Wolverine: Origins #43: Swords and Schemes

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… For my second review we have ‘Wolverine: Origins’. Hope you enjoy it.

Wolverine: Origins #43 (preview)
Writer: Daniel Way
Pencils: Doug Braithwaite
Inks: Bill Reinhold with Doug Braithwaite

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Logan being trained by the Silver Samurai in sword work. Wolverine is given half of a bokuto to fight against Harada’s two practice swords. After four days, Logan’s skills return and he bows out of further training. He admits to being in the Samurai’s debt.

Logan calls Cloak for a pickup but he refuses saying that Dagger has been taken. The description of the captor matches Victor Hudson who played on her sympathy as a blind man before drugging and taking her prisoner. Dagger wakes up tied to a chair with a middle aged man questioning her. He punches her in the face and says he is sorry but he has no choice but to do this for his own daughter’s sake. He wants to know of Wolverine’s plan. They are interrupted by Victor’s arrival.

Logan tells Cloak that he knows Dagger is still in San Francisco and he knows who took her but will not say who. He does tell Cloak what he needs to know. They wait for the call from Dagger which does not take long. Wolverine has set up a trace with Prodigy ahead of time. When Dagger calls, she tells Cloak not to tell them the plan but instead to trace the call.

Her tormentor grabs her hair and goes to hit her but she tells him she knows there is no daughter. At which point Victor decides the man is useless and kills him. Before the big mute can hurt her though, Cloak and Wolverine arrive. Dagger begs Cloak not to hurt him because it would turn Cloak to the dark but Logan has no problem cutting his foe in half with his sword.

Dagger attacks Wolverine as a monster and blasts him forcing his mind deep into Cloak’s darkness. Though it affects him, Logan is able to shrug it off as he has been in the dark many times before. As Logan leaves, Cloak apologizes to Dagger for keeping secrets and reveals that it is not Wolverine’s past that haunts him but his future.

She tells Cloak to go with Logan and help and to be there when he is ready to face the future. He meets up with Wolverine in an alley and asks where they are going next. In an unnamed prison a female guard talks to her prisoner who questions why the guard keeps bringing her food when she does not eat. Wolverine arrives and says this is a prison break.

MY TAKE: I have certainly made no secret of my general dislike for this series so I was highly surprised to find myself rather enjoying this issue. It is by no means perfect, but it is a pretty good Wolverine story taken on its own. I really liked seeing Cloak and Dagger here and I glad to see the duo getting a bit more focus. They did draw some of the attention from Wolverine but in a complimentary way.

I like the fact that we are finally seeing Logan using both his head and the resources at his disposal. He is taking advantage of having teleporters on the X-Men as well as using Prodigy’s knowledge. Even better is that he is being depicted as a strong character with real will power and skills. It is somewhat understable that his skill with a sword has waned due to lack of practice but the end fight with Silver Samurai shows how good he is. It was also telling that he is able to shrug off the effects of Cloak’s darkness.

The plot is still convoluted and does not really appeal to me. I still do not like Romulus but at least he will hopefully be dealt with by the end of this story. Seeing Victor finally getting finished gives me hope that maybe there will be a definitive conclusion to the story.

Although I do not really like the style of story, with the constant interruption of the plot with thoughtt balloons and opinions, it was not too distracting here. It would still be nice to see a greater focus on the events rather then Logan’s internal dialogue, it might make things move along a little bit faster.

Still, in the end, this was a good issue and an entertaining story to read. It could be that my expectations are very low but I really found myself getting immersed in the story. While I have no clue who the woman at the end is, I am actually interested in seeing who she is and what her role will be in Logan’s little cabal. I have no idea if the next issue will be good but at least this gives me hope that the series will end on a high note.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

Wolverine: Weapon X #8 Review: Brain Power

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Since there are no Marvel titles next week I am breaking up the reviews. I will do three this week and three next. First up is ‘Wolverine: Weapon X’. Hope you enjoy it.

Wolverine: Weapon X #8 (details)
Writer: Jason Aaron
Penciller: Yanick Paquette
Inker: Michel Lacombe

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with a nurse, on her final rounds, checking on the patients. She opens the door to one of their rooms and finds everyone dead. As the nurse runs into the hall she finds a dead guard just before the lights go out. She runs and when she thinks she could be safe, Wolverine jumps through a window and menaces her.

Pulling back we see this is all a mental illusion and Logan is really strapped to a chair with Dr. Rot playing the scenario out for him. When Wolverine refuses to kill the nurse and forces himself out of his chair, the doctor shuts down Logan’s mind. We then see a flashback to a week ago, when Wolverine found one of the serial killers that have been let loose on the world from Dunwich. The man is totally insane and Logan has to kill him.

