Amazing X-Men #9 Review

I have to say Amazing X-Men is my fav of all the series I am reading, they had some great writers and artists. In the last issue, Wolverine just goes off to Canada to visit Vindicator. Wolverine finds out that James is missing, while searching for him Wolverine comes across Wendigos.

Amazing X-Men #10 Review

We are back for another exciting issue of the Amazing X-Men in Canada. Last issues more of Alpha Flight cam to join the X-Men while the Avengers are guarding the US/Canada border. Oh, Wolverine is a Wendigo now.

Amazing X-Men Review #8

Back for another exciting adventure with the X-Men since this is the first of five issues. I would recap last week’s issue but really it was a filler issue that probably has no bearing on the upcoming miniseries so I won’t even bother.

Amazing X-Men Review #7

We are just going to ignore how late this review is; in last issue, the X-Men celebrated the return of Nightcrawler. Mystique crashed the party to find out where Azazel was so she could kill him. Which lead to a crazy family meeting and Mystique offering Azazel a job.

REVIEW – X-Men: Days of Future Past

Oh, my Lord, this movie. I’m so happy.

 

Always with the yelling.

Let me tell you why.

(Obviously there are spoilers after the jump.)

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” Opening Clip

Anyone who watched the MTV Movie Awards last night got a first look at the opening battle clip from X-Men: Days of the Future Past.  If you did not see like myself because you were watching Game of Thrones, well we have the clip right here:

I like the clip, it gives you some insight into the powers of the new characters such as Blink, Bishop, and Sunspot.  You still get to see some returning characters such as Kitty Pryde and Iceman.  I have to say I like the clip, it really show how well the group works as a team.  I did love finally seeing Iceman use his ice gliding ability that he is known for.  I am not sure how I feel about the look of the sentinels, they almost look like aliens.  They look different from sentinels as I know them and also different from the sentinels that are first introduced in the movie.  I guess they are doing a Terminator where the machines are alway evolving and becoming more advanced.

X-Men: Days of Future Past will be in theaters on May 23rd.

X-Men: Days of Future Past Trailer #2

The second trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past has been released.

I have to say this trailer makes me excited for the movie.  I know there will be lore issues, but I am liking the dynamic between Professor X and Magneto.  I have always liked their bromance, so I am interested to see how it is portrayed in this movie.

What do you think of the new trailer?

Amazing X-Men #4 Review

Sorry for the late posting on this but it was sold out when I went to grab the comic the day it come out so I had to wait for them to get a new shipment.  That is what I get for not telling them pull a copy for me.  Lets recap what happened last issue well Beast was also pulled into the portal as well.  The pirates on the ship holding Storm were getting pissed because she kept beating them up.  Nightcrawler came in to save the day and had a moment with Storm.  Beast was attacking Nightcrawler because something happened to him the sea of purgatory.

The issue opens with Logan in the frozen tundra looking rather cold.

Northstar falls into the snow saying how he has flown everywhere but all he could see was snow.  Wolverine said that they have to keep going because they had to find Nightcrawler.

Firestar is still battling demons in hell with Iceman melting on the floor.

Iceman is seriously melting

Firestar is wondering if she should kill Iceman mainly to stop his suffering.  She realizes that he would do anything to save her and she figures if Iceman can freeze hell then she can make it burn.

Angry Firestar

Well Iceman can do things like that because he is an Omega level mutant, but I’ll just leave that alone.

Back on the pirate ship, Beast is still trying to kill Nightcrawler who tries to reason with Beast.

Beast please don’t kill me we’re friends.

Storm notices a sword in Beasts back.  In an attempt to stop Beast, Nightcraweler bamfs him around the ship, which caused Beast to vomit on him – much to Nightcrawlers chagrin.  Nightcrawler did ask Beast not to vomit on him, which means he knew that it was a possibility so it’s Nightcrawler’s fault.

Nightcrawler begs Beast to remember something, which causes a flashback of the team going out to Harry’s but Beast and Nightcrawler did not join them.  They instead played another game of Obstacle Chess, which Beast won.

