New X-Men (esp. #136)

[Viking Bastard]

There used to be more of 'em.

But a bunch got canned after Joe Q's took the reigns.

 

[Villano]

I haven't read an X-Men comic since '92 when Claremont got canned and the new writers killed off all the old villains. It took all of 3 months for the new writers to flush 20 years of continuity and turn the series into pseudo-Image crap.

I don't collect any Marvels, and only a handful of DCs. I'm at the point where I'm seriously considering dropping all my titles. They either try too hard to be "hip" and "adult" or else reinvent themselves ever 4 months.

 

[Samnell]

I thought it was titled The Uncanny X-Men

Since 1992 (and Claremont's final arc on his original X-Men run) there has been a second title, originally X-Men and commonly called "adjectiveless" to distinguish it from Uncanny (which only officially became "Uncanny" in the 140s ca 1980. When Grant Morrison became writer coming up on two years ago (or is it only a year?) he designed a logo that would read the same upside down, so they changed the name. Of course it's only new in comparison to Uncanny and Wolverine, as all other X-titles contemporaneous with its launh are no longer produced.

"Emma Frost (with her new diamond skin power)"...I liked the White Witch when she was bad & before she became very, very skinny...

Her conversion to the good guys was reasonably well-handled, but yeah. Every woman in comics has lost a lot of weight since back then. Also, a lot of clothing. It must be only politeness that stops the X-Men from mentioning that Emma runs around naked.

 

[Samnell]

I haven't read an X-Men comic since '92 when Claremont got canned and the new writers killed off all the old villains. It took all of 3 months for the new writers to flush 20 years of continuity and turn the series into pseudo-Image crap.

Agreed, but things have improved slightly since. X-Treme X-Men reads a lot like Claremont used to, but he's apparently been forced to tone down the wordiness that was such a trademark back in the day.

They either try too hard to be "hip" and "adult" or else reinvent themselves ever 4 months.

I'm not gone that far yet, but the overriding imperative to turn everything into sex, drugs, and bondage gear has gotten to me very badly over the past few years. I don't mind any of the above within reason, but when 80% of the female characters suddenly have an identical whorish sort of personality and 80% of the male characters are really into that kind of thing, I'm quite turned off. Morrison doesn't seem capable of writing anything else.

 

[Staffan]

Her conversion to the good guys was reasonably well-handled, but yeah. Every woman in comics has lost a lot of weight since back then. Also, a lot of clothing. It must be only politeness that stops the X-Men from mentioning that Emma runs around naked.

In all fairness, Emma Frost and her fellow Hellfire Queen Selene never really wore all that much clothing when "in costume".

 

[Klaus]

While Joe Quesada has done a couple of good things, I didn't like the whole Sentry hoax the least bit.

My comics are almost all DC, and here's what I'm reading:

Nightwing - My favorite character, hands down. Chuck Dixon went a long way into turning Dick Grayson in the greatest hero of his generation and getting him the respect he deserves. Devin Grayson is now heling the title. It's wonderful to see Officer Richard Grayson bringing down a corrupt poilce force from inside!

JSA - Geoff Johns and David Goyer write this title like it's nobody's business. The respect, awe and power that only the world's first superteam can offer. The mix of old and new members is amazing, and the team dynamics reads like the best TV series.

JLA - Not so good since Joe Kelly took over, but it was nice seeing the assembled new JLA. Recap: JLA goes to the past searching for Aquaman. Feeling that 'we're dead' alarm going off, Batman activates a protocol that assembles a team he designed to carry on where the JLA fell: Atom, Green Arrow, Firestorm, Hawkgirl, Captain Marvel (who declines), Faith (a new girl), Major Disaster (now a good guy) and team leader Nightwing ("He's the best. The only one I could ever choose.").

Wonder Woman - Phil Jimenez did wonders (ha!), but I;m dropping this one as soon as he leaves.

Crossgen's SOJOURN - The. Best. Fantasy. Series. Evar! Get the first two tradepaperbacks and be amazed at Greg Land's art, at Ron Marz detailed world and at how an archer with a death wish embarks into a quest that could make one of the best DnD campaigns ever.

 

[Villano]

JSA - Geoff Johns and David Goyer write this title like it's nobody's business. The respect, awe and power that only the world's first superteam can offer. The mix of old and new members is amazing, and the team dynamics reads like the best TV series.

JLA - Not so good since Joe Kelly took over, but it was nice seeing the assembled new JLA. Recap: JLA goes to the past searching for Aquaman. Feeling that 'we're dead' alarm going off, Batman activates a protocol that assembles a team he designed to carry on where the JLA fell: Atom, Green Arrow, Firestorm, Hawkgirl, Captain Marvel (who declines), Faith (a new girl), Major Disaster (now a good guy) and team leader Nightwing ("He's the best. The only one I could ever choose.").

Wonder Woman - Phil Jimenez did wonders (ha!), but I;m dropping this one as soon as he leaves.

I agree on all three. JLA was one of my favs, but I've got a stack I haven't read because I'm not too thrilled with the "lost in time" story.

