Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 2

Product Description

The destruction of Buffy's hometown, plus covert and powerful slayer "cells" around the world, add up to a new label for the Scoobies: Terrorist threat. Speaking of Sunnydale, the crater formerly known as, has opened to reveal the witch Amy, and boy is she mad. Season Eight continues as Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.

Customer Reviews:

And the story continues.......2007-04-22

Warning: Thar be spoilers ahead!

Remember each week those exciting words (which alerted us that we were about to get a new exciting episode of the best show on TV)? "Previously on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER . . . " The new comic series seems to be doing something along these same lines. On the inside of the outer cover are printed the following:

"This story takes place after the end of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Season Seven.

"The Slayer population of the world has gone from two to nearly two thousand. Almost five hundred are working around the world with Buffy's organization in squads--or "terrorist cells," according to the American military. Buffy, Xander, Dawn, and a passel of Slayers are currently bunked out in a Scottish castle, where the latest mission revealed a strange symbol carved into human bodies.

"Also, Dawn's a giant."

This may be a summary that is rewritten each month to reflect what has happened in the previous issues.

The first episode in Season Eight established the situation; this one begins moving the story forward. The U.S. military (or rather, a military leader who has on his chest the strange symbol referred to in the monthly summary) has authorized Amy the witch and her army of zombies to go after Buffy and her cohorts. After the story begins with three very different approaches to training the new slayers by first Giles, then Buffy, and finally Andrew (who actually couldn't be said to be training them at all) we find Xander explaining why Dawn took the form of a giant when it was possible she could have assumed other forms instead (obviously, she is trying to get her sister's attention in the most blatant manner possible). The catch is, does Xander really tell any of this to Buffy or is it all just part of what we later learn is a spell-induced sleep in which she experiences an unbroken nightmare. And in a fairy-tale twist she can only be awakened by the kiss of true love. We can, of course, imagine a line of possible candidates for that: Angel and Spike fighting to be first in line. Well, of course Buffy will be awakened, and sooner rather than later. Can't imagine her being asleep at the end of the next episode. The tricky part is how one defines "true love." That needn't mean romantic love. My gut tells me that the kiss won't come from any of the usual suspects. My money is on Dawn. Yeah, I know. No one likes Dawn. But the brute fact is that except for struggling to save her in Season Five, Buffy has been a truly awful sister. Not in a Cinderella step sisterly way, but in the completely neglectful, can't-spare-her-a-minute way. But early in Season Six, Dawn seemed to miss her more than anyone. Like I said, my money is on Dawn.

The issues ends with Buffy asleep, the castle under assault by hundreds of zombies they can't keep at bay, Amy gloating that she could handle slayers with ease, so there was no one there who could take her on. The final frame is of someone who says that they would "like to test that theory." And thus Willow makes her first appearance in the story.

I am going to say something that I don't think I can say often enough. I don't want Joss Whedon writing comics. I want him creating new television shows. I suspect he enjoys the control that a comic gives him. I am sure he is tired of battling studios and networks. I can understand that. But once the battles have been waged and the BS has been waded through, Joss Whedon has been able to create some of the most extraordinary, most timeless television that has ever been made. He needs to get back to it. That being said, I am so much happier with him doing BUFFY Season Eight than either his X-Men project or the Runaways (and mind you, I like both the X-Men and the Runaways). There are others who can tell further stories about the X-Men and the Runaways, but Joss Whedon is only one who can give us authoritative Buffy stories. So I am acquiring these with joy and my heart and impatience in my soul. But I want him back in television. We've had some great TV since BUFFY and ANGEL left the air. LOST, 24, VERONICA MARS, and especially BATTLESTAR GALACTICA have filled the huge gap BUFFY left at its departure. But LOST needs to start winding down (whether it will has to be seen), BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the only show to completely match the brilliance that was BUFFY) has possibly only one more season left and at most two before Ron Moore brings his series to an end. 24 is definitely in decline. VERONICA MARS might be cancelled. In short, JOSS! WE NEED YOU TO COME BACK TO TELEVISION! But in the meantime, I'll wolf down every one of these issues.

Episode Two: Attack of the Rat.......2007-04-05

Buffy fans will be expecting a lot after seven stellar seasons on television and the success of the first issue of "Season Eight." So the question here is this: Does Issue #2 deliver?

In short, yes. I have to say though--there is so much going on, so many jokes, and so much foreshadowing that I wasn't able to completely enjoy the Jossy goodness until my second read. The first read intrigued me, but the second wow-ed me.

The plot continues directly from the previous issue. Amy (the former rat) is working with the government to take out Buffy and the slayers, and she has an army of zombies to back her up. The ending sequences are amazing--I'm already itching for May 2nd to come so I can get my hands on the third issue. There was a big revelation about half-way through the comic, and clues to who the Big Bad of the season will be as well. Giant Dawn is great, Buffy is true to herself, and Xander is playing the biggest role he's played since the first season.

This issue also re-introduces two fan favorites: Giles and Andrew. So, all in all, this issue is just as good as the first. But did anybody expect anything less? I mean, come on--Joss Whedon wrote it.

9/10

Average customer rating:

Ultimate X-men good
so/so
Worse than Vol. 1
Just plain good X-reading!!!!!!!!

Ultimate X-Men, Vol. 2
Mark Millar
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785111301

Book Description

This hardcover volume features many key introductions, including Proteus (the evil son of Professor X), Gambit (who enjoyed a large fan-following in the hit X-Men cartoon) and Phoenix (the dark split personality of Jean Grey). The X-Men are cut to the emotional core as they battle their way through an obstacle course of deadly trials. First, Professor Xavier -- the mentor of the X-Men -- is forced to confront his past sins when his own son explodes into a destructive force. The question is, will he sacrifice his team to save his son? Then, the X-Men face another internal conflict when Jean Grey turns to the dark side. To save themselves, and the world, will the X-Men strike down their own teammate?

