tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post423874503335292747..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining X-Factor #36Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-82334941971693078752014-07-17T08:48:36.472-05:002014-07-17T08:48:36.472-05:00@Blam: I think that N'astrah was created disti...@Blam: I think that N'astrah was created distinctly from S'ym in order to give the X-Men someone to fight. It makes thematic sense for Illyana to overcome S'ym on her own away from the X-Men, just like Illyana beat Balasco on her own.<br /><br />@Ben: I see "Inferno" as being 95% about Illyana. The rest resolves the Scott/Jean/Madelyne storyline, while all the major players are just in the background.brandenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18098413670016263499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-8014290470436309162014-07-15T23:34:52.563-05:002014-07-15T23:34:52.563-05:00Ben: And I never really understood who N'astir...Ben: <i>And I never really understood who N'astirh was or why another random Limbo demon was necessary, although I'll admit I was never paying very close attention.</i><br /><br />I've seen suggestions that big part of it would have been the fact that originally S'ym, the Belasco henchman, was a blatant spoof of Dave Sim's <i>Cerebus</i>, and that while Sim had little problem with that it was completely another thing when S'ym suddenly was supposed to the cover boy and the big bad in a major crossover. Thus, enter demon brother from another mother.<br /><br />Being a proponent of creator-owner comics, Sim-written <i>Spawn</i> #10 is a bit of a classic in the meta-commentary category with its panel of very recognizable hands of Big 2 superheroes whose creators gave their rights away reaching out from between prison bars.Teemunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-82364082261630451562014-07-15T23:12:20.414-05:002014-07-15T23:12:20.414-05:00Blam: Can't say I'm happy to hear that the...Blam: <i>Can't say I'm happy to hear that there's apparently no reveal yet to unfold linking S'ym and N'astirh to Mister Sinister... I thought I'd hold off on asking about it until reading the rest of the storyline, but I've been hoping the Limbo faction hadn't just, y'know, happened to lure in the clone of Jean Grey</i><br /><br />I have to say I'm so totally not with you on this one. The one thing that ruined <i>Spawn</i> for me was that instead of Jason Wynn's ordered assassination of Al Simmons and Al's subsequent deal with Malebolgia being totally unrelated things to each other, Wynn and Malebolgia were apparently in shady dealings with each other beforehand to the extent that killing Al was pretty much a built-to-order job by Malebolgia.<br /><br />Because, comics. Things <i>do</i> "just happen". It did come as kind of a shock to Mr Sinister when he was to find out that his machines has limits, and Maddie doesn't. It's awesome really how the great reveal of his master plan is kind of ruined by totally unaccounted-for-happenstance of the demons taking over the Manhattan just then.<br /><br />I mean, carbon copy Jean Grey and leave her running around unguarded and expect her not to get tempted by limitless powers? That's a mistake to be made by ten-year-olds, not scheming masterminds. (wink)Teemunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-21707209645247743402014-07-15T18:12:18.396-05:002014-07-15T18:12:18.396-05:00@Blam
Totally agree that the combo of the Limbo d...@Blam <br />Totally agree that the combo of the Limbo demons and Mister Sinister never seemed to be a good fit to me. (Although maybe I'm forgetting the part where they explain some kind of loose connection-- it's been awhile since I read Inferno all the way through.) <br /><br />Even with an explanation, this crossover always felt to me like a combination of random elements, especially when you add in the slapsticky (though admittedly fun) aspect of a demonic New York City attacking its inhabitants. <br /><br />And I never really understood who N'astirh was or why another random Limbo demon was necessary, although I'll admit I was never paying very close attention. <br /><br />I do agree with a poster on a different thread who mentions that this is the best part of Louise Simonson's New Mutants run. My one caveat to that is that, while it's a fittingly moving ending for Illyana, I would have preferred her to get a sendoff that felt like it "belonged" to her more, rather than being just a side element of a crossover that really belongs to Sinister, Scott/Jean and Maddy. <br /><br />On the other hand now that I think about it-- and yes, there are three hands-- Magik's bigger storyline does have some really loose thematic elements linking it to Maddy's, which I guess adds a nice unifying element to the whole thing.Bennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-11269516673469248362014-07-15T16:47:03.741-05:002014-07-15T16:47:03.741-05:00Can't say I'm happy to hear that there'...