Also, there's a degree of sameness with the stories. How many "villain that can alter reality" stories have we seen so far? I think the writers run into a bit of a stumbling block when it comes to finding something that can threaten heroes of the JLA's power.

And Wonder Woman has some damn good writing. The problem is that Jimenez had to conform his stories to the damage that Byrne did during his run.

Also, I wasn't too thrilled with Trevor. I thought he was a great character in that one shot story where he was introduced. In that one, WW was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush over Trevor only to discover that he didn't like her. I thought that was a brilliant idea.

However, I think someone at DC noticed Trevor was black and decided they wanted to be "edgey" and get them together (like kids consider interracial relationships shocking nowadays). I found his personality to be annoying with the feeling that the writers had him forced upon them. He finds himself in the lost world of Skartaris (sp?) and, without hesitation, slaps on armor and rides a dinosaur into battle. Ugh!

I dropped the series myself. Not too mcuh in comics interest me anymore, especially for the prices they charge now. I've found myself just buying the TPB collections. That way, I can get just the stories I want without all the dtuff I hate.

BTW, was anyone else underwhelmed by Kevin Smith's run on Green Arrow? Again, he seemed too interested in being "adult" and failing miserably at it. I especially enjoyed his rendition of the world's most well adjusted teenage prostitiute.

Not to mention that truly terrible Riddler appearance. He tries to rob a restaurant while saying "Is that your final answer" or "You are the weakest link" or something equally stupid. This is the Riddler?!

And, while I'm ranting, what is wrong with John Bryne? He's become "retroactive continuity man". He's rewritten Spider-Man and Wonder Woman's origins, very badly, I might add.

WW's is particularly bizarre. Her mother was WW in World War 2. Paradise Island can travel through time. She has a shapechanging, invisible plane that can turn into a spaceship. WW turns into a goddess (then she's not the next issue). WW and Donna Troy, formerly Wonder Girl, are now twin sisters, with Donna being created by magic when Diana was a little girl. WW can be pummeled by Doomsday 2 feet into concrete and withstand energy blasts from Darkseid, but can be taken out by an arrow.

Is Byrne on crack or something?

 

[Klaus]

I think having Hypollita become the WW2 Wonder Woman was the one good thing Byrne did. That re-introduced an original JSA member and helped increase the synnergy between JLA and JSA.

The invisible plane is a leftover of Diana's adventures in space (which is a place WW does NOT belong too).

Phil Jimenez's creed of "symplify" comes alive with Donna Troy. He states that she's Diana's magic-created twin and Hypollita's adopted sister.

Trevor was good for the Day In The Life story, but the whole Skartaris arc was just bleh. And if you think that is strange, imagine how I felt reading the adventures of the time-lost JLA and seeing...




SPOILER





SPOLIER




Wonder Woman and BATMAN (!!!) making out!!!!!!!!

Plus, Joe Kelly was high, killing off the whole JLA in 1,000 BC (even Superman!!!), only to have GL and Manitou trick the villainess into raising them from the dead in the present.

BTW, Manitou Raven is the new-to-continuity version of Apache Chief. He's a shaman now.

 

[Samnell]

In all fairness, Emma Frost and her fellow Hellfire Queen Selene never really wore all that much clothing when "in costume".

Yes, but her old costume had about as much covering as a one piece bikini, which is about an order of magnitude more than her current two pasties and a thong look. I understand she was always a bit slutty, but come on here.

 

[Villano]

I think having Hypollita become the WW2 Wonder Woman was the one good thing Byrne did. That re-introduced an original JSA member and helped increase the synnergy between JLA and JSA.

While I wasn't too thrilled by Hypollita being the first WW (since it sort of takes away from Diana's accomplishments when she won the right to play that role, IMO), I wouldn't have minded if it was handled differently.

Say that Diana discovers that there was a prior, little known superheroine who used the name Wonder Woman during WWII. Delving into the story, she discovers that it was Hypollita. This would explain why she forbid Diana from taking part in the original WW tournament; she knew the dangers superheroes face and didn't want Diana to get killed.

This could lead to some interesting stories as she interacts with the golden age heroes and wonders why no one told her that her own mother was a superhero. Perhaps some never knew there was a previous WW, others were sworn to secrecy by Hypollita when Diana took over the role, etc..

This I could live with.

However, revealing Paradise Island can travel through time and then having the original Flash say, "Hey! I can suddenly remember that Wonder Woman's mom was Womnder Woman in WWII!" was so bad, I think that part of my brain actually died when I read it.

It's such a dumb idea because it's the ultimate dues ex machina (I know I spelled that wrong ). It's the ultimate solution to any time travel story. JLA's trapped in the past? Quick, to Paradise Island! Or, why not use it to go back in time and repel that alien invasion before it even begins?

Jimenez was reduced to killing Hypollita and blowing up the Island to fix this mess.

The only thing I liked about Byrne's run was that he slightly redesigned her costume. He made he bracelets a bit longer and did away with the million stars on her trunks and replaced them with two, stylized stars.

BTW, was there ever an origin given to Giganta? In one issue, there's a gorilla named Giganta. The next time I saw her she was the size-changing woman from Super Friends.