Comics News: Gillen & Kubert Team For Wolverine: Origin II

Announced at Marvel's Cup of Joe panel in SDCC 2013, writer Kieron Gillen and artist Andy Kubert will team together for a sequel to Wolverine: Origins called Wolverine: Origins II. The sequel miniseries, according to an interview Gillen had with CBR and from the panel, the story will start several years from the end of the original miniseries which was written by Paul Jenkins. 

This time, the miniseries will focus on Wolverine, after years with living amongst the wolves, gets literally dragged back to society during the dawn of the 20th Century. And as it deals with Logan looking at civilization at the time, it will also deal with classic X-Villain, Mr. Sinister, at the dawn of his career. 

Gillen stated that it is very much inspired by Jack London's novel, White Wolf  and will also see how Nathan Essex started down his road to becoming Mr. Sinister. 

Wolverine: Origins II, written by Kieron Gillen, with art by Andy Kubert (who also did art for the origin miniseries) will hit shelves this November.

Meme Monday 6/10/13

Poor Logan can't catch a break. Maybe he should stick to what he does best.

X-Men: Portrait of Strong Leadership

 It is amazing that the X-Men are about to turn 50 years old and Marvel is working on making them beat out Avengers for the top spot again. Charles Xavier is now dead (for good from the looks of everything ... his brain was ripped from his own body and is currently being used by the Red Skull) for good. Yet, Charles has truly fostered some wonderful people to carry on his dream. The following are the "official" leaders of the X-Men over the course of  the last 50 years. I am not counting any other X-team and I am only going with the 616 Continuity cause this list would be Ridiculously large if I added the leaders of all the other X-teams.

 Here are the official torch bearers of the dream over the last 50 years.


CYCLOPS -

   Scott Summers, for decades, was the first and favorite torchbearer of the dream. He lived and breathed Charles Xavier's ideals. He worked hard to fight for Charles' dream, going about it different ways over the course of the last 50 years. He commands respect from every mutant he comes across. This can be clearly seen when he first brought up Utopia after dealing with the then top cop Norman Osborn ... beating Osborn by creating a mutant nation of his own and most mutants following him. Scott was the favorite son.

    Yet, after being absorbed by Apocalypse ... Scott came back a different man. When he came back, he seemed colder ... crueller. More of a dick. And the decimation, death of Jean Grey (for good it seems), slaughter of the majority of the Grey bloodline and his psychic affair with Emma Frost, Scott REALLY changed. He was willing to have blood on his hands. He was willing to protect mutant kind by sending out kill squads. He even decided that having Idie save people by killing Hellfire Club was okay.

  Scott went from being the ultimate leader of Xavier's dream to becoming the new face of mutantkind while turning his back on what Xavier taught him. Yet, Scott moved many X-Men over the course of the last 5 decades. He even made Magneto & Namor respect him ... at the same time. Scott Summers is, as Darryll B Carter would say, that cannon that would show you how to fight for survival and for a dream. It just changed from Charles' dream to his own.


STORM -

  If Scott Summers was the favorite son of Xavier, Storm has more than made her impression as the favorite daughter. Storm, with or without powers, is a formidable commander in her own right. Regal in her own way since she was first worshiped in Africa, Storm learned to get down and dirty too as a thief in the streets of Cairo (and part of the reason why she & Gambit have been close friends up till this day).

  Storm even beat Cyclops ... when she had NO powers. Being one of the first African American women in comics to hold a leadership position to such a popular team, Ororo Monroe paved the way for both creators and heroines alike. Most of her early tenure as leader of the X-Men really focused on a family like atmosphere amongst her, Kitty, Colossus (remember when she used to call him Little Brother) & Kurt. Since then, she lead the X-Men alongside Cyclops, then she was leader on her own again. Then she shared leadership of the X-Men with Emma Frost and Cyclops as heads while her running her own show.

  Storm became one of Charles' shining examples of his dream when she married Black Panther and was Queen of Wakanda. During her time as Queen, she was a member of both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. Yet, those ended quickly as (according to some that no one could write Storm & Black Panther's marriage correctly since the late, great Dwayne McDuffie) their marriage was annulled (which is still bullshit, in my opinion). Now, after standing behind Cyclops to make sure he doesn't cross the line, and kinda failing at that, Storm returns to the Jean Grey School and go from wife to back to the Wind Rider we know and love ... with Mohawk included. Welcome back Storm.





EMMA FROST -


Her relationship with Charles was adversarial at first but Emma warmed up to Xavier's dream. She ran Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters during her time with Generation X but then , after falling in love with Cyclops, ended up co-leading the X-Men alongside him. During the time the X-Men moved to San Francisco then Utopia, Emma Frost had become the undisputed Queen of Mutant kind. Even with her villianous ways behind her, Emma loved helping mutant kind and being a teacher.

  While she still has her air of superiority, Emma and Scott were strong leaders of the X-Men. Yet, she knew the dark road that Scott was going down. And many blame her as the catalyst as to why Scott Summers is now the way he is now. Yet, when you look at all the decisions, she made some of them but Scott proved himself behind his actions. Her love for Scott changed her ... wanting to make sure her being an X-Man and helping mutants very important to her. Yet, she is still a strong leader in her own right that should be celebrated for going to Charles' enemy to one of his biggest advocates. Yet, while she embraced the dream, she had no problem pointing out the holes in it and many things. Still, Emma Frost definitely earned her spot among the leaders of the X-Men.



HAVOK -

 The younger Summers brother has come a very long way since he first appeared as a tool for the Living Monolith. Alex Summers first showed his leadership skills when he was brainwashed to be a Magistrate for Genosha. Then, at the request of both Charles and Scott, Alex took the job leading the new government sponsored X-Factor. After a jaunt into an alternate reality leading a team called the Six, Alex returned and actually ended up taking leadership of an X-Men team from our next X-Men leader.

  During his tenure as a X-Men leader, Havok displayed confidence in leadership that was akin to his brother but seemed to surpass him with dealing with more volatile personalities ... considering he had Juggernaut, Wolverine, pre-Kyle Northstar & a bratty Iceman on his team ... that is certainly a feat. He made the unit work extremely well together.

