Sep 29, 2009

X-Force: Sex and Violence Art Revealed

It was promised a long time ago, but we never forgot, did we? An amazing three-issue mini-series starring Wolverine and Domino from Craig Kyle and Chris Yost and a wonderful artist Gabriele Dell'Otto (known with his awesome covers and only one drawn comics "Secret Wars"). Domino has gotten herself into a bit of a jam and being Domino she's more than happy to take care of it herself. But Wolverine catches wind of it and kind of inserts himself into the adventure. The exact date of release it's still not known, so we have to hope it's late 2009. I am also certain Laura won't appear after reading this old interview wit the creators:



YOST: While the “Sex and Violence” miniseries stands alone, it will feed into plans for the second year of the ongoing series. The relationships you see in this book are going to carry over into the main book. We're not going to ignore it, it's going to be part of continuity. [...] [Gabriele Dell'Otto] had a couple things he was concerned with; one was panel count. So that he could get in there and do great work, he didn't want to be bogged down by nine-ten panels per page, He also wanted to have a reduced cast so again he can really focus on the characters he's working with. [...] Grant Morrison did a story a while back that put them in almost kind of a… sex buddy light, but the bottom line is they have a history together, and that history includes sex. It's something we've wanted to touch on in the main series, but we've got a lot going on there. This is a place where we can focus on the two of them and really expand their relationship.

KYLE: Wolverine and her have a great chemistry and we've really only seen bits and pieces of it. I think there's also a lot of respect [between them], the fact that they're equals in the same game. They're kind of fighting each other and the threats they'll face on many levels – sexual chemistry, mentally, physical combat. There are so many levels they'll be engaging each other and their enemies that it creates a lot of tension and a lot of places to have some breath between. We think they're a pretty fantastic couple to spend some time with. I think people reacted really well to the cover that Mike Choi and Sonia Oback did for a previous, and this is just expanding on that kind of an idea and opening it up to some really intense moments.

YOST: That being said, we're not doing comic book porn here. Still a family friendly book…

LYLE: Hah! Yes, that's what we're known for – family friendly X-Men books.


Sep 24, 2009

Dark X-Men: The Confession Review



I've read some very bad reviews about this issue and I think I can see why many readers didn't exactly love it and why it wasn't worth their money. If you wanted to see something new here, you would be disappointed. The issue reveals us facts we knew long time ago - X-Force, Namor, Cabal, Norman. For a casual reader it's practically a waste of time.
BUT. I am a Emma/Scott shipper. I LOVE this couple. I've awaited their reunion for such a long time. And I also never expected ANYTHING but them in this issue. I read "The Confession" to finally see if they get together again.So for me this issue was a heaven's gift and i totally LOVED it. I'm happy and I don't care if Emma is all bitchy-cold-diamond now.

The story is simple: Scott finds
a letter from Emma saying she is about to kill someone and probably will die trying. Emma is gone. Cyclops panics, runs through the base looking for her, asks everyone... and then there she is, dressed up, packed. She tells him she can't leave without saying goodbye. And then they start talking. What's funny is that it seems like they don't listen to each other and talk simultaneously. Scott tells Emma about X-Force, she tells him she slept with Namor and Tony Stark in the past. She also reveals the truth about Cabal and anything else and confesses that she was up to kill Norman Osborn but then came back to Scott. And then she says something else, something very very cool:



And after that they forgive each other completely, Scott tells her he loves her and gives her a passionate kiss. Applause. Laura is on some pages in the flashbacks of X-Force. Cute and somehow in a good mood:

Sep 22, 2009

X-Force #22 cover


X-Force #22
Written by: Craig Kyle, Chistopher Yost & Duane Swierczynski
Pencils & Cover by: Clayton Crain
Variant Cover by: Clayton Crain
The unthinkable happens as Necrosha continues! Selene's actions on Genosha have changed everything, and while the X-Men were desperate to save their species... this isn't what they had in mind. But as the siege by dead mutants continues, things get even deadlier with the arrival of Selene's very much alive Inner Circle at the X-Men's headquarters. With Eli Bard in tow, Wither, Mortis, Senyaka and Blink have come for one thing, and anyone who gets in their way will die. Part 3 (of 6) Plus - A Cable backup sotry!


Sep 17, 2009

X-Position

Today's delicious news: X-Position with Executive Editor & X-Men Group Editor Axel Alonso and X-Editors Nick Lowe, Sebastian Girner, Daniel Ketchum, Jody LeHeup, and Jeanine Schaefer! This is interesting, dear fans!

In “Messiah War,” X-23 interacted with her old friend from NYX, Kiden Nixon. This made me very nostalgic for “NYX” and X-23's interactions with the NYX cast. Will that group ever meet with X-23 again? And if that can't happen, will we ever see X-23 address her NYX days more fully?

