Uncanny X-Men #173

"To Have and Have Not"
Published September 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul Smith
Inker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
After the X-Men were poisoned last issue, the last two X-Men standing (Wolverine and Rogue) go looking for Viper and Silver Samurai.  They dutifully track down the only clues they have, only to find that they have been tricked, and that they have been led on a wild goose chase on the other side of town, leaving Mariko and the X-Men relatively defenseless.  Rogue and Wolvie rush back to the hospital just in time; Rogue fights off the ninjas while Wolverine defeats Silver Samurai in a one-on-one fight.  Lady Mariko stops Wolverine from landing a killing blow, but this puts her within the reach of Viper; as Silver Samurai collapses in defeat at his mistress' feet, she shoots a ray gun at Mariko.  Luckily, Rogue arrives in time to test her invulnerability, as she shields Wolverine and Mariko from the gun with her own body.  Viper's gun overloads and explodes, so she is forced to teleport away with Silver Samurai to fight another day.  Rogue was seriously injured, but Wolverine kisses her to lend her his healing ability.  A week later, the wedding ceremony of Wolverine and Mariko is stopped by Mariko herself; she calls the wedding off, explaining that Wolverine is simply "not worthy."  The last page hints that Mariko may have been under mind control at the wedding.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Storm and Yukio are wandering through Tokyo at night, the worse for wear after their fight with Viper and Silver Samurai at the warehouse last issue.  They are apparently far away from the hospital where the X-Men are, and no one will give them sanctuary to rest.  Unfortunately, street gangs in the area are not being very polite to them, and they will have to fight their way across town.  Storm seems to be embracing Yukio's daredevil attitude.

Maybe Storm's distressed and brittle hair will lead her to change her hairstyle?

- Wolverine doesn't like or trust Rogue at the start of this issue, but he seems to have fully accepted her after she nearly sacrificed his life for Mariko.

- Storm got a mohawk and a leather outfit, just in time for the wedding.

With any luck, this will end the sub-plot of Storm losing control of her weather powers because...um...punk rock haircut, I guess.  Kitty is very upset with Ororo's transformation. 

- Cyclops uses the wedding to introduce Madelyne Pryor to the X-Men.  Storm's reaction was an obvious double-take, while Lilandra pulled out a light sabre (or something similar) to try and kill her.  Apparently, Cyclops chose not to warn any of his friends that Madelyne is the spitting image of Jean Grey.

- In the clearest expression of his fears to date, Cyclops fears that Madelyne may be the reincarnation of Jean Grey.

- The final page hints that Mastermind may be the villain behind Mariko breaking up the wedding.  It is uncertain if he is responsible for more...

Writing!
This might be one of my all-time favorite single issues of Uncanny X-Men.  I love Rogue earning Wolverine's trust through self-sacrifice, I love the interactions before the wedding, and the fight scenes are all pretty great.

Upon re-reading this story, though, I was struck by some logical inconsistencies in Storm's sub-plot, but there was nothing plot-breaking there.  I am curious as to the whole Oyabun sub-plot; I guess we're supposed to assume that Mastermind teamed up with Viper and Silver Samurai to pose as the Oyabun to eventually lead Wolverine and Rogue on a wild-goose chase --- but shouldn't Viper's forces have attacked Mariko's guards at the hospital much earlier?  There is no good reason for Rogue and Wolvie to return in time to save anyone.  Aside from that, this is another strong issue from Claremont.

Art!
As much as I appreciate Paul Smith's work with character moments, I have to say that he does make a pretty action sequence.  While this issue's fight between Wolverine and Silver Samurai may be a little reminiscent of Frank Miller's wordless fight between Wolverine and Ogun in Wolverine #4, I still like it.  It makes the Samurai look very formidable, something I don't think is ever truly conveyed again after this.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Wolverine's guest list: I understand inviting Cyclops and a plus-one, and the Starjammers have helped the X-Men a few times, so that explains Corsair's invite (although not the absence of the rest of their team, especially since Nightcrawler isn't using an image-inducer).  I don't get inviting Havok and Polaris, who I am pretty sure have not had any pleasant scenes with Wolverine to date.  And if they're getting an invitation, why not Banshee or the other original X-Men or the New Mutants?  Why not Alpha Flight?  Granted, not everyone can attend a destination wedding, but Wolvie's guest list is just the current X-Men roster and the Summers clan.  I'm going to assume this is because, at this point in his publication history, Wolverine has not been connected to every damn character in the Marvel Universe yet.