I have to say this looks like fun

Beast remembers that while Storm pulls the sword from his back.  Beast is really happy to see Nightcrawler, who wouldn’t be happy to see their dead friend.

Oh my friend, I am so happy to see you because well you died

Nightcrawler told Beast that he liked his new face and that he should keep it.  Beast likes to change him look around.  Strom reminds them that they have the ship to themselves.  Nightcrawler reminds them that they have to find the rest of the X-Men.  One of the Bamfs gives Nightcrawler a hat, which makes Beast realize that Nightcrawler had sent them.

Iceman wakes up thinking his face is melting but then he realizes that he is not melting anymore.  Then of course he naturally jumps to the conclusion he is dead.  All right, I will give him that one because I would probably jump to the same conclusion.

I’m melting

Firestar lets him know that he is not dead she also hopes to stay an X-Men forever.  I guess being an X-Men is a good thing now because she was not feeling it when they first got to Hell.

Please let me be an X-Men forever, I’m sorry I complained when I first started

Firestar then lets him know that the Bamfs saved them.  I learned during this scene is that all the Bamfs apparently speak is bamf and whiskey.  Iceman thinks they should look around and try to find a cave painting or a magic sword because there is always a magic sword.

Why does Iceman still sound young and stupid, I thought that would stop once he grew up.  Nightcrawler shows up which of course makes Iceman happy.  Firestar beings to introduce herself (because that is what you do when you’re in Hell) but Nightcrawler says he knows who she is and what she did as he kisses her hand.

Nightcrawler I have missed you so much. Nightcrawler *Firestar blushes*

Nightcrawler is smooth; he is getting all the girls. He can have Firestar since Storm is with Wolverine or at least sleeping with him.  Iceman asks about the Bamfs, which causes Nightcrawler to tell the story of what created them.  Most importantly, how his father found them and fed them his blood, which caused them to look, like him.

I prefer the Bamf’s now because they were ugly before

That would explain the red Bamfs but what about the blue ones.  Well the one red Bamf that was left in Heaven, Nightcrawler made a deal with.

What kind of deal I have no idea because Nightcrawler realized they were talking too much and that they needed to go.  How long were these Bamfs building that machine in the school, because they must have been doing that for a while so how long has Nightcrawler been hunting down his dad?  Does time work differently in Hell?  Which makes me ask, how long have they been gone from the real world?

Northstar tells Wolverine that he is worried that they are both not going to make it out of the frozen tundra.  Seriously, where did this tundra come from and it can’t be a part of Hell since Hell is hot.  I know it’s not purgatory because is where the ship is so where is this frozen section.  I doubt it is left over from Iceman.  Wolverine tells Northstar that if he (Wolverine) falls that Northstar should keep going.

Wolverine looks really cold

Northstar flies off to look around and Wolverine falls figuring that this is how he is going to die.  Then Wolverine remembers how he once told Nightcrawler how he would like to die, it was not by freezing to death.

Nightcrawler tells him that when the time comes no one wants to dies alone.  Wolverine than curses Nightcrawler because it gives him the motivation to go on.

Damn you elf

Then a Bamf appears with Nightcrawler again another happy reunion.

I am so happy to see you please take me from the cold

Nightcrawler takes Northstar with Firestar to the pirate ship.

On the X-ship Nightcrawler spies his father’s ships, he asks the X-Men if they were ready for a battle.

I have to say I like this issue because it finally brought everyone together, I had been wondering what happened to Wolverine on the fall.  I really want to know where that frozen section came from.  I am happy to Iceman is not melting anymore, although I really wish his frozen Hell had lasted longer.  Firestar definitely improved in this issue because I was not feeling her in the first and second one.  I really liked how both Beast and Wolverine had flashbacks to moments with Nightcrawler, I am a fan of touching flashbacks.  The Storm and Nightcrawler one from last issue was really nice.  I am hoping there is an Iceman one in the upcoming issue.  I also loved how everyone was so excited to see Nghtcrawler.  I am looking forward to the battle between the X-Men and Azazel and at this point I am hoping that Nightcrawler will be allowed to come back with the X-Men.  I also want to know that the deal was that Nightcrawler made with the Bamf creatures.  I hope that comes out or more importantly we get to see it.

