Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #17-18

These were just utter gems! I had a really great time reading issues #17-18 back-to-back last night. Jason Aaron has proven once again that he's the kind of writer who knows how to entertain his readers with some of the most absurd interpretations of certain characters that somehow always works for the side-stories he created. We had a very introspective one concerning Warbird in issue #13 and a confrontational one between Kitty and Colossus in #14. Now, here in #17, we have the most amusing and quirky installment yet concerning the mysterious Doop; an alien whose linguistic speech pattern is barely understood by many (with the exception of Wolverine and other characters). He was hired as one of the staff in the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning for a job description nobody has a clue of except the headmaster Logan Howlett himself. This issue showcases the many varied ways Doop functions as the school's all-around 'protector'.

I loved this issue because I was actually very interested in Doop as a side character now, given how badass and sefless he is! Basically, Wolverine hires him for 'crisis management' because he's a flexible entity who seems to instinctively know when trouble is headed their way. Whatever possible disaster could happen to the school, Doop is there three steps ahead of time to make sure it doesn't come to pass by employing whatever measures it takes to prevent it. And we see these hilarious moments unfolding for this issue whenever Doop gets caught in the most absurd and implausible fights and scenarios all to safeguard the school and its students. And nobody even knows that he's always out there, sometimes in a daily or weekly basis, risking his life in complete anonymity. All the while, teachers are puzzled why he's even in school, and have tried to tell Wolverine that they should probably get rid of him because he doesn't seem to contribute as an employee, but Wolverine knew better, of course. He's the only one who appreciates the extent of Doop's responsibilities for the school; how overworked and invisible he is to everyone. And still, he is dedicated and kind even when some of the people in school think his a burden or an annoyance. It's pretty sad, and I wish I have him beside me so I can hug him and tell him 'thank you for being a badass'.

Doop in a nutshell

Issue #18 is the last crossover issue for the main event AVX though it's worth noting that the AVX scenes here were only squeezed in and they featured that climactic event when Professor Xavier tries to put a stop to Scott's Phoenix possession by sacrificing his life in the process. It was an important moment especially since this was contrasted with the supposedly light-hearted dance night that Kitty threw for the entire Jean Grey school just to keep the students happy and distracted from all the clusterfucks happening around them. The Stepford sisters did not join the fun, though, and were monitoring the mutant activity in Cerebra instead for any changes or disruptions. It was them who discovered Xavier's death as it unfolds in real-time. Meanwhile, Idie (the mutant with temperature-controlling abilities) has been visiting a church outside the school. Her sudden change in disposition was notable and it allowed her to laugh and even flirt with Quentin Quire during a dance. Broo was heartbroken about this because he likes Idie, and so he breaks out of school to go to the church Idie has been attending and discovers the preacher she's been talking to is a cyborg that was developed by one of Kade Kilgore's lackeys. 

It turns out that Kade and the Hellfire Club had been busy trying to recruit and brainwash impressionable students into joining them. They've been trying to recruit Q before but he expressed his disinterest, especially now that he's preoccupied with Idie on the dance floor as they shared their first kiss. In the AVX battlefield, Hope finally absorbs the Phoenix Force and starts fixing things around the globe using its powers but was unable to let it go until Wanda (Scarlet Witch) convinced her to. As soon as she did, Cerebra picked up a sudden surge of mutants being reborn all across the world. Excited and overwhelmed, the Stepford sisters informs Kitty about it and the four of them embrace one another with joy and relief. With the death of Xavier and Hope releasing the Phoenix back into the cosmos, the mutant race starts to thrive once more. Everyone is caught up with this major development that no one even noticed when one of the lights in Cerebra died out. It was no other than Broo. Kade had just shot him inside the church, and nobody even knows. It was shocking and I was a little angry because I was beginning to be very fond of the little guy and I had to watch him die alone like that. Since Xavier just died too, and then a miraculous thing occurs around the world concerning mutants, Broo's demise seems rather inconsequential compared to them. And that's just unfair!!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #15-16

Oh dear gods of Asgard, when will the crossover story of the Phoenix Five vs. Avengers story ever going to end and stop messing with Aaron's WAXM issues? Fortunately, the previous issues #13-14 were standalone pieces that focused on character dynamics with Warbird and Kitty/Colossus respectively. With issue #15, we get yet another Phoenix-related sidestory which wasn't awful, actually, unlike the last two has which (#11-12) which were so confusing and all over the place. Here we get Hope Summers finally stepping up to that plate, ready to fight with Wolverine and the Avengers as they all face the music with hopefully a final showdown with the Phoenix Five. Well, I know damn well it's the last, considering we get Professor Xavier joining the troops here and we all know he might as well be walking to his death.

