X-Men Forever 2 by Chris Claremont issue #14-16 (2011)

Here we are at the end of the line. It's hard to believe that I just spent a month and a half with this series with the joy and (sometimes) burden of a polarized perspective whenever I write these reviews. This would be my last Claremont series though I have plans to read his graphic novels right after XMF (most notably God Loves, Man Kills; The Dark Phoenix; and Days of Future Past). I would have opted to read his classic works in the title The Uncanny X-Men which ran until the late nineties or so but I think that would take a very long time and I have other more pressing commitments to read in the X-Men universe this year that are not strictly Claremont after all. When all is said and done, I don't have regrets choosing X-Men Forever even when I've reached a very low point while reading it. I'll be expounding on why in an official post that will detail what I've learned, loved and loathed from reading Chris Claremont as an X-Men writer. For now, let's focus on issues #14-16.

I thought it was only appropriate that X-Men Forever ends with the resolution of the Storm arc, considering it's a parallel to where the series first started which was Ororo Munroe's betrayal and deceit when she was revealed as a spy for the enemy (the Consortium) and after her brutal murder of Logan a.k.a fan-favorite Wolverine. The five-issued story arc from the first season entitled Love--And Loss! was ultimately my favorite of all the arcs and the entire series itself so I already have expectations for these three concluding issues, and I generally forego having expectations for XMF a long time ago (since the Sentinels bullshit, to be specific about it). There are two ways of looking at the ending of this series; one is a cynical  one where you still believe this series could deliver something better than it established from the beginning because you want to think Claremont still has it, considering his legacy. The other one is to accept without any sort of condescension or resentment that XMF delivered exactly what it can only achieve in its grand finale that may not be as promising as we all originally thought when we started reading past the five issues. I, of course, choose the latter. I wasn't disappointed when I finished reading issues #14-16. In fact, I thought it stuck its landing given the scope of hits-and-misses for this series as a whole. Did I think it could be better? YES. Absolutely, it could have been, but I stopped holding onto that possibility midway through the first three issues of the second season.

Divided meticulously well in three parts, the Storm story arc is a quiet and straightforward gameplay that began with the X-Men's infiltration of Wakanda (issue #14), which slowly progressed to a final climactic confrontation against the Avengers who are still in the dark in the most ridiculous and pathetic sense (it's the only thing that annoyed me about this ordeal; I really hoped Captain America and Thor would know better than to expect the worst from the X-Men when Tony Stark obviously gave up his life for the salvation of mutantkind). Finally, Perfect Storm (the vicious cunt clone) was apprehended and stored away as the real Storm (Ghost Panther and young 'Ro) have successfully merged  as one at last, and she has chosen to stay in Wakanda not only to rule its constituents but also to lead (even if the Consortium still lurks in the corner, probably ready to strike soon enough) by the end of issue #16.  Now, was it the ending that I wanted for a series that has been such a mixed bag of outrageous and convoluted plot arcs that were only balanced by the compelling character arcs its female characters represented in between? Well, the answer is truly a YES and NO combo.

YES because I'm just glad it's over and I can move on to the next X-Men title on my list. I don't think the ending would have been better either way because, though the series started out good, it  also got frustratingly disjointed midway through so hoping for an ending that will somehow fix the shitty clusterfucks that occurred earlier in the series is simply delusional. XMF, however, still tried its best to conclude on an acceptable average note. It had a nice ending, and that's it. I would also like to commend the fact that even when important characters like Wolverine and Beast died, they died not for shock value but rather in a dignified way that also allowed other characters some room to grow and thrive as individuals and as a team. I was invested in the Storm storyline so I was fine that the series ended on its pay-off. Also, I thought the character arcs with Kitty Pryde and Rogue (plus Nightwalker and Mystique) were satisfying even when they weren't absolutely concluded in this last issue. I can just come up with other ways their arcs would have developed some more which leaves a lot to contemplate about. I also thought the fact that it ended with Jean Grey and Scott (Cyclops) reconciling their differences not as lover but as comrades and leaders of the X-Men felt right. It resonated with me. Everything about this wrap-up was...NICE.

NO because there are still MANY UNASWERED QUESTIONS that are hard to ignore, particularly about the Consortium and the mutant burnout, and what is Nate Summers role in all of this debacle. These supposedly main plot arcs are swept under the rug somehow and so they were left being completely ambiguous. They're unfinished businesses that I believe weren't explored for this title sufficiently, making their impact underwhelming. I don't think Claremont ever wrote a follow-up for this. Perhaps other titles picked them up but I highly doubt it. I thought it was rather reckless and disappointing to overlook resolving these main arcs. But hey, I don't care about them in the first place so out of sight, out of mind. Now I rate these issues an 8-rating but only because I was happy about the Storm arc's pay-off.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men Forever 2 by Chris Claremont issue #11-13 (2010)

Apparently, I missed the circulation of that damnable memo where we now officially refer to the turncloak Storm (who is also the queen of Wakanda) as "Perfect Storm". It honestly wouldn't surprise me if this version of Storm  was the one who approved such an airy and condescending reference to be attached to her namesake. I tell myself that I will no longer be shocked by the twists and turns this clusterfuck series seem to be fond of making every step of the way. I tell myself that its abhorrent unpredictability has become rather predictable now, and that nothing--absolutely nothing--can surprise me anymore. To me, X-Men Forever has questioned every kind of status quo in the X-universe and that alone says much because this is the motherfucking X-Men and no universe is more rampantly shifting and evolving than the X-Men's.

In XMF, they killed Wolverine, Beast and Tony Stark. They sent Professor X to some alien planet. They destroyed the Xavier Mansion in a way that it's constantly "phasing" between realities. They switched Rogue and Nightcrawler's powers. They gave Kitty Pryde an adamantium claw. They brought back the lame Sentinels. They turned the Avengers against the X-Men. They made Sabretooth and Mystique unlikely allies. They made the Silver Samurai join forces with Matsuo as Mariko Nashida joins forces with Sigrid Trask and the Consortium. BUT THE WORST OFFENSE of it all, in my humble opinion, is turning Storm into a fucking diva and a cunt who conspired against the X-Men as a double agent and then murdered one of her friends. Afterwards, she took over Wakanda by once again murdering a man she supposedly loved so she can rule in his stead. Now I love Ororo Munroe. She's my third ultimate favorite X-Men character next to Rogue and Jean Grey. What Claremont did to her for XMF has been gruesome and heartbreaking and I both dread and anticipate any update or progress concerning her story arc. Finally, we have arrived to these three critical issues that reveal the unusual circumstances surrounding the Perfect Storm and the teenage version of her who has been helping the X-Men for a while now, 'Ro. It was stated at first that 'Ro must be a clone of Storm's and this theory has never been fully explored in the subsequent issues after her appearance so I have no idea what to think about it....until now.

