Something New: Best of the Week (Spoilers)

Alrighty, I'm gonna try something new this month. I want to try to do moments of the week and I'm playing with two ideas: Each would involve moments of the week in three categories and 1 would be Marvel, DC, and Image since they are the only companies I have a comic for every week of the month. 2 would be Badass, Emotional, and Worst. Not sure which one to go with, but for this week, I'm going to do the 3 companies.

I'm also a week behind on comics, so... 

1.) Marvel: Fantastic Four #605 (J.Hickman & R.Garney)

I love Hickman's run on Fantastic Four from the early done-in-ones/twos that focused on the Fantastic Family to the massive sprawling epic it became leading up top it's conclusion last issue in Fantastic Four #604 and FF#16. Hickman has gone on record to say that he's just enjoying his run at this point and is only worried about telling smaller stories focusing back on the Fantastic Family.

Fantastic Four #605 features Reed and Nathaniel Richards traveling through time to view the legacy Reed would leave on the world now that he survives. Along the way, we discover that Ben, thanks to the formula the Future Foundation gave him, only ages once a year when he becomes human for a week. This intially is used to show how awesome Ben would look with a stalactite beard, but as the issue goes on... It takes a turn for the tragic as Ben slowly starts to lose his mind and spends his team with... the original FF. It concludes with a touching moment between Franklin and Uncle Ben.

 As touching as that moment is, it's how Reed reacts to it upon returning to the present time that brought a tear to my eye and a grin to my face.

2.) DC: Red Hood & The Outlaws #8 (S.Lobdell & K.Rocafort)

So when I read Nightwing #8 this week, the ending brought me to the point where I wanted the next issue in my hands immediately. So reluctantly, I opened Batman #8 and was blown away with Snyder's setup for the Court of Owls crossover about to happen. So to my surprise, I was not expecting Red Hood to do anything special and it didn't... Right until that last moment.

As see in Batman #8, Alfred puts out the call to all Bat-Allies to help save important Owl targets and Red Robin (Tim Drake) realizes Red Hood (Jason Todd) has gotten the call too and asks him to help out. If you're wondering what the bond between these two brothers are, Lobdell offers us a look at the relationship between Tim and Jason via flashback.

This feels like the first look of Pre-Reboot Tim Drake we've seen in the New 52 and this is an incredibly touching moment from Lobdell, who I pretty much hate this point for his lobotomizing of the Tim Drake character. Bring this character into your Teen Titans please, I want more of this Drake. By the way, if you're wondering who the Outlaws are saving next issue:

 3.) Image: Saga #2 (BK. Vaughn & F.Staples):

This one makes it in here because of how truly disturbed it left me. It starts with a bit of set-up between a conversation amongst a bounty hunter and his agent, where they discuss THE STALK.

When we meet up with our protagonists, they are basically up shit creek without a paddle and it only makes matters worse once we discover who exactly THE STALK is. 

I fucking hate spiders. I flew through this issue trying to read only the dialogue and not look at the imagery too hard, which is a shame, because Staples kills it on this series. Seriously, hate spiders that much.

A Mixed Marvel Arts Tie-In: My love for Spectacular Spider-Man

This essay is a companion piece to the Mixed Marvel Arts Podcast, Episode #7: The Spodcastular Spider-Man. While it's not essential listening, I do touch on some things I briefly mention here with more detail and discuss some things I mention on the show in passing in great detail here. You can find the podcast here

It was March 8^th, 2008 when Greg Weisman and Victor Cook’s version of Spider-Man was unveiled to the world in the form of an animated children’s cartoon called “The Spectacular Spider-Man”. The show was a massive critical and commercial success for the CW and Sony, who held the rights until September 1^st, 2009. Although named after the long running comic book series started in the seventies, it drew in elements from the entirety of Spider-Man’s nearly fifty years of creation, such as the recent movies and Ultimate line of comics. Spectacular Spider-Man was a success in every sense of the word, so here’s a look at the first and sadly penultimate season of the series.

“Fighting Crimes, swinging webs, swinging from the highest ledge, he can leap above our heads.”

                Let’s start the analysis with the opening credits, infused with Tender Box’s tribute to the beloved web-head that you’ll be humming for days. Rather than be a techno one-phrase repeating guitar wail (I’m looking at you TAS), it’s a simple pop-rock song not trying to be anything more than catchy and spectacular. The credits offer a nice homage to Spider-Man’s first appearance, a nice shout to Weisman and Cook, and a nice rotation of supporting cast from Jolly Jonah to Eugene Thompson. It’s not overly done and it’s not a seizure inducing visual rave (one more directed at you 90s). It’s a fluid moving look at Spider-Man, his friends, and season one’s rogue gallery with that damn song that’s so catchy.

“I am the Spectacular Spider-Man!” 

                This will always be an argument amongst Spider-Man fans, that each generation will come to feel differently about, but let’s lay down some support for the fact Josh Keaton is the definitive voice for Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-Man. Keaton nails the delivery of the web-head’s jokes and cocky arrogance, while bringing a subtler strength to Peter through his compassion, which comes out in the performance Keaton gives. His Peter can sound amazed, intellectual and foolish while his Spider-Man vocalizes a presence that has power and wit. If you don’t agree with Keaton for Spider-Man, let’s look at his competition. Both live action actors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, have what seem like good handles on the character of Peter Parker, but need to work on their Spider-Man. Don’t even give a serious thought to the slew of horrible to mediocre video game actors over the years. So we’re left with the voice actors from the different animated forays of Spider-Man. With Drake Bell (Ultimate Spider-Man) it’s still too early to tell, Neil Patrick Harris (The New Animated Series) was good not great, Rino Romano (Unlimited) falls in that video game category, Dan Gilvezan (Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends) never sounded like Pete at all, and Paul Soles (Spider-Man) doesn’t hold up well. Keaton’s biggest competition is Christopher Daniel Barnes (Spider-Man: The Animated Series), whose best known for his dramatic, “MARY JANE!!!” Huge challenge to the throne there, I think Keaton has got this title easily and people seem to know it. Keaton has voiced Spider-Man in nearly all the recent Spider-Man games; Ultimate Spider-Man in Shattered Dimensions, an older Peter Parker in Web of Time, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and even Marvel Superhero Squad.

“If I wanted all the glory, I wouldn’t wear a mask.” 

                If we’re on the topic of Peter Parker, it’s hard not to mention the ol’ Parker luck. To me, it’s what makes the show such a success, that we follow Peter Parker as he learns the responsibilities of being Spider-Man. The show puts you on a very intimate level with Peter that makes his mistakes powerful, as he struggles to do the right thing as Spider-Man, even if it is at the cost of being Peter Parker. Peter never backs down from his burden and as a result, it’s incredibly gratifying when things work out for him on either side of his dual life and it’s a spectacular feeling when things work out for him on both fronts. This show is based around the theme of ‘The Education of Peter Parker’ and it fares incredibly well, despite the old Parker Luck trying to derail it. 

“How about scram? Or two words, scram kid. Or seventeen? Get out of my office in two point three seconds or I'll staple you to a flag pole?"