Customer Reviews:

Ultimate X-men good.......2007-03-09

This seires of X-men give you a whole range of new and interesting possibility with in the X-men world. Storys have all sorts of soicial problem events and tackel all sides of human life.

If you like X-men this seires is for you.

so/so.......2006-12-07

It was really quite nice, I wouldn't say it was extra special but I had also ordered New X men Vol. 1 & 2 and let me tell you those ones make this book look infinitly perfect. So all in all it is worth the money you pay for it and perhaps just a smidge more.

Worse than Vol. 1.......2006-04-05

I was disappointed in the first volume of the revisionist X-Men but I hoped for improvement in the 2nd volume. If anything the second year's worth of stories was worse than the first.

Millar's writing was subpar. The Proteus storyline was a joke. The Hellfire Club/Dark Phoenix storyline was nearly as bad. Character development was nonexistent.

To make matters worse the artwork was wildly inconsistent.

I think I've seen enough of the Ultimate X-Men.

Just plain good X-reading!!!!!!!!.......2005-02-13

I have enjoyed the Ultimate X-Men title as a reader of the Graphic Novels only. I started with the first two books in paperback form, but after this edition of books 3 and 4 in Hardcover I wouldnt buy or recommend anything else! In fact, if I could I would buy the first Hardcover edition of the series.
The book itself is beautifully made and very sturdy. Not to mention looking pretty good on a bookcase. And it's just really cool to have so many pages of good reading in one place.

The stories themselves are pretty good two. Mark Millar's writing page by page (as opposed to just the plot) is really bloody good and I'm getting more into the characters that aren't Wolverine more than ever before. The artwork is mostly good tho I wish Andy Kubert would have done more issues.

Needless to say it was a page-turner and tho I'm not an age-old fan who was dissapointed with the Phoenix intro - I was a fan from the start of the second X-Men series and I really like the return to just plain adventure stories with a writer who has the courage to mix everything up (for the better). And also, in combination with the previous Hardcover (or Vols 1 & 2 of the Trade Paperback) it's a great read for any new readers.

Average customer rating:

Don't Hold This Against Joss
Graphic SF Reader
The astonishing still continue...
Another Astonishing X-Tale!!
Very strong story

Astonishing X-Men Vol. 2: Dangerous
Joss Whedon , and John Cassaday
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 078511677X

Book Description

A tragic death at the Xavier Institute reveals a powerful enemy living among the X-Men that they could never have suspected - and no, it's not Magneto. Things heat up in a way none of the X-Men ever dreamed, but will teamwork save the day when they can't even depend on themselves? Collects Astonishing X-Men #7-12.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Hold This Against Joss.......2007-10-05

While I had nothing but praise for mastermind Joss Whedon's first X-Men trade paperback (Astonishing X-Men Vol. 2: Dangerous), I found the second arc of the series ("Dangerous") to be problematic. The story threads started and unfinished in "Gifted" were hardly touched at all in this arc, and a whole new, very confusing story starts. Those unfamiliar to pre-Whedon X-Men are going to find themselves lost when the mythology of "the Danger Room", Professor Xavier, and Genosha come into play, as they were hardly even mentioned in "Gifted."

This trade paperback collects the entire "Dangerous" arc, made up of six issues, and there are certainly many good points to be spoken of. The first and some of the sixth issue read very well, and--as with any Joss Whedon work--the character interactions are done perfectly. The character of Wing and his situation had a lot of potential for a great story, but what was done with him was convoluted at best. The baddie in this issue (a personification of the Danger Room itself) spends more than half the issue explaining itself, and I'm simply left saying "Huh?" Whedon even admitted his mistakes in this arc, saying that he was "so fascinated with the idea of new intelligence that (he) neglected the action and thus prevented the story from flowing well."

Overall, don't let this trade paperback change your view of Whedon. He was the best writer television has ever seen, and he's making a crater sized dent in the world of comics with this Astonishing X-Men, his arc of Runaways, and his Buffy: Season Eight series. Every writer has a bit of a slip up. This is Joss's.

6/10

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Colossus returns in Astonishing X-Men. Not having read X-Men for a long time before I started with the Astonishing run I had no idea that this had happened, anyway, so if that was cheesy to those that had been following all along, it is proably understandable. Might be a 50% chance now that some of the main X-Men have died and returned. Anyway, not as good as the first trade.

The astonishing still continue..........2007-06-08

This volume presents a new threat. An enemy that lives in the mansion years ago, and Professor X knew their existence, that make the X-men dissapointed about Professor Charles, the hole idea is to show that the Professor had to make many bad choices, terrible ones and kept them as a secret. This book has a good art but the story is not that good as the volume 1. If you like X-men, you probably have to read this book.

Another Astonishing X-Tale!!.......2007-04-13

The X-men are still reeling from "The Cure" scare and the sinister prophecy that one of them will be responsible for destroying the Breakworld. They need to get back in the public eye to promote a better image for Mutant-kind. Along the way they run into the Fantastic Four while trying to stuff some giant Godzilla-like monster back downa hole in th middle of Manhattan. Meanwhile, the newly de-mutated student Wing is contemplating suicide. Kitty Pryde and the resurrected Peter Rasputin (Colossus) are still trying to feel each other out (not literally,not yet). Bang! Some unknown force attacks the X-Mansion, knocking out all the telepaths including Emma Frost. The student children are sent to the Dangr Room for protection...but it's the Danger Room that is attacking them. Danger is born The Danger Room's A.I. becomes it's own living entity. Destruction ensues. Emma Frost is being manipulated by some useen force. Traitor. Danger rushes of to Genosha to kill the father... Professor X. Can anyone say The Return Of The Hellfire Club?

Great story line and once again some killer artwork. This series is so good, it's scary. Not afraid to touch upon subject matter the older comics never would have touched (tee suicide, sex, etc.... This stuff rox!!!