 Now, Alex has become the positive face of Mutant kind with him as leader of the Uncanny Avengers.



  ROGUE -

       Rogue has come a VERY long way from the days where she was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants alongside her Mom, Mystique. She was one of the most unpredictable X-Men, with her multiple personas in her head from all the people she absorbed, Rogue always seemed to be a wild card. Yet, little by little, Rogue worked hard to become a better person and X-Man. She grew in confidence to the point where she ended up taking leadership during a trip to the Shi'ar alongside Bishop, Gambit,  Joseph, Cannonball, Beast & Deathbird (there was a truce and she was banging Bishop).

      She later ended up leading a team of X-Men officially at least 3 times, her first with Thunderbird, Archangel, Psylocke, Nightcrawler & Colossus, 2nd time with Cannonball, Iceman, Cable, Mystique, Sabertooth, & lady Mastermind on it and that didn't turn out well but ...I digress. Rogue's team disbanded but she end up getting her multiple personalities from people she absorbed out of her head then learned to control her powers. She was then given the charge of looking after the Students. She grew to love the job and taking a strong command position in Utopia then again in the Jean Grey School, only having Kitty and Logan be ahead of her. This southern belle has come a very long way. From being very alone and stand offish with no control to her power to a confident, strong leader with full control of her abilities.


GAMBIT -

   Ah. Yes. This was definitely one of the most unpredictable leaders in X-Men history. Yes. Officially, Gambit lead the X-Men. He lead a team with him, Jean Grey, Beast, Cable, Storm and Bishop. Yeah. Gambit was leading a team over Storm, Jean & Cable. But under the very prolific pen of Chris Claremont, it worked. Jean was in mourning for the loss of Scott and was spending time with her 'son', Cable. Storm was getting a bit more free spirited after things went wrong during The Twelve storyline. So, Gambit stepped up. Stopping the Neo was important but the X-Men had been scattered.

    Gambit was an interesting leader but not a bad leader. He had a strong line-up with this group with Brains & power.Plus, this group was more than willing to  go on the wild side a bit more than others. And while Gambit was not leader very long ... he proved himself capable.


NIGHTCRAWLER -

    Kurt Wagner is one of the most beloved X-Men. He was always friendly to any other person that ever wore an X ...  till you gave him a reason not to be. Nightcrawler first temporary took over the X-men for Storm when she was getting over losing her powers. He then stepped up as the leader of Excalibur. When he came back to the X-Men, Kurt allowed his experience to work alongside Storm.

   Kurt was a team player till he got his chance to lead again as he lead a team of X-Men alongside Archangel, Iceman, Stacy X, Wolverine  & Chamber. Yet, after he was manipulated by an organization to thinking he became an ordained priest and was being used in order to fulfill some prophecy about the Devil in the Vatican (Chuck Asten wrote it.). That shook Kurt so much that he stepped down as leader and his team was then given over to the command of Havok. Still, Kurt proved himself a strong leader.


BISHOP -

    Bishop was first in charge of the XSE. When he came to the present day, Bishop had to learn to be an X-Man. And slowly but surely, Bishop grew into his role and into being an X-Man. He was no longer shoot first ... unless he found it was warranted. Bishop went from an angry man to seemingly a great investigator and model X-Man, warning the X-Men of a traitor.

   Well, the  traitor first ended up being Xavier himself. Yet, after Onslaught, Bishop roamed a bit till he made his way back to the X-Men. After Storm left her team, Bishop stepped up to lead it. Leading the team for a short time, Bishop led Nightcrawler, Rachel Grey, Psylocke & Cannonball ... he proved himself a leader and earned his command tags left. Unfortunately,  this was short lived after Hope Summers was born and Bishop betrayed the X-Men in order to stop his future from happening. Bishop reemerged recently in Uncanny X-Force # 1 (Volume 2).


WOLVERINE -

      Ever since Schism, Wolverine has stopped up. He has become the premiere student of Charles Xavier and the headmaster and over all leader of the X-Men (even though Storm seems to be working on getting back), Wolverine went from a feral, killing machine to a man who is dealing with his past by being a teacher and stopping these new mutants from making the same mistakes he did.

  Wolverine decided that he needed to be a better man after Cyclops was going "too far" in his opinion. The straw that broke the camel's back was Cyclops pretty much being okay with Idie, a 14 year old girl, killing a bunch of Hellfire Club members in order to save everyone else. Wolverine was the last person we all thought would become the champion of the dream but he opened the school again, renaming it the Jean Grey School and get



  Bis And there you have it. The official leaders of the X-Men in the 616 universe. I know some of you will say but Jean Grey was headmistress ... yet Cyclops was still overall field leader and she still listened to him.

Laid Back Comics: Savage Wolverine

Bryan "BAC" Clendening is a comic blogger and sometimes video producer. You can follow him on Twitter at his handle @BAClend

Remember the joke that Wolverine was in every Marvel book and they only did that so said book could sell better. If you haven’t look to what a lot of people are saying about Deadpool now being everywhere and you get the idea. Lately though while Wolverine is still hanging around his appearance count has lowered. So with Marvel Now adding new titles into the mix, one that got announced was Frank Cho Savage Wolverine. I did wonder if this would be the return of said joke when not to long ago 'Wolverine' was announced  So big question was what is going to separate that title from this one. Well, for starters this one does have Wolverine fighting a bunch of dinosaurs.

Though while that isn't the main story line, Logan on going battles with dinosaurs in the book at least twice. The issue sets up two mysteries, the first being a group of S.H.I.E.L.D agents, with Shanna the Jungle Girl in tow who stands out like a sore thumb dressed in her leopard print bikini surrounded by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attire, mapping out areas in the Savage Land. They come across The Forbidden Island and head over to try and map it out, only to crash on to it for some reason. This is standard when entering the Savage Land.

