X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #9 (2009)

There are a handful of details that I don't bother asking while I'm reading Claremont's X-Men Forever, mostly because they're irrelevant to the stories at hand. Now that we have reached this final installment for the Sentinels storyline (which was a tad underwhelming even if I never had any kind of grand expectations in the first place), I feel like I had to ask these stupid questions such as: (1) When and why did Rogue ever get that short haircut?; (2) Since when did it become acceptable that Gambit look so slick with those sophisticated, dandy and metrosexual clothes?; (3) Where is the Professor's cool yellow cab-wheelchair and why would they even think about replacing that?; (4) Why is Shadowcat not wearing her mask anymore?

These questions are all a matter of aesthetics, I know, and they never really bothered me until after I finished this issue. That's how completely uncaring I was about the Trask bitch and her newly enhanced goddamn Sentinels. I just realized that the Sentinels are like the Cybermen of Doctor Who if the Brood are the equivalent of the Daleks. They're historical and prominent in their respective canons but I don't particularly care for them personally unless something strange or inventive will be done about them.

To further illustrate my Whovian point, I would argue that the only Dalek storylines I ever enjoyed were Dalek from the Eccleston era, and the latest one in Capaldi's run for the current season, Into the Dalek. Those two stories were parables at their core about some existential construct or philosophical conundrum, as oppose to straight-up action story about scary machinery that can murder you. Sadly, this Sentinel storyline was just that, and adding more insult to injury is the personal backstory of one Sigrid (which is an awful name for a girl, by the way) Trask who I don't have any sort of emotional stake in so fuck her. Though it pains me to do this, let's get on with this obligatory review.

I practically begged in my last review to give me something new or revelatory about the Consortium, the oh-so-super-secret organization who implanted the impostor Storm into the X-Men's close-knit group, and this issue thankfully gave me that although it was a most detestable development. I was already expecting the very worst from the assholes who made Storm into a two-faced, friend-murdering turncloak, but the fact that the Consortium is blatantly behind of the new Sentinels program is just sickening. One of the figureheads turns out to be Bolivar Trask's second wife, and Sigrid's mother. Sigrid is actually Bolivar's daughter and that makes her Larry's half-sister, and the Trask scientist who Logan killed back in the second world war is her grandfather. So yeah. I think I made a mistake with her lineage last time so I just want to correct myself here. So Sigrid (or "Ziggy" because why not) wants to continue her father and brother's project in spite of the defective nature of such an endeavor in the first place; meaning the Sentinels eventually turned against their human creators because they deemed both humans and mutants to be abominations that are inferior to them. Because, scary robots that murder people, right?

For some reason, Ziggy thinks she can do better and improve the Sentinels this time so that they actually don't turn on humans. Now as a female character who makes her own choices no matter how reckless they are, or executed for the most vile and racially prejudiced of intentions, this is an empowering stance, I suppose...? Anyway, she tells Nick Fury about her grand plans to protect and elevate her family's legacy like any babbling villain that gives the heroes enough time to catch up to her. But, just like any inexplicable scene where the bad guy somehow gets away because the heroes got distracted (in this example, via a slight earthquake), Ziggy evades capture long enough to stumble in the forest by herself and discover the Sentinels have recognized her as their sole master and are ready for whatever commands she wishes to extrapolate. That's how the issue ends, with Sigrid surrounded by giant robots who are ready to do her bidding. It's supposedly ominous but it made me roll my eyes in exhausted acceptance that the Sentinels and this bitch are bound to come back in the future installments of X-Men Forever and I had to read more of this trite. OH THE JUBILATION!

RECOMMENDED: 6/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #8 (2009)

Every issue of X-Men Forever starts with a summary of events from a previous issue and I always take the time to read them just to keep in mind all the fuck-ups and the dramatic bullshit that have happened over the course of the seven issues so far. This has been a riveting reading experience, actually, in spite of the fact that it's filled with so much pain, suffering and betrayal. Claremont is able to balance the elements just right, not going over-the-top with the character drama and still keeping on the right track when it comes to plot development. We are currently in the Sentinels story arc which is promising enough as a premise, seeing as these assholes are the bane of every mutant in existence. Programmed to detect mutation and destroy it, the Sentinels are giant robots that the X-Men have to face time and time again and beat the crap out of. We get plenty of that in this issue, thank god.

The opening pages showcased the brilliant teamwork and cooperation the X-Men is known for. Nick Fury tags along and stubbornly tries to help because the man wouldn't just allow himself be carried off to safety by a girl (Kitty). But even he has to admit that taking down a giant killer-robot by his lonesome is not his expertise. Anyway, we get some page about the Consortium again who of course has something to do with the revival of the Sentinels program because apparently these sons of bitches have to cover their quota of bad-guy requirements and I am so sick and tired of them still looming in the shadows, affecting things in a big way, and I still have to be kept in the dark as a reader regarding their real intentions. Are they pro or anti-mutants? Do they even have any definable political leanings and goals or whatever? Are they just there to jerk around the chains of status quo?

I really need to get some answers by the next installment at least, especially an update on Storm's whereabouts--maybe even on Fabian Cortez and whoever the mole is in S.H.I.E.L.D--or if S.H.I.E.L.D is actually working for the Consortium because god knows this isn't the first time they have been duped and infested within by a secret evil organization. Oh, S.H.I.E.L.D, how could you be so easy to infiltrate like this? It's so embarrassing by now.

Speaking of questionable alliances: Sabretooth is still cozying up in the Xavier Mansion, dreaming up of ways to get close to Kitty since he shares genetic bond with the late Logan. At least they had the common sense to smack some ankle bracelet that monitors his activity in case he decides to sneak out and hunt Kitty. Also, he's still blind which is odd since he should be healing by now. We also get a scene with young Ororo and Gambit whose familiarity with each other really warms my heart. I miss Storm and despite of what she did, I still want to believe that she's been manipulated and that this young Ororo may be the key to bring her back to the fold. 

Meanwhile, back to the current mission: the team were able to find the home base of the Sentinel research facility and encounter a female scientist who was knocked out unconscious. Jean was unable to get a read on her. Apparently, this female scientist has been implanted with a chip that interferes with telepathic activity which is bizarrely convenient--and handy if you turn out to be a villainess. Seriously, both Kurt and Hank believed her story about being just some poor, defenseless woman alone in the secluded facility and not get suspicious about the fact that she is armed against telepaths? Well, thank god it was revealed at the end of this issue who she really is: she's the great-granddaughter of Bolivar Trask. Whatever. By that association, I hate her already. She has Nick at gunpoint who argues with her about the moral implications of the Sentinel program, claiming it's yet another Holocaust that must be stopped. OH DEAR GOD I MISS MAGNETO. Just like with Logan, I think he's going to come back. He has to! If he doesn't, I may never get to make another Cherik reference which has been sorely lacking lately and I need to have that quota filled in every review I post here. This is important, okay?

