X-Men #11 Review

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Age of X, Cotati, Empyre, Jonathan Hickman, Krakoa, Kree, Magneto, Marvel, Marvel Comcis, Power of X, Skrull, X-Men #11, X-Men #11 Review, X-Men Empyre

X-Men #11

Review by Paul Bowler.

When it comes to intricate, multifaceted levels of storytelling, writer Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men #11 goes all out with crafting another facet to his grand ongoing Mutant opus. Deftly weaving the overarching narrative of the X-Men’s new mutant island nation of Krakoa with Marvel’s current line-wide Empyre comic book event, where the Kree and Skrull Empires have united with Emperor Hulkling to fight the combined might of the Celestial  Messiah, Quoi and his plant-like Cotati, Hickman manages to juggle a trio of distinctly different plot threads with consummate ease to ensure this issue of X-Men is far more than just your average tie-in to Empyre.

Last issues Empyre tie-in saw some interesting developments for Vulcan, AKA: Gabriel Summers, whose link to the celestial energies still clearly means he has the potential to be something of a ticking time bomb for the X-Men. Now as the X-Men begin to fight back against the Cotati on the Moon, the Cotati aggressors have set their sights on a far bigger target… Earth and the X-Men’s island home on Krakoa.

X-Men #11 pivots around a trio of fascinating narratives set before, during and after the events on Krakoa during this issue. The opening scenes with Rockslide, Loa and Anole  seeking out the mysterious Summoner and partaking in a game which balances defence and attack, initially seems frivolous, but quickly hints towards ominous consequences as the game begins. From here we jump to the following day where Exodus is sitting around a campfire with some of the islands mutant children and telling them the story of what happened during the attack on Krakoa. Finally, we get to actually witness what transpired during the Cotati invasion and how Magneto, Magik, Magma and Iceman led a coordinated counterattack against the Cotati onslaught. Jonathan Hickman’s taut scripting on this issue ensures the pace doesn’t t let up for a moment, and the level of characterisation across the board — especially Magneto – is absolutely sublime.

Leinil Francis Yu’s artwork is a joy to behold. Every scene is rich with detail and beautifully framed in simple, free-flowing page layouts that effortlessly relays the action with exquisite character beats. Yu’s impressive work, along with color artist Sunny Gho’s understated use of intricate tones and shade, makes the setting for the Summoner’s game with the unpronounceable name feel charmingly beautiful and haunting all at the same time, Exodus’ campfire story is equally striking, Magneto’s choice to suit-up in the crimson and purple attire more associated with his villainous past instead of his current all-white costume is another highlight as the mutants rally to defend Krakoa, and the X-Men’s action-packed battle against the Cotati is veritable showcase of their abilities and resourcefulness in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.

Following the tremendous relaunch of the X-Men with Power of X and House of X, Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men continues to go from strength to strength. X-Men #11 illustrates just how compelling Hickman’s current run on X-Men is becoming, especially now its on the path to X of Swords, and if you’re enjoying everything that’s going on with Marvel’s Empyre event then X-Men #11 is going to be right up your street as well.

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Writer: Jonathan Hickman / Artist Leinil Francis Yu

Color Artist: Sunny Gho / Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles

Cover Leinil Francis Yu and Artist: Sunny Gho 

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

 

Invincible Iron Man #8 Review

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Brian Michael Bendis, Colonel Rhodes, comcis, Frank Martin, Invincible Iron Man, Invincible Iron Man #7, Invincible Iron Man #7 review, Iron Man, Japan, Marvel Comcis, Mary Jane Watson, Mike Deodato, Spider-Man, The War Machines Part 3, Tony Stark, VC’s Clayton Cowles, War Machine

Invincible Iron Man #8

Review by Paul Bowler

The search is on in Invincible Iron Man #8: The War Machines Part 3, with Rhodey still missing in Japan after searching for the biohack ninjas that were tracking Madame Masque. Fortunately Tony’s new assistant / life coach Mary Jane Watson just happens to have Peter Parker’s emergency phone number, enabling Stark to call on Parker’s wall crawling bodyguard for assistance. Iron Man and Spider-Man must team-up to rescue War Machine, and somehow find a way to stop a deadly new menace to the Marvel Universe!

