X-Lapsed, Episode 10 - Powers of X #5 (2019)

X-Lapsed, Episode 10

Powers of X #5 (November, 2019)
"For the Children"
Writer - Jonathan Hickman
Art - R.B. Silva
Colors - Marte Gracia
Letters - VC's Clayton Cowles
Design - Tom Muller
Edits - Bissa, White, Cebulski
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 25, 2019



Welcome to Episode X... er, Ten... er, 10. How are we saying that now? I'll never get it right!

Today, as we head toward the conclusion of the HoX/PoX Event with Powers of X #5, we do a little bit of world-building in X⁰... and a little bit of world-destroying in X³... guess which one I enjoyed reading more?

We learn how some of the Krakoan sausage is made, and also get a really awesome cameo from a certain Sub-Mariner. If only the issue ended there...

Also: Your listener mail, and a brief anecdote about the how this show became "a thing" that I do. Thanks everybody!

MCP #4 - Thor

Marvel Comics Presents #4 (Thor)
"Silent Thunder"
By Al Milgrom
Letters - Jim Novak
Colors - Greg Wright
Assistant Edits - Michael Rockwitz
Edits - Terry Kavanagh
Chief - Tom DeFalco

Here's the thing... well actually The Thing was our anchor story last issue... but the other "thing" I'd like to discuss is how it looks like Legacy Blogger might not be an option in a li'l bit.

Right now, every time I access my Blogger dashboard, it defaults to the new-look version.  Used to be, that it would force the "new-look" on me like once... twice a month, tops.  I hear through the grapevine that reverting might be going the way of the dodo pretty soon.  I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, eh?

I ain't happy 'bout it... I'll tell ya that much.  What else ain't I happy about?  Well, we gotta spend the next several minutes talking about Thor, for one!

--

We open with Thor fighting off some robot exoskeleton things... which, is pretty much all I picture when Thor has a "Midgardian" adventure.  Then... the sensational character find of 1988 shows his pervy face... why, it's the Fear Bug!!!  After giving us a page recapping his prior attempts to "feed", he sets his sights on Thor.  After a scan, he learns that this is no ordinary man... and it doesn't look like he has any fear.

So, what is a pervy fear bug to do?  Hey, I know... let's make Thor think he's participating in Ragnarok.  That doesn't happen like every fourth issue featuring the guy!  Okay, okay, I'm exaggerating... but, it sure feels that way, dunnit?  When our man refuses to go down, the Fear-Eater does... something... inside him to cause him to be kayoed.  What was it... and why didn't he just do it to the Surfer, The Captain, and The Thing?  Well, your guess is as good as mine.

Thor lays there a bit, dealing with his current situation... before, you guessed it, ultimately overcoming his fear... driving the Fear-Eater away to seek out another host.  When Thor comes to, he realizes he's still on Earth.

We wrap up with the Fear-Eater spotting his next victim... and, it's Daredevil!  Get this, though... whatta they call Daredevil?  Oh yeah, The Man Without Fear.  Wonk, wonk, wonkkkkk... R.I.P. in Pieces, Fear-Bug... we hardly knew ye!

--

Welp, I'll hand it to Milgrom, the Daredevil twist at the end was pretty clever... and it did elicit a chuckle.  Daredevil, if I'm not mistaken, will be our "anchor" story next issue... so, this is a neat way to build a bit more cohesion in the anthology.

The rest of the story?  Weak-city.  I don't necessarily feel like the Fear-Eater is "played out", in fact, I think I'd have enjoyed seeing a few more stories with him goofing around the Marvel Universe.  Heck, for all I know, he'll show up in next issue's DD feature!  Thor... I'm sorry, gang... I'm never going to be able to summon up enough interest to fully invest in a Thor story.  That ain't the fault of Milgrom... or the story, just my own personal tastes.

Overall... this is probably the weakest "Fear-Eater" feature.  I wonder if we'll ever see the li'l bugger again.

Tomorrow: Tyin' it together...

X-Lapsed, Episode 9 - House of X #5 (2019)

X-Lapsed, Episode 9

House of X #5 (November, 2019)
"Society"
Writer - Jonathan Hickman
Art - Pepe Larraz
Colors - Marte Gracia
Letters - VC's Clayton Cowles
Design - Tom Muller
Edits - Bissa, White, Cebulski
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 18, 2019




Welp... that other shoe just dropped, dinnit?

Today we're discussing the big bombshell reveal in House of X #5. Who were those mutants hatchlings? Where did they come from? What will they go on to be? Why is Goldballs here? Those answers, and a whole lot more in this very episode!

