marvel

New Trades and New Villains

Posted on by GenoshaGirl85

Welcome back, my loves!

Over the weekend, I did a little shopping at Carol & John’s, and did lots of reading. We’re really starting to get to some good stuff! I’m excited to get into it!! First off, as promised, let me tell you about the trade I got.

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Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Vol. 3. It contains Avengers 21-30. Now, for those of us who aren’t very familiar with Marvel’s trades, Marvel Masterworks are a bit pricier than most other trades. For example, this paperback version was $25. However, they are worth every penny! (In my opinion, at least!!) They a gorgeous! I mean, take a look at it, it’s so pretty!!

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So, obviously, this is how I’m reading Avengers for the next 10 issues. (I’m still reading X-Men on Marvel Unlimited) And speaking of the reading, we’ll be covering things in arcs going forward, instead of going back and forth between Avengers and X-Men each month. I’m reading the titles in their monthly order, but for sake of keeping these posts clear, we’ll talk about them in arcs. So, without further ado…

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X-Men 12 & 13!! Here we meet Professor X’s step-brother Cain Marko, better known as the Juggernaut! You guys, I love Juggernaut. He’s just so ridiculous in his hatred for Charles, it’s awesome. Also, he’s crazy powerful. It’s a great combo! These two issues give us Juggernaut’s first appearance, as he shows up at the school to attack Xavier and the battle leaves basically everyone but Jean and the Prof injured. This time, they actually turn the bad guy over to the police too (although how long normal police hope to keep Juggernaut in jail is questionable)!

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Some observations from this little arc… First off, let’s talk about Scott’s powers. There seems to be no set level for them. In issue 12, he uses them to gouge a huge trench all along the inside of the school walls in preparation for Juggernaut’s arrival. This monumental feat seems to barely wind our fearless leader, and yet in prior issues, just shooting a bad guy for 2 seconds at full blast has left Scott unconscious! And in Issue 13, he uses his power at full blast against Juggernaut without much problem, but then suddenly needs “a few minutes” for his power beam to recharge. It’s a little confusing, so I look forward to seeing how his powers and their limits take shape as the series progresses. Also, apparently Professor X can use his telepathy to form a “mental shield” around himself strong enough to at least temporarily slow down Juggernaut. This is the first we’ve seen of this power, so let’s keep an eye out for it as we continue. It’s a cool idea, especially since, at least right now, Magneto has the ability to do this using his magnetic powers, and it seems Stan Lee and the rest of the team want to keep the Prof and Mags fairly evenly matched (assuming Mags ever makes it back from his capture by the Stranger! *wink*)

Also cool: in issue 13 we get a quick cameo from Matt Murdock, and a longer one from the Human Torch himself, Johnny Storm, who comes to the X-Men’s aid to help defeat Juggernaut! On a final note, I have a confession to make to you guys. And this is a little embarrassing since I consider myself a huge X-Men fan and a fairly knowledgeable one at that…I had TOTALLY FORGOTTEN that Cain Marko isn’t a mutant, but instead got his powers from black magic. WTH?!? How I forgot that *minor* detail is beyond me. But, it’s true…whoops!

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Professor X gives us Juggernaut’s backstory (and also part of his own) in issue 12 as Juggernaut slowly makes his way towards the school. And apparently Cain and Charles stumbled into the lost Temple of Cyttorak in Korea while serving in the war. Once inside, Cain touched the forbidden ruby, which transformed him into The Juggernaut. It’s crazy, and I feel like it’s totally nuts that I forgot that! In fact, I’m so embarrassed, that we must move on now…

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Meanwhile, over at Avenger’s headquarters, our fab four have been really busy. Issues 19 & 20 have the team battling the Swordsman. (Who, incidentally, happens to have trained Hawkeye!) These issues have Cap being duped yet again (Seriously, someone needs to tell the star-spangled Avenger he can’t be so trusting), this time by the Swordsman. He is attempting to kidnap an Avenger to prove he is worthy of joining the team. He captures Cap and holds him hostage, tied up on the top of a building, and threatens to push him to his death if the other Avengers don’t agree to make him the team leader. In very typical Cap fashion, Steve throws himself off the building to save his teammates from having to surrender! And that’s how issue 19 ends! Talk about a cliff-hanger!

