SPOILERS: Storm and Nightcrawler's Near Romance in Amazing X-Men # 3

It's actually not a surprise that X-Men members Storm and Nightcrawler were supposed to be a couple before the former's untimely death during Second Coming but with his apparent return to the world of the living in Amazing X-Men, readers find out more about the never-happened couple. This is all thanks to Jason Aaron and Ed McGuiness.

So basically, Storm was about to get some major hurt but was rescued by Nightcrawler and his bamfs at the last minute.

It's during this that we learn that Kurt and Ororo had a thing years back when they were still 'freshmen' at Charles Xavier's school.

Oh and they also kick ass...

So what do you think? Should we ship them once again? Problem is, Ororo is currently Logan's girl. Here's the cover lest I forget.

I love the cover, the action was great and we get to see just how surly and how dangerous The Beast can be when his hand is forced.

Amazing X-Men # 3 everybody. Get yours from your favorite local comic stores including Druid's Keep, Filbars, Comic Odyssey, Dragon's Keep, Planet X and Comic Quest.

Amazing X-Men # 1 Preview Pages Look Amazing

I'm always a big sucker for Ed McGuiness' artwork and here he is again with Jason Aaron for AMAZING X-MEN # 1 featuring the return of NIGHTCRAWLER .

What would you do to save a fallen friend? This November, in the wake of Battle of the Atom, Wolverine must assemble the X-Men’s finest to attempt a daring rescue in AMAZING X-MEN #1, a swashbuckling new series from writer Jason Aaron and artist Ed McGuinness!
The X-Men are through mourning the loss of Nightcrawler, the “heart and soul” of their family – it’s time to act! Wolverine must lead Storm, Beast, Iceman and more on an epic journey to recover one of their greatest allies in a story that’s been building since WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #1!

“AMAZING X-MEN is the newest can’t miss X-Men book.” says Senior Editor Nick Lowe. “Two creators at the top of their game, fully committed, bringing back possibly the best X-Man ever… and that’s just the first arc! Just wait until you see what Jason and Ed have up their sleeves!”

Deadly foes! Swashbuckling adventures! Plenty of little blue Bamfs! How far will the Amazing X-Men go to rescue one of their own? And what price will they pay? Find out just how far this November when Nightcrawler returns in AMAZING X-MEN #1!

AMAZING X-MEN #1 (SEP130740)
Written by JASON AARON
Art & Wraparound Cover by ED MCGUINESS
FOC – 11/06/13 On-Sale 10/14/13





Who's the redheaded girl seen together with Beast? Could that be Rachel Grey? Or is that O5 Jean Grey???

All New X-Men # 17 Spoilers

Check out the major spoilers for All New X-Men # 17; still part of the X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM

Oh by the way this was written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Stuart Immonen.

1. Alison Blaire aka Dazzler becomes the President of the United States in the future

2. She was even backed by the future X-Men

Which is very cool and very un-X-Men like especially since they're NOT into that kind of politics.

3. Meet the Future X-Men

So who do we have:

• a Nick Fury-esque Daisy Johnson (or Maria Hill)
• Vision
• a wheelchaired Captain America
• a woman who looks like Storm
• moustachio Colossus
• Kate Pryde
• Charles Xavier's grandson
• IceMan (or is it IceMage)
• Xorn Jean
• Beast
• A guy who looks like Daimon Helstrom
• Molly Hayes
• Quintin Quire as the Phoenix
• someone who looks like Peter Wisdom
• A new Sorcerer Supreme who also looks like Cloak
• an old Tempus
• Iron Man/ Iron lad
• Jubilee who now goes by Wolverine
• Kubark aka Kid Gladiator

4. President Dazzler dies



I can't help but remember "X-Men: The End" where Kitty Pryde wins the elections and becomes the POTUS or was that a U.S. Senator??? Anyway at least Kitty didn't bite the bullet in that story. Still there was a massive bodycount in the first act. And there was no hellfire involved.

5. after the assassination, there's also a demonic invasion in front of the White House...

That does not look pretty

6. Then we meet the surviving X-Men

Or rather Magik, O5 Beast and O5 Iceman meet the future X-Men.

7. Why is Moustachio Colossus carrying Magik's soulsword?

Apparently before Magik "disappeared" she gave her older brother that badass soulsword. Oh and it's pretty nice to see the brother and sister actually look happy to see each other. They haven't been friendly with each other ever since AVX and AVX Consequences.

8. Hank McCoy 'snaps'



After years of death and hatred, future Hank McCoy finally calls it quits with Xavier's dream and decides that it's time to take matters into his own hands (again). There's also a poignant and quiet moment in this part of the issue where Colossus and Iceman just look at a very depressed Beast at ground zero...



9. I love the new Jean Grey School in the future



Can I enroll? Because I really want to enroll in a school with a building that looks like a Shiar battleship docked in the school grounds.

10. The future X-Men vote either to stay in the future or fight McCoy's wayward X-Men?

Guess it looks like 'Wolverine' got outvoted.