Until next issue, I will try to get the next one on time.

Mutant Makeovers – See the “X-Men: Days of Future Past” Costumes!

What up, Nerds?

By now, the Interwebs are all aflutter with postings and repostings of Empire Magazine’s exclusive photos from Fox’s newest installment in the X-Men movie franchise. In fact, the magazine is releasing 25 different covers, each one with a solo image of a character to be featured in the film. Well… Actually, one of the covers is of director Bryan Singer (and we’ll just gloss over my feelings on him) and Rogue (who was actually cut from the film, by all accounts).

What TFP is going to do here, though, is take a look at each of the photos and analyze each one from a realistic, practical, design, and probably some other perspectives.

Basically, I’m about to tear these costumes to SHREDS.

Ignore my giddiness and maniacal laughter, and let’s get started.

That’s a heck of an arch to its back. Sentinel’s trying to look SEXY. Watch the future version sport some ducklips.

Sentinels… Okay, so we don’t really get a good look at the feet here, so I can’t comment terribly accurately on the base, but… This whole thing looks kind of unsteady. Like, a stiff breeze or a pothole could knock this bitch over, let alone a bunch of fucking badass mutants. And that massive grate on its chest? That might be an exhaust, which would be a terrible idea for all of the reasons. Maybe it’s actually an air intake, but that still seems like a huge, obvious, highly vulnerable spot for such a thing. This thing looks so unstable with it’s broad, non-centred shoulders, but I also find myself staring uncomprehendingly at its crotch, where it has an athletic cup… Why.

Nice threads, man.

I’m a little bit confused here… By the end of “X-Men: First Class,” they had uniforms. Or, jumpsuits at least. So, why is it that Alex Summers is now sporting a way over-sized olive drab onesie? It almost looks like a pilot’s jumpsuit, but… I can’t figure out why he’d be wearing one. And let’s not even get started on how perfectly his hair is coifed while his clothes are super wrinkled.

WHAT.

What is this even?! Toad is also in military-ish clothes, but… This looks like a past-version, but with a mohawk… And I don’t understand. Toad was in the first X-Men movie, also directed by Bryan Singer, and I see no reason for him to be used again, in the past, with an anachronistic haristyle, acne scars, a completely different actor and complexion, and with whatever the fuck those goggles are.

And he grew up to be Brian Cox?! I think not!

Pretty standard stuff here. I don’t know that a regular human and his standard issue US military uniform really needs all that much exposition.

Oh. Oh the 70s.

This… This is such a 70s suit. ALL OF THE BROWN. Plus the brown sunglasses with their fade… But, I think, the most important element here is the mustache. It’s what lets you know that he’s a villain. Because people with mustaches are never to be trusted.

Once again, the eyes are led down to the crotch.

Some of this… Something about this… It seems half-assed. Those scales seem way too big and, if memory serves correctly, they used to have a texture to them, instead of looking like great, big, sparsely spaced sequins. She used to look more together, parts of her skin looking almost like she had blue-chick psoriasis, but she looks like a Trill (from Star Trek) who got glitter-bombed. Also, her boobs look larger than usual, and her crotch is… uncomfortable. Like, the spots and their sizes gradient out and in and it just looks… Weird. Extra exposed. I dunno. But I don’t like.

How do you get pants on with those feet?

I actually appreciate that he’s dressed like a person here. Like he’s still clinging to his humanity despite his transformation. And I don’t necessarily hate what he’s wearing, either… But I have the same questions about missing uniforms and also just what he’s trying to accomplish by dressing normal when he’s fucking blue.

I CANNOT.