But anyway, they have this infuriating exchange:

Bitch also argues that she's just there to speed up the process of their extinction. Well, fuck you.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #7 (2009)

This issue has no element of surprise for me whatsoever because it's part of the second volume of X-Men Forever whose title gives away the story arc easily. I thought about pretending that I don't know it's going to happen and then not immediately reveal it here until the end of this review but what the fuck, why even bother? This issue focuses on the return of the pesky Sentinels who had irritated me when I watched them in the pilot episode of the animated series and petrified me in the film adaptation of Days of Future Past last year.

Illustrated by Steve Scott, The Past is Prologue is the first installment of the Sentinels arc and I thought the build-up was actually handled well. My favorite part about this issue was Nick Fury who has been working alongside the X-Men in one of the S.H.I.E.L.D's headquarters to solve this mysterious giant-sized footprint. Professor X and Jean Grey lend a hand using their telepathy only to witness the death of one of Fury's agents, Juniper, who is the nephew of one of his fellow brothers-in-arms back in World War II. So that sucks.

The conflict picks up in just a few span of pages where Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue and Nightwalker came to aid and discuss how to divide their group before they venture outside to investigate and stop whatever is wreaking havoc in that place. Hank volunteers to join outdoors which they thought was rather unusual since he has always function more of a scientist-in-the-lab lately than an actual combat fighter but they don't argue with his decision, considering he is additional muscle. At first, Fury insisted to send more of his agents in the field but Rogue cautions him against it because this mission looks like something mutants like them can handle and Fury wouldn't want risking any more human lives at the cost of nothing since they still don't know what's out there. He complies eventually so Cyclops proceeds to give out orders on which team members will go together. Jean, Rogue, Kitty, Kurt and Nick ride the Blackbird with Hank flying the plane while Cyke, Gambit and the Professor stay behind to monitor activity and provide back-up in case of an attack.

Meanwhile, we get a flashback sequence concerning Nick and Logan during the second world war and their seizure of a laboratory where experiments are being conducted. Here we see the Juniper soldier get killed while Logan murders a scientist (whose name turns out to be Trask *cue ominous music*) and they all decide to burn down the place to make sure that the Nazis don't get their hands on whatever innovation it was developing because that's totally what the Nazis are gonna do, of course which will only make things worse for the Allied Forces, especially when we later find out that it's one of the home bases for Sentinel technology. That flashback was a significant piece of backstory that will essentially play a part in the next issue.

Anyway, we go back to present time where the dispatched team finally arrives in the home base from Fury's helpful flashback narrative--only to stumble upon a Sentinel who, of course, is programmed to recognize that they are mutants and therefore must be destroyed. The issue ends with that climactic confrontation. I was okay with this first installment of the Sentinels storyline. It establishes the premise, the future conflicts that are going to take place, and the continuing character drama with Jean and Scott (who still cannot find the right time to talk about their relationship), and Professor X's involvement in this team exercise which was only brief and minimal, seeing as I think the team is still reluctant to work with him fully again after the disastrous information-withholding he has committed. They've been keeping it civil for now only because they really have no time to engage in a heart-to-heart, not when there is a job to be done--and a fucking Sentinel that is on the lose and ready to obliterate them. The X-Men are just not allowed to have a life.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #6 (2009)

Thank god for this issue. After the shit-storm of betrayal, bereavement and earth-shattering discoveries that was the Love--And Loss! story arc in the previous five issues, it's truly a kindness that Chris Claremont at least gave us this simple and delightful issue that allows readers and the characters to breathe and put everything in a much needed perspective.

What I really love about this issue is that it's sort of a feel-good installment where everyone is now allowed to contemplate about the extent of the damages that have been inflicted and how much they tipped off the general balance of things. The issue also heavily featured the teenage Ororo (who may be a clone? Who the fuck knows) and she is just the cutest thing ever. 

And yes, I am focusing on her cuteness because the adult Storm has eviscerated me so much that I'm sort of in denial about it still, in spite of the obvious fact that there is this gaping hole at the center of my chest where my love for her was usually tucked in. With sweet Ororo, we were able to see things in her wide-eyed and innocent perspective, including the way she relates to and interacts with Gambit, Cyclops and Shadowcat. This issue entitled Play Day was illustrated by Paul Smith whose perky illustrations suited the light-heartedness of Claremont's writing tone for the story.

In the aftermath of the destruction of the Danger Room, Remy, Scott, Kurt and Kitty decided to clean up the mess which was a really tiresome chore, considering how much of the room was destroyed. Ororo sneaked in just to watch the guys do their thing but she was hesitant to join them because she feels very much out-of-place in this situation. She is aware of what the Storm in this timeline has done but I don't think she can fully grasp the gravity of that, let alone react to it. She's close with Remy and is quite put off by Scott's meddling while she's not sure how to even behave herself around Kitty. It's refreshing to see this version of Ororo who hasn't come to terms or developed her powers yet so when she accidentally used her powers, it made me sigh and shook my head in mild amusement. I think the rest of the gang may be wary of her but they're astute enough to know that this Ororo is not the Storm they worked alongside with, let alone betrayed by. They pretty much treat her like any mutant kid who is inherently curious about them as they are of her.

We also get an exchange between Professor X and Sabretooth and the tension is a mile high for this, given that Sabretooth just spelled out basically that since a genetic part of Logan has infused with Kitty, he is now inclined to follow Kitty around, sniffing her out. It's pretty creepy but then again, Sabretooth is an asshole. Anyway, he decided to stay behind since he not only wants to kill Storm, he also wants to get whoever employed her in the first place, the elusive Consortium. Professor X is not pleased about this development but he knows that some amount of his authority has been endangered after the X-Men found out that he lied about the "mutation burnout" as they deemed it and Sabretooth was quick to point out that as much as the X-Men do hate him, at least he is not the professor who is clearly suffering the guilt of his deception and whom the X-Men are still figuring out how to forgive at this point. I feel genuinely bad for Charles. I think that his position has always been a challenging one, and now that his adopted children have grown up as adults who can decide whether or not to still accept him, it's putting so much strain because he's so used to being in control, being the most powerful telepath in the world and all that. Sadly, he's going to have to adjust to the fact that this is a standstill he's going to have to stay stuck in.

