X-Men Vignette: Matters at Hand

Some time ago, I'd written a few X-Men shorts for a Comic Book Resources thread.  One was chosen to have art: "Matters at Hand."  It stars Husk, Cannonball, Kitty Pryde, and Psylocke defending the Jean Grey School and its student Genesis, who has the potential to become the next Apocalypse.  The art is by the wonderfully talented Luis Laczky.  His colors are perfect, both somber and vibrant, and his lines gracefully portray movement and action.  No, this is not professional.  Laczky changed a few items from my script, but I'm completely satisfied, anyway.  How could I not be?  Look at the last page!  The closeup of Psylocke's feet as she walks on scene is phenomenal and completely his idea.

See Laczky's work at his tumblr for X-Men, tumblr for his other art, and his deviantart page.

So without further ado, I present "X-Men: Matters at Hand" by S.E. Andres and Luis Laczky.

The Flash: Iris (A fantastic fan film)

Recently there have been a few crackdowns on fan-made films, especially those that have been raising money to make them.  The Wonder Woman fan film by photographer Adam Jay almost succeeded but was shut down by DC/WB.  There's been plenty of trailers, like the newest Wonder Woman incarnation, played by Nina Bergman and directed by Jesse V. Johnson.  But what does it take to make a great fan film, like the brilliant Lazy Teenage Superheroes or the Y: The Last Man fan short? It takes a talented cast of creators from New Orleans, including up-and-coming lead actor (who also served as co-writer) Patrick Flanagan, hair and makeup artist Natalie Shea Rose, and commercial/minor character actor Ada Michelle Loridans.  

Loridans and Flanagan as Iris and Barry/Flash

January Comic News!

A new Marvel NOW! release, just announced yesterday by USA Today is a relaunch of X-Men by Brian Wood in April.  But the main characters all happen to be arguably the biggest stars of the X-Men: the females Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey, and Jubilee.  Bling! and Pixie guest star in the first issue.  The premise of the book, for the first year or two revolves around Jubilee bringing home a baby that could save or destroy the world, and the X-Men must protect it.  But don't expect it to be just a rehash of Hope's story!  Wood revealed that Jubilee will be the focus, but everyone will get their shine time!  And if any of you read Wood's X-Men run this year, you know he tells a mean story and writes complex and rich characters.  His Storm is absolutely stellar.  Oliver Coipel pencils the first few issues and rotates with Wood's penciler on the former X-Men run David Lopez.  This is the best thing to happen in comics of everytime, everyone!  Pre-order as soon as possible!  This needs to succeed!

Cincy ComiCon: A Comic Nerd's Dream Con

The Greater Cincinnati area is getting ANOTHER comic con, you guys!  That's how great Cincinnati is!  But the reality is: the new Cincy ComiCon will be vastly different.  I want you to think about your favorite aspect of a comic convention really is.  Do you want the maze of insanity that is (now) Comic Con International (CCI) or New York Comic Con (NYCC)?  

Why Marvel NOW! Will Succeed

With DC Comics' New 52 having launched recently, Marvel needed to up their game somehow with numbers lower than DC.  Clearly there's a problem if Aquaman is beating X-books.  Aquaman.  Having just had Schism in X-books, it was a surprise that Marvel would do this.  But it was transitioned so well, that the typical X-reader somewhat forgets that Schism was only a year ago.  Now X-Men and Avengers are united, despite some bruises still showing from AvX.  Marvel's NOW! initiative will turn out better in the long run.  It may not be as accessible as New 52, where DC characters are re-imagined, much like Marvel's Ultimate Universe; but Marvel NOW! is certainly a jumping on point, where characters in continuity are introduced to new readers and slowly developed even more while touching on a character's history throughout.  They're allowing writers and artists to flourish in their team ups, and encouraging them to stay on as a team for the long run, unlike the New 52.  In addition, they're avoiding events at the editorial level.  If writers want to do an event in a natural progression, then it'll be fully supported.  That's the Marvel plan with NOW! concerning the creator approach.  

