Check out the latest episode of the X-Men Monday podcast by the Uncanny Nerdverse network to hear my take on Extermination #2 and Hunt for Wolverine: Dead Ends #1! Plus, the show gives great insight into all the X-books released on 8/29/2018. Enjoy!

http://uncannynerdverse.podbean.com/e/x-men-monday-episode-64-friend-is-mutant/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/uncanny-nerdverse-network/id1330522604?mt=2&i=1000419004781

https://youtu.be/dEpi3l3bWqY

Check out the latest episode of the X-Men Monday podcast by the Uncanny Nerdverse network to hear my recap and review of all four conplete “Hunt for Wolverine” miniseries! Plus, the show gives great insight into all the X-books released on 8/22/2018. Enjoy!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/uncanny-nerdverse-network/id1330522604?mt=2&i=1000418629649

Please do more sales analysis! None compare to yours.

I definitely will soon!

Iceman #1 - Reaction Podcast

X-Men Monday Emergency Podcast: Say What?

Download/Stream: bit.ly/2JJVrWg

X-Men Monday Podcast, Ep. 52

X-Men Monday Ep. 52: X-mas Gift List

Download/Stream: bit.ly/2xWhNT3

Also available on iTunes, Google Play, and Youtube

The Best (and Worst) Free Comics of FCBD 2018

Of the fifty-two comics released for Free Comic Book Day 2018, there were an unsurprisingly high number of excellent comics in this year’s class. Here are my picks for the best of the best (with a few dishonorable mentions too) from the many choices available this year.

THE BEST

10. BERLIN by Jason Lutes (w, a, c). (Drawn & Quarterly).

Set in 1928 Germany, a journalist and an art student meet on a train to Berlin; when they arrive, the young student is surprised by what she sees, and the journalist must navigate a changing climate for the press. Narrated in part by the main characters’ writings (his reporting and her diary), this street-level view of Berlin prior to the rise of fascism is masterful and cinematic. Even in this preview, the sense of menace and dread to the events that are to come in the story permeates every page. Absolutely genius. Part of a series written over the past twenty years, this FCBD release promotes the hardcover omnibus of the series due for release in fall 2018.

9. STRANGERS IN PARADISE by Terry Moore (w, a). (Abstract Studios).

The issue opens with an exciting pickpocket scene in which Scott, a generic business type, has his phone and SIM card stolen. He later contacts his wife, Laura, to tell her that he’ll be late coming home and why, prompting Laura to stoically retrieve her run bag and leave home for good. The phone thief heads to Laura’s house to discover she’s already gone and runs into Scott; the thief reveals that “Laura” is actually Stephanie Kelly, a Parker girl caught up in treason and espionage. This is a dynamic, fully realized introduction to what seems like a fun and exciting story loaded with intelligent, powerful women kicking all kinds of ass.

8. ULTRA STREET FIGHTER II #1 by Ken Siu-Chong (w), Hanzo Steinbach (a), Marshall Dillon (l). (Udon).

Trying to shake off his dark side, Ken meets with Ryu to fight through his worst urges and achieve some balance in his life. The pair travel to Japan for some high-level meditation (and fighting, of course), but that only gets Ken so far. Later in San Francisco, Ken is surprised by an attack from Rufus, and during the battle, he learns to control his evil within. Although this comic attempts to apply drama to a fighting video game, the result is fun, colorful, ridiculous, and delightfully entertaining. What more could you want out of a Street Fighter comic?

7. SHADOWMAN by Andy Diggle (w), Stephen Segovia (w), Karl Bollers (e). (Valiant).

Alyssa and her guide Isiah explore the swamps of Louisiana at night, searching for the cause of cursed water that’s making locals sick. She encounters a monster, the Grinder of Bones, and tries to use magic to protect herself to no avail. She runs, and summons Papa Legba for guidance: in return, her friend Jack, now the Shadowman, appears from a portal to help her in her fight. With gorgeous artwork, beautiful coloring, and a plot like nothing else on the stands right now, this issue draws readers into this world so effortlessly that it’s hard to imagine someone reading this issue without being fully engrossed and wanting to pick up the whole series. Terrifically well-done.

6. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL by Max Gladstone (w), David Lopez (a), Nayoung Kim (color), Jodi Wynne (l), Alejandro Arbona (e), Ben Applegate (e). (Kodansha).