Previously, the Consortium, thanks to Mariko Nashida, was able to abduct 'Ro. Fortunately, she was rescued by the Ghost Panther (whose identity remains a mystery) while she was being flown to Wakanda. The X-Men are making plans to get her back while Mariko and Perfect Storm argue about who has the biggest vagina of bitch authority. P. Storm is not pleased that young 'Ro has escaped and she's determined to make anyone who is hiding her suffer. Meanwhile, the Ghost Panther takes her to Calisto and the Morlocks who seem to be working with Ghost. Both reassure 'Ro that she is well-protected and that they have no intention to harm her. I'm not going to discuss other details in a painful, talky manner because what matters now is the revelation by issue #12 which was Ghost Panther's real identity. While in the middle of yet another long-winding battle (which this time includes P. Storm), 'Ro was able to fight for her own freedom though she is greatly unmatched with the adult Storm's powers. Ghost Panther helps her by--literally shooting electricity that 'Ro can utilize. This caused Ghost's metal armor to malfunction, though. Curious, P. Storm decides to retreat, overcome by a feeling of foreboding upon witnessing what Ghost Panther had just done. 'Ro tries to help Ghost, and by this time she's definitely determined to find out who this person is. Ghost takes off the helmet and reveals that--SHE IS YET ANOTHER VERSION OF STORM! This was my reaction:

So I told myself that I wouldn't be surprised anymore but by the end of issue #11, I was really freaking out BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHY I KEEP SUBJECTING MYSELF TO THIS CLUSTERFUCK SHIT. AND EXPECT A DIFFERENT OUTCOME. This series gets me every time. I just let my guard down for a bit and boom! I'm mind-raped! Still, I also continue to shock myself with the amount of insanity and discord that I can handle every time I pick up an issue of XMF. Issue #13 was probably the most leisurely of the issues for the third and final volume collection. It took time to explain how Storm ended up getting fragmented into three separate beings in the first place. I could talk about it here but I don't want to rob you of the opportunity to peruse through the delicate madness of such a convoluted yet interesting backstory. Here's all you need to now: the Ghost Panther version is the energy of Storm with no physical form and it's actually Tony Stark who designed a steel armor that she can wear to maintain a semblance of tangibility. Meanwhile, 'Ro is the innocent aspect and the Perfect Storm--the vicious turncloak cunt who broke my heart--was a COPY-gone-wrong who can easily be re-programmed as long as you know how to calibrate her. So, yes. P. Storm is NOT THE REAL ORORO MUNROE. She's  just travesty wrapped in audacious queenly clothing and sporting an ugly face-scar. Oh god, don't even dare underestimate how relieved and giddy this makes me feel!

What I'm curious to find out next is how they will put the bitch down and infuse Energy Storm and Teenage 'Ro together because I assume that's what should happen, right? OH FUCK I'M GONNA HAVE TO KEEP READING. I'll finish this series tomorrow and then write reviews for volume 2 and 3. Then that's it. X-Men Forever and I are officially going to be over!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men Forever 2 by Chris Claremont issue #9-10 (2010)

I've rated almost all of the second season of X-Men Forever issues a solid 7-star rating in the last two weeks I've been reviewing them. The first eight issues were underwhelming and disjointed in a lot of aspects (particularly the main storyline concerning the Consortium and Mutant Burnout) so my enjoyment has suffered due to unavoidable criticisms I have on my part that are, at this point, REPETETIVE. I still believe that Claremont writes compelling character drama and he can consistently deliver such as the case with Jean Grey, Rogue and Kitty Pryde's internal conflicts and roles in the stories. In between those said character arcs I'm invested in, there are half-baked and forgettable subplots concerning the Consortium and the burnout cure which continue to alienate when there are supposedly worthwhile developments that should interest readers. Frankly, I can't bring myself to care enough because I think they only serve as the needed main problem in the narrative that requires a solution that would not affect me on any substantial, emotional level. On the other hand, the journeys certain characters have undergone do keep me reading this series and that's where Claremont flourishes as a storyteller.

Such is the case with these issues 9-10 that are heavily focused on Kitty Pryde.

After yet another clusterfuck of cameo characters battling it out with the X-Men for the most thinly veiled plot device ever as featured in issues #6-8 which I just abhorred so much, we finally shift some respectable focus on Kitty Pryde who encountered the murderous clone of Wolverine in the midst of battle and the asshole also just stabbed her through the stomach so now she has sustained ugly hole marks on her belly. Thanks to the fact that she inherited Logan's healing factor alongside that singe adamantium claw, she managed to survive any kind of blood loss from such wounds. Sabretooth helped her kill the imposter-Wolverine but it was revealed that the jerk lived anyway and has plans for a second round. The road to change and recovery for Kitty has never been pleasant since the series began. She's been constantly torn between accepting that her genetic infusion with the late Logan has affected her in a fundamental level AND clinging to the version of her that remains pure and comfortable. She's not only adjusting to her sudden personality change and mood swings but now she's also been dreaming and thinking vividly in Japanese lately. Now Kitty may be able to cope with her psychological struggles during missions especially when she can utilize her adamantium claw in physical confrontations, but she's barely holding it together and these two issues leisurely explore the fragility of her state of mind after an encounter with that Wolverine clone.

My favorite moment in issue #9 has to be her scene with Gambit (Remy) who has expressed concern and some vague romantic interest in her since that Black Magik storyline from a while back. I recall him mentioning to teenage Ororo that Kitty is in a difficult place because she just lost two people whom she considered like second parents (Wolverine and the turncloak Storm) and it almost feels like the people she can count on the most (including her ex-boyfriend Colossus who is now with Natasha, Black Widow) have been uprooted from her life and she could not do anything about it. Rage and confusion are ever-present in Kitty these days but there's also a smidge of longing--which explains why she tries to kiss Gambit, hoping she can hold onto someone tangible and real and who cares deeply about her. Remy proves he does care which was why he rejected her advances as calmly and gracefully as he could. I have always been at odds with Gambit as a character but I thought that was a pretty admirable moment for him. If Kitty really wishes it, Remy confesses that he would love to enter a relationship with her but he also acknowledges that she might not be in the best place to make such big decisions right now so he had to rebuke her offer. That's great. That shows maturity on Remy's part because that means he respects Kitty and would not want to prey on said young woman when she is at her most vulnerable. It also makes me root for the possibility of them becoming as a couple if ever Claremont decides it will eventually lead to that. What matters now is that Kitty needs to get her shit together. This is where issue #10 enters.

Kitty steals one of the X-Men's jet planes while 'Ro was still hiding inside it because she was playing with Nathan Summers earlier. Kitty and 'Ro find themselves in Japan to witness a union between the Silver Samurai and goddamn Matsuo whom I will never stop despising. To make matters worse, clone-Wolverine crashes the party and kills people and then tries to kill Kitty and 'Ro. The two girls barely escaped. And then Logan's ex-girlfriend Mariko Nashida came and Kitty was glad because she was friends with Mariko. BUT THEN it was revealed. Mariko has joined forces with fucking Sigrid Trask WHOM I CAN'T BELIEVE IS NOT DEAD. Mariko felt betrayed because Logan chose Jean Grey over her (WHEN? And must you be so vengeful just because the man you love does not love you anymore? It reinforces that stupid stereotype about 'hell hath no fury than a woman's scorn' bullshit scenario. For once, I just want to read a female character whose motivation of becoming bad is not hitched on the notion that she was rejected by some man). Anyway, she believes that her jealousy totally justifies her alliance with an evil organization hell-bent on mutant genocide. *slow claps* Wow, Mariko. Just. WOW. Way to nurse an ego, you prideful bitch.

