2.40 (405) Uncanny X-Men vol 1 #194 ... Marvel ...

If you have been a regular reader of our reviews, you will know that we are fans of big slug fest that is not based on high energy shoot outs although that is cool too. So what made us like this so good is the fact that there is Juggernaut on the cover and this is the first time he was totally pummelled!

And the storyline interiors didn't disappoint either

We see a subplot of a mysterious dock worker finally coming to fruition as it turns out he is a robotic entity from the future sent back in time ala Terminator ... except its name is Nimrod like out of myth and legend and his agenda is to terminate those that will prove  a threat to baseline humans and in this issue, he succeeds magnificently!

He attacked the most powerful of them all ... Juggernaut ... naturally Juggie is not a mutant but managed to give him a hard time tearing a huge chunk of real estate before even slowing down ... and this gets reported on the news!

So the X-Men instead of having a quiet day decides its time to investigate ... this inspite of their recent big walloping session with Jugs. What's charming is the different reactions we are given a view of by the various X-members when this news hits them such as Nightie's reluctance or Peter's dumb eagerness ...

The battle is indeed savage ... and thanks to a younger Romita Jr, the artwork is energetic without being too grim and gritty ... if it had been a Finch?!?!?!

The solution is ingenuous and not just all about brawn

Definitely a good read

Ratings: 8/10

2.39 (404) Uncanny X-Men vol 1 #193 ... Marvel ...

It had to happen. I am sure you knew that, right, dear readers? After all those reviews on the junior team, we now move back to the main team that started it all - Uncanny X-Men ... volume 1 (hehehe) ... yup this is way before the relaunches but what the heck we labelled it so as to be clear

This is an awesome double-sized issue of the X-Men

Inspite of Claremont's ability to weave tons of subplot and with more dangling to come in the issues ahead, to celebrate the 100th issue of this, the new X-Men, Claremont decided to do a homage back to the character he created and killed Thunderbird. NO SPOILER ALERT

For those not in the know, Thunderbird is an American Indian mutant who joined the X-Men along with Storm, Nightcrawler etc and finally made the X-Men a top tier title. However, he bit the dust in his first outing and we are not surprised. All his abilities are matched and surpassed by Wolverine from speed to strength to fighting skills to savagery. So what's the point of keeping him here, eh?

Now in this issue, his younger brother has come of age and inherited all of his brother's powers and so he plots revenge. Do note that at this time, he is still a member of the Hellions, junior members of the Hellfire Club similar to the New Mutants

But he is smart enough and cunning enough to make life a living hell for the X-Men all by his lonesome self by sowing dissension and confusion and even spiriting away people like Wolverine and the location is a defence base for the Israeli Army and what-not

Not so much power and energy shooting spectacular but a tight and taut tale

Definitely worth a re-read or three ... and o yes, this is the same guy who has since grown to be Warpath in X-Force becoming a giant size super strong chap and then subsequently armed himself with those two dagger like blades that he carries around these days

Ratings: 8/10

2.38 (403) New Mutants vol 1 #32 to 34 ... Marvel ...

This issue introduces a new artist and since the success of Bill S, Marvel, I guess, decided to do another artist who doesn't follow the house style and ... for me, it doesn't work. It looks just way too amateurish and clutter making the reading experience less than pleasant. After the first issue, I almost dropped it but at that time, we have the completest mentality going around ... that and the fact that I am still a kid so ...

However, it was saved by the continuing storyline that sees the Mutants successfully tracking down Karma ... except that not only is Karma this huge bitch but her powers of mind-control seems to have grown exponentially as well allowing her to possess several persons at one time ... which initially was something the mutants didn't expect and thus fell hard for it ...

Until Magik (Illyana) came up with a plan of her own on how to save her teammates and defeat the evil witch ... which involves some deception on her part ... but since Illyana is supposedly a witch too ... nothing surprising there except for the hurt feelings of some of her more self-righteous teammates

At this juncture, we have to share that this series does crossover into the Summer event of X-Men/ Alpha Flight, New Mutants Special Edition and X-Men Annual before resuming back into 35. Therefore if you enjoyed the Bill S experience, we still encourage you to wade through these 3 issues as the storylines are indeed continuous

Enjoy

Ratings: 7/10

2.37 (402) New Mutants vol 1 #29 to 31 ... Marvel ...

Do you remember some of the weird lame ass seeming characters introduced in the Dazzler and Beast mini-series, Beauty and the Beast? Well, if you don't, no one blames you as it certainly wasn't significant except for a guy who claims to be the real life heir of Doctor Doom NO SPOILER ALERT

Anyway this 3-parter is so good that it rightly deserves its own individual reviews rather than smushed into one like this but ...