He gets some more information from Melita but refuses to be drawn into her attempts to get closer. At her urging, Logan goes to check out a homeless shelter where all the known killers had spent some time. After only a little while, Dr. Rot strikes and knocks out Wolverine and some others and takes them back to the sanatorium.

Back in the present, Logan is strapped to a gurney and wheeled to a holding area where he learns from the former head of the hospital, Dr. Marshall Swinson, that Rot was once a patient and led an uprising where he replaced the staff with  his insane brethren. The doctor is now without arms or legs and is forced to clean the floor with his tongue. He begs Wolverine for death.

Logan is taken to Rot’s workshop where the madman attempts to remove his brain but can not get through the admantium skull. So instead he opts to use electrodes to hook Wolverine up directly to his machine. Rot wants to unleash the killer in Logan but he fights back, so the mad scientist kills one of his guards to get another brain to increase the power of his machine.

The full effect is enough to make Wolverine project his pain all the way to Melita who dreams he is in trouble at Dunwich. Meanwhile the mob has sent a group of toughs to see what happened to their friends. And Rot finally gets readings on Wolverine’s traumatized brain and it moves him to tears of joy.

MY TAKE: This is an okay issue but definitely is on the weaker side compared to the rest of the series. We are given a lot of background very quickly and not all of it makes sense. It actually raises as many questions as it answers and the flow of the story was affected. There are still a lot of interesting and good ideas, but execution is suffering here.

For example, even after reading it twice, I am not completely sure if the last two issues were all a dream or it was just the end of the last one that was not real. I believe it is the later but a case could be made either way. Also, how come no one bothered to check on their facility when the killers stopped coming? Obviously some group ran the place and would want to look in on it periodically.

Even more puzzling is how a committed lunatic can invent a machine that manages to use dead brains to control people. Anyone that smart would have stood out and gotten snapped up by some hero or villain a long time ago. Even in Marvel, it stretches the believability to the breaking point.

Now I am glad to finally get some details on what is going on and see how they were able to take down Wolverine. I do not  agree that it would be that easy to overcome and brainwash him but at least they made some mention of his mental toughness and brain alterations here. Still it should not be that easy to make him forget himself or completely change his personality with a machine.

I am also still on the fence about the new relationship. While I do enjoy seeing Wolverine dating, I do not know enough about Melita to really care about her character or know if she would make a good match. In truth it seems like anyone he dates will die unless they are an established character. It is mentioned here, and I find it comforting, that at least Wolverine is questioning it but things are still moving too quickly. I prefer for these romances to happen more naturally.

In the end there are some great and fun concepts here, with the brain manipulation and mental health ward scenarios, and I am enjoying Dr. Rot as a villain. It just slapped together and the story seems to be rushed along to get to the finale next issue. The tale started off a bit slow and now feels sped up. With better pacing and a more coherent plot line, this could have excellent. I am sure the whole arc will read better in trade but as a single issue this one has left me wondering rather than wowing.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

X-Men: Legacy #230 Review – Mutant Eat Mutant

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… My third and final review for the week is ‘X-Men: Legacy’. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Men: Legacy #230 (preview)
Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Daniel Acuna & Mirco Pierfederici

NOTE: Wolverine does NOT appear in this issue.

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Scott learning that Hope will be awake soon and conferring with Nemesis to make sure the dimensional dragnet is ready and able to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

Back in Emplate’s house, DOA attacks Roxy while Marius feeds off of Rogue. But touching her allows Marie to gain Emplate’s power and she starts to feed on him as well. Marius pulls back unwilling to engage again and feel his own power. He knows he can out wait Rogue but his time is up very soon as his light house crashes into a barrier. It breaks off a big piece of his island and cracks the wall holding in the worst monsters.

Rogue comes back to herself but the damage is done. Emplate has no choice but to allow his residence to continue its trip and appear on Utopia. As soon as it arrives, the Science Team anchors it in this dimension causing the whole island to crash to the ground.

Several X-Men led by Warpath charge Marius as he emerges from the wreckage but Rogue holds them back telling them this is Roxy’s fight. Emplate attempts to feed on the girl once more but she musters her strength and blasts him with diamond shards. Rogue gives the word and the rest charge in to keep him down.

The field begins to overload so Scott orders Marius to be spit back to his own dimension rather then risk any more damage to Utopia. He lands deep inside the monster prison and as he curses the X-Men the creatures move in to attack him.