The issue did a fine job establishing suspense for the inevitable confrontation by highlight some important conversations between and among certain characters. It opens with Wolverine and Hope talking about the gravity of her choice, and the disastrous power the Phoenix brings that she may not be ready for. Wolverine maintains his position that if it were up to him, Hope will just be another student in his school, studying for exams instead of sacrificing herself in battle. That being said, he also acknowledges that she's her own person, and that her actions from this point forward are out of his control--nor does he have to feel responsible for her if things go wrong. Hope essentially absolves him of this while Wolverine warns her not to become a martyr. Hope asks him whether Jean Grey was a martyr too, and Wolverine answers truthfully that she was also more than that, just like Hope she would be. He expresses that he wished Jean was here so none of this would happen, but Hope slaps him with the truth that Jean is gone forever, and there's only her now and she needs him to trust her. And he does--even when it's the last thing he feels he should do. The alternative, after all, is a line he cannot cross; which is to kill her.

Meanwhile, Beast and the Avengers together with S.W.O.R.D special agent Abigail Brand try to come up with a plan on what to do with the Phoenix Force once they are able to drain it out of the chosen five. Iron Man suggests putting it somewhere, a deserted, large space or something, but none of them can come up with a viable location. Broo was there and he was happy enough to help them with his alien intelligence which impressed Tony Stark that he offered to do something in return for Broo. All that Broo ever wanted was to meet his superhero idol Nova whom Stark knows so that was a nice arrangement. On the other hand, we have Rachel Grey and Professor X walking down the school hallways, trying to figure out their roles in defeating the Phoenix as the world's greatest telepaths. Quentin Quire joins in their telepathic exchange and argues he is a strong contender who can match them in powers, and he made some remarks about how Xavier is already forgotten and irrelevant. Rachel was about to put him in detention but Charles--being the unrivaled king of passive-aggressive--knew there was a better way to 'punish' Q and then goes ahead and publicly endorses him for the student council president position which he knew Q will hate because he takes pride in being an anarchist outsider--and not as a groomed golden boy. It was hilarious!

Other amusing stuff happened in the sidelines as well: Angel officially graduates and , to celebrate, he strips off his clothes as he flies into the sky, Bobby and Kitty agree to pick up things and date for real once the war is over, the Cuckoo triplets have enrolled in the Jean Grey school, and Husk and Toad are totes lovers now. The issue ends with the selected troop of Wolverine, Hope Summers, Rachel Grey, Angel, Beast,  and Professor X go into battle with the Avengers to face the Phoenix Five.

Issue #16, however, is a deviation from the main events and we get a sideshow attraction concerning the tween Hellfire Club, focusing on the self-appointed leader: twelve-year old billionaire Kade Kilgore and his rise to evil stardom. His backstory was compelling enough, showcasing his brutality in spite of his youth and inexperience. He has ambition, charisma and the resourcefulness it takes to become a formidable villain so good for him. He had an amusing encounter with the Phoenix Five in the opening pages and Emma even insisted that they slay him and the rest of his tween goons but Scott still thought him a child so he sent him to prison instead. Big mistake, because Kade found a way to convince the inmates to fight for him in exchange for money once escapes. He wasn't a man of his word, however, and had the inmates killed while he flew off to safety with his bloodthirsty tween compatriots. Now they are headed to bigger things, and they will hopefully take centerstage once the AVX shite ends somewhere. We can finally get back to form for Aaron's WAXM, and Kade Kilgore shows a lot of promise and he is not to be underestimated after all.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #13-14

WARBIRD IS OFFICIALLY MY NEWEST FAVORITE X-MAN! I knew she must have been around for awhile but I only really knew her from Marjorie Liu's run of The Astonishing X-Men. I compared her to Castiel from CW's Supernatural once because of her amusing lack of human social skills that more often than not produce unexpected humorous circumstances. I got to know her in depth during her centric story arc from the same aforementioned title concerning her vicious training as a Shi'ar deathbringer even though she is secretly an artist. As it turns out, Shi'ar will frown upon any of their citizens, especially those who are born and raised in their military, if they possess such talents like being artistic which they perceive as wasteful and stupid. For WAXM issues #13, we get another crossover with the AVX story but unlike the last two which are so alienating, this one (as well as the next) read more as a standalone subplot in the midst of the ongoing wrestling match/extreme fight sports that is AVX. It's a smart move for writer Jason Aaron because the truth for the matter is that because of this AVX debacle, his title's content is sort of suffering in consequence so it's great that he took a step back from all that shite and just wrote something character-centric that still has some part to play in the crossover event itself.

Here we get an expansion of Warbird's backstory when she was still a child in the Shi'ar Imperium, being prepped to become a soldier. She was given the Rorschach test (which played out very much like in the Watchmen graphic novel so I liked that allusion). However, when she was asked what she sees in each inkblot, she replied with the expected answers such as bloodshed and gore when, in fact, we see her inner thoughts in the panels that depict beautiful scenery about nature like butterflies and powers, further emphasizing the point that she's a creative child who wants to be an artist in a society where only war is an accepted way of living and service. We get more flashback scenes about her life as a soldier next, how she was created for the purpose of becoming a warbird and nothing else. In a pivotal moment, she was tasked to slaughter a village and spared the life of an innocent girl just because she saw the child drawing calmly as she readies herself for execution. She helped that child escape but reported her own insubordination later on. As punishment, they made her a bodyguard to Gladiator's son Kid Gladiator to ensure she will start hating children because being a bodyguard to a spoiled brat is embarrassing enough for someone of her breed. The Shi'ar were hoping this will harden her stance against children.