With the book then suddenly cutting to eight months later and Wolverine suddenly what we can only assume is him getting transported to the Savage Land. Though, he doesn't really question why he is there or how he even got there. The first thing that happens to our hero is attacked by a dinosaur. Then when that is done he tries to rescue a S.H.I.E.L.D. from a group of native warriors leading to another very bloody fight. We aren't left really to breath or understand what is going on just yet with all the fighting going on. Wolverine’s dialog doesn't help either as he is basically saying what we see him doing on the page.

Luckily we do get a moment’s rest when Wolverine and Shanna meet again in the down ship. The issue takes a much needed rest to help try to explain what happened those 8 months to now, leaving Shanna the only survivor of the mission. And while the issue seems to have explained why the mapping crew’s ship crashed in the first place, the second mystery of how and why Wolverine is there is a bit glossed over, with Shanna only asking the question once.

Story wise Savage Wolverine starts out simple enough, but also a bit hazy a lot of the details and doesn’t looks like it wants to give them away anytime soon. But, there was never a time where you were bored while reading it that is for sure. And the moment you thought you would be, there was a dinosaur fight to bring you right back up.

The art work by Frank Cho is well Frank Cho, and by that he loves to draw women. He has an art books just on that. Here his work doesn't suffer.

I would recommend this book same way I would recommend say an cheesy action flick. It is pretty fun, but so far there isn't a lot of story there yet, but plenty of fighting. If there is one major criticism I do have is that this book is presented as an ongoing series but, it doesn't feel like it. It feels honestly more like a mini-series and once the ‘proper’ Wolverine title launches I am not sure how long this Savage one will last.

Interview Special with Tyler Kirkham (Redux)

TYLER KIRKHAM INTERVIEW

by Frankie Rodriguez


The following is a special interview I conducted with current Green Lantern New Guardians artist, Tyler Kirkham. There will be a video version on a later date. (Due to Technical difficulties: I wasn't able to have the video up now.)


All pictures are drawn by Tyler Kirkham and all characters belong to their respective owners.

While we all know who Kyle Rayner is by now, this refresher of how Kyle met  Ganthet and got his ring was a welcome. And Hey . . . no mask.

Wolverine ... one of Kirkham's all time favorite characters.

The following is an exclusive pin up from Kirkham's creative owned titled, The Monarchy.




Tyler Kirkham is not only an established artist, but he's also an establish author of a children's book called My Best Friend's a Booger. Written by both he and Rian Kirkham, it is available now on Amazon.com.


There will be a video follow up of this later. The ending song "Alpha" is property of Ray Riley.

EXCLUSIVE Comic News: Apocalypse! Kang! Uncanny Avengers! New Artist & More.

 
In a live blog chat at Marvel.com, Associate Editor Ben Morse & Assistant Editor Marc Storm was joined by Rick Remender, Tom Brevoort and more to talk about what is to come in Uncanny Avengers.

  It has been confirmed that there will be a new artist on Uncanny Avengers as of issue # 6. That artist will be Daniel Acuna ... who did a stint on the previous Avengers volume.


"Daniel does beautiful work. He does pencils, inks, colors--the whole package. It's like getting stylized, fully painted art on a regular release schedule." - Tom Brevoort

The new arc will be entitled "Ranarok NOW" which will deal with not the Thor Clone but the actual Norse end of the World. The new story arc will feature Young Thor meeting APOCALYPSE as well as connect ole Blue Lips with Avengers villain, Kang.

  "I wanted to come up with ways to connect Uncanny Avengers to other books in the Marvel Universe. Young Thor from Jason Aaron's Thor: God of Thunder and his axe play a major role in Uncanny Avengers." - Rick Remender


    Apocalypse and Kang, according to Remender, Storm and Morse, will have met during the time in Ancient Egypt and have clear ties to the story.  Young Thor, who was introduced in Jason Aaron's Thor: God of Thunder, will tie into it.


"When Apocalypse first rose, it was during the reign of Rama Tut, Kang's scientific pharaoh persona. They have history. There is more of a relationship than we've seen, but they share a common era of origin." - Tom Brevoort

   There will also be some additions to the roster as Wasp, Wonder Man and former X-Man Sunfire will be joining the Uncanny Avengers in issue #5. All this set up works out as we are promised that Apocalypse's return in these pages has close ties to many members of the team.


"Thor has a big role in Ragnarok, he's deeply involved in the inciting incident, but that doesn't mean every character isn't featured as well. Everybody looks to Wolverine as the guy who has gone after the last Apocalypse and is raising one at his school. There is also plenty of stuff on the table for Havok, Rogue, Scarlet Witch and Sunfire. Every single one of our heroes has somebody involved in this story that gives them a personal context for the fight. . . . Wolverine is also a former Horseman. Sunfire would have been a perfect member of X-Force. He is damaged. Between what Apocalypse did to him, the Marauders, losing his legs...he's been broken. It's similar to where Archangel tried to kill Apocalypse in the first arc of Uncanny X-Force. Sunfire will be presented with a similar situation. Things do not work out well for everybody." - Rick Remender

   And while the story may start in the past, we fast forward to the present where we find Pestilence giving birth to the child she was impregnated with during the Remender's Dark Angel Saga from Uncanny X-Force.  When asked if Evan from Jason Aaron's Wolverine & the X-Men plays a part in the story:

 

"I don't want to say anything other than that Jason and I are in close contact. We have a conclusion in mind. We might get to it here, we might get to it in a year or two, but we know the end result." - Rick Remender



   And fans who are enjoying Red Skull in this first arc of the Uncanny Avengers, there was some other news:


"Without telling you the end of the first story, we have not seen the end of Red Skull. He will be in Ragnarok Now.     . . I'm in love with villains. This is a chance to put a shine back on three of the greatest villains in comic books period." - Rick Remender





   So to recap, Ragnarok Now will feature Young Apocalypse, Young Thor, Kang, Red Skull and an Uncanny Avengers roster of up to 9 members. Daniel Acuna will now be artist. Ragnarok Now will start in Uncanny Avengers #6 this March.