S'more of that "more" includes: the United Nations ruling on Krakoa's sovereign status as well as the idea that Krakoa is for all mutants. If you're following along, this is an episode you won't wanna miss!

Thanks to everyone listening along in real-time for not spoiling this huge reveal for me! I look forward to finally being part of the conversation... and hearing how everyone else received it! Please reach out and share your thoughts!

MCP #4 - Master of Kung Fu

Marvel Comics Presents #4 (Master of Kung Fu)
"Crossing Lines, Part 4 of 8: Water"
Writer - Doug Moench
Pencils - Tom Grindberg
Inks - Dave Cockrum
Letters - Michael Heisler
Colors - Petra Scotese
Assistant Edits - Michael Rockwitz
Edits - Terry Kavanagh
Chief - Tom DeFalco

Another evening visit with MCP here at the humble blog.  I say this as though when someone discovers this post sometime in the future, they'll care that this post was published in the PM!

Let's Shang-Chi!

--

We open with Shang-Chi, Reston, and Black Jack Tarr conferring to plan how they may go about rescuing the kidnapped (or, as they put it in this story "kidnaped") and newly one-handed, Leiku Wu.  They're assuming she was napped/naped by a one-handed fella called Argus.  It's a pretty contentious chat... with neither Chi nor Tarr really seeing eye-to-eye as to how they go about it.  Ya see, Chi wants to leave Tarr and Reston behind... which, causes Jack to flip out... it's really quite an annoying little scene that kills a few too many panels in my opinion.

Shang-Chi assures the fellas that, while he doesn't want them to accompany him, that doesn't mean he's going alone.  He's got frenemies (oof, I can't believe I actually used that word.  Stop me if I do so again) in low places... and so, we are introduced to Shen Kuei... the Cat.  I've never seen this dude before, but it seems as though he and Chi have had a tussle or two in their time... even had a few women come between them, one of them Leiko Wu herself!  Upon learning that she is in trouble, the Cat agrees to help out.

Speaking of Ms. Wu, we join her as she's been tied to a chair by... none other than Argus.  During her... uh, interrogation (?), she manages to break free... but is quickly kayoed with a (literal) right-hook to the mush.

We shift scenes to a boat (called The Junk), where Tarr is giving Chi and the Cat the quick and dirty on their mission.  He tries making it far more complex than it needs to be, but what it all boils down to is... Chi and Kuei are both Asian... and they're going to replace some Yakuza weapon-buyers in order to get in close to Argus.  Once they're inside, they'll assume the roles of "Red Wolves", whoever they are.

Chi and Kuei think the first part of the plan is solid... but, that second-half... they're not so sure.  They all board a little rowboat to head back to the docks from The Junk.  Just as they arrive on dry land, however, The Junk is blown sky-high.  Game on.

--

I have this little... hmm... problem with "Part 4's".  If you've listened to any of my audio exploits, I'm sure you've heard me mention it a time or two.  In today's decompressed comics landscape, "Part 4 of 6" pretty much means you're in for a garbage issue... full of poorly-told recaps, with the teensiest bit of momentum toward the climax.

Now, this chapter wasn't recappy in the slightest... but, it felt like quite the time-killer.  Which is kind of a shame, as I've been kinda digging on this story up to this point.  Hopefully this was just a lull... and next time out, we'll be back to business as usual.  I don't wanna be too hard on it, going by the "three chapters = one issue" model we've been using... I suppose this was decent enough "first third" of an issue.

Perhaps if I had any familiarity or attachment to Shang-Chi and his crew, I'd be a bit more excited seeing folks like The Cat.

Tomorrow: Fear Bug... take four!

X-Lapsed, Episode 8 - Powers of X #4 (2019)

X-Lapsed, Episode 8

Powers of X #4 (November, 2019)“Something Sinister”Writer - Jonathan Hickman
Art - R.B. Silva
Colors - Marte Gracia
Letters - VC’s Clayton Cowles
Design - Tom Muller
Edits - Bissa, White, Cebulski
$4.99
On-Sale Date: September 11, 2019

Something Sinister this way comes... and your humble host has a field day trying to figure out exactly what this might mean moving forward. We're playing with X-History here... in a way that I'm kinda diggin' on! We get the origin story of Krakoa, some Doug Ramsey... Xavier in a pith helmet... Then... we check in with X³ and I nearly lose all motivation to move forward! No worries, though... push on I shall!