SHIELD TV Series from Joss Whedon

I've been so busy that I haven't posted about this gloriously wonderful news.  Joss Whedon was confirmed to be working on a new TV series that focuses on SHIELD, the organization that forms the Avengers.  In addition, the series will be in continuity with the films and may even have guest appearances by the film characters.  Whedon will likely co-write the pilot with his brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen and possibly direct the pilot.  What's up in the air, though, is the characters Whedon will be using. 

Pushing Daisies comic on hold...still

Page 1 colored, unlettered

I failed to mention that over a year ago, Bryan Fuller had once again reported on the Pushing Daisies comic.  He had mentioned that it would likely be a season 3 graphic novel with a multimedia experience, complete with cast songs (as previously reported here), but plans were stalled when the publisher Wildstorm was closed by its parent company DC Comics.  Fuller then expressed interest in attempting to get  third season by a cable company, specifically Starz.  I don't know if it may be soon.  It may depend on his involvement with The Addams Family remake if it gets picked up.  While expressing his hopes that we will get a wrap for the third season, Fuller posted the first two pages in black and white and another of the first page unlettered but colored.  Check out post-jump for the two lettered pages!

Husk Returns from Limbo!

It's official: Husk will be in Wolverine and the X-Men as a teammate featured on the #1 and #2 Bachalo covers.  Jason Aaron confirmed this on Twitter, as well as confirming a romance for her.  Iceman?  Chamber?

A Tribute to Mike Carey's X-Men

Even if you didn't like his work on X-Men (or more specifically his work with Rogue), you have to admit his work is quality writing.  Let's take a look at what made his 5 1/2-year run astonishing in so many ways and the kind of legacy he'll leave through plots left unresolved.

This Just In: Carey leaving X-Men Legacy

Mike Carey's final arc of X-Men Legacy will start in November with #259 and end with #260.  What a run!  #188-#260!  That's over 70 issues!  He did state under my facebook rebellion, declaring with wet eyes my devastation of the news:

Sorry, guys. I didn't know this was going to break today. It's not the end of me on the X-Men - at least, I hope it isn't. It's me taking a break from the monthly book, and taking stock of where I am on a bunch of other things.

So goes life.  But Carey shall return in a magnificent glory.  I expect great things form him concerning Blindfold, Husk, Ariel, and the X-kids!  Coming soon will be my tribute to his run.  Look after the jump for the cover, as of now.

The Wolverine: Cecilia Reyes casted

According to the imdb page for The Wolverine--the hopefully-better sequel to the awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine film--Naturi Naughton will play the part of Cecilia Reyes, who has been absent form the comics for a long while, now sidelined as a medic not even good enough for the X-Men's Science club that doctors all mutants on Utopia.  Reyes is a mutant who had reflexive force field; when it was a hit, she felt the pain without the injury.  Since Psylocke telepathically extended her powers in Uncanny X-Men, Cecilia is now able to expand her force field to an unspecified distance.  She despised being a mutant and refused to accept it.  It made for a great conflict in having a part in defeating Bastion the first time around.  She also brought some well-needed diversity in personality, power, and race.

Age of X: Review

It's been a few months since Age of X ended, and it ended during my absence.  I owe it to you now that the arc is out in Hardback.  The hardback collects Age of X: Alpha, Age of X: Universe 1 & 2, New Mutants 22-24, and X-Men Legacy 245-247.  You get it on Amazon for $16.66, but, as always, I urge you to get it form your LCS.

Carey suddenly delves into a world immediately following X-Men Legacy 244.  In it, we see alternative lives of our favorite mutants in a world where the X-Men were never brought together by Xavier and mutants are all hunted down for being a threat.  Xavier never existed in this reality, so there were never liaisons or mediums between humans and mutants.

Awesome Movie Highlight: X-Men First Class

X-Men: First Class serves as a prequel, in a way, to the first three X-Men movies.  And it's just as good, if not better, than X2, the best of the three originals.  I think I even like it better than Thor, which was my favorite superhero movie until First Class arrived.  I'm not one to compare to the comics or book because I'll end up being disappointed.  Let's face it: movies are no longer original; they are adaptations of comics or novels.  I like to separate the mediums.  First Class succeeds in its goal of making a fantastic movie, based on the X-Men comics.  It takes X-Men from many generations and incorporates them into this First Class.  I give it an 8 out of 10.  Do not read ahead if you don't want spoilers.

