Ultimate X-Men #71 (Spoilers.....Duh)

[Victor Von Doom]

Meh......I hate Kirkman.


Synopsis:
We open with the continuing battle between The Brotherhood and X-Men. Once again its all about how awesome ( read-- :roll: )the Magician is. The media show up and the battle continues.

Back at the mansion Phoenix is ready to wreck stuff old school style. She's about to kill Lilandra when all of a sudden Charles steps in. He tries to shut down the Phoenix's mind but she keeps rejecting Charles's commands.

Back at the "Burly Brawl" -- we are focusing on just how unstoppable Blob is. Cyclops is hitting him with some optic blasts. Nothing. Rogue tries with a couple of cards. Nope. The Magician steps in with some science talk and then basically levitates Blob and then sends him crashing down. Meanwhile the reporter is filming this and tells her cameraman "If you're not getting this...I am never sleeping with you again!". Is every reporter in the world sleeping with their cameraperson? Why does this line always appear everywhere?

Cut to the mansion---Charles is still trying to stop Phoenix....but failing miserably. Phoenix turns the tables and starts to make Charles's brain explode. He's begging for his life....but she keeps squeezing. Then all of a sudden he says "I love you." Jean takes over for a brief second and douses the flames. Charles takes his shot and shuts Jean's brain off. Charles then checks on Lilandra and all are ok.

Turning our attention back to the kids---SHIELD and law enforcement have shown up and are wrapping up the mess. The Magician is doing a news interview with the reporter and telling the world how great the X-Men are and how they just wanna help. Throw in a couple of random statements and meaningless conversation and thats the scene.

Again back to the mansion---everyone is recovering after the whole Phoenix ordeal. Lilandra's science guy shows up and tells them that after all the tests he's run....Jean can't be the Phoenix. Apparently---her parents are members of the Shi'ar Church. He says that he believes she heard stories about the Phoenix when she was younger and when her powers started to manifest, her mind couldn't comprehend them.....so she recalled some memories of those strange stories into something she could understand. Basically---Jean constructed a split personality to help her deal with her having mutant powers. Yeah......you read that right. Jean constructed a split personality to help her deal with her having mutant powers. Where have I heard that bull**** before? Hmmmmmmmm? :sick:

Jean freaks out and screams that she's not crazy. Charles calms her and everyone leaves.

Later---all the kids return home. Kitty talks about how its cool and ok to be an X-Man again........Storm wonders if Logan is back.........Colossus sees Kurt and Kurt 'bamfs' away.......Charles tells Cyclops what has just happened with Jean.

Cyke goes to check on Jean and she tells him she wants to be left alone. The last panel we see of her has those crzay imps crawling all over her.

At the Shi'ar Church---Lilandra is saying good night to everyone. Science guy excuses himself to take a cell phone call. Whoever he's talking to, he tells them that everything that was supposed to be there with the Phoenix....was there. There is no doubt in his mind that Jean is the Phoenix. He says that Shaw was a madman.....but he was right. He's sure that they can return the Hellfire Club to its former glory.




Ugh.....I hated this arc worse than Bendis's Deadpool. Seriously. :neutral:


2/5......but only because of the future promise of the return of the Hellfire Club.




Hurry up and find another writer/artist team............QUICK!!!!! :x



Did I mention that I hate the Magician? :sick:

 

[Random]

Yeah I'm really not liking UXM. What was the point of the Brotherhood fight? Phoenix has some potential. But this Magican just pisses my off, its so obvious he's going to betray them or becaome a threa in some form. He kills his parents and happily goes out and fights very cocky and with experience

 

[Ice]

Yeah I'm really not liking UXM. What was the point of the Brotherhood fight? Phoenix has some potential. But this Magican just pisses my off, its so obvious he's going to betray them or becaome a threa in some form. He kills his parents and happily goes out and fights very cocky and with experience

Or were they his parents? :wink:


DUN DUN DUUUUUN!!!!

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Or were they his parents? :wink:


DUN DUN DUUUUUN!!!!

What if they were?

DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN!!!!!! :lol:




So i just reread the issue.....just to make sure I didn't miss anything important......

I really don't like the art. The coloring is fine.....but the art just looks sketchy to me. Its like Oliver is just sketching storyboards......but then just saying "ehhh...it'll do."

 

[Ice]

I really don't like the art. The coloring is fine.....but the art just looks sketchy to me. Its like Oliver is just sketching storyboards......but then just saying "ehhh...it'll do."

