What classic comics have you read lately?
Mar 2, 2024 18:49:29 GMT -5
Hoosier X and dbutler69 like this
Post by spoon on Mar 2, 2024 18:49:29 GMT -5
I read Uncanny X-Men #117-122 via X-Men Epic Collection: Proteus (vol. 6). These are all stories I've read multiple times via Classic X-Men, but I think it's the first time I've read the stories without the original pages added for Classic X-Men. These issues consist of the first Shadow King story (#117), the Moses Magnum two-parter in Japan (#118-119), the first appearance of Alpha Flight (#120-121), and one of those transitional X-Men at home character development/subplot building issues (#122).
Claremont & Byrne are doing a lot of interweaving of cast members from Power Man & Iron Fist during this period. First, Jean runs into Misty Knight at the airport. Then, the team runs into Misty & Colleen Wing in Japan (with an Iron Fist cameo via a phone call). Misty & Colleen travel back with the X-Men through Canada. Both of them plus Luke Cage showed up in #122. In addition, a guest appearance by several of the X-Men in PM & IF #57 fighting the Living Monolith is referenced in X-Men #122. It's cool to see the cast brought together.
That leads me, however, to perhaps my biggest writing pet peeve of this period of X-Men. So many of the plot complications rely on the continued mistake belief by Jean, Beast, Professor X, Lilandra, and the Muir Island crew that the rest of the X-Men are dead, while the bulk of the team believes Jean and Hank perished. It started when they were separate during the Antarctic battle with Magneto and gets perpetuated by various circumstances: the X-Men are rescued by a Japanese on some never-explained mission that must remain incommunicado, a mourning Xavier decides to leave with Lilandra to go to the Shiar Empire, a mourning Jean goes traveling to Greece and Scotland. But this falls apart if the X-Men cast has the normal conversations one would expect. Jean and Misty were roommates, although I think at the end of the Warhawk story Jean decided to move back to the X-Mansion. Although it's mention that Misty was in the hospital for a bit, I'd think that they'd have had a conversation sometime in the past few weeks about the situation. Even in their chance airport meeting, I'd think Jean might say, "My boyfriend Scott died." Or when Scott starts getting close to Colleen, wouldn't Misty think about how Scott was dating Jean? Would she wonder about why Scott is apparently free now and whether it would create friction for her BFF to date her ex-roommate's ex-BF. Misty knows Jean is Phoenix, so I'd think she'd know this Scott who she sees out of costume is Jean's Scott. Also, Scott was so concerned with Magneto possibly attacking Xavier that it's odd the team didn't attempt to leave the Japanese ship in transit at some point. I also think that given the nature of crazy superhero battles, the two groups from the Magneto battle recognize their own miraculous mistakes but finding it impossible the other group had a miracle that they should result in a search to find them.
This also ties into the relationship drama. Scott introspectively notes he isn't mourning Jean like he thought he would. My recollection is that the eventual payoff is Scott realizing he was bottling up his feelings as the repressed, high-pressure team leader. In past readings, I've found that unsatisfying, but I'll see if it hits different when I read the issues in order over a short period of time. Back in the Savage Land, Wolverine seemed more affected by her death (which is something I'd expect from Claremont circa 1989), but he gets over it quick. In Japan, Logan meets Mariko Yashida for the first time and falls head over heels. After the leprechauns, Mariko is the first character to learn Logan is his real name.
Speaking of Wolverine, his prestige has been rising ever since Byrne joined the book. He's gone from being an overconfident jerk who frequently gets his comeuppance to someone with a lot of hidden talents who appears to be a keen observer of people and pulls off some cool stuff. In the Japan arc, his conversations show he can be sensitive. He has traveled to Japan in the past and knows the language. In Canada, we get a sense that he has grown from being more reckless during the days before his first appearance. The rather novel ending to the battle with Alpha Flight has Wolvering agree to surrender himself to allow his teammates to go, but then escape from the prison van to rejoin his teammates as a stowaway on their flight the U.S. Then, he helps Colossus get past some of his hangups in #122, showing concern for others and people skills that are a distinct departure from his portrayal in the Cockrum era.