Speaking of prideful bitches with egos...

Things become so much worse later on when some of the X-Men (Jean Grey and Gambit, more importantly) arrive in Japan to fight Sigrid and Mariko. Afterwards, there was a draw of some sort and the X-Men were able to make their escape, leaving Mariko and Sigrid to scheme new evil plans for future installments. To turn the whole 'scorned women' into a trinity crusade, Sigrid and Mariko contacts motherfucking Storm, now residing as the queen of Wakanda, and she listens to their proposal with disinterest at first until they present her a gift she could refuse: the teenage version of herself! It turns out that they managed to abduct 'Ro as the rest of the X-Men made their escape earlier. Well, holy shit.

I really enjoyed these issues. They were undoubtedly a massive improvement from the stale and irritating eight issues from before. They were gorgeously illustrated by artist Mike Grell, and are character-centered with lots of impactful revelations and action-oriented confrontations between our heroes and villains. Also, Storm is back on the game. As horrifying as it is that she has officially become a cunt of all cunts, I still want to read more about her because I'm a masochist with severe attachment issues.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men Forever 2 by Chris Claremont issue #6-8 (2010)

 

Yeeeeah, okay...NO. Just, NO.

This is definitely the moment in the series where I was seriously considering rage-quitting my way out. However, I made a commitment and I intend to honor the commitment no matter what even if I'm becoming miserable about it in the long run. I survived reading and reviewing Tony S. Daniel's first twelve issues of New 52's Detective Comics after all (AND WE ALL KNOW THAT'S COLLECTIVELY AND INDISPUTABLY SHITE), as well as the first volume of The Dark Knight by Paul Jenkins (WHICH IS SO BIZZARELY DISJOINTED) But reading XMF issues #6-8 last night was really pushing it too far. I have never been so disengaged while reading something (at least with Daniel's DC, I was actively hating it). Here are my Goodreads progress updates for the second volume of XMF:

• "One would assume that the X-Men's notorious bad luck has changed. One would be very, very wrong." THANKS FOR THE FUCKING HEADS-UP, CLAREMONT. WE NEED MORE WARNING LABELS ABOUT XMF LIKE THIS ONE, JESUS LOKI!
• UGHHHH. NO MAGNETO. NO PRFESSOR X. MR. SINISTER AND THE MARAUDERS ARE THE VILLAINS OF THE WEEK. SOMETHING ABOUT NATE SUMMERS AND THE BURNOUT CURE. FUCKING STORM STILL IN WAKANDA, BEING A CUNT OF ALL CUNTS. LOGAN'S JAPANESE EX-GF WANTS TO MAKE JEAN SUFFER. TOO MANY CHARACTER CAMEOS FOR SHIT! I'M ALMOST CLOSE TO RAGE-QUITTING THIS SERIES, GUYS!
• The thing that really gets to me about the XMF series as a whole is that there are great character moments I actually look forward to and get emotional about. But this second season is suddenly a mess upon a heap of messes and a pile of bullshit. Everything is happening so fast. There are so many mutants running around fighting each other, half of them I don't readily recognize. The direction this series has taken in these three issues alone depresses me greatly.

Look, I'm usually a sweet slice of cherry pie whenever I review my comics. Like Abed Nadir of NBC's Community, "I like liking things." This is why I avoid sharing negative thoughts and in the rare occasions that I do, I try to remain as constructive as possible in my criticisms. But as I type this review, I wonder if I should even bother discussing what happened in the three issues because there's a tiny, screaming voice in my head is refusing to accomplish just that without going berserk and making the very same face Kristin Wiig is doing in that .GIF image above. So I won't discuss. I'll just tell you as short as possible and focus on the GOOD THINGS that did happen in the background.

To be objective about it, the main plot for issues #6-8 wasn't that bad. I wish it was the "so bad it's good" kind of flop but it's not even that. From what I can understand, in the future, a boy named Nathan (who is possibly Nate Summers) is leading the Consortium as he finds a way to travel back in time to abduct his younger self or something. All this ties back to the cure for the Mutant Burnout, a threat so prevalent and yet so underwhelming and vaguely delivered since it was revealed in issue #5 last season. So Nathan employs the Marauders, who work for Mister Sinister, to obtain young Nate. The boy luckily escapes through his babysitter's help. Her name is Robyn but she was later revealed to be a spy that future Nathan placed in the Summers household to gain their trust. The Marauders started using clones of Sabretooth and, insensitively so, Logan's. When Kitty gets stabbed in the stomach by the Dark Wolverine, things got very interesting. HOWEVER we don't focus on this but rather on the dizzying ensemble of characters fighting in the majority of the pages for all three issues. AND I COULDN'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT because I think the Kitty-Wolverine subplot was far more engaging.

I don't even think Mr. Sinister actually makes an appearance in this story which is sad because I like the fashionable and obviously omnisexual Sinister, mostly because of his participation in the shippy awesomeness that is the Savage Land storyline as adapted by the nineties cartoons where he forcefully took Professor X and Magneto so the two can have the most awkward and ridiculous outdoors date while being attacked by random jungle men and women as well as dinosaurs. Later on, he ties them up against the wall with chains and flirts with them, making rather transparent comments about the state of unresolved sexual tension between Prof X and Mags before he electrocutes them. IT'S SO SHAMELESSLY GAY. At least that's how I remember it. Don't fucking dispute it, assholes. I HAVEN'T MADE A SINGLE CHERIK REFERENCE IN MY REVIEWS FOR XMF FOR A VERY LONG TIME SO LET ME HAVE THIS.

A spot-on interpretation by jadenvargen

 

ANYWAY let's move on to that Kitty-Wolverine meet-cute. Next to Jean Grey's epic depression over losing four of the men she loved the most in a span of weeks, the other female character whose internal struggle and conflict gets some page time across the series has to be Kitty Pryde. As we all know, Wolverine's genetic mark infused with hers back in the first issue because Fabian Cortez touched them during a confrontation, which was why she now has a fully-functioning adamantium claw from one of her knuckles. But that's not the only thing amiss; Kitty has also started to have a personality change akin to Logan's: she's grumpy, impulsive and has an urge to kill. She's also been dreaming in Japanese. So when she encounters the Wolverine clone, she was understandably pissed! Before Logan's death, they've always shared a sibling-like relationship which was why it was so difficult for her to adjust to the changes happening to her that is both physical and mental in manifestation. In issue #8, the Dark Wolverine gets put down only to be revealed in the final page that he was alive after all and is coming back for Kitty. I read the next issue right after this and I would like to say that it was the BEST offered so far for volume 2. I'm glad that even though that bullshit Nate-Summers-Marauders central plot was abhorrent, Claremont was able to soften the blow by following up on Kitty's arc which is one of the four things I enjoy about this series in the first place.

Overall, issues #6-8 could have been handled differently. The Burnout storyline is beginning to drag and bug me. It's actually the less interesting plot of the series by now. I hope we get Storm back which is certainly a terrible atrocity to look forward to because I fucking hate what she has become for this series but it's still very compelling to see her unleash her crazy.