What is this even?! I’m so… Nonverbal right now that I’m going to outsource this one to Kizerezik:

• “It really looks like he was designed back in the 70’s. Along with Prof X’s jet-chair? It’s totally how the 70 or 80’s thought the future would be like.”
• “I’m pretty sure that’s an old camera case attached to the front of his belt.”
• With his speed, wouldn’t most this shit fall off?”
• “I really like that in the blur of him, his hair isn’t moving at all. If he’s going really fast, wouldn’t his hair be flowing at least a little bit?”
• “I hope that control thing is connected to a game of pong.”

Actually, y’know what? No. I have formed an opinion now. In my mind, he looks like a refugee from a Young Adult novel that takes place in a dystopian future and whose main character is a teenaged girl who discovers that the quality that makes her special is the key to unraveling the tapestry of lies that hide the true face of evil in her government… And he’s, like, a tertiary character who joins the fight and does shit like making a disposable camera into a bomb and prying control panels off of walls in order to hack into mainframes. I don’t see superspeedy son of a terrorist with magnetic powers. I see a utility belt, a leather jacket, goggles, headphones, a terrible dye job, and it all adds up to a big cliche.

What is happening with that plate over your abdomen?

I feel like this isn’t a terrible interpretation of  the costume, but it looks like his stomach is pushed out and his shoulders too far back and it’s really throwing me off.

…No. Wait.

I don’t have a problem with his clothes. Truth be told, I couldn’t give a shit if he was wearing a mesh tank top and a pink tutu.

DIDN”T THIS MOTHERFUCKER GET PARALYZED AT THE END OF “X-MEN: FIRST CLASS?!”

WTF, guys?

🙂

Obligatory super-ripped, shirtless Hugh Jackman? Check. Bone claws?! Fuck yeah! CONTINUITY, BITCHES!

No, thank you.

Naw, I’m not here for you having your own cover, Bryan Singer. I’m not going to even dignify this cover with my glorious opinions.

Back to the future!

Now we have future Logan, with his adamantium claws and a brand new costume. I… actually kind of like this design. I mean, it’s definitely a step up from the leather suits from the first two movies, at the very least. The use of subtle colours in the undersuit, visible mostly in the sleeves is, I think, a nod to the classic Wolverine costume, since the deep blue and dingy yellow are the only non-black colours visible. The spartan use of pads and armour is interesting, especially when we consider the nature of Logan’s powers. And then… The pants. Which have no padding or armour whatsoever. So… Do we not care about Hugh Jackman’s junk?

I think not.

Is this a hoverround chair?!

Professor X… You’re paralyzed, bro. And yet you have a tactical vest on beneath a black badass jacket. And you have armour on your limp, unfeeling legs. Not even Wolverine had leg armour! You’re in a fancy-shmancy future BULLSHIT flying wheel-less wheelchair. WHAT are you going to do in a combat situation? Be for reals, man.

Oh, his stance is mirroring young Magneto’s. METAPHORS ARE IMPORTANT.

I guess, in the future, everyone only wears black. And, as you get older and need more armour, you wear less? Whatevah. It’s Sir Ian McKellan. I suppose that the most significant thing here is the lack of his iconic helmet. That’s probably meant to signify his shift to the light side. Either that or he and Professor X are finally together and they’ve agreed to never keep secrets from each other.

Wink wink, 20th Century Fox.

SIGH.

I just… I have so many complaints. Way back in the way back, when I was still in high school and deeply in love with the first two X-Men movies, when superhero movies weren’t lurking around every major US holiday, before Joss Whedon showed me what could really happen with “The Avengers,” a superhero team I had never really cared about growing up, I had no problem with Halle Berry’s protrayal as Storm. Now, as I’ve grown older and wiser and rewatched these movies… I have to call into question this casting choice. Well, to be fair, this is probably mostly poor direction and bad writing, as a lot of people don’t know how to write women, let alone minority women. Let alone the epitome of the Strong, Independent Black Woman. But moving back to the clothing, since that is what’s supposed to be dissected in this post, I appreciate the nods to one of the more iconic costumes, but, really. Are those thigh-high boots? That shit just looks uncomfortable. It’s a good thing she’s not much of a melee fighter in the movies, since she’d have a hard time fighting and running with those shoes, and that cape would get caught on all kinds of shit. Just fly and fling lightning and make terrible quips, Halle. But maybe put a little effort into your hair next time.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

So, the other X-Men are all wearing all black, but Rogue is wearing all white? Is this symbolism? A metaphor? A plot point? Important at ALL?! Probably not, since every nerd news outlet is saying that her entire presence has been cut from the movie. In fact, y’know, I really only have one thing to say to Anna Paquin’s Rogue, a character that has been my bane since the first movie because she’s my FAVOURITE in the comics:

You will not be missed.