After it is all over Roxy is back with the young X-Men. She admits to being scared but seems like she will be okay with some help from her friends. Rogue agrees to Scott’s offer to become the kids’ guardian and they head to Logan’s room for a toast. And Gambit tries to figure out exactly what he has become as he changes from normal to Death and begins the confront the darkness in him.

MY TAKE: This is a good wrap up issue with some strong characterizations and a fine story. There are no real surprises here but even though you can predict everything that happens, the writing is still effective. It makes for a well-written introduction to the new status quo and gives a nice and believable reason for Rogue to become the kids’ protector.

Marie is definitely the strongest part of the story and she holds up very well under the pressure of headlining the comic. She has had her own books before but they never really gave her a chance to shine as she does here. While I was a bit skeptical at first, I think taking away Ms. Marvel’s powers has really allowed Rogue to make some giant leaps forward. This is fast becoming a must read based on Marie alone.

But the other characters, even those without much of a personality of their own, are also given some good development. Roxy is the most obvious one and she has gone from being a one-dimensional stereotype to being a fleshed-out character in these few issues. And even Marius, a badly overdone horror movie villain, has some real personality and conflict here. It is nice to see some of his motivations and influences.

As I said the plot is simplistic and very predictable with a happy ending and the bad guy escaping to fight another day. But even though you knew what was coming, the story was strong enough to still be entertaining. I do have a minor issue with building the dimensional anchor rather then a tracking system though. It felt like Scott knew exactly what was coming in this issue even though he has no way to do so within the narrative.

In the end though, the comic succeeds on the strength of the writing and the plot. While I was a bit concerned when I saw the setup as well as the main players, the whole thing worked much better then I could have guessed. Even though most of them are B and C list characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I am really looking forward to the Necrosha arc. The last event tie-in was extremely good and I expect the same from this one.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

Astonishing X-Men #33 Review: Getting a Head

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… My second review for the week is ‘Astonishing X-Men’. Hope you enjoy it.

Astonishing X-Men #33 (preview)
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Phil Jimenez

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Agent Brand explaining to the X-Men how Hank’s theoretical work was stolen and used to create the abominations that are threatening mutantkind. The person behind it is called Kaga and he is a ghost that no one has ever seen. It was his asteroid base that Abigail was raiding before she crashed to the Earth. Kaga has taken DNA from other mutant enemies and recreated them as well, including the Brood.

They are interrupted by a massive attack on the surface of the complex. Cyclops gathers the X-Men to face the creature which appears to be part Krakoa and part Brood. The creature is trying to destroy the evidence of the Bio-Sentinel but Scott decides to completely cut loose and blasts away half of it.

Cyclops realizes that there is no way their enemy is going to leave them a huge body and gets the X-Men into the rescue vehicle. The plane has taken a beating though, and is practically falling apart around them as they fly off. Beast is able to detect the enormous enemy vessel as it appears and snatches up the corpse.

The X-Men use the grapple and latch onto the plane and Wolverine jumps down to cut a hole into the hull. Armor then goes down to secure the breech followed by the rest. Storm does her best to seal the break but it is not perfect and the X-Men are forced further into the ship.

Wolverine uses his nose to find the pilot, the dead head of a mutant techokine infected by the Phalanx. It was this being that hacked Beast’s files and exposed his research. Scott has seen enough and orders Hank to connect into the computer and get control so they can find Kaga and kill him.

MY TAKE: This is a fun issue but still has some pacing issues and plot holes. I am definitely warming to the science fiction feel of the story arc, especially with the monster movie appeal of this issue. The plot is still kind of slow though with a lot of time being devoted to splash pages and most of the story advancement coming from a few pages of character dialogue.

While the characters are not exactly the same as the other titles they are still recognizable and entertaining. Cyclops, in particular, is very amusing and is actually enjoyable to read. In most other series, he is still shown to be too uptight but here he has a legitimate sense of humor. I still think he is a bit too dark but that is an understandable change. The rest of the characters are alright as well although still a bit two dimensional. I am getting a bit tired of seeing Logan as the butt of so many jokes though.

Still there are some definite issues with the plot. The biggest one is that there is some person with his own asteroid and city size spaceship that no one knows about. Someone with that kind of power would be monitored by all sorts of people including S.H.I.E.L.D. Even with the advanced tech and resources there are simply too many super geniuses around for anyone to stay truly hidden much less be able to keep a massive space ship flying around all the time.

There also seemed to be a bit too much effort involved in trying to explain things. While I appreciate tying the plot into the X-Men’s current problems, when you have to spend a couple of pages explaining how information could be stolen from the Beast, it seems like a stretch. After all plenty of people want mutants dead and could have envisioned ways to kill them. There are other ways to tie into their history too and make sure that the X-Men take the threat personally.

