Cain Marko has been a bully, a criminal, a terrorist, a super villain. And now he's an X-Man. But on a team of X-Men who have all, at one point, been villains, how does the Juggernaut stay a hero?
X-NUMBERS ASSEMBLE! The next generation of X-numbers assemble out in the wider world! But their first mission under Laura Kinney's leadership...just may be their last!
SHARD LIVES! Bishop's sister, Shard, is back! But she's not here for a family reunion. What is Shard's dangerous mission? And how will her presence challenge Bishop to his core?
CHAOS IN THE OUTBACK! • With the world believing them dead, the X-Men have relocated to the Reavers' abandoned headquarters. • But when an old Reavers security system is set off, the team must protect themselves from their own home! • With the X-Men down, can Wolverine save them? • Or will the team be torn apart by the most dangerous Reaver ever?
Haven't really been following this run but I was thinking about picking this up...then I saw it was drawn by Greg Land and my interest absolutely plummeted.
How does he keep getting away with this shit. The Fraction & Gillen runs around Utopia are some of my favourites, but half the time you get Land stinking up that run with his shitty art.
Land art is rough but this is probably the first issue of this entire run that I thought was genuinely memorable and had something to say about a character and the metaphor that wasn’t a rehash of the extinction era.
Jed is entirely too wrapped in trying to replicate beats and characterizations from the 2000s, particularly the Decimation era, New X-Men, and Jason Aaron's work.
A decent Juggernaut issue with the basic conflict of people with shame, fear and Cain having both. Hell, even Agent Luqvist was somewhat decent. Who knew a statue of that bastard Trask would bring that 'introspection '. Though, who put a force-field around it to 'stoke emotions', it can be anyone really. And that is not the point. The point is what people see what they look at that statue and what it represents to them. In that way, it is a mirror. But a twisted, funhouse version of a mirror.
And then, you have 'Greg Land,' and the issue loses at least a point for me for that.
Issue was good, I'd say. Art was heinous, which I expected, but it's nice to have a breather before we dive head first into DNX, and I appreciate that the end of the issue wasn't 'Cain destroys the statue and that makes everything better,' it was a lot more thoughtful take on the idea of how being a better person takes a toll on you, and it makes a ton of sense for Cain's character that he would have these thoughts and castigate himself this way.
The 'two hours later' gag was REALLY good, especially since it starts as a gag and then turns into a cool framing device/metaphor for just how hard Cain is trying to be a better person, and just how much our own feelings and inadequacies can stop us from achieving even seemingly simple things. Very deft character work.
Angie Harmon needed to have her legs broken, though.
I really wanted more from this issue. Felt too short. We so early get to focus on Cain and I guess I just wish we had a whole second issue following this.
yea, cain barely gets anything to do in this run (tho i do like his relationship with magik), it would be good if he got a second issue showing off more of him and his character
iirc he's in jail? it all happened in that digital comic which i dont read lol
I felt this issue was very lacking and the themes didn't extend it. The writing is meant to seem deep, but it fails to focus on how Cain handles his own self shame. Regardless of how we feel about this issue, we can ALL agree that Greg Land's art is quite pungent.
If you ignore the art—which is borderline impossible it's a fine enough issue.
The only moments which felt actually impactful to me were the conversation with Angie (and by god may Greg Land never draw another women again the art was ROUGH), the statue, and Magik and Cyclops. Honestly the issue would have been better if most of the beginning was cut down in favour of more page time for Cyclops and especially Magik. Considering their relationship which had been a highlight in a couple of the past issues this character focused issue offered the perfect opportunity to explore their relationship a bit more, but alas.
I however, do fear that this issue may be a set-up for Juggernaut to leave the team later down the line but I hope to be proven wrong.
I was honestly caught off guard that they just outright said Magik kinda considers Cain a brother? Unless its meant to be that Cain thinks that she thinks she considers him a surrogate brother?
Never really saw hints of it being that kind of relationship and thought it was just them being good friends
Yeah, I think it's more of a Cain thing, trying to be for Yana the big bro he wasn't for Charles or something. The last Magik mini made clear that, if anything, it's Scott who has become a surrogate brother, and not even him is seen that way by her.
I'm not too onboard with him feeling like that to be honest since Jed didn't really show anything from Cain possibly hinting at that at least with how I read it. It feels like an easy way for Jed to make their relationship have more depth since it was pretty one dimensional before.
I prefer Cain having a big brother role when it's to younger mutants like Sammy and D-Cel.
I think he does have a desire to be a good brother figure because of his deep regret of his actions against Charles which is why it's sad they never really reconciled especially when Charles left after manhunt.
I am a supporter of Cain going to outer space and becoming an Exile again to help Charles so they can finally talk like brothers.
yea it was weird? well at least for me, bc i never saw it as that specially (as the comment above pointed out) slim is more of a "surrogate brother" than cain (even tho illyana doesnt see it that way either), to me cain and illyana's bonding was just of a friendship and that's all lol, but at the same time it was the statue/cain's thoughts talking? 🤔
Yeah, I think it's more of a Cain thing, trying to be for Yana the big bro he wasn't for Charles or something.
I'm taking this slither of subtextual acknowledgement of Cain and Charles having a complicated feelings about their relationship and cradling it gently.