RECOMMENDED: 6/10

X-Men Forever 2 by Chris Claremont volume 1

The second season of Chris Claremont's X-Men Forever series did not start as well as I hoped. I already set the bar pretty low at this point so it's grossly shocking that it managed to disappoint me still. I think it's safe to say everything about this series is a mixed bag. What it does well, it does a pretty good job maintaining (such as certain character arcs about Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Jean Grey and Storm); but what it fails to deliver is usually the very things that prohibit this comic book series to thrive because it gets so muddled up in these baffling bullshit storylines that dilute the better qualities it can offer on the table.

Claremont will always be the definitive writer for the X-Men canon. No one will dispute that. He will always have that distinction. However, this contribution of his shamefully pales in comparison with all that he has accomplished from the past. Now and then when I read this series, I would catch glimpses of the sublime aspects that make his X-Men so relatable and superb as characters and heroes worth rooting for. The first season (issues #1-24) certainly had that quirky and surprisingly touching moments which made me enjoy the series even when there are issues between that frustrate me to no end.

However, after reading the nine issues of the second season, I was exasperated and almost close to rage-quitting my way out of this mess. Luckily, I'm very committed and will see things through to the finish line so I would get to the end of XMF no matter what. Besides, I remain faithfully invested on the character arcs aforementioned and would like to know how they will be resolved when this series ends.

In the first volume entitled Back in Action, this collects the first five issues. The storylines presented have a slow momentum and not enough great rhythm as a whole. I wasn't that interested in the events that happened for this volume, and only managed to enjoy Rogue the most of all the characters. As a tradition, I'm providing blurbs for each issue to succinctly summarize the plots therein:

Issue #1: A Cry--of Vengeance --> In which the Avengers try to arrest the X-Men and Thor makes a promise to a young Ororo in the midst of a heated battle, yet breaks that promise but only kindda, sorta. Also known as the issue where the Xavier Mansion gets obliterated, wiping out everyone inside it.

Issue #2: Six Weeks Later --> In which a great number of the human race grieves the loss of the X-Men while the rest of the anti-mutants are probably celebrating and shit. Also known as the issue where Spider-Man is the only who bothers to question the authenticity of their deaths and stumbles upon a confused Rogue wandering the New York streets.

Issue #3: A Night on the Town --> In which Spidey and Rogue almost kissed and the X-Men are alive (duh) but decided to fake their deaths so they can operate undercover and underground. Also known as the issue where Mystique makes a grand entrance and pisses everybody off, including her children.

Issue #4: Stolen Lives --> In which the Morlocks abduct Moira MacTaggert and Sabretooth for the dumbest reasons. Also known as the issue where Agent Diana Dugan admits she's falling in love with Sabretooth WHICH IS TOTALLY FUCKING STUPID

Issue #5: Dead Reckoning --> In which the X-Men and the Morlocks came to an accord but then they get interrupted by S.H.I.E.L.D agents when they captured the Morlocks and while the X-Men escaped. Also known as the issue where Rogue and Mystique shared their first ever embrace and Mystique officially joins the team while Calisto rescues the Morlocks.

RECOMMENDED: 7.5/10

X-Men Forever 2 by Chris Claremont issue #3-5 (2010)

 

I know I said that I'll only be combining issues within a story arc so I only have to post a single review for all of them, which is exactly what I've been doing these days. However, these issues (#3-5) do no actually belong to a singular arc but their events are connected together anyway and I frankly do not want to waste time separating them into three reviews because their respective content can be briefly summarized per one paragraph each. The truth is that the second season of X-Men Forever has started out with a shocking premise where the Avengers set out to confront the X-Men and try to apprehend them so they can be brought to justice for reasons that still escape me. Tony Stark died to protect the mutants from the shady Consortium's plans of absolute annihilation and yet the Avengers choose to persecute the X-Men instead like all of that meant nothing? It's downright baffling, the way they acted made any sense to me. Shouldn't they be focusing their time and powers bringing down the Consortium starting with the double agents lurking inside S.H.I.E.L.D? Honestly, the Avengers need to start prioritizing wisely. And then the Xavier Mansion gets blown up and the X-Men are pronounced dead. Suddenly, a great number of the human population grieved the loss as if they never discriminated against the humankind in the first place. Too little, too late, isn't it? Amidst this discovery, Peter Parker, being a conscientious journalist, was unconvinced of the demise of the X-Men so he started investigating the hollow ground where the mansion was struck down. He only found a lone Sentinel guarding the place.

Back in New York as Spider-Man, he stumbles upon Rogue who is apparently still reeling from her switcheroo with Kurt. And here we are at issue #3, A Night on the Town where Rogue and Spidey spent some time together hovering in the rooftops and eating takeout food as they reminisce about their comrades, both dead and alive. Since she is my ultimate favorite character, I'm always ready to invest myself on whatever storyline Rogue is present in and I think I like her situation for now. I recall a time in the earlier issues where she started contemplating about her role in the X-Men in the aftermath of Wolverine's death. She expressed that she wanted to do more and be more for her friends and for the world and I think she is getting that wish--just not in her own terms. Siphoning Nightcrawler's teleportation ability and physical appearance have taken a toll on her because she was also beginning to feel like she is less than herself which is exactly how Kitty feels herself after inheriting Wolverine's adamantine claw. With issue #3, we see Rogue coming to terms that perhaps there is an advantage to this switched mutation after all which entails being able to have direct physical contact with another person. This was exactly what she tried to do with Spidey--she actually reached out and tried to kiss him. It occurred to me that Rogue has never kissed anyone at this point, or at least enjoy and appreciate that intimate gesture without draining the life out of that person (if human) or weakening their powers (if a mutant). I actually thought it was poignant that the very first thing she does after she acknowledges this was to seek out affection in the form of a kiss and Spidey happens to be there and he was nice and interested in her welfare, etc. It positively breaks my heart.

Their date gets interrupted when Sentinels found the rest of the X-Men and Jean contacts Rogue for help. So, yes, it looks like they weren't really dead after all. Using a piece of Teseract technology, they were able to activate it so it looks like the Xavier Mansion disappeared but is actually just phasing between two realities. In our world, the mansion cannot be seen but in an alternate spectrum of reality, it still exists as well as the people who live in it. They did this so they can freely operate and function undercover since everyone is after them these days, including the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury and his select operatives under his command are stuck with them as well. I'm not surprised by this development. Any species will do whatever it takes to survive and the X-Men's options have been dwindling at a steady, fast rate, especially since the Burnout is still looming over their heads. Spider-Man helps out and reassures them that he is on their side and can damn well keep a secret. In the midst of the fighting with the Sentinels, Rogue and Kurt were shocked to find Mystique aiding them. She asserts that she wants to join the X-Men in their crusade against the Burnout and whatever forces they have to overcome.