On the other hand, we start to get bits of Claremont being annoying in the promotion of his future faves. In one of the earliest examples of Claremont's "being a jerk to your teammates makes your cool" trope, Wolverine responds to Cyclops saying he didn't know Wolvie knew Japanese with the passive-aggressive "you never asked." Cyke is pretty gracious in response, but if your team is sailing to Japan on a Japanese, normals folks would think you should volunteer this info. We also get hyperbolic Storm in #121 claiming a blizzard created by Shaman probably wouldn't dissipate until the summer without her intervention. Does she have precognition? She also claims her hand was slashed to the bone in #122, but can somehow still move her fingers okay. Also, Wolvie has a potentially racist thought balloon in #122. He drops Storm off in Harlem but is worried if she can fend for herself. He thinks he might have to come back to save Storm and won't "be gentle with any buck dumb enough to get in my way." On one hand, one definition of "buck" is an impetuous young guy (regardless of race). On the other hand, especially in the context of bring Storm to Harlem, it feels like it's evoking the racially derogatory connotation.
Nightcrawler and Colossus don't get as much attention as characters during these issues, even arguably compared to Banshee who is slated for retirement after blowing out his powers thwarting Moses Mangum. I don't think it was cool for the X-Men to plan a surprise party for Banshee, though, instead of just picking him up from the hospital.
In some ways, Magnum is cheesy, but strangely he reminds me of both the super-powered version of Count Nefaria and the Master of the World. His power over the Earth is linked to implausible explanation about falling into a chasm in the Earth, which got retconned in pages added in Classic X-Men to include Apocalypse. Actionwise, the battles against the Mandroids are both pretty cool. In the Mandroid battle, there's a cool panel of Colossus reaching up out of a hole in the road to smash a truck. I think JR jr did a homage to that years later (maybe in #200). The panels of Sasquatch smashing Logan into a couple of walls are cool. Nightcrawler, in one of his few highlights from theses issues, gets to mess with Aurora. Alpha Flight is interesting, although without fully developed personalities yet. Snowbird gets the least attention. Northstar seems like a jerk. Sasquatch played in the NFL rather than the CFL because he mentions facing the Steelers defense.
In spite of lacking a big super-hero fight, #122 has lots of interesting bits. Colleen the minx sneaks Scott an apartment key in an envelope. Claremont & Byrne almost doxx her, but her address and phone number are partially obscured by Scott's thumb. Also, Jean runs into a debonair-looking man named Jason Wyngarde in Scott, although a found a bit of his dialogue jerky. I think TPBs generally start the Dark Phoenix Saga with #129, but in some ways this is the start. Classic X-Men would later retcon Jean as having met Jason in disguise during her trip to Greece mentioned in passing. I'm not sure I noticed in past readings of #122 that Byrne was dropping hints of Wyngarde's identity from the beginning with his shadow as the silhouette of Mastermind. Also, I believe his thought balloon is the first mention of the "Hellfire Club" although some past references to other groups like I think "Council of the Chosen" were later explained also to be the Club. The art in #122 is actually Byrne breakdowns with Austin finishes. On some pages it doesn't look as good as full Byrne pencils, but in other pages it actually looks better.
In coming attractions, near a door labeled Mutant X an off-panel baddie (you know who) kills disgruntled hovercraft businessman Angus McWhirter, who we met in a Cockrum issue. And in #122, Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut hire Arcade to kill the X-Men. Tom claims they'll be millionaires if Arcade succeeds. How does that work? Does he think Cain Marko will inherit Xavier's money. I feel certain the Prof has a Will and Juggs isn't in it.
