Tag Archives: age of x

Around the Tubes

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I’m still trying to recover from the Baltimore Comic Con this weekend and we have one more article about the event coming today.  But, while you wait for that, here’s the news you might have missed.

Around the Blogs:

SouthWard Patch – Newark Firefighter Shuns Life of Crime through Comics – It’s great to see articles focusing on local stores and those that work there.

Con Coverage:

CBR – Image Comics Heads to Fan Expo Canada

CBR – BCC – DC Comics’ New 52 Panel

Comics Alliance – PAX Prime: The Comics Panels You’ll Want To Catch

Publishers Weekly – Baltimore Comic-Con Attendance Way Up

Around the Tubes Reviews:

CBR – Daredevil #2

Fangoria – Strange Girl Omnibus

MTV Geek – Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1

Saffron Walden Reporter – X-Men: Age of X

Catching Up on Reviews, Part 9 — X-Men and X-Men Legacy

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X-Men #8 (Marvel) – Chris Bachalo’s stylized art is near perfect in this issue and Victor Gischler’s story is both action-packed and a touching story about youth and alienation, making it one of the more thought-provoking stories from Marvel in the last year or so.

Story: 9.75 Art: 9.75 Overall: 9.75

X-Men #9 (Marvel) – The strange thing is that in the early days when I first saw Bachalo’s art, I wasn’t a big fan, thinking it was a bit too anime-like for my tastes. The more I see it, though, the more I like it and I’m starting to think that he might be one of my favorite artists. This issue is just as good as the predecessors and this particular X-Men-Spider-Man team up is one of my favorites in recent years.

Story: 9.75 Art: 9.75 Overall: 9.75

X-Men #10 (Marvel) – Paco Medina joins Bachalo on art duties this issue and, while it is still quite good, it isn’t as good as Bachalo’s previous solo work. I’m sad to see the end of the Spider-Man crossover, although I will say that I’m not a huge fan of the characterization of Emma Frost during this arc. It seems consistent with past portrayals of her, but she’s still a bit to stereotypically “female” for a woman of such stature.

Story: 9.75 Art: 9.25 Overall: 9.5

X-Men #11 (Marvel) – Gischler’s side-story here with Professor X is a bit subpar and the art just isn’t that great. This is an exception for this series — an issue that is pretty weak.

Story: 6 Art: 5 Overall: 5.5

X-Men #12 (Marvel) – I really like Christopher Yost’s story here and, despite my normal disdain for retcons, this one works out pretty well. It fits and it makes sense. The art is split between two different artists based on the flashbacks and the present and Medina’s present art is the better of the two, although far from perfect. There are a few epic shots, though, that make it worthwhile, though.

Story: 9 Art: 7 Overall: 8

X-Men #13 (Marvel) – The Eternals-oriented story continues here with the same creative team and Yost and Medina do even better this time around, but I still don’t like Dalabor Talajic’s art much.

Story: 9.25 Art: 7.25 Overall: 8.25

X-Men #14 (Marvel) – Everyone’s work in this issue continues to improve and I’m even okay with most of Talajic’s art, although I think his weakness is really close-ups of people’s faces.

Story: 9.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8.5

X-Men #15 (Marvel) – After a really strong story about evolution and mutants, the ending is a bit of a let-down. Hopefully this will also end the split artist trend that had dominated recent issues. Can we get Bachalo back?

Story: 9 Art: 7 Overall: 8

X-Men Giant Size #1 (Marvel) – This annual is part of the Eternals-related storyline and it has the best art that Medina and Talajic did during the story and there is some epic art here. The story is still more-than-capably handled by Yost.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

X-Men Legacy #245 (Marvel) – If there are two things I love more than the X-Men and post-apocalyptic stories, I don’t know what they are. It’s hard to think of anything I’d like more than a comic that combines the two. Over the years, the X-Men have given us a lot of post-apocalyptic things and Age of X is one of the better entries in a series of great stories.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

X-Men Legacy #246 (Marvel) – Clay Mann’s art isn’t my favorite, but it’s more than good enough and it’s appropriate to the Age of X story. Mike Carey’s writing is great, though, and I really like what he does with Scott Summers here, showing us what Scott would be like if he was just as bad-ass as he is now, but without the restraints he has as the leader of the mutant nation.