Still it is a fun read with some really good ideas. I loved the Krakoa monster and although the Techno-organic zombie plot is already being used it was still a cool reveal. I was leery at first at the merging of so many science fiction elements into the comic but they are starting to really pan out. Hopefully we will get some more impressive story ideas in the issues to come with a little less focus on the sprawling visuals.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

X-Force #22 Review: Lost Knife

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Got a few reviews for this week so I am going to jump right in with ‘X-Force’. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Force #22 (preview)
Writer: Christopher Yost & Craig Kyle
Artist: Clayton Crain

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Selene confronting one of her newly raised mutants, Ellie. Most of the mutants are disoriented and powerless but there are still a million to be sacrificed. Selene orders Caliban to find a builder to make her a city.

Back on Utopia the X-Men are barely holding their own against their Techno-zombie foes often having to fight old friends or powerful mutants. Warren and Proudstar manage to regroup and get clear of their battles. In the infirmary, Nemesis sedates Rahne and relates to the others she is pregnant.

Selene orders her slaves to build her city in the next day. She then plans to perform the ritual to sacrifice the mutants and the rest if needed. Selene orders Bard to bring her the blade and prepare the ritual. Elsewhere, Hrimhari flees the X-Men’s base and finds a secluded place where he calls Hela.

Back on Genosha, Bard confides in Blink that he does not have the dagger. He asks for her help in retrieving it from Warpath. She agrees but instead teleports them to Selene and tells her of Eli’s trickery. Selene orders all of her living troops to Utopia to get the dagger and tells them to kill Bard if they do not find it.

On the Utopia, Cyclops is leading a retreat with wounded trying to buy some time. His group is saved by the arrival of Wolverine, Warpath and Archangel who take down the attackers. Cyclops plans to fall back to the Atlanteans and form a new plan but he is interrupted by the arrival of Selene’s death squad.

MY TAKE: Part three of Necrosha remains an entertaining ride although there are some definite logic issues in this one. The plot does not advance as far as I would like for the halfway point and much of the issue is given to updates and continuing battles. While it definitely is a pager turner, I would like to see a things move along a bit quicker.

There are some very interesting turns here with Rahne’s pregnancy being the biggest. While it is not unexpected, having her problem be a Asgardian child has a lot of potential. I was glad to see X-Force taking a bit more of an active role too and making their presence known. This is their book and they should definitely be the ones to step up. Wolverine, Archangel, Proudstar and Domino are becoming front and center now, we just need to see more of Laura.

The idea of Selene’s ritual being held up due to a lost knife is a bit flimsy on the surface but really it is a nice way to tie in to some of the earlier stories. It does seem a little silly that Selene did not bother to make sure she had the thing before starting this whole process but it fits with her arrogant personality. It definitely makes Warpath a pivotal character and gives X-Force a reason to be at the center of things.

We are starting to get a little bit deeper in Selene’s head and those of her troops and that is a good thing. While the Gathering one shot was nice, it is better to see some sort of characterization coming from the actual main title. I would definitely like to see a better explanation on how some of these characters got so radically changed. Blink especially has gone from a sweet, innocent girl that sacrificed herself for her new friends, to a bloodthirsty slave to Selene’s every whim. That is too extreme to attribute to just having Selene help her.

I was also confused that most of the mutants on Genosha were affected by M-Day since none of the other mutants were. And if they are affected then why only roughly one in sixteen since there is a mention of a million mutants still being on the island? Wanda took out like 99.99% of the mutant population so there should be no more then a few hundred.

Still it was a fun read and I am looking forward to seeing the living villains getting into the action. The dead mutants are a bit boring since they are essentially unkillable. I still do not understand why that is the case since all the other Techno-organic creatures can die, but these are unique so I can let it slide. Still it increases my anticipation for the fight against the death squad next chapter and hope to see X-Force going to Genosha soon.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

X-Men Forever #13 Review: Black Kitty

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Here’s my final review for the week. Last up next is ‘X-Men Forever’. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Men Forever #13 (preview)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Tom Grummett

NOTE: This issue does NOT contain Wolverine

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Magik and Cossack confronting the X-Men and Winter Guard. The heroes have the advantage of numbers at first until Cossack reveals his army of wolf men who even the odds. Gambit sends Kitty to take little ‘Ro to safety and they head off  but Illyana sees them and disables Kitty’s powers trapping them. Kitty fights the wolves with her claw but it is Ororo who powers up and is able to take their enemies down. The girls run off before the rest of the villains have a chance to find them.

