The Wolverine 2013-full trailer

I’ve been a big fan of Wolverine since I was a teen. A mean little scrapper with a temper, I saw a kindred spirit. Of course he made it look cool while I got time outs. It’s hard to imagine that once upon a time Wolverine was unpopular enough with X-Men readers that he narrowly missed the ax that caught Thunderbird. He blossomed into a fan favorite after Chris Claremont and John Byrne developed the character into an animalistic hombre. As the monthly comic garnered acclaim and awards, it also became decidedly violent and bloody. Wolverine’s infamous ‘all red’ killing sprees pulled in new readers and continue to make the mutant a major star on the racks (though he does ebb and flow these days).

Of course things really came together for wolverine when Claremont teamed up with young Frank Miller on a four-part solo adventure set in Japan that added another facet to the character. Whereas he was simply a tough killing machine before, a tragic lone samurai was shown to be lurking beneath the steel-like tough guy veneer. Forever the outsider, Logan wandered the world looking for peace and found only bloodshed.

In film, the unlikely Broadway darling Hugh Jackman has embodied the character of Wolverine so well that even after two lackluster outings, fans are still willing to give him another go. The latest movie is said to take great inspiration from the Claremont/Miller series and even introduces some new ideas such as an emotionally tortured and distraught Wolverine seeking an end to his suffering only to find a real purpose, at the expense of his remarkable healing factor.

What’s particularly interesting to me is how they have recreated some key moments from the Miller comic such as the bar room brawl (seen here).

The Wolverine strikes July 2013.

Personally, I’d love to see a 1950′s Wolverine film starring Humphrey Bogart where he investigates a mystery, drinks, talks a lot then in the final scene unexpectedly pops claws out his hands and slaughters a bunch of gangsters.

That would be something… wouldn’t it?

Storm returns in ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ film

I had some exposure to comic books as a kid, but one of my biggest memories is of reading my brother’s copies of Uncanny X-Men 141/142, a story set in a dark future in which the vestiges of the mutant population fight for survival from a race of hunter-killer Sentinels. In a desperate maneuver, Kitty Pryde is sent back in time via mind transference to her younger self in order to prevent events from occurring that would lead to the nightmare. While Kitty attempts to rewrite history, an older battle-worn team of X-Men consisting of Wolverine, Storm and Colossus makes a final stand against their oppressors.

The two part story remains one of the most popular of X-Men tales. Borrowing from other science fiction pulps and programs such as the Outer Limits, Chris Claremont and John Byrne presented a harrowing and dramatically charged story in these issues. This was long before alternate futures, deaths and returns and such had become old hat, so seeing an aged Wolverine who dared not pop his claws rummaging around a devastated NYC was a novelty. As was seeing a world in which almost all of the super powered individuals were dead and buried, the result of over-zealous androids let loose on the world by a paranoid population.

The next X-Men film following the success of the prequel First Class will adapt this story and bridge the gap between two generations of X-Men films, co-starring the cast members of the prequel with those who made the X-Men a household name in the first trilogy. Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde), Anna Paquin (Rogue), Shawn Ashmore (Iceman) and James Marsden (Cyclops) are already signed on to reprise their roles from the previous X-Men films.

Now Halle Berry joins the ranks, somewhat curiously as it has been said that her experience in the X-films was not a positive one. Still, it is nice that there will be such a feeling of reunion and reverence to the past in the next X-Men feature film.

Halle Berry Will Be Back As Storm!

Via comics-x-aminer.com

The actress spoke to Black Tree TV while doing the rounds for her latest film The Call, confirmed that she will be back as Storm in X – Men: Days Of Future Past. “Yeah. I’m excited too. The fans really love Storm, and so I’m really happy that it’s worked out that way. No matter what my part will be or won’t be, to be a part of that is always a good thing. I love it.”

X-Men: Days of Future Past has a 18 July 2014 release date

(click here for my review of Days of Future Past)

Cable and X-Force #1 Marvel Now!

