The Week That Was 06302025: Uncanny Experience Trading Card & RIP Jim Shooter

We're less than two weeks out from the Uncanny Experience, and last week I got the art for the super cool, super exclusive trading cards I'll be giving away at the event. 

Art and design by my buddy and ComicsXF colleague Adam Reck. If you'd like one, make sure to find me at the Uncanny Experience!

X-amining Generation X #28

"Oh, Now I Get It..." / "Double Feature"

June 1997

In a Nutshell

Generation X is trapped in their dreams by Glorian

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Chris Bachalo, Brian Hitch (2nd Story)
Inker: Al Vey, Paul Neary (2nd Story)
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Joe Andreani
Colorist: Mark Powers
Editor: Bob Harras

Plot

The students kidnapped by Black Tom wake up to find themselves aboard a ship, living their dreams. Paige is blissfully ignorant, Chamber's face is back to normal, Synch is running a children's daycamp with Jubilee, and Monet is living a decadent life with her brother at her side. Elsewhere, the real Jubilee remains a captive of Operation: Zero Tolerance. Daria pleads with her to eat, but Jubilee refuses, asking a shaken Daria how someone as young as she is could buy into Operation: Zero Tolerance. Back on the ship, Generation X's benefactor, Glorian, Shaper of Dreams, confronts the one person who refuses to play along: Skin. Insisting that Glorian has misunderstood and twisted the dreams of his friends, Skin infuriates Glorian to the point that he finally grants Skin's desire, sending him and his friends home — Skin's former home in LA.  

The Week That Was 06102025: May's Best Covers, RIP Marvel Masterworks, and More!

With another month somehow already behind us, I thought it would be fun to look back at the covers I posted as part of my ongoing celebration on social media of the 50th Anniversary of the All New, All Different X-Men. Without further ado, here are my favorite covers, one per week, for the month of May! 

Week 1: Uncanny X-Men #444 (May 5 2004)

X-amining Incredible Hulk '97 #1

"Sins of the Father" / "Where the Wild Things Are"

1997

In a Nutshell

Hulk battles Gladiator, and gets blamed for Franklin's nightmares. 

Writer: Chris Cooper, Bill Roseman (2nd Story)
Penciler: Jeff Rebner, Kevin Lay (2nd Story)
Inker: Mark Irwin, Andrew Pepoy (2nd Story)
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos 
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Polly Watson & Bobby Chase

Plot

1st Story: Members of the Pantheon approach Doctor Samson, seeking his help to find the Hulk's illegitimate son, David. Samson is stunned, having never heard of of Bruce Banner having a son. Meanwhile, Gladiator and Oracle of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard are searching for a shape-shifter named Elamron, who was last seen with Hulk. All parties, including David, converge on the Hulk. Gladiator and Hulk fight, with Gladiator taking Hulk into space and Hulk turning Gladiator's heat vision back on him. But when Hulk sees the look of fear on David's face, he stops, reminded of his own childhood. In the confusion David — actually Elamron — disappears.

The Week That Was 06022025: Uncanny Experience and Review Roundup

 Well, a combination of day job travel, the punishing (for critics) three-a-week release schedule of the second season of Andor, and my laptop completely and utterly dying a couple weeks ago threw me off my regular schedule. 

But, things are starting to settle a bit, and I'm hoping to get back into my regular posting groove again, including this column. My plan is to abandon some of the strict formatting I'd been using, to make something more like a typical newsletter in favor of getting it out more regularly. 

The Uncanny Experience

My other big news of late is that I was selected to present at the Uncanny Experience, the annual X-Men fan convention here in Minneapolis. My panel is called "Fight The Power: The X-Men as Outlaws", and will focus on the way Claremont repositioned the X-Men from traditional superheroes fighting to preserve the status quo to anti-establishment figures trying to upend it. The full description is as follows: