tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post6678581142456417997..comments2024-03-22T04:20:11.870-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining X-Men (vol. 2) #24Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-37054399060611318772018-04-27T08:55:32.243-05:002018-04-27T08:55:32.243-05:00The combination of Kubert and probably Sienkiewicz...The combination of Kubert and probably Sienkiewicz gives me quite a Sal Buscema vibe, specially a Sal Buscema + Sienkiewicz, obviously.chemolithoautotrophichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16095852342098869989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-25728942177547140992017-11-08T13:49:05.809-06:002017-11-08T13:49:05.809-06:00I wish AVENGERS TWO had made it into the second Bu...I wish AVENGERS TWO had made it into the second Busiek/Pérez AVENGERS OMNIBUS. Of course it's not by either of them -- it was Roger Stern and Mark Bagley -- but more than half the contents of that book were Pérez-free, so why not?<br /><br />I don't recall much about the series, other than that (broadly) I was looking forward to it and I was disappointed when I finally read it, and (specifically) one of the villains was It, the Living Colossus, marking the first time I saw it in anything outside of a Marvel Handbook.<br /><br />Oh, and Stern worked in a reference to Weird Al's then newest album, "Running With Scissors", which I thought was really funny. Specifically he had a long-haul trucker singing the lyrics to "Truck Driving Song".Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-81456670280933244272017-11-05T22:38:18.723-06:002017-11-05T22:38:18.723-06:00We did get a three-issue mini, Avengers Two: Wonde...<br> We did get a three-issue mini, <i>Avengers Two: Wonder Man & The Beast</i>, in 2000, although my recollection is that it disappointed on its own terms as well as in the context of the Busiek/Pérez Avengers run.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-65624917894443271922017-11-05T22:36:41.379-06:002017-11-05T22:36:41.379-06:00// Rogue & Gambit take a carriage ride through...<br><i>// Rogue & Gambit take a carriage ride through Central Park. //</i><br /><br />The way these things go — Marvel comics, but specifically X-titles — I had to wonder who the driver, face partly obscured, might turn out to be.<br /><br /><i>// Banshee returns to the mansion in this issue, somewhat oddly, as he left in the first place to chase after Moira //</i><br /><br />If only he’d talked to Misty Knight.<br /><br /><i>// Art in this issue is credited to Andy Kubert "and company" //</i><br /><br />Bill Sienkiewicz is in there for sure; matter of fact, I think he’s responsible for (or followed the pencils’ lead when inking, anyway) those disappearing feet.<br /><br /><i>// Xavier notes he's never encountered Mr. Sinister directly … , a reminder that for all his then-recent ubiquity, he was still a relatively new villain at this point without a ton of appearances to his name. //</i><br /><br />Likewise a reminder that before the edict to bring Xavier back there was a fair amount of big-deal stuff going on in the X-titles that he missed.<br /><br /><i>// Gambit does finally tell Rogue there can be more to love than the physical. //</i><br /><br />It sure look to me like they be touchin’ skin to skin, <i>cher</i>, no matter what the dialogue is sayin’.<br /><br /><i>// In a neat (if somewhat random) detail, an archway overlooking the room where Illyana died (and where Jubilee is mourning) is drawn to resemble Magneto's helmet. //</i><br /><br />Magneto’s actual face also looms over the mansion in the story’s final panel. Not literally his actual face, I mean, but an image of the real thing rather than architecture suggesting it.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-17434849797308357252017-10-31T06:55:17.720-05:002017-10-31T06:55:17.720-05:00Here starts Gambit's turn towards being less p...Here starts Gambit's turn towards being less pushy & more respectful/kind, but in earlier issues, he's constantly testing Rogue's boundaries. Regardless of her very good reasons for having them, it's not something you want someone to do. And combined with the earlier stuff (like him wishing kid!Storm was closer to his own age) it creates a creepy effect of him being a self-centered horndog & not in a funny way. As a kid, I didn't notice all this, but as an adult... let's just say that there's been similar situations I've seen that haven't ended half as well as here.Melahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05539894845356203447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-58240537672555023642017-10-30T15:05:55.203-05:002017-10-30T15:05:55.203-05:00Teemu, I'd like to live in a world where that ...Teemu, I'd like to live in a world where that asterisk wouldn't be needed, but you're right -- we would probably have to include it.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-11243759405643037702017-10-30T11:17:23.221-05:002017-10-30T11:17:23.221-05:00I kinda loved how they dragged out the mystery of ...I kinda loved how they dragged out the mystery of her real name. But I loved anything connected to Rogue. Although I'll have that love sorely tested in both her solo and paired w/Gambit minis. ;) But I'll wait for the Gentlemen to get there before expounding. :)<br /><br />As a teenage boy, I publicly stated I was a fan because of the action and battles...but privately I ate up all the romantic entanglements like that gumbo in the comic.