Last Run on X-Men

X-Men #28 courtesy Marvel.com

  Victor Gischler is wrapping up his X-Men with guest stars galore and a blast from Marvel events past. (Adjectiveless) X-Men relaunched with a new one under Gischler as he threw armies of vampires, robots and aliens at the mutants. He significantly transformed Jubilee and revamped Marvel’s vampire underworld.

  The novelist and departing X-writer talked with Marvel.com about how the series and cast have grown.

  “I think the book has fulfilled its mission to be the X-book that engages more with the Marvel Universe, but it’s also helped expand Marvel Universe vampire lore and given Jubilee a new lease on life—undead life. There are a good number of X-books, but there are also a lot of X-Men and one of the things that’s been nice about the changing team is to give characters some face time we might not otherwise see too much of. I know a number of readers have also expressed their pleasure in seeing Storm in a leadership role again, and it was this book that really got that going.”

 

X-Men #29 courtesy Marvel.com

For the entire interview and more images here’s the Marvel.com link.

 From the preview art, expect the FF, Skrulls, and Pixie back on the front burner in this final arc. The cover of X-Men #29 is a splash page summary of Gischler’s run featuring nearly all the characters he’s used in his stories.

Brian Wood takes over the title next with Storm still on board at team leader. I will be sorry to see Warpath leave – I hope he will find a home on one of the other X-books.

 By Editor

The Fearless Climax

Fear Itself The Fearless #2 courtesy Marvel

  Fear Itself: The Fearless comes to an exciting, emotional climax. Valkyrie defied the Avengers on a mission for Odin. The warrior’s race against Sin to find the mystical hammers left by the Serpent in Fear Itself has been gripping and fun. Valkyrie faces an emotional sacrifice in her final showdown with Sin issue 12 out now.

  Even if you loved, loathed or didn’t read Fear Itself – I highly recommend this thrilling tour of the Marvel universe packed with exciting battles, bloody fights, and shocking betrayals. We learn of Valkyrie’s haunted past and hope for love in the afterlife. She invades Atlantis, Utopia and every corner of the Marvel world with the Avengers on her trail.

  Valkyrie is definitely the star of this series but it’s packed with awesome moments: Wolverine vs. Crossbones, Doctor Strange and the Avengers vs. an army right of out Inferno plus the Valkyrie Storm fight is worth the dang series!

Fear Itself The Fearless #9 courtesy Marvel

Cullen Bunn, Matt Fraction and Chris Yost created this exciting quest for one of my favorite heroines. Mark Bagley and Paul Pelletier tag team on art with Art Adams on covers. This will likely be collected in a trade – get it!

X-Men Vs. Vampires Updated: That’s Why Jubilee Is a Vamp!

 

X-Men #25 courtesy Marvel

 

  You may have read my post in favor of Victor Gischler’s radical transformation of Jubilee in his X-Men series. The young mutant who was Wolverine’s spunky sidekick with fireworks generation powers is now a creature of darkness. In a new interview with Comic Book Resources, Gischler reveals who was behind the decision to turn Jubilee into a vampire.

  “The initial idea to turn her vamp came from the big brains in the X-office. I jumped on the idea and ran with it. Jubilee was a big part of the “Curse of the Mutants” arc. Jubilee had been de-powered and it was not only a cool plot point to turn her vamp but also an exciting way to get her more actively in the mix again.”

  If you haven’t been following Jubilee was turned into a vampire in X-Men #1: Curse of the Mutants. Jubilee disappeared from the team’s last mission and ended up with a unique vampire clan calling themselves the Forgiven. Gishcler talks about the long mutant/vampire history that led to his ongoing epic.

  “I was sent a huge PDF file of all Marvel vamp lore when I started designing the different vampire sects for “Death of Dracula.” I started with ideas that were already there and sort of formalized and expanded them. Dracula, the sects and The Forgiven are now players in the Marvel U and we’ve already seen them make cool appearances in other books. They’ll continue to crop up now and then.”

  Gischler says Storm will stay team leader but expect roster changes for the team. Will Jubilee stay if she can learn to control her vampire urges or will she join Logan at the School?

