tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post88920685975020815..comments2024-03-19T03:17:15.936-04:00Comments on Remarkable: Jason Powell on Uncanny X-Men #142Geoff Klockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09080580776997273785noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-51031033657567337582010-04-11T10:11:52.890-04:002010-04-11T10:11:52.890-04:00"Of course, Claremont will later have Mystiqu..."Of course, Claremont will later have Mystique change the team's name to "Freedom Force," which is equally silly, but in a more Orwellian-newspeak kind of way."<br /><br />FOX News would be proud.wwk5dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-41324907372789066832008-07-10T10:30:00.000-04:002008-07-10T10:30:00.000-04:00oh I'm definitely in for the long haul here--and I...oh I'm definitely in for the long haul here--and I see there's another entry up!<BR/><BR/>as for Factor Three--they are never very far from my thoughts (how scary is that?) and I'm sure that something will come of that some day!<BR/><BR/>DaveExpos 1983 Blog https://www.blogger.com/profile/10798243137456349089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-18376462695556755822008-07-09T23:46:00.000-04:002008-07-09T23:46:00.000-04:00Matthew, you are correct, Byrne was pissed about t...Matthew, you are correct, Byrne was pissed about the "pyrrhic victory" aspect, wanting this to be a straight-ahead win for the X-Men. (But then, why did he draw the last page, which is a big part of the Pyrrhic-ation?)<BR/><BR/>Dave, very well -- as long as you continue to read this blog, and comment when you have time, I guess I can't complain. Still, I do look forward to a full analysis of the Factor Three saga one day ...Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13298753675007196538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-21253566383883171562008-07-09T20:51:00.000-04:002008-07-09T20:51:00.000-04:00not an injudicious thing to do, Mr. Brady!and Byrn...not an injudicious thing to do, Mr. Brady!<BR/><BR/>and Byrne, if you're reading this--isn't the entire Marvel House style built upon the theme of pyrrhic victory?<BR/><BR/>yes, of course it is! <BR/><BR/>Jason--I wish I could say that my Thomas series will be up and running soon, but I'm not sure if it's in the cards... the only way I could find the time to do it would be stop reading other blogs--and how am I supposed to do that, when you're powering through great swathes of history at a nigh-historic pace?<BR/><BR/>some day though--the Locust and I will return!<BR/><BR/>DaveExpos 1983 Blog https://www.blogger.com/profile/10798243137456349089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-32504539403542412922008-07-09T18:08:00.000-04:002008-07-09T18:08:00.000-04:00I think I also read some commentary by Byrne in wh...I think I also read some commentary by Byrne in which he felt like this issue/storyline were the last straw, complaining particularly about the "Pyrrhic victory" aspect of the story. He hated that everything had to somehow end up negative for the X-Men; why couldn't they ever have a true victory? I don't know if that was the case back then, but I could see that argument being made after 15 years of that sort of story, and it definitely turned into the standard X-Men plot. Whatever; I almost automatically dismiss anything John Byrne says anyway.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13867868039166531163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-79219976266067712562008-07-09T17:00:00.000-04:002008-07-09T17:00:00.000-04:00Which is a crime, Mr. Fiore. Will you ever go back...Which is a crime, Mr. Fiore. Will you ever go back to your issue-by-issue look at Roy Thomas' X-Men run?<BR/><BR/>I'm thrilled your reading this series, by the by. Please continue to comment if you're of a mind to!Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13298753675007196538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-64438181277821436802008-07-09T14:41:00.000-04:002008-07-09T14:41:00.000-04:00I'd say the world that Kang eventually rules (as o...I'd say the world that Kang eventually rules (as opposed to the nice, pleasant Legion of Super-Heroes style world that he grows up in) is pretty dystopian--but I suppose that's getting a bit remote... it's not like saying: "hey--everyone and everything you love is gonna come to a grisly, early end, 30 years from now...)