X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Final Trailer Released!

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All New X-Men, Angel, Apocalypse, Brian Singer, Cyclops, James McAvoy, Jean Grey, Jennifer Lawrence, Magneto, Michael Fassbender, Mystique, New X-Men Apocalypse Final Trailer, New X-Men Apocalypse Trailer, Nightcrawler, Oscar Isaac, Professor X, Psylocke, Storm, Wolverine, X-Men Apocalypse, X-Men Apocalypse Official Trailer

New X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Final Trailer Released!

Check out the final trailer for Brian Singer’s X-Men: Apocalypse, even more action in this one, and a there’s even special surprise appearance at the end! It looks brilliant, can’t wait for this movie!

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All New XMen #29 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #29 review, Angel, Brian Michael Bendis, Cyclops, Future Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Iceman, Jean Grey, Marte Gracia, Marvel Comcis, Original X-Men, Stuart Immonen, X-Men

All New X-Men #29

Review by Paul Bowler

The Future Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is back, led by the progeny of Charles Xavier and Mystique. The original X-Men, together with new teammate X-23, and their leader, Professor Kitty Pryde, had just returned to Cyclops’ New Xavier School on Earth following their adventure in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Starjammers to rescue Jean Grey from the Shi’ar – afterwards the young Cyclops then decided to leave the X-Men and remain with his father, Corsair. The Brotherhood infiltrated the school and took over the Stepford Sisters Hive Mind to attack the X-Men and the mindscape of Jean Grey. Now, as Jean’s psychic battle with the son of Xavier intensifies, X-23 gets her chance to strike back…

All New X-Men #29 is an astonishingly brilliant issue from Brian Michael Bendis. The return of the Future Brotherhood has made for a really exciting storyline, every element of the time travelling plot that Bendis has weaved into the narrative achieves an uncanny synergy with the sheer audacity of the multiple paradoxes and quandaries it generates. Heaven only knows what all this is doing to the time stream, it certainly makes a great story though, and the way Bendis manages to bring it all together this issue is amazing.

I really liked how Jean manages to turn the tables on the son of Xavier in this issue. Everything spins out from last issues cliff-hanger, when Jean began to fight back with her new psychic power levels, and gave X-23 her chance to ambush Xavier. X-23’s savage attack on the son of Xavier is enough to break his influences over the X-Men and the Future Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, except for his brother Raze, who quickly rushes in to fight X-23. The stunning art of Stuart Immonen, together with inker Wade Von Grawbadger, and with colorists Marte Gracia and Jason Keith on this issue, make the big action set piece that follows, with its elaborate two-page spreads and big sash pages, about as breathtaking and exciting as anything we’ve ever seen in this title.

There is also a great dynamic forming between the original X-Men and the present day X-Men now, with the adult Cyclops and Emma Frost keeping Jean focused during her mindscape battle with Xavier’s son, while Kitty Pryde and Magik lead the rest of the X-Men into battle. I also thought the fight between X-23 and Raze was really good, it was savage and brutal, and they both seem fairly evenly matched.

We also learn more about the Future Brotherhood, including the full extent of Xavier’s control over them, and there is a rather unsettling discovery about Xorn as well. The psychic confrontation on the mindscape between Xavier and Jean cleverly uses bold colors to define the combatant’s abilities, with icy blue tones highlighting the attacks by Xavier’s son, while Jean’s new power set manifests within vivid hues of pink and violet.

There are some really good scenes for the adult Cyclops and Emma Frost over the course of this issue, especially for Cyclops, as he points out to the value of the lessons the All New X-Men have learned on this day. Brian Michael Bendis manages once more to skilfully address the issue of Original X-Men’s inability to return to their own time, balancing it perfectly with the way the Future Brotherhood has been manipulated by Xavier’s son, effectively forming a time warping coda with the future events witnessed last issue as the Brotherhood plotted the X-Men’s downfall.