Major Kusanagi (aka Motoko) and Aramaki are intercepted by an American Ghost Force Squad while on a business trip to Shangai. After her arrest, Motoko dramatically escapes through the streets of Shangai and meets her old wartime enemy, Li; the pair must work together to save Aramaki and others. This issue, part of an upcoming anthology, is perhaps the most complete, cover-to-cover, issue released on FCBD. At a whopping forty-five pages, readers are treated to an entire story that is exceptional all on its own. This is a fabulous issue that will convert even the most stoic of non-believers into fans of this character and this series.

5. RELAY by Zac Thompson (w), Andy Clarke (a), Eric Bromberg (st), Donny Cates (st), Dan Brown (color), Charles Pritchett (l), Mike Marts (e). (Aftershock).

In this sci-fi story, a space traveler lands on a planet with an undeveloped population and offers them “the Relay,” a monolith that creates uniformity in technology and ideas. Is it intergalactic socialism, or will it be intergalactic fascism? The Relay seemingly destroys community identity and cultural heritage with a new sort of religion: ultimate fath in the monolith itself. This is an expertly paced and well-rendered metaphor that gives sci-fi fans something deeper to ponder.

4. MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS by Kyle Higgins (w), Ryan Parrott (w), Digo Galindo (a), Marcelo Costa (color), Ed Dukeshire (l), Dafna Pleban (e). (Boom!).

This one takes me back! Chosing to advertise its best-selling series, Boom! strategically used its FCBD option to bridge the gap between fans of the old TV show(s) and the current comics mythology, hoping to draw in readers who may have been overwhelmed by the thousands of different Power Ranger characters and their convoluted origin stories and missions. This issue is a straight-forward explanation of how the first episode of the original TV series connects to the comic storyline today, with some surprisingly awesome artwork and a shockingly murderous ending. The issue concedes its childish origins, but by the end, these aren’t your kids’ Power Rangers anymore!

3. AVENGERS by Jason Aaron (w), Sarah Pichelli (p, i), Elisabetta D’Amico (i), Justin Ponsor (color), Cory Petit (l), Tom Brevoort (e). (Marvel).

This issue, frankly, defied my expectations. As the official free preview to Marvel’s “Fresh Start,” there was a lot riding on this issue, the release of which coinciding with yet another reboot of the Avengers in the same week and a blockbuster weekend for the House of Ideas at the cinema a week prior. And it did not disappoint. In a direct follow-up to last year’s Marvel Legacy #1, Odin meets with Black Panther in the ruins of Asgard. Odin explains that he has fallen to Loki and his manipulation of a Celestial and requests that T’Challa kill Loki; he agrees. The story ends in another scene with Captain America and Thor reaching out to Tony Stark for a meeting between the three of them as a new Avengers era begins. Rather than using its FCBD offering to pump in half-assed action, Aaron instead tries to win new readers over with a well-told and interesting story setup. It is refreshing to see Marvel return to storytelling in its flagship series rather than resort to the redundant tropes of its recent past. Very well done.

2. JAMES BOND 007: VARGR by Warren Ellis (w), Jason Masters (a), Guy Major (color), Simon Bowland (l), Joseph Rybant (e). (Dynamite).

On a mission in Finland, 007 hunts down 008’s killer and exacts gruesome revenge. Later at MI6 Headquarters, M is assigned to take over 008’s case load, setting up a story that is simultaneously exhilirating for new readers and faithful in spirit to fans of the classic Bond. With darkly exquisite artwork throughout (particularly the Helsinki scene) and a character whose charm radiates off the page, it’s hard to imagine any comic fan not falling madly in love with this series.  Originally published in 2016, this issue and the rest of the story is already available in trade.

1.BARRIER by Brian K. Vaughn (w), Marcos Martin (a, c), Muntsa Vincente. (Image).

No comic in this bunch left my jaw on the floor and mouth agape quite like this one. In this exquisite story, Liddy discovers signs of a Mexican cartel using her land, which happens to be on the Texas-Mexican border, as a throughway for drug trades and illegal immigration. In a parallel story, Oscar migrates from his home in Honduras to reach the U.S., crossing onto Liddy’s land in the middle of the night. She finds him and holds him at gunpoint suddenly the pair are interrupted. It’s a contemporary story involving gruesome violence, cartels, guns, and sci-fi. Half the issue is in Spanish (a language deficit won’t detract from your enjoyment of the issue), and the entire book – at an impressive fifty-three pages – is elegantly printed in landscape format. The artwork is phenomenal. The writing is incomparable. This is simply a perfect comic book from cover to cover. Frankly, I’m shocked it was available for FCBD as it’s well-worth a cover price. I recommend this enthusiastically, and I can’t wait to pick up the whole series this month. An exceptional beauty of a comic.

