Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men has been pure joy. The eclectic staff and students of the new Jean Grey School are an odd but lovable mix of heroes, egos and misfits.
In X-history, there have been many touching foster father/daughter relationships for Logan but his father/son rapport with Quentin Quire is completely different. The X-Men’s odd couple are hilarious. Logan dragged the arrogant egomaniac to set him straight at the new school. In the upcoming issue #6 Logan takes the telepath on an outrageous field trip.
The stakes are high. The Jean Grey School is in ruins after the Hellfire Club’s assault. Logan and Kid Omega head to deep space to gamble on their future. It’s like a cosmic Casino Royale. What could possibly go wrong?
I love this page by Nick Bradshaw showing Logan and Quenin ready for action in the Vegas of outer space. For more of the X-Men preview images here’s the Comics Newsarama link.
Rick Remender and Mike McKone preview the upcoming Uncanny X-Force story Final Execution on Marvel.com. Editor Nick Lowe said it was not just an arc but a “MEGA” arc. Is this the next Dark Angel Saga?
“We changed one big element of the Dark Angel Saga, and this story grows out of that. So it’s actually kind of a double mega arc, because this is an extension of the Dark Angel Saga in some ways. It’s nine issues and a continuation of what we’ve been doing in some ways,” said Remender.
The story introduces a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who grow out of the Dark Angel Saga.
“This is the toughest Brotherhood of Evil Mutants ever. When you see who’s in it, you’ll see just what the stakes are for X-Force.”
“The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants has a huge plan that stems from the earlier issues of Uncanny X-Force. Archangel’s fall was really the smaller consequence from killing the child Apocalypse. This is the big consequence.”
“This is going to be the ugliest, most down and dirty thing I’ve ever written.”
“I tried to envision something I thought Mike could really excel at here. Issue #25 introduces a new take on a classic X-Men villain and I can’t wait to see Mike draw them. They’re the Omega Clan, three new characters built from the remains of Omega Red.”
“Any place that manufactures humans into weapons is going to piss off a couple members of X-Force. I always want a personal reason for why these characters take on these missions,” said Remender about White Skies where corporations can shop for villains.
“Final Execution is Wolverine’s spotlight arc. He goes through a crazy thing here. I think the fear with him is that he’s in so many books that his growth can become stagnant. He ends this story in a very different place.”
Andrew Stanton has captured the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom (aka Mars) in Disney’s John Carter. A huge gallery of photos and posters is up at Ace Showbiz. I love the look of the Tharks.
Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in Disney's John Carter
Taylor Kitsch plays the Earthman transported to Mars to fall in love with a Princess of Mars (Lynn Collins of True Blood Season One and X-Men: Origins: Wolverine.)
Poster for Disney's John Carter
I really love this retro look – that 70’s sci-fi movie poster feel.
Valkyrie Vs Storm! Fear Itself: The Fearless #9 featured a blistering battle between the X-Men’s Weather Goddess and the Warrior Woman of Asgard. This is one of the smartest written sequence with Ororo I’ve read in a long time. The power, passion and devotion of these women’s causes is felt in every panel.
We learn Valkyrie’s hidden reason for her mission to collect the Hammers. Doctor Strange and Captain America confront her with the truth when Sin’s forces strike. If Valkyrie is the haunted angel then Sin is the devil. I can’t wait to see these opposite forces finally clash.
I really love this book. As a longtime fan of Valkyrie – it’s great to see her in the spotlight and taking on the Marvel universe.
Generation Hope #16 arrives today and marks the final story. I wanted to share some of this interview with former and current Generation Hope writers Kieron Gillen and James Asmus. They talk about the how Hope Summers has grown and her role in Avengers Vs X-Men.
“To state the bloody obvious, she’s had it hard. None of the futures she’s lived through have been in any way pleasant. She’s survived in some genuinely vile worlds, been chased through time and ended up coming back to Earth onto to have her Dad die in front of her. To be honest, she’d have every right to curl up in a ball and having a good old cry for the next 24 issues,” says Gillen.
“I like to think that—though she’d refuse to admit it—Cyclops has become a significant influence for her. Hope lost her father almost as soon as she made it to the present day Marvel Universe. So even though she had heard a great deal about the world she now lives in, she’s needed her fellow X-Men to actually get integrated and really start to understand her new world,” Asmus said.
“As for the tight-knit young mutants she runs with in Generation Hope, I think each one has brought something different out of our Mutant Messiah. If anyone really gets into Hope’s head and makes her think a little differently, it would have to be Laurie, aka Transonic. Kieron did a great job of setting Laurie up as an intellectual and philosophical person—in stark contrast to Hope’s more gung-ho, rough-and-tumble tendencies,” he continued.
AvX1 preview art courtesy Marvel.com
Hope’s role as the mutant messiah will make her the central role of AVX. What do expect to see happen to Hope in the event?
“I’m never anything but afraid for what could lie ahead for Hope. Even the absolute best that could happen could be pretty horrific. Her life’s an arrow, aimed at a target. Whether she hits it or misses it almost doesn’t matter. Either way, it could be the end of her,” Gillen replied.
“I am looking forward to [a] definitive and life-changing story for Hope. I can’t wait to see her completely confront her potential destiny, and to see her transformed by the process. I know that things are absolutely not going to unfold as people may expect and I’m thrilled to read how some of favorite creators are going to unfold it all for us,” Asmus said then had a dire prediction.
“As for my fears? I’m not sure if I’m more afraid that she’ll have her own heart broken by the events—or if she just might be the destroyer others fear her to be…”
Generation Hope #16 arrives today. AVX #0 arrives next month.
On this Valentine’s Day I wanted to share a memory of my favorite comic book couple. Joss Whedon finally united Kitty Pryde and Colossus during his Astonishing X-Men run. This cover to issue 5 by John Cassaday.
Colossus caught Kitty’s eye in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne era when Professor X brought Peter, Logan and Ororo to the Pryde home in Chicago to recruit the young mutant. Years of drama and even death kept them apart. The lovers are apart again but on this day let’s remember when Kitty and Colossus were together and actually ‘got together’ if you know what I mean – to which Logan said “about time.”
The New Mutants will take a Journey Into Mystery in Exiled, a crossover between the two books. A one-shot will kick off the 5-part story in May.
Kieron Gillen (Uncanny X-Men, Journey Into Mystery) and Andy Lanning (New Mutants) joined Marvel’s Next Big Thing event to reveal more of the story.
“This developed quite quickly and quite easily given the long history of the New Mutants in Asgard. We wanted to bring that to Earth rather than take them back to Asgard. It’s a little twist on how past stories have played out. There are some really cool reveals and surprises along the way that will hopefully play against type and expectation.” Andy Lanning
Carmine Di Giandomenico will provide interior art. Stephanie Hans will create covers. Gillen teases the art fans will see in this mythic collaboration.
“Carmine’s image of Hell, for example, is unlike any other Hell I’ve ever seen in a Marvel book. I stared at one his panels for 10 minutes. He’s a very powerful artist.” Kieron Gillen
“The Asgardians are fish out of water in this story, and that’s part of the fun.” Andy Lanning
“The New Mutants are now older than the last time they were in Asgard, but Loki is younger. They’ve almost taken on the parental role. It’s fun.” Kieron Gillen
New Mutants #11 courtesy Marvel.com
This is exciting news given the compelling history between the mutants and Norse Gods – especially Danielle Moonstar fans. This will continue subplots started in Siege when Dani made a deal with Hela to gain her Valkyrie powers back.
I highly recommend The Asgardian Wars trade paperback featuring X-Men, New Mutants and Alpha Flights’s adventures in Asgard caused by the adult Loki’s manipulations.
Young Romance: The Best of Simon and Kirby’s Romance Comics The men who created Captain America also created the romance comics genre! Fantagraphics collects all the love, schemes, heartbreaks and makeups of the classic comics of a bygone era.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga A woman, two men that love her and the most powerful destructive force in the universe. The tragic heroine Jean Grey fighting a losing battle to control the darkness within her. Cyclops and Wolverine were the two men who’d take on the universe to save her. This is the ultimate X-Men story and one of the most cosmic love stories in comics.
Astonishing X-Men Omnibus This is must pick for two great love stories. Scott Summers and Emma Frost. The stoic leader of the X-Men slowly fell for the ice-cold bad girl turned ally. Kitty Pryde and Peter Rasputin. Not even death could keep them apart. Colossus came back from the dead and finally had sex with his beloved “Katya.” This is Joss Whedon’s romantic, thrilling and game changing X-Men era in one huge collection with stunning art by John Cassady.
New Avengers Annual #1
Jessica Jones and Luke Cage Marvel’s coolest couple is former hero Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Ex-superhero turned private investigator Jessica was introduced in the series Aliasby Brian Michael Bendis. Former Hero for Hire Luke Cage was her love interest. When Bendis revamped the Avengers, Captain America recruited Luke and Jessica and their baby moved into Avengers HQ. The couple married in the beautiful New Avengers Annual #1. Luke has unbreakable skin but the tough guy went all soft and romantic for the troubled ex-heroine. AKA Jessica Jones based on Alias is in a television pilot stage and could become an ABC series.
Rick Jones and Marlo Chandler this may be an odd choice but I love against all odds love stories. During Peter David’s classic run on The Incredible Hulk he eventually merged Bruce and the Hulk into one being. Rick was the Hulk’s sidekick. Marlo was the Hulk’s girlfriend in Las Vegas back when he was grey and a mob enforcer named Joe Fix-It. Marlo later became best friends with Betty Banner and fell in love with Rick. Not even death could keep them apart. After Marlo’s resurrection they couple were married in Incredible Hulk #418in a sweet but hilarious cameo filled ceremony.