<br /><br />I was also deeply invested in the Rogue/Gambit pairing and also thought it was grand and romantic.<br /><br />I hope you dont my asking, but what red flags are you referencing? But I'm actually only reviewing the restaurant scenes via the pages posted here and may have missed it.Notorious J.O.E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16981069985099562942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-57559244209995393642017-10-30T10:56:53.545-05:002017-10-30T10:56:53.545-05:00In regards to Cyclops, do you mean that he's d...In regards to Cyclops, do you mean that he's drawn as if wearing a visor but colored as if he's wearing glasses?<br /><br />The size discrepancy on the cover isn't too bad, though. But I'm biased as I've been entirely in love with it since I was a teen. :)Notorious J.O.E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16981069985099562942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-24463057416855414482017-10-30T07:00:14.853-05:002017-10-30T07:00:14.853-05:00"Cyclops describes Mr. Sinister has almost de..."Cyclops describes Mr. Sinister has almost destroying his life with Madelyne which A. seems to suggest his life with Madelyne wasn't destroyed in the end and B. grossly underplays the very direct role Cyclops himself played in destroying his life with Madelyne." I think that the emphasis might be different- Sinister almost destroyed Scott's life BY CREATING Madelyne, not Sinister almost destroyed Scott's life with Madelyne. The problem with that, of course, is that Scott is refusing to admit that if he had simply dealt with the situation with Jean and Maddie upfront instead of running away, things could have been different.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-66463061326248001972017-10-29T10:16:23.866-05:002017-10-29T10:16:23.866-05:00Two points: one, the colorist’s mistake on Cyclops...Two points: one, the colorist’s mistake on Cyclops’ glasses in the last panel always bothered me. It’s an obvious and unnecessary mistake. Second, say what you will about the cover, but Gambit’s head is disproportionate big compared to Rogue. Try to ignore that after I told you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-14922254719330276442017-10-29T10:15:42.140-05:002017-10-29T10:15:42.140-05:00Two points: one, the colorist’s mistake on Cyclops...Two points: one, the colorist’s mistake on Cyclops’ glasses in the last panel always bothered me. It’s an obvious and unnecessary mistake. Second, say what you will about the cover, but Gambit’s is disproportionate big compared to Rogue. Try to ignore that after I told you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-59619409353621721682017-10-29T08:50:52.533-05:002017-10-29T08:50:52.533-05:00I hope you will get it and the cover will say:
BA...I hope you will get it and the cover will say:<br /><br />BANSHEE*: THE CANARY ISLAND ADVENTURE<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />* <i>Yes, Banshee</i>Teemunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-47640188908720864382017-10-29T08:46:31.853-05:002017-10-29T08:46:31.853-05:00There will be a prologue where he and Forge finall...There will be a prologue where he and Forge finally go look for Dazzler, but they are too late as she has ditched to Mojo-world and only find (and appropriate) her Outback-era suntan lotion.Teemunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-1355105221885576992017-10-29T07:51:52.049-05:002017-10-29T07:51:52.049-05:00I hope that mini séries will explain how a redhead...I hope that mini séries will explain how a redhead Irish can this tanned.Frenchienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-31709237167921108662017-10-27T15:32:19.305-05:002017-10-27T15:32:19.305-05:00Forget the Third Summers Brother. We need to know ...Forget the Third Summers Brother. We need to know what happened on THE CANARY ISLAND ADVENTURE. Everyone else was getting minis in 1994, what the hell?<br /><br />While it does make those departures earlier in the series look extra pointless, I'm glad to have him back too. Not that Sean actually does anything for a good year's worth of issues, but you don't notice with the cast being as large and busy as they are. He makes enough appearances to remind you he's hanging around the mansion, and it's a sneaky good way of setting the character up for what's to come.<br /><br />I remember wanting Beast in the Busiek/Perez Avengers so bad after that Wonder Man issue. He was being utterly wasted by the X-office. I really, really hated that late '98/early '99 run at the time.<br /><br />This is a decent, remarkable issue. Nicieza doesn't do the Quiet Issue as well as Lobdell, but he nails that foreboding tone. The sketchier Kubert art helps sell it for me as well.cyke68https://www.blogger.com/profile/16863809928504935104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-68821188758678596182017-10-27T11:38:08.474-05:002017-10-27T11:38:08.474-05:00I somehow missed this issue as a teen, after havin...I somehow missed this issue as a teen, after having become a regular reader with #20 -- however this would be the final issue I missed for pretty much the rest of the 90s. And a friend of mine owned it, so I read it at his house anyway, even if I didn't have a copy of my own.<br /><br />I'll third the love for the cover, though some of the interiors are a bit iffy. The shot of Cyclops standing before Xavier, wearing apparently skintight jeans and shirt, is pretty silly. Andy Kubert was improving in leaps and bounds throughout the twenties of X-MEN, but he was still struggling with certain things, including civilian clothes, at this point. Also, I love that Cyclops apparently put on a tie just for his flight home from Alaska. That's the square Scott Summers I know and love.