This brings us to issue #4, Stolen Lives, where Sabretooth and Moira MacTaggert have been kidnapped by Morlocks who are basically "magic" mutants. They've been living in the tunnels directly underneath the mansion and are apparently displeased when the X-Men decided to take their home and suspend it in constant phasing in an alternate reality. Who wouldn't? Anyway, they kidnap Moira so she can quickly find a cure for the burnout while under their scrutiny and supervision. Sabes was there for incentive so she won't even dare deny their requests. Distressed, Diana Dugan asks Fury and Scott to dispatch a rescue team for Moira and Sabretooth, but mostly for Sabes because, I shit you not, Diana seems to be falling in love with Sabes--genuinely and bafflingly, I may add. I understand that he rescued her and got his arm amputated but I expected a seasoned agent and spy like Diana would be more distrustful and callous than this. She's acting completely cliché, pining over a man who saved her and getting weepy about her feelings because she knows it's wrong to have them but screw it, she's going to be with him no matter what. It's just..weird. I had to pause reading just to laugh about it. On the other hand, Mystique is now in the mansion but nobody wants to trust her except Kurt who just found out she's his mother and is now eager to put his faith on her which I can hardly blame him for. Family still has to mean something especially during such troubled times. Fury with Jean and Kurt decide to interrogate her while the rest (Gambit, Kitty, Diana and Scott) decide to come after the Morlocks to save their friends. Ororo sneaked out to help them but only gets chased around after the leader of the Morlocks disfigured Gambit and Scott and made them his puppets.

This brings us to issue #5, Dead Reckoning. So Ororo is getting chased around and couldn't hurt her would-be assailants because they're no other than Scott and Gambit. Kitty comes to save Ororo while Diana gets Sabretooth and Moira. A battle breaks out in the tunnels between the two factions of mutants which was stopped when Diana shoots a gun in the air (shouldn't it ricochet?). She tries to talk some sense into the Morlocks, asking for their cooperation since they both have a singular enemy which is the Burnout. Moira further reinforces it by claiming that she will help finding a cure as long as the Morlocks agree on her terms and not hurt any of her friends. The Morlock leader agrees and sets Gambit and Scott free under his spell. So a peaceful arrangement was possible after all, thanks to the negotiations of these fine women--but it gets disrupted when a team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents (whom I will assume are working for the Consortium) tries to apprehend all of then. The X-Men managed to get away but the Morlocks were captured. Inside the mansion, Jean Grey tries to penetrate Mystique's mind but she's very resistant to telepathy and even mocks Jean by shapeshifting into the four men she loves the most: Scott, Hank, Logan and Charles. When she turned into Logan last, Jean became very infuriated and almost turned into the Phoenix right there and then and Mystique felt honestly afraid. Nevertheless, she wondered how she can turn this discovery to her advantage somehow. Kurt tried talking to her next but Rogue puts a stop to their conversation when she tries to choke the life out of Mystique so she can reveal her intentions under the threat of asphyxiation. Mystique tells her that she wants to reconnect with her and Kurt to make up for the awful things she has done in the past. To demonstrate that, she hugs Rogue tenderly, and--for the first time ever--they were both able to hold each other without the danger of Rogue sucking her powers. It was a touching moment. I can only hope Mystique does mean to do right by her children this time around.

With Mystique officially on the team and can use her shapeshifting to aid them in their missions, things are bound to get crazier (this is Claremont writing X-Men after all) but I also hope it'd be just as interesting too. I'm ready for another clusterfuck. LET"S DO THIS!!!

RECOMMENDED: 7.5/10

X-Men Forever 2 by Chris Claremont issue #1-2 (2010)

MOTHERFUCKERS. SO IT'S NOT ENOUGH THAT STORM IS A TRAITOR, WOLVERINE, BEAST AND TONY STARK ARE DEAD AND PROFESSOR X HAS BEEN EXILED TO SPACE...NOW THE XAVIER MANSION HAS BEEN BLOWN UP?! JUST WHY IS EVERYTHING A CLUSTERFUCK SHIT OF EPIC PROPORTIONS AND WHY CAN'T I STOP READING ANYWAY?!" 

...is  basically how I summarized the general reading experience of the first two issues for the second season of Chris Claremont's X-Men Forever series. I would happily leave it as that because having yet another stressful discussion concerning the aforementioned clusterfuck would be a waste of my precious time. But I am inclined to do it anyway because what's the point of having a self-imposed comics diet about X-Men if I keep it all bottled up inside? I created this blog for the sole purpose of campaigning the endless and vast ocean of my Charles/Erik feels reviewing and imparting my opinions and insights regarding the most popular and memorable--if not the best--X-Men stories out there. And it all starts with me being able to get through much of Claremont's stuff which happened to be the later parts of his career which, according to general public opinion, pale in comparison with his earlier works in The Uncanny X-Men during the mid-seventies to the late nineties. I just need to finish through the last sixteen issues of XMF this week AND THEN I can focus on his graphic novel God Loves, Man Kills which I am incredibly excited about. But before that reward, I have to face and endure this cavalry. I CAN DO THIS!

The first two issues entitled A Cry of--Vengeance! (Claremont is very fond of using punctuations in his title, I daresay) and Six Weeks Later where The Avengers and Spider-Man make guest appearances respectively. In the first issue, the X-Men have just said their abrupt farewells with Professor X who was taken to Shi'ar by his alien empress girlfriend Lilandra as a debt paid to his crime of stolen access to their private archives in search for information that can help him find a cure for mutant burnout. The Shi'ar left some bits of their technology outside the mansion and Kitty and Scott have a brief argument about what to do with them. Kitty is clearly getting surlier, probably because of the genetic trace of Wolverine flowing in her system. She's also been dreaming in Japanese lately which is off-putting for her. Meanwhile, Rogue is also struggling with inheriting Nightcrawler's tail and teleporting abilities while Nightcrawler pretends that he doesn't mind not being able to touch anybody in fear of siphoning their powers, with the exception of Rogue, of course. Inside the mansion, Moira MacTaggart tries to find a way to grow Sabretooth's amputated arm and get it fully functioning again while Nick Fury and some S.H.I.E.L.D operatives are working within the hidden underground facility of the Xavier Mansion. All of a sudden, the Avengers (composed of Thor, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Spider-Woman and Vision) arrive and forcefully try to apprehend the X-Men. For some reason, they're now enemies and Captain establishes that pretty clearly when he hits Cyclops with his shield. RIGHT IN THE FACE. And--just like that--it's fucking on.

The rest of the issue are battle scenes with the Avengers on the offensive and the X-Men on the defensive. Teenage Ororo gets caught up in it but Thor promised not to harm her because she's only a child. Meanwhile, Jean Grey manages to get back inside the mansion and plot with Nick Fury on how to disengage the Avengers and that means a telepathic illusion in which Thor accidentally knocks 'Ro unconscious and the Asgardian prince was understandably heartbroken about it. While the Avengers are distracted with the fake 'Ro apparition, the X-Men head back to the mansion to escape just as the entire thing WAS OBLITERATED. The Avengers can only gape at the sight of the large expanse of destroyed land mass where the mansion used to be, unable to  make sense of the sudden explosion. I was just as unhinged, hence my caps-lock nerdrage above. I cannot cope with the consistent clusterfuck of this series.

For the next issue, news coverage and several conversations regarding the destruction of the Xavier Mansion from various Marvel characters, as well as the quiet discussion regarding the uncertain demise of the X-Men themselves, were heavily featured. It also included scenes of Peter Parker investigating the remains of the mansion (and almost got killed by a Sentinel; thankfully he was identified as a non-mutant) and then going back to the streets of New York as Spider-Man to find a completely violent and delirious Rogue on the prowl.