All New X-Men #29 is a highly enjoyable and action packed issue. With all its time twisting surprises this issue will be one to read a few times to pick up all the nuances that Bendis has included, and I expect, like me, you’ll probably agree with Iceman when he says that time travel gives him a headache if you think about it too much! Finally, last word goes to that stunning cover by Immonen, Grawbadger, and Gracia, featuring Angel riding a motorbike. Well, it certainly provides a great conclusion to this story with the Future Brotherhood, and if next issues teaser image is anything to go by, it seems that romance could soon be in the air.

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All New XMen #28 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #28, Brian Michael Bendis, Cyclops, Future Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Jean Grey, Marte Gracia, Marvel, Original X-Men, Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, X-Men

All New X-Men #28

Review by Paul Bowler

Unable to return to their own time, the original X-Men now reside at Cyclops’ new Xavier School, along with new teammate X-23, and their leader, Professor Kitty Pryde. After the All New X-Men teamed up with the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Starjammers to save Jean Grey from the Shi’ar throne world, the teenage Cyclops was reunited with his father, Corsair, and decided to leave the X-Men and join the Starjammers. Now, with the X-Men back on Earth, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants from the future has travelled back in time to the present day. Infiltrating the school, the Brotherhood attacked, X-23 was stabbed, now they control the Stepford Sisters Hive Mind, and they quickly used this advantage to strike at the mindscape of the young Jean Grey…

All New X-Men #28 is another great issue by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, and Wade Von Grawbadger, as numerous plot threads from the current storyline begin to converge, we also gain a new perspective on last years Battle of the Atom crossover event. It’s fascinating to witness how the Evil Brotherhood was formed in the future, while their attack on the Original X-Men unfolds simultaneously in the present day. The way that Bendis manages to balance each branch of this issues time warping narrative is simply superb, there is a hell of a lot of plot crammed into this issue, and the sheer pace and spectacle of it all is breathtaking. All New X-Men #28 ingeniously serves as a prequel of sorts to Battle of the Atom, I really liked the scenes featuring Xavier’s son (the leader of the future Brotherhood) and Raze, where we saw the terrible state that Beast was in when they discovered him and brought him into the fold.

As the X-Men struggle against the future Brotherhoods attack in the present, the plot continues to build on the implications of Jean’s new power set that was revealed in The Trial of Jean Grey, when the X-Men joined forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Starjammers to rescue Jean from the Shi’ar Empire after she was put on trial for the crimes of her older, Phoenix-Possessed, self. Having realized that he should have dealt with Jean first last time, and how dangerous she can be, the young Xavier and his future Brotherhood hijacked the Stepford Sisters Hive Mind to strike at Jean’s mindscape and attack the X-Men. The smooth transition between the psychic plane and the physical reality heightens the tension further, as the issue build towards an exciting, and very surprising conclusion.

Stuart Immonen’s art on All New X-Men #28 is as stunning as ever. Together with Wade Von Grawbadger’s inks and the excellent work of colorist Marte Gracia, this issue looks incredible. There are so many stand out scenes in this issue: from the intricate detail of the scrawled equations on the walls of the future Beast’s lab, through to the spectacular double-page spread featuring a tremendous battle between the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the future X-Men, and watching Jean’s torment in the haunting bleakness of the Hive Mind, the way in which Immonen seamlessly envelopes us within the entwined narratives of present and future events is truly astonishing.

All New X-Men #28 moves along at a cracking pace, and rapidly builds towards its thrilling final moments as the adult Cyclops and Emma Frost attempt to get the young Jean away from the Brotherhood, when a surprise attack catches everyone off guard. That fact that all the characters are so wrapped up in what’s happening, that none of them actually see what’s coming, is also testament to how well Bendis handles these characters, its thrilling stuff, and Immonen’s art on that final page captures the intensity of that moment perfectly.