THE WORST

3. SHADOW ROADS by Cullen Bunn (w), Brian Hurtt (w), A.C. Zamudio (a), Carlos Zamudio (color), Crank! (l), Charlie Chu (e). (Oni Press).

In this deeply convoluted introduction presumptively set in the late nineteenth century, we meet Henry Grey, a Native American and a Cambridge man who visits the British Museum of Natural History’s new Native American exhibit with remorse and perhaps disgust. He meets an elder at the Museum who gives him a magical ceremonial dagger carved from bone that ultimately lights up. En route home, his train passes through a Crossroads where Abigail Redmayne and Kalfu intercept him and bring him to the New Mexico Territory. What causes this issue to fail – aside from the onslaught of new characters to learn and an unexplained mythology to understand – is that by the issue’s end, we are no closer to knowing why any of these events occur. Why does Abigail bring Henry to New Mexico? What is so special about Henry? What’s the point of the glowing dagger? While a free comic book should purposefully leave questions unresolved to entice readers to find their answers in subsequent issues, this romp is sadly too obscure and complicated to elicit any interest.

2. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN by Nick Spencer (w), Ryan Ottley (o), Cliff Rathburn (i), Laura Martin (color), VC’s Joe Caramagna (l), Nick Lowe (e). (Marvel).

Facing off against America’s greatest threat – the Manhattan real estate market – Peter Parker and his buddy Randy look for an apartment when they are interrupted by a fight with Boomerang, Electro, Rhino, and Big Wheel. After a quick costume change, Spider-Man battles them all until Kingpin intervenes. Despite the Mayor’s apparent gratitude for Spider-Man, Peter drops his professionalism instantly and leaves the scene. Later, Randy and Peter settle on a new three-bedroom apartment with a third roommate: Boomerang himself. From the ludicrous dialogue, the boring trope-laden plot, the cartoonish graphic design, and the overall neutering of Peter Parker’s character, this was a deep, deep disappointment for me that goes beyond this single issue; if this was meant to be an advertisement for the new Amazing Spider-Man series, I’m afraid it did more to turn me off than on. In addition, despite picking up all fifty-two free comics on FCBD, this issue is the only one with running ink and cheap printing errors. Oh, Marvel. Why do you do this to me?

1. TANK GIRL by Alan Martin (w), Brett Parson (a), Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (a), Jonathan Edwards (a), Brett Parson (l), Martin Eden (e). (Titan).

This was perhaps my fault for setting my expectations too high. Having never read a Tank Girl comic and only vaguely understanding her origins from nineties samples and the Lori Petty film, I was expecting a post-apocalyptic badass who breaks the fourth-wall and uses ingenuity, humor, grit, and charm to fight the Man. Instead, I got an insufferable cutsey-wootsey romp about a woman face-punching an adult man after he ruined her birthday big wheel when they were children. In between this awful plot’s progression, vignettes either drawn by a child or rendered to look like it had been drawn by child are too annoying to attempt to read. The only enjoyable bit of this comic was the cover by Jamie Hewlett, who should have done the interiors as well.  

REVIEW: Rogue & Gambit #4

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artists: Pere Perez and Frank D'Armata

Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Kris Anka

NCBD: 04/04/2018

Publisher: Marvel Comics (@marvel)

Review by: Rob Carey (@tomemyxmen_Rob)

Rogue and Gambit, captured and restrained by Lavish, use their years of superhero experience to break free perfectly: Rogue distracts their captor by egging her into villainsplaining, while Gambit picks his locks and breaks the pair free. As they battle an army of doppelgangers, they quickly realize that defeating each triggers their private memories to be shared with each other and slivers of their powers to manifest in the opposite hero, depending on which person’s clone they defeat. By the end of the issue, Gambit has absorbed Rogue’s powers and memories, and Rogue has absorbed Gambit’s. They realize that to reset the order of things, they need to defeat all of their own golems personally. With their walls down and their vulnerabilities on display, the pair share acceptance, forgiveness, and a kiss before beginning their final fight. 

With only one issue left in this mini-series, Thompson has revealed her thesis: that these characters, rich with charisma but weighed down with baggage, cannot resist their infinite care for each other. The growth they’ve shown in this story, the surgical exploration of their past, their exposure and mending, and, ultimately, the shared love that emanates from them all prove that these two southern charmers may just be the most authentic and sincere couple in the Marvel universe. In some ways, this series feels well worth the wait to see these characters achieve the healing they deserve. But in other ways, it’s a move that’s terribly long overdue. While the earlier plot points are a bit confusing when read issue-by-issue, this individual installment congeals the whole story thus far; undoubtedly, it will make an exquisite trade. 