Another enjoyable aspect of this issue is Warbird's infatuation with Bobby Drake a.k.a Iceman. In Marjorie Liu's run for AXM, she established that Warbird has great admiration for Iceman and Aaron expanded on this in WAXM by making her awkwardly try to pick up Iceman using horrendous lines that are supposed to be flirty but only end up creeping out Bobby. They're hilarious together and I want their dynamics to be explored further--which is probably never going to be a full-blown romance, considering Bobby and Kitty will hook up some time later--and then Bobby will come out gay BECAUSE FUCK IT, even though it makes more sense for him to be bisexual. 

ANYWAY, here is a snippet of Warbird once again hilariously propositioning Iceman:

Aren't they adorbs?

As the Phoenix Five (Namor, Magik, Colossus, Cyclops and Emma Frost) continue to hunt down the Avengers and Wolverine who chose to side with the Avengers. Meanwhile, Iceman, Rachel Grey and Angel work for the Phoenix Five and fulfilling their duties accordingly, believing the Phoenix Force can truly help the mutant race populate again (their allegiance will later change by the time issue #14 rolls by). Gladiator of the Shi'ar arrives to earth to protect his son who stubbornly tried to get involved in the AVX shite when Wolverine specifically instructed the faculty of his school (Kitty, Husk, Beast) to never endanger the students during the battles. K.G is a total tool, though, which is tragic because his father--in his wish to save his son from the clutches of the Phoenix--was severely broken by the end of a fight. Warbird felt like she failed in her duty to defend both father and son, especially the son whose heartbreak she most definitely feels responsible for. She knew she should have done everything to get him away from Earth. She should have beat him up and pulled him kicking and screaming the fuck away from there. If she had, both father and son would have been safe in the Shi'ar. This was a sad moment for Warbird, and her last inner monologue just killed me. Not only did she realize she can no longer draw when she attempted it again so many years later, but also she came to terms that the life she had as a warbird was hollow and fulfilling. Just take a look at this heartbreaking epiphany of hers:

Issue #14 was Kitty/Peter-centric but unlike the deceptively happy cover of the long-time pair, the content inside is pretty depressing. Colossus was one of the chosen receptacles of the Phoenix Force, and that much absolute power has changed him into something so incomprehensibly different from the man Kitty fell in love with. He asked Kitty out on a date and they had an enlightening conversation in regards to the status of their lives. Kitty knew that she and Peter can never be again, not particularly when he is still in Phoenix mode, not to mention that Kitty's priorities have changed by now and she is very devoted to her role as headmistress of the Jean Grey school. Colossus will hear none of it; he wants to claim Kitty as his partner, someone to share his power with, and if he had to destroy the school to get what he wants, he will. At this point, I was just shocked and disgusted that he would threaten Kitty's vocation and the children that are under her care. This is not the Peter I knew and admired, and he has been twisted into a very rotten man whom Kitty cannot wait to get away with for good. In a heroic stance that is very much Kitty, she wholeheartedly fought Colossus as he tried to destroy the school. In a timely display, Iceman, Rachel and Angel came back to Kitty and Wolverine's side and were prepared to face Colossus as well but Peter left willingly after realizing that Kitty is beyond his reach now and it's mainly because of his own damn fault. All the power in the universe will not make her love you again, Peter, especially now that you have become less of the hero she had fought alongside with for years. 

Not to mention that Kitty has her sights on Bobby now and she expressed an interest to date him now that she has completely moved on from Peter. It's a damn shame because I really shipped these two so much especially during Whedon's run of Astonishing alongside Emma and Scott. But we all have to move forward some time and Kitty deserves to preserve her dream school and have a new relationship from someone who respects her boundaries and choices in life (who will later on come out as gay but hey, for now he's interested in her), and Peter has stopped being that man for her. Again, a damn shame. Stupid fucking Phoenix Force has ruined my ship!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #11-12

Okay, WHAT? We get yet another crossover issues for the exhausting wrestling match that was Avengers Vs X-Men, and these two unfortunate installments have events that share a continuity with issues from other titles which meant that reading them together makes NO COHESIVE SENSE WHATSOEVER. In issue #11, some stuff happens that are also coincide midway through some other title's happenings--and then by issue #12, some other stuff happens again that was in another title so they are not related with issue #11 at all. We skipped several subplots between these issues and most of the time lots of action scenes occur that do not entice me visually. I don't even know how to write a proper review for either issues because there isn't enough material for me to draw upon. But let me try anyway.