JEANINE SCHAEFER: There are plans in the works for X-23, although I’m sorry to say I can’t get into them much right now. I know it seems like deflection, but if you love X-23, you’re not going to want to miss the journey we’re taking her on, both in “X-Force” and outside it. As it is, a pretty big chapter of her life is being dealt with right now in “X-Force,” and issue #19 is going to see some huge hurdles for her to get over.

I would really like to know what's happening with Laura and her claws on this page... She has both hands, though one of them is covered with some sort of a cloth... And the look on Doctor Nemesis's face is not exactly giving us much hope either.

How many mutants can we expect to see return from the dead in “Necrosha?” A dozen? More than twenty? Fifty plus?

JEANINE SCHAEFER: I’m not a mathemagician, but I can definitively say that “fifty plus” is an understatement, although I’m going to leave the exact number to experts Craig Kyle and Chris Yost. But the title alone should give you a pretty good idea about how many we’re dealing with, and, without getting into specifics, there are going to be a lot of gut-wrenching reunions that definitely don’t turn out the way anyone dreamed they might.

NICK LOWE: If you love short stories, than you’re in luck. Not only is there a “Necrosha: The Gathering” one-shot where you get to see Selene putting together her team of elite killers (you saw them briefly in the “Necrosha” preview in the back of most Marvel books this month), but we’re also launching “Nation X,” where you get to see what life is like on Utopia, the X-Men’s new island home. The X-Men have been pushed to the edge and the stories you’re going to get in there are fantastic.

Why was Pixie chosen, among all of the young students, to get her own mini? Simply because there was someone who wanted to write her story? Or will something “special” be occurring with her?

NICK LOWE: Pixie got a mini because she rules. Plain and simple. Her Q-factor has been on the rise since “New X-Men,” through the “FCBD: X-Men” story and big-time in “Uncanny.” And you’ll find out that she has a very interesting familial tie to X-Men history. You don’t know everything about Megan Gwynn, but you will after you pick up her mini.

AXEL ALONSO: Well, Wade already made costume for himself, so he’d better! You’ll have to read the “Nation X” tie-in arc, “Want you to Want Me” (“Deadpool” #16-18) to find out! And if you’re into Deadpool team-ups, be sure to check out the debut of “Deadpool Team-Up” this November.


Sep 15, 2009

Marvel.com Psych Ward: X-23

Laura Kinney is an adolescent female who appears to be of average to above average physical fitness. She presents as composed to the point of lacking affect most of the time. However, when her emotions become too much for her to process, she is prone to wild displays of temper that involve the destruction of property and can often prove dangerous to those around her and, indeed, herself. Due to the circumstances of her early childhood, she speaks what can best be described as "nearly flawless English" and therefore might often be considered to be of a very high degree of intelligence. While she is undoubtedly of above average intellect, it is important that her academic abilities be viewed accurately and not assumed purely on the basis of her rather unique speech patterns.

She is associated with the mutant rights group the X-Men and has served with them under the name X-23. Currently, the client claims to spend

most of her time with their black ops unit, called X-Force. This affords her an opportunity to work with the mutant known as Wolverine, from whom she was cloned. While she claims to have no particular feelings on this, body language and changes in tone would seem to indicate otherwise. This collaboration and its effect on her will be revisited throughout therapy in a manner that is least likely to upset her or the therapeutic relationship.

Currently, Kinney has no formal diagnosis present in her chart. This writer, however, feels justified in suggested that she should have an Axis II diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as she fulfills at least six of the nine symptoms laid out in the DSM-IV and will, most likely, be shown to fulfill them all as our therapy sessions progress.

As with most individuals who have BPD, Kinney was raised in an emotionally invalidating environment, in this case a lab attempting to create the perfect killer. Her "mother," Dr. Sarah Kinney had to be careful not to show affection to the client so as not to endanger her role on the project, but did attempt to raise the client in the best possible way, given the circumstances. Unfortunately, this may have made a difficult situation all the worse. The client was able to sense a bond between herself and the doctor and the existence of love between them. However, any and all attempts to confirm this connection were squashed immediately, the doctor believing that it was best she stay on the project and help Kinney in as unnoticeable a way as possible as opposed to confirming Kinney's emotions.

The result has been that Kinney is largely unfamiliar with emotions of any kind, positive or negative, and therefore distrusts and ignores the way her body interprets the physical sensations of feeling. This is why she often indulges in wanton destruction when experiencing intense emotions, including in acts of self-harm, because violence, against people, objects,

or herself, is something she understands and therefore gives her a feeling of control over her environment.

Additionally, the client has shown some of the poor decision making that is hallmark for individuals with BPD. She has often been attracted to people or tasks that would exploit her, including prostitution and, the writer would argue, her current role as a black ops mutant rights activist. She is seeking love and acceptance by making choices that will ultimately further harm her. By reaching out in these ways, she is actually further stunting her emotional maturation.