                Of course Peter isn’t alone in this world Weisman and Cook oversaw for him. Weisman has stated one of the greatest advantages of the show was the vast selection of supporting cast they had to choose from over forty years of Spider-Man media. While the fundamental goal was to update the early cast to a more contemporary 2008 setting, he was not afraid to “borrow” from other sources. The show has cast members like Betty Brant who was in the original Spider-Man cartoon, but also features the debut of several characters like Kenny ‘Kong’ McFarlane from Ultimate Spider-Man, Jean DeWolff and Stan Carter in a rather twisted way, and even the Osborn’s butler Bernard from the Sam Raimi films. The support cast feels well fleshed out, even the most one-dimensional of them, thanks to pitch perfect voice actors and a few lines of dialogue that stay true to the character. And at the same time, the show offers some great character quirks to memorable characters like Flash Thompson’s laugh and Jonah’s obsession with numbers.

The show also isn’t afraid to take liberties with characters, sparking some controversy over the changing of ethnicities of characters like Liz Allen and Ned Leeds to Hispanic and Asian respectively, a Weisman trope that shows in more of his work outside of Spectacular Spider-Man. However can you honestly get mad at a man for trying to bring more ethnicity to comic book media, changing very little else about the character to do so? More jarring is the change of Gwen Stacy from the ever popular college girl to the brainy nerd-herd high schooler. When it comes down to it, Gwen more resembles Deb Whitman, who would appear in season two as a different ethnicity herself. This doesn’t hurt the character though, for Weisman creates a more empowered love interest in Gwen here, than she would become in the comics. 

"Nah sorry. I make it a rule not to partner with anyone green, or shall we say psychotic.”

                If you can applaud Sam Raimi on one thing, it’s that the man gave us fantastic portrayals from Spider-Man’s rogue gallery; Spectacular Spider-Man tops those. We’ve got the typical animal themed big bads like Doctor Octopus and Rhino (whose nearly double the height of Peter), but the show takes lesser known characters like Tombstone and Montana, ascending them up the rogue gallery. Venom and Green Goblin also show up to mess with Peter throughout the season, with the men behind the masks having close personal ties to Peter. Weisman works hard to connect the villains in believable ways, like having Sandman and Rhino being partners in crime before their transformations, but it’s the different motivations for each character that makes them matter. Whether it’s Montana’s sense of honor, Sandman’s want of his ‘big score’ or Vulture’s vendetta against Norman Osborn, each character acts in a different matter to get his agenda done and squash the bug. And to that end, the show holds no bars on beating the crap out of Spider-Man. The award for most damage done goes to Venom, clearly no love lost amongst bros.

For season one, the most interesting villain has to go to the Shocker/Montana mash up, though the Green Goblin mystery almost beat it out. Weisman got some flack for meshing the two characters together, but Weisman felt Shocker was always more about the suit than Herman Shultz and wanted to put a more interesting persona behind the suit, while serving the series main theme once more. Peter’s constantly learning while fighting his villains as Spider-Man, but Shocker is the one who teaches him something on the Parker front; a man has to honor his responsibilities and Peter realizes he has to look out for May as much as she does for him. 

“I am not going to let you wish away your brain.” 

                A lot of credit has been thrown at Weisman and Cook for Spectacular, but the animation and character design credit also goes to Sean ‘Cheeks’ Galloway (Hellboy Animated). He took artistic ques from artists like the Romitas and Jack Kirby, but the design of Spectacular Spider-Man’s inhabitants was created by him. The world of Spectacular Spider-Man has a very simplistic design, with a lot of circles and simple shapes, that allows them to create a fluid moving world which Weisman explained was designed to capture the fluidity of the Raimi movies. And man does that style of animation pay off when Spider-Man gets in a fight, particularly when he’s web-swinging and performing aerial techniques in battle. The art isn’t too simple that it hurts when things are calm on-screen, but the art department definitely put a lot of faith that the script could pull its weight when it needed to.

                And man does that faith pay off. The show is at its most spectacular on its writing foundation, where the scripting, story ideas, dialogue, and character development teams are all on fire. Weisman led this department and if you’ve followed Weisman on anything, particularly Gargoyles, you knew this show was in good hands. He and his team write with a clear passion of not only the characters, but the media they work in. They know how to create tension before a commercial break and weave a great continuity in episodic, seasonal, and serial fashion. A complaint some have against the show is that it’s too witty, having every character compete for the best line, but that’s not true at all. Several of the cast members fall in the teenage/young adult age group, where the desire to be witty is very overwhelming at times, but the show is full of empowering characters and emotional quotes too. The writers knew when to buck down and get serious, but they write largely in a fun manner that reminds us that our super heroics, especially with superpowers, don’t need to be taken too serious, especially not in the case of Spider-Man. Plus, it still is a kid show and it never talks down to its young audience or tries to overcomplicate things, finding that smooth balance in between. 

“You heard the one about great power coming with great responsibility?” 

                So to sum things up, ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ is one of the best representations of Peter Park and his alter ego you’ll ever find. It’s very much a coming-of-age story, just with superpowers and following one of the greatest fictional characters of all time at the age where he has his most story telling potential. It also provides a rich world full of continuity and great characters, with a truly spectacular lead. This version of Peter Parker should be a role model for kids, he’s constantly learning but has a truly moral compassion that always point true. He’s a brilliant young man that is relatable and despite his very human flaws, the Spectacular Spider-Man is a true inspirational force and my thanks goes out to everyone who brought this show and this version of the character to life. 

You can find the theme song here:

You can find some great Spectacular Spider-Man lines here:

For the Love of a Horror Fan: RE6 Day (Until November 20th, 2012 that is)

Article #3 was originally going to be a Scott Snyder article, but then Capcom felt the need to make January 19th, 2012 into Resident Evil 6 day (beating out Archer returns day) by releasing a press release, a release date (It's this year people!), pre-order details, playable characters list, and an incredibly bad ass trailer, seen above. 

 Press Release:

It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity. Due to be by the President's side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision. At the same time, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield arrives in China, itself under threat of a bioterrorist attack.  With no country safe from these attacks and the ensuing outbreaks, the entire world's population is united by a common fear that there is no hope left.

Capcom talked to IGN today as well, stating that there will be three separate story lines that will begin to merge together near the end of the game, with Ada Wong's being unlocked after completion of the story. There will be both co-op and single player modes, much like Resident Evil 5. Also the pre-order exclusives have been revealed as different maps from different gaming stores, that will serve multiple purposes, and while I'm not sure what that means, I have my fingers crossed for something cool to come of these pre-orders.

Pros: 

I think the first thing to note here is the return of fan favorite characters... Motherfucking Zombies! Yes, there is a variation of Las Plagas in some scenes, but there are several scenes with what looks like zombies, especially in the Leon sections. 

I guess the return of Leon and Chris Redfield can be classified as a pro, but Capcom seemed to be really covering their ass with this game. The fandom is almost evenly split over Chris and Leon being the preferred male character in the Resident Evil series. Ada Wong and Ingrid Hunnigan from Resident Evil 4 are also confirmed, with Ingrid appearing in the trailer and Capcom confirming Ada will be playable. And while we don't know to what extent yet she will be appearing, Ashley Graham's voice actor is part of the cast for Resident Evil 6.


Resident Evil 6 seems to be taking a page from Left 4 Dead, bringing in both Tank and Boomer like creatures for new BOWs (Bio-Organic-Weapon) and honestly, they've been accepted as suitable zombie replacements in another series, so for Resident Evil to take those designs and implement them is something I'm totally cool with, if it means we get more old school Resident Evil vibes from this game. Also, interesting thing to note is the return and the upgrade of the Bandersnatch from Resident Evil Code Veronica, which plays into one of the rumors going around. Also, we see a multi-eyed transformation going on and the main logo for Resident Evil 6 is a spider web based image, so are Spiders making their creepy ass return to Resident Evil? 

