaries in the industry including Steve McNiven, Jim Cheung, Sara Pichelli, Ryan Stegman, and more. MARVEL’S STORMBREAKERS continues the tradition Marvel’s Young Guns set forth and recognizes its alumni today as honorary Stormbreakers in addition to their work as Young Guns. I’ve never heard of Peach or Natacha but yes the rest of them are amazing talents. In particular I love Coello, Gleason and Cabal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 New This Week... ? So FF #24. We have a "flashback" issue. To the time when Iceman was on the FF. Yes that is a retcon because that never happened. It is alright as stories go and I like that the Flashback scenes in particular do have a retro visual. The part that is amusing though, is this is one of those random and extremely rare instances wherein a concrete date is attached to the Marvel Universe. As a bit of back story, Marvel Comics has what is known as the "sliding scale". That means they can market all your favourite characters as Young, because no one ages in real time. During the climax of the Civil War event (2006/07) A text box in the epilogue basically stated everything in Marvel Comics from Fantastic Four #1 (1961) to the end of Civil War (2007) happened over 12 years. 46 real life years of comics divided into 12 Marvel Years (roughly 3.8 IRL per on the sliding scale). To that end, during this flashback issue, Human Torch gives a date to not only their early adventures. But those of the Original Five X-Men, too. Apparently all that Cold War stuff and 60's villains/dialogue/fashion, took place in the 1980's in Marvel Time. Which makes the previous bit I mentioned very confusing. I really don't know why Slott did it to be fair? Overall it is a standard Human Torch vs. Iceman story and now we're out of Empyre, it looks like the Kree and Skull kids from those tie-ins, are here to stay. 7/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCH Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 Oh, slight addendum... The back of the issue includes a Thor story (no, I didn't immediately see the 'Fortnite x Marvel' bit in the top corner of the cover). Which I thought was quite interesting, as it ties in at first with the ongoing story of the Thor series. Until the Fortnite characters appear and ...FFS, why does this exist??? Beyond cashing in on a popular fad thing, of course. Weirder still that Greg 'porno tracing' Land illustrates this. I assume he must be illustrating the main Thor book too?? Back in the day, things like this used to be a funny little ad EG You still see the Justice League in illustrated Snickers ad's in DC books. That's really where novelty things like this belong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryokutai Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 It doesn't make much sense either. I get that having Marvel characters appear in Fortnite is great publicity because that game is populated by gullible and easy to manipulate pre-teens, but I doubt there's a huge group of comic book readers who've never heard of Fortnite and would like to try it out. And even if there were such a group it'd still be questionable since unlike f2p Fortnite, that comic book had to be bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maf Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 It won’t make comics more successful or popular. The “main stream” chances for comics are well and truly long gone. But even if they get 1% of the Fortnite audience to pick up a book that would be a noticeable spike because comics are such a tiny business. A quick Google shows Fortnite makes double per year what the entirety of the comic book industry does. So if even a tiny fraction of kids think I want to find out more of this story that’s good for comics. Hard to say what Fortnite gets out of the deal with Marvel apart from young kids wanting to buy the Marvel skins or whatever they’re selling. It hasn’t so far affected the main Thor comic at all although Donny did say on Twitter a while ago he was integral to working out the story and it does fit in with his Thor run. Whether that’s some PR nonsense I don’t know. It hasn’t mattered so far. Greg Land also isn’t drawing Thor. It’s Nick Clein who is doing a awesome job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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