X-Men

All-New X-Men #23

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All-New X-Men #23Continuing the story from Guardians of the Galaxy #11.NOW, the time-displaced original X-Men along with Kitty Pryde, X-23, and the Guardians of the Galaxy head into space after Jean Grey who has been taken by the Shi’ar to be publicly tried for crimes she hasn’t committed yet. The odd circumstances the X-Men find themselves in leads to quite a bit of offbeat humor highlighted by Iceman‘s glee over interacting with a talking raccoon.

Of course, as often happens with the Guardians’ plans, things don’t go as smoothly as possible when they ship comes under attack from a Shi’ar warship. Unexpectedly, the heroes are saved by the arrival of the Starjammers led by Cosair whose relationship with this version of Cyclops is less cordial than his present day counterpart.

Filled with action, suspense, and an awful lot of humor and inside references (such as Kitty Pryde’s mention of her uncomfortable past with space travel), the pairing of the two teams is a lot of fun while the pre-trial moments between Jean Grey and a Shi’ar telepath continue to set the stage for the trial yet to come. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Guardians of the Galaxy #11.NOW

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Guardians of the Galaxy #11.NOWJust when I think Marvel’s numbering system couldn’t get any more ridiculous the company starts releasing .NOW issues. Sigh. Anywho, the latest issue of Guardians of the Galaxy is actually quite fun as it sets up the events of the crossover with All-New X-Men and the abduction of Jean Grey who the Shi’ar plan on putting on trial for the crimes as the Phoenix (despite the fact that this version of the character hasn’t committed them yet).

After being saved by Gamora and Angela, who rescue an unconscious Peter Quill from a Skrull bounty hunter posing as one of his teammates, the murder girls (as Rocket Raccoon likes to call them) and the rest of the team head to Earth after learning of the Shi’ar plot.

I’m not really looking forward to title jumping into yet another crossover, but on the other hand the galactic ramifications of Jean Grey’s trial make for an unique situation that fits this team perfectly. We don’t get much from Rocket, Groot, or Drax, but the early stuff with Quill is fun as is the continued female bonding of the murder girls. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Amazing X-Men #3

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Amazing X-Men #3After opening up with a fun sequence involving the Beast fighting demonic pirates (which leaves Hank McCoy a very different character at the end of the issue than the man who began it) Amazing X-Men #3 finally begins reuniting Nightcrawler with his former teammates beginning with Storm.

With the fates of the other X-Men not touched on, the main crux of the latest issue deals with McCoy’s unfortunate transformation that certainly suits his moniker and the reunion between Kurt and Ororo that includes a flashback to their time in the mansion and might have brought them both to tears if there weren’t an entire ship full of pirate demons in need of being dispatched.

After two issues of set-up, Amazing X-Men finally starts delivering on the promise of working Nightcrawler back into the group. Although I didn’t expect the level of romantic undertones we get here, I love the reunion between the pair and can’t wait to see where they go from here. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Uncanny X-Men #16

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Uncanny X-Men #16Crossover-free, the latest issue of Uncanny X-Men deals with ongoing theme of Magneto‘s relationship with Cyclops‘ team of X-Men and just how trustworthy the former super-villain truly is. After talking with Dazzler (who isn’t really Dazzler) at a pro-mutant rally, a frustrated Magneto takes her advice in checking out the goings on in Madripoor where mutants have set up a new home.

In the foreign country once ruled by HYDRA, Magneto will find old friends, the temptation of a new home, and learn Mystique‘s secret. Over the first fifteen issues of the series the idea of Magneto betraying Scott Summers and the X-Men has loomed large. However, Magneto’s response to Mystique and her offer is far from expected.

Lost in the various discoveries Magneto makes is an offhand remark Mystique makes to her old friend (while in the role of Dazzler) suggesting the death of Charles Xavier may have damaged Magneto far more than anyone suspects. With the character getting his own series it will be interesting to see how this will be explored in the coming months. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Uncanny X-Men #15

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Uncanny X-Men #15The Inhumanity tie-in (Marvel’s winter event cross-over) offers a look at the female members of the team (Magik, Jean Grey, Celeste, Irma, Phoebe, Tempus, and Kitty Pryde) who Emma Frost leads out for a little shopping in London. Their normal night out is sadly cut short by the presence of an Inhuman cocoon and the birth of a new Inhuman.

The Inhumans have never really interested me as anything but minor supporting characters in larger Marvel events so I’m not too keen on yet another cross-over event I’m less than thrilled about looking to hijack another book I want to read. That said, I really enjoyed this issue for the interactions between the various members of the team before running into the newborn Inhuman.

With the addition of some of the time-displaced X-Men and Kitty Pryde, Cyclops‘ team of X-Men is growing larger (and less reliant on former super-villains). With the teasing of Magneto‘s eventual betrayal it will be interesting to see how much more shake-up we see in the team over the course of 2014. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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