Overall, I'm not as impressed of these installments or as excited for the next as I hoped I would be. Mostly it's because I don't want to read about other Marvel characters other than the X-Men. I don't really care about the Avengers as much and I'm sort of in a love-hate relationship with Spidey at this point in my life. Still, I'll stay optimistic and read the next two issues tonight and post the review tomorrow ASAP.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10



X-Men Forever [Annual issue] by Chris Claremont (2010)

The first cycle of the X-Men Forever series has come to an end with Requiem as its final official issue (#24) and Into That Good Night as its ending arc. We also had that Giant Size Special afterward which was included in the fifth volume collection of the series. Now I'm about to review the Annual issue in this post. It centered around the budding romance between Jean Grey and Logan (Wolverine) and illustrated by artist Sana Takeda. The illustrations are very delicate and pretty to look at so for me it's quite the visual allure, and a rather appropriate choice of artwork for a story that's heavily 'romantic' (except when it's not because there's a plot here that has less to do with the Jean-Logan affair but is actually less interesting than the former).

Of all the X-Men characters in this series, Jean Grey is the one who is given a character arc driven by the fractured relationships she established with men who either died (Logan and Hank)or became alienated from her (Scott and Charles). I've complained more than once that I thought this was a disservice to her character, turning her into a love-sick damsel always nursing her broken heart. To a certain degree, I still uphold this opinion. However, I would counter that her ongoing internal conflict concerning the men she loved and lost was a justifiable development for her but I'm just not comfortable about the idea that this is something that seems to solely define her role and importance for the XMF series. It's not a great direction for her.

I mean, it's already one thing for her to fall in love with two men in just a short span of time but it's another to be depicted as powerless about the situations she is thrust in when it came to these men. She's grieving ninety-percent of the time in this comics. I have yet to see her take on a more assertive stance in the duration of her character arc so far which is slightly off-putting for someone who enjoyed the independence established about this character throughout the years. Nevertheless, I would argue that this annual issue did show Jean having some agency even if it still has something to do with a man.

The plot for this issue was simple enough; I think it's supposed to serve as a prologue before the vents that occur in the very first issue of XMF where Nick Fury contacted the X-Men to ask for their help in apprehending this cult called The Hand. Cyclops reasoned out that he's been busy helping Hank with strengthening the security measures of the mansion so he cannot come to the mission. Jean and Logan decided to volunteer and they travelled to an island somewhere and posed as newlyweds which proved to be something Jean was secretly enjoying somehow. At this point, she had just been resurrected from the dead after becoming the Dark Phoenix so her telepathy has been absent for a while now, rendering her unable to read minds. Logan asked her if this is bothering her but she dismisses it and actually feels comfortable to know how it's like for ordinary people to live their lives, not always readily prepared to read the contents of other people's thoughts. The pages before the eventual confrontation were leisurely ones concerning the tension and affection these two have for each other. They shared a sudden kiss and then were abducted by The Hand.

The Hand, as it turns out, kidnapped Psylocke long ago and tried to convert her into their own personal assassin. They almost successfully turned Wolverine himself but luckily Psylocke and Jubilee (whose absence in this series is noteworthy, by the way) together with Kitty Pryde, arrive just in time to kick butt. Wolverine, however, is berserk and almost beats up Kitty unconscious. It was ultimately Jean who was able to stop him and reverse whatever spell the Hand has crafted. This issue was okay. There was nothing here that got me excited or annoyed me so this neutral reaction has made me rate this issue fairly. Also, the artwork is just gorgeous. It fits the romantic mood of the setting especially between Jean and Logan who finally admitted to themselves and to each other that they want to be together. I suppose it's a tad poignant that this relationship will remain unconsummated after Logan's death. I would be more convinced and invested that Jean truly has deep feelings for Logan if only she didn't readily jump into Hank McCoy next. It's just a bit tacky, you know, and made Jean seem fickle and eager to give away her love and devotion to whoever man shows interest. I'm still on the Scott-Jean bandwagon at that and I sincerely look forward to their interactions the most because I could tell theirs is a possibility of a real friendship enhanced by their long history together.

So this annual issue was a good preparation for the second season of the XMF series that I'll get started on next week.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont volume 5

This volume has to be the most perplexing collection of X-Men Forever so far. It only includes issue #21 and the Giant Size Special that span for 53 pages. I don't understand why they felt the need to forgo and leave issues #22-23 unenclosed (even that funeral issue #24 was excluded) when they are unmistakably substantial since they are the pieces that complete the story arc, Into That Good Night after all. I think I reached a point in reading Claremont's comics where I stop trying to make sense of XMF in particular, and its needlessly complicated storylines let alone the volumes in which they are divided.

In issue #21, A Plague on Both Your aHouses, Fabian Cortez finally passed away after enduring gruesome and torturous experiments courtesy of the Consortium. It was through his genetic mutation that the Consortium has figured out a way to eliminate mutantkind. The two mutant-hating Trask women, mother Amelia head of the Consortium, and legacy-deranged daughter Sigrid, having a fateful meeting where the daughter reveals that she has re-programmed her stupid killer robots and deemed them as Neo-Sentinels. We also just found out that one of the corporate figureheads for the Consortium is no other than Tony Stark himself, an Avenger, but Nick Fury remains unconvinced that Stark is a turncloak like Storm was so he decided to gather more convincing spy intel.

Meanwhile, Hank gets angrier the more he learns stuff, and Agent Daisy Dugan develops "feelings" for Sabretooth because he rescued her earlier in the story and now feels responsible for his amputated hand. Ro and Kitty research the connection between Trask and Stark and found it. In any case, it looks like the Trask-Stark connection goes way back the family tree. Stark Industries have also funded the Sentinel program! Afterwards, Fury just received some compelling evidence regarding the experiments done on Cortez. He hands Hank a flash drive. Its contents revealed that the Consortium has found the most effective way to sterilize mutantkind in the world which includes a satellite operation base orbiting near the planet. It carries a deadly concoction for mass genocide.

This was the only installment included for the arc and then the rest of the pages are  all about the Giant Size issue which is set after the events of Into That Good Night where Hank McCoy and Tony Stark sacrificed their lives for their comrades. And it doesn't make sense why they would discard three issues that should lead to this Giant Size special! Anyway, the fifty-three pages for the special include the story Can Love Find a Way whose title almost made me burst out laughing at the office where I was supposed to be quietly reading it. This storyline was actually previewed in issue #24 where the Shi'ara empire's precious library of some sort was infiltrated and the last person to access it was no other than Charles Xavier who is the royal consort to their empress Lilandra. If you don't know your X-Men canon, then you should know that Lilandra is an alien aristocrat who communicated with Xavier via astral plane one time and since then they have struck an ongoing romantic relationship that is bizarre and sort of disturbing, depending on how a writer approaches it. She is the second longest relationship Charles ever had (the first being Magneto who is totes his on-and-off ex-boyfriend). Anyway, a momentous family reunion occurs where the pages of this story are filled with LOTS AND LOTS of characters. It's a bit dizzying. It also started very slow where Scott and Professor X are trying to have a conversation where I was hoping they would discuss how Scott feels about Charles lying to the X-Men about the Burnout. But they were interrupted by other heroes they haven't seen in a while. They were also in Scott's family home with his parents and son Nathan. Alex and Lorna (from issue #18) were still vacationing there. And then we cut back to the Xavier Mansion where Jean, Kitty, Gambit, Sabretooth and Ro were transported to help out their fellow comrades in fighting some bad guys...