Melee is getting some serious loving in this trailer as well, with Leon fighting zombies on the ground, busting out the classic roundhouse kick, introducing a new evade roll/slide, spin and shoot technique that I'm excited to abuse come November, and this new character seems to be more melee than bullets, implying some sort of super-soldier-Esq abilities. 

Cons:

I hate Spiders... No seriously, I really fucking hate spiders. 

I got nothing to hate at this point, they seem to be trying harder than ever to blend both the horror and the multiplayer action aspects of Resident Evil and I hope to all that is holy, that this works out amazingly well for Capcom. 


Rumors: 

Our Big Bad- Jill Valentine: This one is something I could totally get behind, since the character of Jill was pretty much made useless after Resident Evil 5 (If Capcom had had the balls to keep her dead, they could of immortalized her, but what they ended up doing fucked the character over badly). 

Evidence for this: The scene between Chris Redfield and Jeremy Renner (No seriously, look at the character and tell me you don't see Jeremy Renner in him). The way the trailer set it up, it looked like Chris was angry at the woman with Leon and had a personal vendetta against her, but the press release sates Leon is in America, while Chris is in China. So who could Chris possibly have a personal vendetta against, now that Wesker is dead? Maybe Ada, but in his opening shot, he says he has to take responsibility for what has happened to the world and if Jill became the new Wesker, I could see how he got that mindset. Plus, why the hell is Renner with Chris and not Jill? Eh? Eh?

Steve Burnside and the Code Veronica Effect: Since Resident Evil 2, each game has invested more mythos and development into each iteration of the T-virus, with Resident Evil 5 tackling the Progenitor Virus from Resident Evil 0 most recently. So why not bring back the T-Veronica virus to the fore-front, since we know the Bandersnatch will be making a return with this game. And if the game is Code Veronica based, then now would be the perfect time to bring back Steve Burnside, a character that was close to Claire Redfield and infected with the T-Veronica, before dying. However, after death it is implied that Wesker brought him back to life to investigate the T-Veronica virus, since Steve was the last T-V host left. 
But what if we've already seen Steve? 

Evidence for this: Steve Burnside could be the cocky, yet to be named Third playable character. It's implied this character has above human level abilities and his blood is the key to something important. Rumor has it, this guy is selling his blood as a weapon (Thus the BOWs are extra line in the trailer), though it could be he is using his blood as a cure maybe, against the T-V virus. Either way, there is a good chance he could be this unnamed character, especially since Chris seems to be on his trail, (Chris has a scene in the winter village that most of new guy's scenes are in) and Claire is Chris' sister. 

Ashley Graham's role: One of the more generally accepted, but I don't see it theory is that Ashley Graham is working alongside the unnamed third character. While the voice does sound somewhat similar and the character has blonde hair, I'm not willing to put any money down on this yet. It's not been that long a time span since Resident Evil 4, so the odds of Ms. Graham becoming a highly trained agent in this time span is slim. Though if she did, that's kinda cute considering her crush on Leon.

Evidence supporting this: However, with her voice actor confirmed and her dad showing up in Leon's storyline, the odds of Ms. Graham sitting this one out is unlikely. 

Personal Hopes for Resident Evil 6: I'm not one of those bitter old Resident Evil fans that bitch that horror is dead these days. It's not, it's just struggling to find legitimate roots in modern gaming and it looks like Capcom is trying to address this, probably in light of Dead Space coming in and stealing their customers. I will take an action orientated game, if the horror atmosphere and the scares are present. Resident Evil 5 beat the series with a sledgehammer for me personally, it tried to take itself far too seriously and I really hope Capcom tries to reign it back a bit here or give us a much better script. Don't be afraid to take risks,  kill off a main character (Chris' story came to an end with Wesker's death, cough cough hint hint) and make these new characters interesting enough to continue the franchise on in the absence of our original heroes. I just want to have a blast playing this, if you can add in the thrill of being scared and allow me to be scared even with others, then you've won me back over to the Resident Evil series Capcom. Please, let this be great. 

For the Love of a Horror Fan: Dead Space 2, GotY

Little Known Fact: Marvel writer Rick Remender, writer of this year's critically and fan loved Dark Angel Saga, penned out the script for Dead Space 1.Why they didn't get him to pen one of the comics is beyond me though.


"We're all going to burn for what we did to you Issac."


When Dead Space #1 came out, it was going up against the legacies of horror game icon series like Silent Hill, who would be releasing their 6th title Homecoming, and Resident Evil, who would be creating massive hype for the much anticipated Resident Evil #5, after the success of multiple award winning Resident Evil 4. It was drawing attention for it's strategic dismemberment plan, getting rid of the much beloved head shot in favor of removing limbs to hinder the enemies and eventually kill them off. Regardless of that, very few people could predict that the game would reach the amount of critical success it did. It's spawned two animated films, two comic series, a novel, a prequel, a DLC game, and a sequel in a mere three years. It brought a much needed return to horror to a genre that was moving ever closer to action-adventure and created a mythos much more refined than that of something like Resident Evil, that worked for a much more B-film horror vibe.

"Issac...please... Make us whole."

Dead Space #1 is my favorite game of all time, knocking out the likes of Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil 3. It brought Survival Horror to the current generation with a cast and story that was simple and yet exciting. Your main character, Issac Clarke was not some military trained super soldier, but an engineer taking hordes of reanimated bodies (known as Necromorphs) making his weapons out of futuristic mining equipment. His motives were simple with an emotional core and although he was a bit bland of a character, his supporting cast brought a little of intrigue and tension to the game's story. Plus, even after several games, Resident Evil would not touch little kids and babies, but Dead Space 1? Had you soccer kicking a baby across the room. The thrill of taking each turn of confined hallways as wide as possible, with guns drawn in case something was waiting around the bend to kill you, who doesn't want that? ... Most people, you say? Well, I live for those thrills.  

"Stick around, I'm full of bad ideas."


When Dead Space #2 released, I was anxious as the majority of the gaming world (seriously, this thing was huge by release and after the cliffhanger of the first game, why wouldn't it be) and also worried that Dead Space 2 would forget it's horror roots. To an extent I was right, the thrill of playing Dead Space 1 is not as present in Dead Space 2. But you trade in the tense corridors of the Ishimura for an amazing story of a man falling apart at the mental seams, while struggling to survive a disaster much grander than that of the first Dead Space. From the confines of the USG Imshmura, you awaken three years later on the Sprawl, a space colony built on one of the moons of Saturn. You have no recollection of the past three years and things have gone from disaster to FUBAR on the Sprawl, as you struggle to survive. 

"So I can let you go too? I can't... I never wanted to let you go."

The polish on the control you have of Issac Clarke is remarkable and this time around you feel like you're playing as a man who has survived the Necromorph plague before and is a force to be reckoned with. This hurts the horror vibe, but I rarely have a better time playing a game than when I'm behind Issac Clarke's Plasma Cutter or bashing my way through whatever the Sprawl can throw at me. Everything introduced in Dead Space 1 is improved in fantastic manner, with a game that does everything to make you immersed in the game, from integrating your inventories and upgrading systems into real time or giving you more control in the Zero-G sections (sadly no Zero-G spots this time around).  The melee executions are still fantastic as before, a personal favorite of mine being the soccer kick baby execution. A little tidbit for those reading this, the man killed in the elevator sequence won a contest and got his likeness and his execution put into Dead Space 2 (how you dispatch the


"I know you have to dismember them. I've had lots of practice."