The super heroic experience of these two heroes really shines in this issue, as Rogue – without communicating anything to Gambit – distracts Lavish enough for him to pick his locks, charge his lock pick, and jam it in Lavish’s neck in time for it to explode. Such a phenomenal scene! It’s remarkable how an issue that is saturated with Rogue, Gambit, and a million lookalikes still never loses focus of the main characters and perfectly balances their actions with the respawning golems in the background. Even in fight panels, Rogue and Remy are never outshone by their clones. This concept could have easily devolved into artistic confusion, but Perez and D'Armata excel at keeping the story clear and kinetic. It’s also a genuine treat to pour over these pages and spot the dozen Easter eggs of X-Men history (Gambit’s #10 sporty look, anyone?). The page layouts and plotting, especially the profiles of Remy and Rogue in tears as their ultimate private thoughts are revealed, were particularly powerful highlights of this issue. (And no disrespect to the originals, but the garter scene looked and felt much more interesting this time around). 

This was another well-done issue by a terrific creative team that picked a brilliant subject matter to explore. Although the next issue is the end, the story and quality thus far indicate that the finale should be nothing less than stellar. 

9.75/10

REVIEW: All-New Wolverine #33

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artists: Ramon Rosanas & Nolan Woodard

Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

Cover Artists: David Lopez

NCBD: 04/04/18

Publisher: Marvel Comics (@marvel)

Review by: Rob Carey (@tomemyxmen_Rob)

This first issue of “Old Woman Laura” opens in Madripoor at some point in the future. Wolverine, a title now held by Gabby that comes with a brand new Stark Industries/Wakandan hybrid suit, confronts a bunch of goons on a yacht smuggling Latverian arms. After, she meets with Laura Kinney, now Queen of Madripoor, where Laura reveals that she is dying. They reflect on the fact that the heroes have won and that Laura has lived a full life. But Laura still has one final mission to accomplish: rescue or avenge her fallen sister Bellona. After obtaining intelligence from the Latverian arms dealers, President Kamala Khan, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maria Hill, a team consisting of Queen Laura, Gabby, and Maria head to Latveria, Bellona’s last known whereabouts, to kill Doctor Doom. 

As the series begins its last story arc, Taylor has come up with an entertaining and fascinating final story to serve as a capstone to the series. In a non-dystopian future (how very un-X-Men of him), Laura and Gabby have prevailed, and they each have families, careers, and [mostly] peace. We’re treated to inside jokes (“25 with chicken” and a peak at Taylor’s Jean Grey) and a rightful transition of roles from Laura to Gabby with not one mention of that other clawed mutant in the entire issue. This is unquestionably Laura’s show now. And while other writers have a tendency to botch the landing as their series end, Taylor’s writing indicates that either he received ample notice of the series end and could plan accordingly, or he really is a gifted comic writer capable of adapting his stories masterfully when necessary.  While it may be a little truth in both, I prefer to believe the latter. It certainly feels like Taylor is getting his last kicks in while he can (naming Gabby’s partner “Taylor,” who “is a saint,” for example). And it’s a joy to read, and the next issues should be no less than exceptional too. 

It’s also apparent that Rosanas is a terrific comic artist. Gabby’s new suit is intentionally futuristic and cool, paying homage to Tron and reflecting a believably collaborative design done by Iron Man, Black Panther, and Wolverine herself. Gabby’s “sniktzz” splash page is absolutely amazing. But once again, a visually stunning issue in this series is mostly a testament to the absolute brilliance of Woodard’s coloring. His ability to establish mood and support the narrative without ever over-powering the panels is both powerful and ingenious. Take the dinner scene shared between Gabby and Laura as an example: the safe, calming greys, greens, and pale pinks that neutralize the room, allowing the two characters to leap off the page and their dialogue to be the star of the panels; the sunset backlighting that gives Laura a practical halo; the juxtaposition of the green tree and the complimentary gold aura around Laura that gives her an ethereal, regal presence. It’s simply perfect, as only Woodward can do. 

As the series nears its finale, it’s gratifying to see it descend with grace. For a book that’s survived three company reboots and maintained near-perfect high quality from start to finish, these final two issues should be no less than stellar.