Yet his cover for #75 with Cable (if it is by him, since that will be his arc) is great.

 

[TheManWithoutFear]

Why is the Magician even in this? And why is Cyclops suddenly taking orders from him? I swear if this turns into a Wolverine comes back and figures things out...

Other than that, I dug it. The manipulation of Jean is very fun. I almost thought they were gonna go with the schizo concept and go X3 on me :x I hate the Xavier/Jean relationship angle but it was introduced pretty nicely here so I'll roll with it for now. I thought the talk between Cyclops and Jean shouldn't have been so short changed. Does anyone have any respect for them as a couple?

I can't wait to see the part that has the X-Men saying -- "Wait we can handle the brotherhood. Where was our A-Game and why is suddenly this new guy so much better than us. He's a witch. Burn him." Because I want to X-Men to get their balls back and The Magician to disappear.

All I keep thinking about when someone says "Hellfire Club" is Syndacite. Bring him/them back!!!

3/5

No real complaints. Still found it fun.

 

[E]

Decent...probably 3/5.

It seemed obvious that this Magician is the one that tipped off the media.

The Brotherhood attack seemed forced, especially considering the reason suggested why they were there. They aren't an especially intelligent group without Magneto...having them put an attack like this together was just a little too out there.

I enjoyed the glimpse of Dark Phoenix and the emergence of another side in this story - the Hellfire Club.

I don't know...I don't get the hate for Kirkman on this book. It's not exactly profound but it's pretty solid and entertaining. I'm enjoying it.

 

[Ice]

Decent...probably 3/5.

It seemed obvious that this Magician is the one that tipped off the media.

The Brotherhood attack seemed forced, especially considering the reason suggested why they were there. They aren't an especially intelligent group without Magneto...having them put an attack like this together was just a little too out there.

I enjoyed the glimpse of Dark Phoenix and the emergence of another side in this story - the Hellfire Club.

I don't know...I don't get the hate for Kirkman on this book. It's not exactly profound but it's pretty solid and entertaining. I'm enjoying it.

My thoughts exactly.

The Brotherhood attack is definetly forced, no doubt about that. But it's a little thing that won't bother that much now, and hopefully Kirkman can work on that (on the term of having things like that not seem forced).

 

[Victor Von Doom]

It seemed obvious that this Magician is the one that tipped off the media.

The Brotherhood attack seemed forced, especially considering the reason suggested why they were there. They aren't an especially intelligent group without Magneto...having them put an attack like this together was just a little too out there.

I wouldn't say "tipped off". I'd say he "made" them appear. The same way he "made" the Brotherhood attack.

His powers seem to manifest whatever he wants........although it appears to be subconciously. He wanted so much to fight with them.....and BOOM--the attack. He wanted to be thrust into the limelight and be the mutant celebrity that Cyclops and the others were.....BOOM---news crew with interview.

While I'm sure that Kirkman has all this planned out to tie together.....I'm just not liking it. He is to UXM what Bendis is to USM. That's my take on it.....

 

[E]

My thoughts exactly.

The Brotherhood attack is definetly forced, no doubt about that. But it's a little thing that won't bother that much now, and hopefully Kirkman can work on that (on the term of having things like that not seem forced).

Yeah...I didn't really think it detracted from the story or issue. And I agree that things will probably even out the farther along he goes.

I wouldn't say "tipped off". I'd say he "made" them appear. The same way he "made" the Brotherhood attack.

Hadn't thought about that...I really like that. Hopefully if that's the case it was subconscious - dude wants to be an X-Man so bad he will literally do anything. Sort of along the lines of Ultimate Bruce Banner turning himself into Hulk to give the Ultimates something to fight. It would turn Magician into a huge liability and prevent him from joining...causing him to turn on them. Not too shabby.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Hadn't thought about that...I really like that. Hopefully if that's the case it was subconscious - dude wants to be an X-Man so bad he will literally do anything. Sort of along the lines of Ultimate Bruce Banner turning himself into Hulk to give the Ultimates something to fight. It would turn Magician into a huge liability and prevent him from joining...causing him to turn on them. Not too shabby.

Exactly. The only difference is that Bruce made a concious decision to do that. This kid is making ot happen without him even knowing. That's what makes him really dangerous.