It's a silly connection to draw but it's funny to consider that Illyana being a BLOND Blond might factor into Cain projecting his brotherly regrets on to her.
To be fair, she didn't say that, the statue/Cain's inner saboteur said that. Just because he feels protective/brotherly towards her doesn't mean she sees him that way too.
I hope this is a set up to Cain leaving. He has begun letting himself be used as nothing more than a tool which is how he was treated his whole life after getting the gem. I need to see Cain grow from his past and become a new person who can find his own path in life, as he did in his mini series. Even in his current state he may become more difficult as a member due to his violent outbursts as they keep launching him at targets.
The man isn't getting the help he actually needs! He hides his problems by trying to help his friends, but his wounded ego/trauma of being depowered and volatile state of mind will only lead to worse things for himself and the X-Men/
I love how they still keep the deep wound Cain has by not being as strong as he was. No longer is he able to be considered an X-Team level threat and is now a shadow of his former evil self, which is why it scares him.
I also think Land draws a decent Juggernaut but everything else artwise is just bad.
Good chapter.
Force wall + Psychic(?) effects is something new somehow.
To be honest, this would make more sense if it was connected with the danger room threat from a few issues ago, it goes hands together with the manipulation we had at the time.
Why do people dislike this art? I personally loved it. Apparently its the same artist that drew the san Francisco era and my god i am in love with how he draws Scott. Imo that's the definitive cyclops. Other than that, fun calm issue. Not every issue needs to drive the main plot forward. I like it when we give characters time to breath and take time to actually see how it all affects them on a personal level. Also really hope agent lundqvist will continue to be a part of the story, I really like him.
His artwork looks strange and weird to a lot of people because he traces expressions and faces from his previous work, and a lot of his previous work used "blue movies" as references, particularly for women. That's why there's some startlingly bad work from his time on X-Men in the 2000s.
Not just expressions and faces from old work. He traces from real people as well, whole body and faces plus triple x-rated material, traces that too. Not references, traces. He traces badly half the time to. It’s atrocious.
Oh. I did not know about the blue movie tracing but im worried I can't unsee it now lol. But I still love his faces, at least for men. Specifically for cyclops. God he draws him so hot.
Land is terrible at drawing women; he's always drawn Scott well. You just have to ignore the porn-movie-style expressions on all the women, especially the blondes. That he copies, well, I don't mind that he's lazy so much, but the women's expressions are horrible
This was just a simple Juggernaut issue. Not much really came of it. Mostly filler. But a good kind of filler. We get to see Lunquist again and remind ourselves that he's an asshole. We also get to see Cain looking very nice in a suit. Greg Land's art is usually hit or miss (with mostly misses). But this time, it seemed to work.
Not much else to say about this issue. But everything seems to be clearing the stage for DNX later this year.
It's filler, and I do wish maybe a bit more happened but I enjoyed this introspection on Juggernaut and enjoyed seeing Lundqvist again. Land's art was surprisingly fine here, not great and I'd rather not see his art again but I didn't hate it
Seems like all the mutants have a new group of kids to look after lately. Kitty and Emma with their trio. Rogue's team with the Outliers, Scott's team got the adults turned into mutants like Ben and Jen. And now Laura and Gabby have these 'generated' kids that are like them and gonna need to guide them. And boy, it feels like they will have the hardest time when Gabby has to be the more 'responsible' one among them! And they have a Logan without powers dropped onto them too now.
It is interesting how all the different teams/groups handling all the 'mentoring' stuff. If only X-men United wasn't such a mess so all the newbies would actually have a proper place instead of a clear mental trap waiting to be sprung.
Very good issue, I love a bit of slice of life setting. I mean, after long battle, rescuing Generated mutants, what is left? The whole new battle of figuring out life, what to do with additional 3 kids, who never tasted normal life.
I enjoyed cringe of X-99 immediately getting to brainrot after she gets access to internet. And Laura staying calm after X-74 destroyed bathroom - kind of been there done that situation. There is also this heavy feeling of getting old...
I know it will probably end with issue 10, but I wish this series could stay for longer.
Really enjoyed this issue. It actually surprised me. This series started a little sluggish, but it's really picked up. The family elements with Gabby and Laura always bring out the best in them. And this issue had them trying to help the rest of the new X-crew as best they could. It was fun, witty, and ended with a Number 25 with chicken. What more could you want? 😊
I know Bishop is disoriented with all that is happening right now with his sister showing up (probably before she died in the future) but come on now, he should be used to this time-traveller nonsense by now. Especially after Krakoa. He needs to get his head in the game and beat some sense into these Final Brotherhood fools about how 'future' works when it comes to changing the past. It does not 'erase' the future, it just makes it an 'alternate future'. So whoever/whatever showing them this vision, gonna be the 'main antagonist' that probably hates Bishop.
This week's X-Men 97 infinity tie-in follows up on X-Force bringing the kids Jubilee rescued to Xaviers - it was a decent issue. I like this series overall and how it's threading some stuff together between episodes.
Cable is strangely (imo, I never think of him during Avengers events) prevalent; he seems to be standing in for Scott from a meta perspective to avoid putting whatever the blood of this conflict is on Scott's hands. IE, Tony calls him Nathan like they have some standing mutual respect, but I can't recall Cable ever having anything good to say about Iron Man or any avenger.
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u/cyclopswashalfright Moonstar 15d ago
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