- How hilarious is it that Cyclops didn't warn anyone about Madelyne's appearance, even though he wasn't shocked by Lilandra's attempt to use lethal force against her?  If there has ever been a hint that Cyclops will not do a good job protecting Madelyne, it's here.

- What, exactly, is Storm's timeline in this story?  She survives a poisoning and shows up to fight the Silver Samurai with Yukio, although the logic for that didn't make a bunch of sense last issue.  Following that, she never makes it back to the hospital, where her friends are close to death.  Mariko made it back with plenty of time, but Storm missed the entire fight, despite having the same starting point.  And then, ten days later, she shows up to Wolverine's wedding with a punk rawk makeover?  An important question is not being asked here: what has happened in the last ten days?  Has Storm been missing all that time?  Did she return to the hospital eventually, and just decide she needed a mohawk right before the wedding?  I think there's an interesting story being completely ignored here.

- Colossus handles the replies to the letter section this issue.

The highlight of this is an extended Q and A session, where he explains that Binary's powers (and code name) are derived from a white hole, from which she gets her powers.  Which was mentioned when...?

Worth Noting:
Check out John Byrne's contribution to the monthly Bullpen Bulletins section:

I think it's funny that he opted to have the X-Men (among his most popular work to date) with their backs to the "camera," but he prominently displayed his current projects, Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight.  Am I imagining things?  Maybe, but even Iron Fist and Power Man have more prominent positioning that the X-Men!

Daredevils #8

"Arrivals"
Published August 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
The big fight from last issue continues for a bit before the Special Executive decide to escape with Captain Britain and Saturnyne.  They return to Braddock Manor just in time for Captain UK (the cowardly Linda from last issue) to arrive and imply that the fate of Earth 238 --- the reality where all the superheroes have been hunted down and murdered --- is impending for this  reality, too.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The Fury has reached Earth 616 (barely) and has tracked down Captain UK.  Luckily for her, she has the good sense to follow her own instincts and go to Braddock Manor for help.  Meanwhile, the Fury is repairing itself until it is strong enough to continue its mission to kill Captain Britain (and, presumably, all the other super heroes).

- Lord Mandragon is not at all upset that Saturnyne has escaped.  In fact, her escape makes him the default successor to her title of Omniversal Somethingorother.  His plan to secure his position is to determine what reality she has escaped to and then destroy that entire universe.

- Tom, Betsy Braddock's boyfriend, doesn't want to live in Braddock Manor any more.  It's just too weird and dangerous for him.

- Captain Britain seems to be getting tired of his hectic and dangerous lifestyle.  I don't know if this will come up again later, but it's an interesting plot seed.

Writing!
Like last issue, Alan Moore distracts from the (relatively) slow pace by punching up the humor.  The Wardog joke was okay:

...and the Cobweb gag was a little better:

...but I genuinely enjoyed this moment of clarity by Captain Britain:

Aside from the humor, I think it is worth mentioning that Alan Moore has established three very credible imminent threats in this issue.  There is the impending doom that may be set into motion by the Jim Jaspers of Earth 616, the dimension-destroying ambition of Lord Mandragon, and the viciousness of the Fury.  This is all building to a head quite nicely.

Art!
Most of the issue shows off Alan Davis' talent for capturing humor, which is an uncommon talent in the industry.  In what is quickly becoming typical for this run, he balances that character-based work with a good dose of action. 

Retrospectively Amusing:

- Remember that sophisticated hologram to convince people that Braddock Manor is rubble?  Apparently, that didn't give Captain UK a problem when she came to visit.  I also like that the doorbell ringing didn't surprise anyone, despite the whole hologram thing.  I wonder if that detail is going to be dropped now?

New Mutants (Vol. 1) #6

"Road Warriors!"
Published August 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inkers: Armando Gil, John Tartaglione
Cover: Bob McLeod

What's Going On?
Picking up from where last issue left off, Team America learns to work together as a team, en route to the AIM facility that Viper wants them to steal something from.  Professor Xavier coaches them, telepathically, from afar.  They manage to steal the McGuffin, but it doesn't really matter, since the New Mutants have taken the fight to Viper.