Story: 9.75 Art: 9.25 Overall: 9.5

X-Men Legacy #247 (Marvel) – Carey really goes a long way towards answering the question: “what’s better for mutants: isolation and protection or finding a way to live with humanity.” The idea of Moira McTaggert as a villain is quite interesting, too.

Story: 9.5 Art: 9 Overall: 9.25

X-Men Legacy #248 (Marvel) – Dealing with the aftermath of Age of X is handled well here by Mike Carey, although the story is, by necessity, a letdown. Jorge Molina’s art is a step down from what Mann was doing.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

X-Men Legacy #249 (Marvel) – I’ve never really liked the storylines that provided a romantic link between Rogue and Magneto and I really don’t think we need any more recaps of Magneto in Nazi Germany. I do, however, like the exploration of Legion as a character, since he is too powerful and has too much potential to be ignored as much as he has been over the years.

Story: 8 Art: 7 Overall: 7.5

X-Men Legacy #250 (Marvel) – In this giant-sized issue, Carey continues both the aftermath of Age of X and the tracking down of Legion’s escaped personalities. Neither story has great art (although neither has bad art, either) and the Legion story continues to be better than the Age of X aftermath. A reprint of an old New Mutants issue is here to remind me how much I never liked Bill Sienkiewicz’s art.

Story: 7 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6.75

X-Men Legacy #251 (Marvel) – Carey ramps up the intensity and quality of the Legion tale, but Koi Pham’s art is mixed in quality.

Story: 8.25 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.75

Pick of the Week – Echoes #5

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The pick of this week is Echoes #5.  It’s the final issue of this limited series and if you haven’t been reading this thriller you’ve been missing out.  The five issue series is beyond fantastic and I can’t recommend it enough.  It’s an early contender for limited series of the year and I really hope we see more comic like this.

  1. Echoes #5 – See above.
  2. Osborn #5 – This series is full of just some twisted stuff and great political intrigue.  I have no idea how they’ll wrap up the plot points in this issue.
  3. Velocity #4 – It seems like forever since the third issue which ended in a holy shit moment.  I have no idea what to expect now.
  4. “X” Books – Age of X is wrapping up and Schism is on the horizon.  Now’s the time to start getting back into the “X” line of books.
  5. Freakshow #2 – There’s a good chance you missed the first issue, but it was fantastic.  We’ll soon have a review of this second issue which I’m sure is as solid as the first.

Random Thoughts

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*Getting a little tired of the relentless Thor cross-promotion. Thor meets X-Factor!  Thor meets Power Pack!  Thor meets Deadpool!  Thor meets Howard the Duck!  Only one of these is fake.

*Maybe Marvel should tone it down a bit with the existential threats to the universe.  They are coming a little too often these days.  Zombies, Kang, the Chaos King, the Cancerverse, the Elder Gods and who knows how many others have tried to destroy everything.  And that was just in December.

*I’ve discovered I really prefer comics to have superheroes or the supernatural.  No matter how good other stuff is, I still prefer something super in my comics.

*Week 37 of DC’s 52 really gives away one of the biggest secrets and best mysteries of the whole thing.  Maybe the biggest/best, since I haven’t finished it yet.  I really hate when a cover gives away a key plot point.

*So I’m reading Countdown to Final Crisis and I note that the Monitors refer to human beings in the collective as “man.”  Why would they have our gender pronoun bias?  That’s either offensive or lazy writing.  Talking to you, Dan Jurgens.

*I really, really hate the crazy re-numbering and then again also re-numbering stuff that Marvel does.  The latest issue of Iron Man is #500.  The issue before that was #33.  Annoying and convoluted nonsense.

*Really looking forward to Age of X.

*Saw Scott Pilgrim last night, it totally lived up to the hype and is one of my favorite movies of the last 2-3 years.  Now on to the comics.  Last time this happened was with Kick-Ass.  Loved the movie, then read the comics and loved them even more.  Expect the same of Scott Pilgrim.

*Is it me or is Brian Michael Bendis‘s Luke Cage the best Luke Cage ever? (Hint: It’s not me)

*Am I the only one who thinks that Salvador Larocca‘s Tony Stark is the spitting image of a dark-haired Sawyer from Lost?