Issue #11 features Wolverine and Hope Summers together. Last time in issue #10, Wolverine agonizes over choosing sides. Captain America asked him to join the Avengers in tracking down Hope and making sure the Phoenix Forces doesn't turn her into its host while Scott Summers (whom he had a recent falling-out with) urged him to protect the mutant race by ensuring Hope does get to possess the power of the Phoenix. So, tricky choices, y'all. Wolverine also decided that he should have the strength to kill Hope in case she can't control the Phoenix if and when she was possessed by it (inevitably, I suppose). An issue between #10 and #11 of WAXM occurred where Wolverine was able to track down Hope's exact location and instead of giving her to either the Avengers or the X-Men, he took her away so she can make a choice whether or not to choose the Phoenix. It was a great way of allowing her free will and placing his trust on her, believing she will make the right decision.

By issue #12, Hope has already joined with the Avengers and she is being protected by them (something, again, happened in the middle of another title), so I assume that she finally decided NOT TO BECOME the Phoenix Force's receptacle. Oh, and there was also the fact that PF just took over Namor, Magik, Cyclops, Emma Frost and Colossus in an issue I HAVE NOT READ YET. With Hope picking a side and sticking with it, Cyclops sent his alternate universe-daughter Rachel Grey to abduct his step-granddaughter in question. The Summers family is always so complicated with their relations and whatnot. Weirdly enough, Rachel believed Hope should offer herself to the Phoenix and I say it's weird because she herself knew what that experience entail firsthand and I can't believe she thought it was the wise to put the poor girl (her niece, I suppose) through the same insufferable ordeal. I guess Rachel believes as much as Scott does that the Phoenix Force will save the mutant race from extinction. So, these things happened and I was left confounded right after finishing because I barely understand everything.

There was also that sidestory about Death Commandos from the Shi'ar and Kid Gladiator joining in the battle (AGAIN, much to his bodyguard Warbird's chagrin). Jesus fuck, I hope the next installments are actually connected together so my review won't be this short and insubstantial.

In a nutshell...

NEED TO READ THE ENTIRE AVX STORY FIRST: 6/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #9-10

Major crossover event alert! The truth is I'll be reading the collected graphic novel for Avengers vs. X-Men by January 2016 but it's great to read issues about it in Aaron's title right now. Or is it? From what I understand AVX is like a glamorized wrestling match between the two superhero teams and it's sort of just as cheesy but mostly mildly annoying because the narrative and the branched-out side-stories caught in it have been lacking whatever excitement the concept was trying to live up to. Much like the mutant decimation story arc for House of M, the threat of the Phoenix Force is real and the Avengers are determined to prevent it at all cost. The AVX story has aftermath effects for Brian Michael Bendis' The Uncanny X-Men and All-New X-Men where we see Scott Summers battling demons after his murder of Professor X while under the cosmic influence of the Phoenix. So, basically, my reviews of the crossover issues here in WAXM will never be spoiler-free because I will be referencing current events in the MARVEL NOW! roster in line with this story. Suffice to say, I'm both nervous and intrigued how Aaron will write his share of the AVX, and I sure hope his signature humor, and artists Chris Bachalo and Nick Bradshaw's fantastic visual work can make it interesting for me. WAXM hasn't disappointed me in any way yet. I hope it doesn't start.

Issues 9-10 are essentially the rising action part of the narrative. Wolverine was both approached by Captain America and Cyclops in said respective issues. Cap enlists Logan's help to make sure the Phoenix Force doesn't take human form on earth and that candidate was of course Hope Summers, the mutant messiah who was focal in the arcs Messiah Complex and Second Coming, the latter of which is one of my all-time favorite X-Men major stories ever. Beast and Wolverine have a serious discussion afterwards concerning young Hope, and how Beast warns Wolverine sternly that she's a kid but Wolverine resigns himself to the reality that if she becomes a receptacle for the Phoenix, he has no other choice but to kill her, much like the same decision he made with Jean Grey, the woman he loved deeply, when she became Dark. He was unsuccessful back then and he sure as hell won't be now this time around. As if on cue, Scott Summers dropped by to dissuade him from joining the Avengers. Emma and Kitty--who never trusted one another--get to verbally pick on each other as Logan and Scott went somewhere to have a private discussion. It occured to me that WAXM happened right after the falling-out within the established group from Whedon's stellar title The Astonishing X-Men, and that Wolverine cut ties with Scott because of many disagreements on how to run things about mutant diplomacy or meritocracy or whatever stubborn perspective they just cannot compromise in. 

In the end, Wolverine went away and was joined by Kitty, Iceman, Rogue, Rachel Grey and Gambit to form the Jean Grey School while Scott, Emma, Ilyana and some other stayed in Utopia. That has worked well for some time....until now. Because now the Phoenix Force is about to crash into Earth, and Scott was hoping to control it--to seize Hope before the Avengers and use the Phoenix power to populate the world with mutants again. And he offers Wolverine a chance to stand with him. Logan doesn't like that plan. He doesn't believe the Phoenix can be controlled, and rightfully so. He thinks Scott is both arrogant and foolish enough to think that he can. Scott counters that Logan will be betraying the entire mutant race by siding the Avengers because in doing so he is depriving their race's fighting chance to repopulate. Putting Logan in a tight spot like that is a douchey move for Scott but these are desperate times. 