Of course, when you look to horror in this game, it's not the defining quality it was in the first. Most of the scares presented in this game are predictable and the open spaces given in this game make maneuvering around enemies much easier than in the previous game, although the inclusion of the Stalkers makes traveling in open spaces a bit more terrifying. The new guns make Issac a much stronger character and ammo is very rarely as sparse as it is in Dead Space 1, especially moving into the final chapters. Still, the atmosphere of Dead Space sends chills down your spine, as you make your way through the outbreak incident this time around, rather than coming in after liek the first game. There are some truly disturbing things in this game (like the cries of a baby coming from a dryer) but none are quite as disturbing as the fictional religion Unitology. Discussed in passing in the first game, Unitology is a religion that worships the Marker, the artifact that is causing the Necromorph infestation and believe that this massacre is the ascension that the scripture promises. The influence Uniotlogy and the Marker have on Issac's world is chilling, as he discovers just how insane this Marker makes people, whether they've come into contact with it or not. And let's not forget to mention just how damn insanely creepy the atmosphere is once you reenter the Ishimura.

"FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR DAMN MARKER."


What makes Dead Space 2 my game of the year is the evolution of Issac Clarke and his personal story. Once a silent laborer, Issac is given a voice and a personality this game, which help to create this every day man turned survivor persona for Mr. Clarke, full of cocky arrogance and compassion. Of course the most interesting aspect of Issac Clarke is the special form of Dementia Issac received from physical contact with the Marker, personified in the form of Issac's dead girlfriend Nicole, who spends the game pushing Issac to remember his past while trying to kill him. The emotional twists and turns Issac takes in his quest made me fall in love with this character and without spoiling things, there are two key scenes with Nicole that will break your heart and infuriate you with the passion needed to play Issac through his final fights in the game.


"You bitch, I trusted you!"


Dead Space 2 is a rare exception where the tale of a character is so powerful I can forgive a horror game for leaning a bit to far to the action side. Fantastic set pieces, new interesting supporting cast, and a horrific atmosphere all combine for a rare experience in gaming, that most games can't match. I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to any game more than Dead Space 3, I have no larger investment in a game character than Issac Clarke thanks to this game. Now we wait for Dead Space 3 to make us whole, Altman be praised. 

For the Love of a Horror Fan: Carnage USA #2

Article #1: If you ask me where my love for genre lies, it will fall into the category of horror. I love a good horror film, ones that use suspense and tension to scare you, rather than cheap jump scares and gore. I love the tropes, the silliness of B-Movie horror flicks, and the iconic horror villains. Comics are a medium than can work well for horror villains, mixing the best of modern and classic horror. Comics can deliver visual scenes that most movies can't match and they allow you a better insight into the minds of the villains and the protagonists. Hell, even the right choice of letters for a villain's speech bubbles, can add a chilling effect to the comic. A great example is the portrayal of The Joker in Scott Snyder, Jock, and Francesco Francavilla's Detective Comics run, now available in The Black Mirror hardcover.

Zeb Wells is a writer I admire, because he always seems to be trying to do new things with comic book villains. While his Amazing Spider-Man arc SHED, featuring the Lizard, was a prime example of how this could go wrong, Wells has hit solid gold with Carnage USA. In the five issue Carnage USA mini, Cletus Kassidy, the man in possession of the symbiote Carnage, has used his symbiotic powers to take control of a small American town, turning it's inhabitants into symbiotic, mindless slaves. Sent in to stop him is the Avengers team consisting of The Thing, Wolverine, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Spider-Man. By the end of the first issue, all but Spider-Man have been turned into Carnage's symbiotic slaves and Spider-Man is left to fight on his own.


Issue two switches up the almost singular viewpoint of the last issue, allowing us to be introduced to several new players on the board, almost all of which end up portraying some classic horror trope at one point or another. Rather than look at them as the rather shallow characters they are come off as in this issue, I will look at them as the horror tropes they represent, which I hope was Zeb Well's intention.

Our Hero & His Group: Spider-Man is still very much the hero of this story, but it's the rag-tag group of normal survivors who kick ass here, saving Spider-Man as the symbiotic Avengers nearly kill him. These survivors take Spider-Man in, believing him to be the first of the support that will come to save them. Spider-Man is not his usual quippy self this issue, most of his jokes coming off as forced, because of the fact he has to deal with the fact he's been dealt the "Comes Great Responsibility" card and the fact these people look up to him and he knows he can't rescue them.
As for the rag-tag survivors, most of them are sideline characters with only a few lines, but their isolated hideout does set up some very interesting places to take this stories, like the fact their is animals running around (yeah, I bet that's going nowhere... who'd want to see symbiotic lions, giraffes, and howler monkeys?) A barrier separating the humans from the others is a classic horror trope, right down to the dwindling supplies and power source and I'm anxious to see things go topsy-turvey when that barrier falls.

The Survivor: Scorn. The one who survived the first incident, the survivor is often considered the hero or the specialist in these types of stories, but Scorn seems to be neither, playing a surprisingly small role so far. Dr. Tanis Nieves was a psychologist assigned to Shriek, who lost her arm and played a part in freeing Carnage from his containment and in the process, began to bond to him. This resulted in her getting her own symbiote and she helped Spider-Man and Iron man stop Carnage at one point. However, her symbiote is special, as it was bonded to her by a biological metallic alloy and thus has the ability to bond with all forms of technology. In this series, she's portrayed as the strong silent anti-heroine, who watches and reacts with a bitter desire; to kill Cletus Kassidy.


The Specialists: Of course, every horrific situation that usually gets out of hand does what many consider to be the sequel plan: Send in the specialists. A group of highly trained, eerily similar personality wise fighters. Seeing as how this is part two of Well's Carnage story, it makes sense to take this route. This issue we are introduced to a group of four Special Ops soldiers, each gifted with a symbiotic power. One is given control of a symbiotic animal named Lasher, one a symbiotic head to produce precision aiming from over a mile and half away, one a symbiotic arm that can absorb the weight of a rail gun and a massive amount of ammunition to no effect on the wearing, and the last a chameleon like symbiotic skin to make him turn invisible. Their near identical personalities and cheesy one liners make them typical horror soldiers, sent as the support for Scorn. An interesting tidbit is they were commissioned after Venom went AWOL in his solo title, made from the remains of Hybrid and placed in the hands of those more loyal than average soldiers like Flash Thompson.

The Family: A classic horror trope, the villains believes himself to bring unity to those around him, taking on a father like role amongst those he has corrupted. For this story, Cletus Kassidy decides to leave the family members of one of the survivors human, until they ask him for symbiotic accession. Of course, that's not a happy story in the symbiotic town, for Cletus has split the family of three apart.  He takes it upon himself to look after the baby, and he has Doppleganger follow a seven year old kid Cole around, until their mother breaks down and asks for Cletus Kassidy to make them part of the symbiotic 'family'. Of course, Cletus has a price for this; the three family members have to hunt down their father and kill him, so they can prove their loyalty to the family.
 
