X-Men : Divided I Stand
Dustin Christian | February 17, 2008
| 9:21 pm
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So Divided We Stand, the aftermath of Messiah Complex, has begun and I feel a bit… conflicted. Actually, I’m feeling a bit negative about it, overall. The things I like are really not surprising or outstanding by any means, but the stuff I don’t like has me very annoyed.
Let’s just jump into this. I think The RJP is going to love this.
Uncanny X-Men 495 left me the most conflicted.
I’ve found that I only like Cyclops when he’s fighting against someone or something. Whenever he gets anything resembling a quiet moment, he turns into a whiny emo girl that makes poor relationship and life decisions and is one step away from cutting himself.
This issue opens with Scott being emo and Emma not knowing the concept of boundaries while hiding away in the Savage Land and making me want to burn shit. We then get a flashback sequence with Scott telling Tony Stark precisely what he can do with his registration act. This really makes me want to like Cyclops again, but it all just feels very forced and contrived after his backslide into emo lameness. Combine this with Stark saying the exact same line twice and this scene just falls flat.
It is good that they get it out in the open right away that Cyclops has no intention of keeping the X-Men disbanded. I would feel a bit insulted if they were still trying to push that idea. That one point aside, the entire “Scott and Emma on vacation” sequence seems like a total waste of space – mostly because I don’t really like either character.
As a contrast, I love the “Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Colossus on the Road” vignette, even though it doesn’t really serve any purpose at the moment. I’m highly amused by the idea of Logan hacking Kurt’s image thingamob as a prank. It’s nice to see those three longtime friends actually acting like friends.
Annd the issue closes with Angel stumbling upon some kind of weird hallucinogenic crap in Haight-Ashbury, which I guess will be the adventure of next issue.
This wasn’t a terrible issue, but it’s so totally and completely obvious that it’s just filler until the next big thing that I wonder if I should just save my money and check out for now.
I’m just going to go alphabetically here, so that would make Wolverine 62 next up.
Honestly, I kinda liked this issue. I know some people consider Wolverine a one-note-character, and he kinda is, but I LIKE that note. Any issue that consists of Wolverine hunting and killing is an issue that I enjoy.
And that is really all this issue is. Immediately after the end of Messiah Complex, Cyclops asks Wolverine to hunt down Mystique. Wolverine, of course, agrees. While remembering the first time he met Mystique, Wolverine tracks her around the world, finally tracking her down in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he kills one of the villagers that Mystique is hiding with and the rest of the village decides to do something about it. I noticed that the woman he kills is white with blue eyes, obviously not of Afghani descent. I wonder if that will play into later issues.
In all, there’s not much to this issue, it seems to just be the set-up issue for the four-part “Get Mystique” arc, but like I said – killing is enough for me.
X-Factor 28 is probably the best of this bunch, due to both Peter David’s writing and the fact that things actually happened in this issue. Obviously, Rahne leaves the team and can’t tell anyone why, which inevitably causes some tension, but we all knew that was gonna happen. We also find out which of the ladies are pregnant, and apparently there are TWO pregnancies. Rictor and Jamie both have chips on their shoulders, so Rictor gets into a fight with some pimps and Jamie decides to take on some Purifiers. Oh, and Jamie DOES have the “M” tattoo… interesting.
Finally, we have X-Force 1. This also isn’t a bad issue, there’s just nothing that special or that I didn’t see coming. Cyclops asks Wolverine to continue X-Force, Wolverine refuses and says that they don’t need to ruin those kid’s lives, Cyclops tells him that they’ve all already signed up and will do it with or without Wolverine, Wolverine feels obligated to join to help the other people. I guess you could say that this is another case of Cyclops being the badass strategist that he apparently can be, since he manipulated Wolverine into not really having any choice but to lead X-Force, but I already knew that was going to happen, so… no real suspense or surprise there.
We see X-23 slipping back into her Weapon X days while investigating the breakout of the Purifier leader. I don’t think we’ve seen her say the words “What is my mission?” since the Weapon X days. Correct me if I’m wrong, people.
Other than the cliffhanger “possible death” of Rahne – and we all know better – and the return of Bastion, that’s about the highlight of the issue. All the other character moments felt either cliche or not really believable. I mean, are we really supposed to believe that Cyclops is hiding the existence of X-Force from his telepathic girlfriend who isn’t exactly known for respecting people’s boundaries? I sure as hell don’t believe it.