Back at the mansion, Jean and Hank are talking and share a dance and an intimate moment before pulling apart embarrassed. Xavier and Fury are still discussing the ramifications of the mutants having a short life with S.H.I.E.L.D. worried that once mutants truly understand their lack of a future then things will get bloody.

In the bowels of the mansion, Sabretooth tracks down and eliminates a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that was skulking around near Cerebro. He is confronted by Agent Dugan and reveals that he had been following the man for a week and he was mapping out the underground area and planting monitoring devices. Creed believes he was a double agent for the Consortium. Not knowing who else to trust, they agree to work together.

Back in Russia, Piotr, Remy and Natasha get forced outside by the wolves with no way to help the others. Kitty and ‘Ro are confronted by Magik. She reveals that she likes being dark and was supposed to pull Kitty into Limbo rather then be rescued. She restrains Storm and then tempts her friend until Kitty gives in to her own dark side and transforms into a true Shadowcat.

MY TAKE: This is a good story for the most part. It has a lot of different story arcs and thus it does feel a bit disjointed, but they generally work. The Magik story is well done, although I am still not certain of Illyana as a villain. Still there is no denying that she makes a good threat. I am glad that her bond with Kitty is being addressed and that we are getting to see her true power. I am just not sure that I buy into how easily she became corrupted after fighting it all her life.

The rest of the stories are a mixed bag. I am enjoying Sabretooth’s characterization and his hunt for Consortium agents has a lot of potential. I would have preferred to see him team up with another X-Man though rather then a random S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. I am still not a fan of Fury being at the mansion and although he has point on the danger of mutants, I am not sure where the short life plot is going to go. It is hard to credit with Xavier and Creed already well past their supposed life expectancy.

The weakest part by far was Jean and Beast. This relationship makes absolutely no sense to me even within the alternate world that Claremont has built. Jean could have picked any of the original X-Men and she picked Scott and stuck by him. Having it revealed that she loved Logan at least made some sense in that there was plenty of tension between them. But I can not recall any sparks with Hank ever. The scene had me smacking my forehead.

The personalities are a bit stilted here but still pretty well done. They seem to have found their groove and, while it is not what a long time reader might expect, they all work within the confines of the story. Even Kitty seems a bit more like her old self and less like Wolverine. I do hope we eventually see more of Piotr and Illyana though, they have made a nice change of pace from the main cast.

In the end this is a good issue that reads well although is it a bit too ambitious. Claremont seems to want to introduce four stories at once rather then letting things flow a bit more naturally. With the twice a month format there are plenty of issues a year so there is no need to rush ahead. I miss the days when plot threads went on for years. As it is, a full third of the issue was set in the mansion. I would prefer to see only a couple of pages devoted to side plots and most of it going to the main story. Still the comic was entertaining to read which is all you can really ask for.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

Uncanny X-Men: First Class #6 Review: Knight War

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Here’s my second review for the week. Up next is is ‘Uncanny X-Men: First Class’. Hope you enjoy it.

Uncanny X-Men: First Class #6 (preview)
Writer: Scott Gray
Artist: Scott Koblish & Nelson DeCastro

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with the helicarrier falling towards Jean Grey. She makes a telekinetic slide and is able to redirect the massive ship back into the air where it limps away. The Knight who was confronting Jean and Storm, Sleeping Mist, flies away to find the Knight who threw the ship. Back at the mansion the large Knight, Drowning Shadow, attacks the female Knight, Sky Song, who easily defeated the X-Men. Without the sword that was taken by Nightcrawler, the girl is at a disadvantage and is forced to flee.

Nightcrawler survives his painful teleport and ends up at the Knights’ home. He enters and finds the place is a trophy room and one of the heads on the wall is Xavier’s. Storm returns to the mansion alone and the X-Men are briefed on the Knights by Lilandra. She tells them that the Knights are split into two teams of three and they are unbeatable. They will fight and destroy everything, the world has only a few hours to live.

Nightcrawler finds out that Xavier’s Astral Form is not dead as he wakes up at Kurt’s touch. The pair head out to explore and find a single human looking being at the center of the lair watching all the Knights from afar. The X-Men regroup and head for New York to confront the Knights who are fighting each other. Jean shows up as Phoenix to where Cloud Runner and Sleeping Mist are fighting. She impresses them enough that they join together to fight her. Although they are shielded against telepathy, Jean’s telekinetics work fine.

The X-Men manage to get in touch with Dr. Corbeau who tells them that the recent solar flares were all caused by the Knights fighting on the sun. While they talk, all six Knights come together to fight the Phoenix. As she falls before the onslaught, Corbeau tells the others that the flare which turned Jean into the Phoenix was generated by the Knights.