Meanwhile, in the lab, Jean and Hank have a heart-to-heart concerning Scott and Logan.  I can sympathize with her a lot. She's been with Scott since the beginning of the X-Men comics and they had endured many hardships together but she has fallen in love with somebody else in their team and that someone winds up dead and she felt his demise move through her since they were strongly linked telepathically. And now Scott knows how she feels about Logan, who may not be one of his closest friends but he's still someone Scott admired and respected as a fellow teammate. Scott isn't even angry, that's the sad part. He's far too focused on trying to take care of everybody else since he is the leader so he has to put aside his conflict (or lack thereof) with Jean. She knows this is just the kind of man Scott has always been but I think there's a part of her that wishes he would get angry because it would show that he cares enough to lose control and fuck up a little bit. But no, Scott the golden boy has to be mature and the better man so he graciously allows Jean her time and space to grieve Logan while he's cleaning up the Danger Room. But at least Hank was there to listen though she's keeping things repressed for now so they can focus on work.

Back in the Danger Room, the clean-up was not going as smoothly especially when it's a sentient creature fighting back. I'd like to believe that these scenes are a metaphorical representation of their struggle to fix things emotionally among them. The Danger Room represents everything they consider stable and functional in their lives as a family and community and now that it has been damaged, they need to repair it together although it's going to take some time to get it running again in perfect condition, much like their team--but it doesn't mean they will stop trying and give up on each other. A scene with Remy, Scott and the young Ororo further emphasizes this. There's a lovely bit of dialogue here that Scott says to comfort Ororo about what lies ahead and what her role could be in all of this depending on her choices:
 

There's also this great exchange between Kitty and Kurt as they talk about the fact that a portion of Logan genetically has stayed within her and she could feel it and it's bothering her. The adamantium claw is already difficult to get used to and now she has to live with the fact that a part of a late loved one (whom she referred to as a godparent to her) is coursing through her veins. It should make her feel secure that Logan is embedded in her but this is absolutely terrifying because she feels as if she's not the same person and that she's slowly losing what makes her Kitty Pryde every time she feels Logan's genetic make-up taking over that she sometimes wonders if her actions are really hers or his instinct. Not to mention Sabretooth is clearly treating her as his new prey so that's another appalling disadvantage. But Kurt immediately points out that he is not worried about her because he knows Kitty well enough to believe she's going to overcome this:

Like I said, this issue was a saving grace. It's very insightful. Characters get to mull over their individual struggles and show sympathy for each other's plight, trying to ease the difficulty of the situation as much as they can by just listening and being there for their friends. For me, this is a feel-good break from all the drama--which we all know is still coming.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont volume 1

Entitled X-Men Forever: Picking Up Right Where We Left Off is not exactly an accurate description for the first volume of Chris Claremont's grand return to X-Men comics after his supposed retirement in 1992. This was originally intended to be a follow-up to the 1991-1992 eleven-issued run of X-Men with artist Jim Lee but not every character featured in that nineties comic book series was able to be featured here. I'm referring, of course, to Psylocke, Jubilee, Banshee, Forge, Bishop and Angel.

For X-Men Forever, we get Nightcrawler and Shadowcat alongside the usual favorites: Professor X, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Beast, Cyclops, Rogue, Gambit and Storm. Although the events for the first five issues of this volume happens right after Magneto's demise back in X-Men #1-3, this one feels like a disjointed story because the tonality, visual feel and writing are completely different from the nineties series. Artist Tom Grummett also provides pulpy dimensions to the illustrations that suit this era of Claremont's X-Men

That said, Picking Up Where We Left Off was everything that has made Chris Claremont's writing for the X-Men definitive and diverse (if not nostalgic for those who grew up reading his stories for a better part of the two decades of his career). Regardless of how you may feel about his often soap-opera-ish verbose style and narrative framing, Claremont's X-Men stories are always guaranteed to be engaging, much like a soap opera in television about a dysfunctional family facing a ridiculous amount of unfortunate events that test the bonds of their relationship.

Claremont simply has a knack for making the most absurd or dramatic of interactions and storylines just click together to form a cohesive and enjoyable story where characters are interacting like real people (in spite of the stilted dialogue). Yes, Claremont may have characters talking rather bizarrely at times (in an occasional self-aware and cheeky manner even when scenes are grim and serious) but you can look past that and consider the package of these stories at their humblest face value: they're genuinely entertaining, deeply moving at times and sheer fun. There is an endearing and earnest quality to the way Claremont treats these characters; each of their uniqueness is marked by compelling drama in their daily struggles as people and as a community of outcasts and aspiring world-builders. It can get cheesy but it's still very heartfelt. This is Claremont's X-Men at its most rudimentary form where being a mutant means troubles will always find a way to your doorstep and all your relationships are meant to suffer in bittersweet regrets and reflection. And it's very addictive to read it!

Comprised of five issues, the story arc Love--And Loss! almost killed me. I never expected it to be so goddamn stressful and bad for the heart. The plot was off-beat and uncompromisingly inventive in such a way that it managed to put two of the most popular and well-loved characters (and deservingly so) in irreversibly tragic roles that I never once saw coming so while it was unfolding before my very eyes, I tried so hard not to flinch from its unforgiving sight. The first two issues nicely set up the pieces, building up the necessary character drama that will fuel the next stages of conflict for the rest. We get Jean Grey and Logan's "unconsummated" love for each other which is going to become a terrible inconvenience for everyone, mind you. Meanwhile, Kitty Pryde's role in the progression of the storyline will become significant and the substantial loss of a fallen comrade will burden her in a way no one will be made quite aware of until later on during more dangerous missions. I have to say that this first volume is loaded with twists that could either make you so, so, horribly suffocated and yet riveted all the same (like I was) or question the very fabric of Claremont's fiction. Love--And Loss could be rather polarizing. If you never liked character-driven stories filled with agonizing moments of drama where everyone is discovering awful shit and reacting devastatingly to it, plus some servings of off-the-kilter action sequences, all the while nothing gets satisfyingly resolved, then perhaps this corner of Claremont's writing is not suited for you. For me, it's perfect. Not necessarily a classic masterpiece like his earlier works but one close to my soul anyway.

Six months from now when I have read other X-Men titles by other writers, I will still look back at the Claremont works read and reviewed here in my blog and sigh in nostalgic bliss. This volume will always have a special place because it broke my heart so much worse than expected. So here are the blurbs for the five issues. I don't want to spoil the details of each issue because the hurricane of ache needs to be experienced first-hand, although clicking the links of the individuals reviews will certainly do the job.

Issue #1 --> In which Jean Grey and Logan are connecting secretly through a shared telepathic bond, Storm and Rogue connected in a very uncomfortable way that sends them awkwardly away from each other for a while, and Nick Fury wants to put the X-Men for a more public appearance to make the normal citizens feel safe about them, if not less inclined to persecute them.