You know what, I cared very little about this story which was why I hardly paid attention especially when the only thing that truly stood out for me was that moment between Professor X and Jean Grey. Apparently, Lilandra and the Shi'ara people still believe she is dead and if they found out she's been resurrected, they will assume she is the incarnation of the Dark Phoenix and will proceed to dispose of her. Charles surrenders himself to Lilandra and was punished for breaching her trust when he accessed their console so he can gather more information on the Burnout cure. The punishment indicates his exile to their alien planet which means he will never see the X-Men again unless Lilandra allows it. Scott gives in easily, understanding that this was Charles' way to make up for the suffering he did not intend to inflict on the X-Men before. With Charles' sacrifice, Lilandra was never able to find out about Jean Grey and the Shi'ara empress left with her royal consort, never to bother the X-Men again. Devastated beyond reproach, Jean could only stare at the sky as Scott tries his very best to console her YET AGAIN. FOR THE THIRD GODDAMN TIME. And we get this exchange that really drove it home for me:

Oh, Jeannie. To think that you came back to life only to watch the men you love die or leave you: Logan, who was brutally murdered by one of your own friends; Hank, who sacrificed himself to save everyone; Scott, who mourned your demise for a while but moved on to have a son with another woman; and, finally, Charles Xavier, your mentor and father figure whom you wanted to open up about certain things with but will never get a chance again. I am so sorry, Jeannie. If I ever underestimated the depths of your pain or judged you harshly before, I'm taking some of them back. I feel awful for you especially when I'm reading this at a time when I am also recovering from my own trail of heartbreaks.

The rest of the pages follows the update concerning Amelia Trask who actually fucking recovered after Stark shot her; and the revelation that yet another fucking woman is the directorate of the Consortium. We also get some bonus scenes with Steve Rogers (Captain America) and the Avengers as they try to get past the loss of Tony Stark to fight for another day. The last story included in this special was Claremont's The Uncanny X-Men issue #108 which is actually written in the late eighties, I think, and tells the story of Jean as the Phoenix and her scuffle with the Shi'ara empire. I think this was supposed to be supplemental background as to why Jean and the Shi'ara race are ot odds with each other in the first place. Issue #108 is a worthy read, actually, and something I enjoyed better than whatever shite Can Love Find a Way was intended to be. The Giant Size special had redeeming factors but overall underwhelming.

The volume should have really included #22-24 which is why I'm rating this lower than I would have originally.

RECOMMENDED: 6/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #21-24 (2009)

 

I cannot stress how relieved I am to be writing story arc reviews as oppose to individual ones from now on when it comes to Chris Claremont's X-Men Forever series which proved to be as exhausting as it is as enjoyable to read. The last volume (issues #16-20) has been disappointing although I can argue that XMF's readability and cohesiveness have been walking a thin line since the Sentinels story arc. Speaking of which, those killer robots are back here again, led by Sigrid Trask, the absolutely bollocks bitch I really didn't want to see again. But I'm getting ahead of myself. In this post, I'm going to briefly summarize the highlights for each issue. Afterwards, I'm going to discuss some important issues or character arcs I have the most investment in. I would assert that all the concerns I addressed in my previous reviews were somewhat zeroed in by Claremont in this arc although they still lack the proper delivery/resolution that I need as a reader.

Artist Rodney Buchemi illustrates this arc and collaborates with the writing process as well, I suppose, much like the previous artists (Tom Grummett, Graham Nolan, Steve Scott) were credited as co-writers. This three-issued spectacle is entitled Into That Good Night, a phrase taken from Welsh poet Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" villanelle which is admittedly a much appropriate literary allegory for the events that transpired within this arc. If there is anybody who should 'rage, rage against the dying of the night', it's the X-Men especially against the unanticipated burnout concerning the mutation of their species. This is what was explored for this arc and it was a well-balanced one featuring cool action fights and dramatic moments between certain characters. As much as possible, I would like to keep things light whenever I review X-Men because I'm still in Claremont territory and the man knows how to write soap opera in its finest and sometimes to its fault as well so it's often advisable to just have fun with it. In any case, Into That Good Night was certainly more well-rounded that the previous three arcs (after Love--And Loss which was still my favorite XMF arc EVER) because it managed to be exciting during the course of the climactic confrontations between the X-Men and the Consortium after all that painfully slow build-up in #16-20 which is why I was grateful to read this batch. Nevertheless, this arc did have some problems. So let's get right to it. 


Issue #21 - A Plague on Both Your Houses

Fabian Cortez finally passed away after enduring gruesome and torturous experiments courtesy of the Consortium. Normally, I would have been in a celebratory mood because fuck this asshole and all that. However, it was through his genetic mutation that the Consortium has figured out a way to eliminate mutantkind. But before that tragic discovery, this issue first starts with the two mutant-hating Trask women, mother Amelia head of the Consortium, and legacy-deranged daughter Sigrid, having a fateful meeting where the daughter reveals that she has re-programmed her stupid killer robots and deemed them as Neo-Sentinels. They are now normal-sized purple cyborgs. Sigrid also put on the same Sentinel armor like some badly costumed female Robo-cop or something. If you think that's depressing then you should know that, in the last issue, we just found out that one of the corporate figureheads for the Consortium is no other than Tony Stark himself which sucks balls for Nick Fury and Hank, his fellow Avenger members because HOLY SHIT. Fury remains unconvinced that Stark is a turncloak like Storm was so he decided to gather more convincing spy intel.

Meanwhile, Hank gets angrier the more he learns stuff, and Agent Daisy Dugan develops "feelings" for Sabretooth just because he rescued her earlier in the story and now feels personally responsible for his amputated hand. On the flip side, Ro and Kitty research on the connection between Trask and Stark and found it, much to Kitty's disgust and Scott's wariness. In any case, it looks like the Trask-Stark connection goes way back the family tree where these two happen to be friends and colleagues. Stark Industries have also funded the Sentinel program as it turns out and I was just as floored as Kitty the entire time I was reading that. I'm very affected. As much as I don't really consider Stark as a character I have any emotional investment in, I just can't stand the idea that this Avenger is yet another two-faced dick like Storm. The dog pile doesn't end there, however. Fury just received some compelling evidence regarding the experiments done on Cortez. He presently hands Hank a flash drive. Its contents revealed that the Consortium has found the most effective way to sterilize mutantkind in the world which includes a satellite operation base orbiting near the planet and it happens to carry a deadly concoction, and a load of batshit crazy genocide.