I was surprised to see the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants return so soon after Battle of the Atom, but I’m really glad that Bendis has brought them back. They are such a fascinating group of characters, we get to learn a lot more about them, and the reasoning behind their return to the past is really clever. All New X-Men #28 is a thoroughly enjoyable issue, it’s packed with action, and the gripping time-twisting storyline is elevated to a whole new level as we discover more about the future Brotherhood and their plans.

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All New XMen #22 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #22, Brian Michael Bendis, Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Comics, Original X-Men, Stuart Immonen, The Trial of Jean Grey

All New X-Men #22

Review by Paul Bowler

Having left Wolverine’s Jean Grey School, the Original X-Men and Kitty Pryde decided to move to Cyclops’s New Xavier School. X-23, the genetic clone of Wolverine, has now joined the team after the teenage X-Men helped her escape from the super-powered son of William Stryker and his group of Purifiers. The Shi’ar, having learned Jean Grey is alive on Earth, return to capture Jean and place her on trial for the actions of Dark Phoenix. The All New X-Men must join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy in order to Jean from intergalactic justice.

The Trial of Jean Grey gets off to an exciting start as the Shi’ar sets out to capture Jean Grey and put her on trial again. All New X-Men #22 has some great moments for the Original X-Men as they settle into everyday life at the New Xavier School, followed by some explosive action when the Shi’ar attacks. This crossover event between the All New X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy looks very promising, and is sure to test the young mutants to the limit.

While the rest of the X-Men seem to be adapting well to being at the New Xavier School, tensions are still running high between Jean and Scott, which leads to a brilliant scene where the two of them argue in the cafeteria while Angel is trying to eat his lunch. Brian Michael Bendis pitches this scene perfectly, striking just the right balance between the tension and humour, as Scott tries to ask Jean about how she is coping with her knowledge of the future. Its fun to watch Angel react as, just like the reader, he only gets half of the conversation, because some of it takes place telepathically between Jean and Scott after she inadvertently reads Scott’s mind without his permission again.

The rest of the issue features the Shi’ar’s attack on the New Xavier School, which is the big highlight of this issue. Its also great to see Stuart Immonen back on All New X-Men as well, his gift for capturing the characters emotions and ability to deliver epic action sequences are perfectly suited to this title.

All New X-Men #22 provides an exciting start to The Trial of Jean Grey, I feel there is a lot of potential here, and it will be great to see the original X-Men venturing into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy to rescue their team-mates.

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All New X-Men #17 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #17, Battle of the Atom, Battle of the Atom part 6, Beast, Brian Michael Bendis, Colossus, Cyclops, Iceman, Jean Grey, Magik, Marvel Comics, Stuart Immonen, Uncanny X-Men

All New X-Men #17

Review by Paul Bowler

 

A team of X-Men from the future have arrived in the present, claming the original X-Men must return to their own time, or the world will be doomed. Not wanting to go back, the young Jean Grey and Cyclops go on the run. They make their way to Utopia and seek help from the adult Cyclops and the Uncanny X-Men, but the modern-day and future X-Men track them down. However, Magik is suspicious and takes young Beast and Iceman with her to the future, where they discover it is actually a pleasant world and meet a completely different team of X-Men…

The opening moments of All New X-Men #17 offers a tantalising glimpse of future events for the X-men, where one of the most joyous moments imaginable for mutantkind goes tragically, and horribly wrong. Brian Michael Bendis superbly scripted storyline for Battle of the Atom continues to impress, and Stuart Immonen’s art gives these momentous events a cinematic quality that further enhances the scope and scale of these early scenes.

Its clear now that the future X-Men who travelled back in time to get the original X-Men to return home are not quite who they said they were. As we rejoin Magik, Hank, and Bobby, who have arrived in the future only to find themselves standing in front of a pristine looking Jean Grey School guarded by Sentinels and another team of X-Men.