Issue #2 --> In which everyone gets knocked out via Jean's massive mental breakdown; Storm fights Sabretooth and the rest of X-Men arrive just in time as she blinds the motherfucking shit out of him because she's had enough.

Issue #3 --> IN WHICH EVERYTHING IS FUCKED.

Issue #4 --> IN WHICH EVERYTHING IS WORSE THAN FUCKED. IT'S VERY, VERY FUCKED.

Issue #5 --> In which the X-Men come to terms that everything is worse than fucked because it's very, very fucked only to discover that EVERYTHING COULD GET MORE FUCKED THAN IT ALREADY HAD BEEN. Also known as the issue where they contemplate their new set of priorities, Professor X gets shamed for being such a secretive jerk, and Nick Fury decides he can make it all work out for the best.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #5 (2009)

As of last issue, there are two versions of Ororo Munroe. One in the present timeline who turns out to be a double agent working for an organization called the Consortium and she's on the run from the X-Men after she brutally murders Wolverine; while the other one is a teenager from some alternate reality who may or may not be a clone--fuck it, I'm not even going to try and understand this part. All I know is that two of the most well-loved characters, Wolverine and Storm, are at the worst point in their lives here. Logan is simply dead and Ororo has become the X-Men's newest villain.

In other depressing news, Kitty Pryde has an adamantium claw sticking out of her knuckle and it fucking hurts while Cyclops comes to terms that Jean Grey is in love with Logan who is still dead. On more bad news: somehow one of the S.H.I.E.L.D operatives let Fabian Cortez go and the Consortium picks him up which probably means yet another screw-over-in-the-making for the X-Men. Basically, everything is viciously fucked. It has been a colossal fiasco and I believe it's only been two nights since everything became shit. TWO GODDAMN NIGHTS.

In those brief hours, we witnessed Storm blind Sabretooth, kick everyone's ass THRICE, and then turn rogue, Wolverine getting incinerated while Jean was linked to him, and the X-Men big ripped apart as tensions and conflict rise not just within their group but on the outside. Nick Fury believes that the reason why the rest of the world fears their mutantkind is because they've been operating in the shadows for far too long. It's time or the X-Men to be more visible about their activities. Talk about timing. Some people in S.H.I.E.L.D may also be in cahoots with these Consortium assholes and Fury doesn't even know. This Consortium entity worries me especially since they apparently employed Storm and embedded her as a spy in the Xavier Mansion for god knows how long.

To add more shit on the dog pile, Beast confirms that the Storm they have been fighting is the real one. She was not manipulated against her will. She was genuinely a rotten turncloak from the beginning. Powerful telepaths like Jean and the professor were even unable to discern her real motives until someone in their group ends up dead and Sabretooth exposes her. So basically she knows everything about them including their fighting styles since she trained with them, and is now on the loose which is horrible because Storm can pretty much take on all of them. That's how dangerous she is. But Hank also asserts that the teenage Ororo who is with them for now is also the real deal. FUCK THIS I GIVE UP. I can't believe Storm has been a bad guy all this time. She's one of my all-time favorites so this wounds me. I'm still in denial at this point. BUT THERE'S MORE. I'm not even going to try and explain it, so I'm posting the actual pages so you can just read and comprehend for yourself the magnitude of the game-changing discovery that Hank stumbles upon after doing some comprehensive research.

Tread carefully. It's the ultimate shocker for this story arc:

 

 

 

 

 

 

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST CAN YOU ALL JUST WAKE ME UP WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER?! The X-Men cannot have a good day of victory for this story arc at all. Just when they think finding out that Storm had been a foe in their midst all along and that she killed Wolverine while Jean saw it all and felt it happen, now they have to adjust to the shocking news that Hank delivers regarding the distressing probability that their mutation means each of them has a shorter shelf life than they thought. AND THAT THE PROFESSOR KNEW AND SAID NOTHING ABOUT IT. Charles Xavier was their mentor, leader and father figure and he withheld this information for their own safety as if they're not adults who deserve to know the truth and deal with it properly. It also calls to attention other several instances in the past when the professor deliberately kept them in the dark as a team or as individuals, justifying his secrecy as the only option to protect them from a much bigger crisis looming such as this discovery. I understand that Charles believes that they deserve better than the truth; that they deserve to hope. He didn't want them to resent their uniqueness as some sort of burden just because their fires can so easily be extinguished at a young age. But did he really think the X-Men would just stop caring about their noble goals once they find out that fighting for humanity and their platform for equality wouldn't matter because they won't live long enough to see that dream achieved? It certainly makes the X-Men feel as if the professor doesn't at all think they will still be able to make selfless choices by themselves unless he deceives them into it.

 

I think Claremont was amazing to showcase in those panels above the widening chasm of this power struggle and tension between Professor X and his X-Men who do not exclusively fight the evils of the world for Xavier's own goals alone; these are no longer the lost children he adopted and nurtured. They've all come to their own as adults and he has to give up some of his control over them, and start treating them like that or lose them for good--just like any parent should. Cyclops, the teacher's pet and team leader, is absolutely having a difficult time for this story arc. Not only does he have to deal with the fact that the woman he loves has fallen for someone else, he also has to look at the professor in the eye--a man he would follow to the edge of the cliff and have literally done so before--and see for himself that Charles Xavier is a flawed being who can make selfish decisions and lie to him even if it's for what he perceives to be good intentions. And that has to cut deep. The rest of them--Hank, Rogue, Gambit, Jean Grey--they've all lost their way and found a renewed purpose to live and go on because of the professor and I think finding out that he had taken advantage of their trust and desperation to belong to something bigger than themselves is very damning. And how about the young and aspiring members of the team, Kurt (Nightcrawler) and Kitty (Shadowcat)? It's bad enough that they need to cope from the grief of losing Logan and Ororo, now they have to deal with the fact that Charles Xavier is not always a forthcoming man. This is a frightening thing to know about your parent. LOVE AND LOSS INDEED!

 

But thank god for Nick Fury asserting some kind of authority and necessary rude awakening:

 

 

 

"The man who had the dream was flawed. The dream itself--of a future full of hope for all of humanity--is still good." YES. YES, YES, YES, YES, YESSSS!!! Thank you, Mr. Fury! I believe that the X-Men have been doing this for a long time that they should know by now that nothing is ever absolute or certain especially the actions you committed for the sake of the beliefs you have. And if any superhero team can survive and work together towards the common good, it's the X-Men. They have lost two of their most loved comrades and their image of a benevolent professor who is always admirable has been shattered, but it doesn't mean they give up and stop hoping--they have to fight more fiercer than ever because they still have one another and that should be comforting enough to pull through.