Comic News: Adjectiveless X-Men Book to End in February

 Marvel NOW has started with new titles popping out every week this month and more. Yet, with new titles coming in, there are casualties: Titles that are being cut and/or cancelled. Well, the latest book to join the chopping block is "X-Men." Announced this Friday, X-Men final issue will be #41. It will be written by Seth Peck with art by Jeffe Palo.

   The final issue will feature Storm taking a team of X-Men to find a new mutant only to find Angel challenging her for leadership. Which is kind of weird cause Angel isn't really Warren Worthington anymore (at least not the one we knew) so he's been kind of just there. Still should be interesting.


  The final issue of X-Men will be written by Seth Peck with art by Jeffe Palo and a variant cover by Adam Kubert and hits stores in February.

Broken Infinite TV: Comic Book Crave (Vol. 1, Vol # 4)

Comic Book Crave returns with all new action and adventure!













Featuring:
Astonishing X-Men
WildCATs
Savage Dragon
Teen Titans
Avengers: EMH
Spectacular Spiderman
Spawn
and More.

Avengers vs X-Men Battle Report # 6 (Super Sized)

 

  Welcome Ladies & Gentlemen. Battle Report comes back with a MASSIVE update and return. We will catch up to date on all things AvX. We are gonna catch you up on all the hard-hitting action and events since the last battle report. There is a  LOT of ground to cover. So, sit back, hold on tight and brace yourselves cause this will be a bumpy ride.






Avengers vs. X-Men Round 6

       If you thought things were crazy before, the first part of the second arc of Avengers vs X-Men will make you go nuts. The Phoenix Five (Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Magik & Namor) lead the X-Men into helping the world proactively. They grew crops in deserts. They end wars. The Phoenix Five, under Cyclops' direction, mean business. They  rebuild Utopia into a stronger country ... more so than it ever was; which gives Magneto glee while Charles Xavier does not seem to fond of the methods of the Phoenix Five.
   The Avengers, particularly Captain America, Iron Man and Black Panther, are finding all the work that the Phoenix Five are doing disturbing and set the Avengers to go after Hope. Yet, before they go, there is an exchange on how to KILL the Phoenix Five if need be. At which point, Beast is disgusted and quits; stating that he no longer has a home on either side.
    Back on Utopia, Hope talks with her grandfather, Cyclops, about how the Phoenix still calls to her but Cyclops tells her that she does not deserve the power; even though she was chosen to be the true Phoenix host. The Phoenix Five start an attack on the Avengers, stating that the Avengers are now looked upon as renegades. Yet, before they can collect Captain America ... Scarlet Witch arrives. Cyclops touches her, which hurts him. The Avengers escape while Cyclops orders for Scarlet Witch's head after they escape with Hope, who is more than willing to leave with the Avengers.


New Avengers # 25-27 

    The Phoenix/K'un L'un Connection is established as a former Iron Fist was also the host for the Phoenix at one point. And there are legends of the Phoenix fighting a crimson demon ... who points at a particular heroine on the Avengers. It moves from past to present as the Avengers are able to get Hope and have her, Spiderman and Iron Fist take her to the city of K'un L'un.


Secret Avengers #28

    The final part of the Kree connection in Avengers vs. X-Men as Captain Mar-vell has some long words with Carol Danvers. This issue helps set up Carol as the new Captain Marvel.


AvX:Versus #4 

    Psylocke vs. Daredevil. Phoenix Emma Frost vs. Thor. And that fight get brutal as Emma gets shattered during the battle.


Avengers vs. X-Men Round 7 

   Almost picking up where the last issue left off, the Phoenix Five are after the Avengers. Yet, the Avengers know that the Phoenix Five are not found of Scarlet Witch or her powers. They hatch a plan to use special disguises to make multiple people look like Wanda as they fight the X-Men on multiple fronts. Several Avengers are taken captive while Hawkeye is also burned alive. Scarlet Witch, once again, proves herself being able to hurt the Phoenix Five, teleporting Namor back to Utopia from the other side of the world. Yet, at the end of the issue, Emma makes out with Namor and convinces him to go attack Wakanda.

Avengers Academy #32 & # 33

    Emma Frost, powered up by her portion of the Phoenix Powers, decides that it is time to go to the Avengers Academy and make an example of the students there; particularly the young student that controls a  Sentinel. Emma Frost does end up killing the Sentinel but also contends with a hard battle; not only fighting the Avengers Academy staff but also the students themselves; including former New X-Man X-23. X-23 threatens to kill Emma but Emma ends up retreating.

Uncanny X-Men # 14 - #16

  UNIT's control of Danger has her taking down the Generation Hope kids and rewriting their memories. Meanwhile, the main story of these issues deal with Sinister making his ultimate play against the X-Men, hoping to get the Phoenix Five in order to control them. And he attacks the Extinction Team with legions of Sinisters, Madelyn Pryor & Gambit clones. His castle bases rests on top of a clone of Krakoa. And it looks that he is enough of a match for the Phoenix Five; leaving Psylocke, Storm, Magneto and Danger to the rescue.


X-Men Legacy # 268 

    While there are some details of the Phoenix Five dealing with a countries issue of war, this issue focus's on Frenzy and her brother. Readers get a good look to see where Frenzy's head is at these days.

Wolverine & the X-Men # 12 

   Focused on Rachel Grey, Rachel fends off the Avengers as she is tasked with hunting down Wolverine and the Avengers. Rachel is definitely not happy about this as she wonders if she did the right thing. After a disturbing talk with her father, Cyclops, Rachel ends up tracking down Hope ... then letting her go. (Good job Rachel. You are an awesome aunt.)

Avengers vs. X-Men Round 8

      It is devastation. It is gore. It is a Phoenix Namor, bringing a large tidal wave into Wakanda. Wakanda is devastated by this attack and the Avengers Assemble, with Scarlet Witch as they go all out against Namor ... and win. Finding that once they defeat a Phoenix powered member of the Phoenix Five, it leaves them and splits between the remaining hosts. Plus, Professor Xavier threatens Cyclops to stop this and Cyclops decides NOT to heed his old teacher.