The issue begins with the New Mutants breaking into the home of Nguyen Ngoc Coy, the self-styled kingpin of the San Francisco underworld and uncle to Karma.  The idea is to force General Coy to give them information on Viper, which will help them rescue Dani.  Unfortunately, the General realized that the New Mutants wouldn't actually kill him; instead, he offers the information they seek for a price --- Karma must work for him for a year.  With this knowledge, the team attacks Viper's base.  Just when victory seems to be within their reach, though, the Silver Samurai and Viper teleport away.  While the team applauds themselves on a job well done (assuming that Wolfsbane's injuries are not serious, that is), Viper instructs the Silver Samurai to hit the self-destruct button for the compound.  The building explodes, with the New Mutants inside!  Cliffhanger!

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- While in captivity, Dani laments how often her mutant powers seem useless.

- Karma agrees to serve her uncle, in a criminal capacity.  No mention is made of her two younger siblings, who depend on her.  This is the same job she risked her life to avoid taking, back in her first appearance (Marvel Team-Up #100).

- Silver Samurai is upset that his father, Shingen Yashida, has died and left him without an inheritance.  Why he is bringing this up, abruptly, roughly ten weeks after his father's death, I do not know.  Nevertheless, he and Viper agree to attack Mariko Yashida and her fiance, Wolverine, as soon as they are done with this mission.  This is picked up in Uncanny X-Men #172. 

- Xavier suffers a crippling psychic attack while monitoring Team America.  Its source is unknown, although Xavier is somehow able to identify that it came from a mutant, one he believes is just manifesting its ability.  UPDATE 05/25/2016: I stumbled across some info on SuperMegaMonkey that provides some insight into this scene.  According to a fanzine (Amazing Heroes #39, the 1984 preview issue that I cannot find any screenshots of), Claremont was planning a second New Mutants graphic novel with Bob McLeod, and the mutant Xavier sensed here was supposed to show up in the graphic novel. 

- During and after the attack on Viper's stronghold, Karma is taunted by a malevolent psychic voice.  It claims that it will possess her, body and soul, and use her as a weapon against Xavier. 

Writing!
I hope you don't like  logic, because this issue is completely devoid of it.  Remember that time when Xavier decided that the New Mutants shouldn't try to attack a terrorist, and instead should wait for the X-Men to arrive to save the day?  And to buy the X-Men time, Xavier helps Team America steal the thing that the terrorist wants?  Yeah, that was last issue.  Now, Xavier is well-aware of the New Mutants' plan to attack Viper's base --- in fact, he's planning on it!  The X-Men aren't mentioned once in this issue, so I guess waiting for them (Where are they, anyway?  It can't be Japan, because the Silver Samurai is there when they arrive, and that story takes place after this one.  Maybe they were busy packing for Japan?) was forgotten about.  Now, if the New Mutants are going to be attacking Viper's base, it makes Team America's task --- which was essentially just a stall for more time --- completely irrelevant.  Sure, you can argue that the New Mutants were supposed to check-in with Xavier before attacking (but after infiltrating?  Um, okay, sure.  Whatever), but that ignores the fact that they were there in the first place.  Were they supposed to wait until Team America delivered the McGuffin, and attack only if Viper didn't free Dani?  Then why get in place hours before Team America could have shown up?  Ugh.  I hope the stories get better, now that this Team America tie-in is over.

Art!
Woof.  This is an ugly issue.  I'm not a big fan of Sal Buscema in general, but this issue obviously needed more TLC.  On the bright side, the characters are all very expressive.  On the other hand, those expressions were all pretty ugly, and their expressions don't always match up with the dialogue.  Check out the first panel here, where the team is getting berated, but everyone is all smiles:

The fact that this is there are multiple inkers credited implies that this issue had to be rushed to meet its deadline.  That doesn't make it pretty, though.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- Looks like Team America doesn't rate a mention on the cover, for the second straight month.  BEST.  GUEST APPEARANCE.  EVER.

- I love how the team breaks into General Coy's penthouse.  Sunspot could have easily just forced the door open, but instead he shatters the door to splinters while Cannonball breaks through the ceiling.