Hope has managed to elude everybody and no one knows where to locate her. Meanwhile, Gladiator of the Shi'ar Empire travels to Earth to save his son from the oncoming Phoenix Force while he also ordered the empire to apply the Death Commandos which I think has something to do with ensuring the death of the future host of the Phoenix Force which is no other than Hope. What I have to wonder now is if they are going to target Rachel Grey and Quentin Quire as well who are possible candidates to receive the Phoenix too. 

I guess I'm going to find out in the next issues.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #7-8

It's true--there is never a boring moment whenever I read issues for Wolverine and the X-Men. Everything about the stories I was served with so far feels both personal and eventful. It's personal because I always care about every character's welfare, and even laugh along with their jokes that can be both clever and awkward. It's eventful because tons of shit go down where survival is the most urgent goal, and this is most certainly true for Kitty Pryde who has been infested/impregnated by microscopic Brood who are rudely breeding in her uterus (yes, ewwwww does not even cover it), and so the miniaturized Beast, Iceman and Rachel Grey have to go inside Kitty's body to they fight their way through the Brood hatchlings. Bad news, though: new student Kid Gladiator tagged along (to clear up the rumors about losing to white blood cells last issue) so Warbird, his long-suffering bodyguard, was also there but she was unable to keep K.G's transformation into a Brood. 

And so here we are at issues #7-8. Alongside K.G's Brood new look, we have a preggers-in-appearance Kitty Pryde trying to protect her student Broo, a charming and eloquent Brood who isn't a bloodthirsty carnivore that wants to eat or impregnate everyone. As it turned out, an alien scientist was the one who injected Kitty with the tiny Broodlings so she will be a distraction for the rest of the X-Men to focus on while he, the scientist, is busy killing poor Broo, and all because Broo is an evolutionary anomaly. According to the jerkface scientist, the universe has a stable status quo concerning the food chain and Broo's existence negates its effectiveness. A Brood, after all, is a mindless killer who preys on other species and the fact that Broo is now some bashful, erudite nerd who is always so sweet and proper is simply antagonizing the rigid belief system that the universe has been operating on for zillion and zillions of...FUCKS I DON'T CARE ABOUT! Leave Broo alone! He's adorable and deserves to make his own destiny! So as this asshole close-minded scientist tries to kill Broo, the miniaturized faculty of the Jean Grey school try to eliminate Broodlings as much as possible without rupturing Kitty's uterus. Good times--especially for Warbird who has been so coquettish with Iceman in the manner as Castiel-esque as possible. Here is her enchanting pick-up line:

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Planet Sin, an outer space casino, Headmaster Logan and Quentin Quire are fighting their way through casino guards with their loot, and they escape just fine because they're goddamn Wolverine and Kid Omega after all! Unfortunately, the house always wins, and they send a 'thing' that managed to break down Wolverine's legs in an atomic level. Meaning, his adamantium steel-lined legs were twisted beyond recognition and now he can walk. Well, he did want to become the new Professor X--you know what, that's a joke made in poor taste. Forget I typed that. Quentin rushes to get them back home to Earth as safely as he could manage.

Back on Earth: Kitty was helped by the BAMFs which are essentially dwarf versions of Nightcrawler who can also teleport. They're cuties. I suppose they are named after the sound they make in comics whenever they teleport but everyone knows that BAMF also stands for BADASS MOTHERFUCKERS so it's a fitting name. Alien asshole scientist bitch-slaps Kitty into almost oblivion just as Beast was so close to doing something about the hatchlings infestations inside her body. Seeing his beloved teacher bloodied and hurt all because some jerk was trying to get to him made adorable Broo see red and his Brood mode kicked in and he LITERALLY STARTED TRYING TO EAT THE FACE OF THE SCIENTIST in a glorious display of macabre. In the end, S.W.O.R.D came in to arrest the perpetrator scientist and Kitty was pumped full of penicillin to get rid of the hatchlings in her system. She breaks down in tears, though, because she realized that she would rather have Brood filth in her uterus than an actual baby of hers, indicating that she's not ready to grow up. I'm sorry, kitten, but motherhood is not some end-all sign of maturity and adulthood, okay? Lots of proud and independent women are secure being childless so calm yo self! 

Well, she's definitely vulnerable because she kissed Iceman in desperation, much to Warbird's annoyance and the rest of S.W.O.R.D operatives' discomfort. Too bad Bobby Drake will come out gay AND NOT BISEXUAL WHICH MAKES MORE SENSE DAMMIT later in Bendis' run. So, enjoy it while it lasts, Kitty. The downside of issue #7 was for Broo. It turns out that he is a rabid killer underneath all his propriety and intelligence, which the alien jerkface scientist was gleeful to conclude. So he doesn't feel the need to exterminate Broo anymore because Broo will always be a Brood and sooner or later he will switch back to his primitive, bloodthirsty ways :(

And the school doesn't need to worry about money problems. Their lawn Krakoa can GROW DIAMONDS ON TREES!