New Avengers #28

   We see Spiderwoman, Hawkeye and Luke Cage escaping from their cells on Utopia as they fight off Magma, the Cuckoos and more, only to be stopped by Phoenix Colossus, Havok, Polaris, Gambit and Psylocke. They look as if they still are going to escape when .... oh no. It was a dream. Made by Unit and Danger. Nice try though.

Wolverine & the X-Men # 13 

   The origin of Warbird. Plus, an angry Gladiator, who is the Emperor of the Shi'ar. The Death Commandos and more. Gladiator takes on the Phoenix Five ... and Loses.

X-Men Legacy # 269 -270

  Rogue takes center stage these issues as we look at how far she has come. It is the long anticipated rematch between Rogue  and Ms. Marvel ... which she wins. When Phoenix Magik shows up, she introduces Rogue to the new prison they have been sending the Avengers . .. a mountain that Magik has transformed to be part of Limbo. This leads to Rogue deciding to help Ms. Marvel ... only to have them fight Phoenix Magik ... and lose. Ms. Marvel is put back to her hellish prison while Rogue is banished to another dimension.

Avengers #28 

   Red Hulk deals with why he's even involved in this conflict then decides to try to assignate Cyclops. And he gets his big Hulk self beaten badly by the Phoenix Five for his trouble. They even break Red Hulk's arm!

Wolverine & the X-Men # 14

   Phoenix Colossus drops by the Jean Grey School, being looked after by Kitty Pryde with flowers. The two go on a date and Colossus pops the question. And Kitty says ... NO. Meanwhile, Iceman, Rachel, Angel and more decide to defect from the Phoenix Five's side.

The King and Queen of Mutants Take a Stroll.

Avengers vs. X-Men Round 9 

    Wakanda starts to work on healing itself as Black Panther annuls his marriage to Storm after she admits that he was right. (BOOOOOOOOOOOO!) The Avengers numbers are dwindling till Scarlet Witch works her magic while Spider-man gets his moment to shine as he takes down BOTH Phoenix Colossus and Phoenix Magik by himself. Now, the Avengers got most of their comrades back: Spiderwoman, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Thing & Thor. The stage is being set for the final showdown. And the only 2 Phoenix bearers left are Cyclops and Emma Frost.


AvX Battle Results: 

Red Hulk vs. Phoenix Five    Winner: Phoenix Five
Psylocke vs. Daredevil      Winner: Draw
Magik vs. Hawkeye        Winner: Magik
Spiderwoman, Hawkeye & Luke Cage vs. Utopia   Winner: Danger & UNIT

Dogpile Phoenix powered Namor.

Rachel Grey vs. Thor   Winner: Draw
Rachel Grey vs. Iron Fist   Winner: Rachel Grey
Rachel Grey vs. Black Widow   Winner: Rachel Grey
Scarlet Witch vs. Namor       Winner: Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch vs. Magik      Winner: Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch vs. Cyclops & Emma Frost    Winner: Scarlet Witch
Gladiator vs. The Phoenix Five     Winner: Phoenix Five
Death Commandos vs. The Phoenix Five   Winner: Phoenix Five
Wolverine vs. Cyclops    Winner: Cyclops
Rogue vs. Ms. Marvel          Winner: Rogue
Rogue & Ms. Marvel vs. Magik    Winner: Magik
Captain  America & Black Panther vs. Emma Frost  Winner: Emma Frost

Emma Frost vs. Avengers Academy Staff    Winner: Emma Frost
Emma Frost vs. Sentinel                Winner: Emma Frost
Emma Frost vs. Entire Avengers Academy   Winner: Avengers Academy
Emma Frost vs. Thor    Winner: Emma Frost
Iceman vs. Spiderman   Winner: Spiderman
Sinister vs. The Phoenix Five    Winner: Sinister ... kind of.
Namor vs. The Avengers     Winner: The Avengers
Spiderman vs. Magik & Colossus Winner: Spiderman




Injuries

 Where do I begin?

 - Emma as shatter and put herself back together.
- Hawkeye was burned alive then healed by the Phoenix Five
 - Namor got a few concussions after that battle in AvX Round 8
- Red Hulk's arm was busted with some other parts of him.
- Almost everyone has cuts and bruises
- Storm & Black Panther's marriage is pretty much broken
- Wolverine has burns, cuts, broken bones and more.
- Colossus's mind must be so messed up as he has the Phoenix & the Juggernaut in him. Well, had the Phoenix.
 - Rachel is hurting mentally because of being forced to hunt down the Avengers and her own niece.
 - Iceman was shattered several times.
- Rogue must deal with demon power and getting thrown into another dimension.
- Sentinel is dead.
- Hawkeye, Spiderwoman, Luke Cage & Gen Hope all got mind fucked by Danger & UNIT

Spidey gives Hope a pep talk about a person's moment in time.

- Danger being a slave to UNIT

- The Avengers egos got hit hard.

And those are just for starters.






NOTES

  We are seeing the beginning of the end.

- The Illuminati are coming back together for this event which means they may use the Infinity Gauntlet.

- What will Professor Xavier's role be if he goes up against Scott and Emma.

 - The X-Men seem to be leaving Scott's side. Which means ... WOLVERINE WAS RIGHT.

- The Avengers Academy might be ending soon with the recent announcement from Tigra and Hank Pym that they are closing the school.

- No matter what happens, both the X-Men ... well, Scott's X-Men more than the others and the Avengers are gonna need some major looks into their leadership. It is clear that this whole situation could have been avoided with better leaders.

- What the hell is up with Havok & Polaris showing up but no lines?  And siding with Scott?

- Spiderman proves why not only he deserves to be an Avenger but why the group NEEDS him.

- Scarlet Witch is a BAD BITCH! Werk it mija!

She is saying "Yes, I'm Back. And I'm a Baaaaaaaaaad Bitch!"

- Vision seems to be lightening up on Wanda ... a little.

- Where are Scarlet Witch's sons? I would figure they would want in. Well ... Speed more than Wiccan.

- Carol giving Rogue the benefit of the doubt and said that she proved herself speaks volumes on how far these women have come.