Its repulsor rays to maximum power and web-spinning action all the way as Brian Michael Bendis brings two of Marvel’s most iconic characters together in Invincible Iron Man #8, as Iron Man and Spider-Man join forces in Tokyo to find Rhodey. Following a quick flight across the Pacific, Iron Man soon encounters Spider-Man, and together they discover a clue that might lead them to War Machine. Bendis crafts some really fun moments between Iron Man and Spider-Man in this issue. The banter between them is priceless at times, with Tony being all serious – at least initially – in the face of Spidey’s wisecracks, but is not long before the jokes and flip remarks eventually send them on a path to becoming an even funnier superhero double act as they confront Rhodey’s captors.

Tony’s shape-changing Iron Man suits AI, Friday, is also beautifully written by Bendis in this issue, and it feel like she’s really evolving into a major character in her own right now. Friday gets some great lines of dialogue, especially once Iron Man and Spidey team up in Tokyo, and in a brief flashback the AI has an interesting scene with a less than impressed Mary Jane Watson that ends on an especially poignant note.

Having been stripped of his War Machine armor, Rhodey is now a prisoner of Tomoe and her biohack ninjas. Although we don’t learn much more about Tomoe over the course of this issue of Invincible Iron Man, it’s clear that her armor seems able to attract and assimilate all forms of technology, and it also mimics similar shape-shifting aspects of Tony’s armor. However, as Tomoe and the ninjas soon discover, Colonel Rhodes is not someone to be underestimated – even if he has to fight for his life wearing only his underwear!

This is another fabulous looking issue from artist Mike Deodato and colorist Frank Martin. Set against the gleaming Tokyo Skyline and the industrial gloom of Tomoe’s shadowy lair, Mike Deodato has clearly had a blast drawing this exciting team-up between Iron Man and Spider-Man. The level of detail bestowed on the Iron Man armor is astounding, Deodato also draws a great Spider-Man as well, and I love the scene where Spidey’s mask is reflected in Iron Man’s faceplate – you can just imagine the look on Tony’s face underneath. Rhodey’s fight against the ninjas also proves to be a big highlight of the issue as well. Frank Martin lavishes every page with a sumptuous palette of colors, blending vivid tones and inky shadows to bring added intensity and atmosphere to each scene. Deodato and Martin’s work is perfectly in key with the beats of Bendis’ script, balancing the humour and drama perfectly, there is some terrific moments of characterization, and the electrifying face-off between Iron Man, Spider-Man, Rhodey, and Tomoe is brilliant!

Facing jetlag, embarrassing boxers, and a technology that even Friday is unable to counteract, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Rhodey must risk life and limb as they battle Tomoe and the lethal biohack ninjas that are out for their blood. Invincible Iron Man #8, with its exciting action-packed story by Brian Michael Bendis and excellent art by Mike Deodato, is another hugely impressive issue in The War Machines storyarc, and its thrilling cliff-hanger ending is guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat until the next issue.

Publisher: Marvel / Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Art: Mike Deodato

Color Artist: Frank Martin / VC’s Clayton Cowles: Letterer & Production

Cover Artists Mike Deodato & Frank Martin

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New Captain America Civil War Official Trailer 2!

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Ant Man, Black Panther, Black Widow, Bucky, Captain America, Captain America Civil War, Captain America Civil War trailer, Chris Evans, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Marvel, Marvel Comcis, New Civil War Trailer, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Steve Rogers, The Falcon, The Vision, Tony Stark, War Machine, Winter Soldier

New Captain America Civil War Official Trailer 2!

Check out the awesome new trailer for Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War

The trailer also gives us our first look at Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Can’t wait for this film, it looks amazing!