*I understand that the Walking Dead Weekly series is a cynical cash-in on the new popularity of the Walking Dead after the television series success.  I’m okay with that.  It still brings one of the greatest comic book series and zombie tales to more people, since the original early issues are expensive to buy, individually-speaking.  Sure, you can buy them in the trade paperbacks cheaper, but nothing beats the feeling of issue-to-issue reading of the series…

*Chaos War is over and the ending was pretty good for a mediocre series, overall.  Hopefully Fear Itself will be better than Chaos War or Shadowland.

*One thing I like about Chaos War and some other recent Marvel stuff is the fact that the usual “pow” and “wham” exclamations have been replaced with other words that are simply exaggerated.  From Chaos War #5, we have “Haikooooom” after a very good Haiku reference, “Gutssss” as Hercules gets hit in the stomach, “Chsstbsster” as Herc gets punched through the chest, “Godyslam” as the Chaos King gets slammed to the Earth and many others.  Some of them require you to think a bit more and try to figure out the connection, but they are very cool.  Don’t know who is responsible for them, Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Khoi Pham or someone else.  I’ve seen them elsewhere, but can’t remember where.  Whoever and whatever is the source, I’m a big fan and I encourage more of this.

Age Of X is a Smash Hit!

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Official Press Release

AGE OF X is a SMASH HIT!

Its official – Age Of X is a hit! After an instant sell out at Diamond (though copies may still be available at retail), the opening salvo in mutantkind’s war for survival returns with two second printing variants! Featuring the stunning interior art of the first issue Age Of X: Alpha AOX Second Printing Variant #1 showcases the highlights of events happening in the issue while Age Of X: Alpha Conrad Second Printing Variant #1 brings a piece of Age of X history to the fans with art by Wil Conrad! Fans can’t miss how it all began as the second printing hits comic shops the same day as X-Men: Legacy #245 and New Mutants #22, the first two chapters of Age Of X! Find what cruel fates have befallen the Children of the Atom in a world where almost all mutants have purged…and the few that remain spend their days hated, feared and hunted.

Fans and critics agree, they love Age Of X!

“…this is a solid start to Age of X” – Jesse Schedeen, IGN.com

“It’s a smart move to give readers a book like this” – Chad Nevett, ComicBookResources.com

“All X fans should check out this book.” – Chris Bushley, CosmicBookNews.com

Who are these unlikely survivors and do they have what it takes to stay alive? Discover the shocking foundations of this exciting X-epic in Age Of X: Alpha Second Printing Variant #1!

Due to the red-hot success of Age of X Alpha, Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on all upcoming issues of X-Men Legacy and New Mutants as the story is poised to change what you thought you knew about the X-Men. In order to ensure copies of Age Of X: Alpha Second Printing Variant #1 are available in time for the first two chapters, they will be printed before the FOC and retailers should place their orders as soon as possible since quantities will be available on a first come first serve basis.

AGE OF X: PROLOGUE

AGE OF X: ALPHA AOX SECOND PRINTING VARIANT (DEC108148)

AGE OF X: ALPHA CONRAD SECOND PRINTING VARIANT (DEC108154)

Written by MIKE CAREY
Pencils by MIRCO PIERFEDERICI, PAUL DAVIDSON, GABRIEL HERNANDEZ WALTA, HARVEY TOLIBAO & CARLO BARBERI
AOX Variant by VARIOUS

Conrad Variant by WIL CONRAD

Rated A…$3.99

FOC – 2/7/11, On-Sale 2/23/11

AGE OF X: CHAPTER ONE

X-MEN: LEGACY #245 (DEC100623)

X-MEN: LEGACY #245 MANN VARIANT (SEP108209)

X-MEN: LEGACY #245 FF ANNIVERSARY VARIANT (DEC100541)

Written by MIKE CAREY

Pencils by CLAY MANN

Cover by LEINIL YU

Variant Cover by CLAY MANN

Fantastic Four Anniversary Variant by PAOLO RIVERA

Rated A…..$2.99

FOC – 1/31/11, On-Sale 2/23/11

AGE OF X: CHAPTER TWO

NEW MUTANTS #22 (DEC100624)

NEW MUTANTS #22 MANN VARIANT (SEP108210)

Written by MIKE CAREY

Pencils by STEVE KURTH

Cover by MICO SUAYAN

Variant Cover by CLAY MANN

Rated T+…..$2.99

FOC – 1/31/11, On-Sale 2/23/11

Age of X: Alpha AOXAge of X: Alpha Conrad Variant

Your First Look At Age Of X: Alpha!

