Comixology has three new comics to enjoy for free this week!
I heard good things about the Spider-Man / Deadpool comic, mostly two funny characters being funny.
I didn’t review the first issue of Age of Apocalypse but I did review issues three and four of the series.
Now that my comics are in the same building I live in, I’m super tempted to get back into reviewing comics again, I even found my scanner but I’m not sure it still works. I do miss comics, especially new ones but I’ve been so out of the game that I’m not sure if I’ve been out for too long. Comic Book Queers Legacy still gets me hyped for current X-Men comics so I know Marvel is still producing quality there but it has been so many years that it’ll take a lot to catch up. But maybe I’ll just not catch up and just review old comics. Something to think about at least.
X-Men 188, I reviewed the heck out of!
I loved the Mike Carey / Chris Bachalo run so much! Such a great run and amazing creative team!
Storm doesn’t blink, she wants Charles back. Husk is perfectly intent to rip out the X-Men’s heart so she’s going to keep Charles.
To make sure that nobody mistakes Husk for not being properly motivated, she retells her origins. Generation Next risked their very lives in order to get Illyana and no one could be bothered to regroup and come back to the Core and make sure their families had bodies to be buried.
Her team – Chamber, Skin and Vincente – are all dead. The goons in the Portland Core (I’m sure it switches back and forth from Portland to Seattle) didn’t know what to do with prisoners.
Once word came down that Apocalypse was defeated, everyone abandoned the Cores. The Gurthries apparently heard a rumor where Paige’s body could be found and they followed it. Her real family (who she turned her back on, so she could become an X-Man) found her when the X-Man abandoned her.
Storm tries to explain how Colossus (the worst) told the X-Men how only Illyana and Kate survived.
Husk doesn’t need excuses, the X-Men went to check on Bishop, they should have gone back for everyone. Weapon X sneaks up to Husk but doesn’t get Charles. In fact, everyone is standing pretty close to each other, not sure why no one just grabs Charles. Kurt should just teleport in and out. Dash and grab, as it were.
Silver Samurai tells Weapon X to stand down as help has finally arrived. Psylocke has arrived and somehow, has become Asian in this timeline! She hands Charles to Weapon X.
Weapon X tells Nightcrawler to teleport away with Charles, he takes offense to Weapon X giving out orders but he follows them.
The X-Men have a quick fight with the Guthries but then Magneto arrives. Magneto has Sunfire burn the Guthries. The two make short work of the youngsters.
Quicksilver is about to punch Husk but Rogue tells her son-in-law to stop. Stepson, right? Rogue tries to explain how, once Apocalypse was dead, the X-Men decided to start anew with the living and not worry about the dead. I guess that is harsh but that’s a decision winners can make.
Rogue won’t kill Husk, just lock her away in a cell. I guess for attempted child capture? After giving that threat Kirika kills Husk, so that was a waste of a page.
With Paige’s dying words she reveals that Charles was bait and Sinister has larger plans for Magneto. Rogue asks Magneto what he knows about Sinister being alive. Magneto reveals that he didn’t save the day, when the bombs were dropping. The issue ends with the reveal that Jean stopped the bombs, even though we saw her super die at the hands of Havok. Also, Sinister has Jean.
I imagine the X-Men free Jean and Sinister gets his butt kicked.
With this, we end our visit to the Age of Apocalypse.
It took ten years but Bachalo has become the leader of an army of inkers.
Yoshida is the writer of the excellent, Kitty Pryde & Lockheed – Shadow & Flame miniseries featuring Paul Smith on pencils.
In the previous issues, Magneto and his X-Men are the protectors of the populace. Their main mission is to hunt down the rest of Apocalypse’s goons. The X-Men are no longer the ragtag group but are now a large team.
The X-Men have met a group of young mutants. Magneto, Sunfire, Gambit and Quicksilver are on a separate mission. Weapon X and a new mutant, Kirika have defeated Northstar & Aurora and are now on their way to rejoin the X-Men.
This issue opens with a classic X-Men playing football scene. Weapon X and Silver Samurai let old scores surface but Storm tells them to calm down. Like anytime anyone is told is clam down, it doesn’t work. The two keep fighting as Kirika keeps trying to break it up and protect Weapon X.
After the game, the X-Men are watching news coverage of the Guthrie clan making a very public appearance. Which will be the reason why I own this issue and the next.
The Guthries are Cannonball, Icarus and a blonde sister. It can’t be Husk as she was part of Generation Next, and is believed dead.
Cannonball blasts Weapon X out of the fight and Kirika calls Weapon X “dad!” so that’s a thing now. I’m pretty sure she’s suppose to be AoA’s X23.
The sister has the ability to grow to Giant Man height, if not bigger, so she’s a new one. She’s able to make short work of this B-Team of X-Men.
Kurt teleports Dazzler up to the giant’s ear and she dazzles the giant. Storm finally knocks her off of her large feet.