Issue #8 gives us Wolverine in a wheelchair still trying to get back to his normal routine of being a teacher. But his entire class skipped the period. Meanwhile, Kade Kilgore is being mentored by Sabretooth and he instructed the Hellfire Club brat king to figure out the heart of the Jean Grey School if he wants to defeat the X-Men. So the kids skipped class because Warren a.k.a Angel wants to prove something. He has been damaged so badly that he literally believes he's an angel. He takes his classmates to Planet Sin and they all get to beat up the thugs who tried to kill Logan and Q last time. Kid Gladiator, however, was bored. He was looking for stronger opponents. Some jerk punched him hard on the face, much to the dismay of meek, introverted Genesis. The jerk made the mistake of trash-talking Kansas in front of Genesis, the place I assume was his home sweet home. Angered by that, he blasted the fucker off on the spot, simultaneously changing K.G's opinion about his weak prowess. Angel also got to bond with Genesis since they both are trying to establish an identity for themselves. Both are lost souls who struggle to fit in and belong. The biggest and bittersweet irony of it is that the only reason why Angel ended up like this (with his angel wings shredded and his mind wonky) was because of Apocalypse---and Genesis is a clone of Apocalypse, grown from a lab. So...they end up friends here, neither of them knowing they were already so viciously tied together in the past. This is a truth bomb just ticking away...

In other news: Sabretooth almost kills Beast's girlfriend Abigail of S.W.O.R.D and Hank was just not happy about that and proves to Sabretooth that you don't mess with the Beast. He is more heart than guts but you can never underestimate the heart. As Angel showed Logan once they returned back to school, a heart has faith and imagination. It turns out that Angel retrieved the weapon which crippled Wolverine so that they can figure out how to restore his legs. It was very touching! </3

But Kade Kilgore also just figured out the heart of the school and now gets ready to attack...

GOSH DARN IT, this is such a spectacular and badass series! I never found anything dull or obligatory about reading or reviewing each issue at all! There are so many wonderful small moments to talk about, and every character is meaningful and sympathetic in their own right! I LOVE THIS SERIES! I WANT TO MARRY IT! CAN I PLEASE WALK IT DOWN THE ISLE NOW AND PUT A RING ON ITS FINGER?

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #5-6

You know what, it feels pretty great to end my X-Men Comics Diet this year with a rather entertaining title like Jason Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men. I've read three other MARVEL NOW! titles before this so I know what will happen later on to a lot of the characters present in this series' roster which actually helps me to curb my enthusiasm and expectations. It doesn't lessen my enjoyment for WAXM, however. In fact, knowing that bad things will happen someday down the road has helped me appreciate what is there before it gets hurled into space or smashed into smithereens (sometimes this happens not only on a figurative level). Four issues in and Aaron's deft grasp with humor and suspenseful moments still tickle me in a special way. Where else could I find a storyline concerning a bunch of mutant students being miniaturized into small particles so they can pass through someone's body for a lesson in Biology class? Who else can accomplish such an absurd yet still education feat but Hank McCoy? What other title could include Toad as the school janitor and just leave it at that? All of these amusing things can only be found and be written so compellingly in Wolverine and the X-Men. 

For issues #5-6 of the series, stuff happens that are both comedic and suspenseful:

• Like that Doctor Who episode from its eighth season with Peter Capaldi entitled Into Dalek, Beast turns his students (Quentin, Idie, Broo, Kid Gladiator, and Genesis) into microscopic entities so they can enter/violate Toad's body structure. This is to make the learning experience very, very and I mean VERY interactive for the students. Quentin gets to vandalize organs while Kid Gladiator is defeated by white blood cells (but don't mention that to him because it makes him really angry). Idie was astounded that the mutant body can be so beautiful--in spite the fact that mutants are evil incarnates which Idie profusely believes about herself (poor kid). Broo was the only one who enjoyed the interactive lesson, naturally.
• Kitty Pryde, as we have seen last issue, was preggers. She's been hiding for two days but that doesn't fly past the faculty because she is teaching ethics after all so being absent from her own class is simply not good form. Eventually, she does come out of the room and Hank puts her under a thorough check-up only to discover that she was somehow infected by Brood, microscopic invaders who are trying to shut down her body from within. Well, fuck. Good thing Hank's earlier lesson in Biology came in handy. So Rachel Grey, Iceman, Warbird and Kid Gladiator team up to fight the Brood because natural antibodies just ain't gonna cut it.
• Meanwhile, some aliens started trespassing inside the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning, most likely to get the young Broo. The alien in question has detected them in advance so he stayed behind so he can help protect Kitty but Kitty was not having any of it and tried to fight her way through it. She got defeated and now Broo is in danger. Inside Kitty, Kid Gladiator was turned into a Brood specimen, making his bodyguard Warbird's job really difficult for her (again).
• Quentin Quire was not a part of this rescue mission because Logan has snatched him away earlier to join him in the outer space where they hope to dupe a casino as they earn lots of money using Q's telepathy to cheat. Look, the pubescent Hellfire Club had wrecked the school and before any legal proceedings can happen that could give them financial gain to have the damages repaired, they need to get money somewhere else because they are, in Aaron's own words in his summary for the issues, "flat out broke". But the two got caught before they could leave and a fight ensues.