Dig it!

Very strong story.......2007-04-07

This was a very good storyline, that turned a part of X-Men culture into an exciting new character. It also continued the strong characterization and interaction you would expect from Joss Whedon. Definitely recommend it.

X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic, Book 2

Average customer rating:

Il più drammatico "What if...?" degli Uomini X
Great Job
A classic storyline marred by shoddy printing
Much better than the first volume
This should have been the first volume. Brilliant!

X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic, Book 2
Fabian Nicieza , John Francis Moore , Scott Lobdell , Jeph Loeb , Larry Hama , Chris Bachalo , Warren Ellis , Tony Daniel , Salvador Larroca , Steve Epting , Terry Dodson , Roger Cruz , Andy Kubert , Adam Kubert , Mark Buckingham , Ken Lashley , Renato Arlem , Ian Churchill , Val Semeiks , and Tom Lyle
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785118748

Book Description

See your favorite through a dark glass as the epic that literally rebuilt the X-Men in eight miniseries and more continues! Apocalypse has conquered half of humankind and is ready to destroy them all! Magneto and his Amazing X-Men fight to protect humans and mutants alike, only to learn from Bishop that his world might need to be unmade! Plus: excerpts from Apocalypse's own files on the alternate-universe X-Men, and their friends and foes... but which is which? Featuring Blink and Sabretooth of the Exiles! Collects X-Men: Alpha, Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men Volume 1 #1, X-Calibre #1, Gambit and the X-Ternals #1-2, Weapon X Volume 1 #1-2, Amazing X-Men #1-2, Factor X #1-2, and X-Man #1.

Customer Reviews:

Il più drammatico "What if...?" degli Uomini X.......2007-04-18

Premetto che considero una piaga, per il fumetto popolare americano, l'abuso di statagemmi (o meglio mezzucci) narrativi quali universi paralleli, viaggi nel tempo e stravaganze di tal fatta. Questi espedienti ammorbano la vita degli X Men sin dai tempi di Dyas of Future Past, dove però Claremont e Byrne l'avevano risolta con classe e discrezione.
Anche il prologo dell'Era di Apocalisse risulta quanto meno pacchiano: un viaggio indietro nel tempo di Legione, folle figlio di Xavier che nel tentativo di uccidere Magneto finisce per assassinare il genitore; il cristallo M'kraan che cristallizza tutta la realtà...
In un mondo dove Xavier, morto, non ha potuto addestrare giovani mutanti l'immortale En Sabah Nur, alias Apocalisse, ha avuto buon gioco nel sottomettere l'intero Nord America e nello sterminare gran parte della popolazione civile in campi di concentramento. Il suo credo, la "legge del più forte", è portata alle più estreme conseguenze, ma rimangono dei paladini alla causa dell'umanità: gli X Men addestrati e riuniti da un Magneto che, in questa realtà, lotta per il sogno di integrazione genetica propugnato da Xavier.
L'atmosfera è cupa come non mai, gli eventi spesso eccessivi ma assolutamente giustificati dal clima di terrore e disperazione che si respira sotto il guanto di ferro di Apocalisse.
Di gran livello il lavoro di scrittori quali Lobdell, Loeb, Nicieza (giusto per citarne alcuni) e di disegnatori in ottima forma, tra cui spiccano i Kubert e uno Ian Churchill in una forma a mio avviso smagliante.
Che si tratti di una delle saghe più importanti degli ultimi anche risulta chiaro anche dal "Ritorno all'Era di Apocalisse" (per la verità assai meno intenso e interessante del suo predecessore) proposto dalla Marvel per festeggiare i dieci anni dell'evento.
Qualche nota sul confezionamento: l'intera saga è raccolta in quattro corposi volumi di cui il primo consta di qualche racconto autoconclusivo, di una miniserie e di un prologo tutt'altro che imprescindibili per la comprensione degli avvenimenti. Il cuore del racconto si sviluppa negli imperdibili volumi 2, 3 e 4, ma se avete qualche soldino da parte e siete collezionisti con la C maiuscola dubito vi farete sfuggire anche il primo tomo.
Insomma, secondo la mia umile opinione si tratta di uno dei lavori più interessanti degli anni '90, che va assaporato per la drammatica parentesi che rappresenta più che per il suo apporto a una continuity mutante assai barcollante e priva di idee realmente innovative.

Great Job.......2006-07-19

Of all the stories in the Marvel universe the Age of Apocalypse is one of my favorites. I highly suggest that everyone who enjoys the x-men read it.

A classic storyline marred by shoddy printing.......2006-06-16

In the mid 1990s Marvel Comics took what was, at the time, considered a major risk: they shut down all the X-men and X-men related titles, and 'restarted' them all in an alternate universe where Professor Xavier had been killed and Apocalypse had risen to great power, essentially taking over the planet. The cross title event was a huge success, possibly the greatest success of any event of its magnitude in comic book history. Now, ten years later, Marvel is putting out the Age of Apocalypse Epic in four trade paper backs.

As others have noted, the first book is not necessary to understand the storyline. In fact, the beginning of the cross over, in terms of publication, is included in this volume (X-Men: Alpha) and is all you really need to know to understand what is going on, especially if you do a little poking around on the internet before you read. It is important to note that the Legion miniseries, where Legion goes back in time and inadvertently kills Xavier (he was aiming for Magneto) is not included in any of these trades, even though it actually kicks everything off.

In terms of the story itself, it is easy to see why it was a classic in its time. If you know the major characters of the X-men universe then you will find this an especially rewarding read, since well known villains become heroes in this alternate universe, heroes are villains, and new relationships abound, but at the same time at least hints of the characters we know and love peak through.

Any event like this will suffer some from having multiple differing artists and writers across the titles that were involved in the crossover, and this is no exception. For the most part the writing is good, although some writers certainly do better with their titles than others. The artwork is similar; all of it is servicable (except for perhaps one or two of the titles), but some artists on some titles are clearly much better than others.