Also: Some great Listener Mail... and baby-steps toward putting together a potential BooX Club!

MCP #4 - Man-Thing

Marvel Comics Presents #4 (Man-Thing)
"Elements of Terror, Part 4 of 12: Rage and Design"
Writer - Steve Gerber
Art - Tom Sutton
Letters - Bill Oakley
Colors - Petra Scotese
Assistant Editor - Michael Rockwitz
Editor - Terry Kavanagh
Chief - Tom DeFalco

Welcome to this late-afternoon visit with Marvel Comics Presents.  The morning sort of got away from me.

--

We open with a bit of a reminder of what we've read up to this point... and it's all horribly purple.  When we finally get with the "now", we see that our investigative reporter, Mr. Ditillio has been picked up upon arrival in Florida... by those two goofballs from the first chapter of this feature.  They push him into a car, and take him far away to "deal with him".  When we rejoin them, they're way out in the swamp... where this whole story began.  Looks like that house they were hangin' out in has been burned down.  They baddies assume that the "Demon" had something to do with it.  Just as they're about to "off" Mr. Ditillio, our mild-mannered reporter socks 'em in the face and runs away.  Our "heroes" ain't too frazzled, however, as they're sure if the gators don't get the guy... the Swamp Devil will.

We shift scenes to Maryland, and the home of our "Freedom, Rah Rah" strawman, Mr. Jody Choate.  He's meeting with a fella named Bressack... and he's got a plan.  It's a plan that might get him in trouble... ya know, if he wasn't working in the name of FREEDOM.  That's about all we get.

From here, we visit the Freedom Science Studies Institute.  Hrmm, I wonder if that's the "freedom" Choate keeps talking about.  Anyhoo, they're still experimenting on our sweaty Senatuh friend from Chapter Two... and, they've evidently transformed him into a super soldier.  That is, until he pops.

We now rejoin Dumb and Dumber, as they're trying to track down the Devil Woman who they believe burned down their shack.  They head into a... I dunno, dilapidated mansion or something... and are told that she's there... but, she's not looking to be bothered.

Our men ain't about to take no for an answer... which prompts Voodoo Mama Juju to show her face and tell them herself that she wants to be left alone.  When our heroes try to press the issue... we come to learn that she actually isn't alone... there's a (Giant-Size?) Man-Thing in the house.

--

Welp, if you ever told me I'd be pining for another story featuring the Feral Man, I'd have laughed in your face.  And yet, here we are!

This is... kind of a bore.  A pretty weak outing, perhaps compounded by the knowledge that we know what Gerber is capable of with this character.  Well, I don't personally... but, I have heard good things.  Lots of good things, in fact!

I always worry when I start seeing writers rely on strawmen... though, I am hopeful that the "freedom" that big-bad Jody Choate is talking about is that Freedom Science joint... and not just the good ol' American jingoism that writers seem especially keen on deconstructing time and again.

The art, I will say, is still top-notch!  Tom Sutton is doing all of the heavy-lifting here... and is really pulling out all the stops when it comes to the gore.  Not my cuppa tea to look at, but I can't deny that it looks pretty much exactly like it ought to.  Disturbing, dark, gross... just perfect.  If only he were drawing a better story...

Tomorrow: Shang-Chi, back again... Whoomp, there he is.

X-Lapsed, Episode 7 - House of X #4 (2019)

X-Lapsed, Episode 7

House of X #4 (November, 2019)
“It Will Be Done”
Writer - Jonathan Hickman
Art - Pepe Larraz
Colors - Marte Gracia
Letters - VC’s Clayton Cowles
Design - Tom Muller
Edits - Bissa, White, Cebulski
$4.99
Release Date: September 4, 2019

So, who's ready for even more HoX/PoX Hot Takes from your fumblin', stumblin' humble host? Boy, the issue we're discussing today (House of X #4) does not pull any punches. We've got a lot to talk about here... and, lemme tell ya, I had quite the conversation with myself over the direction of this event! I look forward to continuing the discussion with actual humans!

Also, some great and helpful feedback... and, in the Krakoan spirit, planting the first seeds of an idea for a "BooX Club" (clever, no? Okay, not really.)

As always, a huge thank you to everyone whose listened and reached out over the course of the first handful of episodes (it means the world!), I hope you'll continue to join me for my long-overdue wild ride into X-Relevancy... even though I seemingly can't shut up about the over reliance on info-pages!

If you'd like to pop on as a "HoX/PoX Tour Guide" and help this x-lapsed fella get his land legs back, please let me know!