Of course, Jean and Scott's fractured relationship has to take a backseat first but they should take solace in the fact that they're doing it for something bigger than their own personal conflict. The world needs them whether it wants to acknowledge it or not. If they want to be treated as adults who can make their own choices then this is the best and probably the only time to prove it so.

 

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #4 (2009)

I was losing it.

I laid on my bed last night at quarter past eleven while I consumed three issues of X-Men Forever, unsuspecting of the fact that I was going to get seriously screwed over by doing so. I ended up becoming very livid and distraught, seething in agony and panic as I hurried to finish the pages of this issue only to be thrown into yet another curve by the end. The last issue was stressful enough for me (though it had a solid 9 out 10 rating here because any story that convoluted and exciting that ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK deserves such a score). But that stress only worsens by this fourth installment to Claremont's clusterfuck of a story arc, Love--And Loss!

RECAP: Jean Grey and Logan are connected with an unbreakable psi-link so when he gets brutally murdered somewhere, Jean suddenly releases a powerful psionic blast that knocks out everyone in the mansion except for Storm who just got back to find all of them unconscious. As the team tries to revive Jean and Rogue who are still passed out, Nick was informed by one of his agents that they found an incinerated corpse that could have been Wolverine's due to the traces of adamantium metal on his remains. Storm later on tries to use her electricity to turn on the generators but was attacked by Sabretooth. She throws him inside the Danger Room while the rest of them catches up, only to witness Storm go over the line as she blinded Sabretooth using her powers.

Back in the lab with Hank, Professor X mentally probes Jean Grey's psyche and discovers that the person responsible for Wolverine's death was no other than Storm. Prof X collapses because of such an overwhelming strain while Jean projects her anger towards Storm who was still in the Danger Room with the others. Everyone else heard Jean confess her love to Wolverine, including her boyfriend Cyclops. Also, that Storm killed Logan. They all attack Storm but she manages to escape and lock them inside except for Kitty Pryde who was so pissed at what Storm did that she produces one of Wolverine's missing adamantium claw and cuts Storm's face with it. And here we are.

I'm pleased that we don't spend a lot of time wondering why Kitty is suddenly wearing Wolverine's missing claw. Hank readily explains three pages in that when Kitty tried to stop Fabian Cortez from absorbing Wolverine's powers back in issue #1, their genetic physiology infused with each other which was why Kitty retained one of Wolverine's adamantium claws by accident. Now this is where my theory fits: I theorized that Wolverine may still be alive (because, hello, it's motherfucking Wolverine) because I think Kitty's own powers may have been absorbed by Wolverine to a lesser extent, enabling him to perhaps "phase" the moment Storm struck him with lightning. That doesn't explain his skeletal remains, I know, but I'm just not buying the fact that Claremont really did kill Wolverine. He may stay dead for now but I bet we're going to have to explore more of the love triangle among Jean, Scott and Logan later on. I know I would want that. Claremont writes the best soap opera, period. And if there is one thing I've learned while reading X-Men Forever, it's to expect the unexpected.

Onto the story: Kitty may have maimed Storm's face but she was ultimately unsuccessful in catching her so as Storm flies away, Kitty frees the rest of the X-Men inside the Danger Room. Cyclops then tries to convince Sabretooth to work with them if he hopes to find out who really killed Wolverine because all of them are convinced that something must have turned Storm into an enemy because it's shocking to believe that their well-loved comrade was not their friend all along. Sabretooth begrudgingly agrees only because there is strength in numbers. Jean Grey finally wakes up and asks to join them in their search, much to Professor X's disapproval. She tries to talk to Cyclops about her feelings for Logan by Cyke gently brushes her off since it wasn't the right time to discuss about personal matters. They divided themselves into two teams: Nightcrawler, Rogue and Gambit are flying together in the rainy skies while Jean, Cyclops, Shadowcat and Sabretooth find themselves underground in the sewers. Storm turns out to be hiding in the latter and she attacks them.

She was able to flee yet again but was confronted by a mysterious bunch of armed men who are sent there to kill her. Storm is officially a double agent after all, working for something called the Consortium. But these men are not here to retrieve her and report to their commanders. They are there to dispose of her since her cover has been blown wide open and they can't risk the X-Men finding about the Consortium--whatever the fuck that is. And just when I think things couldn't get any more topsy-turvy, we get a scene with Gambit (who was dropped off by Rogue on top of a building so they can widen their search) coming face-to-face with an adolescent version of Storm--a young Ororo who was so glad to see Gambit again. She embraces him tearfully, telling him something about Logan saving her (in her own timeline or the present timeline? Which Logan is she referring to?) But it looks someone wants to kill this Ororo too. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY and it's freaking me out! WHAT IS HAPPENING??! Even though I read the next issue immediately, I was still confused!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #3 (2009)

After finishing the third part of the Love--And Loss! story arc entitled The Cruelest Cut, I was left utterly stunned as if I had been electrocuted which is a very appropriate simile to use since it's all because of Storm that I'm slowly unravelling right now.

In almost all of my reviews of the nineties Claremont X-Men last week, I've voiced out several times that I wanted Storm (and Jean Grey) to have more participatory roles in the stories and it only took two decades after to get what I want at last--in the most awful kind of sense ever. I was simply rendered in a gibberish state while reading this issue and the next two afterwards as I witnessed twist after twist unfolding without even giving me any breathing space in between. I was screeching and rolling around in my bed as I tried to make sense of what I was reading because WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, CLAREMONT, WHAT IN HOLY LOKI IS THIS ATROCITY? 

I cannot--for the life of me--believe any of this is happening. So this is what's it's like when people in Marvel forfeit editorial control over Claremont's creative decisions for an X-Men story. And here I thought that Grant Morrison's writings for Batman is the only thing that is radical and experimental--it turns out that Chris Claremont, who wrote X-Men for 16 years, can still take this material to new, exciting directions THAT CAN ACTUALLY KILL ME. Before you get any wrong ideas, I just want to say first and foremost that I REALLY DID LOVE THIS ISSUE AND INEXPLICABLY SO. It was a great writing exercise with a fast-paced what-the-fuckery content, and I have never seen any writer in a comic book accomplish this amount of twists and turns with such detached ease and a lack of sympathy for readers (who are just not prepared to see one of the fan-favorite X-Men turn that cloak so fast that it slaps everyone in the goddamn face) like Chris Claremont for Love--And Loss! story arc. Still illustrated by Tom Grummett, The Cruelest Cut is exactly what it says on the fucking tin. Are you ready to read the unmitigated disaster that was issue #3? Well then, chaps, put on your raincoats because here comes the Storm.