9.75/10 

REVIEW: Old Man Logan #37

Writer: Ed Brisson

Artists: Dalibor Talajić and Carlos Lopez

Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

Cover Artists: Mike Deodato Jr., and Carlos Lopez

NCBD: 3/28/2018

Publisher: @marvelentertainment

Review by: Rob Carey

In part two of "Moving Target," an injured Logan -- whose healing factor is "on the fritz" -- meets with Mayor Fisk's biographer, Sarah Dewey, hoping for some insight into the encrypted thumb drive Logan picked up from Nicky in the last issue. The pair head out to get food and chat, and while at a buffet, they're targeted by Bullseye. Logan and Bullseye tussle, while Sarah runs off to consult with her "hacktivist" friend Jesse. After Bullseye gets the upper hand on Logan, he hunts down Sarah at Jesse's apartment, killing Jesse and preparing to do the same to Sarah as the issue ends.

This issue is a noticeable improvement over the previous installment, but it still feels like the series' mojo is missing. Rather than providing us insight into Logan's alternate timeline displacement, his psychology and morality, or his status with the present-day X-Men, this arc feels like a diluted Pelican Brief. It's uninspired. The concept -- that a mastermind like Kingpin can be brought down by a thumb drive and/or that he would be so negligent with it, leading to its theft -- is totally ludicrous. The mootness of the plot was all but spoiled by the summary page at the start of the issue, revealing that Daredevil #600 will eradicate the need for Logan's story entirely. And Sarah's dialogue and pathos is more than a little grating; the idea that a biography a) would be read by New York City voters in 2017/2018 and b) would impact a mayor election is laughably dumb. 

And yet, the issue isn't without a few merits, particularly because Brisson is -- contrary to this arc's evidence -- a spectacular comic and X-Men writer. His talent for plotting fight scenes and orchestrating their progression has shone brilliantly throughout his tenure on the series to date (perhaps best displayed in "Days of Anger"). The fight with Bullseye was paced quite well, with a toothpick attack that was gross, vicious, and utterly cool. And since this fight is approximately sixty percent of the story here, it would be unfair to say that this fight scene did anything less than salvage the whole issue. 

As for the art work, it did nothing of note to enhance the story. But unlike the last issue, it also did nothing to hurt the story either. Minus a toothpick trick, The fight panels weren't especially innovative, a wasted opportunity for creativity given the expertise of the combatants. It's a shame that while reading this issue, it was not lost on me there were too many moments where another artist could have done better, proving that even mediocrity can be distracting. 

Perhaps this is all too harsh. After all, this is an issue of Cool Man Logan fighting Crazy Badass Bullseye. But the problem this series currently faces is that it's quality has been so consistently high for so long than even slight diminishings seem gargantuan. After all, even at its subjective worst, Old Man Logan is still leaps and bounds better than a lot of other comics out right now. But this issue's shortcomings aren't slight, and comparative quality isn't good enough in a market oversaturated with options. Here's hoping this series gets back on top as soon as possible where it rightfully belongs. 

4/10

We get a mini vacation this week and only have a couple books to discuss. Leaving us plenty of room to catch up on some other titles. Plus a ton of listener feedback from the Fastball Tweet Nation. Thanks for listening!

Download/Stream Episode 41, here.

Want to support the podcast? Check out our Patreon, here. 

WEAPON X #13 REVIEW

Writer: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente Artists: Roland Boschi and Frank D'Armata Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna Cover Artists: Eric Canete NCBD: 03/14/18 Publisher: @marvelentertainment Review by: Rob Carey While Domino, Warpath, and Lady Deathstrike enjoy a night off in Mexico, Sabertooth attacks Old Man Logan aboard their airship. The event is an annual tradition to commemorate Logan’s birthday. In the melee, the ship takes off accidentally and crashes in New Mexico. Logan and Sabertooth escape the wreckage, with a in full fury. 

With this issue, Weapon X may have finally reached a point of no return. If there’s anything that Marvel comics readers are totally and utterly exhausted by, it’s a fight between Wolverine and Sabertooth. It’s an exceptionally overdone and completely boring trope. This laughably disastrous plot centers around an inexplicable fight between Creed and Logan on the latter’s birthday, flushing all of Sabertooth’s character development for the past two years down the drain.  And we are still saddled with Pak’s unreadable dialogue (see all of Domino’s lines for ample examples). Furthermore, the artwork here is messy and, at times, incoherent. Not even a throwback to Claremont’s Wolverine #10 is enough to save this issue, or this series. 

There just seems to be no bottom to the quality of Weapon X. 