But of course, in issue 20, the other Avengers save Cap by working together and they all go after the Swordsman. Just as they get him pinned down, he suddenly disappears. Turns out the Mandarin transported him to China! He wants Swordsman to join the Avengers and then plant a bomb in their HQ so that Mandarin can blow them up whenever Iron Man decides to show up again. Yeah, it’s a pretty silly plan. But, they go through with it, convincing the Avengers to accept Swordsman by projecting an image of Iron Man to tell them he vouches for Swordsman. He plants the bomb, but at the last minute, changes his mind and attempts to stop the plan for no real reason. He gets the bomb out of there just as the Mandarin is detonating it (having chosen to attack immediately instead of waiting for Iron Man, again for no reason)

This was a fun, if silly, arc. I was struck by how much fighting goes on between the Avengers, with Wanda always playing peace-keeper. All three of the guys have hot tempers and all three feel they should be the leader. What’s also interesting is that, despite the fact that she’s the only one with a cool, level head, no one ever even mentions the idea of Wanda leading. (Can’t imagine why that would be.) It seems to me the Scarlet Witch would be a more rational leader than Hawkeye or Quicksilver! Just saying… Also, can we talk about the ridiculously politically-incorrect racial stereotypes in ‘60’s comics? I mean, the Mandarin’s depiction as a crazy, sneaky, Fu Manchu is particularly dissonant to a modern reader. This is something else I look forward to following. It will be cool to discuss the evolution of these racist stereotypes throughout the years. How does the depiction of the Mandarin change from 1965 to 2015? What do you guys think? I’d love to hear your feedback or questions. You can give me your question and opinions at the “Ask Me Anything” tab at the top of the page.

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The next arc in Avengers was a good one as well. Issues 21 & 22 saw Enchantress create Power Man using the same technology that created Wonder Man (Avengers #9) and the two of them successfully frame the Avengers and split them apart. Remember how I mentioned the in-fighting going on at Avengers HQ in the last arc? Well, it’s SO. MUCH. WORSE. in this arc, making if fairly easy for our dastardly duo to frame the Avengers and let them come apart at the seams, blaming each other for their failure to stop the frame-job. Issue 21 ends with the City Council of NYC declaring the Avengers illegal and forcing them to disband. The Avengers go their separate ways, and eventually Wanda, Pietro, and Hawkeye end up getting jobs at the circus. What they soon realize is that this isn’t a normal circus, but one run by the Masters of Menace. A fight breaks out, and when the cops show up, Ringmaster convinces the cops that the Avengers are robing them. It’s a little nuts to think that, even with the frame-job Enchantress and Power Man pulled off, the cops would believe a group of ex-cons over the Avengers, but whatever. The Avengers are forced to flee.

Meanwhile, Cap has gone undercover to try to get evidence that Power Man and Enchantress framed the Avengers. He gets a confession on tape, and then he and Power Man fight. The rest of the Avengers show up just in time to help. In the midst of the battle, Enchantress disappears, leaving Power Man to surrender because he apparently has no reason to continue without her. So, the Avengers take him and the tape to the police and have their names cleared. And then the police AND the Avengers just LET POWERMAN GO. Seriously guys. The guy is as strong as Wonder Man, and a criminal, and they just let him go. I can’t even. And then, just when you think everything is back to normal, Cap quits the Avengers!! No joke. He just up and quits, telling them to find themselves a new leader to fight with!!!