RECAP: Jean Grey and Logan now share an unbreakable and deep psi-link with each other, and Jean is cautiously trying to deal with these feelings as she keeps an open line with Wolverine who just left the mansion (issue #1) in bad terms because Nick Fury is meddling with X-Men affairs. So while at the office with Professor X, Nick and Cyclops, Jean suddenly releases a powerful psionic blast that knocked out everyone in the mansion (Gambit and Rogue outside; Beast, Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler in the lab). Storm returned to the mansion to find all of them unconscious (issue #2) and as the team gathers together to try and revive Jean and Rogue who are still passed out, Nick was informed via phone call by one of his agents that they found an incinerated corpse that could have been Wolverine's due to the traces of adamantium metal on his bone structure. Nick disbelieves this and so does the professor. Meanwhile, Storm tries to use her electricity to turn on the generators but was attacked by Sabretooth. The team helps out (Rogue is finally awake but Jean is still comatosed) but Storm was acting rather strange and proceeds to burn Sabretooth's eyes with a series of lightning bolts, causing irreversible blindness on the poor sod.

Now we pick up after that climactic event where Cyclops the team leader is still reprimanding Storm for her actions. Kitty, on the other hand, quietly worries about Storm because she has never done anything so rash and brutal before. Storm, however, believes they are overreacting and was not pleased that Cyke wants to give their enemy some medical assistance instead and also ask him questions. To be quite honest, I was happy that Storm was such a bitch last issue, injuring Sabretooth like that, because it was pretty badass to see her prove to everyone that she's always a force to be reckoned with so, bad guys, better not mess with her. I was all smiles and laughs in my previous review, not even questioning Storm lashing out which should have been a very telling for me because it wasn't like her to be that physically vindictive. I should have known better, so I was absolutely and terrifyingly blind-sighted (pun not intended but suitable in this situation) with what happens in this issue. But before we get to that, let's talk about Hank, Jean and Professor X. While the team is still inside the Danger Room, discussing what to do with a blinded Sabretooth, Professor X tries to communicate with a comatosed Jean via mental probing/non-consensual penetration. What follows is a rather uncomfortable sequence of Prof X (in the nude) looking through Jean's memory of making out with Logan in her dream, and witnessing Wolverine's final moments before he gets murdered (while the professor's telepathic manifestation is hovering around like Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan--I was giggling the entire time--UNTIL I WASN'T).

But look at this panel and behold Charles Xavier's creepiness.

There was even that brilliant piece of whining from Professor X concerning Jean and Logan's secret love for each other. He was like, "Why didn't you guys tell me about this? I could have helped, you know." REALLY, CHARLES? Were you really expecting Jean to come up to you one day and say, "By the way, I've been having weird sex dreams about Logan. Oh, professor, what shall I do?" REALLY? Well, you are Charles Xavier and there is never a time you are not being creepy so you were probably expecting this kind of conversation. You did, after all, interrupted Magneto via telepathy that one time while he was about to get it on with some lady, justifying the timeliness of that as an emergency so Magneto should totally stop kissing that woman for your sake. You dirty, conniving rascal.

Okay, now that I have filled my Cherik-comment quota for this review. Let's move along.

Wolverine, as it turns out is REALLY DEAD (I still can't accept this) and was murdered by no other than STORM. This was why she wasn't in the mansion last issue. I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD HAVE PUT THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER because this is Storm we're talking about: loyal, devoted and trustworthy Ororo Munroe. Professor X was shaken by this discovery and falls to the ground after disconnecting with Jean in the moment she has seen Wolverine get incinerated by Storm via an overwhelming electric shock. Nick Fury rushes in to see what was going on and as Hank explains, Professor X sends a message to Cyclops to detain both Storm and Sabretooth and didn't have the time to explain why because he was still disbelieving what he saw for himself. Things got even crazier once Jean Grey was able to summon whatever strength she has left to project her rage towards Storm ("I'm coming for you, murderer!" she growls).

It's super awkward because Storm wasn't the only one who hears Jean's enraged soliloquy. EVERYONE ELSE DID.

EVERYONE ELSE INCLUDING CYCLOPS, YOUR BOYFRIEND, HEARD YOU CONFESS YOUR LOVE FOR LOGAN, JEAN, so good job.

Cyke takes it like a man, though. He worries more about the pressing situation at hand and how best to contain the clusterfuck since they not only have a long-time enemy (Sabretooth) in their midst, but apparently also a two-faced comrade who just killed one of their friends. Gambit, Rogue, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler are probably reeling from this information overload themselves. Rogue herself couldn't remember what she saw in Storm's psyche when they made flesh contact earlier (issue #1) but she had suspected that something was amiss. Sabretooth confirms that the reason he attacked Storm was because he was following Logan's scent and could smell it on her. So now they're all trapped in the Danger Room and have no other choice but to cope and act quickly. The X-Men are not having a good day, basically now that Storm has betrayed them; Wolverine is dead because of her; and Scott and Jean are probably going to break up after that truth bomb. The last few pages of this issue feature the team against Storm and the weather goddess once again proves she can kick everyone's collective asses in one deadly swoop of rain, typhoon and thunderbolts. She manages to evade capture by locking everyone in the Danger Room except for Shadowcat who can phase through surfaces. She tries to apprehend Storm.

But Kitty is fucking pissed--so pissed that she somehow produced one retractable adamantium claw from her knuckle and CUTS STORM'S MOTHERFUCKING FACE WITH IT. No one messes with her family even if it's also one of her family. SHIT JUST GOT REAL, YO!

But how did Kitty get that claw from Wolverine? How is Scott holding up after his girlfriend just publicized that she's in love with another man? What did Rogue see when she absorbed Storm's powers and memories earlier? Why can't Professor X bother putting on some projected clothes whenever he mentally communicates with people? All of these questions may or may not be answered in the next issue!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #2 (2009)

HOLY GODDAMN FUCK ORORO MUNROE!

In my recent reviews of the nineties X-Men, I complained about the fact that Jean Grey and Storm never got any time on the spotlight for those eleven issues, and I justified their glaring absence by coming up with a fun scenario where Jean and Storm are actually having a mean match of ping-pong against Bishop so that basically took a lot of their time. It only took two decades for Claremont to return and fix this mishap so he brings us this second issue which definitely puts these two lovely ladies on the very center of conflicts. AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!

