Cable 25 - A Walk on the Wild/Lighter Side

With Second Coming in full swing it couldn't be more serious in the X-books. The fate of the mutant race is on the line. Hope has returned from the future with Cable. There's no room for joking around, humor, or so much as a smile. So it comes as quite a surprise for a book like Cable 25 to come out, which is as heavy on laughs as it is on humor.

For anyone who hasn't been following the X-books up to Second Coming, it doesn't matter. This book takes place way back during Messiah Complex before the X-men even moved to San Francisco. It answered a burning question and gaping plot hole that had been lingering for years. How did Cable get to baby Hope before the X-men and the Purifiers? This one-shot answers that plain and simply. He had help from his old pal Deadpool and the results are both serious and hilarious.

Deadpool is one of those characters who can make even the most grave of situations something ot laugh about. He came into this comic helping Cable save Hope from being burned alive along with a whole host of other babies. Yet he finds room to make a Sarah Palin joke in the process. For anybody looking for a little something less depressing it's definitely welcome. Who doesn't love a good Palin joke in the midst of slaughtering a bunch of heartless baby killers?

This issue goes a step further. It shows how Deadpool helped Cable get away from the Purifiers before anyone could find out he was the one with the baby. They survived in the Alaskan wilderness and fought off a hungry Predator X in the process, which Deadpool made all the more entertaining and grotesque by allowing himself to be eaten (that's not an exaggeration by the way). It was full of action and the same witty humor readers have come to expect from Deadpool, but at the same time it had the right levels of drama that went along with Messiah Complex. It's very difficult to strike that kind of balance in a comic that plays a serious role in the plot of the trilogy. For there to be just the right humor and just the right amount of drama is nothing short of uncanny and it makes this book truly special in that regard.

It ends with Cable and Deadpool parting ways once again, leaving Deadpool to go off on his own series (which he even hints at with his 4th wall breaking awesomeness) and Cable to go into the future with Hope. It ties things together nicely, but at the same time the separation was a bit contrived. It felt as though Cable and Deadpool separated just so it would fit into what happened later with Messiah Complex. It wasn't blatant, but it wasn't very subtle either. If there was one knock on this book, it was this seemingly overt twist. It doesn't bring the whole thing down, but it does make it a little bit bland in the end.

Overall, it's still a solid comic. It earns itself a 4 out of 5 for doing all the right things, striking the right balance, and being damn entertaining in the process. Some have argued that Deadpool has been too overexposed in wake of Messiah Complex. This comic proves there can be no such thing with a character as awesome as him. If anything, it necessitates more Deadpool after Second Coming! He can only make the X-books more awesome.

The Final Second Coming Teaser (For Now)

Well, Marvel has finally come full circle. The last of the Second Coming teasers was released earlier today.

All Will Unite

No, it's not referring to the second X-men movie. It's referring to Second Coming, but you would be forgiven for making that mistake. It does seem to have a similar theme. But hey, the second X-men movie was actually good (the last dose of awesomeness before Ratner destroyed it). If they're going to lift anything from another source, it might as well be awesome.

So the final message says as follows:

One will sacrifice...
One will lead...
One will die...
One will rise...
All will unite.

You could practically put it in a Hallmark Greeting Card and send one to every X-men fan and they should be able to get the gist of it. So the Messiah Trilogy is finally set to come to an end and these teasers have made some ominous hints. They've implied that there will be a power struggle between Magneto, Cyclops, and Emma. They implied that a major character will die (whether they'll stay dead, however, is another matter). They imply someone will rise and in the X-universe the only being famous for that is the Phoenix. So it would be quite an oversight if that wasn't at least mentioned (and Jean Grey as well, but that's a long shot considering how much the X-staff seems to hate her). In the end it's supposed to unite mutants even as they stand on the path to extinction. That doesn't exactly seem to fit with the very gloomy references mentioned in the recent X-Solicitations for May 2010. There appears to be a lot of doom and gloom through much of this event. Unless Marvel is now partnered with Prozac as well as Disney, there better be some uplifiting news in the June Solicitations.

But what form could it take? The premise is all centered on Hope. The X-men have been holding out for her and are hoping she can finally fulfill her destiny. But what that destiny is hasn't been revealed and some seem to want to guide it down a certain path. Magneto certainly seems to have his own agenda as he always does. Then there's Bastion, who appears to be the main bad guy here. Although I have to admit I think they could do better. Bastion never struck me as a villain on the same level as Sinister or Apocalypse. I suppose since they already used up all the big villains they're tapping the bottom of the bin. Can he measure up? Only time will tell.

Whatever the case it does not appear that there are any long term plans for Hope. Either she's going to die at the end of this or she'll become marginalized in some way. I still want to believe she'll lead to the return of Jean Grey, but as Marvel has shown previously they really don't care for her and will do everything they can to resist bringing her back. Plus, the idea of another redhead just seems to sicken them so I have little hope for Hope. If and when she does have to make that sacrifice, it better be drenched in awesomeness to make it worth while.

Second Coming is shaping up to be a big event, looking to draw together everything since M-Day. It's a tall order. A lot of loose ends have yet to be resolved. Will all of them be addressed? We can only Hope. And yes that pun was intended.