Remarks:

I love that they managed to squeeze in this much backstory in a single issue. I keep saying that X-Men: Battle of the Atom is a very underrated story and this issue proves my point. The pacing is still good and though people might be confused, the loyal X-Fan would just appreciate everything that's been poured into this issue.

Even better is the fact that it whet's our appetite for all things coming from this future. What confuses me however is how far in the future this is. And where is Marvel's mutant poster boy Wolverine in all this. In fact, where the hell is baby Shogo, you know, Jubilee's 'son'.

Argh. So many questions, too little pages. Please churn out more stuff for BotA. Oh and I know it's too late Marvel but could you exclude Brian Wood's X-Men from all this? Thanks.

Get your copies of ALL NEW X-MEN # 17 from your leading LCS (Comic Quest, Comic Odyssey, Druid's Keep, Filbars)

Wolverine and the X-Men # 36 Spoilers

Following up on the events of Marvel's "Battle of the Atom" with the help of Jason Aaron and Guiseppi Camuncoli which transpire in WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN # 36.

1. Cyclops Teams up with Old Cyclops

Really cool moment when O5 Cyclops finds himself with his back against his older Phoenix Force corrupted self while fighting the X-Men from the future.

2. Jean Grey vs Emma Frost, O5 Jean Grey and the Stepford Cuckoos

Another cool yet poorly executed moment. The Cuckoos team up with the younger Jean and Emma to fight off the psychic attacks of the Xorn-ized future Jean Grey.

3. O5 Jean is stronger than Xorn Jean

In a surprising turn of events the younger Jean Grey beats her "older" self and makes the ultimate mistake of peering into Xorn Jean's mind. These two panels might just be the ultimate turning point for X-Men: Battle of the Atom. In fact this panel's effect might be carried over to the upcoming All New X-Men/ Guardians of the Galaxy crossover.

4. What Jean saw

Whatever the hell Jean Grey saw in Xorn Jean's head screwed her up badly as she immediately reliquinshes her first decision to stay in the present Marvel Universe.Again whatever she chose to do or not to do automatically leads to some interesting storyline in the near future.

5. Deadpool is hiding something

Prior to this Deadpool threatened the whole team with suicide if they did not stop fighting. He goes on a verbal tirade about how they mean well for the team and how it is important that the Original Five "do the right thing". We later find out that things are not what they seem. In fact, it looks like Wade Wilson lied about everything.

6. O5 Beast and Iceman team up with Magik and visit the Future

Magik takes Iceman and Beast to the future where we see that things are very, very different; particularly in the Jean Grey School where it looks so beautiful. And then they also have Sentinels patrolling the area.

7. A Second team of future X-Men

Sure we got spoiled with the cover for the next chapter of X-Men: Battle of the Atom but it's still a shock to see the actual team that will join the fight in the next few chapters. Whp are these guys? Since when did the X-Men have an Iron Man/ Sentinel member on their roster? Who's the new Cloak and why is Colossus rocking a metallic moustache.

ALL NEW X-MEN # 15 Review

It's been a while since we got a 'one and done' issue of ALL NEW X-MEN and this week's issue (ALL NEW X-MEN # 15) fills that particular void! Special thanks to COMICX HUB and CASTLE GEEK!

Stuart Immonen is out for this issue but taking over for the meantime is David LaFuente who did extraordinarily well in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man. Getting him for this issue was a stellar idea as the outcome rocked.

GOOD

- The art was pretty solid and fit like a glove. Teen angst? LaFuente nails it. Teen romance? Check. A surprise hookup? Check, check, check. While cartoony in nature, it still looks good. Case in point, Scott's sheepish grin and Bobby's awkward reaction when they see older Iceman making out with Kitty.

- The issue did not mack on Wolverine. In fact, writer Bendis turns Logan into a comedic device. Something I haven't seen for quite some time since Marvel loves the feral Canadian so much.

- I'm taking a limb in saying that we haven't had a decent ICEMAN/CYCLOPS issue in years; let alone their teenage counterparts. So seeing these two go to town, meet fine young women and save the day all in one sitting is a nice nod to old-school and nu-school X-Men fans.

- I'm interested in seeing more interaction between Marvel Girl (Rachel Summers) and the teenage version of JEAN GREY (Rachel's mom). Those pages were funny and curiosity raising; mostly because we never get to know what they 'thought' about.

BAD

- Depending on your level of involvement you'll be pleasantly surprised or downright dismayed with the way things panned out in this issue. Here's a hint, the cover is only half lying.

- This issue was so good that it just felt bad that it had to end.

- Dazzler making an appearance here is really unnecessary. Sure it could be a plot point for September's X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM but it feels really contrived and forced even if she just makes a one-panel appearance.

- I find it idiotic that the teen X-Men are still unaware of how dangerous it is to waltz out of the school. I'm surprised that both Bobby and Scott wasn't picked up by SHIELD the moment they 'hung out' and talked to normal kids or when they foiled that crime. Weird.

- No action all talk. Sure it's a Bendis book so it's a given but still. A little bit of action couldn't kill him right?

