Tag Archives: si spurrier

Preview: X-Men Blue: Origins #1

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X-Men Blue: Origins #1

(W) Si Spurrier (A) Wilton Santos, Marcus To (CA) Francis Manapul
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 29, 2023
SRP: $5.99

THE DEFINITIVE NIGHTCRAWLER ORIGIN STORY!
This is the one you can’t miss, True Believer! You think you know how the beloved blue devil came into this troubled world? You think you know the tale of his mendacious mamma Mystique? You don’t! Mother and son reunite in a mold-shattering tale that exposes secrets held for decades and redefines both characters forever. A collector’s item in the making.

X-Men Blue: Origins #1

X-Men Blue: Origins #1 clears up that whole Nightcrawler/Mystique connection

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X-Men Blue: Origins #1

You think you know how the beloved blue devil came into this troubled world? You think you know the tale of his mendacious mamma Mystique? You don’t! Mother and son reunite in a mold-shattering tale that exposes secrets held for decades and redefines both characters forever. X-Men Blue: Origins #1 dives into the history of Nightcrawler and Mystique, delivering the definitive “origin” and connection between the two settling decades of speculation.

Written by Si Spurrier, X-Men Blue: Origins #1 is a fairly straightforward comic. Mystique seeks out Nightcrawler who is now dressed as Spider-Man doing the heroic thing in New York and the two lay it all out on the table. For years there’s been speculation, rumors, confusion as to the connection between Nightcrawler and Mystique and this issue clears tha tup with the definitive take and answer. And it’s… kind of not surprising?

While Spurrier clears things up, the story overall isn’t as shocking/weird/new as one might expect. There’s some small details regarding Mystique’s mutation which sets up the character to have an even more interesting future, but the connection between her and Nightcrawler overall feels rather… anticlimactic.

There’s some emotional moments and in the end you feel bad for Mystique and the trauma she’s enduring but the issue really feels like it highlights the fact it’s taken so long to get here. This all should have been resolved years before. It also continues to highlight the fact that Professor X is kind of a bad guy in the big picture of things, continuing his slide over the years from visionary to borderline villain.

X-Men Blue: Origins #1 has some interesting aspects regarding Destiny and “fate.” That aspect hopefully will be explored in further storylines down the road as the implication on Nightcrawler and his role in events is pretty significant. Overall, it comes off as a concept that’s thrown out there but the reaction isn’t quite what you’d really expect and feels a bit subdued.

The art by Wilton Santos and Marcus To is solid. They’re joined by Oren Junior on ink, Ceci De La Cruz on color and Joe Caramagna on lettering. The comic looks great with some small bumps visually. You get the feeling of the emotion and confusion coming from Mystique but the visuals never quite give that overly dramatic moment where you really connect with the character and what she’s going through. It lays out the emotion but I never really connected with the emotional moments.

X-Men Blue: Origins #1 really is for those that care about the small details and need to know definitive origins. So far, its impact feels like what’s teased about Mystique’s power will have greater ramifications than the connection between her and Nightcrawler. Not a bad issue and some interesting history of the characters but overall what comes out of it, if anyhting, feels like it’ll matter more.

Story: Si Spurrier Art: Wilton Santos, Marcus To
Ink: Oren Junior Color: Ceci De La Cruz Letterer: Joe Caramagna Design Tom Muller, Jay Bowen
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: X-Men Blue: Origins #1

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X-Men Blue: Origins #1

(W) Si Spurrier (A) Wilton Santos, Marcus To (CA) Francis Manapul
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 29, 2023
SRP: $5.99

THE DEFINITIVE NIGHTCRAWLER ORIGIN STORY!
This is the one you can’t miss, True Believer! You think you know how the beloved blue devil came into this troubled world? You think you know the tale of his mendacious mamma Mystique? You don’t! Mother and son reunite in a mold-shattering tale that exposes secrets held for decades and redefines both characters forever. A collector’s item in the making.

X-Men Blue: Origins #1

Preview: Uncanny Spider-Man #4

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Uncanny Spider-Man #4

(W) Si Spurrier (A) Lee Garbett (CA) Tony Daniel
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 22, 2023
SRP: $3.99

SPIDER-MAN’S A MUTANT!
Okay, not that Spider-Man, but we got your attention, eh? Orchis’ Stark Sentinels are wreaking havoc across Peter Parker’s home turf, and it’s not just mutants in the crosshairs now. But while Peter and Kurt thwip and bamf their way around the murderous machines, another set of eyes watches from the shadows. Secrets will be revealed in this penultimate issue!

Uncanny Spider-Man #4

Preview: Uncanny Spider-Man #4

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Uncanny Spider-Man #4

(W) Si Spurrier (A) Lee Garbett (CA) Tony Daniel
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 22, 2023
SRP: $3.99

SPIDER-MAN’S A MUTANT!
Okay, not that Spider-Man, but we got your attention, eh? Orchis’ Stark Sentinels are wreaking havoc across Peter Parker’s home turf, and it’s not just mutants in the crosshairs now. But while Peter and Kurt thwip and bamf their way around the murderous machines, another set of eyes watches from the shadows. Secrets will be revealed in this penultimate issue!

Uncanny Spider-Man #4

Preview: Uncanny Spider-Man #3

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Uncanny Spider-Man #3

(W) Si Spurrier (A) Javier Pina (CA) Tony Daniel
Rated T+
In Shops: Nov 08, 2023
SRP: $3.99

RELEASE THE HOUNDS!
Silver Sable’s commission heats up! Nightcrawler’s a slippery devil, and he’s not about to surrender and let Orchis continue to terrorize NYC. Plus, you know, he’s not too keen on the whole “murder all mutants” plan. Has Sable signed up for a gig she can’t play? And when Orchis realizes her heart’s not in the game…who will they send to finish the job?