Captain America: Civil War arrives in cinemas May 6th 2016

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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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Uncanny XMen #13 Review

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Battle of the Atom, Battle of the Atom Part #8, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Bachalo, Cyclops, Marte Gracia, Marvel Comcis, Original X-Men, The Uncanny X-Men, Uncanny X-Men #13, Wolverine, X-Men from the future

Uncanny X-Men #13

Review by Paul Bowler

 

After a team of X-Men from the future arrived, demanding that the Original X-Men  return to the past, the young Jean and Scott went on the run. The present and future X-Men tracked them down, and eventually they agreed to return. Magik took young Iceman and Beast to the future to investigate and discovered the future X-Men were actually the evil Brotherhood from the future. Back at the Jean Grey school the Brotherhood attacked the X-Men, leaving Wolverine, who has just lost his healing factor, mortally wounded and bleeding out. Emerging from the wreckage of the school, Jubilee was surprised to discover that Sentinel X is the adult Shogo from the future. Now its falls to Cyclops and the Uncanny X-Men, together with the real X-Men of the future who have travelled back with Magik, Iceman, and Beast to help the X-Men fight the Brotherhood and save the original X-Men.

Uncanny X-Men #13 sees Brian Michael Bendis bringing the various teams of X-Men, past, present, and future together against the future Brotherhood, as part eight of Battle of the Atom turns the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning into a battleground. The Uncanny X-Men and future X-Men are forced to dive for cover when a piece of the north tower is lobbed at them, enabling the Brotherhood’s shape-shifter Raze (who mortally wounded Wolverine in their surprise attack) to capture young Iceman and Beast.

Xavier’s grandson orders the future Iceman to attack the X-Men again, Phoenix Quentin Quire steps in to deflect the debris thrown by the hulking Ice creature, leaving the X-Men free to reach the school. Magik and Colossus get inside first and have to fight their way past Molly and Deadpool. The Uncanny X-Men and future X-Men run into trouble outside the school, when Xavier commands Krakoa to swallow them whole, leaving the rest of the Brotherhood free to activate the Time Cube and send the original X-Men home.

Chris Bachalo’s art for Uncanny X-Men #13 really captures the heightening sense of urgency as this time warping conflict escalates, with the fate of the original X-Men hanging in the balance, Bachalo delivers some terrific action set-pieces. His work is nicely complemented with inks by Time Townsend, Al Vey, Mark Irwin, Jamie Mendoza and Victor Olazaba, as well as the superb colors provided by Marte Gracia. This issue is full of spectacular, bone crunching showdowns, with Colossus and Magik in particular pulling no punches as they race to help the original X-Men.

Magik teleports into the lab to stop them, but she is held back by the future Jean Grey who tries to get Illyana to kill herself with her own soul sword. Colossus deals with Xavier as the X-Men break free of Krakoa, and the Brotherhood’s attempt to send the original X-Men back to their own time encounters an unexpected technical glitch – something which inexplicably transgresses all the normal laws of space and time itself…

If your thought things have been complicated so far, you haven’t seen anything yet, as Brian Michael Bendis crams so much into part eight of Battle of the Atom, that its no wonder the Brotherhood’s plans hits a surprising snag. For those of us who have long wondered what effect the original X-Men’s presence in the present day might have on the time continuum, let along the paradox’s it could potentially cause, well Uncanny X-Men #13 goes some way to finally addressing those issues.

We are also teased a few interesting points about Illyana’s involvement in events, after all, we know that she has already travelled into the future before in Battle of the Atom #1, and has long had her suspicions about these future X-Men. Her suspicions proved correct, as on her next trip into the future with Iceman and Beast, she learned from the “real” future X-Men that these mutants were actually the futures evil Brotherhood.  In Uncanny X-Men #13 Molly hints about what was unleashed hen she sees Magik, and later mentions the Stark Tower / Baxter Building Wars as she battles Colossus. The adult Jean also has a few choice “spoilers” for Magik as she fends off Illyna’s attack in the lab. Whatever it all means, it seems possible that Illyna’s role in Battle of the Atom could now be more crucial than we first realised.

Uncanny X-Men #13 is an absolutely cracking instalment of Battle of the Atom. It may have taken a bit of a protracted route to get to this point, but we are now beginning to see the various plot threads coming together at last. Things are really building up to a titanic showdown, which together with this issues time twisting surprise, will leave you eager to find out how the X-Men and the Brotherhood will deal with this unexpected turn of events.