Meanwhile. Cannonball is doing better in any fight that he would ever have against a Wolverine. Weapon X tries to soak Cannonball but in the distraction, the Guthries all motor off.
The Mansion. The B-Team comes home (it is what the giant Guthrie called them) and they get worried as clearly a fight broke out. Storm asks where Rogue and Charles are.
Husk is back and she is (rightfully) pissed!
Dazzler thought she died in the Seattle Core. Husk has to correct yet another X-Fool, and state that she was left for dead. She’s pretty upset that no X-Man ever came back, clearly years have gone by (maybe just the one) and someone should have gone to the Cores and check on them.
Issue ends with the four empowered Guthries reunited.
Most of the stories take place before the original crossover, except for the last one as it sets up the upcoming miniseries.
This story opens with Colossus sitting on his butt, as the X-Men fight Sentinels. He’s thinking about all he has ever known, is fighting.
I do like how Rogue and Sabretooth keep fighting on, as if they always expected Colossus to falter. Sunfire is there too, he’s also disappointed in Colossus. Rogue promises to have words with him, later.
Back home, Magneto is even more disappointed in Colossus. This is probably the most Colossus deals with the fact that his brother is a Horseman of Apocalypse.
Look at Shadowcat there! Why would you ever leave the house!?!
Colossus starts to unload his problems onto his common-law life. She’s ready to just leave and recommit themselves to having a family. Hopefully they don’t plan on moving to the Midwest.
Magneto arrives, he has a new goal for the couple. He wants them to start teaching the next generation of students.
There’s a story featuring Sabretooth. A character who gets plenty of attention in the pages of Exile.
Weapon X, Logan, gets a story, back when he had both hands.
The final story picks up with the bombs would be exploding at the end of X-Men Omega. The bombs were exploded overhead, so no one dies.
There are several stories in this humorous take on Age of Apocalypse. We’ll be focusing on three of the stories.
This issue goes through the entire crossover, roughly in order (From what I can tell) so it goes from X-Men Alpha to Omega.
The title is so large that Colossus barely has room to set up the four page story.
Colossus continues to update Husk about what has been going on during the event. He tells his students how difficult their part of the mission is going to be. He, on the other hand, will just float down, at some point.
We see the scenes of Husk and Vicente becoming Quietus and being confrotned by Sugar Man.
Husk is confronting Sugar Man, as we see Shadowcat, Illyana and Colossus are sneaking out the back.
This story implies that Colossus really wanted to save the students, but he really didn’t.
The third story deals with X-Man.
The fourth story deals with Admonishing X-Men.
The second story we’re covering is The Age of Apocalypse The Speed Search Version, by Steve Bunche. Bunche read the entire 38 part crossover, in one sitting and is now retelling the tale.
Bunche recaps where the other characters are at. Nightcrawler is looking for Destiny. Logan and Jean are fighting Sentinels. Storm is rescuing Bishop. Cyclops is working for Apocalypse. Gambit is searching for the M’Kraan Crystal.
Colossus and Katya are training students and are common-law married. Katya points out how silly it is that Colossus is wearing a mask, who is he hiding his identity from?
X-Man is sad that he isn’t nearly as cool as Cable.
Holocaust is the son of Apocalypse and may be the break out new character of the event.
Bunche is committed to an insane asylum.
The final story recaps X-Men Uh-Omega.
Not Marvel Comics Database nor comicbookdb lists the creative teams. MCD does list them for every other story in the issue though. UncannyXMen.net doesn’t even list this issue.
This pretty closely follows the actual story. The art is pretty top notch for a humor comic.
Magneto is the prisoner of Apocalypse.
To save Magneto, Colossus and Shadowcat bust in, which sadly didn’t happen in the issue.
Apocalypse beats down Magneto some more and then does a page long monologue.
Illyana walks up to a defeated Magneto and promises to sacrifice herself to save the day.
Somewhere else. Cyclops and Jean are escaping to New Jersey. Havok tries to stop them, as Logan glides down. Before Logan can finish Havok, all of these other characters show up to try to end the crossover as they have stories that they want to have attention paid to. I recognize Spider-Man, Captain America, Archie Andrews, Spawn and Batman.
Meanwhile, in the past. David Haller is about to kill Magneto and Xavier is about to foolishly sacrifice himself. Bishop tackles Xavier and Illyana tackles David, which she should have done in the original storyline but not disappeared. David is about to fight Bishop but Magneto jumps into the fight.
At that moment. Magneto rips Apocalypse in half. After that, the world comes to an end.
Illyana is narrating this issue, at first, from inside Mondo. All she knows about life is the Core. She tries to reach out, as we see Mondo trying to sneak out of the core before she dissolves inside of him. Her hand breaks out from his chest and he tries to push it back in there.
Several Levels Above. We catch up with Quietus as ‘he’ has shot Chamber, to make Sugar Man happy. Bachalo was really firing on all cylinders with this series. This is an awesome double splash page and Sugar Man never looks much better. Which is impressive as this is only his three appearance, after appearing for the first time in the second issue.