- General Coy's bodyguards are very...intimidating.  They don't at all look like disco prostitutes.

- When stealing the McGuffin from the AIM facility, a member of Team America says this:

What is he holding them off with?  I don't see a gun.

- When the AIM facility explodes, two members of Team America are inside it.  Neither is injured, and the only explanation given is that the McGuffin they stole must have protected them; this is never brought up again.  Um.  Okay.  I guess that's better than "the artist and writer were not on the same page."

- Yet again, a female member if the team is beaten by a man, with ease.  This time, it is Wolfsbane (again), and she has once again been dispatched, off-panel.

- The entire Team America subplot winds up being irrelevant.  Their search for a McGuffin never plays an important part in this story, aside from keeping Xavier from preventing Xi'an from promisng to work for her evil uncle.  Hell, even that subplot winds up being irrelevant after next issue.  Good writing, Claremont.

Worth Noting:
- Karma's mutant powers seem to have become more powerful.  She is seen possessing multiple people multiple times in this issue.

- Wolfsbane apparently has a healing ability.  I guess it's supposed to be a side-effect of her lupine abilities (why would a wolf or a werewolf heal faster than normal people?), but it apparently is still effective when she is in human form.

"Good, now we can stop caring!"

Uncanny X-Men #172

"Scarlet in Glory"
Published August 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Paul SmithInker: Bob Wiacek

What's Going On?
The X-Men arrive in Japan to celebrate Wolverine's wedding in a few days time.  Wolverine is rude to his new teammate, Rogue, because of his friendship to her former victim, Carol Danvers.  Nonetheless, Wolverine's fiance, Mariko, welcomes Rogue without reserve.  Meanwhile, the Silver Samurai is observing the team's reunion from across the street, deciding when he should attack.  However, Yukio is watching Silver Samurai watch Logan and friends; she decides to attack the Samurai on the rooftops.  This gets Wolverine's attention (through his enhanced hearing, naturally), and the X-Men join the fray.  In the ensuing scuffle, Silver Samurai teleports away and Yukio meets Storm briefly.


After all that excitement, Mariko quietly prepares for a meeting with the Silver Samurai; it turns out that he is her half-brother and he wants to be the head of the Clan Yoshida.  While Mariko sneaks away for the meeting (not realizing that her chauffeur for the evening has been replaced by Yukio), Viper infiltrates Mariko's home and poisons the X-Men's tea, felling the entire group, except for Storm (who was too busy talking to drink hers).  At the meeting-place, Yukio takes Mariko's place and tells off the Samurai; it is apparent that he will kill Mariko if she does not abdicate her family's organization to him.  Yukio takes on Silver Samurai while Storm (who apparently also drove with Yukio and Mariko to the meeting place) takes care of Viper; after knocking Viper out, Storm attempts to help subdue the Silver Samurai, but she loses control of her lightning powers and sets the entire warehouse on fire.  The Samurai escapes with Viper (after promising revenge against Storm and Yukio, naturally) and Yukio escapes with Storm.

The issue ends with Wolverine recovering enough (but far from completely) to leave the hospital, determined to take the fight to the Silver Samurai and Viper.  Rogue offers to help, since she also healed quickly; Wolverine initially refuses her help because he hates her, but he eventually relents, acknowledging that he will need help.

Sub-Plots, oh the sub-Plots!
- Wolverine does not like the fact that Rogue has joined the X-Men.  Storm states that Rogue is a member of the team, but does not go so far as to actually defend her.  Wolverine thinks to himself that he will "never forget.  Or forgive" what she did to Carol Danvers.  Let's see how often he mentions Carol and Rogue after this storyline.

- Storm's control over the elements has been increasingly poor of late.  This is the worst display of that loss of control to date, although her understanding of the problem remains opaque to the audience; she explains that control of her powers requires inner peace, and implies that recent emotional stress (caused by what?) has led to her losing control of her powers.  She then follows it up with "the death of my soul is infinitely preferable to the alternative" explanation for her loss of control.  What the alternative is is left unexplained.


- The Oyabun, Nabatone Yokuse, has a panel where he observes Storm struggling with her powers, trying to not kill the Silver Samurai with lightning, and thinks to himself: "Splendid, mutant.  You have done precisely what I expected of you.  My trap is sprung --- your fate is sealed."  The Oyabun is not seen after the warehouse fire, so what this means is left unexplained.

