Tag: X-Men

Marvel Comic Books For The Cure

 

Wolverine #315 courtesy Marvel.com

  Marvel is going pink! Some of the publisher’s most iconic superheroes drawn by an all-star roster of artists are joining the fight for the cure this month. Eight of Marvel’s biggest titles will go pink with variant covers in support of the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Campaign during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These books will be sold exclusively in comic shops and include a one-page advertorial educating readers about breast cancer.

Captain Marvel #5 courtesy Marvel

“Marvel is proud to partner with Susan G. Komen For the Cure to support their unparalleled efforts to raise awareness about the risk of breast cancer to both women and men,” said Dan Buckley, Publisher & President of the Print, Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. “We’re in a unique position to educate all our fans worldwide and increase awareness of the ways to fight—and reduce– this risk of this disease by utilizing our comics and online presence.”

 

Here are the titles to watch for this month:

  • AVENGERS #31 KOMEN VARIANT by Pasqual Ferry & Chris Sotomayor [on sale 10/10]
  • CAPTAIN AMERICA #18 KOMEN VARIANT  by Dale Keown & Frank D’Armata [on sale 10/10]
  • CAPTAIN MARVEL #5 KOMEN VARIANT by Joe Quiñones [on sale 10/107]
  • FANTASTIC FOUR #611 KOMEN VARIANT by John Tyler Christopher [on sale 10/10]
  • INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #526 KOMEN VARIANT by Paul Renaud [on sale 10/10]
  • THE MIGHTY THOR #21 KOMEN VARIANT by Mike Perkins & Sonia Oback [on sale 10/17]
  • UNCANNY X-MEN #20 KOMEN VARIANT  by David Marquez & Chris Sotomayor [on sale 10/17]
  • WOLVERINE #315 KOMEN VARIANT by Ben Ang & Edgar Delgado [on sale 10/24]

    Uncanny X-Men #20 courtesy Marvel

  Wolverine’s daughter, X-23, is featured on the Wolverine variant. It’s inspiring to see Carol Danvers helping the cause. The recently promoted Captain Marvel is the only female character headling her own title written by a fan favorite writer Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Marvel is also publishing a special one page advertorial running throughout its comics in October to raise awareness of breast cancer in men. The publisher reveals all the variant covers which you can see here on Marvel.com.

By Editor

Revenge & X-Men Crossover?

New X-Men #131 cover courtesy Marvel.com

Tonight the new season of REVENGE begins on ABC so I thought it was a perfect time to revisit this crazy idea I had:

They’re rich, powerful, blonde, manipulative and can deliver razor-sharp one liners like Hand assassin throwing daggers.

Emma Frost is the reformed White Queen of the Hellfire Club and now co-leader of the X-Men.

Nolan Ross (played by Gabriel Mann) is the witty, scheming, brilliant high-tech billionaire with too much time, money and tech on the hit ABC show Revenge.

If ever too characters from similar worlds but different mediums should cross over it’s these two. As I watch Revenge I can’t help but think if Emma had a long-lost twin it might be Nolan. I could even picture Conrad Grayson sipping cocktails in the old school Hellfire Club – an exclusive cabal of ultra rich power brokers who have clashed with the X-Men.

This is what happens when a geek has too much time his hands – spinning two of my favorite vices into a twisted idea. Disney does own both companies behind these properties and I can see Frost on holiday in the Hamptons crossing paths with Ross, Emily Thorne – and can you imagine Emma taking out Victoria Grayson!

After all – most comic books are soaps in spandex – so why not let the characters fo Revenge feel a touch of Frost.

By Editor

 

 

Astonishing X-Men: A Fight to the Death? A Villain Revealed!

Astonishing X-Men #54 courtesy Marvel

Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins deliver a big revelation, big fights and set the stage for a huge showdown in this week’s Astonishing X-Men #54.

Susan Hatchi appears to be a greedy corporate type that’s oozing evil. She could have easily fit right in with the old school Hellfire Club. Hatchi has forced New Mutant Karma to attack her teammates, blew up Wolverine at Northstar’s wedding and left the rest of the team in a hellhole.

Hatchi reveals her connection to Karma and gives the team an impossible mission with deadly consequences if they fail – all to prove a point.

I give Liu huge kudos for using Wolverine in just the right dose and giving other characters equal time. Cecilia Reyes never wanted to be an X-Man but she’s caught up in an adventure with them again. With the team in a deathtrap, Reyes pushes her power to new levels while pondering if her past choices have been wrong.