Cable and X-Force #1

By Dennis Hopeless and Salvador Larroca

With the Phoenix Force dispersed, the world has changed. Once hidden in obscurity or hunted like animals, mutants now serve alongside the Avengers. After assuring the survival of Hope, Cable disappeared, thought dead. He has secretly been building a team to run a mission to save the world from a possible cataclysm that Cable has seen in painful premonitions. Alongside Domino, Doctor Nemesis, Colossus and Forge, Cable has rebuilt his team, X-Force. After apparently killing civilians, Cable is confronted by the Avengers but he refuses to give any justification. He just doesn’t have time.

From the time when it took over the New Mutants, X-Force has traditionally been a high-octane balls-to-the-wall comic filled with gritted teeth, explosions and heaving bosoms. It’s a man’s book to end all man books. The new series infuses even more of the Clint Eastwood silent loner type into Cable and ups the ante by placing him in severe pain. One of the most powerful telekinetically skilled mutants ever, Cable formerly used all of his power to keep the Technoorganic virus at bay. Yet after he was healed, his abilities have no focus, hampering his performance and he is plagued by telepathic visions (no idea how that works) of a disastrous future (again!).

With Forge at his side as a kind of cross between James Bond’s Q and the Punisher’s Microchip, Cable has been outfitted with state of the art gear including a weapon/arm that even he calls ridiculous. But that will not be enough. The first issue sees him getting a band together and facing the ire of his former protegee Hope who is furious that he just dropped out of her life with no explanation. On the run from the Avengers (and later the X-Men as well, I wager), Cable’s X-Force is made up of loners with nothing to lose.

Yeah… it’s that kinda book. You can practically hear the metal soundtrack blasting from each page.

The first issue is mainly about Cable and includes his recruitment of Dr. Nemesis (the snarkiest Warren Ellis character that Ellis never created) and Domino who is sometimes Black Widow with a different haircut. I am looking forward to seeing how Colossus is brought in as when we saw him last the normally sensitive farm boy was filled with rage from being manipulated by his sister. When we do see him, I wager he will bear little resemblance to the mutant who served little to no purpose in the X-books. He will be an unstoppable engine of destruction. I’m very excited to see the transformation occur. 

Writer Dennis Hopeless explained that he had been approached by editor Nick Lowe with an (almost) clean slate to build from:

When Nick Lowe asked me to pitch the book, he said X-Force has a history of reinvention. Every time there’s a new X-Force title, it’s miles different from the previous incarnation. Then Nick asked, “What would your version of X-Force be?”

That was a really cool and interesting challenge, especially because right after that, he said, “But make it about Cable,” and hung up the phone. I had to figure out a story that would reinvent X-Force while also taking the book back to its Cable roots.

And let’s not forget the X-Force run these new books are following. Rick Remender and company have been kicking us in the brain every issue on “Uncanny X-Force.”

Given that he had to anchor the book on Cable, Hopeless luckily found a solid approach to a character who was once the new Wolverine and later became just another Wolverine.

When Cable is at his best, he’s the Mad Max of the Marvel Universe; Beat to shit. Tank just above empty. Odds always against him. Whether he likes it or not, he’s going to spend the whole movie driving straight at the enemy.
Mad Max meets Steve McQueen as played by the T2 Terminator: That’s my take on Cable. He doesn’t want to sit and chat. He doesn’t have time to explain the plan to you. He just wants whatever horrible thing he has to do done fast, so he can steal five minutes peace after. The fun part is surrounding him with a supporting cast who absolutely refuse to give him that peace.

This is interesting to me because the Cable/Soldier X series along with the post-Messiah CompleX Cable series were both very good and each surprised me in utilizing a character that bored me to tears. If the first issue is any indication, this is could once more raise Cable to the ranks of popularity and deliver a kick-ass action book.

Much like the fallout from Civil War and Dark Reign, the Marvel Universe is completely reshuffled. The X-Men are both heroes and terrorists, the Avengers are policing the entire planet but not much has changed for Cable, who is once more on a secret mission. This is a great testosterone-fueled book that picks up the reigns from its predecessor with style (thanks to the wonderful art by Larroca).