See you in the deleted scenes.

Is this racist? A little bit, right?

So… Warpath looks like if Rufio and the Prince of Persia had a baby, and the baby was STILL the wrong race. It looks like the designers were like, “Let’s give everyone the same base costume, random ass armour, and then let’s throw in some ethnic, and then some inconsistencies with these leather pauldron looking things on his shoulders.” What is with the black across his eyes? Is it to hide the fact that Booboo Stewart is Asian? Okay, he says he’s also Blackfoot Indian, but that doesn’t make me feel any better about Prince Zuko over here… I also have to question the inclusion of Warpath in this movie in general. He has heightened senses, super strength, enhanced speed, and flight, all powers that we already have in the main X-Men cast. What exactly does he bring to the table?

 

Kitty Pryde? Not Shadowcat?

Her expression is vapid, her face monochromatic, and her outfit painfully plain. Why do we care about movie Kitty again? Oh, yeah. We don’t.

HADUKEN!

Once again we see a predominantly black costume with the apparently obligatory shoulder pads. Sunspot, however, has a high-backed collar that I can’t fathom a reason for and, more importantly, some linear yellow piping. The yellow lines remind me very strongly of the reflective tape on firefighters’ uniforms. So… I guess he’s a firefighter. A fighter with fire. He’s like a combination of Pyro and Cyclops, a solar power converter, and I suppose they’ve got to make due with what characters they’ve got left after the shitstorm of “X-Men: the Last Stand.”

WHOS FUCKING HEAD IS THAT THE STICKER IS COVERING?! Oh, wait, I think it’s supposed to be Warpath.

So, she gets a little bit of colour because she dyes her hair like Kizer? Pshaw. She has a little bit of a high-backed collar, although NOTHING like Sunspot’s. Her sleeves look a little shimmery, and I can’t really tell what’s going on with her costume because of all of the shoddy Photoshop. I’m mostly concerned by her doe-eyed look. She looks almost anime-styled and not like the hero. Like the girl that’s really cute and innocent and about to be raped by a tentacle monster. No es bueno, Blink. You should probably book it. Y’know, with the teleportation powers. The ones you needed to have because we never fucking found out what the hell happened to Nightcrawler. Like, really? He was so prominently featured in “X2: X-Mne United,” but we never see or hear of him again?!

Nice beard, bro.

Why do you have a heavy coat on? You’re ICEman. Are you COLD?!

Come. ON.

This… Is an awkward pose.

His costume looks really bland and plain as well. And they gave him those fucking shoulder pads! Are those shoulder pads made of, oh, I don’t know, organic metal! Like his skin? Are they tougher, or even as tough? I doubt it. I’ve never seen a version of Colossus with sleeves, let alone with tiny little micro sleeves that only cover the shoulders. It just… It looks wrong to me.

Magical Negro alert!

He looks like he came to the future after being hurtled in time from Ancient Rome. Like, a brother was in the middle of a gladitorial contest, about to take out a lion or some shit, and Mr. Peabody comes and snatches him and deposits him into a future where giant robots roam the Earth, squishing unsuspecting mutants.I think it’s the cape. The red fucking cape. And the belts across his chest are making me think of Russel Crowe in “Gladiator.”

Now, the real problem here is that it doesn’t look like he, or any of the other mutants for that matter, are sporting their “M” tattoos on their eyes. It’s what fucking marks them as pariahs in the future! It’s a HUGE parallel to the Jews having to wear the Star of David on their clothing. It’s a plot point and the type of thing to drive Magneto up a fucking wall! HOW IS THIS NOT THERE?!

