X-MEN: THE WEDDING SPECIAL variant cover, drawn/colored by me! The issue is this year’s Marvel’s Voices: Pride one-shot — out 5/29 ✨🌈

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antwonito/found-dugan-1

We are officially live!✨🚀✨

Your new favorite fantasy series is here!

FOUND: Dugan #1 is a 30+ page Space Fantasy indie comic, and our first Kickstarter campaign! Come check it out to learn more & to learn how to support us!

https://t.co/OrPeoDJjOh

When faced with a chance at closure, how would your emotions impact your choices?

FOUND: Dugan #1 is a 30+ page Space Fantasy indie comic, that will begin to unravel the FOUND: universe.

To get notified when the campaign goes life, follow the link & hit “Notify Me On Launch”!

Fandom: X-Men

Rating - Mature (Steamy physical tension, romantic foreplay, implied sex)

Title - Restless: A Krakoan Brotherhood Story

Genre - Romance, Drama

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35143573

Summary - Lance is acclimating to his new environment but something keeps him restless most nights. Will a visit from his old Brotherhood best friend John bring Lance to a breaking point, or is this visit just what he needs for a good night's sleep?

*Krakoan-era, referencing the classic Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, with a shoutout to X-Men Evolution for flair.

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“WE ARE KRAKOAN”: Loud & proud

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REIGN OF X VOL 1 out this week!

REIGN OF X VOL 1, available for preorder!

 Collecting: S.W.O.R.D. #1, X-Men #16, X-Factor, #5, & #Hellions #7-8! 

REIGN OF X VOL 1 AMAZON PAPERBACK PREORDER

REIGN OF X VOL 1 is also available on Kindle/ComiXology for a fraction of the cost!

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* If purchased through one of my links, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you).

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If you're like me and already buy every single issue under the x-line, you might appreciate noting that House of X is now available in paperback format! For me, this is the new mutant bible - & a must have!

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More 2011 X-men fashion pieces.  Emma, Karma, Banshee, and Moonstar.  I’ve learned a lot since then about how I want to represent people, but in terms of art style, I do miss when I was a little simpler and less focused on trying to achieve realism.

How do you balance writing minority characters with respect for their cultures? Do you ever feel there are certain situations or places you can't go to in a story because the gender or racial identity of a character is different from yours? Do you have any suggestions for writers who want to be respectful of those cultures/experiences, but also want to include a broad spectrum of people in their writing?

I received this question a while back and, I have to be honest, I avoided answering it, not because I didn’t want to, but because I worried that doing so could open me up to intense criticism. The freight train of frustrations with 2017 emblazoned on its side is smashing through a lot of preconceived notions about who we are and what we value as a society. Racial issues are a big part of that and it’s a heck of a lot easier to just steer clear than to engage them at all. I avoided this because it was easy.

So, my first piece of advice is: 

Don’t do the easy thing.

Make the effort. Do the research. You have a responsibility to spend extra time trying to get it right because people are going to draw broad inferences from what you portray, especially if you include people who don’t get much representation in media at the moment.

This does not mean characters of other races/genders should be _flawless_. Remember what I just said about not doing the easy thing? Adding diversity into your story and having those characters separate themselves from the rest by being perfect or bland is not the way to engage readers or create drama. Make your characters well-rounded, interesting, and give them flaws while doing your best to steer clear of obvious and reductive stereotypes.

“Do your best” actually covers quite a bit of the process. Dig as deep as you can with the time you’ve got, be diligent about researching the culture, and, wherever possible, get direct sources of information so you’re not filtering it through other people’s expectations or biases while unconsciously adding your own.

Know that you will not be telling _the_ story about a particular race or gender, just _a_ story that includes aspects of their lives. 

Wayward is my supernatural comic series about teenagers battling Japanese mythological monsters. It’s a story in Japan with Japanese mythology, but it’s also about myth as a whole and generational divide. It includes a lot of Japanese (and, later on, Irish) cultural elements, but the overall theme and its own internal fantasy-mythology makes it quite different from a historical record or broad message about Japan. I’m not a Japanese person telling any kind of definitive story about what it is to _be_ Japanese. I wouldn’t presume to do so.

Glitterbomb: The Fame Game is a horror-tragedy with a main character who is an African-American teenager. It includes aspects of her life as a black teen, but the broader themes are fame, failure, and the grotesque way Hollywood treats its talent. I’m not an African-American telling the definitive story about what it is to _be_ black in America. That’s not my place or something I’d feel comfortable with.

“Do your best” and “don’t do the easy thing” also means you may screw up. You have to accept that. Seriously. Any criticism you receive, however hurtful it may be in the moment, can also lead to learning more and doing better in the future. I believe it’s better to try and fail than not try at all. Stepping outside your comfort zone is always difficult and stressful, but out there is where exciting discoveries take place.

If you have the chance to engage your research directly, do it! Visit museums, attend cultural events, ask questions, learn. If you can travel to another country, go! Connect with people and discover their similarities and differences. Don’t treat it like a science experiment or grudging responsibility for “diversity check marks.” The rewards are numerous. Engage and enjoy the process. Open yourself up to new experiences and people who aren’t like yourself. Be kind. Make friends.

One of the most important traits in storytelling is “empathy.” Building empathy in your stories and creating emotional bonds between your characters and the audience is key to your success as a storyteller. Broaden your horizons because it’ll make you a better person and a better storyteller.