So now we have not three, but four teams of X-Men to contend with, and it would seem that the future is not as horrific as the present-day X-Men have been led to believe. These X-Men are apparently the real deal, and claim they have nothing to do with the other X-Men who returned to the past. We get some great interactions between the present X-Men and the new future X-Men, as Illyana is reunited with Colossus, and a hilarious moment where young Iceman meets a wizard Iceman and asks him about the Ice-Hulk running around in the present with the “Evil X-Men”. Bobby’s reaction to everything is always great fun, especially here, and the expression on his face is priceless.

The future X-Men are reluctant to discuss future events when Illyana presses them for more information, and say that Magik, Beast, and Iceman should return to their own time immediately without any knowledge of what is to come.

We are now just over the halfway mark for the crossover event, this sixth instalment of Battle of the Atom is full of inventive twists, and it leaves you wondering exactly what Brian Michael Bendis is going to do next. The time travel element of this storyline makes it a compelling and exciting read, especially after this issues ends with the Uncanny X-Men returning to their secret school only to find they have some unexpected guests.

All New X-Men #17 effectively sets the scene for bringing the various teams from each time period together, presumably leading to a humongous clash between X-Men past, preset, and future as Battle of the Atom builds towards its final chapters.

All New X-Men #16 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #16, Battle of the Atom, Brian Michael Bendis, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Marvel Comics, Original X-Men, Stuart Immonen, Wolverine, X-Men

All New X-Men #16

Review by Paul Bowler

When the Beast brought the original X-Men back to the present day to try and restore Charles Xavier’s dream and reunite the divisions that had developed between Mutantkind, everyone was surprised when the young mutants decided to stay. Having struggled to adapt to their new life in the present, events are compounded further when the young Cyclops is almost killed in a battle with the Sentinels – causing a paradox that momentarily rewrites history – so the X-Men decide to send the teen heroes back to their own time. However, before they can act, a second team of time travellers suddenly appears: the X-Men of the future…

The second part of Battle of the Atom continues in All New X-Men #16 as Brian Michael Bendis juggles four teams of X-Men, quickly introducing Cyclops and his renegade team of Uncanny X-Men as Magneto assesses events in the field back at their hidden school. The action then switches to the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning, where a team of X-Men from the future have materialised. They claim the original X-Men should never have remained in the present and say they must return to their own time to avert a series of events unfolding in the future.

It is here, as past, present, and future versions of the X-Men collide, that Brian Michael Bendis really excels. Bendis masterfully bridges the time spanning generation gap between the characters as they begin to interact. While the pace may be slowed by the dialogue and heavy exposition in places, it actually brings an added intensity to the scene, especially when the obligatory misunderstanding that always seems to accompany any larger gathering of X-Men ends in a free for all with everyone attempting to punch each others lights out.

Jean and Scott take advantage of the distraction the fight provides to make a break for it. They take the Black Bird and go on the run from their teachers and friends, in a bid to escape a future that Jean so desperately wants to avoid. Jean feels that everyone is trying to manipulate everyone else, she doesn’t trust these future X-Men either as she cant read their minds, and she doesn’t want to go back to her time and give up this second chance at her life.

I like the way that Wolverine uses his keen sense of smell to identify some of the X-Men from the future, especially when he realises he is talking to an older Kitty Pryde, who then embraces him. The mystery of the X-Men from the future is one of the best aspects of this storyline: the older Kitty Pryde is accompanied by an “old-as-dirt” Beast, Dead pool (now hooded and without his mask), and former Runaway Molly Hayes. There are also some key moments featuring Charles Xavier’s grandson, and a hilarious reaction to the hulking bruit of an Iceman by his younger self and present day counterpart, but it is the identity of the new Xorn that yields the biggest surprise of all in this issue.

The art by Stuart Immonen,  with inks by Wade Von Grawbadger and colors by Marte Garcia, looks as great as ever, no mean feat considering the number of characters in this issue. Its incredible how Immonen can bring so many characters to life in one scene. Each moment of Bendis’s intricate story and dialogue is perfectly brought to life by Immonen, the vast array of facial expressions together with the range of emotions the characters experience are all deftly handled, brining an added intensity to the this time travelling storyline.