<br>Can't say I'm happy to hear that there's apparently no reveal yet to unfold linking S'ym and N'astirh to Mister Sinister... I thought I'd hold off on asking about it until reading the rest of the storyline, but I've been hoping the Limbo faction hadn't just, y'know, <i>happened</i> to lure in the clone of Jean Grey, especially since that's on top of N'astirh gathering mutant babies at the same time as Nanny and the Orphan Maker. N'astirh does lead Maddie to Sinister at the end of <i>Uncanny</i> #240, so perhaps I'm totally misunderstanding the comments above. I'll keep my fingers crossed.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-63248921229689340742014-07-15T16:15:28.374-05:002014-07-15T16:15:28.374-05:00@Anonymous: For most of her "life" she t...@Anonymous: For most of her "life" she thought she was something she wasn't. Having your husband abandon you for his resurrected girlfriend and slowly finding out you were a clone of her might un-hinge you. Madelyne was tricked into making a choice she didn't know she was making by S'ym at a moment of weakness.<br /><br />I cant think of any situations where Maddie was in a position to be manipulated, and I image demons are particularly good at that.<br /><br />I'm not sure why you are relating Meggan's turn with Maddie's, but wasn't Meggan's thing that she was affected by the emotions of people around her?brandenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18098413670016263499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-43107302321643008122014-07-14T21:46:53.831-05:002014-07-14T21:46:53.831-05:00@Branden- There are two problems with that. The fi...@Branden- There are two problems with that. The first is that Maddie never was easy to manipulate or corrupt before- in other words, Maddie was evil Because Simonson Said So. The other is that it was also easy for the demons to corrupt Meggan- does that mean Meggan is really a five-year old?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-36945444215000499612014-07-14T08:42:23.277-05:002014-07-14T08:42:23.277-05:00It was easy to manipulate/corrupt Madelyne she rea...It was easy to manipulate/corrupt Madelyne she really had only lived for a few years, despite her physical age. In a lot of ways its like the corruption of Illyana as a kid.<br /><br />Madelyne also had the un-manifested potential of Jean and at least a fraction of the Phoenix Force within her.brandenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18098413670016263499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-15990083792770445942014-07-14T07:18:04.636-05:002014-07-14T07:18:04.636-05:00In Hodge's case, we saw in X-Factor 32 that he...In Hodge's case, we saw in X-Factor 32 that he contacted N'astirh and made a deal with him.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-74825951382449765462014-07-14T05:52:04.214-05:002014-07-14T05:52:04.214-05:00"N'astirh muses on his manipulation of Ma..."N'astirh muses on his manipulation of Madelyne Pryor"<br /><br />Was there ever a given explanation as to why N'astrah and S'ym chose Maddie and Cameron Hodge to be their accomplices? Other than for obvious plot reasons, I mean. <br /><br />"Warren/Angel/Dark Angel/Death more or less rejoins the team this issue, having decided to target N'astirh and his demons for helping empower Hodge and thus bring about Candy's death."<br /><br />I love how everyone is all smiling and laughing at his news that Candy is dead and that he killed Hodge. Sheesh, and they say the Uncanny team is "dark"...granted, there wasn't enough panel space to deal with their reactions, but still.<br /><br />Simonson's art is starting to look a bit weak here, and doesn't get better during the rest of the crossover. wwk5dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-8251301553783182222014-07-13T01:23:30.056-05:002014-07-13T01:23:30.056-05:00I both rue & lament Googling "Pentagram M...I both rue & lament Googling "Pentagram Made Of Babies".Reesenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-24779229043492952512014-07-12T12:05:43.879-05:002014-07-12T12:05:43.879-05:00Yeah, I've seen that general explanation for B...