If this is not your thing, you probably already know. But if you enjoy the action movie type of film, this is a great example of how to get it pitch perfect.

Marvel Now! All-New X-Men #1

All-New X-Men #1

By Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger

Children of the atom… the next stage in evolution… hated and feared by those they have sworn to protect… The X-Men started as a progressive group of teens led by the eccentric psychic Charles Xavier. His mission was to train the teens to use their abilities and overcome the fear of rejection for being different. The goal was one of integration, but over the years the team became a safe haven from the violence of humanity. The school also got blown up… a lot. The team shifted focus several times and when the future of the mutant population became tenuous and Professor Xavier was murdered, team leader Cyclops relocated the survivors to the sovereign nation of Utopia. A militaristic approach grew fanatical when the Phoenix Force was spotted on its way to Earth. Most saw destruction, but Cyclops saw salvation and a new lease on life for mutants everywhere. In the ensuing carnage, Cyclops led a small group of followers against the rest of the super-powered population.

Possessed by the Phoenix Force, Cyclops killed his former mentor Professor X and was defeated. The dispersal of the Phoenix energy jump-started a revival of the mutant gene. Rather than see the error of his ways, Cyclops believes this event to be a justification for his actions. No longer a minority, mutants stand a chance of surviving, if properly focused and led.

Fresh off of a record-breaking run on several Avengers series, writer Brian Michael Bendis will be taking over the X-Men family with a pair of monthly books that will operate in much the same way that his Avengers books did. To start things off, the Beast is mutating further, Cyclops has reinvented himself as a mutant terrorist alongside Emma Frost, Magneto and Magick, recruiting mutants who find themselves confused by their new found abilities. The X-Men must stop him, but given that force has proven to be useless, what can they do?

Beast is inspired by a throwaway statement from Iceman that leads him back in time when he encounters the original X-Men. By bringing them to the present day, he hopes that young Cyclops can talk some sense into his modern-day counterpart. It’s a mad idea, but given the single-mindedness of Cyclops’ actions and the level of destruction that the Avengers/X-Men scrap left, the options are slim. I always like the X-Men when their backs are against the wall, but placing them in such a unique position where they face a future created by one of their own where mutants are tyrants is ingenious. Bringing the X-Men of the past into the mix is even more interesting.

In an interview with Newsarama, Brian Michael Bendis gave some insight into his influences regarding the X-Men and some assurances that he is not about to ‘disassemble’ the X-Men.

Bendis: I’m not blowing up the mansion or anything like that. I came in [Avengers], “I’m gonna blow up the mansion, and go crazy!” and some people really loved that, and some people were like, “Whoa, whoa!” It was tantamount to someone going on the playground and just knocking over your toys. You’re like, “I liked my toys, why are you doing this?” I didn’t see it that way at the time, but in retrospect — I wouldn’t have changed the story or anything, but I was shocked by some of the reaction, and then I went, “Oh, no, I get that. I literally just blew up the house on page three.”

What I am doing here is, I think, as big, but not as destructive. I think it’s additive, I think it’s emotional and dramatic. This idea has been floating through the Marvel retreats for a couple of years. Both [Jeph] Loeb and I would be looking at each other going, “That’s a great idea.” It never stuck to the wall. I literally asked Axel, “Where did that idea start?” It just inspired so many story ideas to me.

Nrama: So the high concept of the original X-Men traveling into the present has been around for a while?

Bendis: Yeah. I’m a big fan of “Days of Future Past.” I think it’s one of the greatest imagination-inspiring storylines — the idea that your future is going to be hell on earth. If the original X-Men saw what was going on at Marvel today, this is worse than “Days of Future Past.”

Fans always say, “Oh, I wish Stan Lee was still in charge, things would be different.” Joe [Quesada] would point out that that’s not true. Stan was changing the Marvel Universe so quickly, much quicker than we do. Tearing up tracks, switching the Avengers, and blowing up the X-Men, and he was the first guy to do this. If Stan Lee was still in charge, you wouldn’t even recognize the Marvel Universe. So that idea inspired, “what would it feel like if characters from the Silver Age saw the Marvel Universe today?” I did a little bit of it in Avengers, in the Kang storyline. It’s obviously inspired a couple ideas in my work.

