tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post1449367936373007130..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining XSE #1-4Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-33899825652662820192022-03-11T12:52:08.456-06:002022-03-11T12:52:08.456-06:00"One is the timing of it; I'm not sure if..."<b>One is the timing of it; I'm not sure if readers were ever clamoring for more detailed information about Bishop and Shard's past and the inner workings of the paramilitary organization to which they belonged, but if such clamor ever existed, I can't imagine it was intensifying in late 1996, after Bishop's whole arc up to that point had been resolved in "Onslaught" with the ending of the X-Traitor plotline.</b>"<br /><br />Yup! Bishop was one of my favorite X-Men, and even I had no interest in this mini-series! I had read his original mini, but skipped the subsequent ones. (I did read his ongoing, though, but I recall not enjoying it very much since it was totaly divorced from the ongoing continuity of the other X-books.)<br /><br />"<b>The Witness is said to be the head of the Stark-Fujikawa corporation, a nod to Marvel's 2099 imprint of books, in which that same company is major player in several of the 2099 series. They are also responsible for helping preserve Shard and creating her initial holographic matrix that ultimately led to her resurrection in the present day.</b>"<br /><br />Stark-Fujikawa becomes a thing in the mainstream Marvel Universe right around this time, too. Following Tony Stark's "death" during "Onslaught", Fujikawa Heavy Industries buys out Stark Enterprises and the new company is named Stark-Fujikawa -- which is why when Tony comes back during "Heroes Return", he founds a new company called Stark Solutions.<br /><br />During that "Heroes Return" run, Tony's main love interest was Fujikawa heiress, Rumiko -- though she was killed off a couple years after Kurt Busiek left the series. I'm not sure whatever happened to Stark-Fujikawa in the mainstream Marvel U. after that point, though.<br /><br />"<b>During one of the cutaways back to the present day framing sequence at the X-Mansion, Bishop and Shard walk past a picture on the wall that almost looks like Arkon (who met the X-Men and romanced Storm in <i>X-Men Annual</i> #3), though it's not clear why they'd have a picture of him hanging on their wall.</b>"<br /><br />Okay -- I had to go back to that post (from -- ulp -- over ten years ago!) to make sure I had commented on this at the time, and fortunately I did: clearly, Cyclops wanted to remember the guy who left him those cool lightning bolts he used to use once a year to teleport the X-Men to other dimensions.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-55235968354210404202022-03-11T12:34:47.647-06:002022-03-11T12:34:47.647-06:00I haven't read everything but, as far as I kno...<i>I haven't read everything but, as far as I know, she kind of disappears after X-Factor ends.</i><br /><br />Huh. I've never really thought about it before, but you're right; she more or less disappears after X-FACTOR becomes MUTANT X. I haven't read Bishop's solo series, so maybe she shows up there, but otherwise, she's more or less vanished. Which is a rare thing for an X-character to do. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-87914933011362640612022-03-11T08:16:58.904-06:002022-03-11T08:16:58.904-06:00// Bishop and Shard walk past a picture on the wal...<br><i>// Bishop and Shard walk past a picture on the wall that almost looks like Arkon //</i><br /><br />Why is it hanging on a tiled wall in the kitchen and, more importantly, what’s the deal with that bowl of talking fruit?<br /><br /><i>// Shackle, the Witness' mysterious attendant, is revealed to be a former XSE officer who once saved Bishop's life. //</i><br /><br />I never knew Vision and the Living Tribunal had a daughter.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-61273999029816640262022-03-10T11:24:34.820-06:002022-03-10T11:24:34.820-06:00I don't think too many people were asking for ...I don't think too many people were asking for this series but I'm guessing the first Bishop series did well enough to warrant a follow-up. It's interesting that Bishop, Deadpool, and Gambit were given sequel series while the other chatacters appearing in their own limited series had to wait longer (Rogue, Storm, etc.). <br /><br />I thought this series was okay. It wasn't as strong as the first Bishop series and the art wasn't offensive. And it's more eyebrow raising at it's continuity points now than it had been when it came out. I think Peter David may have ignored a couple of things in favor of the story he wanted to tell. <br /><br />I'm also a fan of the novel way they worked Shard in. Well, Novel for comic books. Star Trek: Voyager already had a holigraphic character. <br /><br />I'm also surprised no one ever brought in a living Shard to the comics. I haven't read everything but, as far as I know, she kind of disappears after X-Factor ends. <br /><br />And, finally, how amusing is it that she gets called by her first name but Lucas gets called by his last? Even by her!Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10082589040664926667noreply@blogger.com