For his entire interview here’s the link.

X-Men Vs. Skrulls II

 

X-Men #29 courtesy Marvel.com

  Does the impeding Avengers Vs. X-Men epic have you longing for events past? X-Men #29 is just what the event addict ordered. In Marvel’s May solicit for the issue by Victor Gischler and Will Conrad, relive Secret Invasion when the Skrulls conquered Earth.

  In X-Men #29 a team of the shapeshifters infiltrates the X-Men. Pixie is taken hostage “or did she go by choice?”

I loved all of Secret Invasion especially the X-Men limited series. I wouldn’t mind some more Skrull-crushing!

 

X-Men Vs. Vampires Rematch!

X-Men #25 preview art courtesy Marvel

   Storm leads a team after one of their own in X-Men #25. Victor Gischler picks up story threads he began way back in X-Men #1. The X-Men Vs. Vampires rivalry heats up again. Jubilee vanished during an European mission and fled with a clan of vampires known as The Forgiven.

  I really wanted to share this spectacular and horrific image by Jorge Molina as the X-Men discover a nest of bloodsuckers. This is one of many X-Men title preview images on Comics Newsarama.

X-Men #24 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  I have to commend Gischler for his heartbreaking transformation of Jubilee. The once rollerblading, wise cracking mall rat Jubilation Lee had been on the back burner. I remember when she was Wolverine’s sidekick back when the X-Men were still based in the Australian Outback. The young mutant eventually became a student of Generation X.  Jubilee lost her powers in the Decimation, was part of the mutant movement to San Francisco but wouldn’t join the X-Men on Utopia.

  The girl with sparks and ability to generate fireworks has become a creature of darkness. Her search for answers and to find her identity is compelling and a metaphor for why we love comics.

 

Storm Vs Valkyrie (This Ain’t AvX)

Fear Itself The Fearless #9 courtesy Marvel

  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.

What’s Next for the Black Panther

Black Panther #529 Courtesy Comic Book Resources/Marvel  Let me begin with what I’ve said a gazillion times on Facebook Thor movie updates: IDRIS ELBA can play anything but imagine him on the big screen in as BLACK PANTHER!

  What a finale for Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #529 out this week! Black Panther versus the Kingpin with Lady Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, Luke Cage and Falcon guest starring!

  T’Challa took over numbering and Daredevil’s role as protector of Hell’s Kitchen but his time in New York is at an end.

Black Panther #35

    What will Marvel do with T’challa?  Will he reclaim his kingdom of Wakanda? Which side will T’Challa choose in Avengers Versus X-Men? T’Challa is a longtime Avenger, Captain America just recruited Storm for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes but she’s in Uncanny X-Men’s Extinction Team so he would be a man in great conflict in AVX.

  Let’s give Black Panther his own team in his own series based in Wakanda. Let’s get Idris Elba as T’Challa, Madds Mikkelsen as Klaw, and Paula Patton as Monica Lynne.

 

Valkyrie Versus Avengers, Storm, the Marvel Universe!

Fear Itself The Fearless #12 by Art Adams courtesy Marvel and Comic Book Resources Exclusive First

  I’ve been raving about Fear Itself: The Fearless. The action packed series stars Valkyrie in a race with Sin to recover mystical hammers. The Norse warrior woman defied the Avengers in search to recover the Asgardian artifacts. The legendary Art Adams provides stunning covers for the limited series.

I was thrilled to see two preview images in this week’s Axel in Charge column on Comic Book Resources. Valkyrie is ready to strike on the cover to the final issue and another image shows Storm and Danielle Moonstar (back in her Valkyrie form) confronting Val with a hammer ready to strike.

When a fan asked about Art Adams upcoming work with Marvel, Editor in Chief Axel Alonso responded:

Fear Itself The Fearless preview cover courtesy Marvel

  “Fingers crossed we can find time for him to draw a story in “AvX: Versus.” I mean, how cool would that be?

Seriously cool! Adams starts creating covers for Secret Avengers, also featuring Valkyrie, next month.

Here’s one of my favorite Art Adams X-Men stories from the late 80’s featuring Mojo, Longshot and the X-babies.