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Some notable things I noticed in this arc: In past issues, we’ve been told that the Avengers keep their identities secret even from each other (for example, none of the Avengers know that Iron Man is actually Tony Stark). But, everyone seems to know that Captain America is Steve Rogers, and that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. On the flip side, Hawkeye’s identity is never mentioned, and we never see him out of costume, so no one seems to know he’s Clint Barton. This is interesting to me. Let’s keep this in mind as we move forward, and see how this plays out. Also, I just want to re-state that ‘60’s Hawkeye is a HUGE dickhead. Like, I can barely stand reading him. I constantly want to punch him in the face, and keep hoping that Cap is finally going snap and beat the crap out of him. Now, I know that he evolves into a much more likable character, so I can’t wait to get to that point. But for now, I’ll just relish in my hatred for him!

That’s all for now my loves. Come back next time, when we’ll meet one of the X-Men’s central foes and witness the beginning of a war that will define the X-Universe for decades to come!! (I can’t wait!!!) So, until then…keep searching!!

Original Tumblr Post: here

Omnibuses or Omnibi?

Posted on by GenoshaGirl85

Turns out it’s Omnibuses! Also, here are some pics of the X-Men Omnibus Vol. 1 that I wish I was reading all these original X-Men issues from!

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This is the Omnibus that collects X-Men #1-31. The cover art is the original Jack Kirby art from X-Men #1. Marvel also released a variant cover with a recreation of the Kirby cover done by Alex Ross. (below)

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While I get the appeal of Ross’s work, I much prefer the original Kirby cover. Mostly just because he did the art for the issues within the Omnibus, so it seems fitting to have his art on the cover as well!

Anyway, one day I will own this baby! Until then, I’ll be reading the first 31 issues of X-Men on Marvel Unlimited. Being the bibliophile I am, I seriously like reading paper copies of issues better then reading online. But, in all fairness, there’s NO WAY I’d be able to get this whole project done without this awesome subscription! If you’re short on cash, or don’t have the time to go searching for physical back-issues or trades, but want to read older Marvel stuff, seriously consider this option. They’ve uploaded almost all of their marquee titles! Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Hulk, Spider-Man, etc. And new releases get added no too long after they’re available in print.

Like I said, I prefer physical copies, so MU is my fall back when I can’t find them. When I’m buying comics or trades, my first stop is always my local comic shop, Carol & John’s Comics. This place is geek heaven! Seriously. I’ve been going to CNJ since I started reading comics, and Dan had been going for years before that. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, and super nice. They’ll help you find anything, recommend new books, and are always willing to discuss not just their favorite comics, but pretty much anything related to pop or geek culture. They also throw amazing events throughout the year! Every year on Free Comic Book Day, they have an epic midnight party for their adult readers, and then, throughout the day on FCBD, they have events and giveaways and such for readers of all ages. There are Black Friday sales, Christmas parties, parties for Superman’s anniversary, you name it. I’ll cover these as the blog continues and I attend them! For any readers in the Greater Cleveland area, stop in and check them out! They’re in the Kamm’s Corners Plaza in Westpark! And for my non-CLE readers, I encourage you to seek out a locally owned comic shop near you. These places can be a great resource for projects like this, and also just great places to talk comics and meet new friends!

Well, that’s all for now, as I have a lot more reading to do! Until next time my loves…keep searching!

Original Tumblr Post: here

Looking Forward to the 1970’s

Posted on by GenoshaGirl85

Hello, loves!!

So, I’ve read through The X-Men #8. That gets me through 1963 & 1964. I have to be honest, my main thought right now is that I can’t wait to get to the 70’s and Giant Size.

Don’t get me wrong, reading the origins of the original X-Men team and the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants is fun. But also tedious. No offense to Stan Lee, but the ‘60’s style of having characters describe everything that’s happening by saying it out loud doesn’t age well. (And yes, I’m aware this was still happening in the ‘70’s. For some reason it bothers me less. I really can’t explain why.) The other reason this older stuff is so hard to read (and in this aspect, the 70’s may not be any better) is the way the book handles women. Specifically, Jean Grey. I mean, she’s basically there to be hit on outwardly or lusted after secretly by every member of the team, including Professor X. She’s also the weakest member of the team by A LOT and is constantly being carried by either Angel or Cyclops. As a modern woman and a feminist, it’s hard to read. I mean, I get that it was the normal treatment of female characters at the time. I also anticipate that seeing this treatment evolve somewhat will be fun as the project continues. But it doesn’t make it any less cringe-worthy to read.