There’s something about Jean Grey, there’s something about those original five being such idealists, coming here and seeing what those ideals turned into for good or bad, and deciding to fight for them. I couldn’t get it out of my head. Inside that idea is a bunch of different ideas. The idea itself is the headline-grabber, but what people have to look forward to inside the story is much more. It’s a much more emotional story involving all of the X-Men, and that’s what’s going to be coming in future issues.

I was very wary of seeing yet another drastic shift in the X-Men after so many attempts have been made to make sense of this series going all the way back to the Grant Morrison E is for Evolution run. It seems to be a difficult concept for writers to figure out and the massive cast of characters is daunting. However, Bendis seems to be onto something by using the progress already made with Cyclops and having him come full circle as the leader of a Brotherhood of Mutants-style gang.

The art style is very slick and I hope that Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger are here to stay. Along with the lack of focus over the past few years (of admittedly great stories), a regular art team has been sorely missed. I have my fingers crossed that after a very smart and powerful first issue, we are in store for a major revival in the popularity and success of the X-Men.

All-New X-Men and its sister book Uncanny X-Men will be coming out bi-weekly for the foreseeable future, so this could be a great time to be an X-fan.

The All New Uncanny X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis

The comic book industry that had once been so successful was floundering. Stan Lee decided to take his wife’s advice and wrote a superhero comic book the way he wanted. This was born the Fantastic Four, then Spider-Man, the Hulk, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, the Avengers and more. At some point he decided to create a new kind of superhero team called the Mutants (re-titled the X-Men). It didn’t take off in the same way as his previous efforts, but the school for gifted youngsters founded by the wheelchair-bound psychic Charles Xavier had a unique persona that kept it in print through many iterations.

Years later the X-Men took off in a big way, appealing to readers who associated with the young mutants who had no place in the world, even one where gamma-radiated monsters roamed the desert and men made of rocks wore trench coats and sunglasses. Forever the outsiders, forever hated and feared even when they were the next step in evolution. During the Avengers Vs. X-Men cross-over, the mutant population’s problems became everyone’s problems as the Phoenix Force arrived on Earth. Now the X-Men are a more integrated part of the Marvel Universe than before.

Like him or hate him, Bendis revolutionized the Avengers when he disassembled the team and rebuilt it into anew, bringing the title to a level of popularity that was previously held by… the X-Men. And so the circle is apparently complete as Bendis will be trying the put his touch on the mutant titles that have somewhat fallen in recent years.

Will it work?

Via ComicBookResources.com:

“Everything in ‘Uncanny X-Men’ came right out of our story planning for ‘Avengers Vs. X-Men,’” Bendis told Marvel.com. “There was a great deal of time where Marvel had asked Jason Aaron and [me] to bring all the elements of the story together. It was during this process that both of us came up with a lot of ideas for the mutants going forward. By this time I knew that I was taking over the X-Men and that allowed me freedom to take his [X-Men] characters into places I probably wouldn’t have the guts to [in 'Avengers Vs. X-Men'] if it wasn’t my job to clean up the mess so to speak. While we were discussing whether or not it was time for Charles Xavier to die, one of the reasons I was all for it was because it made all of my books so much more interesting.”

Bendis’ team consists of Cyclops and the remnants of his Extinction Team: Magneto, Magik and Emma Frost. While Bendis states the romance between Cyclops and Emma is finished, readers will get to see the fallout in the pages of “Uncanny.”

“The romance is done. They are not together anymore romantically,” Bendis said. “It’s pretty hard to come back from what they went through in Avengers Vs. X-Men. Things were said, powers were stolen, and as we will discover in the very first issues of ‘Uncanny X-Men,’ some things happen between them that cannot be taken back.”