The book also suffers from feeling disjointed in the narrative. There is some chronological flow between the titles collected in the book, but it is still jarring to go from issue #1 of one X-men title to another to another, etc, etc. It probably would not have been better to collect the titles together by title(e.g. having Generation Next #1-4 in immediate sequence, or Amazing X-men #1-4, or any of the others, all together) since there would be spoilers and probably new readers would get even more confused. However, as it is this collection jumps around a lot, and will only feel complete when Book 3 and 4 are out and all three can be read together.

At this point, I would give this book 4 stars for the writing, art, and overall storyline. However, there is a major problem with this title that forces me to drop at least one star. This is not a cheap book. Many other comics at this price (and length) are oversized, deluxe hardcovers with high quality paper. This book, however, is a paperback, and although the paper stock is fine, there are other significant problems. First, the edges on many of the titles included in this volume (including X-Men Alpha) have been cut off--perhaps by only a few millimeters from the original comics, but is still noticable in the artwork and actually cuts off words when word balloons happen to be on the side of the page. Second, the nature of a thick paperback like this means the artwork and words in the center of the collection, all the way through, are scrunched down into the crack between the pages, and more art and words are lost (or you have to crack the book wide open, hoping the glue on the spine will hold, to see them). Finally, there is actually at least one place where words in a balloon were completely and inexplicably missing, even though the balloon was located on the center of the page (the first two lines of dialogue were entirely gone in an important moment, making the rest of the dialogue from that character completely meaningless).

Some people will probably not even notice these printing errors (except for the last one), or they won't be bothered by them. For others, like me, who spent what amounts to a significant chunk of change on the book, those printing errors will be nerve gratingly annoying. Marvel's hardcover collections are almost unformly terrific, and to see them drop the ball on the printing with this collection is hugely disappointing. With a storyline of this size and importance to the comic-book cannon, Marvel should have put these books out in oversized hardcover format, for the same price as these shoddy paperbacks are now. As it is, they feel rushed and cheaply printed, as if Marvel set out solely to make some extra cash off the Age of Apocalypse storyline.

And that is unfortunate.

Much better than the first volume.......2006-01-19

With the tenth (that's right, tenth!) anniversary of Marvel's epic X-Men storyline, the Age of Apocalypse, Marvel has released three massive volumes of the various issues released in that time. Volume 1 featured various one-shots, mini-series, and the X-Men Chronicles issues, and wasn't worth your time unless you're an AoA completist. Volume two however finally gets some things right by featuring the first couple issues of the various series' as well as the jump off point X-Men: Alpha (Vol. 3 will contain the concluding issues and the ending X-Men: Omega) that introduces the readers to this dark, alternate world where Charles Xavier never lived long enough to form the X-Men, and the evil Apocalypse rose to power and conquered most of the world. X-Men: Alpha introduces us to Magneto's team of X-Men: his wife Rogue, son Quicksilver, as well as Sabretooth, Wild Child, Storm, Nightcrawler, Sunfire, Banshee, Morph, Iceman, and Blink. The team is split up in the issues of Astonishing X-Men and Amazing X-Men as they take on various forces of Apocalypse. Weapon X introduces us to the one handed Logan and his lover Jean Grey as they unite with the Human High Council to save the world. Factor X gives us a glance at Apocalypse's main mutants; Sinister, Cyclops, Beast, and Havok. Gambit & the X-Ternals introduces us to the heroic thief and his team of mutants (including Jubilee, Lila Chaney, and Strong Guy) as they begin their quest into space to retrieve a piece of the M'Krann Crystal. Generation Next finds Colossus and Shadowcat training a group of young mutants and leading them on a mission to save Colossus' lost sister. X-Man (written by Jeph Loeb) introduces us to Nate Grey (this universe's version of Cable); the genetic offspring of Cyclops and Jean Grey, and he's the most powerful mutant on the planet. X-Calibre finds Nightcrawler going solo to find the msyterious mutant Destiny. All the storylines are great, and Generation Next, Astonishing X-Men, and X-Man are the absolute best. The only downside is that if you've never read any of the AoA material before, you are going to be left hanging a lot, and you'll be salivating to see how it all ends. The art throughout is excellent, and the stories are surprisingly gripping; something that is shocking to say the least considering that this is 90's X-Men we're talking about. All in all, the AoA storyline was a masterwork, and while how this TPB is collected isn't perfect, it's certainly better than Volume 1.

This should have been the first volume. Brilliant!.......2005-11-15

First a plea to any new readers who might have been hoodwinked into purchasing the first volume of the AOA-Epic: PLEASE forget that cruel marketing trick and give this one a shot, this is the true (beginning of the) Age of Apocalypse, the crown jewel of the 1990s X-Men run that was so astounding that it took nearly a decade before another worth-while X-Men story would be written again.
In the Early '90s the X-Men reached their zenith of popularity, and although there were certainly low points in the early '90s run of the X-Universe (followed by an abysmally unreadable period of just under 10 years) it is unquestionably one of the time periods that justified the X-Men's place as the consistent top-seller, then and now. The Age of Apocalypse was the culmination, and the bristling climax, of one of the greatest eras in the X-Men's existence.