While Logan is recovering Liu shows that Remy has just as many underworld connections. Hatchi’s orders take the team to Madripoor and Gambit makes a move on Logan’s ex Tyger Tiger in a move to accomplish their mission.

Tension has been building between Iceman and Northstar. Liu continues to explore what it’s like for a hero to have a loved one always in the line of fire. Jean-Paul’s husband and all of New York City is in jeopardy. Bobby and Jean-Paul’s conflict leads to a huge fight and shocking cliffhanger – has an X-Man accidently killed an X-Man?

If you want a thrilling adventure not tied to AvX and a chance to see other mutants in action then this is a great X-Men book. I’m enjoying Liu and Perkins run and I’m excited for the showdown in Madripoor next issue.

By Editor

Doop – The Untold Story! Why the X-Men Need Him!

Wolverine and the X-Men #17 courtesy Marvel

Everything you wanted to know about Doop but were afraid to ask! It’s actually more like everything Doop does that makes you scared he’s around0 kids. Mike and Laura Allred reunite with the lovable mystery (man, thing, it?) that co-created with Peter Milligan back in X-Force/X-Statix.

Doop is now working (mostly sleeping on the job) for Logan at the Jean Grey School. In this week’s Wolverine and the X-Men #17 the Allreds join writer Jason Aaron for Doop- the untold story. Now we know why Logan recruited the green ball and why he’s asleep a lot. One of the most obscure characters in comics receives a hilarious, colorful back story. What’s even better is the other outrageous and forgotten character who makes a surprise appearance in Doop’s tale. We see just how crucial a role Doop has been playing all this time and the sacrifices (sexual and otherwise) the great green one has made to protect the future of mutantkind.

This Doop-centric story isn’t just comic relief. This issue forwards the elements of this amazing series and reinforces what I love about the eclectic cast. Aaron continues to perfectly mix action, drama and humor. This is an offbeat and welcome break from the doom of AvX. Wolverine may be the only character who can understand Doop’s language but the green guy speaks volumes on the pages of this issue – maybe the funniest of the year.

By Editor

 

Hope-Less In the Marvel NOW?

 

The final chapter of Avengers vs. X-Men is almost here and with it the final (?)fate of Hope Summers. Hopefully we will learn her true origin and connection with the Phoenix Force (and perhaps Jean Grey?)

 

Avengers vs. X-Men #12 courtesy Marvel

The Generation Hope series was so promising with an amazing cast of young characters but was a victim of poor sales and (in my opinion) not fitting in with two planned events. Idie has become a student at the Jean Grey School. The other kids stayed on Utopia and Hope became the source of AvX conflict but what will happen to Hope.

 

Hope and Storm at Emerald City Comicon 2012 photo by ComicsBlend.com

Hope is a strong young female character. I don’t think we have enough of them in comics today. I always say a new character is making an impact when you see an inspired cosplay fan. (Pixie Cloud of the Great Northwest!) In fact, I saw rival Hopes at Jet City Comic Show this weekend!

photo by ComicsBlend.com

It feels like Hope’s story is coming to an end and she will be sacrificed to save the Earth (and Scott.) Layla (“I know stuff”) Miller was a critical character in House of M and went on be part of Peter David’s X-Factor. As much as I would hate to see Hope go it feels like she should and wrap up story threads born in Messiah Complex.

Avengers vs X-Men #4 courtesy Marvel

Hope triggered the Five Lights which included some new female mutants. Maybe Hope’s final act in AvX will save the mutant race and give birth to more strong characters. The final fate of Hope is in the hands (as they reach for their wallets) of the fans so maybe Hope is alive in the Marvel Now!

By Editor

Brian Wood On Leaving X-Men

X-Men #31 courtesy Marvel

  Brian Wood has completed his last X-Men script for now. Wood will continue writing Ultimate Comics X-Men for Marvel and The Massive for Dark Horse. I love those books but it’s hard to see Wood leave the X-Men. Wood and artist David Lopez crafted a beautiful and thrilling run starring Storm, Psylocke, Domino, Colossus and Pixie. The Wood/Lopez run reminded me of the Chris Claremont/Paul Smith era mixed with a Torchwood modern edge.

  I wanted to share some fan questions and Wood’s answers from today’s X-Position on Comic Book Resources. He was asked about a dream project and the artist he would work with.

