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A Peek at What I Actually Want to See in Dawn of X
Dawn of X is in full swing and I’m mostly lukewarm about the whole thing so far. Most of the comics are fine, but I don’t feel like any of them are really exploring the full depth and breadth of the new Krakoa-based status quo. Two different comics star a character that used to be part of Psylocke. A majority of the comics are about a team of mutants who leave the island immediately. Almost all of them have gone back to X-business as usual, in my opinion.
I want to learn about life on Krakoa. I want stories that actually deal with the new status quo and how it has changed these characters. And in this week’s issue of Excalibur, we got just a taste of the sort of thing I want to see in Dawn of X.
Behold, a mutant message board!
I don’t think mutantsunmuted.com is a real site
Look at all of that brilliant material! Putting together a Krakoan soccer team? Serious questions about childcare on this strange mutant party island? Concerns about phone chargers and tampons? Mutants actually trying to live up to the “Make More Mutants” commandment with a 21st century dating sentimentality?
I find this stuff fascinating. Am I alone? I want to see more day-in-the-life stuff on Krakoa. What are the living arrangements really like? Is there internet? What about mutants who were pretty comfortable living in the real world, are they super cool about uprooting those lives and living in some pod condo on this island? Have they all had to give up junk food in favor of an all-natural Krakoan diet? How do they get tampons?!
Is there a police force? Are there schools? A library? Has anybody started up a newsletter? Is there a dress code for what X-Men uniforms you can/should wear? Is somebody providing these uniforms?
I am in no position to make demands of Marvel Comics, but can we get an anthology series about life on Krakoa?
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/23/19
Happy Pre-Thanksgiving, everybody! By this time next week, I will have enjoyed a nice, big meal with my loving family and all will be well with the world. Hopefully. All was mostly well with comics this week, with the likes of Batman, Iron Man, Thor and the X-Men!
Comic Book of the Week goes to Gwenpool Strikes Back because the issue finally embraces just how insane it can really get with this character.
As much as I enjoy Gwenpool, I would like to see her go away
Meanwhile, Absolute Carnage came to a solid ending, though the issue is mostly all fight scene and probably would be better read via trades. It also ends with such an obvious cliffhanger that we probably should have all seen it coming. Ah well, still an OK event all around, even if it doesn’t live up to my memories of Maximum Carnage.
Comic Reviews: Batman #83, Excalibur #2, Gwenpool Strikes Back #4, King Thor #3, Marauders #2 and Tony Stark – Iron Man #18.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/2/19
Oh what a world, what a world! I was swamped at work this week, so I didn’t have time to read too many comics. Fortunately, it was a Fifth Wednesday situation, so there weren’t many comics to worry about anyway!
Excalibur arrives to continue Dawn of X, and it’s fine. Runaways has a quiet issue that just moves the story along. And Mighty Morphin Power Rangers wins Comic Book of the Week for another exciting issue!
I need Omega Pink to happen
Meanwhile, I’ve been reading through Brian Michael Bendis’ Daredevil for the first time ever. It’s pretty good! And in comic book movie news, we have confirmation of Into the Spider-Verse 2 and Ant-Man 3! That’s pretty exciting!
Comic Reviews: Excalibur #1, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #44 and Runaways #26.
Behold the New X-Men, Just Like the Old X-Men
The Jonathan Hickman reboot of the X-Men is upon us, with the new line-up of X-Books announced at Comic-Con this past weekend. I’m rather disappointed. I have high hopes for the “Hickboot” and the Powers of X and House of X comics that are going to kick things off, starting this week.
But the reveal of the comics that come after is exactly like every other reveal of new X-Men comics in recent years. I call it the X-Men Assembly Line. It’s where every new relaunch of X-Men comics involves taking a random roster of mutant characters and putting them on random X-based teams.
I guess I was hoping for something new and different this time around. Most of the characters aren’t even getting new costumes.
X-Men
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Synopsis: The X-Men find themselves in a whole new world of possibility…and things have never been better! Jonathan Hickman and superstar artist Leinil Yu reveal the saga of Cyclops and his hand-picked squad of mutant powerhouses!
New Mutants
Writers: Jonathan Hickman and Ed Brisson
Artist: Rod Reis
Synopsis: The classic New Mutants (Sunspot, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Karma, Magik, and Cypher) get together with a few new friends (Chamber, Mondo) to seek out their missing member and share the good news… a mission that takes them into space alongside the Starjammers!
Excalibur
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Marcus To
Synopsis: Mutantkind has always been special…as has their relationship with the world—or WORLDS—around them. As this new era dawns, a new connection forms between mutants and the magic of the world… and that of Otherworld! Can the new Captain Britain forge a new way through the chaos with her companions Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Rictor…and Apocalypse?!?
Marauders
Writer: Jerry Duggan
Artist: Matteo Lolli
Synopsis: Even in this glorious new dawn, Mutantkind faces hardships and oppression from their human counterparts. Led by Captain Kate Pryde and funded by Emma Frost and the Hellfire Trading Company, Marauders Storm, Pyro, Bishop and Iceman sail the seas of the world to protect those hated and feared!
Fallen Angels
Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
Artist: Szymon Kudranski
Synopsis: Psylocke finds herself in this new world of Mutantkind unsure of her place in it…but when a face from her past returns only to be killed, she seeks help from others who feel similar to get vengeance. Cable and X-23 join Kwannon for a personal mission that could jeopardize all Mutantkind!
X-Force
Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Joshua Cassara
Synopsis: X-Force is the CIA of the mutant world—one half intelligence branch, one half special ops. Beast, Jean Grey and Sage on one side, Wolverine, Kid Omega and Domino on the other. In a perfect world, there would be no need for an X-Force. We’re not there… yet.
So my general thoughts are that all of these might be fine. I’m going to give them all a try, because I am hope springs eternal for good X-Men comics. But again, it looks like just a random assortment of mutants tossed onto a random assortment of teams, exactly like every X-Men relaunch of the past decade.
I’m also disappointed that there’s no sign of Leah Williams or the Blob — though we do get Pyro, so my brother should be happy. No word yet if it’s original Pyro or new Pyro.
One good thing we do know about the Hickboot is that all of the various mutants killed in the latest Uncanny X-Men relaunch are coming back to life. We don’t know how, or if it will even be addressed. I hope Hickman doesn’t even bother to explain it and they’re all just alive again.
We’ve been promised that both Multiple Man and Strong Guy will show up in the Hickboot, so hopefully their deaths will indeed be undone. And unless someone says otherwise, I’m going to head canon Multiple Man’s resurrection into that of actual Multiple Man, and not the fake Madrox dupe that was a part of the recent Uncanny X-Men stuff.
What do you all think of this X-Men comic lineup? Any comics you’re particularly interested in? Let me know in the comments!
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Gopher Tuna, O Fortuna
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