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Official Press Release

Your First Look At AGE OF X: ALPHA!

Mutankind’s final war starts here in the X-Event that has everyone talking! Age of X: Alpha #1, from the creative team of New York Times Best-Selling writer Mike Carey and rising star artists Mirco Pierfederici, Paul Davidson, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Harvey Tolibao and Carlo Barberi, kicks off the next big X-Men epic that will change the course of Mutantkind forever.  The survival of their species rests on the shoulders of the few remaining mutants who are on their last leg. Who is this mysterious group and at what length will they go to keep their kind alive? Get your answers to these questions and more in the explosive opener that will leave X-Fans immediately demanding more, Age Of X: Alpha #1!

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 (NOV100514)

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 COIPEL VARIANT (NOV10515)

Written by MIKE CAREY

Pencils by MIRCO PIERFEDERICI, PAUL DAVIDSON, GABRIEL HERNANDEZ WALTA, HARVEY TOLIBAO & CARLO BARBERI

Cover by CHRIS BACHALO

Variant Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL

Rated A…$3.99

FOC – 1/3/10, On-Sale – 1/26/10

Age Of X: Alpha CoverAge Of X: Alpha Cover Variant Read more

The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Rise In Age Of X Universe #1!

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Official Press Release

The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Rise In Age Of X Universe #1!

Next year’s most talked about X-Men event gets bigger this March with Age Of X Universe #1 (of 2), from writer Simon Spurrier (Silver Surfer: In Thy Name) and superstar artist Khoi Pham (Chaos War). In the Age Of X, the mutants of the world never banded together to form the X-Men. But what of the Earth’s other heroes? In a world without X-Men…a world without hope, what side do the Earth’s Mightiest stand on? See the story of Marvel’s greatest heroes through new eyes as the future of mankind is decided in Age Of X Universe #1!

Keep your eyes peeled this week for another Age of X Historical Log inside select Marvel Comics. Be sure to head out to your local comic shop to find the next clue you will need to unravel the mystery that is Age of X.

AGE OF X UNIVERSE #1 (of 2)

Written by SIMON SPURRIER

Penciled by KHOI PHAM

Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI

Rated T+…$3.99

ON SALE IN MARCH

Age of X Universe

Your First Look At All-New Covers To Age Of X: Alpha

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Official Press Release

Your First Look At All-New Covers To AGE OF X: ALPHA

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at two all-new covers to Age of X: Alpha #1 from superstar artists Chris Bachalo and Olivier Coipel! Mutankind’s Final war starts here! In a world where the X-Men never existed, the survival of mutantkind rests on the shoulders of the few remaining mutants who are on their last leg. Who are they and at what length will they go to keep their kind alive? Get your answers to these questions and more in Age Of X: Alpha #1!

Keep your eyes peeled this week for another Age of X Historical Log inside select Marvel Comics. Be sure to head out to your local comic shop to find the next clue you will need to unravel the mystery that is Age of X.

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 (NOV100514)

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 COIPEL VARIANT (NOV10515)

Written by MIKE CAREY

Pencils by MIRCO PIERFEDERICI, PAUL DAVIDSON, GABRIEL HERNANDEZ WALTA, HARVEY TOLIBAO & CARLO BARBERI

Cover by CHRIS BACHALO

Variant Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL

Rated A…$3.99

FOC – 1/3/10, On-Sale – 1/26/10

Age Of X: Alpha coipel coverAge Of X: Alpha bachalo cover

Age of X

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Official Press Release

AGE OF X

Survive the Age Of X with REVENANT and REAPER!

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 (NOV100514)

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 COIPEL VARIANT (NOV100515)

Written by MIKE CAREY

Pencils by PAUL DAVIDSON & MORE

Cover by CHRIS BACHALO

Variant Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL

Rated A …$3.99

FOC – 1/3/11, On-Sale – 1/26/11

Age Of X Teaser 5

Age of X

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Official Press Release

AGE OF X

Survive the Age Of X with CANNONBALL and MAGNETO!

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 (NOV100514)

AGE OF X: ALPHA #1 COIPEL VARIANT (NOV100515)

Written by MIKE CAREY

Pencils by PAUL DAVIDSON & MORE

Cover by CHRIS BACHALO

Variant Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL

Rated A …$3.99

FOC – 1/3/11, On-Sale – 1/26/11

Age of X Teaser 4

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