While this issue may be light on action, the interplay between the generations of  X-Men is perfectly managed by Bendis. The surprise reveal at the end of All New X-Men #16 is brilliant, and with Scott Immonen’s spellbinding artwork, this 50^th anniversary crossover event is already well on the way to becoming a real epic.

All New XMen #14 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #14, Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Wyngarde, Jean Grey, Lady Mastermind, Marvel Comics, Mystique, Phoenix, Sabertooth, Silver Samurai, Stuart Immonen, The Original X-Men, Wolverine, X-Men

Al New X-Men #14

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

Having learned from the Uncanny Avengers that Mystique, Sabertooh, and Lady Mastermind have been using their identities to conduct a number of robberies, the Original X-Men set out to track them down with the help of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde. Meanwhile in a disused warehouse, Mystique and her Brotherhood are meeting with Madame Hydra and her terrorist organization. As the Silver Samurai stands guard by Madame Hydra’s side, Mystique offers all the money that her Brotherhood has stolen so that she can buy the island of Madrpoor from Hydra. But before Mystique can seal the deal, Wolverine, Kitty, and the original X-Men gatecrash the meeting. As the battle rages, Jean Grey is overwhelmed by Lady Mastermind’s illusions, and her powers begin spiralling out of control as the Phoenix Force is apparently unleashed…

Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen have crafted another fine issue of All New X-Men as the sudden appearance of the Phoenix Force throws everyone off balance. All New X-Men #14 has the Original X-Men coming face to face with something they can scarcely begin to understand, while Kitty and Wolverine must face the unimaginable dread of Jean becoming Phoenix at an age where she can hardly even control her original powers.

All New X-Men #14 sees the X-Men, the Brotherhood and Hydra reeling from Jean’s sudden manifestation of the Phoenix Force. By catching Jean off guard with the illusion of  Jason Wyngarde, the original Mastermind and Regan’s father, Lady Mastermind hoped to make Jean suffer for destroying her family, and when Jean appears to be transforming into Phoenix, it looks as if history is about to repeat itself. However, Brian Michael Bendis ingeniously blindsides those of us who thought the Phoenix effect was another one of Lady Mastermind’s illusions, when the X-Men realize that it is Jean who is projecting the Phoenix image to deceive their enemies.

Jean’s inexperience with her powers means that she has inadvertently projected the image into the minds of the Original X-Men, Wolverine, and Kitty Pryde as well. Fortunately for Jean she is able to regain control before Wolverine’s attempt to end the Phoenix menace gets her slashed by his claws, just as Lady Mastermind strikes back with an illusion of Professor Charles Xavier to give the Brotherhood and Hydra a chance to regain their senses.

The warehouse soon becomes a raging battle ground, with the Original X-Men proving to be more than a match for their opponents: as Cyclops, Iceman, and Beast deal with Sabertooth and the Silver Samurai, while Jean gives Lady Mastermind a taste of her own medicine, Kitty takes on Madame Hydra and Wolverine confronts Mystique. The art by Stuart Immonen on All New X-Men #14 is as fantastic as ever, together with Wade Von Grawbadger’s inks, and the welcome return of Marte Gracia’s fantastic colors, this issue looks absolutely stunning. All New X-Men #14 places the Original X-Men right in the thick of the action, it’s great to see them battling the likes of Sabertooth and the Silver Samurai, and Stuart Immonen really captures the youthful sense of exuberance that makes their teamwork and tactics so effective.

There are some really fun moments after Lady Mastermind attempts to cover her escape with an illusion of the Uncanny Avengers, especially once the real Uncanny Avengers turn up at the scene after Kitty has captured Regan, and Iceman throws a snowball at Thor because he thinks that the Uncanny Avengers are still an illusion. The young Iceman continues to say and do all the wrong things at the most inappropriate moments, it’s hilariously funny, and the way the God of Thunder responds to Bobby’s mistake is brilliant.

