Category Archives: X-Men
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/24/17
Woo boy, do we have a wallop of a column today. As I’ve whined about in the past, all of my favorite comics tend to have the habit of coming out in the same week. Or maybe I’m just reading too many comics. Whatever the case may be, I went all out and have reviewed nearly a dozen comics this week!
We’ve got Power Rangers, we’ve got a new Spider-Man comic, we’ve got Luke Cage and Iceman, and I tried to throw in more DC comics, like Batman, Harley Quinn and hopefully the start of my Aquaman coverage. Thankfully, there were some real gems this week.
But the standout, as has been said numerous times, is the new issue of Silver Surfer. This consistent Comic Book of the Week is going to break my damn heart.
I almost jumped back into reviewing The Mighty Thor now that the Shi’ar story arc is over, but this week was a standalone issue to introduce The War Thor…which, I guess, is similar to The War Doctor? It was a fine issue, and I suppose this new concept could be fun, but there were just way too many comics on my review pile already.
Comic Reviews: Aquaman #25, Batman #25, Batwoman #4, Iceman #2, Luke Cage #2, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #16, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #1, Silver Surfer #12 and The Wild Storm #5.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/17/17
I need to read more DC Comics. There’s no getting around it. This week saw an overflow of Marvel Comics that I read, but I only found time to review one DC Comic. It’s shameful! To say nothing of my apparent inability to read any indie comics. I’m not trying to be a Marvel Zombie! I’m not!
But Marvel delivered both the best and the worst this week. For reasons I wish I had an answer for, the new Hulk series seemed to implode this week, undoing everything that made this series special. Meanwhile, Ms. Marvel kicks off a new story with everything I love about this comic, so I’m rather pleased to award it Comic Book of the Week!
What a perfectly cromulent throw
Secret Empire had a weird little issue this week. The idea that Captain America and HYDRA have completely conquered the United States has shrunk in scope to a race between two super-teams to get pieces of the broken Cosmic Cube. It makes for a fun enough comic as the two teams get treated to a family dinner from Ultron Pym.
Also, Batman has kicked off a rather continuity-heavy, mind-erasing bit of big story at DC. Gotta get caught up on that!
Comic Reviews: Defenders #1, Detective Comics #958, Generation X #3, Hulk #7, Ms. Marvel #19, and X-Men Blue #5.
Strong Guy Speaks!
I am not reading all of the Secret Empire tie-ins, so twice now the Strong Guy Watch has been caught with its pants down! I didn’t know he showed up in the pages of Secret Warriors, and I had no clue he popped into this week’s Secret Empire: United. Ugh. Too many tie-ins!
Fortunately, I’ve got some dedicated readers, and friend-of-the-site josta59 pointed out to me that Guido shows up and actually has speaking lines in United this week! Fantastic!
Good to see him making jokes again
Of course, this blows my leading theory out of the water: that someone at Marvel decided to start putting Strong Guy into the background of X-Men scenes without a word. Now that Guido actually has lines, I’m not sure what to make of any of this…
I’m also glad to see Marrow back to normal and back to business
At least they’re putting him to good use! I can only hope he becomes a regular in one X-Book or another. We’re two years away from the next massive status quo change for the X-Men, so here’s hoping Guido sticks around until then!
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Rictor and Shatterstar Have Grown Big Gay Mustaches
Look, I know LGBT issues can be a sensitive topic for some people, and I totally respect that. I’m pro-LGBT all the way, and as a straight male, I’m probably in no position to comment on this or really stomp my feet about this issue. I just think it’s worth mentioning. In case nobody else on the Internet picks up on this and says something, I just want to put this out there for everybody to see.
The last time we saw Rictor and Shatterstar in an X-Men comic, they came out as a gay couple in the pages of X-Factor. Their first kiss back in 2009 was the first ever on-panel male-to-male kiss in the pages of Marvel Comics. It was a big deal.
Then X-Factor came to an end in 2013 and I don’t think we’ve seen either of them since. Rictor and Shatterstar disappeared into the same comic book limbo that claims most B and C-list mutants.
Until this week! Both heroes make their spectacular return in Secret Warriors #3, set during the whole Secret Empire debacle. And, well…as my headline implies…
First there’s Rictor.
Outshining Quake
And then both of them show up on the final page. You’re going to have zoom in for this one, but it’s as plain as that mustache on both of their faces.
Click to embiggen
Look, anybody and everybody is more than welcome to have whatever kind of facial hair they want. But you cannot tell me that those are not stereotypical big gay mustaches. Those are clearly Freddie Mercury mustaches.
I’m not making any judgement calls here. I’m just throwing it out there that I think it’s a little weird that when two of Marvel Comics’ most popular openly gay men make their long-awaited return to comics, they’re both sporting stereotypically gay facial hair.
Someone somewhere clearly made that active decision.
Also, while we’re here, the Strong Guy Watch continues!
Strong Guy also shows up in Secret Warriors #3, and he is still as silent as the grave.
He’s also apparently wearing a giant, badass chain draped off his belt
He appears in several panels, beyond just this big team shot, but he doesn’t say a word. It’s like whatever edict is putting Strong Guy in these comics also states that he must not utter a word. This is fascinatingly weird.
Also, oddly enough, that was totally Strong Guy reacting when Rictor and Shatterstar had their first kiss! Comics are cyclical!
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My 6 Favorite Comic Book Marriages
Batman and Catwoman are getting married! Batman proposed in the latest issue of his solo series, and even though I don’t think Catwoman has given him an answer yet, I hope they go all-out with the superhero wedding. I want Nightwing as the best man, the Robins as the groomsmen, Harley and Ivy as the bridesmaids and Ace the Bathound as the ring bearer. I want the seats filled with Justice Leaguers and Outsiders!
Who doesn’t love a superhero wedding?
Such romance
There have been tons upon tons of superhero relationships over the years. Once upon a time, they were the bread and butter of superhero comics. Clark Kent and Lois Lane are the standard bearer. Everybody knows about them! But what about marriage? How often do these classic superheroes actually tie the knot with their live interests? Lois and Clark did it. Who else?
Join me after the jump to celebrate with my six favorite comic book marriages!
Henchman-4-Hire 