Uncanny X-Men #504-508 "Lovelorn" Talkback (Spoilers)

[wonderfly]

A week late, (sorry) but the latest arc in "Uncanny" has begun!

Uncanny X-men #504


(click to enlarge)

Cover by Terry Dodson
Written by Matt Fraction
Pencils by Terry Dodson
Inks by Rachel Dodson

The Story:
LOVELORN (1 of 4): In the depths of his heartache over Kitty Pryde, Colossus goes looking for something-- anything-- to stop his pain...and finds a nightmare from the Old Country running rampant in the States. What's their connection? Elsewhere, Angel and the Beast begin a worldwide quest gathering some of the most unique minds on Earth and run across a hero long thought dormant. Emma checks in to a hotel you have to see to believe while poor Scott sits idly by...oh, and then footage showing the Alaskan Massacre that kicked off MESSIAH COMPLEX is released to the media. Just another day in the life of the all new, all different X-MEN!

Comments? What are your thoughts?

[Jin Kazama]

I was a little upset at first when I grabbed the issue and saw the new creative team. I started reading with #500 (billed as a jumping-on point), and assumed that Brubaker and Land were the ongoing creative team. People rip on Land, and I see their points, but I dunno. I like him.

But I was pleasantly surprised. It was still as good as it was the previous three issues. I think part of it had to do with Fraction being there, since he was also writing the previous ones, so that same flow stayed with him.

My only real issue is more one of myself. Some of it's falling flat on me, because I haven't been keeping up with it. The stuff with Beast and Warren was kind of a "huh?" because I had no idea who it was they were talking to. And the shocker ending with Jean's name. I guess there was a falling out between her and Scott.

Loved the part with Colossus getting a Tattoo, though. His whole plot was cool, and I look forward to the rest of it.

[wonderfly]

I was a little upset at first when I grabbed the issue and saw the new creative team. I started reading with #500 (billed as a jumping-on point), and assumed that Brubaker and Land were the ongoing creative team. People rip on Land, and I see their points, but I dunno. I like him.

To clarify: All 4 of them, Brubaker, Fraction, Land, and Terry Dodson, are the new creative team. Land and Dodson are the rotating artists, and Fraction and Brubaker co-write most of the stories, (though apparently Fraction wrote this issue single-handily).

Frankly, I would've preferred Brubaker continue to be the sole-writer, as Fraction's writing style can get on my nerves at times, (he's like Grant Morrison in the whole "tossing out wierd ideas" thing, except Fraction's bizaare ideas aren't as lofty as Morrison's).

I guess there was a falling out between her and Scott.

I haven't read the issue yet, so I'm not quite sure I'm understanding you right, but ummm....yeah, Scott and Jean had a falling out years ago. It kinda started when Scott had an affair with Emma. I thought this was common knowledge.

Anyway, I'll give my thoughts on the actual content of the issue after reading it, (I won't get a chance to stop by the comic shop till tomorrow)...

[Jin Kazama]

I haven't read the issue yet, so I'm not quite sure I'm understanding you right, but ummm....yeah, Scott and Jean had a falling out years ago. It kinda started when Scott had an affair with Emma. I thought this was common knowledge.

It may be. As I said, I only started reading with #500. Before that, outside of Ultimate X-Men, I hadn't read a X-Men comic regularly since around 2001. I had just assumed the Jean had died again, and then Scott and Emma started dating.

[wonderfly]

It may be. As I said, I only started reading with #500. Before that, outside of Ultimate X-Men, I hadn't read a X-Men comic regularly since around 2001. I had just assumed the Jean had died again, and then Scott and Emma started dating.

Yeah, just to clarify, the order of events was as follows: Scott and Jean became distant towards one another following Scott's being possessed by Apocalypse, so Scott ended up having an affair with Emma. Then Jean up and died at the hands of Magneto, (or was it Xorn? Morrison want's it to have been Magneto, Quesada didn't like the way Morrison wrote Magneto, so it was editorially changed so that Xorn was impersonating Magneto). Anyway, this cleared the path for Emma and Scott to fully explore their feelings for one another without that pesky red-headed destroyer of worlds around...

[Ed Liu]

I read this issue in Barnes & Noble recently while I was waiting for my wife.

It was kind of like handing a beer to an ex-alcoholic. I quit the X-Men years ago because it was getting too ridiculous and soap-opera-y, and it was about to hit the nadir of the 1990's. I defied both Grant Morrison's New X-Men and Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men trying to lure me back (the former because I really, really hated it and the latter because it felt oddly empty to me). However, this issue felt like the ones that got me hooked on the comic and the characters in the first place. I liked the weird psychic landscape of Scott's head (and the huge array of hotties populating it), the mooning sad Colossus who breaks tattoo needles, these few cast members I've never seen before, and even the bit with Warren and Beast in South America meeting super scientist guy that was being chased by bad Nazi clones.

I don't think I'm going to keep going, although this is no reflection on the quality of the comic. I just know better than to take the beer, no matter how good it might look, because I know where it leads . But considering where I left these guys before, it certainly seems like they're in good hands now.

-- Ed

[wonderfly]

The X-Men's adventures in San Francisco continues!!

Uncanny X-Men #506


(click to enlarge)

Cover by Terry Dodson
Written by Matt Fraction
Pencils by Terry Dodson
Inks by Rachel Dodson

The Story:
“Lovelorn”
Emma's bad dreams continue, and, man, when the White Queen has a long night, we ALL have long nights. Peter finds horror in the Port of Oakland. The assembly of the fringe science team continues with a big -- BIG -- discovery that will probably kill them all before they have a chance to fix that whole no-more-mutants thing. And with the Humanity NOW! Coalition stoking fires of anti-mutant hate, Cyclops implores his X-Men to keep a low profile... HA. Dummy. Part 3 (of 4)

Comments? What are your thoughts?!?