Synopsis: Forget volume one, everyone else but the marketing flunkies at Marvel did (or the poor saps who paid money for a collection of B-level story lines that leeched off of the glory of a truly well done comic book masterpiece). Here we are taken into a world that throws the importance of Xavier's dream right into our faces, a world where that dream was aborted and replaced with a blood-drenched nightmare. The Dark Lord Apocalypse threatens the globe, from his base from what was once America, with the aid of his Four Horsemen (Sinister, Holocaust, Abyss, and Mikhail Rasputin) and his mutant elite (including Cyclops, Havoc, and Beast). In Europe, humanity is meekly defended by a Human High Council (Brian Braddock, Emma Frost, Moria MacTaggart and Trask) that ratters a saber in the form of an army of Sentinels and nuclear missiles. The only true source of salvation lies with Magneto and the meager yet potent network of mutant resistance that he has thrown up against the genetic supremacist régime of Apocalypse that makes mass genocide and blasphemous dark science everyday occurrences. Despite their best efforts, Magneto, the X-Men and other heroes of this Dark Age are fighting a losing battle, and the hordes of the Dark Lord begin to crush even the most stalwart of spirits; and then one man, Bishop, delivers them the glimmer of hope needed to march on in their defiance of seemingly omnipotent armies of evil. In another world Xavier's dream was made real, and Apocalypse never rose to power.

This dark incarnation of the X-Men's' world is thoroughly explored in-depth, and the characterization is so well done that it even gives invaluable insight to the characters as they appear in the main-stream world of the X-Men. Some who were heroes break under the evil that has infected their world while others turn from their own paths of darkness when shown the extreme consequence of blind self-serving ambition. As death and horror flow in Apocalypse's wake and the leaders of humanity grow intent on mimicking his evil to feed their own thirst for revenge, Magneto and the X-Men will fight to the bitter end to save their world from this ultimate evil.

Yet if the gripping story is not enough to sell you, the art work is mouthwatering at best and breathtaking at worst.

Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
Morrison's Run Continues To Impress, But...
what a mess
Continuing Morrison's amazing run
Exciting!!

New X-Men Vol. 2: Imperial
Grant Morrison
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785108874

Book Description

This deluxe hardcover volume collects the New X-Men stories found in New X-Men Vol. 3: New Worlds and New X-Men Vol. 4: Riot at Xavier's plus other behind the scenes materials!

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Haven't read much later X-Men, so a little bit lost for some of this. Have to revisit it at a later date. It was not too bad, and had Jean Grey (yes, in one of her lives) still alive and front and centre, leading the band. If you don't like Frank Quitely's art, do avoid this, as it is very in your face here.

Morrison's Run Continues To Impress, But..........2006-06-04

The first volume of Grant Morrison's New X-Men was very good. Though it isn't the best X-Men book around (go read Astonishing!), it had a great story, introduced a powerful new villain, and found a new way to show how mutants can be persecuted. Imperial directly continues the events of E if for Extinction, with Prof. Xavier leaving Earth to contact the Shi'ar after revealing to the media that he's really a mutant and his school for the gifted means a school for mutants. Unable to understand why he would do such a thing, the X-Men, who include Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Wolverine, and Emma Frost, are left to deal with the protestors who are outside the school. If that weren't bad enough, a creepy cult has surfaced. They are humans who desire to be mutants, so they harvest mutant organs in order to implant in their own bodies to give themselves superpowers. While dealing with these crises, the entire X-team finds themselves coming down with a mysterious flu, and, eventually, they begin to wonder if the threat posed by Cassandra Nova is really as finished as they thought.
In addition to the X-Men, some more of the studnets are featured. Emma Frost's new protoges, the Stepford Cuckoos, are introduced in this trade, Beak gets a part to play, and a new character, a girl with some physiology reminiscent of a fly, is brought to the school after she is thrown out of her house. All of these characters contribute to the story at some point, and it seems that Morrison is setting them up for bigger things to come.
Imperial is definitely good and is a worthy read, but there are a few things that I must say. It seemed like there was almost too much going on to keep track of. There were numerous plots interwoven in these issues, which isn't a problem as long as the reader can keep them straight. I had a somewhat hard time remembering who was involved in which story. Still, this is a good read for any X-Men fan.

what a mess.......2005-03-10

From start to finish, New X-men: Imperial is overly ambitious and overly melodramatic. The themes, for the most part, are the same tried ideas of tolerance and prejudice. All X-men comics revolve around these same ideas, but the hard part is putting a new spin on them, and unfortunately their use in Imperial felt stale, generic, and overblown.

Imperial (New X-men #118-#126) continues the saga of the struggle against Cassandra Nova, an immensely powerful being who has hijacked Xavier's body, trapped his mind, and then left to sabotage the Shi-ar empire. Meanwhile, the X-men must deal with an organization that is harvesting mutants for their organs and face increasing public scrutiny since Xavier revealed his mutant identity.

The outcome and revelation of Cassandra, her identity, her past, and eventually her defeat, came off as very B-movie-ish. There was a barrage of newer characters, and although I had read volume 1 (E is for extinction), they didn't seem adequatly explained, making me wonder if I was supposed to read another series in conjunction.

The weak plot would be acceptable, were it not for the bizarre art that accompanies it. I respect the editors for trying to lend diversity to X-men's looks by bringing in different artists, but the end-result is just not very pleasing in Imperial. X-mens' faces are so dowsed in character lines that they are downright ugly and deformed at times, and their faces completely change appearance from frame to frame.

The final blow is that the layout of the action in the frames is so cluttered that I had no idea what was going on most of the time. I had to repeatedly examine some frames to try to figure out what was trying to be conveyed. Is that Wolverine or Beast? Is that supposed to be a head? What just happened here?

I have been trying to get into the newer incarnations of our favourite gene-freaks. I must confess that I really don't care for the general direction in the New X-men series. I don't like their costumes, I don't like their "second-mutations," and I'm not even a big fan of the roster in New X-men. But it's not that I'm just a stubborn old fart who refuses to accept change. I had vastly enjoyed the Uncanny X-men novels (circa issue #400), but I can't say the same about New X-men Imperial.