1/10

OLD MAN LOGAN #36 REVIEW

Writer: Ed Brisson Artists: Dalibor Talajić and Carlos Lopez Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit Cover Artists: Mike Deodato Jr., and Carlos Lopez NCBD: 3/14/2018 Publisher: @marvelentertainment Review by: Rob Carey Logan arrives in Manhattan for a beer and a breather after his adventures in Asia. He’s approached by a sketchy guy, Nicky, in a bar who claims to have incriminating intelligence on a thumb drive about the newly elected Mayor of New York City: Wilson Fisk (Kingpin). Logan reluctantly offers to protect the stranger, but Nicky is shot by Kingpin’s goons while he and Logan try to lay low on the subway. Logan tussles with the henchman until one is killed by an oncoming subway car. Elsewhere, Kingpin has retained Bullseye to retrieve the thumb drive from Logan. 

While it’s often nice to see how the X-Men interact with the rest of the Marvel universe, this feels like a really unnecessary story. Last year, Kingpin became the mayor of New York City in Daredevil, Amazing Spider-Man, and other related series; depending on which comic you read, this was either a well-told narrative device or a very thinly veiled metaphor for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It’s been a bit of a shock, then, that the X-Men haven’t interacted with Mayor Kingpin yet, especially since they are headquartered in Central Park, are mutants who face daily bias, and are sitting ducks for Fisk’s anti-vigilante administration. It’s further strange that the first X-Man to have this interaction is Old Man Logan, who arrives in Times Square just in time for an anti-superhero rally that shuts down the heart of midtown. The premise throughout this issue is pretty stale: Logan, who for the life of him just can’t get a break, is pulled into a political drama involving a thumb drive with incriminating data on it that could possibly bring down the evil mayor. There’s just too many plotholes: why can’t Logan just lay low; why can’t he ignore Nicky; if he really wanted to avoid drama, why wouldn’t Logan just go to Canada and stay out of New York; if the evil mayor is so bad, why don’t people just leave the city and escape his jurisdiction; why would a criminal mastermind like Kingpin keep such incriminating data on a simple thumb drive with little more than password protection; and, so on. After Brisson’s excellent runs on “Days of Anger” and “The Scarlet Samurai,” this was a real narrative letdown. The visual design of this issue left a lot to be desired too with a far too many panels looking incomplete and colors seeming flat and uninspired. After having been spoiled for so long by the intense details of Deodato and Martin, it’s a deep disappointment to find so much blank space and empty gutters on these pages (the scenes in Nicky’s apartment and the nighttime Kingpin/Bullseye scene stand out as particularly void). But frankly, while the art in this issue could pass as average at best for Marvel standards, the lettering was a real problem. The first scene of the issue – a protest in Times Square – featured lots of picket signs with bland, boring fonts copied and pasted on multiple spots. In some cases (“FISK”), the letters aren’t even aligned to the angle of the sign itself. In a panel that stretches the second and third pages, a glaringly poor lettering job appears on the digital billboard in the background (“Fisk to ban vigilantes!”) that serves as a really unfortunate focal point for the entire spread. A child with Photoshop could have done better. This amateur graphic design is repeated in later scenes (Kingpin’s political rally, the sign for the fully generically-named “Drugstore”). The culprit here is hard to discern: it’s hard to believe that this is Petit’s work, and perhaps this was the result of a last minute rush job by Talajić. But one thing is for sure: once again, Marvel’s X-Men editor (Harrington) is asleep at the wheel. Sadly, this might be the weakest issue of the series to date. Across the board, it seems like all parties involved – writer, artist, colorist, letterer, and editor – phoned this one in. Here’s hoping this was a one-time fluke and the next issue gets the series back on track.

2/10

ASTONISHING X-MEN #9 REVIEW

Writer: Charles Soule Artists: Matteo Buffagni and Giada Marchisio Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles Cover Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Morry Hollowell NCBD: 03/14/18 Publisher: @marvelentertainment Review by: Rob Carey With Psylocke and X trapped in a reality storm, Logan recalls that Proteus’ weakness is metal. Archangel uses his metal wings to envelope Betsy to shield her from Proteus, while Logan stabs X in the chest with his adamantium claws. As the team regroups, Mystique expresses that X is a stranger they do not know, Bishop reveals that he saw an omen to the end of the world when Proteus arrived, and Psylocke gets a psychic tip for the team to head north. Elsewhere, Proteus has taken control of Fetters Hill, Scotland, using its citizens in an experiment by which Proteus gives each person full control over reality, which quickly descends into chaos as a villager kills another over a romantic jealousy. 