MY TAKE: While this issue is not bad, it is definitely missing something in terms of story and characterizations. The Knights are simply too powerful to be a believable foe and too much time is given to their internal battles. The plot is very simple and yet there is still no room for broader characterization. About the only ones that get any development are the Knights. I do like having well-fleshed villains but the Knights are still pretty one dimensional even with the extra focus.

I do give the story points for being creative and trying to invent a new and powerful foe for the team. Most of the time these flashback titles only give us familiar faces and situations which, while nice for the retroactive feel, does tend to feel a bit stale. Still the tale is a victim of its own ambition and it is hard to overlook the major ramifications of such an massive event in Marvel having never been referred to again.

That is actually the biggest flaw of the issue, it seems like it is trying to rewrite history. Something as formidable as the Knights should have appeared again or at least been referenced. There could be some sort of trick of erasing the memory of everyone on the planet but that would be a major cop out. Also, the Phoenix’s history is very well and clearly documented and is already confusing enough. Trying to tie it into to this new foe is a bad idea esepcially since it occurs before the issues we know, so it can not even be considered a ret-con.

In the end this would be a much better story if is was set in the present or was a bit smaller in scope. As it is, the tale is trying to outdo what was in the original series and involve the X-Men in global events where they were never really present before. It is almost like trying to they are trying recreate the Dark Phoenix story but you can not do such a monumental tale in a series that takes place in between issues of continuity. Taken as a stand alone story in an alternate world it is a pretty decent read, but as a First Class tale it just does not work.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

‘Wolverine: Under the Boardwalk’ Review: Where the Bodies Are Buried

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Got a number of reviews to try and get through this week so without further “adieu”, here’s ‘Wolverine: Under the Boardwalk’. Hope you enjoy it.

Wolverine: Under the Boardwalk (preview)
Writer: Stuart Moore
Artist: Tomm Coker

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Wolverine waiting at the airport for a flight to Alaska. He gets a text message from an unknown person calling him to Atlantic City. The message shakes loose a memory of an old murder and beating by a mobster named Phil DeBlasio. After a moments thought, Logan changes his plans and goes to the indicated casino. He is on a big winning streak when he meets a strange girl and takes her upstairs.

The next morning, Logan sneaks out and goes to find breakfast. His waitress is an old flame, Katrina McCann, the girl from the night of the murder. They talk for a while but she says she is not the one that sent the message. Katrina does tell some of the details about what happened afterward and reminisces about the night they spent together. The conversation is interrupted by the girl from the night before.

The ladies know each other and Katrina refers to the younger woman as Amber. Amber is not supposed to be at the restaurant but she uses Logan as an excuse to stay. Wolverine manages to ditch her shortly after and goes hunting through town looking for clues. He does not turn up anything until he spots a familiar lamp post. Logan tears down through the Boardwalk but can not find the body. He is stopped by the police and surrenders peacefully.

Wolverine spends some time in jail until Amber bails him out. He promises to pay her back and then goes to visit Katrina. He talks to her and then tries to threaten the woman. She grabs a knife to fight back and in the struggle she tells Logan that the murder happened on Coney Island not Atlantic City. Wolverine flees the room and travels to New York.

He finds the lamp post quickly and digs down to the body. He is shot during the retrieval, his attacker is Amber whose last name is DeBlasio. She is the daughter of the gangster that committed the murder and she is looking for her missing father. Since she did not learn anything about her dad by stirring up the past, and now that Logan had uncovered the body, she decides he has to die. Logan takes her down quickly as well as the thugs she brought along. He leaves before the cops show up and tells the girl to look him up when she gets out of jail.

He goes back to the scene later and runs into a familiar seeming old man. It is Phil DeBlasio who has chosen to disappear to keep his family safe. Logan chooses to walk away rather then pursue revenge and the next morning he takes a flight out of JFK to Alaska.

MY TAKE: This is a pretty decent story, for a one shot. It actually reads more like a detective novel than a super hero adventure. That is not a bad thing in this case. I am not usually a big fan of mysteries but this was an interesting tale with some unexpected twists along the way. One shots are usually a mixed bag but this is well written with a strong plot and some good character moments as well.

While the overall plot is the strongest part, there are some very good characterizations as well.  Logan is done very well but I think the best good moments are given to Katrina. The role could easily be a simple damsel in distress type but she has an actual personality and quite a bit of spunk. Amber was a lot more cliche though and really did not have much time to develop. It was obvious from the beginning that she was involved somehow so the final reveal did not have much of an impact.