The issue opens with two police officers stumbling upon an incinerated corpse. There were literally only bones left for whoever this poor sod used to be. Back in the Xavier Mansion, everyone within perimeter has been knocked out because of Jean Grey's telepathic breakdown which released some sort of blinding energy. With her in the office are Cyclops, Nick Fury and Professor X and they're all passed out. Outside near a lake we have Gambit and Rogue, also passed out. I don't know where Storm was the whole time in the last scene from issue #1 but here she was cautiously entering the mansion, talking ALOUD to herself as she explains what happens (for the reader's benefit).

She went straight to the professor's office and wakes them up except for Jean who is staring wide-eyed while unconscious. Very creepy. Prof X explains to Nick Fury what just happened as Cyclops carried Jean out of the door and bumped into Gambit carrying Rogue. They all headed down to the lab where Beast was with Kitty and Nightcrawler just woke up themselves and are trying to figure out how to turn the electricity back on.

Apparently, Jean Grey did try to control the shockwave before it seriously injures anyone around her by spreading it across the grid lines which affected every machinery in the mansion that was run by electricity. That was considerate. While Beast tries to revive Rogue and Jean as the rest of the team watches on, Nick Fury makes a call and was relayed a bad news: the corpse that was featured in the earlier pages belongs to Wolverine. Because of the adamantium signature in his bones, one of the agents Fury was speaking to believe that the skeleton was his. Fury remains unconvinced especially when one of the corpse's claws was missing in one hand. After he ends the call, he starts talking to himself ALOUD AGAIN as he theorizes what must have happened to Wolverine (how about 'em narration boxes for a more realistic approach eh?) As soon as he got back to the lab, he informs Professor X about it who was also unconvinced. I am also not buying this crap.

When Nick asked where Storm is, the professor says that she decided that she can restore the electricity back, given her powers so she was down in the generators where she was attacked by Sabertooth for some reason. I shared her confusion at that moment so I can just imagine how pissed she must be when Sabertooth claws at her arm. The weather goddess is also a self-confessed claustrophobic (and, if you remember, is having issues with Rogue after their flesh-contact encounter in the previous issue; she's fairly convinced that Rogue is lying about not remembering what she saw in Storm's psyche when she absorbed her powers) so she's already in a bad mood when Sabertooth dropped on her like that. So she aggresively tosses him into the Danger Room so she can utilize the full capacity of her powers. She's on full-"Do not fuck with me, son" at this point. AND IT'S AWESOME TO BEHOLD.

The rest of the X-Men appear just in time so they can join the fun and, for a brief moment, I was shouting, "Guys, let Storm do her thing, okay? I want to see her kick some ass, for god's sake. Go away!" Storm agrees with me but fucking Cyclops, Gambit, Nightcrawler and Rogue "help out" anyway and they all take turns getting their asses handed to them by stupid Sabertooth. Storm decides she is not having any of this shit anymore so she suspends Sabertooth on air with an ice typhoon of some sort and then she hits him with something so powerful which made Kitty question whether or not she just killed him while she stared on in stunned silence as Sabertooth collapses on the ground.

Cyclops reprimanded Storm afterwards but Sabertooth claims that Storm really should have killed him when she had the chance; to which Storm calmly replies in all self-possessed goddess-ness "As you wish." Cyke warns her sternly not to engage. As the rest of the X-Men looked on, they realized that Storm just BLINDED THE FUCK OUT OF SABERTOOTH. Said bastard asserts that the fight isn't over just because he has lost his ability to see. Everyone is freaked out. The issue ends abruptly with a panel of Sabertooth's agonized face and the X-Men's collectively shocked faces in the background. What we don't see was the later scene where the X-Men probably spent some awkward few seconds looking back and forth between Sabertooth and Storm in abject horror. Storm probably just stood there unmoved in all her majestic awesomeness, completely detached from everything as she shrugs impatiently and asks, "What?" all the while contemplating to herself, "That's what you all get for leaving me out of missions, assholes."

HOLY GODDAMN FUCK ORORO MUNROE!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men Forever by Chris Claremont issue #1 (2009)

I was going to review the Annual issue from the 1991 eleven-issued run by Chris Claremont just to end things properly but those sixty-four pages were nothing special (heavily focused on the Blob in Mojo World which is some sort of a prequel to Jim Lee's #10-11 issues), save perhaps the beautiful illustrations by Sam Keith, Jim Lee and Greg Capullo (who is the current artist for DC's New 52 Batman, by the way). Besides, that Annual wasn't even written by Claremont and I wanted to begin my X-Men comics diet by finishing all of Claremont's series and graphic novels first so I decided to jump ahead with the 2009 series X-Men Forever which was published two decades after Claremont ended his official run for The Uncanny X-Men. However, the great thing about XMF is that the plotlines pick up right after issues #1-3 of the 90's X-Men: Mutant Genesis which is a Magneto-centered story arc that moved me very deeply.

Now it wasn't exactly a smooth transition to read the nineties X-Men for two weeks before and then jump to this 2009 title for this week, considering there are obvious discrepancies between them, most notably the absence of Psylocke, Iceman, Banshee, Colossus and Forge. Shadowcast (Kitty Pride) and Nightcrawler have now joined the team. Now I'm sure this membership arrangement was affected by whatever current roster of X-Men are featured in other titles for 2009 so I was willing to just go with it because I love Kitty and Nightie's participation so far. Kitty also has a purple pet dragon of some sort which is really the first time I've ever seen it. Other than that, this first issue of X-Men Forever, illustrated by Tom Grummett, was spectacular!

Opening with Jean's dream of confessing her love then making out with Logan aside, we find the team flying inside the Blackbird plane as they try to locate the asshole renegade Fabian Cortez (who was one of Magneto's acolytes who used and betrayed him previously; which means he inadvertently caused Mags' death--which also naturally means I hate his guts). Professor X is handling the intra-politics with S.H.I.E.L.D operatives, particularly Nick Fury who is not impressed about any of this.

The action hits very early when the Blackbird was targeted by an unseen foe and exploded. Nightcrawler immediately grabs Cyclops and Gambit as he transports to the ground while Kitty was left to keep Jean Grey and Wolverine by her side as she tries to safely get them down using her ability to become intangible on hard surfaces. Meanwhile, Storm and Rogue, who have been flying alongside Blackbird, recovered fast enough to check on the two separated teams but not until Fabian Cortez shows up and controls Cyclops' optic beam. Apparently, just like Rogue, he can absorb powers through touch. There's also a catch: he can amplify a mutant's power inside his or her body until it kills them.

