tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post8231954778111511029..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining Incredible Hulk Annual #7Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-46714330036947298302018-08-31T18:09:24.146-05:002018-08-31T18:09:24.146-05:00// This creates an interesting scenario in which t...<br><i>// This creates an interesting scenario in which there are technically two versions of Stephen Lang running around //</i><br /><br />I got a kick out of Master Mold’s surprise at hearing that Lang was still alive. The situation isn’t entirely dissimilar to that of Vision and Wonder Man — also, more pertinently if a little less exactly given the lack of technology, that of Rogue and Carol Danvers.<br /><br /><i>// Terri … proceeds to spend most of her time fawning over Angel. //</i><br /><br />Which is Stern & Byrne’s excuse for getting him in costume before Master Mold attacked. I’m not sure whether that was supposed to read as simply hero worship or a fetish or what, although I suppose if introduced to an actual superhero I’d want to see them in costume myself.<br /><br /><i>// There's very little in this story that makes it specifically a Hulk story. //</i><br /><br />I know it wasn’t unusual for plot threads of canceled features to get resolved in other series back in the day — but this isn’t really that, and it’s true that the Hulk is largely an unnecessary or at least replaceable component to the story. One could argue that it’s a function of making sure readers of the monthly series aren’t too out of the loop if they haven’t read the annual, which is a funny thought to anyone raised on comics from shortly after this period onward where annuals were often either the climax of a storyline in the home series or part of a crossover/event running through various annuals themselves.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-5815110401815273222018-08-26T10:21:30.322-05:002018-08-26T10:21:30.322-05:00Only recently I learned of the existence of this i...Only recently I learned of the existence of this issue. For my entire life, I never thought that the Master Mold from the original X-Men was the same character that later appeared on X-Factor and was destroyed by the Outback X-Men. They simply had no physical similarities!<br /><br />Shame Angel was never given his due on X-Men under Claremont. Him taking part in Dark Phoenix saga and joining the team after Cyclops’ departure was clearly John Byrne’s desire. Once the latter left, Claremont quickly removed the Angel. I always felt silly that the Angel simply left without saying goodbye out of anger. <br /><br />At least Claremont brought him soon after for a special guest in Marvel Age, I think. It showed that he kept a good relationship with his former teammates. Then, not long after, he was captured by the Morlocks, and is unconscious the whole time!<br /><br />Claremont had this tendency, which no onone seems to notice, of having members of the team departing and no one else caring or ever thinking about them again. Rachel left. The X-Men quickly forgot her. Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde were recovering, the X-Men faked their own deaths and forgot them. Not a single panel of Storm, Colossus and Wolverine wondering whether Kurt had waken from his coma or whether Kitty had recovered. Maddelyne died. People quickly forgot her.Licínio Mirandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12545823888354348526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-64956361054090893942018-08-25T01:57:30.268-05:002018-08-25T01:57:30.268-05:00I never quite realized the Stephen Lang personalit...I never quite realized the Stephen Lang personality dimension of the Master Mold. I always thought (and still want to insist) that the "ultimate Sentinel" Nimrod had evolved, <i>mutated</i>, into the "Nicholas Hunter" persona by UNCANNY #247 and helped to take out the Master Mold Nimrod hybrid, but technically it's not impossible that it actually may have been this iteration (and the sum of his experiences) of Stephen Lang correcting his former errors and opting to fight back the Master Mold. Being a human being trapped in a cold robot could encourage some introspection.<br /><br />And then they'll seek the unadulterated original human version and use him for Phalanx.Teemunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-86772210998213603012018-08-24T17:55:01.415-05:002018-08-24T17:55:01.415-05:00I love Stern, I love Byrne, and I love Stern and B...I love Stern, I love Byrne, and I love Stern and Byrne together. So I've wanted to read this issue forever, but never owned it as a back issue -- and Marvel never reprinted it anywhere for the longest time. I think it finally hit Marvel Unlimited recently, though. As far as I'm concerned, this -- along with other ancillary stuff like the MARVEL TEAM-UP two-parter featuring Havok and Living Monolith -- should be included in any and all reprints of the Claremont/Byrne X-MEN run -- it's drawn by Byrne, furthers a plot from Claremont, and stars two ex-X-Men against an X-villain! Hard to be a more integral part of the canon than that.<br /><br />John Byrne has never liked Layton's inks on his work, and I'll admit that Layton does perhaps "redraw" a bit more than I like to see, especially over someone like Byrne, but for the most part I think this looks fine. But perhaps the most fascinating complaint about Layton's inking here comes from Byrne's father. According to Byrne, when his dad saw this issue, he told Byrne that Layton made all his male characters look "queer"...<br /><br />Fascinating observation about Lang! I love the idea that he, or aspects of him, was behind two different 90s X-events!<br /><br />"<b>As of this issue, Candy doesn’t officially know that Warren’s friend Bobby is Iceman</b>..."<br /><br />I haven't read it in some time, but John Byrne has Candy hang out with the X-Men in HIDDEN YEARS. Was he ret-conning himself? Or did Candy not cross paths with Iceman in those stories (he does spend a large chunk of time separated from the team during the book's run)? I need to go back and find out!Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.com