My favorite part of the issue was Logan having the entirely wrong boardwalk. But it does raise a problem of the issue. Logan was supposed to have all of his memories back so why does he not remember any of this? He also could not figure out who Amber was although her smell should have been similar enough to her father to give a hint. He recognized Phil immediately so it did not make much sense.

While this is a pretty simple story and not exactly my favorite genre, it is still a good read. I like plots that delve into Wolverine’s past at least when it is done properly. This would have made a good tale in the ongoing Wolverine: Origins title. As it is, it is better than most of the recent stories I have read about Logan. Although that is not saying much, the quality was still a pleasant surprise. I just wish all of Logan’s history stories were this good.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

Uncanny X-Men #518 Review: Mental Games

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Second review for the week is ‘Uncanny X-Men’. Hope you enjoy it.

Uncanny X-Men #518 (preview)
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Terry Dodson

NOTE: Wolverine does NOT appear in this issue

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with an unknown mutant panhandling in New York City. She is not getting any money and calls it quits  for the day, heading into the subway. She goes home and is greeted by a Predator X.

Back on Utopia, Scott, Xavier and Betsy are preparing to perform psionic surgery on Emma to remove the piece of Void trapped in her head. With the Cuckoos still unconscious and Cyclops not willing to let the Professor take the field, Frost is needed to keep them linked. Scott is going into Emma’s head with Xavier providing the link. Betsy is the fail safe to take out either of the telepaths should they become contaminated. Scott and Emma take their chairs and get ready to begin.

On another part of the island, the Science Team and Warren are visiting Magneto. They are in his room to see what sort of man he is now and hopefully solicit his help. The island is sinking due to the weight and they need another source of electromagnetic power. Although he is still weak, Magneto agrees to help and offers to get started immediately.

Scott and Emma meet inside her mind. They only  have a moment before a hoard of alternate Frosts attacks. Emma is dragged away while Cyclops is buried under the attackers. He is afraid to fight back and is soon being pulled under the surface of Frost’s mind while Xavier and Psylocke try to anchor him from the real world.

On the surface Hank seeks out Bobby to talk about what he is feeling. Beast is not happy with the current situation and it has only been exasperated by having to ask Magneto for help. Iceman tries to convince Hank to stay and be there to support Scott but Hank is only thinking of the torture that he endured that Scott allowed to happen.

Inside Emma’s mind, Scott is convinced that the duplicates are not really part of Frost and so he fights back  and destroys them. Emma is being attacked by the Void sliver and Cyclops blasts through her mind to reach her and pull her to safety. They share a moment before Emma is forced to wake up shifting to her flesh form in the process. She tells the others that the Void wanted Cyclops all along and is now in his head.

MY TAKE: This is a okay issue although honestly it is a little bit boring.  While I definitely approve of moving the plot forward and introducing important new elements to the story, everything here seems overly extended. Hank and Bobby’s conversation, for example, takes three pages including one whole page of Iceman standing there watching Predator Xs burn. That does not seem like a good use of space at all.

Most of the issue takes place inside a white room in Emma’s head which is also not particularly exciting either. I am definitely glad that the whole Void sliver is finally getting addressed, however this is white room is something we have seen before. There is no reason to make the mind be so plain, in fact it seems better to use that setting for something imaginative.

The plot itself is certainly not bad. Scott being infected is not surprising but has a lot of potential as does Magneto’s involvement.  Hank’s sudden change of mind even makes sense although the timing is a bit odd.  I do understand needing to write Hank out of the comic though since he is in another series now. I just wish it had been done in a more condensed form. As it is written it felt like they were overdoing the emotion for what is essentially a real world decision driving the story. Of course I might just be a bit overly sensitive since I have always hated moving characters off a title due to editorial mandates.

In the end this was a decent if uninspired issue that did help advance the various plots but just did not move them as fast as I would have liked. In truth I believe the Predator subplot is the best one and it was barely mentioned here, although it did have most of last issue.  Still this one just did not really grab my attention and found myself flipping ahead to see just how much was left in a couple of scenes. Hopefully next issue will pick up the pace a little and add some more excitement.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.

X-Force Annual #1 Review: Disarmed

Hey, everyone, jrpbsp here… Only have a couple of reviews this week so starting with ‘X-Force’. Hope you enjoy it.

X-Force Annual #1 (preview | thread)
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Jason Pearson

SPOILERS BELOW…

RECAP: The issue opens with Wolverine doing a solo jump from a plane to a Hydra base while the rest of X-Force looks on. He crashes through the roof and surprises a pair of Hydra troopers and takes them out quickly.  He questions one about the location of his target and is told Section Seventeen. Logan sneaks off and disables another guard while trying to keep quiet and avoid killing.