But enough about the style of writing. Can we talk more about powers? Because currently, Magneto apparently has the power of astral-projection and the ability to sense Professor X and other mutants “mentally” just like the Prof. WTH?!? Is this like, an actual thing? Or is this just another example of powers not being fully defined yet? I’ll keep you guys appraised of the situation, because I’m sure you’re all as weirded out as I am about it! Lol. Also, I’d forgotten that originally Jean’s powers manifested only as telekinesis and that her (*spoiler alert*) telepathy didn’t manifest until later on. I don’t know when exactly that happens tbh, so it’ll be a surprise when I get there!

Now, some of you may be wondering how I’m collecting all of these issues to read them. I made myself a list. Basically, anything I can get in trade, I will. And the largest collection I can get, the better. What I mean by that is, if something is available in 6 paperback trades or 1 omnibus, I’ll get the omnibus. It’s actually almost always cheaper that way! But, it wasn’t until the late 90’s or early 00’s that Marvel started collecting everything in trade. Prior to that, it was mostly just major arcs or storylines that got made into trades. So, the random issues not available in trade from, I’ll get in issue form. Luckily for me, CNJ has a pretty big collection of back issues. And for the ones they don’t have, I have a Marvel Unlimited subscription. For now, that’s how I’m reading this 60’s stuff. There are two omnibuses that Marvel put out collecting the original run, but they’re SUPER expensive since they’re currently out of print. If they’re ever rereleased, or I ever have enough to buy them at their current prices, I will. Until then, Marvel Unlimited has what I need. However, once I get to a point that I’m using trades for my reading, I’ll be sure to post pictures and let you all know which trades!!

That’s all for now my loves! So, until next time…keep searching!!

Original Tumblr Post: here

And….Away We Go!!!

Posted on by GenoshaGirl85

Hello Loves!

So, I read the first two issues of The X-Men last night. Not what I was expecting! Seriously, I’m so glad C talked me into starting with the ’60’s stuff, because I didn’t realize how different it was from my ’80’s & ’90’s wheelhouse!

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Issue #1 is the X-Men’s first battle with Magneto! It’s over fairly quickly, (as battles with Mags go), but he does manage to escape. Issue #2 introduces us to The Vanisher. He proves to be a much more formidable foe then Magneto surprisingly. It takes the combined efforts of the 5 youngsters and Professor X’s telepathic powers to stop him! (The Prof actually causes The Vanisher to forget who he is, which is terrifying in the casual way it’s treated by the other characters! But more about that later!) But these entries aren’t going to be full recaps of the issues. There’s just WAY too many for me to do that. So, instead, lets talk about my impressions and observations.

First off, let’s talk about the team! I knew the original five, but Stan Lee doesn’t write them at all like Chris Claremont! (Or maybe I should say that Claremont didn’t write them like Stan Lee!) These guys seem like caricatures of the characters I grew up with. It’s funny how different the 60’s & 70’s style of writing is. Everyone talks so much, and is fairly one-dimensional. It’s not necessarily bad, just different then what I’m used to. It’s going to take some adjustment. For example, Beast and Iceman constantly fighting and bickering is something I haven’t experienced before. Remember, these characters are just teenagers in these early years. They will surely mature as they grow up, but right now they are written as bratty, high-energy teens. It’s fun for the most part, but can be slightly annoying, if only because it rings so true to real teenagers behavior!

The other major thing I’ve noticed already is how much of a dick Professor X was in these early comics! I mean, I know he’s always been fairly aloof and demanding, but Lee’s version of the Prof is downright scary! It’s kind of awesome! Definitely not the cuddly Patrick Stewart version of the movies!!! And, going back to his treatment of The Vanisher in issue #2, how scary is that? Dude just makes him forget who he is completely and then the 5 X-Men, who routinely let the Prof dig around in their heads, act like its NBD! It’s terrifying! Sometimes these older comics do things like this; instead of killing the villain, they either trap them for eternity or wipe their memories completely, or something like that, and then everyone acts like this isn’t almost worse then killing them. I mean, I know that with few exceptions, good guys didn’t kill people in the early days, so there needed to be another solution. But there’s something unsettling about wiping someone’s memory to the extent they don’t even know who they are and then acting like this is totally fine and the moral thing to do. It’ll be interesting to see how situations like this play out as we get into more modern stories!