Brian Michael Bendis also manages to include a nice little interlude between Alex and Scott, with a Summers brother high five, it’s a great scene, and follows on nicely from their first encounter during the last issue. Mystique is imprisoned in The Cage Extra-Max Prison at the end of the issue, but as Maria Hill quickly discovers, it’s not easy to keep Raven Darkholme under lock and key.  By the end of this issue Bendis’ takes the opportunity to hint at just how profound an effect Jean’s foreknowledge has had on her, as she sits alone on the basketball court pondering over the memories behind of the Phoenix image she projected psychically during the battle.

The cover of All New X-Men #14 by Immonen, Grawbadger, and Gracia depicts the young Jean Grey being led towards us by Jason Wyngarde. This stunning cover is as sinister as it is opulent, with Jean entranced by Mastermind against a lavish backdrop, providing a chilling reminder of how Wyngarde’s influence originally transformed her into the Hellfire Clubs Black Queen – an event that ultimately led to Jean being corrupted by her own power during the Dark Phoenix saga.

All New X-Men #14 is another superb issue by Bendis and Immonen, the Original X-Men get to fight side by side with Wolverine and Kitty, and the foreboding coda as Jean reflects on her actions hints that things might not have been resolved as easily as we thought.

All New XMen #13 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #13, Brian Michael Bendis, Cyclops, Havok, Iceman, Jean Grey, Kitty, Marvel Comics, Mystique, Stuart Immonen, The Original X-Men, Uncanny Avengers, Wolverine, X-Men

All New X-Men #13

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

Jean Grey continues to struggle with her newly awakened telepathic powers and the knowledge she has gained of the future, while her team mates wonder if Angel’s defection to the adult Cyclops’ rival team will be permanent. To complicate matters further Mystique, Sabertooth, and Lady Mastermind have been using the X-Men’s identities to conduct a series of high-profile robberies. The young X-Men later encountered the Uncanny Avengers and Scott met his brother Alex. Together with Wolverine and Kitty, the teenage X-Men set out to find Mystique and clear their name, but first they need to find out exactly what she intends to do with all the money.

All New X-Men #13 opens in spectacular fashion, with a jaw-dropping sneak peak at the issues closing moments, before turning the clock back six hours to show the events leading up to this momentous event. The original X-Men accompany Wolverine and Kitty to Resilient International in Seattle, where Jean uses her psychic powers to hide their presence so they can investigate the scene of the robbery. Wolverine picks ups Sabertooth’s scent just as Jean’s concentration falters, they are discovered, but Iceman shields them with an ice barrier so they can escape.

However, it is after they resume their search for Mystique where the young X-Men hear the speech Havok made earlier in the day, along with Kitty’s response to it, and the story she recounts about her first experience of racism that proves to be the real highlight of the issue. Brian Michael Bendis skilfully addresses this issue as the original X-Men discuss Warren’s departure, allowing Jean and Scott to share a quite moment together, before they ask Kitty‘s opinion about Havok’s speech. It a superb piece of writing by Bendis, where Kitty tells a story from her teenage years – about an anti-semitic comment a boy made without knowing she was Jewish – that draws a stark contrast with her own heartbreaking experience and Alex’s statement that the “M” word represents everything he hates. Kitty is proud to be Jewish and proud to be a Mutant, and although Alex Summers speech is a well intentioned attempt to smooth over the damage to human / mutant relations in the wake of what his brother did in AvX, its certainly clear that Kitty doesn’t feel that she, or anyone, should ever have to shy away from telling people who they are in the way that Havok‘s speech implies.

Its moments like this that makes All New X-Men such a rewarding experience. Brian Michael Bendis has such a grasp on these characters, Kitty’s passionate speech not only highlights the differences between what the X-Men and the Uncanny Avengers are trying to achieve, but it also shows the inner strength that Kitty possesses – and makes you realise just how Havok’s speech could actually end up being incredibly counter productive. A page of this speech, which originally took place in Uncanny Avengers #5, is reprinted at the end of this issue – serving to create a synergy between the two books while placing their opposing views into context against the backdrop of these events.

