Episode 1658 Talkback - Off the Racks Two-in-One
Adam_Murdough
Posts: 506
We're burning through our backlog of Off the Racks reviews double-time, bringing you six (count 'em: SIX!) semi-seasonable single-issue synopses and size-ups in one fell swoop! From a galaxy far, far away (Marvel's Darth Maul #1) to a WildStorm Universe that's far, far from the one you remember (DC's The Wild Storm #1); from soft-hearted alien assassins (Dark Horse's The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1) to hard-headed space cops (Green Lantern/Space Ghost Special #1); from the birth of a nation (Rebels: These Free and Independent States #1) to the rebirth of the X-Men titles (X-Men Prime #1), this episode covers twice the comics in only 130% the time! But first, a Bat-elegy for the dearly departed Adam West. (1:51:54)
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Comments
The Visitor is the only one of these I've purchased, but I was waiting for all five issues to come out before I read it. I'll be reading it next, I think. Love me some Paul Grist!
My problem with Darth Maul is that it felt like they were trying too hard to recapture the magic of Boba Fett. But whereas they let Boba Fett just show up in the background, they—as mentioned on the show—put the spotlight on him in the marketing for the movie, making it feel contrived to me.
You're damn right I would say that, Murd. X-Men were my entry point into comics, and I've found it depressing how Marvel has allowed the franchise to languish of late. Bendis' run was a breath of fresh air, but the entire Terrigen plotline was a bust. They intended to boost the Inhumans by lessening the amount of mutants, but instead it paid both sides a disservice.
Remember the 198? Marvel keeps waffling back and forth between few mutants, now mutants, and somewhere in between mutants. And I seriously can't keep track as to whether Cyclops is dead, alive, just sleeping, in a coma, on holiday, working as a cruise ship director, evil, good, or all of the above.
As for what they've done to Emma Frost...oy. Talk about character assassination. Years of building her up, simply to heel turn once more? Sheesh.
Needless to say, I hope this new X-iteration winds up bringing the X-men back off life support. I'll be checking it out on Unlimited for sure.
I do indeed agree that the X-Men have seen better days. Bendis' run was some excellent stuff, and brought my interest in the line back to its peak, after both Brubaker and Gillen set the stage beautifully.
The Inhumans stuff and making mutants an endangered species completely ruined any and all momentum the X-Men may have had going for them. It felt forced, and more than anything else, it felt repetitive. Remember The 198 and No More Mutants, Marvel? The constant waffling between there being millions of mutants to few mutants to a little bit more mutants to three and a half mutants to how many mutants can you fit in a bread basket is really tedious.
What is even worse is the recent treatment of Emma Frost, as they threw away YEARS of positive character growth to make her a cartoon caricature of a villain because the lead Editor said so. And I have no idea if Cyclops is dead, alive, or working at a Kinkos in Delaware at this point.
That being said, I am hopeful about this new direction for the books, and will be checking it out on Marvel Unlimited once it hits there. The X-Men deserve to be a tent-pole for Marvel, instead of its red-headed stepchild.
That said, I revere the biography by Chernow that the musical is based on. He also wrote a magnificent biography of Washington, and I believe he is currently writing a take on Grant. It's wonderful that your daughter was so inspired by the musical that she actually picked up books on the subject (which, I would imagine, was one of Miranda's key goals when he created the musical). She's already well ahead of the overwhelming majority of the U.S. population. Some of my students have seen the musical and enjoyed it, but considering most kids don't read anything beyond their phones, I haven't seen much crossover into actual exploration of historical texts.
What is excellent stuff is Cullen Bunn. Essentially he's been the voice of Magneto these past 3 and a half years through Magneto, Uncanny X-Men and now X-Men Blue.
Of the other X-Men books:
Old Man Logan - Brisson and Deodato's first issue was so much better than the entirety of Lemire's Marvel run, both on this book and elsewhere.
Cable - Like every other James Robinson book you'll have read lately it's just a great big EH? Just like his original Cable run.
Writers like Bendis and Robinson get a lot of attention on CGS for work that is over a decade old. In Robinson's case work over 2 decades old. Before you plonk down money based on fond memories of Starman ask "what have you done for me lately?".
If you still want a modern day Marvel book from Robinson, get his Nick Fury book, it is at least visually interesting.
All-New Wolverine - there's a reason this didn't get rebooted, it's been one of Marvel's best books since its launch.
Generation X - The Dodsons' covers are selling you a bum steer. A big part of the problem of this relaunch is the idea that you'd want to go back to 90s rather than move things forward. They need a writer to come in with big ideas for the X-Men like Morrison did, rather than come up with an editorial direction and find writers who'll do that for them. But if you're excited about a book involving The Purifiers where all your heroes have the same face, this one is for you.
Jean Grey - I hated the time displaced X-Men in Bendis' hands, but weirdly I've pretty much enjoyed every time someone else has used them. Hopeless comes in big with a Phoenix story that involves most of the previous hosts of the entity.
Weapon X - Thank god Greg Pak is a good writer, because Greg Land is a bad artist. If it wasn't crossing over with Pak's Hulk book, I'd not be reading it.
Iceman - WHY?
X-Men Gold - Another giant EH? in comic book form. Nothing interesting happening here, just retreads of hoary old X-Men ideas that are unfortunately also being retrod in other X-Men books.
X-Men Blue - This at least goes all the way back to Lee & Kirby's X-Men in the idea it's playing with, and builds on what Hopeless had done with the characters. And then in the latest arc gives us something weird, unexpected and tied into Secret Wars.