RATING: 7/10

 

 

Issue #22 - Rise to the Challenge

The issue opens with Kitty shouting "TONY STARK IS A JERK!", channelling all the Wolverine-inspired rage you can possibly imagine. Scott dissuades her from doing anything irrational as he and the rest of the X-Men gather (specifically Hank, Jean Grey, Gambit, Ro, Kitty, Rogue, and Nightcrawler plus Nick Fury) around the round table to discuss their gameplay. Hank reveals his plans about dismantling the mechanism that will release that ominously named substance Plague X which will target mutants and kill them once it enters the earth's atmosphere. Ro expresses her desire to join them in the fight but she has yet to have control over her weather powers so they had to no choice but to leave her behind. Flying their ship, Kurt takes them to the Consortium's satellite base. This is all very nostalgic of that time back in the nineties run when the X-Men confronts Magneto in Asteroid M. The parallelism is unmistakable. Cyclops, Jean, Hank, Kitty, Rogue and Nick Fury confront Sigrid and her Neo-Sentinels midway through the issue and we get some pretty cool fights between them. My personal favorite moves were Rogue teleporting behind a Sentinel and ripping its head off, and Kitty phasing INSIDE the Sentinel and ripping it from there using the adamantium claw. Totes badass, these two ladies. Meanwhile, Stark and Amelia Trask talk about killing mutants and at this point I was suspicious of Stark's allegiance so when later on he whips out guns to shoot Amelia, I was not that surprised to learn he was a mole after all and not a traitor to our heroes. Still, I can't help but feel relief wash over me.

While their team members fight off the Sentinels, Hank and Jean Grey go straight to the main weapon where Plague X is contained. This scene alternates with Stark getting shot at and bleeding to death as Amelia Trask gloats with what she and her daughter are about to accomplish in a manner on genocide-driven assholes can deliver. Hank was unable to fully stop the deadly mechanism from activating so now he has to work on dismantling it while extreme time pressure is in place because the only way to stop Plague X from being dispersed on earth is if he stays behind to make sure the firing projector will be disarmed right before expulsion. Or something like that. Let's not get too caught up in the technical aspect of this plot because what matters at that point is Jean Grey is yet faced with the same situation of yet another love interest whose life is in peril. Isn't that just bloody perfect? Jeannie always has to suffer, apparently.

RATING: 7/10

Issue #23 - Do Not Go Gentle

Oh, my. Everything is becoming yet another clusterfuck of drama that almost, almost rivals Love--And Loss! story arc. The X-Men continue to battle it out with the Sentinels as Jean rushes to Cyclops' side to inform him of what Hank entails to do. But the violence doesn't just stop there even with that depressing revelation because Sigrid and her Neo-Sentinels still continue to pile on so the X-Men have no choice but to hold their ground. Meanwhile, Hank was contacted by a bleeding Tony Stark from the other side of the satellite base. Stark just shot Amelia dead earlier which was an overdue gesture, thanks very much. Now both men are ready to die for their friends and they have this heartfelt talk of the old times. Hank said he never doubted Stark, that he knew in his heart and gut that Tony would never have betrayed everything that the Avengers and X-Men stood for. It was a nice moment. Back in the Blackbird plane, Fury, Kurt and Kitty were there just in time as Tony communicates with Fury and the two youngsters realized that he was the "spy" Fury received the intel about the Plague X from (Stark's codename was "Deep Throat", of all things). Anyway, fight scenes continue to happen. We get this panel from Jean Grey which actually makes me truly bad for her situation. In spite of my complaints that her primary role in the series has now been reduced to a rather sappy character arc regarding romances with three men (Scott, Logan, Hank), I still sympathize with her predicament.

Hank and Jean say their "I love you"s just in time before the entire satellite base goes BOOM! The X-Men on the base managed to float in space since they've been geared up in space suits since the last issue. Unfortunately, Hank and Tony did not survive. In disbelief, Scott asks Fury if he is absolutely sure that they are gone. Jean glumly contemplates to herself that sometimes that's the price to pay to save your friends OR the whole world. Yeah, sometimes life just sucks balls for superheroes.

RATING: 7/10

Issue #24 - Requiem

This all feels painfully familiar now, a rather unpleasant aftertaste that doesn't seem to go away. It has only been a few weeks since they last buried a fallen comrade and here they are again and this time they had to grieve the loss of two of the noblest and most admirable of men, Hank McCoy of the X-Men and Tony Stark of the Avengers. This issue was illustrated by Tom Grummett and I've always been a fan of his artwork since the first story arc. He does expressive faces and well-lit panelling quite superbly especially with a story that demands a quiet sort of atmosphere that is subtly animated as well. I feel terrible that our heroes have once again attended another funeral and hear themselves talk about old friends who were ripped from them too soon. Naturally, Jean is taking all of this the hardest.

The issue opens with a nightmare sequence where Jean was unable to hold onto Scott, Logan and Hank. Charles heard her anguish so he invites her for a stroll outside the mansion where he tries to comfort her. Afterwards, Fury talks more about his plans to merge S.H.I.E.L.D with selected X-Men during missions. He maintains that he, Dugan, Sabretooth and Gambit should have more covert assignments since there are still Consortium operatives out there that need to be brought to justice. At the funeral later on, Jean says her goodbyes for the second time to a man she could have had an amorous relationship with. Back in the Blackbird plane, Ro opens up to Gambit, asking if he will leave with her (Kitty can even come, she says) because she's not too sure she can handle any more of this. I can understand her feelings, of course. After all, it's far too traumatic and grim for a young girl like herself to witness so many deaths like this. On the other side of the plane, Charles and Kitty talk about her ailment which seems to worsen. But Kitty vows that Logan's death will mean something  especially when she has a piece of him (literally and genetically) so she will continue to fight another day. They get back to mansion and this is when Scott decided to approach Jean, hoping he could say or do something for her but Jean asserts that all Scott can do now is to live, not for her, but rather for the sake of his son Nathan. And I kind of teared up, honestly. I love these two together but I can accept that their romantic relationship had run its course and now they can just be colleagues if not eventual close friends.  

Back in the laboratory, Moira examines Sabretooth's injuries and claims that because of the burnout, he won't be healing like before and that the damage Storm has inflicted in his eyesight was far too extensive so there is no way he will regain it back. She can do something about his arm though. Agent Dugan stayed close by during this conversation and it's obvious she seems to be liking him and that confounds me. Afterwards, we get that single page of Kurt and Rogue that also made me tear up again. Rogue has still retained Nightcrawler's physical mutation so she's the one who has to wear a perception image filter. Everyone is just suffering and reeling in this issue. But the upside is that Kurt is able to touch her since he is officially immune to each other after they switched powers. Kurt says that she's still beautiful and that he has faith that there must be a reason they switched powers like this. For now, he's just so happy and content that he's feeling close to someone again in such a visceral level like with Rogue, his newfound "sister". *wipes single tear from cheek*

The issue ends with Professor X in his study, reminiscing of the past as he looks through a photo album where he finds a picture of himself with all of the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Iceman and Angel) gorgeously rendered by Grummett. It was the best way to end this issue. I was so impatient of the slow developments and irrelevant plotlines that overcrowded the last five issues so my expectations for this series have tempered but I was quite pleasantly grateful that we get such an insightful and dignified story like this as an overall examination of the aftermath of chaos and loss our characters have experienced. It's a cleansing one too and have somewhat rejuvenated my enthusiasm although I will still remain critical and wary of the future storylines ahead.

RATING: 8/10