The Fighter: At the conclusion of the fight between the symbiotic Avengers and Spider-Man, a massive explosion frees Ben Grimm from Carnage's conclusion, to throw in a witty line and then try to fight the symbiote off as it retakes him. There are several examples of characters fighting to overcome an infection in horror and while most fail, there are the ones who succeed. I feel like this is a set-up for later on, when someone does break free of the symbiotic control; I'm betting Spider-Man, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Scorn or Cole, just because Spider-Man has done this before.


I think it goes without saying at this point, I absolutely loved this issue. The horror film vibes bouncing off the pages thanks to Clayton Crain's fantastic and disturbing imagery and Zeb Well's B-movie script. Very few comics make me love the medium quite as much as this one did and I can't recommend this mini enough to people, whether you're looking for a good Spider-Man story or a great horror tale. This gets a perfect 10/10 rating from me, I hope others love it as much as I do.

X-men #1

In light of the DC new 52, I've been playing around with relaunches of Marvel titles, and in the months since then, I've only actively been writing the X-men ones. My idea for a relaunch of the X-men titles would involve two books, one starring the more popular X-men from the films and tv shows, simply called X-men, that would work at making the characters more like their media counterparts. The second would be X-men classic, a story that would focus on Charles Xavier, Magneto, and the First Class.


X-Men (Relaunch)
Issue 1: Invitation


Introduction Page:
 The X-Men have been gone for nearly a year, following the death of Professor Charles Xavier and Jean Grey. A few of the older X-Men tried to maintain the school in his absence, but without the guidance of Xavier’s chosen successor Scott Summers, the school shut down and the mutants disbanded, scattering across different parts of the world. Recently the death of Kurt Wagner brought the Wolverine out of the wilderness and he’s decided the world needs the X-MEN.



Page One:
Caption Box: Throne Room of Wakanda, home of Ororo T’Challa, X-Men Moniker, Storm. Age: 34
James “Logan” Howlett, X-Men Moniker Wolverine, is looking around in the throne room of Wakanda, while Ororo watches him. While Ororo is dressed as royalty, Logan is wearing his iconic white muscle shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.
                Ororo: “Have you talked about these plans to anyone else?”
                Logan: “Came to you first darling. If I’m going to reopen the school, I’m going to need your help.”
                Ororo: “Why now Logan? They’ve been gone for nearly a year, why do you suddenly feel the need to reopen the school now?”
Logan looks to Ororo solemnly and stands still in front of the throne where she sits.
                Logan: “The world needs the X-Men and mutants need a place where they can belong and not be judged. We let that dream die along with the Professor and Jean.”
                Ororo: “Logan, I’m not a fool. The school would be critically scrutinized the moment we re-opened it. And I know you know this, this will be a target for all who hate mutants. What is the real reason you’re willing to give up this lone wolf act of yours?”
                 Logan: “You hear about Kurt*?”
*Kurt Wagner, X-Men Moniker, Nightcrawler.

Page Two:
Ororo looks away from Logan and a tear rolls down her cheek.
                Ororo: “Yes. I’m sorry Logan, I knew you two were close…”
                Logan: “If the X-Men had still been around, we could have saved Kurt. Nobody else should have to suffer his fate.”
Logan and Ororo lock eyes as Ororo rises from her throne, removing her cloak.
                Logan: “Can I count you in?”
                Ororo: “I think Wakanda could survive without their queen for the time being. Plus, it’s about time I brought my husband home from playing hero in America, don’t you think*?”
*Storm is married to T’Challa, the vigilante known as Black Panther
                Logan: “There’s one other thing you should know about. I’ve taken a girl under my protection…”
Ororo laughs as she approaches Logan.
                Ororo: “You and your girls Logan.”
                Logan: “What does that mean?”
                Ororo: “Well there’s the time you and Kitty fought off those ninjas. And then the time Jubilee brought you back to humanity when no one else could. And then there was that time you and Rogue…”
                Logan: “This is different…”
                Ororo: “How so Logan?”
Logan looks away from Ororo’s inquisitive stare.
                Logan: “She’s… my clone.”

Page Three:
Caption Box:  Robert Drake’s pad, Queens, X-Men Moniker Iceman. Age: 28
Logan is sitting at a table, while Bobby offers him a beer, a steam of frost coming off the top. All around them is a mess and there is Daily Bugle newspapers sprawled out on the table.
                  Logan: “Can’t say I’m surprised to see you living in the city amongst the superheroes. How’s life?”
                  Bobby: “It’s going. I tried getting into the Avengers, each team in fact. You use to make it seem so easy handling multiple teams, but I guess I wasn’t popular enough for Avengers Inc.”
                  Logan: “I may have played my hand in that. Had a little chat with Rogers about mutant candidates for his Avengers teams.*”
*See Avengers #1
Bobby takes a sit across the small table from Logan, while Logan takes a sip of his beer.
                  Bobby: “So it’s true then? You’re starting the X-Men again, aren’t you? I heard from Henry you had stopped by, but he wasn’t sharing specifics. And then I got the same call from Rogue, except she said you weren’t looking for a team. So I wasn’t sure if you were going to show up or not…”
                  Logan: “Bobby, you were one of Xavier’s first class. Do you think if I started up the X-Men again, you wouldn’t be contacted?”
                  Bobby: “So, what are we talking about here?”
Logan puts his beer down on the table and looks Bobby straight in the eye.
                  Logan: “I want you to lead the X-Men.”

Page Four:
Caption Box: The 52 Pickup, New Orleans. A Casino ran by Remy LeBeau, X-Men Moniker, Gambit. Age: 29.
We open up on a close up of a deck of cards, a conversation between Logan and Remy starting off panel.
                Remy: “It’s been a long time Mon Ami.”
                Logan: “You seem to be doing well for yourself, how’s business?”
                Remy: “It’s all business with you Logan. How about a game of cards?”
The camera pulls back to reveal Logan and Remy LeBeau, as Remy deals out cards. Remy is dressed in his traditional trench coat, with a purple dress shirt underneath. His hair is long and unkempt and he wears dark shades to hide his red pupils. Resting against his chair is a metallic bo-staff.
                Logan: “Got any guess why I’m here?”
                Remy: “A few.”
Remy deals Logan two cards and then deals two to himself.
                Logan: “Hit. I’m thinking of re opening the school Remy.”
Remy deals Logan another card and slides another to himself.
                Remy: “And how is that going for you?”
Logan gestures for another card.
                Logan: “I’ve nearly a full staff and I’ve got Warren helping to foot the bill. We’re going to start sending out invitations next week.”
Gambit draws another card and leans in close to Logan.
                Remy: “And what can I do for yea?”

Page Five:
Logan gestures for another card and discards two.
                Logan: “I want you to come with me to the school. I could use your help.”
                Remy: “I’m sure you could, but I’m not much of a mutant patriot anymore.”
Remy copies Logan once again, before leaning back in his chair.
                Logan: “How about teaching?”
Remy laughs and nearly falls back in his chair.
                Remy: “Have you lost your mind Mon Ami? I’m not teacher material.”
                Logan: “I don’t know. How about you take a gambit with me?”
Remy chuckles lightly and draws a card, realizing Logan isn’t going to draw another one.
                Remy: “And give up my position as a respectable casino owner? I think not.”
                Logan: “You’re a gambling man. If I win, how about you give it a shot?”
Remy gestures for Logan to lay down his cards instead of replying and Logan complies.
                Remy: “My my, that is a good hand. However, I do believe I can best it…”
Remy throws down his cards over top of Logan’s, however they are glowing purple with energy and explode, destroying Logan’s hand.
                Logan: “Pretending to be a respectful business man is not the life you’re looking for.”
                Remy: “Neither is the life of a teacher. I do believe we’re done here Logan.”
Remy rises from his seat, as does Logan.
                 Logan: “You can hide behind those shades all you want. We both know who you are and where you belong.”
                 Remy: “You said it yourself, I’m a gambling man. All I see if a bad bet in front of me, so unless you have anything else to offer…”
Logan turns away from Gambit and heads towards the door.
                Logan: “I forgot to mention. Rogue is going to be there.”