- Emma maybe getting too corrupted by the power, hmm?

- Storm and Black Panther's annulment is pure BULLSHIT!

- Again, Scarlet Witch is a BAD BITCH!



In 2 Weeks: More Battle Report. I promise.

NEWS EDITION # 36 - THE BIG GAY IMPACTS, COLOSSALS BRING DEBRIS, THE RETURN OF THE CROW & THE WOLVERINE

Welcome to the News Edition for the Week of May 23rd, 2012.  Let's get right to it.



HOMOMANIA HITS COMICS HARD 

by Frankie Rodriguez 

    Over the course of the last decade, the Big Two (Marvel & DC) have made waves in introducing and spotlighting more diverse characters, including those characters that are homosexual or bisexual. Slowly but surely, this has become a staple in many comics: Over at DC Comics, Gail Simone's run on Secret Six featured Scandal Savage as a lesbian while during the weekly comic 52; Greg Rucka introduced us to a lebsian Batwoman. James Robinson's run on Starman revealed Mikhaal to be gay while former JLI members Blue Jay and Tazmanian Devil were both found out to be homosexual. On the Marvel side, we were introduced to Daken, the son of Wolverine who had no problem using his bisexuality in order to manipulate and stumble his foes and allies. Long time New Mutant founding member Karma revealed herself to be lesbian while currently in X-Factor, the award winning run of the book by Peter David is partially fostered by making Rictor and Shatterstar into a gay couple. Funny ... how Mutants seem to be the only gay people in the hero community in the Marvel Universe ... huh?

   That aside, both companies launched huge announcements this week. At Marvel, they revealed who the wedding is indeed for ... the X-Man Northstar and his longtime boyfriend, Kyle. During next month's Astonishing X-Men # 51, Northstar and Kyle will have Marvel's first gay wedding. The two will be married on the grounds of the Jean Grey School where Northstar is currently a teacher. The issue is being handled but current team of writer Marjorie Liu and artist Mike Perkins. While promoted for the last four months, there have been no signs at all of who was to be hitched till this past weekend. This garnered so much attention that the ABC show The View discussed it earlier this week on their show.

 But that is only from Marvel. Then we heard something else from DC Comics.

    Dan Didio and several others  from DC Comics promised that during this June, we will see a major, iconic character reveal himself to be gay. And while speculation immediately went to one of the heroes, here are two things that need to be noted. It was revealed by Batman writer Scott Synder revealed on twitter Tuesday morning that it has been a character that we have not seen since the relaunch. And the other is that , no one every said Superhero but character. So whoever the character is has not appeared in the new 52 yet and will reveal himself to be gay this June during a storyline. After that, speculation has shifted from Batman, Superman and others to people like Ra's Al Ghul or Wally West (formerly the Flash). While we do not know who it will be, fan reaction has been mixed while most readers wait to see which character it is.

It will be interesting how both events are taken by readers.



THE WOLVERINE: A LONG AWAITED SEQUEL

by Hector Ramirez

Hey Clashers, Hector here, I know I promised you guys a piece on the Tokusatsu (live action Japanese tv show in the tradition of super sentai) Spiderman, unfortunately I have to postpone until next week. That being the bad news the good news pertains to another live action Marvel spectacle to behold, X-Men Origins: Wolverine has spawned a sequel set for release in July of next year.

    Due to setbacks like the massive earthquakes in Japan where the majority of the movie is being filmed and losing a director because he didn’t want to leave his family for Japan for so long, the movie was pushed to be released next year instead of being out this year. After that, Hugh Jackman was dedicated to his part in Les Miserables which further postponed filming. Now, with a new director, the star ready to go and Japan ready filming is set to start in August. The plot is said to involve ninjas and the Silver Samurai as antagonists.





THE CROW FLIES AGAIN!

From the IDW website

IDW Brings back James O’Barr’s iconic anti-hero this summer!

San Diego, CA (May 17, 2012) – Proving that the spirit of vengeance is timeless, Bram Stoker Award-winning author and co-screenwriter of the original The Crow film,John Shirley, has teamed with Eisner Award-nominated, Fishtown artist Kevin Colden, to bring the dark spirit back to comics. Concurrently, the film’s producer Edward R. Pressman, in conjunction with Relativity Media and Dimension Films, is in pre-production on a gritty reinvention of the 1994 cult classic to be directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall) and written byJesse Wigutow.

The comic book, which explores its own unique storyline from the film, is set in Tokyo, Japan where the Crow returns in the guise of a foreign exchange student named Jamie Osterberg. When Haruko, the love of his life, is stolen away from him, Jamie must search for answers–ones that turn deadly, and transform him into the spirit of vengeance, the Crow! With a sword that seeks truth, the Crow hunts down those responsible for this crime, discovering a web of horror that may lead him to kill his one true love.

“I was thrilled to help bring James O’Barr’s The Crow to the screen, and am equally thrilled to rediscover the character in this new incarnation of The Crow for IDW—it’s as if he’s come back from the grave all over again,” said Shirley. “It feels like The Crow is taking me on the journey into some very dark realms. All I can do is come along and hope to survive the trip. It helps to have a great talent like Kevin Colden along.”

“I’m very happy to be able to bring back The Crow with such esteemed creators,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief. “To be able to lead off with John Shirley and Kevin Colden in a story that takes the concept of James O’Barr’s The Crow in very unexpected ways is as thrilling to me as it hopefully will be to fans.”

Also featuring covers from Kyle Hotz and Ashley Wood, the vibrant, exotic setting and rich mythology of Japan should prove a thrilling and intriguing environment for Shirley and Colden’s fresh take on the beloved hero. The first of the monthly five-issue series will be released in print and digital in July, with more series to follow. Plans have also been announced for The Crow original creator James O’Barr to return with his own new series.

THE CROW #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in July.

