Category Archives: X-Men
I Want More of Age of X-Men Blob
The Blob is one of my favorite X-Men characters. I’ve even cosplayed as the guy! I love the idea that the Blob isn’t some maniacal madman or major, world-threatening super-villain. He’s just another mutant, like the X-Men; he just happens to be a jerk and a bully. And can you blame him? Guy was treated as a freak growing up, and has only ever been treated as a freak as an adult. Largely due to his weight. Makes total sense that the Blob grew up to be a real asshole.
But he’s finally getting his due under the pen of Leah Williams for the X-Tremists in Age of X-Man.
I’m loving it! Someone has finally found a chance to give us a new and different take on the Blob. Here is a Blob who didn’t grow up being insulted and ridiculed for his weight. Here’s a Blob who didn’t have to go work for a carnival due to the mutant power he did not choose and could not control.
Here’s a Blob with soul, who likes to read and clearly enjoys the finer things in life.
I’ve been excited for Williams to explore a fat-positive Blob since she first started talking about her plans for X-Tremists. And while the rest of Age of X-Man is something of a dumpster fire, this little corner is my one bit of joy in all of X-Men comics right now.
I’m really excited to see where all of this is going for Blob. And I hope it earns him some much needed respect as a proper character going forward!
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X-Men Are Getting Yet Another Relaunch, This Time With a Bit More Prestige
Less than a year since the last time the X-Men had a big relaunch, they’re doing it all over again. The X-Men Assembly Line keeps resetting sooner and sooner these days. This time, Marvel is bringing back writer Jonathan Hickman to work his magic.
Things are going to kick off with two alternating mini-series, House of X and Powers of X.
No details on what the new stories are going to entail yet. That picture is a mix of modern character designs and classics, with a couple of semi-new people there at the front, on either side.
I have regretted not reading all of Hickman’s Fantastic Four, though I did read most of his Avengers comics. And his Secret Wars was the last Marvel Big Event comic that I actually enjoyed. So based on the Hickman name alone, I’m excited.
But who knows what’s going to happen! Considering I’ve already given up on the new Uncanny X-Men and Age of X-Man, I look forward to yet another possible chance to enjoy X-Men comics again.
It’s a shame that my two favorite X-characters, Multiple Man and Mimic, are dead…But hey, there’s Toad in that picture! I like Toad! And Blob could still be alive.
We’ll see how this whole thing goes!
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New Dark Phoenix Trailer Promises Another X-Men Movie
Before the X-Men are welcomed back into the comforting bosom of Marvel Studios, they’re going to release one more movie: Dark Phoenix. It’s going to be based on the classic Jean Grey story…which was already the focus of X-Men: The Last Stand. So why not have their last movie just be a re-do of one of their earlier movies?
I kid, I kid ’cause I love. I’m sure Dark Phoenix will be fine. And I’m sure we’ll all remember it as a true classic when Marvel takes over and makes the best X-Men movie of all time.
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/23/19
Last week had a bunch of comics; this week, not so many. Such is the ups and downs of buying and reviewing comic books! I love it, you love it, and we can’t live without it.
Like I said, not many comics this week, especially since I’ve dropped both Aquaman and Catwoman from DC Comics. Catwoman was good, Aquaman was not, but neither of them held my attention all that well. Marvel put out some comics this week, with Comic Book of the Week easily going to Unstoppable Wasp again for a great follow-up issue.
It’s on!
Meanwhile, I watched Umbrella Academy on Netflix and it was really good. I highly recommend it. I never read the comic, so I can’t compare them. But it was a fun TV show.
Comic Reviews: Guardians of the Galaxy #2, Uncanny X-Men #12 and Unstoppable Wasp #5.
Strong Guy Watch: He’s Dead
Welp, Strong Guy is dead. Remember last summer, when I was worried that he would be sacrificed in that New Mutants mini-series? Only for him to survive? Welp, that didn’t last long. The moment he returns following that mini-series, he’s needlessly killed.
Strong Guy takes the brunt of a bomb in this week’s Uncanny X-Men issue.
The issue, of course, ignores any response from Wolfsbane or Havok to the death of Strong Guy
There didn’t need to be a bomb. And he didn’t need to sacrifice himself. Neither is intrinsically important to the story at hand. It just happens. Maybe to raise the stakes of the story? Maybe to underline how dark and gritty it is?
I don’t know and I’m starting to not care. Just kill everybody I love. Why not? What have you got to lose? Just kill’em all and bask in the awesome writing skill of killing characters!
That’s how you know it’s a good comic. If a lot of characters are killed, then it’s a good comic. That’s a rule of making comics. Right? Surely that’s right.
This isn’t the end of Strong Guy Watch. It’ll come back in a year or two when he’s resurrected. Because that’s the other god damned rule: characters don’t stay dead. Unless they’re Multiple Man, my all-time favorite comic book character. When he’s killed…no wait, hold off for a second. He’s actually been killed several times now. When he was killed the last time, he’s stayed dead, and Marvel has instead put a puppet in his place.
So no, my favorite comic book characters don’t get resurrected. They get replaced by a mocking simulacrum.
There is no joy in Mudville.
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