X-MEN BLUE #12 REVIEW **SPOILERS**

Writer: Cullen Bunn Artists: Douglas Franchin, Scott Hanna, Guru-eFX, & Matt Yackey Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna Cover Artists: Arthur Adams & Peer Steigerwald NCBD: 9/27/17 Publisher: @marvelentertainment Review by: Rob Carey

In this conclusion to the “Toil and Trouble” arc, the story resumes with most of the X-Men captured by the Mutant X-version of the Goblin Queen; her plan is to summon all the alternate reality versions of herself and bring them forth to this reality for general villainy. In the middle of the magic, Jean and Scott interrupt – with the help of the Raksha – for a skirmish with the Hex-Men. But it is revealed that the Goblin Queen’s power is fueled by the treachery of Beast, a fact that is not lost on Bloodstorm. She convinces him to betray the Goblin Queen, which causes all of her “alternate reality sisters” to drag her and her Hex-Men (except Bloodstorm) out of this existence. Beast relinquishes his sorcery and reverts to his true self, and Bloodstorm is invited to join the team. Elsewhere, Jimmy and Angel have found versions of the Blob and Quicksilver in one of Miss Sinister’s labs; the Blob’s sudden secondary mutation causes him to dissolve, leaving readers with further questions.

The choice to narrate this story from Bloodstorm’s perspective – and to end the issue with her joining the team – was a smart choice by Bunn. This allowed us to learn about her motivations, her history, and her moral compass with ease. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that the roster of characters in this series (time-displaced original X-Men, Jimmy Hudson, Miss Sinister’s and her team, Bloodstorm, and Goblin Queen) are leading this to be the reality/time/universe-hopping book ala Exiles, which is not what I think most readers were expecting or hoping for in Blue. It seems that the fate of the X-Men is to constantly over complicate its continuity without just cause, and if Bunn isn’t careful, these narrative decisions could backfire into a very messy series. However, it’s great to see that Bloodstorm is sticking around; maybe Jubilee can finally have a friend. 

Though the main story arc was good enough, the B-plot featuring Jimmy and Angel was more interesting. There appears to be a deeper threat looming, a more imperative menace developing, and a reason why Miss Sinister takes the cover of this issue. The Goblin Queen’s plan was ludicrous and was destined for resolution within three-issues, but the Miss Sinister plot has greater consequence. Secondary mutations, answers for reality-displaced characters, and derivative character deaths (who didn’t instantaneously compare the Blob’s melting to Senator Kelly’s melting in 2000's X-Men film) are on the horizon. These are plot points that should achieve a strong, entertaining resolution. In addition, seeing Angel play the compassionate hero even as Blob dissolves is a note everyone likes to hear. 

As for the artwork in this issue, while it was generally very good, there seems to have been a mismatch of creative teammates. Franchin’s depictions of the Blob’s melting and all of his renderings of demon-mode Beast are truly awesome, and I think an argument could be made that the Goblin Queen staring through a window at Bloodstorm might be one of the best drawn panels shown in Blue all year. But the coloring by Guru-eFX and Yackey leaves something to be desired, especially since there’s an embarrassment of wealth of good colorists at Marvel right now (see All-New Ghost Rider, Mighty Thor, and Hawkeye). Specifically, check out the fire effects of the mini-Inferno and of Angel’s wings; in this issue, there seems to be a lack of ambient light coming from the flames, which makes the atmosphere of the scenes seem incomplete. 

So onward to Mojo and our first Gold/Blue crossover. I hope we survive the experience. 

7/10

Hear more discussion of X-Men Blue #12 on the X-Men Monday Podcast, here.

Cable #5 Review **Spoilers**

Writer: James Robinson Art: Yildiray Cinar, Jesus Aburtov Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit, Joe Sabino Cover Artists: Dale Keown, Jason Keith Publisher: @marvelentertainment NCBD: 8/27/17 Review by: Ryan Douglas

Now that Cable is one step ahead of Conquest, he begins to set his traps and leave a cache of weapons hidden away. It may have taken Conquest awhile to find Cable, but he has an entire army with him as back up. Conquest has gathered a wide range of folks from different eras to face off against Cable. After some back and forth between the two, they squabble for a bit. Cable uses his backup weapon cache to buy some time, before his beacons set off a signal calling the dinosaurs to stampede Conquest’s army. Now it’s Conquest’s turn to show off his new toy, by pressing a button on his iron glove, it opens a portal above Cable dropping an ass whooping on him. At this point Cable is in Conquest’s custody, we learn Cable was hiding the last piece of the Time Sword, a five-foot blade on himself. Where was Cable hiding this fucking blade? With Conquest now in possession of a complete Time Sword. Wait I forget why does he want the Time Sword again? Well, we don’t find out cause it was a hoax and Cable had a replica piece made. With unexplained science, the replica piece throws off the entire gears of the Time Sword and sends Conquest a drift in time. Cable revisits his Mayan friend who helped build the replica piece, to give thanks. The issue ends with Cable looking over the city, as the sun goes down. Roll the credits and queue the saxophone.

Overall:

Good riddance to this arc, I’m trying not to put too much thought into the series finale, why should I? It’s obvious James Robinson didn’t care enough to provide an engaging story. To kick off a new Cable series with this lackluster of story, Marvel should be embarrassed. The editors should’ve been paying attention and began to retool this, instead of phoning it in. While the action and art were all great throughout, the series is simply missing worthy content and depth. Did anyone really care about Conquest’s motives? I’ll give James Robinson credit, he was able to cram an 80’s action blockbuster movie script into five issues. Now I can completely forget this series ever happen and prey the Legacy/New Mutants approach will make this right. For this series to be outselling(direct market) books like Generation X and Jean Grey, only leaves me questioning how life works. In the end, the series is a poor man’s Cable 101 course, to hopefully keep you around for the new creative team. If you jumped off board halfway through, lucky you. Lets see what Ed Brisson has planned, I’m holding out hope. Until then, you’ll find me re-reading Dennis Hopeless’ Cable and X-Force.

3/10

Hear more discussion of Cable #5 on the X-Men Monday Podcast, here.