<br /><br /><br />"<b>Indeed, that work will come to dominate his appearances over the next couple years, as we'll repeatedly see him working to find a cure or in a similar capacity, versus more generic superhero involvement in stories.</b>"<br /><br />The funny thing is that at some point, the X-books more or less forgot about the Legacy Virus -- or severely back-burnered it, I suppose -- and then in a Kurt Busiek AVENGERS issue circa 1999 or so, Beast shows up to welcome Wonder Man back from the grave, apologizing for not dropping by sooner, but he was tied up with Legacy Virus research. I remember reading that line at the time and thinking, "Oh yeah, the Legacy Virus. That's still a thing, isn't it?"<br /><br /><br />And now the elephant in the room that I know we're all thinking about; that we've all been waiting for since X-MEN #4...<br /><br />"<b>Banshee returns to the mansion in this issue</b>..."<br /><br />I really think everyone forgot about him. As you note in your recap, he and Moira both left in X-MEN #4, and Moira returned almost immediately. Forge also left the X-Men and returned in pretty quick order around the same time. But poor Sean Cassidy continued to live up to the precedent set by Chris Claremont in the prior decade, of disappearing for massive chunks of time, not even putting in appearances when stories might logically dicate he should at least have a cameo.<br /><br />On the plus side, he won't be forgotten about again for the rest of the decade, and there's some really good stuff ahead for him in "Phalanx Covenant" and GENERATION X. In fact it was those stories, coupled with reading the Claremont/Cockrum/Byrne "All-New, All-Different" stuff for the first time around this period, that made Banshee one of my favorite X-Men.<br /><br />Also, I've been waiting almost 25 years now for a BANSHEE: THE CANARY ISLAND ADVENTURE prestige format maxi-series. Hopefully someday soon, someone at Marvel will greenlight that thing. I'm sure they must have received dozens of pitches for it over the past couple decades. It's a no-brainer of an untold story waiting to be revealed.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14580725636327122073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-87652299941416911132017-10-26T23:33:03.138-05:002017-10-26T23:33:03.138-05:00One of the most memorable covers from this Era of ...One of the most memorable covers from this Era of X-Men. Love Kubert's artwork on this one. I randomly found a coffee mug in an old antique store with this cover as the wrap around image. Had to buy it. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01765931971021436636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-44258209825176452072017-10-26T17:59:50.228-05:002017-10-26T17:59:50.228-05:00To this day, this cover (along with the cover to t...To this day, this cover (along with the cover to the upcoming Scott/Jean nuptials) is one of my absolute favorites of this series.<br /><br />Speaking of the art, I actually kinda loved the weird sketchy aspect of this issue. Stylistically, it felt Bill Sienkiewicz-lite. And it, to me, also played to the emotional devastation of the team post funeral & defection.<br /><br />I also felt like the Magneto doorway was an intentional way to let the reader know that Magneto's reappearance was a spectre haunting everyone and a reminder that the real drama of his return was shortly to come.Notorious J.O.E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16981069985099562942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-28703484179554057452017-10-26T17:54:38.293-05:002017-10-26T17:54:38.293-05:00Man. Ditto on the Jubilee scene. I remember readin...Man. Ditto on the Jubilee scene. I remember reading this issue when I was ten years old and not being affected. Now it's really tearing at my heartstrings.<br /><br />(The effect is attenuated the fact that Illyana eventually returns to the world of the living. I'm reminded of a scene in one of the last issues of Sandman where a murdered character asks not to be resurrected because it would make his death meaningless. I rather wish more comic book writers would take that to heart.)Patrick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02410016566636603639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-54707148081362635592017-10-26T16:46:54.392-05:002017-10-26T16:46:54.392-05:00I didn't expect to cry tonight, but that page ...I didn't expect to cry tonight, but that page with Jubilee did it. It's that she's holding the doll...<br /><br />When I was younger and reading/watching X-Men with my friends, Rogue's real name was the biggest and most exciting mystery to us. We were convinced she had to be connected to someone important, but in hindsight, there's nothing a name reveal could add to her. She was already interesting & important.<br /><br />Also, as kids, we thought Rogue & Gambit were the most tragic romantic couple ever. As an adult, I want to tell her to get out of there & find someone infinitely less creepy. Like you noted, they're finally starting to dial down Gambit's skeeziness, but it only happens after a dinner full of red flags. Sadly, as far as bad romances sold to me as a kid, this is probably one of the less icky ones. At least Gambit could learn what boundaries are.Melahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05539894845356203447noreply@blogger.com