X-amining Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1-6

"Lies/Terror/Death/Rebirth/Courage/Honor"
November 1984 - April 1985

In a Nutshell 
Kitty Pryde receives martial arts training and takes the codename Shadowcat. 

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Allen Milgrom
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski, Joe Rosen (issue #4),
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Editor: Louise Jones & Ann Nocenti, Ann Nocenti (#2-6)
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot
Issue #1: In Chicago, Kitty Pryde, on leave from the X-Men following her breakup with Colossus, visits her father Carmen at his bank. She overhears him being threatened, and interrupts a confrontation between Carmen and a group of Japanese businessmen. Carmen explains that the men represent a Japanese firm headed by a man named Shigematsu, who is buying the bank, but Kitty senses trouble. Her father leaves for Japan, sending Kitty back to Xavier's school. But Kitty, thinking Carmen is in danger, instead sneaks aboard a plane and follows him to Japan. Locating the office of Shigematsu, she is horrified to overhear her dad agree to use his bank to launder money.

THE NERD WITHIN - Wolverine First Class 1-12 (2008)

Fred Van Lente has been infecting me.

I've enjoyed his collaborations on THE INCREDIBLE HERCULES but thought maybe it was more Greg Pak then him.

I few months back I stumbled upon a few issues of COMIC BOOK COMICS written by Fred and found myself laughing and smiling at his clever wordplay as he ran through a history of the medium we love through said medium.

I branched out to his series ACTION PHILOSPHERS! in which he runs through the history of philosophy with equal hilarity and in the same format as COMIC BOOK COMICS.


I needed more.

I discovered, thanks to MARVEL DIGITAL COMICS, he wrote WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS.

Bring it.

WOLVERINE FIRST CLASS examines the stories that took place between the pages and panels of UNCANNY X-MEN after Kitty Pryde joined the team. Wolverine is assigned by Professor Xavier to teach Miss Pryde in a one on one capacity and the dynamic of a spunky carefree teenager and a gruff and surly sasquatch brings new meaning to the phrase "odd couple".

The stories bring new depths to the classic tales TEEBORE will soon be reviewing and better explains how Kitty and Logan managed to grow so close.

Issue 12 showcases the rivalry of Cyclops and Wolverine from a new perspective as Cyke is assigned to teach Kitty for a day in place of Wolverine. A Lovecraftian monster gets involved, like you do, and Van Lente's run ends with one of his best issues.


Peter David supplied the writing until the series ended with issue 21. Of course, Peter provided what he usually does - witty writing and strong characterization, but Van Lente's issues had a heart to them that is often lacking throughout the medium.

If you're on Marvel Digital Comics, I believe the first 10 issues are available. Otherwise, the entire series is collected in TPB and can be found at your local comic store, amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or soon to be discounted at one of Borders fine store closings.

Faith in Leadership

Lots of promises were made in this past election season, however, I can't help but wonder what has been accomplished.

Have we been protected from menacing mystical forces and the dread Dormammu?

Where is all the evidence of indiscriminate smashing?

This next election cycle be sure to vote for a person (or entity) you can trust to follow through on his/her/its promises.

A message from Kitty Pryde.

VICTORY!!!!

Well, I've just received a gracious call from my competitor, Cyclops, conceding. I haven't talked to Kitty Pryde but really, who cares? She's a thirty party candidate! Bwa-hah-hah-hah!
Anyway, the results are clear. Thanks to a grass roots get out the vote campaign from The Baroness, America's choice is clear. America has voted against socialism and for lower taxes. America has voted Doctor Strange as president of The Gentlemen of Leisure. In fact, it was such a wide margin that it can only be interpreted as a mandate.
Together we can change the current state of affairs. Can we reduce taxes? Yes we can! Can we smash indiscriminately? Yes we can! Can we teach our youth the mystic arts? Yes we can! America has made its choice, and its choice is mystical!
For those of you who didn't vote for me? I will be your president too. And as your president, I will banish you to the dark dimension. If you're not with me, you're against me, and those who voted against me will see how they like hanging out with The Dread Dormammu. Suddenly a Doctor Strange presidency doesn't seem so bad? Huh? Can we banish the non-believers to the Dark Dimension? Yes we can!
So, together, as one unified blog, we can make this web page a better place to read and wri...

CAN WE SMASH????? YES WE CAN!!!!!
Me and magic man make blog SMASHING SUCCESS!!!!!!!

Let your voice be heard!

Alright, it's time to let your voice be heard. You've got a decision to make. You can vote for:

Cyclops\Beast and their pro human\mutant coexistence and pro-drinking-of-secret-formulas policies.

Doctor Strange\Hulk and their anti-taxes and pro-smashing policies.

Kitty Pryde\Lockheed and their pro-dragon and pro-hotness policies.

The choice is yours, but vote wisely.

Voting is to your left.

Anyone for a 3-way?

She's stood up to an oppressive regime.

She has vast experience with foreign affairs.

Her running mate knows how to handle terrorist threats.

She's a certified genius.

And she's hot ! ! !



Do you really want another stubborn white guy in the oval office?

It's time to put Pryde back in politics.


Kitty Pryde - guaranteed to NOT stop a bullet.