Page Six:
Caption Box: Secret Location, Russia. KGB Facility, prison to Piotr and Illyana Rasputin, X-Men Monikers Colossus and Magik. Age: 22 and 16.
The page opens with Logan, garbed in his X-Force uniform, slicing his way through a horde of armed KGB members. There are multiple bullet holes in his outfit and there is a trail of death and dismemberment behind him (may tone down, depending on rating). In front of him are several sets of stairs, leading to a command center in the base.

                KGB: “There is no stopping him!”*
                KGB: “Get heavy firepower!”*
                KGB: “Alert Omega Red!”*
*Translated from Russian.
Logan continues to slash his way through the guards, until one of them steps in front of him with a flamethrower and opens a stream of fire on him.
The camera changes angles from behind the flamethrower guy, as an arm of pure metal strikes through the flame to stab him in the chest. Logan emerges from the flames, flesh stripped down to his metallic frame in the front.
Logan continues to walk forward, his skin beginning to regenerate.

Page Seven:
A guy shots Logan with a rocket launcher from behind. The impact of the blast sends Logan smashing through a window in the command center.
Logan slowly gets up and from behind him we can see the metallic spine and strips of flesh hanging off it. From the front, glass is being pushed out of Logan’s body while his wounds heal. His uniform top is gone and his pants are in rags.
                Omega Red: “It’s been a long time Wolverine.”
Omega Red enters the panel, dressed in a red suit meant to provide warmth. He has long blonde hair, drawn back in a ponytail and crimson red eyes. However, from his arms protrude two retractable tentacles of metal.
Caption Box: Omega Red, Arkaday Rossovich, abilities: able to produce two retractable Adamantium tentacles from arms and has Wolverine level healing abilities.
Omega Red impales Logan through the chest with his tentacles and draws him in close.
              Omega Red: “Like the upgrade? No longer am I using a cheap knock off of that wonderful metal that runs through your body, but the real deal.”
Omega Red throws Logan back out the window and he tumbles down the stairs.

Page Eight:
Logan slowly gets up, as Omega Red begins to descend the stairs towards Logan.
                Logan: “You’re still but a carbon copy of the real deal Bub.”
Logan pops his claws out and lunges at Omega Red, impaling him in the chest with both claws and knocking him to the ground.
                Sound Effect: Snikt
Logan begins stabbing Omega Red repeatedly, until Omega Red knocks him flying with the tentacles. Logan hits the wall and launches himself off it, using his claws to slow his momentum.
                Omega Red: “I knew you’d come for your little friends eventually. Patience is a virtue comrade.”
Logan lunges at Omega Red again, knocking aside the tentacles and slashing down on Omega Red’s arms. Omega Red lashes out in pain and manages to impale Logan in each shoulder and lift him up in the air.
                 Omega Red: “I must say though, I am disappointed with this show. I figured you’d be smarter, but I guess you truly are just an animal.”
                 Logan: “Bub, you have no idea.”

Page Nine:
Two prison guards are talking, when suddenly a pair of two pronged claws pops out of each of their chests. As the fall to the floor, Laura Kinney walks over their dead bodies, her claws sliding back into her skin. She is wearing a female variant of Wolverine’s X-Force outfit and blends easily into shadows.
Moving amongst the shadows, she takes out several more guards, before coming to a stop in front of a large prison cell. She uses one of her claws to pick the lock and the door opens to reveal Piotr Rasputin, shirtless and towering over Laura; Laura is 5’4, Piotr is 6’7.

Page Ten:
Piotr takes notices of her claws and we see Illyana behind him, her blonde hair unkempt and dirty. She is wearing faded orange rags, while Piotr is dressed in pants of the same color.
                Piotr: “Do we know each other?”
                Laura: “No.”
                Illyana: “Who are you?”
                Laura: “No one. Logan sent me.”
Piotr and Illyana exit the cell and Laura points in the opposite direction of the way she came.
                Laura: “He’s this way.”
The next panel shows Logan standing over a defeated and unconscious Omega Red, his claws slowly retracting back into his skin.
                Logan: “You couldn’t have been five minutes faster?”
                Laura: “No.”
Piotr approaches Logan and towers over him as well; Logan is 5’3.
                Piotr: “It is good to see you my friend.”
                Logan: “Like wise. How long have you been here?”
                Illyana: “Over three months. Took your time coming to our rescue.”

Page Eleven:
Logan ignores Illyana and Laura and leads Piotr away from them.
                Logan: “I’m starting the X-Men again. Any chance you’d be interested?”
                Piotr: “Of course. We are not the only mutants who suffered captivity in the wake of Xavier’s death.”
Logan looks away from Piotr.
                Logan: “Kurt is dead and Magneto has gone off the grid.”
                Piotr: “I am… sorry. Kurt was the best of us.”
                Logan: “Aye.”
                Piotr: “As for Magneto, he will show again. He always does.”
                Logan: “I know. Still, it’s been nearly a year of silence. Something big is around the corner…”
                Piotr: “Then let us combat it with the return of the X-Men.”
                Logan: “And the return of the school. Storm’s agreed to help run it and Warren’s helping with the bill.”
Piotr looks back at Illyana and then gestures to her.
                Piotr: “If I come with you, so does she. I know she’s never been well accepted by the others, but she is family…”
Logan looks over to Laura and nods his head.
                Logan: “I understand. Consider it a done deal.”

Page Twelve:
Piotr and Logan rejoin Illyana and Laura.
                Piotr: “We’re going back to the school Illyana.”
                Illyana: “Do we have to?”
                Piotr: “Yes. United we are strong.”
Laura clears her throat at the mention of that and Piotr ignores her.
                Logan: “Illyana, we kind of had our transportation shot down on the way here. Any chance you can teleport us out of here?”
                Illyana: “Yeah, because if I could do that, I would of just sat here for three months.”
                Laura: “Then what good are you?”
Illyana stares down Laura, who looks at her without blinking and there is a slight hint of her claws sliding out. Logan and Piotr both tense up.
                Illyana: “I like her.”
Everyone relaxes and Logan sighs.
                Logan: “Everybody find something warm to wear. It’s a long way to town.”

Page Thirteen:
The page is split into three segments, each one centered around a girl discovering a letter at their home.
Caption Box: Illinois, Pryde residence, home of Katherine “Kitty” Pryde, X-Men Moniker Shadowcat, age 17.
Kitty is returning home from school, with her backpack slung lazily on her back, as she phases her hand through her mailbox and pulls out the mail. She’s flipping through it on the way inside and on the porch she discovers one from Xavier Institute and drops the other letters and her backpack.
Caption Box: China, residence of Hope Lee, Paternal Aunt of Jubilation Lee, X-Men Moniker Jubilee, and age 18.
Jubilee is in the living room with her aunt, hugging her, an open invitation to Charles Xavier’s Institute of Higher Learning open on the coffee table. However, her Aunt is looking at the note nervously.
Caption Box: Ireland, Cassidy residence, home of Sean Cassidy, X-men Moniker Banshee, Age 17.
The windows in the Cassidy residence shatter as Sean screams in joy after reading his invitation to Xavier’s.