Bobby's Top 15 X-Men: 5-1

5. Madrox/Multiple Man (Jamie Madrox)

Jamie Madrox is a conundrum. His powers and his personality are completely random and crazy-complicated...and crazy. And apparently he's not even a real mutant, but somehow he tested positive for the mutant gene when he entered the mutant concentration camp in the future. Madrox's humor, ability to constantly fail despite his best intentions, constant narration, and dedication to the belief that his life is like a noir film have make him a lovable damaged goof. I wasn't too familiar with him until my venture into the miniseries Madrox, and since then he quickly became a favorite of mine. Not to mention, he's had the best moments as a character the past five years in the X-Men books: his baby with Siryn who turned out to be a dupe (as he was a part of him) was perhaps the most memorable.

Favorite costume: Current and previous X-Factor

Bobby's Top 15 X-Men: 10-6

10. Omega Sentinel
Karima Shapandar

Omega was awesome when Claremont wrote her in his Excalibur v3 run, but her first appearance was in X-Men Unlimited (1993) #27 in 2000, years after Bastion's Operation Zero Tolerance, though that is the setting.  It tells the story of how Neal Shaara's brother and Karima became prime sentinels, while Neal's powers prevented the transformation.  Neal and Karima fell in love, but Karima warned him of her transformation and told him to leave.  Thus begins her journey of struggling to keeping her humanity.  Magneto and Professor X reassembled her and programmed humanity into her on Genosha.  Again she was deconstructed and abused by Pandemic in Carey's X-Men run.  She was reassembled and corrected herself.  She proved herself a valuable X-Man as a resource, weapon, intelligence, and friend.  In a recent arc of X-Men Legacy called Fables of Reconstruction, we find that the virus created by Cypher also effected her, but due to the layers of humanity, it had a delayed effect.  She became violent, hunting her teammates, and Hellion took violent action against her, more than he should have, leaving her a vegetable.  We don't know what the future holds for the lovely lady, but we do know we love her.  And she has quite a following.

Favorite Costume(s): Excalibur (pictured), X-Men

PUSHING DAISIES COMIC!!!!

Okay. I've mentioned in the past that the Pushing Daisies comic was coming. Well, it keeps getting delayed. Finally it looks like the comic will actually be coming out early next year, as reported by Comic Book Resources's Robot 6. Issue one is complete, issue two is being colored, and issue 3 is being written. Fuller even stated that they're hoping for an accompanying soundtrack to stream or download in conjunction with an issue's release. The cast has agreed to sing the music, which is already in progress, some of which has been completed. Lee Pace has already sang a song for it. The problem is that rights are expensive, so it may not actually happen. But the thought is thrilling, and I'm hopeful it will happen. After all this time, we've been waiting and the increasing popularity of the show. Cult followings always gain more fans after the project's death.

Legends: The Enchanted, Review

When Legends: The Enchanted #0 preview issue arrived in comic stores, I thought I'd check it out. I was glad I did because what I read was promising and in itself, without a complete story, amazing. I eagerly awaited the entire graphic novel, which did not have a set release date at the time the preview came out. I checked comixology each week to find out, and when I did find out, I had to ask Kendall Swafford, owner of Up Up and Way. He confirmed its release date, and I. Could. Not. Wait. For the book to arrive in the store.

The book revolves around fairytale characters: good vs. evil. The good--such as Pinocchio, Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and Goldilocks--face evil such as wolves, giants, and a force unknown to them, controlling events and stealing the magic from the good characters, literally taking away their immortality. As the book progresses, each character finds their immortality disappearing. Their wounds are not healing, and their strength is fading. They are not prepared for what faces them, and now they must band together, something that doesn't happen much, to figure out what the source of their problems are and the mysterious and brutal deaths of their friends and fellow evil killers. The end is left open for a sequel, when the surviving characters of good have not even faced or realized who the actual enemy is.

The book may not have worked if not for the brilliant art by the author himself Nick Percival. Characters look like cyborgs, partially flesh, partially technology, and partially forest, giving an obvious steampunk look to the book. The soft edges and grotesque, horror-inducing images create a nightmarish comic that far surpasses the ongoing Fables. The art tells the story right along with the dialogue in a way that can stand alone with its own story, which is expected of a writer who does their own art. It's a much darker, grimmer, look at the fairytale world. When you read this, you'll not want to wait for the next installment.