Another thing I’m looking forward to seeing as I keep going is the evolution of everyone’s powers and how they’re defined. Right now, there seems to be no mentioned limits to anyone’s powers, but also no real definition of how the powers work or what they actually are. Like, Cyclops refers to his powers as his “power beam” and Iceman seems to have an ever-changing list of ice powers such as ice-breath, the ability to shoot ice missiles, and the ability to turn things into ice cubes (not just freeze them, but actually transform them into ice). I had also forgotten that early art of Bobby Drake had him as a fairly shapeless snow blob wearing only the X-Men boots! It’s pretty funny! So, stay tuned for discussion of how power sets are defined and limited as the series progresses and we meet more mutants.

So, until next time, loves…keep searching! ❤

Original Tumblr Post: here

A Little Background

Posted on by GenoshaGirl85

So…you’ve probably got questions about this insane project of mine. (Or maybe you don’t. I’m going to answer them anyway!) So let me start from the beginning.

I’ve been an X-man fan since I discovered the 90’s cartoon when I was younger. (Seriously, that intro alone made it my favorite!) From there, I started collecting the X-men Trading Cards. In fact, for awhile there, I had the entire 1994 Fleer Ultra set! I was obsessed! What I wasn’t, however, was a comic reader. I don’t think I even realized there were X-men comics at that age. Fast forward 10ish years:

I started dating my now husband, C. C is a HUGE comic nerd. Always has been. In  the beginning of our relationship, C and his friends would get together almost every Wednesday to read their new comics and discuss what was going on in them. So, every Wednesday, I was totally left out. I decided that just wasn’t going to fly, and started reading my way through C’s back-issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, and a few Vertigo books (mainly Fables) I’d found my new love: Comics!

As an avid, some-what snobby reader, and an English major who spends most of her time reading English lit, I was surprised to find myself falling in love with Marvel comics. I was also shocked at how these comics, and X-Men in particular, seemed to really be tackling real-world issues and problems. I was hooked. I was reading more and more, and spending more and more time at our AMAZING local comic shop, Carol & John’s Comics, discussing continuity with everyone there. I’d found my tribe. But I’d also found a goal. I wanted to know everything there was to know about the X-Men. Naturally, to this reader, that meant I needed to read everything! And thus, my project was born!

I took me almost 2 years to compile my reading list. There was TON of research involved. My goal wasn’t just to read every issue of Uncanny and X-Men, but every comic related to the X-Men and the 616’s main mutants. This meant finding out which issues of Avengers featured a mutant on the team, reading all of Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) comics since she plays such a large roll in Rogue’s life, and is also a guest of Xavier’s for while, reading all of Namor’s solo books, and also the nearly impossible task of finding all of Wolverine & Deadpool’s 1000’s of solo adventures! It’s been really hard work. I’m still not convinced I found everything! But, I’ve come up with a fairly comprehensive list of every issue, in chronological order by publication month. So, now I’m ready to read!

When I first started the list, I figured I’d start with Giant Size #1. The new Uncanny team. I started my list there, and it grew quickly. Then, just as I was deciding to start this blog, C convinced me that I really should start with X-Men #1 from 1963. How, he pointed out, can I say I’ve read everything and know everything when this is all over if I didn’t even start with the team’s origins. He was right. So, I’m starting from the absolute beginning.

I’ve made a separate page to host my reading list for anyone that’s interested in it. It’s my baby. And it could have never happened without a few amazing sources:

And for all you fellow X-Men geeks out there, if you notice I’m missing something, please let me know! Like I said, I’m sure I’ve missed some issues. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Original Tumblr post: here