Page Fourteen:
Caption Box: Lucky Strikes Hotel, San Francisco, current location of Scott Summers, X-men Moniker Cyclops, age 35.
Logan and Alex Summers, X-men Moniker Havoc (Age 27), are standing outside hotel room 616. Alex looks rather nervous and Logan proceeds to knock on the door. After no response for several panels, Logan stops knocking.
                Logan: “Open the damn door Scott!”
He is rewarded with silence and Logan sighs, before kicking open the door, claws drawn. Scott is lying on the bed, looking like a total mess. He has an unkempt beard, hair, and is wearing rags of his X-men uniform. His glasses are on the side table and he has eyes shut tight. Logan sniffs the air and retracts his claws.
                Scott: “Leave Logan.”
                Logan: “Get over yourself Summers. Jean’s death didn’t just affect you.”
                Scott: “No, apparently it gave you enough of a conscious to half heartedly try and resurrect the school in her honor, am I right?”
Logan walks over to the bedside table and throws Scott’s glasses on to his chest.
                Scott: “I’d rather keep them off, in case I need to blast you out of my room.”
                Logan: “Put your damn glasses on, it’s time for a talk.”
                Scott: “I don’t want to talk to you.”
                Logan: “I didn’t expect you to. Put your damn glasses on.”

Page Fifteen:
Logan walks past Alex out of the room, as Scott puts on his glasses. When he sees Alex there, he groans and Logan shuts the door.
                Scott: “What do you want Alex?”
                Alex: “What do I want? *nervous laugh* I want my brother back, is that too much to ask?”
                Scott: “I’m right here.”
                Alex: “No, you’re too busy mourning Jean to be right here. You put your sorrow before the good of mutants! You were supposed to run the school! We all knew Xavier was trying you to replace him.”
                Scott: “He planned for a lot of things. And then he died. Why would I want to follow the same path?”
                Alex: “Jesus… what is wrong with you?”
Scott gets out of bed and confronts Alex face to face.
                Scott: “I got a reality call. You however, are following a man with a history of abandonment issues in a blind attempt to relive some kind of glory days.”
Alex looks ready to attack Scott, his fists shaking.
                Scott: “And he does it all in the honor of my dead fiancée!”
Alex punches Scott in the jaw, knocking him to the floor.
                Alex: “Kurt is dead! Logan is doing this so no one else has to die like he did!”

Page Sixteen:
Logan is standing outside 616, sniffing the air. Suddenly he pops his claws in one hand and with the other grabs at an invisible form in the hallway.
                Logan: “You need to use less perfume darling.”
Logan presses his claws up to the neck of a now visible Emma Frost.
                Emma: “How did you know I was there?”
                Logan: “You can fool my mind, but next time, don’t forget about the other senses I have.”
                Emma: “Ah, the super smell.”
Logan lowers Emma to the ground and sheaths his claws.
                Logan: “What are you doing here?”
                Emma: “Can’t a girl check up on the mutant messiah?”
                Logan: “I’m going to assume you’re being sarcastic. Summers isn’t the man he use to be.”
                Emma: “He will be, in time. I’ve seen it.”

Page Seventeen:
Scott is rubbing his jaw, while Alex’s hands glow a bright red.
                Scott: “I didn’t know… I’m sorry.”
                Alex: “Save it. You know, I use to look up to you. The whole team did, the whole school did for crying out loud.”
               Scott: “You were wrong.”
               Alex: “I see that now. Goodbye Scott.”
Alex leaves the room and steps out to a hallway with just Logan in it.
                Logan: “How’d it g…”
                Alex: “Let’s go. There’s nothing here for us.”

Page Eighteen:
A group of X-men have assembled in the Danger Room. The group consists of Robert Drake (Iceman, Ice Manipulation), Alex Summers (Havoc, Energy Manipulation), Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Braddock (Psylocke, Telepathy/Telekinesis), Piotr Rasputin (Colossus, Metal Skin, Super Strength), Neena Thurman (Domino, Luck manipulation, Marksmanship) and Logan Howlett (Wolverine, Healing Factor, Adamantium Claws), and Warren Worthington (Angel, Flight). Each member is new suited in a darker variant of their original X-men suits, the color scheme now blacks and dark blues.
                Piotr: “The team is much smaller than I remember.”
                Logan: “This is our field team. I’m making teachers and the field force into two different divisions, so the kids will always have protection. And the team is actually smaller than this.”
Logan steps out in front of the team, Warren following by him.
                Logan: “Those of you standing beside each other, you are the X-men. You are going to be the very best of mutant kind and you will do what needs to be done to protect humanity and mutant alike.”
Logan gestured to Warren beside him.
                Logan: “You all know Warren here. He will be funding the X-men and will be our mission director. If he finds some trouble in the world, the X-Men will be called upon to handle it. Very rarely will Warren be in actual attendance on missions, but he will be your communication back to HQ.”

Page Nineteen:
The team is impassive upon the information and Logan gestures Bobby forth.
                Logan: “I will be leading the team, but the school comes first. I will not be present with you often in the field and in my place Robert will be your leader. He has been longer than anyone, including myself and I’ve trusted this man with my life time and time again.”
                Bobby: “I’m not good with speeches, so… I’ll do my best to be the best leader I can.”
Bobby returned to the others and Piotr clasped him on the shoulder in congratulations.
                Logan: “Now, it’s time to test your skills as a group. We’ll be running Danger Room Session 91, in which…”


Page Twenty:
Logan is relaxing in the command center above the Danger Room, after dismissing the team after their first team session. The door opens behind him and Neena walks in.
                Neena: “The kid’s not a bad leader, but you have much better potential in that group.”
Neena approaches Logan, who doesn’t get out of his chair.
                Logan: “You mean like yourself?”
                Neena: “Or Alex. Maybe leadership is infused in Summers blood, but he would do better than Drake. And maybe that telepath, if you could harden her into a tougher girl.”
                Logan: “They have names Neena.”
               Neena: “I hate when you use my name. I should never of told you.”
Neena sits down in Logan’s lap and wraps her arms around his neck.
                Logan: “Is Domino better darling?”
                Neena: “Much.”
Logan draws Neena into a kiss.


Page Twenty One:
It’s opening day for Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning. Kitty Pryde and Jubilee run into each other at the front door, while Laura and Illyana are lingering in the background, along with Sean Cassidy wandering around aimlessly.
                Kitty: “Jubilee, it’s been forever! How are things?”
               Jubilee: “I had to trade in an arm and a leg to let my aunt let me return, but I’m here, so things are looking up. Is it true… about Logan?”
                Kitty: “That he’s taking over? It sure looks that way.”
                Jubilee: “Didn’t see him greet us at the door…”
Jubilee and Kitty look at each other and laugh, as they continue into the building, running into Laura and Illyana.
                Jubilee: “Don’t look now…”
                Illyana: “Kitty, it’s… good to see you again.”
                Kitty: “Likewise Illyana. Is Piotr with you?”
Illyana smiles knowingly and nods.
               Illyana: “Piotr dragged me along after Logan tore apart half of Russia freeing us. How was your guy’s summer?”