My biggest gripe is that his powers seem to be all-too-encompassing. They seem to be whatever the writer wants that fits the situation.

Kirkman's Son: Dad...wouldn't it be cool if Magician could make Blob levitate?
Kirkman: Done.
Kirkman's Son: Also...wouldn't it be cool if he could fly?
Kirkman: Done.
Kirkman's Son: Wouldn't it be cool if Magician more powerful than Superman?
Kirkman: Whoa....lets not get crazy now. Done.

I see him feeling slighted and turning into an over-powered villain ala Superboy Prime. Expect the X-Men vs Magician showdown to be just like Proteus.

 

[Ice]

Kirkman's Son: Dad...wouldn't it be cool if Magician could make Blob levitate?
Kirkman: Done.
Kirkman's Son: Also...wouldn't it be cool if he could fly?
Kirkman: Done.
Kirkman's Son: Wouldn't it be cool if Magician more powerful than Superman?
Kirkman: Whoa....lets not get crazy now. Done.

Hahaha!!! :lol:


But wait, what if he does know what he's doing? I'm not saying that makes this all better, but it's possible...maybe...

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Hahaha!!! :lol:


But wait, what if he does know what he's doing? I'm not saying that makes this all better, but it's possible...maybe...

Oh I'm not saying he doesn't know what he's doing. I'm just sayin I don't like the execution.

I'm no novelist....but his UXM just seems like ameteur writing to me. Couple that with the ugly art and you get "the slow death of a good comic".

 

[Ice]

Oh I'm not saying he doesn't know what he's doing. I'm just sayin I don't like the execution.

I'm no novelist....but his UXM just seems like ameteur writing to me. Couple that with the ugly art and you get "the slow death of a good comic".

Well, I meant what if The Magician knows what he's doing. And I didn't mean as you saying it or whatever, meant that as a general question (again, I meant it about The Magician).

 

[The Overlord]

It looks like Gerald was talking with the new master of Hell's Fire Club at the end of the issue. Who do think that is?

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Well, I meant what if The Magician knows what he's doing. And I didn't mean as you saying it or whatever, meant that as a general question (again, I meant it about The Magician).

Ah....I see. If he did know what he was doing...that would make it all the more lethal.

That would be an interesting aspect to a villain that the X-Men haven't had to deal with yet. A "Fatal Attraction"-ish relationship. A mutant fan so obsessed with being an X-Man that they will do anything to be one.

 

[Ice]

Ah....I see. If he did know what he was doing...that would make it all the more lethal.

That would be an interesting aspect to a villain that the X-Men haven't had to deal with yet. A "Fatal Attraction"-ish relationship. A mutant fan so obsessed with being an X-Man that they will do anything to be one.

There's a possible chance he just might. I mean, the guy acted like he didnt know wtf he was doing with Fury, but when talking to Cykes when leaving to go to AOT, he sure knew how to use his power then.

 

[Caduceus]

I wouldn't say "tipped off". I'd say he "made" them appear. The same way he "made" the Brotherhood attack.

I would think that was the truth.

As I understand it, the next arc is all about Magician, and then he's going to be gone. Kirkman's just milking his character. I am not really impressed.

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

I like it.

Its not Millar or Vaughan, but I'm still liking this more than USM right now.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I really didn't like this arc other than confirming the existance of the Phoenix even more it didn't accomplish anything.

The Magician was introduced terribly. Look at Angel. He was introduced in an arc where a lot of other things happened, yet his character was introduced with care and depth. In the course of less than two days one kid, discovers he has mutant powers, kills his parents, masters his powers, fights along side the X-Men, becomes a media sensation and begins his life at the school. Does that seem like too much too soon with too little explaination to everyone else? At this point he's being treated like any other X-Man. That just doesn't seem right. Poor writing!

The Brotherhood seemed ridiculously well matched for the X-Men. Since when was Ultimate Blob such a powerful character? I always thought he was just another throw away character.

It's hard for me to judge this arc to harshly because this really was an introduction arc. Kirkman sure didn't get a hell of a lot done in three issue, though. For example, he put a lot of effort into developing the church of the shiar who were revealed to be the pawns of agents of the Hellfire club. That just doesn't seem necessary. Still he could pull it all around if the next arc accually develop the Magician and give him a decent story. To sum it up, too much Shiar not enough Hellfire or Magician. If he wanted to focus so much on the Shiar, he should have introduced the Magician in the Last issue.

2/5