All in all, I feel a bit let down so far. It could just be the calm in between storms, so to speak, and I’m definitely hanging in there, but… these issues just felt a bit weak after Messiah Complex. I could have alot more to say, but I’m trying to start avoiding any major spoilers, especially considering the pregnancies in X-Factor. I definitely recommend picking that one up, it seems to be a good jumping on point, if nothing else.
Technorati Tags: Comics, X-Men, Divided We Stand, X-Factor, X-Force, Wolverine
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I really liked Wolverine #62. My review is coming out
Mike Haynes | February 17, 2008 | 9:35 pmI really liked Wolverine #62. My review is coming out this week and will explain a little bit more why I liked it so much but I was hyped for it before it’s release and I don’t even follow X-Men. I’ll be around for the next issue for sure.
I like Wolverine as a general principle, so of course
Crackerbob | February 17, 2008 | 10:03 pmI like Wolverine as a general principle, so of course I liked it. I think this arc is going to just get better, really.
I'm helping Dave Cockrum's widow sell Dave's personal comics collection
Clifford Meth | February 17, 2008 | 10:38 pmI’m helping Dave Cockrum’s widow sell Dave’s personal comics collection – X-Men file copies, Golden & SilverAge books, etc. Please help me publicize for her. Thanks –Clifford Meth
thecliffordmethod.blogspot.com
Consider it done.
Crackerbob | February 18, 2008 | 12:23 amConsider it done.
Nice post! I prefer Cyclops with a headstone and 10'
Robert | February 18, 2008 | 12:21 pmNice post! I prefer Cyclops with a headstone and 10′ of dirt above his head but I see what your saying, I guess if Marvel has this hard on to keep him around rather than moving on with stories. The days of working 20 yrs for a company are long gone and Marvel needs to wake up and smell how bad X-Farce is to recognize that!
Also I did like the little emo girl bit. :P Any
Robert | February 18, 2008 | 12:24 pmAlso I did like the little emo girl bit.
Any X-Men bashing is good these days in light of them not doing anything fricken new just rehashing old hash. Not even good old hash.
Also (re: X-Farce Uno) Nimord was a terrible name but a great story back in the day – Bastion looking like himself rather than a frankensteins monster version of his head atop Nimrods body – L A M E!
I used to just want Cyclops to die, but now
Crackerbob | February 18, 2008 | 12:36 pmI used to just want Cyclops to die, but now that I’ve seen that he can be a halfway decent character, I’ll give him a chance. The same goes with the X-Titles in general. I’m always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I’m really getting a “return to the status quo” vibe, which makes me want to walk away from the whole thing.
Also, I agree about Bastion, though I just wrote it off to his biological/machine nature reconfiguring the makeup of the body like nanobots or something, a Frankenstein – looking construct would have been much cooler.
I seriously would like to see Cyclops dead, Emma lost
Robert | February 18, 2008 | 12:46 pmI seriously would like to see Cyclops dead, Emma lost without him, Jean Grey back but evil (she would make for a great villain) and have the Beast and Iceman step up and take a shot at running the X-World for a bit.
Going back to Emo Status does suck but its the only thing Marvel knows how to do with the X-Books. The possibility of keeping them broken up for over 5 months is not on their calendar. I expect them to go back to a big splash when they return w/ the return of Jean Grey and then back to the way things where with Scott/Jean/Emma love crap. Blah.
Frankenstein Bastion would have made X-Farce enjoyable. Also infiltrating SHIELD yet again for the sake of plot has become boring. Next.
I could live with Cyclops still running the X-Men if
Crackerbob | February 18, 2008 | 1:03 pmI could live with Cyclops still running the X-Men if he’d quit being such a whiny bitch. Emma I’m kinda ambivalent about, really. Some writers have been able to show that she really and truly does love Scott, which is nice, but I hate her interactions with the rest of the team and I really don’t get how Cyclops would allow her to treat the rest of the team the way she does, if for no other reason than the resulting dissension and low morale in the ranks.
I really don’t want them to bring Jean back, but if they do they need to keep her around for a long ass time. I’m about one “Death of Jean Grey” event away from dropping the whole damn thing. Even making her evil… it’s been done. I seriously think she’s kinda run her course as a character.
