My name is Kevin O'Leary and I am an aspiring comic book writer. I am currently working on a comic mini series called Red Smile with the talented Joseba Morales doing the art. I want to help as many people as I can make the comics they want to make. I want to help comic creators by writing for them, helping them find an artist, helping them market their comics, and/or helping them fund their comics. If you want help with a comic message me here or email me at [email protected] I am also currently reading through all of Uncanny X-Men from 1963 to the present and reviewing each issue. You can find those reviews at http://kevinreviewsuncannyxmen.wordpress.com/ or by clicking at the Uncanny X-Men Reviews tab below.
Review of Uncanny X-Men Issue #95 (October 10, 1975)
I am planning on reviewing every issue of Uncanny X-Men ever! The other reviews are at http://kevinreviewsuncannyxmen.wordpress.com/
Uncanny X-Men Issue #95 (October 10, 1975)
Story By: Chris Claremont
Art By: Dave Cockrum and Gil Kane
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Brief Description: The X-Men stop Count Nefaria from starting a nuclear war, but one of the X-Men dies in this issue!
Characters Introduced in This Issue: None
Recurring Characters in This Issue: Count Nefaria, the Ani-Men, Wolverine, Storm, Banshee, Professor X, Colossus, Cyclops, Thunderbird, Nightcrawler
Synopsis:
This issue takes place right after the last issue ended with the X-Men falling through the air after their jet was blown up. The X-Men team up so that none of them die in the fall.
Once they reach the ground, Nightcrawler infiltrates Count Nefaria’s base with his teleportation powers. Nightcrawler battles a frog man named Croaker and then is able to let the rest of the X-Men into the evil hideout.
When they enter the base, the X-Men do battle against Nefaria’s Ani-Men and defeat them.
However after thinking they are victorious, the X-Men realize that this was all a trap and the base will self destruct imminently.
Thunderbird notices that Nefaria is trying to escape in a plane and the mutant jumps on top of the plane. Determined to stop Nefaria, Thunderbird destroys the plane and it blows up in mid air, killing Thunderbird and theoretically killing Count Nefaria.
The rest of the X-Men escape the base before it blows up, but they are all distraught when they realize that Thunderbird has died.
Review:
This issue was a slight improvement over the last issue, but this is still a bad start for the Claremont run on the X-Men.
Thunderbird’s death is important in the ways that it effects other characters like Cyclops and Professor X, but Thunderbird is essentially a throw away character. He only appeared in 3 issues before his death and he was barely characterized at all in his time in the X-Men universe. It seems like John Proudstar was created solely so that he could be killed.
I also still hate the way Dave Cockrum draws faces. Hopefully he improves soon.
This issue is not all bad though. I always enjoy the trope where the X-Men fall through the air and this one was also enjoyable. The battles between the X-Men and the Ani-Men were also enjoyable, even though the Ani-Men are very bland villains.
This issue wasn’t very good, but at least it wasn’t as bad as the last issue.
One final note:
1. As we see in this issue, Banshee and Professor X are greatly affected by Thunderbird’s death. The rest of the team will also show their pain at their loss in the coming issues.
Review of Uncanny X-Men Issue #94 (August 10, 1975)
I am planning on reviewing every issue of Uncanny X-Men ever! The other reviews are at http://kevinreviewsuncannyxmen.wordpress.com/
Uncanny X-Men Issue #94 (August 10, 1975)
Story By: Chris Claremont
Art By: Dave Cockrum and Gil Kane
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Brief Description: Count Nefaria returns! What is his plan this time?
Characters Introduced in This Issue: None
Recurring Characters in This Issue: Count Nefaria, the Ani-Men Banshee, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Thunderbird, Sunfire, Havok, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Professor X, Storm, Thunderbird, Iceman, Polaris, Beast
Synopsis:
This issue begins with Professor X praising the X-Men old and new for their defeat of Krakoa but the jovial mood is broken when Sunfire quits the X-Men once again.
Then surprisingly, all of the original X-Men besides Cyclops also quit the team.
The remaining X-Men then try out the danger room for the first time.
While they are training, Count Nefaria and his Ani-Men take over a missile base in Colorado. Nefaria then broadcasts a message across the world that he is demanding ransom from every country in the world or he will start a nuclear war.
Beast contacts the X-Men as one of the Avengers and tells them that the Avengers are busy so the X-Men will need to save the day.
When the X-Men reach the missile base, Nefaria blows up the Thunderbird but the X-Men are able to avoid death by ejecting in an escape pod. However Nefaria is then able to destroy the escape pod an the issue ends with the X-Men falling through the sky.
Review:
After an amazing giant sized issue, issue 94 was a disappointment. Nothing really happened in this issue besides the original X-Men and that was a bummer. Although I love the new members, it will be sad to not see as much as Jean, Bobby, Hank, or Warren anymore.
Count Nefaria and the Ani-Men are really lame as villains and they don’t even really get to face off against the X-Men in this issue. They kind of just sit tight and shoot a couple missiles at them.
I was not expecting this issue to be so bad because Chris Claremont is my favorite X-Men writer. I guess it took him a few issues to get into his stride. I already know that the next issue is gonna be better then this one so I’m not too worried.
A few final notes:
1. Dave Cockrum is not the best at drawing faces (Professor X and Colossus especially)
2. I love that Sunfire quit the X-Men yet again.
3. Jean and Cyclops get to have a nice moment. It took 94 (ish) issues for Jean and Cyclops to kiss, but the moment finally happened!
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Review of Giant Size X-Men Issue #1 (January 1, 1975)
I am planning on reviewing every issue of Uncanny X-Men ever! The other reviews are at http://kevinreviewsuncannyxmen.wordpress.com/
Giant Size X-Men Issue #1 (January 1, 1975)
Story By: Len Wein and Linda Fite
Art By: Werner Roth and Gil Kane
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Brief Description: The original X-Men have been captured and Professor X needs to recruit a new team of X-Men to save his team!