In subplot news, the reason Lilandra is going back to the empire is because the civil war, left unresolved when she decided to remain on Earth has now ended in her favor, and she can take the throne. I haven't commented much on the Shadow King story. I'm neither too excited about it nor too critical, aside from a whiff of Orientalism. It's good to get more of Xavier's backstory and set up a baddie who won't pay off until much later. The astral plane battle isn't that interesting. The story deals with the retcon of Xavier meeting Ororo as a kid by explaining he didn't realize Storm was the same person until after he recruited her for the team. I'd like to see that "hey, don't we know each other" convo.
Claremont & Byrne are doing a lot of interweaving of cast members from Power Man & Iron Fist during this period. First, Jean runs into Misty Knight at the airport. Then, the team runs into Misty & Colleen Wing in Japan (with an Iron Fist cameo via a phone call). Misty & Colleen travel back with the X-Men through Canada. Both of them plus Luke Cage showed up in #122. In addition, a guest appearance by several of the X-Men in PM & IF #57 fighting the Living Monolith is referenced in X-Men #122. It's cool to see the cast brought together.
That leads me, however, to perhaps my biggest writing pet peeve of this period of X-Men. So many of the plot complications rely on the continued mistake belief by Jean, Beast, Professor X, Lilandra, and the Muir Island crew that the rest of the X-Men are dead, while the bulk of the team believes Jean and Hank perished. It started when they were separate during the Antarctic battle with Magneto and gets perpetuated by various circumstances: the X-Men are rescued by a Japanese on some never-explained mission that must remain incommunicado, a mourning Xavier decides to leave with Lilandra to go to the Shiar Empire, a mourning Jean goes traveling to Greece and Scotland. But this falls apart if the X-Men cast has the normal conversations one would expect. Jean and Misty were roommates, although I think at the end of the Warhawk story Jean decided to move back to the X-Mansion. Although it's mention that Misty was in the hospital for a bit, I'd think that they'd have had a conversation sometime in the past few weeks about the situation. Even in their chance airport meeting, I'd think Jean might say, "My boyfriend Scott died." Or when Scott starts getting close to Colleen, wouldn't Misty think about how Scott was dating Jean? Would she wonder about why Scott is apparently free now and whether it would create friction for her BFF to date her ex-roommate's ex-BF. Misty knows Jean is Phoenix, so I'd think she'd know this Scott who she sees out of costume is Jean's Scott. Also, Scott was so concerned with Magneto possibly attacking Xavier that it's odd the team didn't attempt to leave the Japanese ship in transit at some point. I also think that given the nature of crazy superhero battles, the two groups from the Magneto battle recognize their own miraculous mistakes but finding it impossible the other group had a miracle that they should result in a search to find them.
This also ties into the relationship drama. Scott introspectively notes he isn't mourning Jean like he thought he would. My recollection is that the eventual payoff is Scott realizing he was bottling up his feelings as the repressed, high-pressure team leader. In past readings, I've found that unsatisfying, but I'll see if it hits different when I read the issues in order over a short period of time. Back in the Savage Land, Wolverine seemed more affected by her death (which is something I'd expect from Claremont circa 1989), but he gets over it quick. In Japan, Logan meets Mariko Yashida for the first time and falls head over heels. After the leprechauns, Mariko is the first character to learn Logan is his real name.
Speaking of Wolverine, his prestige has been rising ever since Byrne joined the book. He's gone from being an overconfident jerk who frequently gets his comeuppance to someone with a lot of hidden talents who appears to be a keen observer of people and pulls off some cool stuff. In the Japan arc, his conversations show he can be sensitive. He has traveled to Japan in the past and knows the language. In Canada, we get a sense that he has grown from being more reckless during the days before his first appearance. The rather novel ending to the battle with Alpha Flight has Wolvering agree to surrender himself to allow his teammates to go, but then escape from the prison van to rejoin his teammates as a stowaway on their flight the U.S. Then, he helps Colossus get past some of his hangups in #122, showing concern for others and people skills that are a distinct departure from his portrayal in the Cockrum era.
