Talking about comic books, TV shows, movies, sports, and the numerous other pastimes that make us Gentlemen of Leisure.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

60 Years of X - 1969

 Year 7: 1969

1969 X-Men Comics & Appearances: X-Men #54-65, Sub-Mariner #14

Neal Adams saves the X-Men! Roy Thomas returns! So do the Sentinels & Professor X! Magneto gets a face! Havok, Sauron, Sunfire, the Savage Land mutates (& the Living Monolith...) debut!

037 - Year 7 Cover: X-Men #56


Monday, February 13, 2023

60 Years of X - 1968

 Year 6: 1968


1968 X-Men Comics & Appearances: X-Men #42-53, Avengers #53 & #60!

Xavier dies, Magneto returns, the X-Men disband! The Avengers crossover, Polaris debuts! Roy Thomas leaves, Gary Friedrich comes & goes, Arnold Drake arrives! All that plus Jim Steranko in 1968!

031 - Year 6 Cover: X-Men #50



Thursday, February 9, 2023

X-amining Classic X-Men #26 - Patreon First

October 1988

In a Nutshell
Banshee & Wolverine swap war stories and realize they indirectly crossed paths years before becoming X-Men!

Writer: Tom Orzechowski, Chris Claremont (additional pages)
Artist: John Bolton, Kieron Dwyer (additional pages)
Inker: Terry Austin (additional pages)
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
Colors: Gregory Wright
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Wolverine, Banshee, Nightcrawler, and Cyclops are having a "boys night" at Harry's Hideaway. When Wolverine tells a story about how he and his lady friend Cracklin' Rosa would sucker patrons of her Calgary bar into trying to beat Wolverine at a drinking contest, Banshee realizes they inadvertently crossed paths while Banshee was working as an Interpol agent. Banshee had followed a pair of wanted criminals to Rosa's bar, and Wolverine's antics had helped distract their bodyguards, allowing Banshee to signal the Mounties to arrest his man without any complication. In the present, Banshee points out how they both inadvertently learned something about teamwork that day, while Cyclops says he's proud to call them both teammates. 

Want to read the rest before everyone else? Become a patron via Patreon! 

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

X-amining X-Men Unlimited #14

March 1997

In a Nutshell
Franklin Richards deals with the aftermath of "Onslaught". 

Writer: Terry Kavanagh
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Kevin Somerset
Editor: Kelly Corevese
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Franklin Richards is having nightmares of his family disappearing and being replaced by the man he blames for their deaths, Joseph. In the morning, he wakes and is comforted by his friends Artie and Leech. All three boys are visiting Beast's childhood home along with Beast, Gambit, and Storm. Later that morning, Beast's father Norton invites the kids on a tractor ride. Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Dunfee, a group of men led by Grange Janssen discuss the recent assassination of Graydon Creed and the influx of mutants like Hank McCoy in their town. Grange decides its time they do something about it. Back at the McCoy farm, Franklin uses his powers to disable the tractor, creating an opening that allows the boys to run off into the woods. Gambit warns Storm, but when she flies off to find the boys, she is shot by Grange and his posse, who capture Artie and Leech as well as Beast when he intervenes. Unaware of his friends' capture, Franklin uses his powers to teleport Joseph to him, then attacks, angrily holding him responsible for the death of his family. Joseph is confused, but unable and unwilling to overpower Franklin. In the woods, the police arrive and defuse the situation, arresting Grange and his posse. Out in the field, Gambit comes to Joseph's defense and helps convince Franklin not to kill Joseph. But by then, Franklin's power has grown out of his control, and it takes the timely arrival of Leech, delivered by Beast, to shut it down. Having at least made peace with Joseph, Franklin resumes playing with his friends. 

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Thursday, February 2, 2023

X-amining X-Men: The Animated Series 4x04 - Patreon First

"Proteus Part 1"

Original Airdate
September 30th, 1995

Writer
Bruce Reid Schaefer

Plot
On Muir Island, the energy-based mutant Proteus escapes from his cell. Moira MacTaggert calls Xavier for help, and while the X-Men race across the Atlantic in the Blackbird, Xavier tells them about his past with Moira. On Muir Island, Moira tells the X-Men about Proteus' ability to take control of host bodies and warp reality around him. As Proteus cuts a swath through Scotland searching for his father, the X-Men track him down. Confronted, Proteus uses his powers against the X-Men, overpowering their senses and terrifying Wolverine. From there, Proteus confronts his father, Joe MacTaggert, Moira's ex-husband, prompting a tearful Moira to admit that Proteus is her son!

Want to read the rest before everyone else? Become a patron via Patreon! 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

X-amining X-Man #26

"Down to Earth"
April 1997

In a Nutshell
Nate seeks Moira's help in the wake of the loss of his telekinetic powers. 

Writer: Terry Kavanagh
Guest Penciler: Pascual Ferry 
Inker: Jamie Mendoz & Howard Shack
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Mike Thomas
Separations: GCW
Editor: Jaye Gardner
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot
Stuck in Switzerland without his telekinetic powers, Nate psychically projects himself to his friend, Peter Parker, to ask for help with his lost abilities. While touched Nate would seek him out, Peter admits he's not the best person to ask, and steers Nate in the direction of Moira MacTaggert. Nate physically travels to Muir Island, using his telepathy to sneak aboard cargo vehicles and mask his presence from Excalibur as he heads towards Moira's lab. However, Moira is well aware of his presence thanks to a device she's created. Nate asks for her help contacting Forge, but when Moira reaches Val Cooper, she's told X-Factor is dead. Moira proceeds to run some tests on Nate, and concludes there's nothing physically wrong with him: his own mind is, for some reason, suppressing his telekinesis. Meanwhile, Dark Beast suggests to Havok that he recruit Nate to his Brotherhood, but cautions him to leave Beast's name out of it. Back on Muir Island, Moira attacks Nate, hoping his instincts will kick in and allow his power out, but it doesn't. Later, as Nate ponders his next move, Havok and Fatale teleport onto Muir Island, and tell Nate they can help him.