  “I like writing the X-Men, and I’d love to do more of it with David Lopez. Second to that, I’d love to write a new Runaways book and a Thor MAX that’s heavy on the Viking stuff.”

 If you’re not familiar – Wood has an amazing series of Viking graphic novels  – Northlanders so the idea of a Thor MAX book is very exciting.

  Wood’s X-Men team dealt with the discovery of ancient mutant DNA and inspired a fan to ask what Psylocke meant when she was “being a mutant…it means something different now.”

 “All that means is they have a greater understanding of their shared history. The proto-mutants weren’t just ancestors, they were a whole different species, one that died out. It would be like if we, as humans, just now discovered that there were Neanderthals. It casts everything that came after it in a new light.”

 One of my favorite part of Wood’s run was how he portrayed Storm as team leader and how his script worked so beautifully with David Lopez’s pencils. Wood revealed the best part and biggest surprise of this run was Lopez and Storm.

“If I had to say just one thing, it would be finding a great partner in David Lopez. Sometimes you work with an artist and something about it just feels right it just click with your words in the perfect way. That’s how I felt about David’s work, and I keep coming up with new project ideas for him to draw.

“I wouldn’t say I wasn’t crazy about any of them, really. Some of them surprised me. Considering how well received my Storm was, I really had a strong vision for her as a character at the very beginning. But once I started writing the first script, it all clicked into place and I was like, “Oh yeah, this is working”. And so it went.”

X-Men #36 courtesy Marvel

Will Wood be back writing the X-Men?

“People at Marvel can answer that better than I can. I hope the chances are 100%.”

X-Men #36 is out this week.

Op/Ed

  I have no knowledge of the inner workings of the Marvel offices and don’t mean this in any disrespect to other writers that I enjoy but I can’t help but think this title is falling victim to the Marvel Now revamp.

   Every X-book has to be part of a biggest picture. This book was perfect and stood on its own. In fact – I recently was asked to recommend an X-book for a newbie at my local shop and this was the only one not tied to AvX. so it was perfect for a jumping on point. I’m proud to say I converted a new X-Men fan! I really hate to see this title go and hope both Wood and Lopez are back on an X-Men book.

By the way – The Massive is my favorite non-superhero book right now – pick it up!

By Editor

X-Men Legend at Emerald City Comicon 2013

This is the image that started my love of comic books! Find this image on Marvel.com

  Chris Claremont is coming to Emerald City Comicon 2013 in Seattle! You don’t understand. Uncanny X-Men #116 by Claremont and John Byrne was my first comic book! Claremont’s classic 17 year X-Men run was the story of my growing up. The Dark Phoenix Saga can still make me tear up.

  This is the man who helped create Kitty Pryde, Gambit, Emma Frost, Rogue and Sabretooth. Claremont took Logan (aka Patch) to Madripoor for the launch of the first Wolverine solo title and teamed with Frank Miller on the classic Wolverine limited series – the basis for Hugh Jackman’s next film The Wolverine.

  Claremont brought the Children of the Atom back together in early 90’s and launched the second X-title – X-Men #1 with Jim Lee. I highly recommend the Claremont/Alan Davis era of Excalibur and for real old school fun grab his Power Man & Iron Fist collection with Byrne. 

Emerald City Comicon is March 1-3, 2013 in Seattle – the greatest event in the Northwest all year! I just hope I don’t start drooling when I meet Claremont  and say something like  “You know when you wrote the Proteus Saga on Muir Island….ha ha that was awesome!”

By Editor

Wolverine and Doop by Allred

Wolverine and the X-Men #17 courtesy Marvel

  There are many reasons to love Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men: Kitty & Iceman’s growing attraction, Kid Gladiator, Bamfs, Broo, Beast in full wacky professor mode, Logan’s tempter tested by Kid Omega, Toad’s crush on Husk and then there’s Doop!

  Mike and Laura Allred crafted the cover for this week’s Wolverine and the X-Men #17 featuring Logan and Doop ready for action! The staff and students of the Jean Grey School try to soldier on despite the world burning in the grip of the Phoenix. One student may not survive this AvX tie-in.

  Allred co-created Doop with Peter Milligan back in an X-Force reboot which became X-Statix. Doop is now on staff at the Jean Grey School. Just one of the many characters Jason Aaron has on an amazing and eclectic palette of characters on the tite.

Thanks to Marvel.com.