Continuing Morrison's amazing run.......2004-08-02

Note: this review refers to New X-Men Vol. 2: Imperial. Grant Morrison's earth shaking run on New X-Men continues in this collected volume following the shattering events of E is for Extinction. Professor X, whose mind and body is under the control of his evil twin sister Cassandra Nova, is attempting to manipulate the Shi'ar empire to destroy all the mutants on Earth. Meanwhile, the X-Men are in dissary. Beast is in a coma, while Cyclops and Emma uncover even more about the mysterious John Sublime and his U-Men. Wolverine helps out a young girl named Angel who discovers she is a mutant, while Jean scrambles amidst the mayhem. Morrison really weaves an awesome story, undoubtadly the best to hit the X-Men in years. The story is loaded with twists and turns and rich in character, and he even manages to make Cyclops and Emma the most interesting characters in the book and doesn't focus primarily on Wolverine like so many X-books have in the past. The only downside of this collection is the art. While the art in various issues by Frank Quitely and Ethan Van Sciver is great, Igor Kordey's art is nearly atrocious. I mean come on, I've seen this guy's art in Cable and X-Treme X-Men and it was solid, but here it looks plain old sloppy and rushed. That aside though, this volume is worth picking up as it continues Grant Morrison's now legendary run, and it sure beats out any X-Men material to come out before it or recently since Morrison's departure.

Exciting!!.......2004-06-11

The second volume of Grant Morrisons X-men run cranks up the action and the drama. Morrisons storytelling skills are astounding, when Cassandra was coming back to destroy the Xmen i could feel the desperation and fear of the characters. Clever plot twists are around every corner. The only reason i gave the book 4 stars is due to the fluctuating quality of the art, sometimes its good and sometimes its bad. A good follow up to "E IS FOR EXTICTION". EP

Ultimate X-Men Vol. 2: Return to Weapon X

Average customer rating:

Amazing Collection
Brutal
Disappointment
OMG!!! Can it get any better!!
I like Millar, so I like this.

Ultimate X-Men Vol. 2: Return to Weapon X
Mark Millar
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785108688

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Collection.......2007-06-20

This second volume in the series has excellent artwork, a great storyline, and lots of action. This is what X-Men is all about. If you like to read and like X-Men, you should have this product.

Brutal.......2007-04-14

I must say I'm surprised at the harsh criticism that is directed at the Ultimate X-Men series and this volume in particular. I was a skeptic when the whole "Ultimate" non-continuity line was announced a few years ago, but at this point Ultimate X-Men is the only X-title I bother with aside from Joss Whedon's excellent Astonishing X-Men series.

Return to Weapon X is even more fun than Ultimate X-Men Vol. 1: The Tomorrow People. Right off the bat, Xavier and company are kidnapped by SHIELD agents whose goal is to exploit mutants for military purposes. Among their past victims - Wolverine. The way these kids are treated - not just the X-Men, but the other Weapon X captives as well - makes for some incredibly compelling reading, as does the introduction of the Ultimate version of Nick Fury, one of the best characters in the Ultimate Universe. This storyline is high on action as well as character development, and is quite simply one of the best X-Men stories I've read in a long time.

Mark Millar's plot is solid and the dialogue is smart and edgy and so much more interesting than what has been recycled in Uncanny X-Men over the past two decades. Millar has successfully reinvented the X-Men with both a modern look and feel, and a true appreciation for the original X-Men stories that made these characters shine in the first place.

The artwork for this series is as solid as you'd expect from the Kuberts. I've never really been a fan of either Kubert brother's style, but they have come a long way and their art absolutely enhances the overall storytelling.

I highly recommend Ultimate X-Men, not only to new X-fans who might be bewildered by the continuity of the older series, but to old school X-Men fans like me. If you keep an open mind, you should find this book quite enjoyable.

Disappointment.......2006-12-24

This collects some issues of X men as a grahpic novel and I was really disappinted it did not involve political intrigue, just a laid back look at the X men.

OMG!!! Can it get any better!!.......2006-11-04

Going from the first one right into this one was a shocker! I think they gave more info on wolverine then has brought to light before the series Wolverine Origins was released! This gives great detail about him, and he is one of my favorite in the Marvel realm!

I like Millar, so I like this........2006-04-27

So sue me, I'm a dyed in the wool Wolverine fan. And after reading "Wolverine: Enemy of the State," that has been further validated for me. What I find is that Wolvie could be "diluted" for a younger audience and not lose any of what makes him great.

I read the back cover insert with a letter from Joe Quesada mentioning that Ultimate X-Men was going to cater to younger readers and to an audience who can't quite follow the current continuity of the regular X-titles. I think that description fits for this comic title. I enjoyed this TPB, mainly because it collected issues that I never felt the need to buy individually every month. Since I collect about eight titles a month, you can see why I feel that way.

Wolverine's back among the X-Men and being hounded by the Weapon X program again, but this time the X-Men are taken captive. This is the first appearance in the series of Nightcrawler, who speaks more German and is a very likable character. We're also introduced to a recurring villain, Wraith, who's lovably evil and a real jerk, allowing his troops to riddle Wolverine with bullets while he's being held captive, just to watch his healing factor make him better so they can start over. I love the speech that Colossus makes where he explains why Wolverine will save the day, only to have Sabretooth walk into the complex a moment later, dragging Logan by his feet, unconscious after they hit him with napalm!

This story features a decent rescue and a great battle between Logan and Sabretooth. No Weapon X/Weapons Plus story would be complete without that. The dialogue is well written in this, as well as the interpersonal relationships. The artwork is inconsistent; the facial expressions are great, but the figures are very cartoony. I also find it a funny indication of the era that we live in that Storm and Jean have body piercings.

One thing I will say about these TPBs of this title is that I would not be able to read them out of sequence. Millar and the new guy, Vaughan, don't seem to believe in providing you with references to stuff that's happened in past issues to keep you caught up.

If you are an X-Men purist, and you don't like stories that vary from things you've already read in Uncanny or untitled X-Men, then leave this on the shelf. However, if you like your X-Men adventures to feel more like the animated series (Evolution) or the first two movies, this may be more your cup of tea.

