More Age of X

[long_silence]

In my last post I tried to explain the plot to the upcoming mini-event in the X-men books, "Age of X". So I figured why stop now?

Yesterday Marvel released the Bachalo variant for Age of X: Alpha #1 the oneshot that starts off the event before it continues in New Mutants and X-men Legacy for 3 months.



Not Bachalo's best work, it's still pretty exciting. Though I had been hoping that Wolverine wouldn't be part of this storyline. But it's good to see Jubilee and Chamber receive more face time.

Marvel also released the Coipel cover for Age of X: Alpha #1. We've already seen this, but this time it doesn't have that annoying CBR exclusive tag at the bottom.



In this week's comics these was once again a QR code in an Age of X advertisement linking to "Age of X Historical Log 2B".

Comments

[catbird]

Oh man, some of the fashion choices in that second one... Magneto looks like he ought to star in Final Fantasy, and Storm in a loincloth?! And is long-haired aqua-guy Namor?

[kirke_novak]

Namor is waaaay prettier /realizes she's just opened herself for the Bendis' Namor jpg joke D;

[sherkahn]

Magneto seems to have taken his "White Pilgrim" personae in this reality.

[kirke_novak]

Ok, Age of X sounds like a name of the 90s themed Techno Party.

[q99]

Clothing seems... optional, for both sexes, there :)

[brallaqueen.livejournal.com]

This is just...stupid. Why rename some characters but not all? Why the apparenly random selection? Why create a new universe at ALL if you are not going to do something different with the concept?

And am I the ONLY one creeped out by putting Ororo (African) in 'sexy savage native' gear right next to Magneto who could not be bigger, whiter or more covered up? He looks like he's welded his entire car to his chest and draped it in a sheet!

[citygod]

Excellent point.

[generalfreedom]

I also like Warpath's nice primitive stone tomahawk.

Regardless, this looks pretty lame. It's been done before and better. And didn't the X-Men just have a crappy vampire event thing? How many stupid big events do they need in a row?

[suzene]

Hell. I was hoping the tomahawk was just Bachalo running with creative license, but I'm finding it in some of the other promo art too. Disappointing.

Honestly, at this point I'm kind of wishing that Carey had stuck with just giving the current incarnations of the next-gen teams an event of their own, because it's not like a lot of them get much page-time as it is.

If Chamber's role doesn't suck, I'll probably still buy this, though. In trade. Used.

[long_silence]

Well in this alternate universe these characters have different histories, so different people may have named them this time around. For example Scott Summers was never taken in by Xavier, who never gave him his classic visor, so there was never any reason to name him Cyclops. But Remy was called Gambit long before he ever encountered the X-men.

The concept does seem to be very reminiscent of the current X-Books, they're at war against a society that hates and fears them, they're nearly extinct, and they're fighting for a lost cause, but these themes have been taken to the extreme. And maybe that's the point, maybe it's "You think things are bad now, well they could always be worse". Or maybe Carey has more in store for us than we realize.

[suzene]

The concept does seem to be very reminiscent of the current X-Books, they're at war against a society that hates and fears them, they're nearly extinct, and they're fighting for a lost cause, but these themes have been taken to the extreme. And maybe that's the point, maybe it's "You think things are bad now, well they could always be worse". Or maybe Carey has more in store for us than we realize.

Hoping for the latter, because the mutant metaphor is pretty heavy-handed as it is, (with the occasional dip into the insulting -- the Legacy Virus as an AIDS metaphor was handled pretty badly; Prop X made me want to hurt someone). That being dialed up to eleven is one of the main reasons I'm ambivalent about this event, even with Carey on writing, and that historical log with Beast getting lynched has already left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm pretty sure there's more to this than a Ruins-style wade into dystopia, but I'm not convinced yet that the destination is going to be worth the journey.

[long_silence]

Prop X was awful, as is Fraction's latest attempt to be socially relevant HX N1, the mutant flu.

I liked the Beast log, not because of what happened but because it was so depressingly realistic, bigoted humans beating a mutant to death at a protest gone wrong in DC.

I'm mostly just in it for Jubilee, Chamber, other X-kids who've managed to survive this long and Hellion's detached robo hands.

[starwolf_oakley]

the Legacy Virus as an AIDS metaphor was handled pretty badly

Indeed, especially considering it was a designer virus (FROM THE FUTURE!) that specifically targeted mutants and then somehow humans. (Getting into urban legend/conspiracy theory territory. Also, did any human other than Moria MacTaggart get the Legacy Virus?)

I even understand the original "plan" was to keep the Legacy Virus around until AIDS was cured. Around 1998, medicines allowed AIDS to become more of a chronic disease than a fatal one. But it still will kill someone infected with it.

[suzene]

I was thinking that was Storm's original gear from Giant-Sized X-Men #1, which at least would have had an excuse for being present if she'd never met Xavier, but nope, looks like they changed it up a little.

[long_silence]

Well that makes sense doesn't it? Why would someone revered as a goddess in Kenya wear the exact same (loin-cloth) outfit for a decade (or however long it's supposed to have been since she met/did not meet Xavier).