I don’t even know what kind of thing I’m looking at here.

So, I think that I’d have to understand what the hell is going on with this future sentinel in order to really be able to comment on it. And I DON’T. I have no idea what this is supposed to be, and I think that that in and of itself speaks volumes.

Okay.

So, those are my opinions at the moment. I have SO many SUPER mixed feelings about this movie. I hope it’s good, but I’m really worried that it’s going to lick megaballs.

Le sigh.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

But really, we couldn’t get a Gambit cameo? Or the redemption of Rogue?

Until next time, Fangirls!

 

Amazing X-Men #1 & #2 Review

Last month Marvel started the Amazing X-Men comic, which is a new ongoing series.  It is replacing Astonishing X-Men, which just ended in October of this year.  It is suppose to be the continuation of the Battle of the Atom series.  Amazing X-Men will deal with the aftermath of that series.  The series starts with the search for Nightcrawler who died in the X-Men Second Coming series in 2010.

Amazing X-Men #1 Cover

The series starts with Nightcrawler quickly reminiscing about his former life as he sits up in heaven.  Surprisingly Nightcrawler is unhappy with his life in heaven.  The peacefulness and serenity of heaven just is not for the warrior soul.  He smells that something is out of place, which is true, there are evil monsters that do not belong in heaven.  Nightcrawler is excited to fight them since he has not been able to fight with anyone in a long time.  During the fight Nightcrawler smells brimstone – that is not his.  That could only mean one thing, his father Azazel is in heaven.   Azazel in heaven could only mean trouble, so Nightcrawler fights with his father.

Azazel fighting Nightcrawler

Azazel reminds Nightcrawler that he is dead which means Nightcrawler cannot follow his father.  That information is not accurate, all Nightcrawler has to do is jump.

At the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning (which is what it was renamed after Wolverine reopened the school), Angela Jones aka Firestar is reporting for her first day as a teacher.  The school is always in motion, teachers and students with classes to be.  Or course everyone has their own personal issues to deal with.  Unfortunately, Firestar cannot get anyone’s attention to help her out.  In the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning you need to be assertive.  Firestar gets lucky when she comes across Beast who is trying to find the location of the Bamfs since they stole his coffee maker Eleanor. (I hear Eleanor and automatically think of Gone in 60 Seconds).  Bamfs are creatures that resemble Nightcrawler or his father, with similar powers – they come from an alternate dimension.  When Firestar and Beast find the missing coffee maker, they also discover a gateway device that the Bamfs have built in the mansion.  Those cleaver little creatures, building a gateway device under everyone’s nose, while still having time to stealing Wolverine’s whiskey.

The head X-Men all decide to check out the gateway device that the Bamf’s built.  Naturally they have to assess the situation that they caused when they did not get rid of the creatures months ago.  Marvel needed a plot device to introduce Nightcrawler again, so the Bamfs had to have free reign of the mansion.

Let us all investigate this machine.

Breast thought that he had cut off its power supply to the gateway device but the Bamf’s had tapped into another power source.  Apparently the Bamf’s are actually smarter then Beast and know the mansion better then him, which is scary since Beast is a genius and he built the mansion.  Something activates the gateway device causing red Bamf’s to come out (much like the ones that came with Azazel earlier), the red ones are mean.  (The Bamfs that are running around the mansion are blue and much nicer, they remind me of Gizmo.)  The red Bamf’s were trying to keep the X-Men away from the gateway machine.  Somehow, the gateway pulled in Wolverine and Northstar into it, sending them to an unknown place.

Wolverine and Northstar in an unknown location

While Wolverine and Northstar are investigating their new location they come across a floating ship.

Amazing X-Men #2 Cover

For the second issue we find that Storm, Iceman and Firestar have also been pulled through the gateway.  Unfortunately, they were not transported to the same place as Wolverine and Northstar – they were transported to hell instead.  In hell; Storm’s powers do not work, Iceman is melting, and it Firestar is freaking out.  It is Firestar’s first day with the X-Men and she has already be sent to hell.  Not to mention when she was with the Avengers they had a butler that made them pancakes.  From what Firestar has seen the X-Men do not.