The art by Stuart Immonen really brings this scene to life, he captures the reactions of the Original X-Men to Kitty’s response to Havok’s speech perfectly, and this is probably some of the finest work he has done of the series to date. While the colours might not be quite on par with Marte Gracia’s work, Rain Beredo has still done a great job with this issue, and he manages to maintain the consistency and tone of the previous instalments.

There are some really funny moments involving Iceman this issue, especially after he discovers that Tony Stark is actually Iron Man, and later when he asks Logan if his mutant name is Hound Dog as he attempts to detect Sabertooth’s scent at Resilient International.

We also get learn to what Mystique has planned for the all money her new Brotherhood have stolen, when  Madame Hydra and the Silver Samurai arrive for a meeting with Raven, Sabertooth, and Lady Mastermind. It seems that Madame Hydra has control of something that Mystique wants, namely the island called Madrpoor, and Raven offers her the money the Brotherhood have stolen so she can buy this centrepiece of vice and criminality.

All New X-Men #13 races to a dramatic conclusion as the Original X-Men disobey orders to join Wolverine and Kitty in gate crashing Mystique’s meeting with Hydra, offering Lady Mastermind the perfect opportunity to take revenge on Jean Grey for destroying her family and driving her father mad by seemingly reaching into Jean’s mind and triggering her apparent manifestation of the Phoenix Force. Whether this shocking turn of events is actually real, possibly caused by some bizarre time travelling paradox, or just another one of Lady Mastermind’s illusions remains to be seen, but it certainly provides an exciting cliff-hanger.

This is another fantastic issue by Brian Michael Bendis, his writing has made All New X-Men one of the best comics around, and the art by Stuart Immonen is absolutely incredible. I always look forward to reading All New X-Men, and this issue is one of the best ever.

All New XMen #12 Review

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All New X-Men, All New X-Men #12, Brian Michael Bendis, Cyclops, Havok, Jean Grey, Marvel, Original X-Men, Scarlet Wtich, Stuart Immonen, Uncanny X-Men, X-Men

All New X-Men #12

Review by Paul Bowler

When the Original X-Men decided to remain in the future, despite Angel’s objections, the team began to fall apart. They were shocked when Angel left to join the Uncanny X-Men and Cyclops’ rival school. The young Jean Grey also struggled to cope with the discovery of her adult memories and the unpredictability of her powers. Elsewhere the shape-shifting Mutant known as Mystique has joined forces with Sabertooth and Lady Mastermind to carry out a series of robberies posing as the Original X-Men. As the Original X-Men set out on their next mission with Wolverine and Kitty, their aircraft is forced to land by the Uncanny Avengers, who are led by Alex Summers, the brother that Cyclops thought he’d lost.

All New X-Men #12 sees the first encounter between the young Scott Summers and his brother Alex Summers.  In another marvellously time warping twist by Brian Michael Bendis, this means that Alex is now paradoxically older than his older brother. The cover of All New X-Men #12 may depict a battle between Cyclops and Havok; however what we actually get is the complete opposite, and its all the more rewarding for it.

Brian Michael Bendis provides some of the best moments in the series so far, as Scott is reunited with Alex for the first time, at least from the younger Scott’s perspective. The dialogue in these scenes is fantastic, it’s great to see these two characters finally meet, and it gives them a chance to talk quietly and alone without interruption.

However, it’s not long before Jean has a peek inside the mind of the Scarlet Witch and all hell breaks loose. Horrified by the ramifications of Wanda’s actions during M Day, Jean unleashes the full fury of her powers at her. While the battle between Jean and the Scarlet Witch is spectacular, it’s all over very quickly, and when Captain America reveals that the Original X-Men are now wanted felons the full extent of what Mystique has done becomes clear to all concerned.