I’m also going to have to echo you on the breaking into SHIELD thing – has their security always been this much of a joke? It’s why the New Avengers Annual pissed me off so much. The Helicarrier, next to the grounds of the Xavier Academy, is like the least safe place in the entire Marvel U. Even the Kree homeworld would be more safe right now.
I think if you bring back Jean as a villain
Robert | February 18, 2008 | 2:05 pmI think if you bring back Jean as a villain with no holds barred. Phoneix force powered villain who is not a hero in any way – that has not been done before. She was a villain only after Mastermind turned her into on. I think this would be good IF it is done right.
As for Emma, she works for me because that is realistic. I remember seeing the same in real life and thinking “Why do these people work here or put up with that?” If they got rid of Emma than Scott is even more stale than he already is. Visa versa Emma works off Scott. Maybe just kill’em both in an issue of X-Farce where Marvel lets heroes kill bad guys.
Also what did SHIELD security (or lack there of) have to do the NA annual?
I get what you're saying... but as much as I
Crackerbob | February 18, 2008 | 3:18 pmI get what you’re saying… but as much as I love Jean, but I really think she’s hit the top of her character growth. I just don’t see anywhere else for her to go, and the whole hero turning villain thing feels very much… done for me. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t complain if they brought her back – only if they turned around and killed her off AGAIN.
I also definitely get what you’re saying about Emma and Scott propping each other up, but that only makes me agree with you more about killing them off or something.
As for SHIELD and NA annual…. SPOILER WARNING!!!
At the end of the NA annual, Jessica Jones turns herself in to SHIELD, presumably because she feels her baby is no longer safe on the run with the New Avengers and will be safer in the custody of SHIELD.
Or she and the baby could both be Skrulls and just be trying to worm their way onto the Helicarrier, but the fact that it works just reinforces the fact that SHIELD security blows.
Fuck, my mail is so slow, I only got Uncanny
AJ | February 18, 2008 | 5:33 pmFuck, my mail is so slow, I only got Uncanny so far.
Who’s the other pregnancy in X-Factor? (I’m sure I’ll have wikipedia’d myself the answer by the time you reply, but in case it’s not updated, I figured I’d ask.)
okay i thought that Jessica just turned herself over to
Robert | February 18, 2008 | 6:24 pmokay i thought that Jessica just turned herself over to Jarvis, while the Might Avengers were off in Latvia battling Doom, and has yet to OFFICIALLY sign up with S.H.I.E.L.D. at all. I am still wondering how that all falls out as I think Jessica would run to the Avengers as it is something she knows and feels safe with – not running to S.H.I.E.L.D. It very well could have been all “talk” between her and Luke just to snap back at him since he did not keep her or the baby safe.
Its all a nice mess but I do not think that Jessica ran to S.H.I.E.L.D., she ran to what she knew – The Avengers & Tony Stark. The fact Tony is running S.H.I.E.L.D. is a side note in her mind, I am sure. Maybe I am wrong.
I am starting to think its all a work and she’s spying on Tony for Luke and the NA.
AJ, Rahne and Siren both think that they're pregnant with
Crackerbob | February 18, 2008 | 6:54 pmAJ, Rahne and Siren both think that they’re pregnant with Madrox’s kid.
Robert, I’ll have to go back and look at the issue. You could be right, but I thought Jessica said that she was registering and joining the Initiative and, by extension, SHIELD.
Jessica may have "said" she joined but those could have
Robert | February 18, 2008 | 7:00 pmJessica may have “said” she joined but those could have been words. TO me when Jarvis said he allowed her in spoke volumes more than what she said to Luke. Likely she was upset about the baby was in danger and took it out on Luke through her “I am joining them!” because she knew, knows that would get Luke upset.
It was very realistic now that I think about it ’cause I have said things like that in an argument when I am upset, “I AM bought that $5000 TV!” (when I really didnt).
Great, Rahne may be preggie and off apart of the
Robert | February 18, 2008 | 7:02 pmGreat, Rahne may be preggie and off apart of the X-Men black ops team. Riiight… and Marvel has problems with showing people smoking but having preggi mutants off killing bad guys is okay. Wow.
You could be right, Jessica may just be being a
Crackerbob | February 18, 2008 | 7:22 pmYou could be right, Jessica may just be being a passive aggressive twit, but she seems to be a bit more upfront about shit to me.
And Marvel editorial could be described with many terms, but “logically consistent” is not one of them.