<BR/><BR/>I'm really enjoying this series Jason--although I haven't read these comics since the '80s--and I sure envy your blogging stamina! I can't even maintain an average of one post a month!<BR/><BR/>Dave FioreExpos 1983 Blog https://www.blogger.com/profile/10798243137456349089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-4110088901706311282008-07-09T14:39:00.000-04:002008-07-09T14:39:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Expos 1983 Blog https://www.blogger.com/profile/10798243137456349089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-92166849538911985222008-07-09T12:21:00.000-04:002008-07-09T12:21:00.000-04:00Doug, yeah, the dystopian future thing is also use...Doug, yeah, the dystopian future thing is also used by Alan Moore in his Captain Britain stories, which riff quite openly on "Days of Future Past.' (And Claremont would in turn riff on Moore's Captain Britain, both in "Excalibur" and in the X-Men portion of the "Fall of the Mutants" crossover.)Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13298753675007196538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-50685513354182692992008-07-09T05:35:00.000-04:002008-07-09T05:35:00.000-04:00Coming to this late -- it's been a busy week.Yeah,...Coming to this late -- it's been a busy week.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, Byrne silly. I have the vague impression he's something of a homophobe, though in an understated sort of way.<BR/><BR/>What's not to like about "Everybody Dies!"? It certainly caught our attention, back in the day.<BR/><BR/>Was this really the first major "dystopic future" story in a mainstream comic? There wasn't, like, an old Superman story or something? (I swear, Silver Age Superman did everything.) <BR/><BR/>Well, whether it was or not, it ended up being hugely influential... the dystopic future has totally become part of the genre. Even Alan Moore found this fascinating; it inspired him to write his never-published DC universe future (you know, the one with Doll Man in a jar) which, in turn, inspired _Kingdom Come_. So, really, everybody drank from this well.<BR/><BR/>A minor throwaway: Byrne gives the adult Franklin Richards a very marked resemblance to both of his parents. Man, Byrne was great back when he was still trying.<BR/><BR/>Shout-out: the glimpse of Wolverine's adamantium skeleton.<BR/><BR/>Raspberry: Destiny's crossbow. What's wrong with a handgun? It's not like she needed to get past the metal detector.<BR/><BR/>Shout-out: the title is a Proust reference.<BR/><BR/>Raspberry: Destiny's costume. Can you think of a better costume for a blind precognitive? Yes, yes you can.<BR/><BR/>Shout-out: Nightcrawler and Mystique. "Ask your mother, Margali Szardos!" That was very cool.<BR/><BR/>Raspberry: Nightcrawler and Mystique. If you are a shapeshifter, you don't go one-on-one with the person you're copying. That /never/ works. <BR/><BR/>Shout-out: Bringing Shaw back, and in that way. Yeah, Shaw Industries is gonna build Sentinels for the feds! That made sense at multiple levels. <BR/><BR/>Shout-out: Agent Gyrich. Claremont criss-crossing with Jim Shooter's Avengers again... this happened a lot during this period. Around this time Claremont and Byrne were on better terms with Jim Shooter than they were with each other!<BR/><BR/>As to the Brotherhood, note that this is the first time they're referred to as terrorists. This, too, would be very influential down the line.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Doug M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-11366762792605486802008-07-08T12:29:00.000-04:002008-07-08T12:29:00.000-04:00Yeah, I agree -- there is no irony in the way Clar...Yeah, I agree -- there is no irony in the way Claremont uses the phrase "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants," which is rather ridiculous given their expressed political agenda. They obviously believe they're on the right side.<BR/><BR/>Good call on "Freedom Force." It's funny how "freedom" has become a particularly ubiquitous buzzword in the 21st century.