[suzene]

My point being, if you're going to change up the costume design anyway, why not go that extra step and go for a design that's less of stereotype?

Changed up Storm's gear.

[nefrekeptah]

They'd kinda have to, since Storm's original original outfit didn't include anything for her top.

[skalja]

Yeah, well spotted. Ew.

[jlbarnett]

well, in 616 Cyclops got the name because his mask was a straight line across that obscured his two eyes and linked his two eyes beams into a single. In AOA he's actually lost an eye to account for it as a nickname. So if in this other reality his first mask wasn't a single piece then the name Cyclops wouldn't apply to him.

Basically I think if the name was suggested by Xavier or suggests happiness in most cases it'd change.

[sir_razorback]

Chamber always needs more face time.

[akodo_rokku]

Strike that last word there.

[e_307]

I'm curious about who the shadow guy with the purple flamey things on him is. Could be Sunspot...but part of me is hoping it might be Specter.

[darkblade]

So this is a universe where the only clothing ever developed was plate mail and anyone who doesn't want to wear full plate has to go around half naked?

[akodo_rokku]

And EVERYBODY WINS!

[skalja]

Or they can wear a bit of both, like Dazzler's outfit.

[sevarem]

I haven't decided if I'm interested in this or not. At first, it looked like Jean was going to be in it, but now it seems her role was to serve mainly as the catalyst for the crapsack world plot, so.... eh, I don't know. This could be interesting, but I'm reserving judgment for now.

[long_silence]

Well the Revenant codename and costume from the first promo had to be there for some reason. She'll likely have another role somewhere later in the storyline, it's just not clear what that role could be.

Of course Revenant could be Rachel, but bringing in someone from yet another alternate timeline would make this even more confusing.

[e_307]

Unless the Age of X timeline has a Rachel not imported from another one. A clone or actual kid of Jean.

[long_silence]

Wouldn't that essentially be Nate Grey or Maddie?

[e_307]

Maybe. Dunno how things are going in this timeline yet

[sevarem]

Which is why I'm just going to wait on judgment and see what happens. It could be a fantastic ride, something the X-books have been sorely missing these days. Here's hoping.

[akodo_rokku]

The thing that bothers me most is Solid Gambit there.

[greenmask]

The thing that makes me want to roll on my back kicking my legs with gleeeee is Solid Gambit there!

[ian_karkull]

I love how the X-Men can just slap on a bunch of different costumes, pose in front of some random rubble and suddenly it's an event somehow.
Oooh, a dystopian alternate future.. must be tuesday at Xaviers' again.

I do have an inexplicable soft spot for Avalanche though.

[seiraryu.livejournal.com]

I really dislike this whole 'fuck you, Hellion, you're still maimed' thing. Though the no-arms/floating-hands thing is kind of cool, it is ruined by the fact that he's been, once again, screwed.

[jlbarnett]

I was guessing Forge, with cybernetic arms so advance they don't even have to touch his body to work.

[seiraryu.livejournal.com]

I doubt it. See the green energy around the floating limbs? Looks to me like he's using his telekinesis to hold them up.

[proteus_lives]

When did Solid Snake join the X-Men?

[greenmask]

I want it. I want it aaaaaallll.

Rat tail Namor? Solid Gambit? Rogue's hair with great volume? Gladiator-crossed-with-Daken? Naked no-arm boy on the left? Jubilee in a sports bra and high yellow collar!

It's gonna be troublesome buying it, but, I just might.

[kamino_neko]

Age of X Alpha? Hrn. You really oughtn't be trying so hard to get compared to Age of Apocalypse. (The art even LOOKS 90s...)

Second thing I noticed was the X flag on the second image. Maybe it's just me, but a vague similarity to a certain real world flag jumped out at me.

The X being white dulls the similarity somewhat, granted, still, I can't help but wonder if it's deliberate.

[badficwriter]

Hunh. I can't say I like the South, but the Confederate flag was an awesome design (but didn't they crib it from the Union Jack?).

[harpers_child]

why has no one noticed the size of wolverine's arm in the first scan? it's as large as some of the other characters in the picture! (specifically the female shaped characters.) it doesn't have an elbow!

[icon_uk]

It's Chris Bachalo, it needs no other explanation, alas (Never liked his work)

[suzene]

He can do very nice illustrations and individual panels, and when he gets his expressions spot on, they carry an entire scene on their own...but I've always found his story-telling skills to be rubbish.

Did some lovely work with the character designs on GenX, though.

First thoughts are still...

[freezer]

"You got Age of Apocalypse in my Days of Futures Past!" "You got Days of Futures Past on my AOA!"

[wonderwomanhero]

O HAI REVANCHE!BETSY. (Flame me all you want, I'll always think her Asian form the best)

All the nearly naked men! Ah. But...they are all wearing pants!

I can't keep looking at that picture and think that Namor sells his body to Mangeto...every night. I mean...look at his pants. They can easily slip off, no?

[badficwriter]

Those pants? He can leave them ON and just remove the crotch guard!