Currently, Legends: The Enchanted is in pre-production for a film.

Legends: The Enchanted was published by Radical, and is available at their website, amazon, or your LCS.

4.5/5 stars

Feminist Feature: Female Messiah!

So we went from the "decimation" of the mutant race because of Scarlet Witch warping reality, taking away the powers of most mutants in the world, many of which died due to their mutations physical features stayed the same and couldn't adapt to being homo sapien (known as M-Day). Then came the Messiah Complex: the "arms" race to get to the new, and only, mutant baby born since M-Day. The baddies obliterated an entire town, babies and all. The X-Men were too late to save the day, but they managed to rescue Hope, the newly-born mutant. There, Cable took her into the future, followed by Bishop. The entire run of the recent Cable series has Bishop following their tracks, trying to kill Hope. This is how she's raised: fleeing and fighting for her life.

Now, she's like a child again when she comes to the present but at the same time a badass young lady, who's been raised in an eternal war. This is why she and X-23 connect with each other: they've been raised in horrible situations and, once out of it, don't know how to act. And the pressure's on for Hope. The X-Men have lost many on their quest to protect Hope: Caliban, Nightcrawler, Ariel, and more that I can't think of, I'm sure. Wolverine summed it up perfectly: "She better be worth it." The mutant race have been split on the necessity of Hope: she's had many killed when the mutant race is nearly extinct, so why are the X-Men risking so much for most likely just another mutant...and others have exactly what she was named HOPE. So far she's gotten into a fight with Moonstar, which was great, and is about to team-up with Rogue in badassery.

Typically we don't see allusions to female messiahs. There have only been male messiahs in literature. It's about time someone stepped it up. If she is somehow the one to revive the mutant gene, then the X-Men's deaths are not for nothing. But if she somehow becomes just an uber-powerful mutant. Could she save them all or destroy them all? This is yet another difference between Hope and other literary messiahs. She's multi-faceted, not directly a savior and perfect person. She's a rollercoaster of emotions, understandably. I'm anxious to see how this turns out!

Feminist Feature: The Avengers!

Remember my post on the X-Men being feminist? Well, despite Marvel's amazing female characters, they are largely invisible, especially in the upcoming Avengers. Of three core teams: Avengers, New Avengers, and Secret Avengers, we have approximately one female per team right now with five members released, but the Secret cast is still shadows (but one seems to be female).



Ms. Marvel is shown on the New Avengers cover for June, but the first five team members were revealed to be Wolverine, Spider-Man, Thing, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones/Jewel. I love this team. I really do. But I want more females. Is Ms. Marvel really going to be on it? Why not have Jewel and Spider-Woman be on the same team? They're supposed to be friends from Jessica's days as a P.I. And Carol is supposed to be Jessica's best friend.


And Spider-Woman is part of the adjectiveless Avengers team. I love her like crazy, especially after the series she just had, which got cut to be a mini. So she's on a team with Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America. So the three biggest names of the Avengers will completely overpower her or bring her up in status. We'll see how this plays out. But there are plenty of female Avengers, and I think we could have more on a team. I know. We should just care about good characters. And I do. But you can turn a crappy character into a good character (usually) if given to a different writer. I love Bendis's writing, and I think his women are fantastic, but I wish he'd write more of them to maybe help being in even more female fans and show equality among the sexes. It's ridiculous!

Once this will happen, maybe more races will be represented in the Avengers. Like Wolverine, Storm could totally be on the Avengers. Or sexuality differences. Bring Wiccan and Hulkling to the forefront. Integrate the Young Avengers into the Avengers, and maybe we'd get them some more respect. I still love the Avengers, and I'm all for good characters, no matter what, but I think it'd be nice to have some diversity to draw in readers and help some people who need to relate to something.

Site of the Week (3/15-3/21): Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles

Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles essentially two characters: Mr. Wiggles, a drunken sex-addicted teddy bear, and the cartoon exaggerated version of the nerdy and slightly insane creator Neil Swaab. Enjoy the extreme dirtiness and nerdiness. A good combination, if you ask me!