This title is DA BOMB. So far, this GIF summarizes how I react every time I read an issue. While midway, I'll be laughing my ass off---the next I'll be so shocked about the sudden turn of events that I forgot what I was even laughing about in the first place.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #3-4

After his falling-out with Cyclops, Wolverine leaves Utopia and re-establishes a learning facility for young mutants in Westchester, New York where the former Xavier's School of Gifted used to be. With the help of his co-head Kitty Pryde and the architectural designs and construction that Hank McCoy had put in place, Wolverine's Jean Grey School of Higher Learning had officially opened its doors in the previous two issues, and two professionals from the New York educational inspection came over to see if the mutant school in question is qualified for a license. The entire process of evaluation had been grueling so far with Kitty and Logan unable to win over the inspectors as they are taken to the somewhat odd and questionable places and teaching practices of the school. It certainly didn't help matters when the self-proclaimed new Black King of the Hellfire Club crashes the party; some twelve-year-old billionaire twerp named Kade Kilgore who has an ax to grind with the X-Men and is more than dead serious in making sure the school never stays open.

With a grandiose show of theatric buffoonery yet also unmistakable villainous competence, Kade had mechanical Frankenstein zombies attack the students whilst the faculty are preoccupied with trying to appease the sentient genetic grandchild of the mutant island Krakoa who is now basically the school's lawn. Hank was relieved that the seismic and lava activity aren't his fault but the rest of the teachers don't really share that relief, particularly when the infrastructure of their school had just collapsed. Meanwhile, certain students such as the mutant Brood alien nicknamed Broo, and the uncomfortably cheery Idie get a handful of action as they try to fight off the Frankenstein zombies. Kid Gladiator joins the fun, much to his bodyguard Warbird's dismay. In the midst of the chaos, rebel Quentin Quire prefers to admire from afar in the confines of his detention room and was only forced to get involved because he hated, JUST HATED, the fact that none of the students recognize his infamy and work during the Schism storyline ages ago. To remedy that, he decided to confront Krakoa by himself. And it was surprisingly insightful of him to relate to the poor creature:

Maybe it wasn't so surprising. After all, Wolverine approached Quentin as someone willing to help him become a better person, and I think Quentin has shown a level of compassion for Krakoa because he had been at the receiving end of that once, even if he would never admit it to himself or aloud with other people. The best part of it all was that he did convince Krakoa to fight alongside them and become an X-Man, and Wolverine also agreed they could use a sentient lawn to guard the school. Quentin, ever cool, didn't even take credit for that, leaving Rachel wondering if the boy is starting to change for the best. I like the overall tonality and humor of this series so far!

Wolverine, cleverly enough, decided to get back at Kade Kilgore by suing him to pay for the damages he inflicted on their school. He hired Daredevil Matt Murdoch as the legal representative for this case, and the look of indignation in Kade's face is worth it!

In the fourth issue, we have Wolverine contemplating on how to balance his career as a teacher and as an Uncanny Avenger while Bobby Drake finds out what happened to his old friend Warren Worthington after their last encounter with Apocalypse. Essentially, Warren is broken mentally and totally believes he is a real celestial being that can bring back the dead---which isn't really far-off, actually. Bobby was a little pissed that Logan didn't tell him sooner and then decided he will take responsibility of Warren--and by that he meant making Warren one of the students for the school. I guess Bobby's a legal guardian now. That should keep him occupied since, after all, Kitty refuses to talk to him about their sudden kiss in the second issue. It's not like she doesn't have problems of her own, however, because this issue ends with the fuckity reputation that she's somehow PREGNANT. Yet another Kilgore agenda? I mean, he did have the means to create a Krakoa island and turned those NY Edu-inspectors into monsters, so he probably can knock up Kitty via genetic experiment. Oh, Jesus fuck, the new Hellfire Club is composed of brats and they even got Sabretooth on the payroll.

The most striking thing about this issue had to be the appearance of a young Apocalypse (now named Genesis) who is unaware of his lineage and is bothered by the fact that the cyborg Deathlok who has clairvoyance refused to tell him his future during a class presentation when he was okay revealing the other students' percentage for troubling life choices. Genesis later confronts him and tries to get some truth from him but Deathlok simply tells him that it was all up to him to make his future come true or not. Afterwards, Deathlok questions Wolverine's choice of bringing up the kid into the fold. Hey, this is the same guy who also took Quentin Quire under his wing, so it doesn't shock me one bit that Logan would be as lenient to an Apocalypse version especially when it's just a confused kid trying to find his place in the world.