COLOSSALS LEAVE NOTHING BUT DEBRIS

From the Image Comics Website

New dystopian mini-series from Image Comics in July

The future looks bleak for humankind in DEBRIS, the new Image Comics/Shadowline mini-series by the co-creators of the critically acclaimed GREEN WAKE, Kurtis J. Wiebe (PETER PANZERFAUST, GRIM LEAPER) and Riley Rossmo (REBEL BLOOD, COWBOY NINJA VIKING). Earth itself, covered with the detritus of civilization, has risen up against humans, as ancient spirits called the Colossals take physical forms constructed from the debris to wage war against the destructive species.

In the midst of this chaos, a warrior woman named Maya becomes the champion of humankind. She sets out to find the world's last source of pure water, combatting Colossals along the way as she fights to save her fellow humans.

"I'm very fond of Scandinavian and European folklore, so I injected a lot of those concepts into the monsters that will appear throughout the series," Wiebe told Comic Book Resources in an April 25th interview. "It's also very influenced by Native American (Canadian) mythology and even a touch of Mayan for some of the creatures. I like the idea that all these ancient monsters were once part of our world and have returned to end us when we are at our weakest."

With a look inspired by video games like Final Fantasy, DEBRIS boasts extraordinary creature design by Rossmo and vivid colors by Owen Gieni (AVENGELYNE) that set the comic apart from many other post-apocalyptic visions of Earth.

In an April 27th interview at IGN about the influence of the revolutionary video game series, Wiebe noted that DEBRIS shares the subject of "a world-changing battle against impossible odds, which is a constant theme throughout Final Fantasy." The IGN feature also included several FF-inspired teasers, showing Maya in battles against various Colossals.

In May, Wiebe also talked about the hotly-anticipated series at iFanboy, where a six-page preview of DEBRIS #1 was posted.

DEBRIS is a monthly four-issue miniseries published under Image Comics' Shadowline imprint. The first issue will be in stores on July 25.


VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Frieza vs. Sensui. WHO WINS?!

NOW AVAILABLE

CBC's very own Jeremias de Leon is not just a writer but an artist and is currently taking commissions:

Go here for his deviant art.  And this is his paypal.

ON SALE NOW:


Michael Turner Wizard World Hulk # 1 Variant


Iron Man, Ultimate Extinction, Ultimate Origins


Spiderman Books including first Black Costume appearance


AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: Including Avengers (Volume 1) # 16, 1st Wonder Man & More


Action Comics # 1 & 2 SIGNED WITH VARIANTS


Death In Comics SET


Yugioh Lightsworn Cards


X- Saber Cards


Yugioh DESTINY Hero DECK!!!


Wind Up Rabbit Cards



BROUGHT TO YOU BY . . .

One of the few Tokusatsu Reviews I know. Great guy with a good set of reviews, a few countdowns and some specials. Tokusatsu is special effects in japanese but it is what the genre of live action stuff like Power Rangers and Kamen Rider Dragon Knight are based off of. Toku Time or Reviewtopia: Toku Time is where you can find him.

Where you can find J1 Studios President, Jason Richson aka Spider Tribble, every single week on the Black Tribbles podcast. 








It's the new, BRAND NEW, Super Mario Dubstep Album. Listen as your favorite music from Super Mario has been transformed into remixes. The album is so addicting, you will feel like you're an addict!


GREEN MUSHROOMS & SUPERSTARS

From J1's own Shinigami (Ray Riley) & Forafire (Forrest Shamlian). FREE TO DOWNLOAD! NOW! 

FREE ALBUM DOWNLOADS

And don't for get the recently released Sonic Remix Album, SPIN DASH AUDIO is also available now. 

RAJIO NIHON . . . the internet Toku Station where they play songs from tokusatsu, anime and give you in depth looks into the world of Tokusatsu. RAJIO NIHON  Take a listen as CBC's Frankie Rodriguez , Jeremias de Leon & Devin Walker go on and give you Tokusatsu News from Japan and around the world on Morphin Bracers.  

And don't forget to catch the Ikaricast from Reviewtopia!! Hosted by Jeremias de Leon aka Xaos, Jeff Williams aka 16 Bit Jeff with Frankie Rodriguez aka Seraph.


Also Don't forget to check out Frankie & Jeremias as they guest on 16 Bit Jeff's 

Episode 6 where they talk about Super Hero fighting games.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN BATTLE REPORT #4

AVENGERS VS X-MEN BATTLE REPORT #4 


Written by Hector Ramirez & Frankie Rodriguez 


Uncanny X-Men #12

 Namor vs. The Thing have their round 2 as an adventure to Tabula Rasa, where Namor seemingly rides his Sea Queen lover and flirts with Hepzibah. Sunspot gets knocked around.


Wolverine & the X-Men  #10

   The Jean Grey School gets a visit ... from Cyclops, Emma & Magik. And for the faculty of the JGS, the Avengers vs. X-Men battle became that much more personal as sides were about to be taken. Plus, Angel and Evan deal with wanting to confront their pasts together. Oh yeah! Iceman vs. Red Hulk.


Avengers #26

  Thor vs. The Phoenix  . . . round 2!!



New Avengers # 26



The story of the Iron Fist Phoenix continues. Master Yu Ti brings Leonardo Da Vinci to the Immortal City to observe the phenomenon of the Phoenix and the training of Fongji. During the training, Fongji has a Phoenix outburst making them realize it was close. Fongji receives the power of the Iron Fist just in time. Da Vinci builds a huge super telescope and sees the Phoenix approaching Earth. No Avengers vs. X-Men fights to mention.

AvX: Versus # 2

 We got Spidey vs Colossanaut and Captain America vs. Gambit. No plot in this issue Captain America is ambushed in the Savage Land by Gambit while on the phone with Tony. Gambit tries his hardest to take out Cap, doing his most damage when he sparks up Cap’s uniform then his shield but when the smoke clears Steve is still standing and bashes Remy’s face in with his shield…… K.O.!!! Next, we go to Latveria where the Avengers all choose their opponents leaving Spiderman to take on Colossus in full Juggernaut mode. Peter vs. Piotr. Of course, Spidey is all jokes while being tossed around like a rag doll. At one point, it seemed as though the wall crawler was going to immobilize the Colosonaut but he broke out of the webbing and was about to pummel the web slinger before he was saved by Daredevil came to tell him they found Hope, Piotr winner by default.