Page Twenty Two:
Jubilee looks ready to attack Illyana, her fingers tingling with lights, but Kitty steps between them.
                Kitty: “I’m sorry to hear that. We were all hit pretty hard once the school shut down.”
                Laura: “Logan told me you were accepted into University a year early. He seemed pretty proud of it.”
                Illyana: “Yeah, you were hit pretty hard.”
Illyana takes Laura by the hand and leads her away from Jubilee and Kitty, who just kind of exchange looks.
                Jubilee: “And Piotr wonders why everyone hates her. Speaking of which, what’s going on between you tw…”
                Kitty: “Nothing.”
Sean Cassidy approaches them and looks down at the ground nervously.
                Sean: “I’m kind of… lost. Can you help?”
                Kitty: “Of course. Is that an accent I detect?”
                Sean: “Aye… Irish.”
                Kitty: “I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new?”
                Sean: “Yeah. Apparently the Wolverine knew my father.”
Kitty and Jubilee laugh and Sean looks up in confusion.
                Jubilee: “Nobody calls him the Wolverine these days. He prefers Logan, although I guess it’d be Professor Logan…”
                Kitty: “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when you call him that.”
                Jubilee: “I know, right?”
The two girls laugh and Sean chuckles along softly.
                Sean: “Do you guys know him well?”
The two girls look at each other and smile.
                Kitty: “You could say that. Now, where do you need to get to?”

Page Twenty Three:
Rogue approaches the girls and touches Kitty on the arm.
                Rogue: “Ro wants everyone to meet in the gym. It’s good to see you girls again. And a new face, I do believe?”
Sean nods and Jubilee notices Rogue isn’t wearing her gloves and nods towards her bare hands.
                Jubilee: “When did that happen?”
                Rogue: “The Professor helped me finally control mah powers before he passed. I guess you weren’t here then, were you?”
                Jubilee: “No, my aunt pulled me out after the Sabertooth thing.”
All three of the girls look bothered by the mention and Sean is still left in the dark.
                Rogue: “Well, I’m glad yea back. I assume you girls can lead our new student to the gym?”
                Kitty: “Of course. It’s good to be back Rogue.”
Rogue goes off to talk to other students, while Kitty, Sean, and Jubilee head towards the gym.

Page Twenty Four:
Ororo is looking over the crowds of students in the gym and along the walls to see the staff members and the X-Men, who are suited up to stand out among the crowd. One member in particular that is missing is Logan.
Ororo steps up to the podium and to a microphone, as she addresses the students.
                Ororo: “What Charles Xavier did for mutants, no one can even replace. Charles was a friend, a mentor, a leader, and was like a father to those he touched. But more importantly, he was the man who inspired a race. At every step mutant kind made, Xavier was there often to guide us and support us, but at other times to let us forge our own path and learn from our mistakes. Some of you will never know Charles Xavier, but he has affected each and every one of your lives for the better.”
There are tears forming in Ororo’s eyes as she continues her speech.
                 Ororo: “Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning once looked like it would end when Xavier passed, but it’s taken the unity of the best, the brightest, and the strongest of us to preserve and continue forward with Charles Xavier’s dream. I don’t just speak of the X-Men or the people who will teach you, but each and every one of us here.”
Ororo wipes the tears from her eyes in an attempt to look strong.
                 Ororo: “One man brought us together though and although he isn’t here, he’s out there, making sure each and every one of you are safe. And to that effect, the X-Men have returned.”
Bobby lead the team up to the podium and placed a hand on Ororo’s shoulder in support, before taking the mic.

Page Twenty Five:
Bobby looks out over the crowd and then back at his teammates.
              Bobby: “My name is Robert Drake, but most people call me Bobby or Iceman. Charles Xavier selected me alongside four others, including our own Hank McCoy and Warren Worthington, to be his first class of X-Men.”
Hank and Warren both give a little wave from where they stand.
              Bobby: “The world feared us, but our mission statement was to install trust in them and at every turn, we did our best to help humanity and mutants alike. Xavier believed in that we could exist together and that dream is far from dead. The world will be watching us now and we will be the very best that humanity and mutant kind will strive to be. And when you guys are old enough, we’ll gladly accept any of you who want to join.”
Bobby stepped down from the microphone and the crowd gave him a roar of applause, bringing a smile to his face, as Ororo returned to the microphone.
               Ororo: “I would also like to introduce your teachers. For Math and Sciences, we have Henry McCoy, although he prefers Hank.”
Henry lead the teachers up to the podium, as Ororo continued to announce them.
               Ororo: “Next, we have Anna Marie, although she prefers Rogue. She will be doing personalized power training sessions, to help each of you master your gift.”
Rogue gave a little wave to the crowd.
               Ororo: “Remy LeBeau will be your combat instructor, a man with a style so… sordid, few could teach you better.”
               Remy: “You flatter me Chère.”
               Ororo: “And I shall teach you English and other essentials. As for our absence headmaster, he will be teaching history, few men have seen more of it then him.”
The crowd applauds again, until Logan kicks open the door of gymnasium.

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As Logan heads towards the front of the room, a scrawny kid follows in behind him, stopping at the end of the rows of students and sitting down. This kid is David Haller Xavier, the son of Charles Xavier, who suffers from multiple personality disorder, each personality having a different mutant power. As he passes, Kitty gasps and several other students recognize him.
                Jubilee: “Who is that?”
                Kitty: “Xavier’s son. He’s the reason…”
Wolverine takes to the microphone and cuts Kitty off, before she can finish his sentence.
                Logan: “I’m sorry I’m late, we were down one quintessential student. And if anybody feels differently about his belonging here, then you clearly don’t understand Charles Xavier’s feelings towards mutants and this might not be the place for you.”
Silence falls upon everyone there and Logan looks over the crowd.
                Logan: “There are a few things that need addressing before term starts. The first is that the X-Men and the teaching faculty at this school are two separate entities. The teachers will always be here to protect you and trust me there will come a day when you are thankful for this. Upon graduation, you will be offered a place among either category, if you so desire.”
Nobody says anything.
                Logan: “Secondly, you guys comes first, above all other priorities. You are the next generation of mutants, who will take over once we’re gone. Chuck’s dream will be left in your hands one day and what you do with it is your own decision. However, at this time, all students are no longer active members of the X-Men.”

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This time, a stir of noise runs through the crowd, but it’s Kitty who stands up and addresses Logan.
               Kitty: “You can’t do this! Some of us have been members since before we were teenagers! Bobby was a member before he was a teen! This isn’t fair!”
Logan stares down Kitty.
               Logan: “Take a sit Ms. Pryde. The decision has been made and passed by all the teachers present. I cannot explain the decision Charles Xavier made, but he’s not here anymore and I’m doing my best to protect you.”
               Kitty: “You can’t do th…”
               Logan: “KITTY, SIT DOWN.”
The entire room falls silent, as Kitty sits down.
               Logan: “Lastly, not all of us made it to this point. Two days from now, a funeral will be held in honor of Kurt Wagner and all the other mutants who fell while we were off running away. You are dismissed.”

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Kitty is amongst the first to storm out of the room and soon the room is empty, save for the teachers and the X-Men.
                Bobby: “Well that went well…”
                Ororo: “She will forgive you Logan.”
Logan shrugs out of Ororo’s embrace of support and looks over the others.
                Logan: “Well this is it. All we can do now is hope Chuck will be proud and hope for the best. And… I’d like to thank you all for being here. This is where the world will be watching us and we’ll be here, watching out for them.”