Average customer rating:

A correction...
amazingggg!
what is marvel thinking?
Good...but....

New X-Men: Childhood's End, Vol. 2
Craig Kyle , and Christopher Yost
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785120246

Book Description

If you thought Volume 1 was intense, buckle up. The dire consequences of recent actions have put the students of the Xavier Institute in their most dangerous situation yet. Reverend Stryker has replaced his crucifixes and prayers with bullets and hand grenades. Can the kids survive his brand of conversion? Collects New X-Men #24-27.

Customer Reviews:

A correction..........2007-06-20

Messrs. Yost & Kyle did not make the characters "connectable" or "meaningful", except for X-23.
Icarus, the younger brother of X-Men Cannonball (one of the original New Mutants), and Husk (Generation X), first appeared in ROM Annual #3 (dated 1984), written by Bill Mantlo. Chuck Austen gave him the red wings (first seen in "Uncanny X-Men" #437) and healing factor (discovered in UXM #441), in a storyline reprinted in UNCANNY X-MEN: SHE LIES WITH ANGELS (which also contains the dubious scene of Husk and Archangel -- the original X-Man known then as "Angel" -- flying up into the air to make out in front of Husk's mother.)

Dust was created by Grant Morrison and first appeared in "New X-Men" (1st series) #133, which is reprinted in NEW X-MEN: NEW WORLDS (issues 127-133) as well as two hardcover volumes --
NEW X-MEN volume two ISBN-10: 0785111182 & ISBN-13: 978-0785111184 (issues 127-141) and the NEW X-MEN OMNIBUS ISBN-10: 0785123261 & ISBN-13: 978-0785123262 (issues 114-154 and Annual 2001)
Notes: the first "New X-Men" series is actually "X-Men" (2nd series) #114-154 & the 2001 Annual. The main characters in Grant Morrison's highly acclaimed issues are Beast, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Jean Grey (Phoenix), Professor X, and Wolverine.

Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir deserve the credit for fleshing out Dust, making Icarus more likeable than he was in SHE LIES WITH ANGELS, and creating the students whose deaths upset and/or alienated some readers, including myself. Most of their issues are reprinted in NEW MUTANTS: BACK TO SCHOOL ("New Mutants" (2nd series) #1-6), three NEW X-MEN: ACADEMY X volumes -- CHOOSING SIDES (#1-6), HAUNTING (#7-11), X-POSED (#12-15 and the special); and HOUSE OF M: NEW X-MEN 16-19 & Secrets of the House of M -- darker than the writers were allowed to be in the other issues). While the earlier stories focused on the New Mutants team, their rivals had a four-issue mini-series reprinted in NEW X-MEN: HELLIONS.

I recommend reading the earlier volumes to really get to know the characters.

amazingggg!.......2007-02-20

In response to the other reviews- yeah, this is more violent and darker than some other comics, but WHO CARES? The fact that people are affected by the death of certain characters shows how incredible the writers were in making the characters connectable and meaningful! It's sad, but beautiful and even neccesary for the poignancy of the plot. I can't wait for the next one!

what is marvel thinking?.......2007-01-06

i have been incredibly disappointed in the new series of new x-men: academy x, and this book is even worse than the first one. my main problem w/ this book is how incredibly (and fairly unnecessarily) violent it is. how in the world did it get by w/ a T+ rating? it's as graphically violent as an R rated movie. and i'm also disappointed w/ the number of characters who are getting killed off. what was the point of having these characters in 50+ books if you're just going to get rid of them all? wasn't it enough to have them depowered? it really makes you wonder what their strategy is for keeping their fans interested in the series. also, the whole stryker thing has already been done at least twice now (and last time less than three years ago in x-treme x-men), and the religious zealots thing has been overdone as well. and killing characters off is such an incredibly cheap way of trying to get readers, which i hate, and which marvel already does too much of. of runaways, new x-men, and young avengers, runaways is great b/c it has great writing and great characters; young avengers is good b/c it has great action and cool characters; and new x-men is waaaaay in the back b/c it has mediocre action and mediocre characters since they keep killing off all the good ones. at least mercury's still alive. here's hoping that marvel gets it together, although i don't see how this series is going to recover its momentum w/ such a tiny number of the original characters remaining. i was a big fan of the writers' work on x-men evolution, but i'm going to be avoiding them from now on.

Good...but...........2006-08-16

Why are they killing off almost every major character from the entire series of New Mutants to Academy X? Also, why are the new X-Men comprised mainly of Hellions? Although, yes, the artwork is amazing, the story is positively gripping, why the heck is everyone dying? Nothing like this ever happened to the original X-Men, so why are the writers having such a grim hey-day with the New X-Men? Look, call me a hyprocrite, but you must buy this because it is exceptionl, BUT be forewarned it is one of the most grim, violent TPBs I've ever read...and is so cool.

Uncanny X-Men Volume 2: Dominant Species TPB (Uncanny X-Men)

Average customer rating:

Worse than anything before it.
Worse than Draco
Not Worth Reading
uncanny x-men #416-420
Great X-men Book

Uncanny X-Men Volume 2: Dominant Species TPB (Uncanny X-Men)
Chuck Austen
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785111328

Book Description

It's once again time for the X-Men to mutate. First, will Juggernaut -- one of the X-Men's toughest foes -- actually join their ranks? Then, as the high-flying Archangel goes through a major physical transformation that affects his powers, he encounters a threat to his family corporation. Finally, the entire roster gets a facelift as international artist Kia Asamiya redesigns their costumes.

Customer Reviews:

Worse than anything before it........2004-08-26

This is the story where Austen really shows us what he can do. It seems as if he made it this bad on purpose.

Essentially, his point is that groups that mutate similarly have to stick together for some reason. And he illustrates this point with a group that has no personality whatsoever. Aside from Maximus Lobo, not one of them says anything that they aren't just repeating.