The writer teased new developments for Magneto, stating “Uncanny X-Men” will be “a very bold, new chapter” for the Master of Magnetism, and hopes to link “Uncanny” with “All-New X-Men” much in the same way he linked “Avengers” and “New Avengers.”

“The books will connect thematically and sometimes even story-wise, but you don’t have to buy both books to enjoy them,” Bendis said. “Hopefully I will make you want to buy and read both books with our stories and our characters. But these books are both looking at mutants and Marvel from their unique point of view. Both of these books’ points of view are, in my opinion, very legitimate and very much a concern.”

“Uncanny X-Men” #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo hits stores February 2013

Avengers and X-Men to share the silver screen?

Since the days of the Justice Society of America, the concept of the superhero team has been a successful one. Two of the biggest superhero teams in comics today recently squared off in print over the course of 6 months in Avengers Vs. X-Men. With the revival of X-Men and the record-breaking sales of the Avengers in film, why not have the same thing happen on the big screen?

Just imagine Hugh Jackman squaring off against Robert Downey Jr. or Patrick Stewart meeting Samuel L. Jackson… the possibility is there for a motion picture that could set the entertainment world on fire… except that the film rights to these two properties are split between Disney and 20th Century Fox.

But, just as Spider-Man was rumored to be in the running to join the Avengers on film, we may see a few more familiar faces in the next Avengers movie. Given that the threat is so cosmic, it’s not out of the question that we could see glimpses of Wolverine, Professor X and Spider-Man as readers often do whenever an event is so huge that it impacts the entire Marvel Universe.

Or could the X-Men and Avengers actually meet? If so, how would that go?

Via Moviepilot:

What do you get if you cross mutants with superheroes? Joss Whedon’s The Avengers 2? Surely not, I hear you cry. What, Wolverine, Prof X and Storm alongside Cap, Iron Man and Hulk in one movie? Pah! Nothing more than wishful thinking…

Maybe not. X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner has said she is more than interested in the idea of having mutant fighters join ranks with the Avengers in the next movie. ‘I would love it,’ she revealed in an interview with Crave, continuing:

I personally have close ties to Marvel because of [The Avengers producer] Kevin Feige. Kevin worked for me. But to take our characters and mingle them in the way that they were written… yeah, absolutely.

It’s no surprise, really. Rumors that Spider-Man (owned by Sony) might have shown up in The Avengers (2012) never came to fruition, but apparently, with the movie’s commercial success, Sony and Fox (who owns X-Men) are now jostling elbows to jump on the bandwagon.

So what does this mean? Could we see the return of Jean Grey and Magneto as bad guys opposite the Avengers? Does Wolverine finally show up to join the New Avengers? Or will this be based on Avengers vs. X-Men where the two superhuman teams are drawn into a war against each other? Also, when in the current X-Men movie continuity would this happen? By the end of X-Men 3, Professor X is dead (or is he?), Magneto is demagnetized (or is he?) and Jean Grey is batshit crazy (yes she is).

Of course, it’s all a guessing game right now. Who knows what kind of complicated legal issues are involved in forcing Fox’s X-Men and Marvel’s Avengers to go on an awkward — yet awesome — two-hour date at the movie theater. But, if Lauren Shuler Donner is to be trusted and they can sort out some kind of studio coalition… We can only dream.

The Avengers 2 is lined up for release in 2015, so plenty could happen until then. Keep your eyes here, people!

Next X-Men film titled ‘Days of Future Past’

Possibly the most popular of all X-Men comic book storylines, Days of Future Past ramped up the action and drama of the comic by showing a vision of the future where humanity’s xenophobia had reduced the planet to a husk policed by massive killer robot sentries called Sentinels.

Since the success of the first X-Men movie, fans have wished that a film adaptation of this story would bed produced… and they have finally gotten that wish granted.

(click here for my review of Days of Future Past)

Rumored earlier this week, the sequel to 2011′s X-Men: First Class is officially titled X-Men: Days of Future Past. IGN scored a confirmation directly from the film’s producer, Bryan Singer.

“It’s called ‘Days of Future Past’,” he told the site. “It deals with aspects of that comic, but also some very new things.”