Thanks Cracker! And, while I'm not a Joe Q hater,
AJ | February 18, 2008 | 10:24 pmThanks Cracker! And, while I’m not a Joe Q hater, he certainly does pull alotta stupid shit.
Another question, though this is more opinion than fact, is anyone else annoyed that Wolverine is back to running around in so many books? They had it under control for a little while, but post-Complex, he’s everywhere again. Thoughts?
I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was revealed that
Crackerbob | February 18, 2008 | 10:56 pmI honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was revealed that there are one or two Wolverine Skrulls running around.
I’m not really bothered by the overexposure of Wolvie, but I’ve always been a big fan. He’s in what now…five books, though I’m getting the idea that he’ll be dropping out of Uncanny and I get the feeling that Origins is on its way out. That leaves… three books, which you would think would be hard to manage, but Wolvie is the man!
[...] CrackerBob’s For The Love of Comics blog post here:
Luke Cage / Jessica Jones. Is it a work? | Between The Staples | February 19, 2008 | 1:22 pm[...] CrackerBob’s For The Love of Comics blog post here: http://www.fortheloveofcomics.com/2008/02/17/x-men-divided-i-stand/#comments [...]
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Logan
AJ | February 20, 2008 | 11:15 pmDon’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Logan too, but five books…that’s a little rediculous.
Maybe that’s just me though.
On top of that, don't get me started on Secret
AJ | February 20, 2008 | 11:17 pmOn top of that, don’t get me started on Secret Invasion….can you see my eyes rolling through your computer?
Nah, I think it's much more odd that I'm NOT
Crackerbob | February 20, 2008 | 11:19 pmNah, I think it’s much more odd that I’m NOT bothered by Logan overload.
Secret Invasion could be awesome! But I'm not letting myself hope
Crackerbob | February 20, 2008 | 11:21 pmSecret Invasion could be awesome!
But I’m not letting myself hope too much, since it’s more likely that it will fall flat.
Yeah, when I first read the premise, I was like
AJ | February 21, 2008 | 8:43 pmYeah, when I first read the premise, I was like “This could be pretty cool.” Then it sunk in. If all these superheroes have been Skrulls for awhile now, it invalidates every story they’ve taken part in from the point they became Skrulls on. JQ won’t be able to pussyfoot around it with “oh…everything’s the same…just this this and this are different” like he did with OMD.
Sure, the story still happened, but you know any revelation of a major character’s replacement is either
a) an excuse to backtrack on anything negative they’ve done lately
b) Ruining a good personal story/revelation with some “Skrull impersonator” shennaniganry.
For example:
Tony’s a Skrull! He really hates the Registration Act!
Wanda’s a Super-Skrull! Skrulls caused M-Day!
The Red Skull is now called the Red Skrull! And Bucky’s still gonna take him out, only for him to miraculously survive yet again.
Bishop’s a Skrull! He wouldn’t have gone Batshit crazy during messiah Complex.
I could go on and on and on.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect any of the above revelations, but you catch my drift. Any character that has been used even semi-regularly since this whole ordeal started, get’s a clean slate. The example is Black Bolt. Didn’t he declare war on the US a little while back? That was a Skrull!
So far, he’s the only character that really had any recent plot developments to be undone by Skrull revelation, but you know, during the main story, there will be at least two HUGE imposters discovered. At least.
Not that Marvel has never lied before, but they've been
Crackerbob | February 21, 2008 | 8:47 pmNot that Marvel has never lied before, but they’ve been pretty insistent that this won’t undo any of the major events or plots in the past few years. I’m pretty sure that none of the people you mentioned is a Skrull and while Black Bolt is arguably not responsible for the Silent War, the Inhuman Nation is.
But, you know, we shall see.
That's the key word though "Undo." I don't expect anything
AJ | February 21, 2008 | 11:03 pmThat’s the key word though “Undo.” I don’t expect anything to be undone, but certainly anyone revealed to be a Skrull and then subsequently returned will have to deal with whatever their impersonator has done in the meantime. You’ll get the standard “That wasn’t me! It was Paibok’s nephew!” a bunch of times, and then atonement for what occured. Rinse, lather, repeat. Unless it’s done brilliantly, I don’t know if it’ll be worth the headache.
But enough bitching, I’ll just wait and see.
It probably won't be done brilliantly - I'll settle for
Crackerbob | February 22, 2008 | 1:10 amIt probably won’t be done brilliantly – I’ll settle for “competently”