Characters Introduced in This Issue:
*Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner): Nightcrawler was born in Germany as a blue devil looking boy. Because of his looks, Kurt grew up in the circus. Nightcrawler is the son of Mystique and Azazeal.
-Powers: Nightcrawler has the power of teleportation. He can teleport himself, his clothes, and a certain amount of additional mass from one point to another at distances of up to 2 miles.
*Wolverine: Wolverine was born as James Howlett in Canada in the 1880s to parents John and Elizabeth Howlett. At some point in his life, Wolverine was kidnapped by the Weapon X program and experimented on. The scientists at Weapon X give Logan a adamantium skeleton.
-Powers: Wolverine has a very powerful healing factor. His adamantium skeleton also makes him have high endurance. He also has adamantium claws in his hands.
*Storm (Ororo Munroe): Storm’s mother was a princess in Kenya who fell in love with an American man named David Munroe and moved to Harlem with him where Storm was born. Ororo’s family eventually moves to Egypt. As a young woman Storm moves to the Serengeti where she is worshiped as a goddess because of her powers.
-Powers: Storm has the power to manipulate the weather both on Earth and in space.
*Colossus (Piotr Rasputin): Colossus is a Russaian mutant who was raised in Siberia. He is the older brother of fellow mutant, Magik.
-Powers: Colossus has the power to turn his entire body into a form of organic steel making him strong and durable.
*Thunderbird (John Proudstar): Thunderbird was born to the Apache Tribe in Arizona. He fought in the Vietnam war and became a corporal.
-Powers: Thunderbird has superhuman senses, strength, speed, stamina, and endurance.
*Krakoa: Krakoa is a living island.
-Powers: Krakoa is an intelligent ecosystem that is able to command all the living things native to its island body.
Recurring Characters in This Issue: Banshee, Sunfire, Professor X, Polaris, Havok, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Jean Grey, Cyclops
Synopsis:
This giant sized issue begins with Nightcrawler being attacked by an angry mob.
As Kurt begins to lose the battle, Professor X appears and freezes the mob. Professor X then recruits Kurt to join the X-Men.
Professor X then recruits Wolverine to join the X-Men.
After Wolverine agrees to join the team, Professor X convinces Banshee to join his efforts.
Professor X then flies to Africa and convinces to Storm to leave the land where she is a goddess to live a more “real” life as a member of the X-Men.
The next mutant that Professor X recruits is the ever-arrogant Sunfire.
Charles then goes to Russia and witnesses Colossus rescue Magik from an incoming tractor by stopping the tractor with his body. Colossus then agrees to join the team.
The final mutant that the Professor recruits is Thunderbird. Proudstar is hesitant to join the X-Men until Charles mocks the Apache people.
Now that Professor X has formed a new team of X-Men, he reveals to his recruits that the original X-Men have disappeared on a mysterious island and he needs them to find the team. Cyclops will be leading this new group of X-Men.
When the X-Men reach Krakoa they split off into groups to investigate the island. The pairings are then attacked by Krakoa.
When the X-Men regroup, they realize that the island is alive! And that the island is stealing the mutant energy from the original X-Men!
The new X-Men free the old team and the two teams battle the island, but they are losing. However Professor X has a plan. Charles distracts the island with his mental powers while the rest of the team combine their powers.
Storm then shoots lighting at Lorna, who converts the lightning into magnetic energy. Cyclops and Havok then shoot their energy beams at Lorna’s magnetic energy and the beam goes through the ground to the Earth’s core, killing Krakoa.
The X-Men are then caught in a tsunami, but they are able to escape and return to the mansion safe and sound.
Review:
I have been waiting for this issue for a long time and it did not disappoint. With the introduction of some of the most iconic X-Men ever, there was no way that this issue could be bad. I am unbelievably excited that Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus are now a part of the team. However I will be bummed to see most of the original X-Men leave for now.
Most of this issue was used for character introductions, but I didn’t mind. Each introduction section was interesting.
I also really enjoyed the Krakoa storyline. Even though Krakoa is a ludicrous villain, he still led to a good story. (Even if the story was really just a frame for how they could introduce a new X-Men team). I always like power team ups so I was happy to see the X-Men combine their powers to stop Krakoa.
I don’t really have anything major to critique about this issue because I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing!
My only small problem with this issue is that Professor X mocks the Apache. It was in bad taste. I am going to let that slide though because the 1970s were a very different era and I can’t let one line from Len Wein characterize Professor X in a negative light.
Besides that though this issue was absolutely great and definitely worth its 5 star rating.
A few final notes (A few more than usual because this is a giant sized issue):
1. Apparently Storm never wore any clothes when she was a goddess.
2. Beast unfortunately looks like an owl currently.
3. Colossus’ parents are awesome when Piotr leaves his home.
4. Wolverine versus a giant crab!
5. Sunfire quits the team and then rejoins the X-Men in a matter of just a few pages and it is great.
6. Cyclops has to make the tough leadership decision as to whether to risk Polaris’ life to save the world and he chooses to put Lorna at risk.
7. Krakoa has crazy eye beams.
8. It was nice to see a couple panels of little Ilyana but I can’t wait for her to be a recurring character!
9. The X-Men do not get along in the beginning and their bickering is great.
10. Cyclops’ eyes without his powers are terrifying.
11. The Bobby-Lorna-Alex love triangle continues.
12. I love seeing the new group all together.
13. And finally the issue ended with this panel. What will the X-Men do with 13 X-Men? Sadly, some of them are going to leave the team.
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