This issue of All New X-Men draws some striking parallels between Wanda’s role in M Day and how Cyclops acted after he became corrupted by the by the Phoenix Force in AvX. It brings everything – past and present – into sharp focus in the most dramatic way possible. The Original X-Men are quick to pick up on this, placing both teams on the spot as some particularly awkward questions are asked by the young X-Men.

The art by Stuart Immonen is absolutely stunning. Every page is beautifully rendered; Scott’s reunion with Alex is the real highlight of this issue though, although the quick fight between Wanda and Jean is also excellent. We also get to catch up with Mystique, Sabertooth, and Lady Mastermind as they stage a robbery at the Bank of England. I particularly like the way Regan questions Mystique about her plans for all the money they’ve been stealing, the sharp witted dialogue by Bendis hit’s the nail right on the head, and the illusion Lady Mastermind uses to cover their escape is brilliantly captured in a full-page-splash by Immonen.

All New X-Men #12 is another fantastic instalment, it’s full of brilliantly written character moments by Brian Michael Bendis, and Stuart Immonen and his art team continue to impress on all fronts. This is one of the best X-Men books around, and I highly recommend it.

All New XMen #10 Review

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All New X-Men, Brian Michael Bendis, Cyclops, Marvel Comics, Marvel Now, Scott Summers, Stuart Immonen, The Beast, The Original X-Men, The Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, X-Men

All New X-Men #10

Review by Paul Bowler

 

Now that the shape shifting mutant know as Mystique has got Lady Mastermind to join forces with her and Sabertooth, they attack an armoured truck which is about to be used to transfer 18 million dollars in North Carolina. Mystique uses her abilities to take the place of the driver, while Lady Mastermind creates the illusion that Wolverine and the Original X-Men are attacking the truck, leaving Sabertooth free to cut a swathe through the security. Satisfied that their first haul has gone so well, Mystique and her team make plans for more robberies.

Meanwhile the Uncanny X-Men have teleported onto the front lawn of The Jean Grey School of Higher Learning. The modern-day Cyclops tells the X-Men that he has come in peace, revealing how he is building a new school in Xavier’s name, before offering to accept any Mutants who wish to be recruited and trained as part of his mutant revolution.  An uneasy standoff ensues, old friends now stand divided, and the original X-Men are caught in the middle.

After the Uncanny X-Men have teleported away to give the student’s time to consider Scott Summers proposition, Wolverine, Kitty, Storm, Iceman and the Original X-Men gather in the school to discuss their options. They receive a call from Maria Hill telling them about Mystique’s attack on The Raft, warning them that Regan Wyngarde is now free, and working with Mystique and Sabertooth to carry out a bank robbing spree.

Outside the young Scott Summers is waiting on the lawn when Cyclops and the Uncanny X-Men return. He confronts them as the others rush to join him outside the school, but Cyclops is not prepared to listen to his younger self. No one is really surprised when Celeste, “Mindee“, and Phoebe Cuckoo decide to join the Uncanny X-Men, but everyone is shocked by the next person who steps forwards and volunteers to join Cyclops and his mutant revolution…

All New X-Men #10 is another spectacular character driven piece by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen. With this issue Bendis really gets to the core issues that surround Scott Summers mutant revolution, delving deep into the morality of his actions, while allowing him to finally make his case to his fellow Mutants in person.

Its interesting how the Beast is held to task for his actions by Cyclops, forcing him to justify his reasons for potentially damaging the space time continuum by allowing the Original X-Men to remain in the present. The young Scott Summers also confronts Beast, saying that he believes he misled them about his reasons for brining them to the future.

Stuart Immonen’s art on All New X-Men #10 is just phenomenal, every page is bursting with detail, and he perfectly captures every nuance of Bendis’ highly emotive story as tensions threaten to boil over between the two teams. All New X-Men continues to remain one of the best X-Titles around, with great storytelling and art, it doesn’t get much better than this.