Episode 1447 Talkback - Off the Racks: Amazing X-Men #1, Scooby-Doo Team-Up #1, and Unity #1

Adam_Murdough

This month's roundup of recent releases includes Marvel's Amazing X-Men, DC's Scooby-Doo Team-Up, and Valiant's Unity. As always, our OTR reviews contain SPOILERS, so read before you listen! (1:47:08)

Listen here.

luckymustard

I heard the Muddle the Murd song a few months ago when I was watching a Cowsills documentary. Crazy family.

John_Steed

Only have read Unity #1. Valiant is still going strong. Like it. Would love to read more current Marvel - but I find the books are way too expensive. Waiting for sales. Was never into Scooby-Doo so I pass on that one (even though the price is right)

Love OFF THE RACK - thanks guys :x

Elsiebub

I thought Amazing X-Men was good but not great. It very much flows out of Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men run, which I ran hot and cold with. I feel there's a fine line between fun charm and droll goofiness, and sometimes Aaron crosses that line. But Aaron has reined in his excesses for Amazing X-Men, and through two issues it's been perfectly fine in my opinion. Not as good as Wolverine and the X-Men at its best, but much better than Wolverine and the X-Men at its worst.

Nightcrawler died in "Second Coming", which was the X-event sequel to "Messiah Complex".

Angel has been like "a New Age philosopher" due to things that happened in Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force, the entirety of which is coming out in Omnibus format this Spring! (Holding out hope for it being featured as a Book of the Month Club selection, guys...)

Anyway, nice episode. Glad Jamie liked Infinity. I liked it as well. Best event in years. (The only thing I didn't like about it was its name. Why is it even called Infinity?!)

Mr_Cosmic

Elsiebub said:

(The only thing I didn't like about it was its name. Why is it even called Infinity?!)

I actually think there are a few reasons but the most obvious is that this is an event with Thanos and the Infinity Gems. In the early 90's Jim Starlin wrote a mini called The Infinity Gauntlet. It also involved Thanos and the Infinity Gems...this was followed by ongoings and minis with names like Warlock and the Infinity Watch, Infinity Crusade, Infinity War, Infinity Abyss, etc..sort of a word that carries weight in the MU..kind of like Crisis in DC comics.

X_Dane

Well well i just listen, and can now join the esteemed club of people who have muddled the Murd.

As for Off the Racks, I thought the Amazing X-Men was a very good book, soo good to see Nightcravler back, but as my name alludes i read X-Men my whole life and you really get the full effect if you have read current X-Men, especially Aarons Wolverine and the X-Men.

And Warbird is a shi'ar warrior who came with Gladiators son when he joined Jean Grey's school, she have appeared regularly in Astonishing X-Men until it got cancelled, and WOlverine and the X-Men.

As for Unity, haven't read any valient yet, Jamie or any other Valient readers can point out a good place to start? or should i just order the next bundle and jump in?

mwhitt80

Ok this is way offtopic, but
Charlie Murphy has forever changed the word Unity for me.
"Cocaine's a hell of a drug"

Elsiebub

Mr_Cosmic said:

Elsiebub said:

(The only thing I didn't like about it was its name. Why is it even called Infinity?!)

I actually think there are a few reasons but the most obvious is that this is an event with Thanos and the Infinity Gems. In the early 90's Jim Starlin wrote a mini called The Infinity Gauntlet. It also involved Thanos and the Infinity Gems...this was followed by ongoings and minis with names like Warlock and the Infinity Watch, Infinity Crusade, Infinity War, Infinity Abyss, etc..sort of a word that carries weight in the MU..kind of like Crisis in DC comics.

Yeah, I know all that. But the Infinity Gems weren't involved here at all. They were mentioned like twice, and then the idea of collecting the one remaining Gem was just a feint, because Thanos was really after his son. And most of the story took place off-Earth anyway. "Infinity" sounds cool, but "Death of the Space Knights" or even "Cannonball Falls in Love" would have been more relevant titles.

Thor_El

X_Dane said:

And Warbird is a shi'ar warrior who came with Gladiators son when he joined Jean Grey's school, she have appeared regularly in Astonishing X-Men until it got cancelled, and Wolverine and the X-Men.