<BR/><BR/>On Peter David and real-life Orwellian-ness ... David did an issue of Hulk in which the gray, articulate version fought Freedom Force. When he encountered Pyro and saw the "FF" logo on his chest, he said, "What does that stand for -- french fried?"<BR/><BR/>A decade later, French fries were being rechristened "Freedom Fries"!Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13298753675007196538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-1313301193680088692008-07-08T12:09:00.000-04:002008-07-08T12:09:00.000-04:00the interesting coincidence that Destiny is named ...<I>the interesting coincidence that Destiny is named Irene Adler, which was also the name of a romantic foil for Sherlock Holmes in an old Conan Doyle story</I>.<BR/><BR/>Ok, that's cool -- even if it wasn't heading where you think, it's still cool.<BR/><BR/><I>Stan Lee actually only ever referred to them as "the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" in narration, or when one of the X-Men spoke about them. When Magneto talked about them, he always just called them, "my band of mutants" or "my brotherhood.</I><BR/><BR/>Heh. Never noticed that. Well, good on Stan Lee!<BR/><BR/>Peter David's explanation is an excellent retcon in a give-him-a-no-prize sort of way, but it's hardly how it seems reading the comic.<BR/><BR/>But I don't mind "Freedom Force" as a name because, yeah, it's over-the-top, but it's the sort of over-the-top that people really <I>do</I> ("operation Iraqi freedom" anyone?). Orwellean in a real-life sense.<BR/><BR/>And I'm glad the complements pleased you, but you earned 'em. Great series.<BR/><BR/>SFStephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-61458051619195594772008-07-08T01:34:00.000-04:002008-07-08T01:34:00.000-04:00Stephen, thank you so much for the compliments! Y...Stephen, thank you so much for the compliments! You just made my week, I think.<BR/><BR/>I also LOVE the original idea of Mystique being Nightcrawler's father. I think I might talk about that in a later blog entry, but if not that's a gross oversight. Thanks for getting that in there. It's a cool idea. You know, someone more eagle-eyed than I has also pointed out the interesting coincidence that Destiny is named Irene Adler, which was also the name of a romantic foil for Sherlock Holmes in an old Conan Doyle story. And Mystque's secret identity is Raven DarkHOLME. What's that about? Are Mystique and Destiny really old, and did Mystique call herself "Sherlock Holmes" back when she was a man?<BR/><BR/>It's insane, but I kind of love the notion that Nightcrawler is the secret love-child of Irene Adler and a sex-changed Sherlock Holmes.<BR/><BR/>Re: the 1989 reprint. Yeah, I have that too. I was pretty flabbergasted the first time I saw that last page (which is contained in the new Days of Future Past trade, the one that collects Uncanny 138-143, and also in the black-and-white Essentials).<BR/><BR/>Yeah, Byrne is silly.<BR/><BR/>Re; The Brotherhood. Stan Lee actually only ever referred to them as "the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" in narration, or when one of the X-Men spoke about them. When Magneto talked about them, he always just called them, "my band of mutants" or "my brotherhood." So the films were (possibly unknowingly) just going back to the comic's roots. It was Roy Thomas, I think, who first had Magneto refer to his own team as "The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants," and then Len Wein did it too, in a Defenders story. So Claremont was just following the tradition, by that point.<BR/><BR/>I agree, it's silly. Peter David later tried to explain the name away as being ironic, "parodying humans' perceptions," which is probably the best way to justify it. I'm used to it by now so I kind of ignore the silliness -- but you're right, in the context here, it is silly. Of course, Claremont will later have Mystique change the team's name to "Freedom Force," which is equally silly, but in a more Orwellian-newspeak kind of way.<BR/><BR/>Good point about the adult-Kitty, too. Yeah, it is neat that we get to see her using her powers in cool ways via the time-travel gimmick. Neat stuff!<BR/><BR/>Thanks again for being so complimentary, Stephen. Your kindness does my heart good!Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13298753675007196538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23042008.post-8405247992808512242008-07-07T15:13:00.000-04:002008-07-07T15:13:00.000-04:00Terrific analysis -- I'd say "as always", but is o...Terrific analysis -- I'd say "as always", but is one of your best so far, I think (in the 129-142 set).<BR/><BR/>One thing I'd add is that this issue solved one technical problem: Kitty was, as a young new team member, inexperienced, innocent, unable to use her powers effectively, etc. So how to make her seem <I>cool</I>? The answer was the future Kate -- who we see with the strength that Kitty will posses, a fairly kick-ass use of her powers (partial phasing, making her arm solidify), etc, so that we get a preview of the way in which Kitty <I>will be</I> cool as she develops.<BR/><BR/>Various random comments/reactions:<BR/><BR/><I>Claremont hints in this issue that she and Nightcrawler – both possessing blue skin and yellow eyes – might be related somehow... the Kurt-Mystique connection is something Claremont won’t explain.</I><BR/><BR/>Since I first heard of it, I've always liked Claremont's original intension -- adhered to, at least in the sense of nothing inconsistent with it being published, through as much of the run as I read -- which was, apparently, nixed by the editorial higher-ups. This was to have Mystique be Nightcrawler's <I>father</I> -- due to her shape-changing powers, she can be male -- and Destiny, Mystique's lover, his mother. A cool idea, shot down for the usual prudish cowerdice. I wonder if it would even get through now?<BR/><BR/><I>As villain teams go, the new Brotherhood are a fairly strong and well-conceived group.</I><BR/><BR/>Yes... and then their name is one of those things that simply <I>can't</I> be looked at with a straight face by anyone who first encounters it post-age 10 or so. It's just self-evidently ridiculous.<BR/><BR/>It was precisely those elements that the first two films did such a good job of filleting out of the otherwise heavily-Claremont influenced stories... in this case by simply changing the name to "the Brotherhood", with an added (very good) ideological twist.<BR/><BR/><I>all the panels set in Arcade’s control booth had a thick black border around them</I><BR/><BR/>Damn, all those readings and I <I>never</I> noticed that. Great eye.<BR/><BR/><I>The garish cover copy, “This Issue: Everybody Dies!” is significantly less subtle</I><BR/><BR/>But, unlike usually with these things, accurate.<BR/><BR/>Re your paragraph about the Kate/Rachel scene, the inclusion of Jean, the meaning and symbolism of the story... wow. Great reading. I have nothing to add, but bravo!<BR/><BR/><I>The bit in which Kate kisses Kitty as they pass each other in the time stream can be looked on as Kate/Jean giving her blessing to Kitty – or perhaps as an expression of gratitude. (None of this would have been intended by John Byrne, who hated what he later called the “lesbian kiss” between Kate and Kitty – note that the kiss is only in the narration, not in the art.)</I><BR/><BR/>Or, more straightforwardly but less interestingly, it is the imagined maternal feeling one might have towards a younger, innocent self.<BR/><BR/>But <I>lesbian</I> kiss?! It's clearly <I>maternal</I> -- and not <I>remotely</I> sexual. I think Byrne's way off base here.<BR/><BR/><I>Rounding things out is an epilogue ... Kelly being the very man who recommends the creation of a new wave of anti-mutant Sentinels.</I><BR/><BR/>Okay, this is <I>another</I> thing I've never noticed in all my readings... in this case because the reprint I have <I>doesn't contain it</I>. Is this one of those one-page epilogue thingies that were so common before trades became the dominant publishing mode for the medium? Because I think what I have -- an two-issue reprint containing 141-142 from 1989 -- doesn't have it. For me, the last panel is Angel asking whether they prevented the horrible future, and Professor X saying "time will tell". -- And now that I look at it closely, the legend "the end" is quite clearly <I>under</I> the page. But I never saw that before.<BR/><BR/>Damn. That's irritating as hell. A curse on incomplete reprints!<BR/><BR/>-- Ok, great analysis, I can't wait to see what others have to say.<BR/><BR/>SFStephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.com