On the other hand, we start to get bits of Claremont being annoying in the promotion of his future faves. In one of the earliest examples of Claremont's "being a jerk to your teammates makes your cool" trope, Wolverine responds to Cyclops saying he didn't know Wolvie knew Japanese with the passive-aggressive "you never asked." Cyke is pretty gracious in response, but if your team is sailing to Japan on a Japanese, normals folks would think you should volunteer this info. We also get hyperbolic Storm in #121 claiming a blizzard created by Shaman probably wouldn't dissipate until the summer without her intervention. Does she have precognition? She also claims her hand was slashed to the bone in #122, but can somehow still move her fingers okay. Also, Wolvie has a potentially racist thought balloon in #122. He drops Storm off in Harlem but is worried if she can fend for herself. He thinks he might have to come back to save Storm and won't "be gentle with any buck dumb enough to get in my way." On one hand, one definition of "buck" is an impetuous young guy (regardless of race). On the other hand, especially in the context of bring Storm to Harlem, it feels like it's evoking the racially derogatory connotation.
Nightcrawler and Colossus don't get as much attention as characters during these issues, even arguably compared to Banshee who is slated for retirement after blowing out his powers thwarting Moses Mangum. I don't think it was cool for the X-Men to plan a surprise party for Banshee, though, instead of just picking him up from the hospital.
In some ways, Magnum is cheesy, but strangely he reminds me of both the super-powered version of Count Nefaria and the Master of the World. His power over the Earth is linked to implausible explanation about falling into a chasm in the Earth, which got retconned in pages added in Classic X-Men to include Apocalypse. Actionwise, the battles against the Mandroids are both pretty cool. In the Mandroid battle, there's a cool panel of Colossus reaching up out of a hole in the road to smash a truck. I think JR jr did a homage to that years later (maybe in #200). The panels of Sasquatch smashing Logan into a couple of walls are cool. Nightcrawler, in one of his few highlights from theses issues, gets to mess with Aurora. Alpha Flight is interesting, although without fully developed personalities yet. Snowbird gets the least attention. Northstar seems like a jerk. Sasquatch played in the NFL rather than the CFL because he mentions facing the Steelers defense.
In spite of lacking a big super-hero fight, #122 has lots of interesting bits. Colleen the minx sneaks Scott an apartment key in an envelope. Claremont & Byrne almost doxx her, but her address and phone number are partially obscured by Scott's thumb. Also, Jean runs into a debonair-looking man named Jason Wyngarde in Scott, although a found a bit of his dialogue jerky. I think TPBs generally start the Dark Phoenix Saga with #129, but in some ways this is the start. Classic X-Men would later retcon Jean as having met Jason in disguise during her trip to Greece mentioned in passing. I'm not sure I noticed in past readings of #122 that Byrne was dropping hints of Wyngarde's identity from the beginning with his shadow as the silhouette of Mastermind. Also, I believe his thought balloon is the first mention of the "Hellfire Club" although some past references to other groups like I think "Council of the Chosen" were later explained also to be the Club. The art in #122 is actually Byrne breakdowns with Austin finishes. On some pages it doesn't look as good as full Byrne pencils, but in other pages it actually looks better.
In coming attractions, near a door labeled Mutant X an off-panel baddie (you know who) kills disgruntled hovercraft businessman Angus McWhirter, who we met in a Cockrum issue. And in #122, Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut hire Arcade to kill the X-Men. Tom claims they'll be millionaires if Arcade succeeds. How does that work? Does he think Cain Marko will inherit Xavier's money. I feel certain the Prof has a Will and Juggs isn't in it.
In subplot news, the reason Lilandra is going back to the empire is because the civil war, left unresolved when she decided to remain on Earth has now ended in her favor, and she can take the throne. I haven't commented much on the Shadow King story. I'm neither too excited about it nor too critical, aside from a whiff of Orientalism. It's good to get more of Xavier's backstory and set up a baddie who won't pay off until much later. The astral plane battle isn't that interesting. The story deals with the retcon of Xavier meeting Ororo as a kid by explaining he didn't realize Storm was the same person until after he recruited her for the team. I'd like to see that "hey, don't we know each other" convo.