<br>Yeah, I've seen that general explanation for Beast's attitude before, but Simonson does a fine job (re)articulating it. This whole issue reads leagues above the usual on this series to me, in fact. I wonder if having to map out the plots for <i>X-Factor, New Mutants,</i> and <i>X-Terminators</i> properly, syncing them with one another as well as with <i>Uncanny</i>, put a good kind of creative pressure on her, or even if she felt the need to step up her game now that she'd be more directly compared to Claremont's work on the flagship as readers who might not have picked up all the regular titles did so for <i>Inferno</i>.<br /><br />Pentagram Made Of Babies is my new band name.<br />Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-551244725987995702014-07-11T18:34:32.270-05:002014-07-11T18:34:32.270-05:00Because of the speed at which the X-Men can get an...Because of the speed at which the X-Men can get anywhere on Earth using the Blackbird, it was kind of funny to see the X-Factor jet flying toward the WTC in the first scene with Scott and Jean and then be only about ten feet closer a few pages later.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14447265712189987074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-75984818232462032302014-07-11T18:15:38.951-05:002014-07-11T18:15:38.951-05:00This issue really kicks the Maddie-bashing into hi...This issue really kicks the Maddie-bashing into high gear. First we have N'astirh saying how he never would have been able to corrupt Scott like he did Maddie, then we have Jean saying what a horrible woman Maddie was and criticizing Scott for marrying her.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-8815621874610237952014-07-11T17:46:22.495-05:002014-07-11T17:46:22.495-05:00Reading my sister this crossover took 5 parts. Par...Reading my sister this crossover took 5 parts. Part 1 was a lengthy prologue explaining the characters and stories leading to Inferno, centering on Scott, Jean, and Illyana.<br /><br />Part 2 began with X-Terminators and ended with the cliffhanger of the opening Earth/Limbo portal: Whiz Kid worrying about how he can save everyone (XT3), Illyana becoming the Darkchylde and opening the portal (NM71), Scott and Jean seeing demons diving upon them (XF36), the X-Men coming to surface (UXM240), and N'astirh's coda to Illyana about love and demons (NM71).<br /><br />I know all this is confusing, constantly switching from one scene in one comic to another scene of another comic (and so on...) dealing with the same event, but such multiple viewpoints of one story is one of the things I liked about 1980s comic crossovers.<br /><br />Beast's personality quirks were given explanations. In AVENGERS#161, during Henry Pym breakdown#3 (becoming Ant-Man attacking the team), Beast is confronted about being humorous. When Janet apologizes, Hank seriously comments that sometimes it's very hard being a beast. <br />Later, J.M. DeMatties' DEFENDERS#116 had Hank having a talk with girlfriend Vera about why he acts the way he acts: It's all an act. Feeling awkward about his noticeable mutant body, Hank developed a way to deal with it: creating these personas to please people while protecting himself. First he was the human genius with the vernacular. Then, when he transformed, the furry clown. As he comments to Vera, he really doesn't know the real person.<br /><br />As one commented in the Powell discuss-a-thon, Trish's accepting Beast's furry form here makes her later Morrison break-up rather OOC. So you dump your boyfriend because he looks like a scary beast with people talking about it? So you never encountered such things back then?angmc43@hotmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15379700547226493861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-78894627559650676422014-07-11T14:02:51.888-05:002014-07-11T14:02:51.888-05:00On the opening splash page, a demonic hot dog cart...<i>On the opening splash page, a demonic hot dog cart tries to eat Calvin and Hobbes.</i><br /><br />Ah. I tink ve can pinpoint the one deeply traumatizing experience behind all those morbid snowmen and imagining inanimate objects alive.Teemunoreply@blogger.com