Sugar Man doesn’t care for being made to look foolish in front of the slaves. Sugar Man knows that no one breaks into a place like The Core without backup. So he stabs Quietus and Vincente oozes out of the husk.
Vincente is hurt, even in his gaseous state. Skin is checking on him. Husk is bleeding out. Husk turns into her proper form and brags that they are the Next Generation of X-Men – so she couldn’t work the title of the series into dialogue.
There is a giant explosion from above them and Chamber is on his feet, bragging about how he tricked them all into thinking he was shot. A mutant comes at Chamber but Skin extends something out of his forehead and runs the mutant through. Sugar Man tries to escape, or get back up but Chamber blasts him apart.
Colossus lands and tells his young charges to find his sister and escape. Sugar Man, who is tiny at this point, recognizes the name of Illyana.
Below. Two thugs keep punching Mondo, even though he keeps asking them to stop. He pushes the two of them off the cliff. The little girl that Mondo saved, asks to be rescued as well. Mondo tells her there isn’t enough room for two but he will try. Just then, Skin and Chamber arrive and remind him of the mission.
There is a four page ad for the Ultraverse. In 1961, Marvel launches the Modern Age of Super-Heroes. 1975, Marvel launches the Modern Age of Mutants. Now, Marvel announces the Age of Ultras! Marvel and Ultraverse and putting on a six month event starting with April 1995’s Rune / Silver Surfer 1, and leads into Black September 1995 – that will change both universes . . . FOREVER!!! Other titles are – Lord Pumpkin 1 (May 1995) Hardcase 23 / UltraForce 8 (June 1995) Curse of Rune 2 / Mantra 22 (July 1995) UltraForce/Avengers Prelude 1 / Eliminator 3 / Lord Pumpkin 4 / Night Man 22 (August 1995) UltraForce/Avengers 1. Guest stars include Silver Surfer, Loki, Thor, Black Knight, Infinity Gems and the Avengers. From the Ultraverse – Prime, Rune, Mantra, UltraForce and Lord Pumpkin. Safe to state, that I didn’t read this and never heard anything from it. I did like the UltraForce cartoon, the two episodes I remember seeing. I wished I had watched Night Man, as the concept sounds insane. Plus, an appearance of Manimal, a show I thought was cheese as a kid but I bet I would love it now. That and AutoMan.
Like Sugar Man did to Quietus, he stabs his tongue through Mondo. Illyana falls through the newly created hole. Sugar Man makes the mistake of threatening to eat Illyana. Just then, Colossus double stomps onto Sugar Man. She immediately recognizes her brother, she always knew he would come to her rescue. Such a great splash page, of him holding her. She’s so tiny in his left hand. Him calling her “little snowflake” wins me over.
Mondo’s new friend’s name is Gel. Chamber is going to rescue her. They are going to rescue and free everyone.
The human slaves are starting to attack their mutant overlords.
Colossus tells his students to get back to back, they will make it to topside. Shadowcaat phases out of Colossus, where she’s been hiding this entire time. We don’t really get a scene of the two sister-in-laws.
Chamber gets knocked down and Skin follows suit. Shadowcat tells the others to flee as she gives chance after the boys.
Before Shadowcat can actually do so, Colossus grabs her arm. The mission is to safe Illyana, that comes before saving others. Shadowcat loses respect for him but takes his lead. Husk shouts to not leave them behind.
Sugar Man’s back up as arrived and humans are being slaughtered.
Once they are outside, Shadowcat unphases them. Illyana is clearly safe and Shadowcat is going to go back for her students. Colossus refushes to lose both is sister and wife so he will go safe the students. Illyana finds her brother to be brave but Katya has her doubts. Which is pretty intense.
Colossus is trying to make his way to the front door but it is closing quickly.
Colossus makes crazy eye contact with Husk, as she is clearly fighting. Colossus falls to his knees, an utter failure as Illyana hauntingly narrates that he wouldn’t let the students die.
Hours later, Colossus has waited an appropriate amount of time and has come back – empty handed. Shadowcat knows that he didn’t really fight.
Issue ends with Sugar Man, tiny again, hiding inside a fold of Colossus’ costume. Next issue blurb is for X-Men Omega, except we are stopping by two other comics.
Generation Next 4 – Trapped deep behind enemy lines . . . surrounded on all sides by Apocalypse’s goons . . . it’s do-or-die time for the next generation of mutants! Will they finally liberate Illyana Rasputin so that she can help save the universe, or was this mission all for naught? By Scott Lobdell & Chris Bachalo!
Amazing X-Men 4 – Together again for what may very well be their final reunion, X-Men past and present unite to safe Bishop from the Madri and the maniacal Abyss! By Fabian Nicieza & Andy Kubert!
X-Men Omega – This is the one you’ve all been waiting for! The crystallization wave is about to inundate this last bastion of extistence, and it’s up to the X-Men to stop the tide before the entire universe is destroyed! By Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid & Roger Cruz!