Oh, Logan. It's so nice to see him in a more positive role such as nurturing children. He's still the badass who stabs people awesomely, but he knows it's time he becomes more than that. At this point he only wishes he can make it all work out for the best; the school, the questionable quality of character of a few of his students, and the upcoming battles he and his friends will have to face soon.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron issues #1-2

Here is the basic premise of this tantalizing ongoing series: James "Logan" Howlett, more popularly known as badass fan-fave Wolverine, builds a new educational facility for mutant children and adolescents, and names it after his late lost love. Now the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning is a renovated space of the previous infrastructure located in Westchester, New York. Wolverine and Cyclops have severed ties with one another before this, and so Scott stays in Utopia with a handful other X-Men (a secluded island somewhere) while Logan and some others go back to the old school so to they can teach and mold minds. It's a daunting task unlike anything a self-proclaimed loner like Wolverine has ever faced, but with the loss of his healing factor, he also began to ponder on the legacy that he will be leaving behind in case (and inevitably so) he bites the dust. With the approval and support of the retired Charles Xavier, Logan and co-headmistress Kitty Pryde nervously but enthusiastically proceeded to open the doors to their school of learning with the help of the appointed vice-president Dr. Hank McCoy who designed the buildings. This transition will prove to be a challenging endeavor and I can't wait to keep reading more!!

The first issue of Jason Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men has been an amusing piece that beguilingly invites newbie and veteran readers alike with its laidback narrative and humorous tonality. The mundane plot concerning Logan and Kitty's confrontation with officials from the New York Inspection for schools could have been bland in the hands of a lesser writer but Aaron rose up to the challenge and delivered something genuinely funny and engrossing from the first page of this issue down to the very next installment.

Even with Charles Xavier's confidence and vote of approval, you can tell Logan is unsure and a little insecure of his new career in education, but it's a good thing Kitty is there to work with him because they simply have one of the most interesting friendships in X-Men comics and it's great to see that she's all grown up and is now on equal ground with a man who was sort of a big brother/mentor to her back when she was just starting. All throughout the sneer and derivative comments of the NY school inspectors, Kitty brazenly endures it all, never losing her charm and optimism in trying to convince them to give Jean Grey School of Learning a chance. This is no easy task, of course, not when students, whether intentionally or not, manage to convince the inspectors even more that this school had to be shut down. Of everyone, Hank had to be the worst, untimely in his complaints regarding the shaky foundations of the building he designed which only earned more disapproval from the inspectors. Kitty was still determined to make the most of this as Logan was called to receive a stranger who happened to have the most malicious intent regarding the newfound school...

...and that is no other than the new leader of the notorious Hellfire Club--a twelve-year old billionaire named Kade Kilgore (subtle surname, asshole) who has far too much time in his hands and a personal vendetta against the X-Men that must have been nurtured since privileged birth. Logan was understandably shocked about a twerp like him but as the brat kept talking about the destructive plans he has for the school, Logan was convinced and was ready to beat the shit out of the damn kid but managed to keep himself in check as he went back to Kitty's rescue since she is solely trying to appease the growing doubts and paranoia of the inspectors who actually raise critical points concerning the child welfare of the students, regardless whether or not they have superpowers. And to think Kitty and Logan tried to hard to pull this off, even grounding their most troublesome student Quentin Quire for an extended detention somewhere inside the school. All of that goes to hell and worse when Kilgore along with his other teen henchmen unceremoniously commits the first attempt in destroying the X-Men--as well as revoking any kind of legal permit from the board of educators in New York. 

Kade Kilgore: Could be just as comparably worse as Game of Thrones' Joffrey Baratheon...with a cunning mind.

The second issue reveals that this is the story of how the sentient mutant island Krakoa hence basically became the school's lawn. At least now Hank was able to solve why their are seismic waves and lava underneath the school's foundation. Kilgore also poisoned the two inspectors and they transformed into monsters. Luckily, Bobby Drake, a.k.a Iceman has embraced the fullest potentials of his powers and made multiple copies of his ice self to fight off these Frankenstein zombies courtesy of, yes, Kilgore again. Even if he was a little piece of shit, Kilgore actually delivers with his nefarious plans so I guess I have no problem reading what else he has under his sleeve. Not only does Iceman singlehandedly defeat the damn things (albeit with the help of other X-Men plus the Shi'ar prince Kid Gladiator who is having far too much of a good time killing, much to his bodyguard Warbird's chagrin), Bobby was also able to snog Kitty Pryde which was nice and totally smooth. He had that painful story of self-discovery in the last arc of The Astonishing X-Men written by Marjorie Liu so I'm relieved to see him taking control of his powers again, and the rekindling of his relationship with Kitty.

YOU'RE AWESOME!

However, even if they did defeat these Frankenstein demons, there is still the issue about Krakoa and the only mutant who may be able to defeat him is no other than rebel teen Quentin whose problems with authority have been his character flaw since the introduction of his character, and now he's currently still chilling in a room somewhere, basically not giving a fuck. Yes, Quentin is a dick. And I love it!

Chris Bachalo's visual work for the issues was consistently striking and enjoyable as usual. So far with two issues of the shamelessly entitled Welcome to the X-Men...NOW DIE! story arc, this was a quirky opener filled with action and insight, able to have fun but still take things seriously along the way. Also, I'm glad we got an illustration of the faculty and student body of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning since this is an ensemble cast, and I'd like to keep track of everyone and be familiar with them at least in face value. But hey, we have forty-two more of Aaron's issues to go so I'm confident that I'll get to know all of these characters as the story progresses.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10