#29 - as the cover shows, some of the mutants are "kidnapped" and forced to fight in the Arena against the gladiators who happened to be in the BB mini-series. For those who read this when it first came out, the first reaction would naturally be WTF? Because when that ended, the Mutants had learnt to be free of Doom wannabe and supposedly gone to a better lifestyle than this. So what gives, eh? And o yes, naturally, this is the perfect excuse to introduce Alison Blaire to this title

#30 - next issue, Alison is back and fighting to be top dog of this vehicle or so it seems. Is she slipping back into style because she misses the high of being a performer after her big expose as a mutant forbid her from being an on-stage singer? Or is she merely pretending? And amidst all these, Magneto comes onboard to offer them an out. Remember that last X-Men movie where he ripped a huge stadium shaped thingie? He does that here. And that's how this issue earned its crossover to SW2 but the question on your mind is who the F is running the show since it is most definitely not baby Doom anymore

#31 - the big reveal NO SPOILER ALERT and it is shown on the arty cover as the baddie is ... the first of the Mutants, Karma except she is no longer that shy, lacking in self confidence Vietnamese girl but a hugely bloated bitch. Naturally when faced with overwhelming odds, she bolted and the Mutants are free. Except that since she was once one of them, they decided that they needed to find her and rescue her from herself in need be. O glorious heroics eh? Hahahahahah! We also bid a fond farewell to Bill S with this issue

Ratings: 8/10

2.36 (401) New Mutants vol 1 #23 to 25 ... Marvel ...

We kick off our next 100th reviews (fingers crossed and all that) by taking a plunge back to the 80s with the first spin-off mutant titles. Yes, there was a time when each title had its own identity and was told for a looooooooooong spell without relaunches and a spin off only comes around when it makes story telling sense

The New Mutants as the title indicates are young people who come into their abilities and brought in by Prof X not to be heroes like X-Men but to learn both normal lessons and how to control their abilities so that they can rejoin the greater world outside ... but as it is still people in costumes there will be the occasional foray into superheroics

What is entertaining is that from issue 17 onwards most of the stories are told in 3-issue arcs and with awesome cover art by Bill S. The interiors are also done by him but almost a different style especially with the heavier inking making everything look moody and muddled

In this 3 issue arc after issue 22's breather told in one, we see the youngest of the team, Rahne Sinclair (the werewolf girl) and Roberto DaCosta (Sunspot) ... being embroiled in something totally unexpected SPOILER ALERT ... drugs! Experimental drugs to be more precise with the ability to bring out the worse in people, super or regular

And naturally the Marvel heroes who are generally involved in anything drugs is Cloak and Dagger - she is a mistress of light who dances and shoots a light beam that can freeze her opponents amongst other things while he has a teleporting cloak that can grow and envelope many things and people and also chill his opponents

At this juncture, some may be confused about the origins of C and D and to be honest, so are we. At first, they are regular kids who got involved in drugs that transformed them. Over the years and different writers, in order to boost their popularity, there was at one time stated that they were mutants as well and the drugs merely knocked the power out of them or some such. So one has to wonder eh? But at this point in their storylines, they were NOT mutants

And so you have it!

Of course once the rest of the team realizes what is going on, they rush in to help and all sorts of mayhem ensues. As for supporting cast, we have a "preacher" who assists. All in all, a very "mature" sort of storyline involving the junior members of the X-team. And over the course of their series, basically that's the type of stories you get ... the villains are less colourful


than the X-Men and more grounded

Ratings: 8/10

2.35 (400) Prophet vol 2 #4 ... Image ...

Welcome to our 400th review and to celebrate we have a comic with the answers all told in one issue ... yes a rarity and not only does it not feel rushed, it feels just perfect - great timing/ pacing. The artwork from cover to interiors are plain awesome and that coloring? Just perfect. Just ... look at it! And go buy several issues for your friends and neighbours please hahaha!

Okay

After the hectic saga of issues 1 to 3, this is supposed to be the downtime. However, before anything can happen SPOILER ALERT enter the New Men. New Men are another of Rob's studio's great creations where a bunch of young people with special abilities are brought together (not by bald wheelchair bound chap) by coincidence and an experienced individual and here ... they believed that Prophet may hold the key to the salvation of one of their own

Unfortunately, in order to satisfy the quota of a brief but necessary battle scene as is the wont of superhero comics, there is confusion/ misunderstanding and so a fight ensues ... it is brief but wonderfully told and we have absolutely no problems with it as we like our heroes to fight too (hey if not why read a Marvel these days, right? Hahahaha)

But the best part?

It ends here and ends on a good note. Very satisfying ...

Ratings: 9/10

2.34 (399) Prophet vol 2 #3 ... Image ...

Issue 2 was the one issue of Prophet that we reviewed a loooooooooong time ago and hence that's why we started with 1 and now 3

And in this issue (damn love that cover) we finally get the ending we deserved NO SPOILERS as John (yup that name) finds out the truth about his own background and how he has been utilized over the generations ... and how he may not be the Prophet that he thought he was ... although the Disciples are there and just as nasty

He also finds out more about why he is always thinking and quoting Biblical phrases where we as readers have been reading in the narrative boxes ... which is really great because at least now we know that there is a story logic to it all and not just purely there to seem cool

And best of all he finds out more about his supposed friends and teammates

So all in all a great opening arc for this series and looking forward to it ... if only it hadn't ended abruptly within the next few issues ... ah well ... at least it didn't drag on and become crappy like Power Pack ... hahahaha!

Ratings: 10/10