With this issue, Astonishing X-Men reaches the midpoint of “A Man Called X,” the main point of which is Proteus’ plan to wreak havoc with his extraordinary power set. While his motive has not yet been established, one can assume he is intent on seeking revenge on the humanity that rejected him as a child. And his method – to punish mankind by giving it control over everything it wants – is a clever commentary both on human nature and retribution. In addition, there are a handful of terrific moments in this issue: Archangel’s tenderness with Psylocke, Logan’s “oops,” and Mystique’s spot-on analysis of X and Proteus. There remain a few plot points that require resolution (Bishop’s prophecy, X’s real identity, etc.), and with the team en route to Scotland, the remaining issues to this maxi-series should be action-packed.

The artwork in this issue was generally very good too, with a few exemplary panels found throughout. Some of the more impressive moments involve Proteus’ reality storm – bathed in a beautiful Psylocke-purple – and the Scottish village landscapes. In fact, Psylocke looked spectacular in all of her appearances. Additionally, a special shout-out is due to Yu and Hollowell for the cover’s warped perspective, Proteus-tinged hands and arms, and illogical perspective. For the story contained behind the cover, it was spot on. Ultimately, this issue was the rising action of the arc, and there weren’t a lot of moments to blow readers away. But as the series nears its end, Astonishing X-Men needs to move toward big payoffs for the team. I’m confident Soule will deliver.

7.5/10

ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #32 REVIEW

Writer: Tom Taylor Artists: Djibril Morissette-Phan & Nolan Woodard Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit Cover Artists: David Lopez NCBD: 03/14/18 Publisher: @marvelentertainment Review by: Rob Carey Per her commitment at the end of “Orphans of X,” Laura has agreed to help Amber and her organization achieve closure and vengeance on the exploitative villains who manipulated Laura into killing Amber’s family. They track a target (Chad Newman) to Vanuatu where the duo capture him, stuff him in luggage, sail him into international waters, and then presumably stomp him to death. After more than thirty excellent issues of All-New Wolverine, Taylor has become a deservedly high-demand writer for Marvel, and this series is, sadly, coming to an end with Issue No. 35. Consequently, for a writer who’s already been tapped for bigger projects, it should be no surprise that this individual issue is not his finest work. After the extraordinary “Orphans of X” arc – perhaps the best X-storyline of the past year and one of the few shining gems to come out of Marvel Legacy – this issue gives a hurried post-script on Laura’s new relationship with the children of victims of Wolverine(s). The parallel backstories between Amber and Laura are interesting and well-told, but the story set in the present feels hollow and abrupt compared to the arc that originated the relationship. It’s also riddled with contemporary Marvel cliches (the bad guy is a white dude named Chad, the writer’s desire to make quips is greater than any attempt at humanistic dialogue, the bad guy has to be a neo-Nazi, etc.), each of which solicit a very hefty eye-roll. From the moment Laura arrives at Amber’s apartment to the ludicrous boot-stomping finale, this issue sadly pales in comparison to the installments of “Orphans of X.” The artwork here was rather confusing as well, especially the depictions of the two protagonists. Laura is portrayed with such an indeterminate age in the present scenes, that I often mistook her for Gabby. And Amber’s ill-defined facial expressions and genderless appearance make her seem graphically incomplete. Approximately half the panels lack backgrounds and a perplexing resort bar ceiling distorts the perspective of Amber’s solo action scene. It’s simply not the series’ best artwork. In a perfect world, this series would continue on and the “Orphans of X” plot would have more time to compound before Taylor cashed it in. But with a series cancellation on the horizon, perhaps this is the best resolution to the Orphans that readers could expect.  

5/10

February 2018 Sales Summary

After January’s deluge of new entries for X-books, February was a much tamer month by comparison. The entries this month – including two carryover sales from the previous month’s books – cleared 500,000 units. That’s a big drop from the near 800,000 units moved in January. And yet despite their being a lack of events in February and the X-family seeing a big drop in aggregate sales, some series received impressive boosts this month anyway. We also have the debut of a new series (X-Men Red), the end of one on-going series (Generation X), and the end of one mini-series (Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan). But generally speaking and despite some positive blips of data, there’s no real change to our status quo. 

Before going further, as always, a few caveats:

As always, these numbers reflect estimated comics shipped to North American comic shops; it does not measure individual comic sales to readers like you and me, cover anything outside of North America, and it ignores digital sales entirely.

We have finally reached the end of the Marvel Legacy sales tactics, with Astonishing X-Men #8 getting its Legacy drop.

And lastly, like all things in life, numbers have no correspondence to the quality of these books. Lots of these books, even those that are “poor selling” are phenomenal works. So please don’t be discouraged if your favorite books are low on a list somewhere, and more importantly, if you love a book, then go to your Local Comic Shop and buy it!