Avengers vs X-Men  Round 4

Hope finds Logan in Antarctica and gets him to help her get to the Moon to receive the Phoenix. Meanwhile, she has Avengers and X-Men alike running around on a wild goose chase looking for her in bogus locations. When, they get to the moon both teams are waiting. This issue had many fights portrayed in single panels with no clear winners except Captain America defeating Gambit unless you count Cyclops getting Wolverine with a cheap shot on the moon.


AvX BATTLE RESULTS



Spidey vs. Colossanaut      Winner: Colossanaut


Captain America vs. Gambit      Winner: Captain America ... and pretty damn easily.


The Thing vs. Namor (Round 2)    Winner: Namor


Thor vs. The Phoenix      Winner: The Phoenix  but barely. Wait ... What?


INJURY LIST:

 Spidey's got to be feeling sore and some cracked ribs taking shots from Piotr.


Captain America must feel some kind of burn from Gambit cause his suit and shield exploded. 


Gambit got a face full of HOT Shield so probably gonna feel that when he wakes up. 


Wolverine's injuries heal up but damn if Scott didn't make him feel it. 


Thor proves himself the God of Thunder he is by surviving and almost beating the Phoenix only to get more burns. 


Namor might have a sea STD from Alien Sea Queen. Ewwww

Sunspots face and body must be aching at least from those blows.


NOTES

- Logan helping Hope. Did NOT expect that one. 


- Cap and Scott are being very much the generals that they were molded to be. 


- This is getting pretty crazy with all these battles.

- It was interesting which of JGS staff went with Scott. 


- First act is almost over. 

Countdown: YTC's Top 10 Mutants

Countdown: YTC’s Top 10 Mutants

by Darryll YTC Carter

      Happy New Comics Wednesday Clashers.  With Avengers Vs. X-Men going on, it seemed appropriate to take a look at both sides.This week's countdown is a list of my favorite mutants. We'd love to see your favorite mutants as well. Drop us your list in the comments below.

1. Rogue 

     Undoubtedly my favorite mutant by a landslide. Rogue has been the apple of my eye since my early days watching Fox Kids. She introduced me to the lure of a southern belle and the attraction of a woman who can toss a forklift like a soft ball. While I do really miss her 90’s jacket fashion, they’ve kept her in good form and her character has really evolved from a member of the team to a leadership position at the Jean Grey School.

2. The Phoenix

      The Phoenix is a force to be reckoned with. While the read head is a strong point, the Phoenix has reached the top of this list by making Jean Grey a legend. Jean came a long way from the girl who buckled every time she employed her abilities, to a flaming celestial goddess immortalized and honored with a school in her name and a tenacious daughter who honors her original moniker.

3. Cyclops

     Former Ward Cleaver incarnate, Scott was the leader of the original X-men and leader of the remaining mutants until they split during Schism.  I love stand up traditionally heroic characters that fight with honor. (Captain America is also the ish.) While I somewhat detest Scott’s current demeanor I have to applaud him for stepping up to the plate and trying to get things done. He was always a good leader and he would always do what needed to be done to help his team. Is that Cyclops really gone? Or is he just finally looking at a bigger picture?

4. Scarlet Witch

     Often viewed as the favorite child of Magneto, Scarlet Witch is a top tier mutant not to be trifled with. Scarlet Witch manipulates probability fields and reality via her hexes. While she has been deemed unstable on more than one fair occasion, Wanda once firmly warmed a seat in the Avengers alongside her love, Vision. To put into perspective just how powerful Wanda is, I only need to mention House of M. Don’t know what that is? Google it or go buy it. Man I love women with power.

5. Domino

     Domino, the female Longshot with an edge. Domino stands out from the rest as a mutant who uses her abilities to augment the tools of her trade. Not to mention the alabaster/grey skin tone with the black spot on the eye individualizes her and makes her memorable.

6. Wolverine

      He’s the best at what he does, but what he does isn’t very nice. You darn skippy it isn’t. (Who says skippy anymore?) Wolverine has proven time and time again that he can make the hard call and cut off your head if it needs to happen. While Wolverine is the X-men’s resident badass the bulk of my appreciation for his character comes from the many layers of emotion and compassion that lay under his cool fierce waves of his surface.

7. Mystique

     Manipulator supreme, Mystique is a bonafide femme fatale. Mystique uses everything at her disposal to accomplish her goals, from guns to people. Her best tool is her shape shifting ability. She can be any woman or man you want. I like blue women myself. Who do you think my love interest was in Mass Effect?

8. Shadowcat 

    Kitty Pride… She had the cutest nose on X-Men evolution. But she was sort of a tool. However, Kitty redeems herself in the regular Marvel continuity having been trained in various martial arts by Weapon X himself, Wolverine.  Her spot was cemented when she decided it was a good idea to date the amazing Spider-Man of the Ultimate Universe. Till this day, I think that was the best relationship Peter ever had.

9. Forge

      There are two powers that would totally suit my personality. One is the power that comes from being a Green Lantern (or probably a yellow or red lantern) and all the constructs I could create with my mind. The other is the Forge’s ability to literally create anything he can think of. I mean his power is ridiculous. I could think, “I need to forge world peace. But how do I do it? Frick’n Voltron!” Boom, it’s done. I know exactly how to make it and get it to perform the way it needs to. I won’t really know how until I reverse engineer it, but hey. Who the hell would take the lions apart once they had them anyway?

10. Magneto

      Last but not least is the master of magnetism, Magneto. Magnus first reared his tactically villainous head before me on the Fox Kids X-Men cartoon. Back then I saw the world in a more black and white tone. Good and evil. Right and Wrong. Magneto showed me that it wasn’t that simple. When you look at the world from Magneto’s point of view things start to make sense. You start to see why he thinks and does the things he does. You see the genius and you see at his core a man whose purpose is to ensure that his people survive. I can relate to that and I respect that.