A few more surprises show up and he is forced to pop his claws and then in the next room is kills a trooper. Luckily not his target but the man he is looking for shows up a moment later and Logan knocks him cold. He starts hauling the Hydra man to the elevators but they are blocked by a hoard of goons. They refuse to shoot, due to the prisoner, so Logan charges and uses the unconscious man as a weapon to knock his foes from the catwalk.

Wolverine starts to head up but the elevator opens and he is blasted by gunfire. Logan follows the Hyrda troopers down and massacres the whole group and goes back to retrieve his prisoner. He makes it to the roof where the rest of X-Force extracts him and they fly to a San Francisco hospital. There we find out that the Hydra man is named Tod Kaufman and he was kidnapped at the request of his ex-wife because their daughter is dying and needs a bone marrow transplant. He is a compatible match. The X-Men as involved because the child is a mutant.

Tod did not even know he had a child but he hesitates to offer his marrow. Hydra soon catches up and the X-Men find out that Kaufman is a Hydra general. Wolverine is not going to let him go but Kaufman offers an arm to use to get the marrow for his daughter. Logan slices it off cleanly. The rest of Tod leaves with his Hydra buddies as his ex-wife kisses their daughter and tells her everything will be okay now.

“Undeadpool”
Writer: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Penciler: Carlo Barberi
Inker: Sandu Florea

The second tale starts with a flashback to Magneto’s days with the Hellfire Club and how he helped Emma consolidate of power of queen from Selene. In the present Deadpool is in a room on Utopia playing with Fantastic Four action figures. He hears a scream and goes out to the hall and finds Loa injured and being pursued by three resurrected Acolytes, Delgado, Cortez and Mellencamp. They are trying to find Magneto for their queen.

Deadpool is confused and calls Cyclops for an explanation. He is told to help out but not to kill anyone since some of them are friends. He cuts off Delgado’s arm and the Acolyte reattaches it so Deadpool stabs him through the head and even that fails to slay the attacker. Instead of despairing, Deadpool goes to the room and grabs his arsenal to use against them.

But after twenty minutes he still has not managed to stop the three dead mutants and Wade is pretty much out of steam. Alani steps and and jumps through Mellencamp and her power destroys his body. She is shocked but Deadpool sees the potential and uses her as a weapon to finish the others while telling Cyclops that he did not kill anyone but that Loa is out of control.

MY TAKE: This is a decent if unremarkable annual with a pair of entertaining stories that are ultimately irrelevant. I had hoped that the issue would be used to give some more background and expansion for the Necrosha event but instead we have only one story that even touches on it and that only slightly. It is doubtful that either tale will be referenced again in the future.

The Hydra story is the better of the two with some good action and Wolverine moments and a villain that for once is not a cold-blooded fiend. I did enjoy reading it and it was better then most of the one-off stories I have seen recently. It would have been nice to see a bit more participation from the rest of the group but giving Logan a chance to shine is never a bad thing. Plus it is a plot we do not see very often, the X-Men actually doing a mission of mercy. That is a big change from their usual goals and it was nice to see X-Force having something to do besides wet work.

The best part was the Hydra trooper who was actually a feeling human being willing to sacrifice for his child. It was a pleasant surprise to have some real human emotion and feelings in the story. But in the end it was still just a meaningless, if well told, little plot that really has no bearing on the main part of the title.I doubt the mutant girl will ever surface again much less her parents.

The Deadpool tale was even worse. It is a vaguely amusing little snippet that really just serves to take him and Loa out of play for the core crossover. There is nothing new here and although Wade is fun to read I would have liked it better to see something a little more meaningful. Still it was not bad for a backup and at least we get to an acknowledgment of Deadpool as part of Utopia in general. His trials against the Techno-zombies were well done but still futile in the end. Using Loa was a clever way to actually kill the zombies and it would be nice to see that in the main title and some point.

Overall this was a pretty good read but I do think they missed out on an opportunity to do something bigger and better with the annual. These annuals really only have meaning and a purpose when they tie directly into the main title and with a crossover going on it was a perfect time to do so. What is more there is an actual one shot being sent out this month, the Gathering, which could have been integrated here and tied everything together. The comic we have is a pretty good read but it missed the chance to be something more important to the series and that is a shame. Annuals are already a hard enough sale to the comic buying public, they should be given every chance to be meaningful.

Thanks for reading my review for Wolverine Files. I will be keeping to this format for the most part but please keep the comments coming and I will see everyone again next time.