Storm, Iceman and Firestar in Hell

They also run across a different floating ship before they are attacked by hell monsters.

As Northstar attacks the ship it is discovered that Northstar and Wolverine are in heaven.  That Azazel is stealing souls and it is the job of the pirates to fill the ship with souls.  Wolverine saves one person’s soul only to be captured onto the boat.  Wolverine begins a fight with the captain of the ship.

Back in hell, Storm is fighting the demons only to be captured onto the second ship by its captain – Captain Kid.   Firestar goes to save Storm only to be stopped by one of the monsters of hell.  Iceman then freezes over all of hell (if you ever said that something will happen when hell freezes over – guess what it happened), unfortunately that took a lot of energy from Iceman causing him to collapse and the ice starts melting.  Captain Kid floats away with Storm on his ship.

Hell freezes over

Captain Jack of other ship has managed to get Wolverine onto the plank, which Wolverine falls off but manages to catch himself at the last second.  A voice in Wolverine’s head tells him to hold on and not to fall down.  Wolverine is at first confused as to who the voice is until he sees Professor X.  The Professor tells Wolverine that he is in heaven and that he has to find Nightcrawler before his father does.

Professor X communicating with Wolverine

Unfortunately, while the Professor is communicating with Wolverine Captain Jack pushes him off the plank.  Like a true man, Wolverine cannot multitask so trying to fight and have a mental conversation was too much.  I blame that on Professor X, he really should have known that would be an issue.

It the last panels we see Northstar trying to save Wolverine, Storm tied up on the ship and Firestar doing what she can to protect Iceman.  Nightcrawler is finally seen again even though he was giving background on the X-Men throughout the issue.  Nightcrawler plans to do whatever needs to be done to save his friends souls.

Last panel of Amazing X-Men #2

What I liked about the first issue is that we see some contradiction in Nightcrawler, he admits to being a man of faith and that heaven is everything he imagined but that he is not content with being there.  His found his life to be exciting while he was alive, he fought for good and in some ways that gave him a warriors soul.

Nightcrawler not being fully happy in heaven

I also really enjoyed the mention of Storm and Wolverine hooking up (which happened in Wolverine and the X-Men #24).  I have been a RoLo shipper since I was 10, so I super excited that they kinda together in the comics and I am looking forward to more instances of them together.  I also like the dynamic of both of them being Headmaster and Headmistress of the school.  Storm has been a team leader in the past, thus the authority figure, so this put Wolverine on an even playing field.

Quickie in the shower

I did find this issue to be a bit slow but it was the set up issue so that is to be expected.

I have to say I enjoyed the second issue much better, there was more action but I also felt that I could also understand where the story was going better.  I am enjoying the fact that the group was teleported to different areas, one to heaven and the other to hell.   Since Storm is one of my favorite comic book characters, it makes happy to see to that they showed that she is still tough even without her powers.  Especially after the X-Men movies with really down played her a lot.

Storm fighting the hell monsters without her powers

I also enjoyed the play on when hell freezes over.  With that being said it was great to see that display of power from Iceman since he is an Omega Level Mutant.  Being in hell is bad for Iceman and in some ways killing him, it was great to see even with that he could still do amazing things with his powers.

What I am looking forward to in the next issue to of course seeing more of Nightcrawler.  I am hoping that we will get to see more of what Azazel is up to; it really feels like he is the devil right now.  A part of me wants Wolverine to fall into hell so that the team can be reunited but at the same time, I do want Northstar to save him.  I am not sure if I am ready for the team to reunite yet, that might be more fun to see in the 4^th issue.   I hope that Nightcrawler does not run into his father again until one of the later issues.  With any luck they will play up the father son relationship a bit more since I know that Azazel and Nightcrawler do not see eye to eye.

Until next month when I review the 3^rd issue.

-Christena

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