Rogue learns this the hard way as Cortez weakens her, rips a portion of her clothing and then smacks her straight at Storm who made flesh-on-flesh contact with Rogue. And we all know what that means. The impact knocks out both ladies instantly. Just when you thought things could not get any worse, Professor X, Beast and Nick Fury lost all contact from the team and Cortez efficiently takes out any X-Man he can find in the perimeter, particularly when none of them can sense him because he can actually cloak his energy, the motherfucker. While Gambit and Nightcrawler were able to cover up Cyclops so he could stop blasting people with his optic rays, they managed to find Storm and Rogue who are still passed out on the ground. On the other hand, Kitty contemplates Jean Grey and Wolverine's behaviour as they sat there near a tree together, Logan cupping Jean's face to check if she's all right. It was very affectionate so Kitty, knowing Jean is in a very serious and long-term relationship with Cyke, was uncomfortable about seeing them together like that. She awkwardly tries to give them their space.

Fortunately and tragically enough for all of them, Cortez shows up and attacks Wolverine from behind. Kitty jumps in, unaware of Cortez's ability, and only ends up making the situation worse. Jean gives out a counterattack, warning Cortez never to hurt her friends again. Cortez tries to absorb her power but only ends up getting a burning glimpse of the Phoenix energy that is still present within Jean but it's something she desperately tries to keep repressed. Overwhelmed, Cortez decides to just make his escape before the other X-Men catch up to him. Nightcrawler and Gambit were able to capture him and everything settles for a while as Professor X was able to make contact again and picks them up from another jet plane. However, the tension has only began to build up among all of them; Rogue was avoiding Storm after their flesh contact which led Storm to believe that Rogue must have seen something from her past and was merely lying about not remembering anything; Nick Fury expresses his concern over the fact that the X-Men themselves are giving the world reasons to fear and hate them so he makes the haste decision of announcing that every X-Men mission from here on is an official business for S.H.I.E.L.D.

In response to that, Wolverine rebels (as expected) and walks out of there, clearly pissed that Fury (whom he has shared a friendship with for years) is acting like a different person altogether with his pro-government stance. With Wolverine gone somewhere and the rest of team scattered inside the Xavier Mansion, Jean Grey and Cyclops stay with the professor as Charles tries to talk things out with Nick Fury at his office. Jean maintains a psychic link with Logan the entire time even though Logan kept telling her to stay out of his head. Then, with no warning whatsofuckingever, Jean stands up in panic and releases an immense surge of energy as she screams out for Logan to "get out of there!" (since she seems to have sensed that Logan was in danger, wherever he is). The shockwave spreads instantly and engulfs everyone in the office--and Claremont phenomenally ends this issue in that moment.

I thought that the pacing and plot for this very first installment of the five-issued arc Love--And Loss! has been solid so far. It kept me rolling to the edge of the bed (since I was lying down while reading this) every time a shocking or exciting sequence happens. You gotta love it when your entire being is interacting with a comic book without you being completely aware of the fact that you are very vocal in the expression of your elation, annoyance and dread. I knew I was. I'm now quite intrigued and open for anything that comes next!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

X-Men by Jim Lee issue #11 (1992)

The X-Men stories from the 90's run I have read so far for this month alone are absolutely absurd in scope and execution. They were verbosely written by Chris Claremont and gorgeously drawn by Jim Lee, and tend to be unforgettable for being the best and the worst things I've ever encountered in comic book pages. However, I can confidently say that it has been a pleasant trip overall because I found myself enjoying the general texture and tonality of the storylines and characterizations more than I'm shaking my head in derision and confusion over a select few moments. The greatest thing about this title are the awesome moments shared among characters I've grown up with. For that alone, the eleven-issued run of X-Men has been spectacular and fulfilling. The Annual issue after this is the last thing I'll review before I go ahead with X-Men Forever.

This is the last installment to artist Jim Lee's quirky take on Wizard of Oz and the X-Men's confrontation with the Blob of Mojo World, an alternate reality somewhere in Marvelverse whose citizens are consuming dangerous amounts of reality television shows with cast members that are forced to perform and kill each other on camera. I'm pleased that instead of milking that angle for what it's worth to the very end, he decided to come up with a decent follow-up that has some emotional weight to stay invested in. I'm speaking of Dazzler's struggle to save her boyfriend Longshot while the rest of the X-Men once again showcase that teamwork overcomes anything. 

That is the most consistent thing about the eleven issues for this run. It's about people gifted with powers and burdened with their responsibility coming together to support each other as they stand united against any adversity thrown at them. They function well as a unit despite that they are also individuals with different set of values and inadequacies. I guess you can say the X-Men are a family in the most universal definition. What binds them is their empathy for each other's struggles even if there are times they don't always see eye to eye on some matters. That's what family is all about.

But let's not get unnecessarily deep and poignant all of a sudden here. Still, I just want to say that this is my main reason why the X-Men are my favorite superhero team and why I'm reading them for this year. I think they're admirable not just because of their super-powered mutations and the fact that there are prejudices they had to fight each day--they're my heroes because they choose to achieve so many grander things like racial tolerance and radical change as a community more so than when they could just as easily choose to be  alone and secluded from the rest of the world. Mutation is the mark of evolution. People can and must thrive and grow stronger and it's best accomplished when we all do it together. That's an uplifting, positive message for me.

This issue entitled The X-men Vs. the X-Men (Again) serves as a satirical commentary for the title's own running gags and tropes just as the title suggests. Some self-aware humor can be very healthy for comics like this one. It's nice of the staff to have the ability to make fun of themselves which was why there are genuinely amusing and light-hearted moments in this issue that do more service to the entire structure of the narrative because Jim Lee doesn't make everything too seriously. He knows that readers are not expecting that anyway so we might as well remember to enjoy ourselves. This story arc in general for me is beautifully absurd, a piece that makes commentary on itself for being outlandish and campy while still managing to be a captivating and well-paced action-adventure story. Watching Professor X work with Psylocke, Cyclops and Rogue work together shows that they trust one another which their foes always tend to underestimate during critical moments. When you read an X-Men story, you just know that what ultimately makes the heroes succeed is when they got each other's back no matter what especially when they're not even absolutely sure how the chips will fall.

Longshot is the Dorothy who defeats Blob as the oppressive Wizard which also allowed the citizens of Mojo world to finally take matters into their own hands and strike back against their vicious tyrant. It's an overall fairy-tale ending. Longshot and Dazzler were reunited. Mojo World gets a new ruler who will hopefully not repeat history. And the X-Men get to pose contemplatively in a two-page spread that ends the issue. It's certainly cheesy and dramatic but Jim Lee's illustration is breathtaking anyway.

There's a sidestory about Maverick at the end of Jim Lee's arc that I didn't exactly read that much but it certainly looks interesting. I might go back and read it fully again but for now I'm blessedly content that this is how Claremont's X-Men ended. IT'S WORTH NOTING, however, that the Magneto arc is actually the finale of this series.

 

RECOMMENDED: 8/10