Beat me to it. :D

Warbird always struck me as a potentially interesting character. I very nearly bought Astonishing X-Men simply because she was going to be in it but ultimately passed. I really like the Shi'Ar, so I always enjoy seeing them.

As for Gladiator's son, I absolutely despise him. The sudden revelation that Kallark has a son is completely opposite everything we've come to know about Kallark's character. "Kid Gladiator." Ugh. Hate, hate, HATE that character.

As for Amazing X-Men, it's an absolutely fantastic book for all of the reason Jaime stated. In fact, I was surprised Adam didn't take to it since personally I feel it's SO much like Claremont & Davis' Excalibur. Even MgGuinness' art sort of evokes Davis' in this series. It is, in fact, the only X-Men book I read. And the first I've regularly picked up since the '90s.

X_Dane

Thor_El said:

As for Gladiator's son, I absolutely despise him. The sudden revelation that Kallark has a son is completely opposite everything we've come to know about Kallark's character. "Kid Gladiator." Ugh. Hate, hate, HATE that character.

I feel the same way about Kid Gladiator.
But did you read the Wolverine and X-Men Annual, i think it did some good things with Kid Gladiator, made him grow a little, just hoping it sticks.

Thor_El

X_Dane said:

But did you read the Wolverine and X-Men Annual, i think it did some good things with Kid Gladiator, made him grow a little, just hoping it sticks.

I had not but I just grabbed it on Comixology and read through it. I'll admit it was a good read, but it did little to make me like the character any more.

Corwin

Amazing X-Men- Aaron already sent Wolverine to Hell so going in the opposite direction isn't much of a surprise.

Elsiebub said:

Angel has been like "a New Age philosopher" due to things that happened in Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force, the entirety of which is coming out in Omnibus format this Spring! (Holding out hope for it being featured as a Book of the Month Club selection, guys...)

AMEN! At the very least #1-18. Rick Remender, Jerome Opeña, Esad T. Ribic, Carmine Di Giandomenico and Mark Brooks? You can't go wrong!

Other people have already posted my X-corrections to I'll just say keep up the good work gentlemen.

hauberk

I continue to enjoy the Off the Rack episodes. However, I would like to offer that there is a significant difference between a review and the ultra detailed synopsis given for Unity.

Brack

If Adam had been reading the generally awful characterisation that Nightcrawler was lumbered with post-Excalibur and the lacklustre end that he met, seemingly just to meet an EVENT DEATH QUOTA, he may have been better disposed towards Amazing X-Men #1.

Nightcrawler's death did not deserve to be treated with dignity because it meant nothing at the time beyond a blessed respite from the dullard that successive writers had turned him into.

Bringing characters back from the dead is not a problem in superhero comics, the problem lies with the meaningless deaths that necessitate the resurrections. There are other ways to inject your story with drama without resorting to death every time.

Corwin

Brack said:

Bringing characters back from the dead is not a problem in superhero comics, the problem lies with the meaningless deaths that necessitate the resurrections. There are other ways to inject your story with drama without resorting to death every time.

Like what happened to Archangel during the Dark Angel Saga?

Brack

Corwin said:

Brack said:

Bringing characters back from the dead is not a problem in superhero comics, the problem lies with the meaningless deaths that necessitate the resurrections. There are other ways to inject your story with drama without resorting to death every time.

Like what happened to Archangel during the Dark Angel Saga?

Yeah. Thinking about it, Remender is pretty good with that sort of thing. Franken-Castle was similar, and the arc leading into that was used to undo some of the very deaths that may have set us down this path of event death quotas and editorial lists of characters who can be killed in the first place (the villains killed by Scourge).

alienal

WHoa! I'm falling way behind....halfway thru January and I'm listening to late December episodes.
Scooby Doo Team-Up: didn't order it or get it. I really appreciated you guys trying to do the voices.
Amazing X-Men #1: BUY! The things that Adam mentioned didn't really bother me.
Muddle the Murd:
Unity #1: BORROW...mostly because without reading the rest of the Valiant universe I felt a bit left out of things. It also seem VERY decompressed...
Infinity: Ah, well I liked it well enough. The artwork was particularly good, but the story just so-so.