VERDICT

9.5/10

Despite all those minor and one major BAD POINTs I'm recommending ALL NEW X-MEN # 15. It'll be worth your money (well if you're willing to spend 200 bucks on a character driven book anyway). The book is available at all CASTLE GEEK branches (Glorietta, The Collective and soon in Greenhills) or online thru COMICX HUB (Order HERE).

X-Men # 2 Review

X-Men # 2 review written by Brian Wood with art by Olivier Coipel. Available now in Comicx Hub and Castle Geek.

This latest issue of the adjectiveless X-Men proves to us that this team of female X-characters weren't just done to sell books but rather to show that these are strong, empowered women who all have something to show and nothing to prove. Quite contradictory but you'll get it once you do a thorough reading of this issue which is available now at Castle Geek and Comicx Hub.

In this issue, Omega Sentinel is brought back to life by John Sublime's sister (yes, more Grant Morrison days confusion) who wreaks havoc inside Beast's laboratory. The X-Men led by Storm tries to gain access into the lab but so far only Kitty Pryde and Rogue manage to reach it as the security measures for the school have been compromised. Omega Sentinel gets beaten but manages to escape, the X-Men give chase with Sublime and Jubilee and her son along for the ride. Back at the school, things are about to go boom.

Now on it's second issue, Wood's X-Men still delivers a good mix of drama, adventure, action and oodles of character development. There's still a knockout brawl here between the woman formerly known as Karima Shapandar against her compatriots Rogue and Shadowcat, With Beast throwing in his weight in a couple of panels. Coipel still shows us why he's the perfect artist for this book. The colors were a match, the pacing were matched. If anything, I can only say that I had a problem with the lack of dynamism here in the art, which is really, really minor.

On Wood's writing: lots of great moments but to me the most touching, and most powerful scene doesn't have anything to do with the fight with Omega Sentinel. Rather it's that quiet moment in the plane where Jubilee gets to hear the words "my/your son" for the first time. Sure we still haven't warmed up to the idea of a former mutant turned vampire suddenly becoming a mother but you have to see how poignant it is especially if you're familiar with Jubes' backstory and how she was an orphan. So now with the baby firmly (i hope that's the right word to use), it's going to be an interesting scenario for Jubilee. 

Closing Remarks: X-Men might have started with a huge bang but it's slowly careening away from the right track. Just a tad skewed that's all. Nothing to worry too much about. It's still interesting. Plus that ending sure packs a huge blast. Nice cliffhanger, cool art. Must pick up. 

Verdict: 9/10

Special thanks to Castle Geek (visit their branches in The Collective and Glorietta and one coming soon in V-Mall, Greenhills). If you want to order X-Men  # 2 online, go check out this link HERE

Wolverine and the X-Men # 29 Spoilers - So Many Future Story Arc Teasers

This week's WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN # 29 just gave X-Fans hints of what's to come while at the same time nullifying (or cementing) certain events shown in the series. Onwards with the spoilers then.

Oh and spoiler alert.

Nicolas Hoult and Hugh Jackman in the Set of X-Men Days of Future Past

Bryan Singer tweets this photo from the set of X-Men Days of Future Past featuring a non-hairy feline Beast/ Hank McCoy (Nicolas Hoult) together with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). 

Singer's tweet includes the date 1973 which is probably why they look like they just stepped out of the set of 'That 70's Show". I'm excited for this film but I'm also worried about some continuity conundrums that has already been shown in the movie. This one for example shows a non-beastly McCoy which wasn't the case anymore at the end of X-Men First Class where he's already mutated to the catlike Beast we know. Maybe Singer has the answers locked away so if that's the case we'll have to wait until July 2014 for the answers.

Marvel Reveals X-Men: Battle of the Atom Crossover

With so many X-Men teams running around these days, it's bound to happen that they clash once more and it looks like we don't have to wait too long as Marvel Comics has revealed some details about the upcoming X-book crossover entitled "X-Men: Battle of the Atom".

The new book will begin with an # 1 book entitled "X-Men: Battle of the Atom # 1 which will feature art by Frank Cho. The story then travels to the existing X-books starting with Uncanny X-Men # 12 and # 13. The story then moves to All New X-Men # 16 - 17 followed by Wolverine and the X-Men # 36 - 37 climaxes with Brian Wood's X-Men # 5 -6 before ending with Battle of the Atom # 2.

So we've basically got all bases covered and just to make things interesting (or complicated) Marvel also revealed new characters from the future including:

Steampunk X-Men by Arturo Aguirre

What if the X-Men were given new life in a steampunk era. Here's what they'd look like as rendered by Arturo Aguirre.

Am I the only one who thinks Steampunk Gambit looks fucking awesome for the X-Dudes. Its like the guy stepped out of the photo session for The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club" and never returned.

As for the X-Ladies, I'm giving my vote to Psylocke (although Rogue comes in at close second)...

Aguirre's Cable, for all thoughts, definitely fits the mold of what STEAMPUNK really is...

Major props for the Blunderbuss.





And now it's time for the bad guys:

Steampunk Magneto



Steampunk Mystique



Steampunk Sabretooth



Steampunk Pyro




Check out the artists' other works on his deviantart account HERE