Typically, the client's self injurious acts would be the first target behavior to be tackled in session as it can endanger a client's life. However, since Kinney has a physical healing factor as a result of her mutant physiology, it is considered more of a lifestyle-destroying behavior, not a life-destroying one. Therefore, we are instead focusing first on how the client deals with overwhelming emotions.

As such, Kinney has agreed to join a Dialectical Behavior Therapy group at the start of the Emotion Regulation unit. She has committed to complete at least this unit and consider staying in the group for the subsequent units.

In session, the client and the writer will be working on building a crisis survival kit full of objects and techniques that she can use in the moment to overcome stressors. We will also be using weekly diary cards to record incidents of self-harm, incidents of harm to others, incidents of property destruction, and so on. Finally, on the occasion that Kinney does act out,

we will use chain analysis documents in session to figure out what triggered her vulnerabilities and what could have been done differently when to reach a preferable outcome.

Laura Kinney's next session will be with Doctors Craig Kyle, Chris Yost and Mike Choi on October 14. To prepare for the session, one should read over the file marked X-FORCE #20.

Tim Stevens is a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Consultant and Doctoral Intern at a college counseling center currently pursuing his Psy D. who has had extensive experience working with individuals with BPD and instructing them in the use of DBT skills.

Sep 9, 2009

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus Review



SPOILER ALERT! 7 days ago, Beast confronts Scott and Emma about the secrets both have been keeping. Now at the Utopia island, Osborn orders his Dark Avengers and Dark X-Men to attack the X-Men, and many battles are ensued. Colossus takes on Venom. Nekra, Bling! and Frenzy get their revenge on Moonstone. Psylocke and the X-Club beat Dark Beast. Iceman and the kids ambush the Mimic. X-23, Pixie and Armor fight Daken. Wolverine stabs Weapon Omega. Namor tries to stop the Sentry, but it's useless. Emma reaches Xavier and asks for his help so she can enter the Sentry's mind and lobotomize him. Emma succeeds and holds the Void inside his mind, so the Sentry can be himself again and take control. Horrified by his actions, the Sentry flees to outer space. As soon as Ares arrives, Dani Moonstar returns as a Valkyrie to stop him. Dani easily overcomes Ares and brings him down to his knees. While Osborn is busy fighting with Cyclops, Moonstar tells him there are too many mutants and that the only way to win is by killing them all, which they can't as there are cameras all around. With nothing left to do, Osborn decides to leave the island with his Avengers and X-Men. The X-Men celebrate their victory, as Cyclops gives a press conference telling the world that their island is sacred and no mutant will be harmed there. They're free. Back to the USA, Osborn too gives a press conference celebrating his victory for as long as the mutants remain on that island, no American citzen will have to worry about them anymore. Moments later, mutants from all around the world arrive at Utopia and start building their new home.

Sep 8, 2009

Hulk #14 Review

I totally missed this issue, partly because I didn't know X-Force was involved and mostly because I absolutely do not give a shit about Hulk and Loeb's work, so when I read it, I decided to share the pictures of X-23 and X-Force with you. I didn't read the issue (it was obvious that this crossover only exist because no one is buying "Hulk" and you shouldn't expect something new or interesting in here anyway), so I kinda found you reviews here and here. Enjoy! =) Now to the pictures - there is plenty of Domino and only three shots of Laura, in one of which she is hiding in the background playing dart.


Sep 4, 2009

Laura appears in Pixie mini-series

In December's X-MEN: PIXIE STRIKES BACK limited series-brought to you by the critically-acclaimed RUNAWAYS team of writer Kathryn Immonen and Sara Pichelli-that aforementioned scenario becomes reality for Pixie and her friends, Mercury, Blindfold, X-23, and Armor. Except, this being the X-Men, things will likely be much more complicated than lost wallets and flat tires, and the writer could not be happier to put them through it.

"I love all these girls together," Immonen says. "Even though they're all full-fledged X-Men, they're still kids, some of them more than others. They are also sisters of a sort. [... ]It's a story about friendship and lies and betrayal and deception. About how you can make the wrong decision for the right reason and about how difficult it can ultimately be to forgive that. And if that's not enough, it's also about stabbing and brawling and torture and Cessily in a cheerleader uniform. And girls' bathrooms."

In the midst of this whirling chaos, Pixie stands on the precipice of some life-changing discoveries, including the possibility that her father, unknown to her, might be well-known in the Marvel Universe as a villain.

Every good comic needs a strong artist and PIXIE comes as no exception as Immonen once again collaborates with her RUNAWAYS partner Sara Pichelli and knows that she, the character, and fans will be in good hands.

"I know that we're both anxious to stretch a little on this project and I can't wait to get going," she insists. "'Fortunate' doesn't begin to describe how I feel about being paired up with Sara again. Pixie doesn't know how lucky she is."