The comic book storyline, “Days of Future Past” ran in Uncanny X-Men #141 and 142 way back in 1981 during Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s run and introduced the idea of an alternate future for Marvel’s mutants that grew out of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants killing an important senator, leading to a future where all mutants are hunted by Sentinels.

… Singer also says that the hope is to expand the X-Men franchise to become as complete a world as the interconnected film universe of Marvel’s The Avengers.

Via SuperHeroHype

Meet the Uncanny Avengers

The Avengers has traditionally been an oddball assortment of heroes from various backgrounds. Mutants, time-traveling knights and cowboys as well as aliens, mutants and demi-gods have filled out the roster of the Avengers over the years. More recently even less traditional heroes have been Avengers such as Wolverine, Daredevil, Iron Fist and Storm.

In the wake of Avengers Vs. X-Men, it appears that the two superhero groups are going to become more closely related than ever before. If the promotional image of The Uncanny Avengers is anything to judge by, the times they are a’changin.’ Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Fear Agent, Sea of Red and the Punisher) and John Cassiday (Astonishing X-Men, Planetary) are joining forces to create an incredibly eye-catching version of the superhero team, redefining the look and feel of the comic all over again.

via EW:

Remender talked to us about Uncanny Avengers and offered some intriguing teases about the characters who will form the superteam’s initial lineup. “Captain America comes out of Avengers vs. X-Men recognizing that he didn’t do enough to help the mutants. He’s going to fix that.” That leads to the formation of a team focused explicitly on human-mutant relations. And although Uncanny Avengers has its share of heavy hitters — Captain America, Thor, and Wolverine have all starred in multiple movies that collectively grossed one katrillion dollars — Remender sounds even more excited about playing around with the team’s other characters. That’s especially true of Havok, the brother of Cyclops, who will be the team’s leader. “He is put in a very difficult situation,” says Remender. “Havok’s always been the black sheep rock-and-roller of the Summers family. He can’t do that anymore. You’re going to see Havok become one of the biggest players in the Marvel Universe.”

Uncanny Avengers will also feature the mutant Rogue, who Remender describes as “the Wolverine of the team now. Her adoptive step-mother was Mystique, so she was raised to hate the Avengers.” And there will be some interpersonal turmoil around the final member of the team: Scarlet Witch, who recently returned to the Avengers after years of being mostly in the background of the Marvel Universe. “She’s the character responsible for eradicating the mutants in the first place,” says Remender, who describes the Witch’s role in the book as a “redemption arc.”

Avengers Vs. X-Men minimates… YOU DECIDE!

Celebrating the superheroes and villains of the Marvel Universe, minimates have been a guilty pleasure of mine for years. Miniature in size, they are deceptive as collectibles. A modest shoe box containing the minuscule figures became a larger box bursting at the seams, and it looks like there is no end in sight.

Minimates have been made to commemorate iconic moments such as the unmasking of Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, Giant Size X-Men #1, Galactus and his heralds, Age of Apocalypse and even the relatively obscure Age of X mini-series. So it should come as no surprise that the 12 part slug-fest Avengers Vs. X-Men is next in line, only this time fans are being polled for their choices.

(this is of course not unheard of as the Secret Wars and Captain America sets were also based on votes from fans and collectors)

With only the first ‘act’ of AvX complete, I wager there will be more to come, but what say you, the reader on the ‘net?

Comic fans are well aware of the current brouhaha unfolding in the pages of Marvel’s “Avengers Vs X-Men” event series as well as its sister title “AVX: Versus” and the various ongoing series starring Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the Marvel U’s mutant population. Now, the conflict has spilled out beyond the pages of the storyline proper, and this time, the fans have a say in the conflict — sort of.