X-Men Books

X-Men Red #1 premiered with 98,000 units, making it Marvel’s best-selling single issue of 2018 so far (though it’s only February). The debut is substantially less than December’s Phoenix Resurrection #1 and it’s a bit disappointing that it couldn’t crack the six-figure mark, but it’s still a commercial success by Marvel standards.

X-Men Gold and X-Men Blue both received sales bumps for their #21 issues, nearly tying at 39,000 units each. For Blue, that meant a near 20% spike over the previous issue. For their follow-up issues, though, both series dropped to 35,000 issues. Still, this is healthy sales territory for the two team books.

Wedged between Gold and Blue entries, Old Man Logan continues to perform well with #35, itself receiving a 9% sales increase.

Astonishing X-Men #8 saw its Legacy decline of 37% but still cleared 31,000 issues. Unfortunately, this is the lowest figure for the series to date.

All-New Wolverine #31 climbed back over the 30,000 mark with a 21% sales boost. These are the best sales figures for the series since before Legacy began (Issue #24).

The finale for Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan (#5) fell 7% to 29,000; however, the mini-series sold respectably well despite competition from Marvel Legacy and Phoenix-related stories.

Weapon X #14 fell 6% to 24,000 units; these are the lowest figures for the series to date.

Our two newer mini-series were both hit pretty hard. Rogue & Gambit #2 saw a stunning 43% sales drop, barely clearing 22,000 units. The popularity of the characters was evidently not enough to sustain a commercially-successful mini-series. And Legion #2 dropped 39% to just under 14,000 issues.

Cable #154 saw virtually no change over its previous issue, sitting again at 19,000 units.

The finale of Generation X (#87), incredibly, saw a sales decline for its last issue; typically, a finale issue receives at least a marginal increase. With a near 6% decline, Generation X ended at 12,000 units.

Iceman’s penultimate issue (#10) still managed to best 10,000 units despite a 6% decline.

And finally, it’s worth noting that a second printing of Phoenix Resurrection #1 sold an impressive 21,000 units, surpassing Cable, Legion, Generation X, and Iceman. Likewise, X-Men Grand Design #1 still continues to chart three months after its premier, bringing in an additional 3,000 units).

X-Adjacent Books

Infinity Countdown Prime #1 sold 55,000 units; the one-shot had a highe price-tag and was one of the Top 10 single issues for the entire industry in February. It featured Wolverine heavily in the first 20% of the story.

The next four installments of Avengers “No Surrender” (Issues #679-682) each sold approximately 39,000. Sales are solidly average for the series, which features Rogue, Beast, Cannonball, and Sunspot (Citizen V).

Venom #162, a tie-in with X-Men Blue, saw a modest increase of 7% to move 34,000 units.

Black Panther #170 achieved an impressive 32% sales jump, undoubtedly related to the success of the film. The series Annual #1 sold 21,000 units as well. Both issues featured Storm.

And finally, Champions #17, which still includes a Young Cyclops on its roster, dropped 6% to 18,000. Solicits reveal that Cyclops will not remain on the team much longer.

Source

Numbers used in this article come from ComicChron, with remaining tables and graphics created by me.http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2018/2018-02.html.

This episode is stacked with in-depth coverage of last weeks X titles. Young Jean Grey is dead, Venom got hit in the face by a shovel, and Wakanda Forever. Rob and Anthony join to send off the rocky terrains of the Iceman series. Plus some Fastball Tweets from the episode thread. Want to support the podcast? Check out our Patreon, here. Thanks for listening!

Intro (0:00), Iceman #11 (2:43), Rogue & Gambit #3 (32.29), X-Men Red #2 (41:02), X-Men Gold #23 (51:03), Venom #163 (1:05:05), Fastball Tweets (1:13:16), General Discussion (1:31:02) Download/Stream: bit.ly/2p2HFWo

Music: Retcon X - “Phoenix Rising” Ongface - “Sax Me Your Resume”

Follow us on Twitter @UncannyNrdvrs and join the #XMENMONDAY thread every NCBD! Subscribe, Rate, and Review us on iTunes, here. Visit our website here Email: uncannynerdverse[at]gmail.com

This month Ryan is joined by Rob(@tomemyxmen2017) to digest and discuss Avengers #679-682, part of the weekly series event “No Surrender”. Tune in as the guys gush and become fearful of their favorite skunk-hair X-Man, Rogue. In this installment, the creative teams deliver an enjoyable Marvel cosmic event. Thanks for listening!

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