And as if it isn't bad enough, there's Kia Asamiya redesigning the costumes. It's like being stabbed immediately after someone shoots you in the lung.

These costumes are bizarre. Lorna's has two sets of black wings (one on her head). Archangel's has a red loincloth.

If a copy falls from the sky, I still say that you should set it on fire immediately, and be glad.

Or, simply put: DO NOT READ.

Worse than Draco.......2004-04-14

Popular opinion says that Draco is Chuck Austens worst Uncanny XMen arc, which is saying alot since his whole run has been terrible. But the truth of the matter, according to me at least, is Dominant Species is his worst. Vaguely defined villains (are they werewolves, are they mutants, both?) take over some office building that Warren Worthington owns. Its really as exciting as the premise makes it out to be. Its terrible. Bad characterization, nonexistant motivation, and poor artwork to further obscure any sense of whats going on (for some reason fog takes the place of backgrounds through most of the arc, which makes even less sense because as i said it takes place in an office building).

If you want to read good X-Men stories go read some of Grant Morrison's New X-men books, or go read Essential X-Men 1 and 2. This crap by Chuck Austen gives the X-Men brand a bad name.

Not Worth Reading.......2004-04-11

These issues contain some very poor characterization, plotting, dialogue and art. The story involves extremely uninteresting mutant werewolves, who, defying logic, are involved in Warren Worthington's corporation. The characters do not act like themselves. They are completely changed to fit the plot and to add unneeded melodrama to the story. The dialogue is embarassing to read and the art does not flow with the story.

uncanny x-men #416-420.......2004-03-16

First of all, the artwork is pretty weak. That being said, I liked the story. We've got werewolves here that give the X-Men a good run. There are some great little twists and turns in here. And it is interesting to watch the Juggernaught fight on the side of the X-Men. Other than the art, it's pretty great.

Great X-men Book.......2003-11-28

Chuck austin continues his great storytelling during the dominant species stroy arc. Also Kia Asamiya provides amazing artwork. The x-men have hever looked so good. Great characterization only adds to this book. A must have for x-men fans.

Exiles Vo. 13: World Tour, Book 2 (X-Men)

Average customer rating:

Exiles Vo. 13: World Tour, Book 2 (X-Men)
Tony Bedard , and James Calafiore
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785118551

Book Description

The Exiles are gonna party like it's 2099! The World Tour continues and the Exiles just might happen to pick up another teammate! Our money's on Hulk! Or Skullfire! Plus: What's that? You thought the Exiles World Tour was going to slow down? What are you, an insane person!? It's off to the Squadron Supreme universe for some major butt-kicking! Collects Exiles #75-83.

Essential X-Men, Vol. 2 (Marvel Essentials)

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader
A truly essential arc of an essential run
Graphic Novel junkie
Essential review
Black and White and Read All Over

Essential X-Men, Vol. 2 (Marvel Essentials)
Chris Claremont , John Byrne , and Dave Cockrum
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785120076

Book Description

An all-new edition! Ever-expanding their ranks, the Children of the Atom combat the evils threatening both mutants and humans like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Hellfire Club and Dark Phoenix. Collects X-Men #120-141, Uncanny X-Men #142-144 and Annual #3-4.

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

The Marvel Essentials program is a fantastic idea, and a great idea, and here is why. You get the classic storylines in this volume and a hell of a lot more for a great price. You can get these for about the same price as 3-4 comics new, here, so it is pretty clear why these are a good idea and why DC copied them. If you have all this material and can get it to your readers, why not do it?

A truly essential arc of an essential run.......2007-08-29

This is the second Marvel Essential to chronicle Chris Claremont's record-setting 16 year continuous run on The Uncanny X-men.

This essential chronicles what is often sited as one of the best comic story arcs ever written: the Dark Phoenix Saga.

In this arc, we see the introduction of the Hellfire Club, including their White Queen, Emma Frost, a character that has become incredibly important to current X-men continuity, especially to Grant Morrison's acclaimed run on New X-Men.

We also see the introduction of Kitty Pryde, a character featured in the white hot Astonishing X-Men by Buffy scribe Joss Whedon and the death of Jean Grey.

In short, you have one of the most beloved comic arcs of the last 30 years and the introduction of characters that today's hottest comic writers come back to again and again.

If you call yourself a comics fan, or even just a fan of great storytelling, you owe it to yourself to get this essential. Even better, it's less than 15 bucks. You can't go wrong.

Graphic Novel junkie.......2007-07-31

Ok, ok, I should say comic book junkie, because that's what they were called when I first started reading them some decades ago. This whole series of Essential X-men books are a fun read unless you get bogged down in details. I never did, I just enjoyed reading them. This is a great book. Enjoy

Essential review.......2007-01-25

This is a great book in the Marvel Essentials series. It has over 20 editions of the Uncanny X-Men comics, with the introduction of Kitty and the dark Phoenix. A great book for the avid X-Men fan!

Black and White and Read All Over.......2006-11-27

I am writing to comment on the persistent complaint that the "Essentials" series is in black and white on "cheap newsprint." While true (and there is no excuse for the shoddy binding of these reissues), it's important to remember that ALL comic books were, at that time, printed on very cheap paper. The colors available to comic artists were also far inferior to what is standard today. I actually found the black and white presentation crisp, clean and revealing. The reissues do preserve the often haphazard editing. Spelling errors abound: the "Assination" of Sen. Kelly is mentioned in the "Days of Future Past" storyline; "Definite" is sometimes misspelled "definate." Storm experiences "Atatistic" horror when confronted by the brood. Commas, periods and entire words just drop out of sentences. This was a disposable media. To have looked for immortal storytelling in comic books would have been considered pointless. But the same was said about the fanatics who preserved Shakespeare's plays in cheap "quarto" editions. The stories here will last as long as the comic genre last. They're that good and that "essential".

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