Diamond Select Toys today announced not only the latest expansion of its popular Marvel Minimates line of figures with an AvX-themed box set, it’s also opened the polls once again with fans of the comic and toys being invited to vote for their pick on which four characters will make it into the actual release. The choices include the newly-Phoenix Forced Cyclops, Emma Frost and Colossus, the Scarlet Witch, Protector and two Iron Man armor-styles.-

Via CBR.com

Quick reviews: Avengers Vs. X-Men, Uncanny X-Men

Uncanny X-Men #10

Story by Kieron Gillen, Art by Carlos Pacheco
I have said on many occasions that the X-Men monthly books have been in trouble for years. Thankfully that ‘soul searching’ period seems to be over if Gillen and Pacheco’s Uncanny X-Men is any indication. Scott’s Extinction team has united with the Avengers to round up loose ends from a SWORD prison break. When Hope is in danger, however, Scott orders his people out of a fight with Fing Fang Foom (leaving Captain America’s Avengers hanging).

Against the mega-powerful Unit (a left over from Gillen’s under-rated and sadly canceled SWORD series), Scott is completely unprepared. What’s more, he orders Ilyana to teleport Hope to safety and charges in without any intel from Agent Brand (head of SWORD). The result is catastrophic as Unit uses his immense power to turn the X-Men against themselves, ordering Magneto to launch Colossus into orbit, Storm to lose control of her weather manipulation abilities, Cyclops to shut his eyes and Emma Frost and Namor to make out… awkward.

Only when Danger arrives do things calm down, but Unit still seems to be in control. He and Hope both insist that he only wanted to talk, but now he is a prisoner once more, and he kindly asks that they contain him more securely. Brand asks a favor from Cyclops to hold Unit in the X-Men’s prison under Utopia in exchange for her silence on his running a death squad called X-Force. Unit is shown to hardly be a prisoner at all and not only does he have control over Danger but he also has an influence over Hope… and dangles information of the natrure of the Phoenix over her.

This issue was just awesome. The action was great always nice to see Pacheco in action) and the complexities of the team well utilized. Several entries in the letters column pointed out how the current team is so well formed and I must agree. Having a Cyttorak-powered Colossus, his sister Ilyana, Magneto and Namor all on the team makes them a power to be reckoned with (finally). Captain America points this out and it is clear that Scott’s tactics have improved greatly over the years, but Cap is saddened that it appears the X-Men’s loyalty is to their own first, the planet second… which of course will lead to some problems.

As the X-Men grows in popularity, possibly back to its former hey day sales figures, it is interesting to see the tonal shift into a superheroic team. This was attempted in Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men run, but in my opinion that was far too much of a neck-breaking change. With the aid of Schism and years of Scott’s formation of the team into an army, it works much better.

Alongside Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men, this is a great time for mutant books.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #2

Story by Jason Aaron, Art by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna

The alien energy of destruction and rebirth, the Phoenix Force, is headed toward the Earth. Reformed and redirected, the Avengers are determined to intercept the arrival of the Phoenix but unfortunately, the X-Men see this as potentially a game-changer, granting them an equal footing in the super-powered realm. Captain America wants to respect Cyclops’ mutant compound on the sovereign nation of Utopia, but for the mutants who have been mistreated for so long, it doesn’t seem possible.

As Wolverine points out, Scott is too close to this as the Phoenix Force had bonded with his sometime departed wife Jean Grey. He also thinks of the current host, the young mutant Hope, as the mutant messiah. So… tempers are high and the explosions are big when Cap arrives to take Hope into custody and Cyclops receives this as a declaration of war.

Honestly, I’m at a loss for words on this one. A stunning action-filled blockbuster as the two teams go head to head and pull out all the stops. There are so many BIG moments, but for me the two images below speak the loudest.

Magneto utilizes a variation on the 'fastball special'

This series boasted to be the best thing in superhero comics since unstable molecules and it really does deliver.

Wolverine goes in for the mercy kill... and is stopped cold

In just the second issue, several beats are met as Wolverine not only makes his decision as to what side he is on, but also decides to kill Hope before she becomes bonded to the Phoenix force… but is far too late. It certainly shows that this series is the result of several top notch creators putting their heads together.

If this were a film, it would be worth the price of admission… however t it would be a roughly $52 attendance ticket and so far we’ve only gotten $12 worth, so we have a long way to go.