Uncanny Spider-Man #3

Preview: Uncanny Spider-Man #2

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Uncanny Spider-Man #2

(W) Si Spurrier (A) Lee Garbett (CA) Tony Daniel
Rated T+
In Shops: Oct 25, 2023
SRP: $3.99

THE DEVIL’S HORNS MEET THEIR MATCH!
The Rhino’s on a rampage again – with a different Spidey suit in his sights! Desperate to apprehend the black-clad BAMFer, Orchis is pulling out all the stops. If the Rhino can’t put Kurt Wagner down, surely Silver Sable and her team of elite mercenaries can? But Kurt isn’t just a lawbreaker in the traditional sense…he’s a criminal flirt too. Can Nightcrawler sweet-talk his way outta this one, or is it lights out for our favorite devil?

Uncanny Spider-Man #2

NYCC 2023: Si Spurrier, Aaron Campbell and Jordie Bellaire Reunite for John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America

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During New York Comic Con 2023‘s “Coming Up in the DC Multiverse” panel, it was revealed that Si Spurrier, Aaron Campbell, and Jordie Bellaire are teaming up for the DC Black Label Series John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America.

The eight issue series kicks off in January 2024 and spins out of Spurrier and Campbell’s previous John Constantine, Hellblazer. The series has Constantine heading to the United States to deal with gods and monsters from the world of DC and Sandman. The Dream of the Endless and Swamp Thing are two of the characters he’ll have to deal with. Each issue will feature extra content, with 28 story pages and no ads.

In John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America, John has cheated death once again—but his heart’s not beating, his body is decaying, and he, his friend Nat, and his son Noah are on the run in America, wanted for murder. Naturally, it’s all John’s fault—it always is. But as it turns out, Dream himself needs John’s help. Something terrible has taken root in America, and it’s using the sand from Dream’s pouch to impose its will. If John can put a stop to it, he might be able to parlay that favor into a chance to save all their lives—but he’s going to need help from someone he hasn’t spoken to in years. Someone he wasn’t always…all that kind to. Someone…or some…Thing?

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #1 will be available at local comic shops on January 16, 2024, and is intended for readers 17+. The debut issue features a main cover by series artist Aaron Campbell, variant covers by Jock, and Sean Phillips, and a 1:25 variant by Matías Bergara.

Preview: The Flash #1

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The Flash #1

(W) Si Spurrier (A) Mike Deodato Jr.
In Shops: Sep 26, 2023
SRP: $4.99

WALLY WEST RACES TOWARD THE FUTURE WITH ALL-STAR NEW CREATIVE TEAM SI SPURRIER AND MIKE DEODATO JR.! Wally West has never been quicker, more fulfilled, more heroic. His loving family is around him. And yet something is off. Very off. His evolving understanding of his powers has opened Wally to new avenues of sci-fi adventure and attuned his senses to strange new ideas. Something whispers from the dark vibrations beyond the Speed Force, and as Wally experiments with creative new approaches to his powers he encounters new realms, mysterious allies, and mind-shattering terrors. A new era for the Scarlet Speedster begins now from the team of Si Spurrier (Coda, Damn Them All) and Mike Deodato Jr. (Avengers).

The Flash #1

The Flash #1 delivers a new entry point as it shakes things up

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The Flash #1

Wally West has never been quicker, more fulfilled, more heroic. His loving family is around him. And yet something is off. Very off. His evolving understanding of his powers has opened Wally to new avenues of sci-fi adventure and attuned his senses to strange new ideas. Something whispers from the dark vibrations beyond the Speed Force, and as Wally experiments with creative new approaches to his powers he encounters new realms, mysterious allies, and mind-shattering terrors. The Flash #1 kicks off a new volume and new creative team and is a solid jumping on point for new readers.

Written by Si Spurrier, The Flash #1 has Wally west somewhat settled. He’s attempted to balance his life as a superhero and husband and father. No longer the sidekick, the comic feels like Wally standing on his own attempting to find his place and get everything in line. At work, he’s helping with scientific discoveries that seem to due with the Speed Force, though the specifics never quite explained. At home, he has a wife and kids with the frustrations that come with that. It’s those small moments that stand out in Spurrier’s writing. While the superheroics are interesting, it’s Wally and Linda Park-West’s relationship that stands out.

Spurrier teases the ups and downs in that relationship. Linda’s previously having powers. Her having to deal with a family who experience things so differently than her. While their lives move at mach speeds, she’s left sitting on a couch feeding a newborn. As a father still learning, it’s a segment and focus that stands out to me. For mothers who read it, I’m sure their connection and experiences will be much different. But, the domestic focus stands out and a domestic focus that plays to the frustrations that can come with life and the roles we have within the family.

Overall, Spurrier delivers a comic whose tone isn’t quite the playful Flash of the past. Instead there’s a bit edgier of a style that feels much more like a mix of sci-fi and horror. Some of that is due to Mike Deodato Jr.’s art which stands out. Deodato is joined by Trish Mulvihill on color and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou on lettering and the result is amazing. Gone is the motion we’ve seen with other artists and instead there’s a use of panels that creates a whirlwind feel. The page layout captures the hectic nature of Wally’s life and presents the Flash’s unique speed in an interesting way. It’s stunning visually.

I’m not sure if I’m totally sold on The Flash #1 but it’s a very entertaining start that feels like a new beginning. There’s a vibe like we’re walking into an expansion of The Flash’s world, much like the growth Green Lantern saw many years ago. No matter, the art alone is more than enough to check out the issue.

Story: Si Spurrier Art: Mike Deodato Jr.
Color: Trish Mulvihill Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.0 Art: 10 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

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