Second Coming Teasers and Red Herrings

More teasing has emerged from Marvel regarding Second Coming. This time the tag is "One Will Sacrifice..." As if that has ever been a good sign in X-men comics. It hasn't since the Phoenix Saga and it seems that ever since then the writers have been trying to chase the power of that moment the way crack heads chase their first high. Somebody may want to get these guys into rehab because it sounds like they're pushing it.

It's no secret they're looking to kill someone here. One has to wonder if they're just doing it for the sake of doing it. As if the death of a character automatically makes a story more powerful. It can, but only if done right. I haven't had any confidence in Marvel doing deaths right since they killed Psylocke. So I have little doubt this little gag will give readers plenty to complain about. But perhaps I'm speaking with too much bitterness. Perhaps I should be a bit more hopeful.

I'm seriously trying, but I'm not sure who they could kill here. I suspected early on that Cable would be the one to bite it and that would make a lot of sense. He's gone out of his way to raise and protect Hope. Him making the ultimate sacrifice for her would be fitting and powerful. Unfortunately, that just makes too much sense. Now it seems they're going to try another angle. It's doubtful they'll do anything with Wolverine and X-23, but Domino could be on the chopping block. She was a love interest for Cable for a while. If he doesn't make it, she would be a fitting replacement. There's also Josh Foley, who hasn't had too many big roles and could be considered expendable. Then there's Warpath, who could end up following the same fate as his brother.

There's also always a chance Marvel will do something completely unexpected so they can make the readers gasp for a moment. Shock tactics are a favorite of writers sometimes for better or for worse. More often then not they're like a quick snort of cocaine. It hits you hard, but it quickly wears off. Really long term impact comes with depth and that's not easy to do no matter how good a writer you are. That being said, Marvel has their work cut out for them. As a lifelong fanboy, I'll always give them the benefit of the doubt. I've been jaded by teases like this before, but I still have hope! Here's to you, Marvel! Make us all proud to be comic geeks!

Excelsior!

Uncanny 522 Mystery Revealed - Kitty Pryde is Back!

Well Marvel didn't make everyone wait until March to see who the mystery girl was on the Uncanny 522 cover. Today they officially revealed who would be returning. Jean Grey fans will once again be disappointed and distraught (as they so often are as a result of such teasing), but fans of Kitty Pryde will be elated.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24384

It's official. Kitty Pryde is returning in Uncanny 522. So my hunch that it was the Scarlet Witch was wrong. In this case I'm glad I was wrong. I would much prefer seeing Kitty Pryde return over the Scarlet Witch. Kitty Pryde is one of those rare characters who can really carry a story. In Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-men run she really shined. She was the perfect foil for characters like Emma Frost while also showing a toughness that even someone like Wolverine can respect. Her relationship with Colossus has always made for great drama as well. They took some major steps in Astonishing and it was a shame when she was sent away in the end. Now that she's coming back, those stories that began in Astonishing can continue in Uncanny.

It seems to make sense that Kitty would be coming back around this time. This coincides with her being mentioned in recent issues of SWORD. When she does return she will most likely go to wherever the rest of the team is and at the moment, pretty much every element of the X-men is taking place on Utopia. Not only is Colossus there, but so is Magneto, Namor, and Emma Frost. These are all people she can clash with. She also has the toughness to be involved in X-Force. The possibilities are endless! On top of it all, she comes back just in time for the beginning of Second Coming. Her presence could only increase the story's awesomeness factor.

While I am glad to get Kitty Pryde back in 616, a part of me still wishes that Jean Grey were the one returning. But if she was going to come back, it makes more sense that she would come back in a story like Second Coming. Writers and editors alike (including notorius Jean-haters, Matt Fraction and Joe Quesada), have been dropping hints about her having a connection to Hope Summers, the mutant messiah from Messiah Complex. In a recent issue of Cable, Hope even showed the Phoenix emblem in her eyes while demonstrating telekinetic abilities. This on top of having red hair and green eyes makes it pretty telling. In that sense it wouldn't work if Jean came back in 522 because what would that do for Hope? How would these hints be reconciled?

The hints about Hope and Jean having a connection are abundent and since Hope is in the middle of her own Homecoming story, it works better of Jean doesn't return in 522. I know a lot of Jean fans would probably disagree, but on a purely logistical level it makes more sense. Now there is the potential for 616 to have both Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde back into the fold. Could the awesomeness potential be any greater?

But still, Marvel isn't above making Second Coming yet another tease for Jean fans. By the end of it all there could be no Jean return and Hope could either be killed off or turned into a psuedo-Jean, much like Rachel is. This will offer no condolences to the fans nor will it add much potential, adding yet another Jean look-a-like into the story. But Marvel, particularly Fraction and Quesada, have been adament in their portrayal of Jean. They do not like her because she came back when she should have and she can upset things with Emma Frost. For that reason, I'm deeply skeptical they'll bring her back in Second Coming. I don't want to be, but I'll have to wait to be proven wrong (and I hope I am).

Until then, Kitty Pryde will help. But the sheer awesomeness that she and Jean Grey would bring to the table is just too enticing. Please Marvel? Do the right thing! Do not keep from us the gift of such awesomeness!