- The fire at the warehouse takes the shape of a Phoenix.  Yukio and Storm witness this, so it is apparently not a hallucination...or is it?

- In Alaska, Havok confronts Cyclops as Scott is looking into the personnel file for Madelyne Pryor.  Alex argues that Scott is being self destructive and that he should take Madelyne's similarities to Jean Grey as coincidences.  Scott cannot let that go, though; he has discovered that Madelyne survived a plane crash at the exact same moment Jean grey died on the moon.

Writing!
This issue is basically two issues worth of plot squeezed into one.  I'm not saying that because so much happens in this issue (although it is a busy one); I am saying that because so many parts of this issue feel like they are missing a few pages of explanation.  Want proof?

•  - The Samurai is about to attack the X-Men at the beginning of the issue, but as soon as he comes face-to-face with them, he teleports away without fighting any of them.  So, the whole point of him spying on the X-Men  and preparing to attack them was...what?  You can argue that this is evidence that the Silver Samurai is cowardly, but that has never been a character trait for him.
• - Between scenes, Yukio gets Storm to help her protect Mariko.  How does she do this?  By calling Storm on the phone.  Of course, this happens after the X-Men have been poisoned; since the team winds up at the hospital, it is natural to assume that Storm accompanied the team there.  So where did Yukio and Mariko (neither of whom appeared to know about the poisoning) reach her? 
• - Mariko, who purposely avoided involving the X-Men in her meeting with Silver Samurai, agreed to let Storm and Yukio come with.  She even agreed to let Yukio pose as her!  You can argue that they did this for Mariko's protection, but if that was their purpose, then they probably should not have left her in the car, right outside the meeting spot.  And what was Storm's part in the plan?  To protect Mariko?  Again, that location is a poor choice.  If the meeting was important enough for Mariko to show up to, but dangerous enough to warrant protection, then why not simply have Yukio and Storm accompany her to the meeting openly, as bodyguards?  More to the point, what changed Mariko's mind to change from having zero protection to having a doppelganger and a fantastically powered mutant protecting her?

Despite all of those problems, this issue does effectively set the stage for a trio of duos next issue.  Wolverine and Rogue will go after Silver Samurai; Silver Samurai and Viper will go after Mariko; and Storm and Yukio will presumably do something, because they didn't seem too injured after the fire.

Art!
Paul Smith is still going strong with this issue.  I think my favorite scene is Storm's lightning freak-out:

Keep in mind that Magma has not been introduced yet in the pages of The New Mutants, so this was a pretty unique visual at the time.  As much as I enjoy flashy scenes like this one, Smith is at his best when he's being subtle.  Check out the unspoken connection he establishes between Mariko and Rogue:

They're both being painfully polite and are probably nervous (for different reasons), and this shot makes the Mariko's courtesy toward Rogue feel so much more natural than if it was just established in the dialogue.

Here's another subtle background scene:

A few panels before, this scene was drawn from a perspective set to Rogue's right; in that panel, it was clear where everyone was sitting, but the lack of perspective hid how far away Rogue was from the rest of the team.  Here is a nice reminder of her outsider status within this group of outsiders.

Smith also displays some of the storytelling fundamentals that he is so good at.  Here is some sequential art that does a very effective job telling a story:

Paul Smith has always shown strong storytelling skills (particularly in Storm's battle with Callisto back in Uncanny #170), so this is no surprise.  Still, it's a treat to read.

This issue is not flawless, though.  I still can't make out what the "standard" look for Yukio is supposed to be.  It must be tough adapting a character that has only been drawn by one artist (Frank Miller) with a very distinct style.  Still, there are some panels where she definitely looks like a grotesque elf, rather than a person.

Restrospectively Amusing:
- This story (published in August 1983) takes place right after New Mutants (Vol. 1) #5-7 (which will finish up in September 1983), and ten weeks after Wolverine (Vol. 1) #4 (which was published in December 1982).  The balance between comic publishing schedules and the demand for continuity sometimes makes for odd timetables.

- Kitty's naivety really comes and goes.  I love how surprised she was that Wolverine killed Lord Shingen.  Keep in mind that this is only a few issues after Wolverine was going to murder his teammates to keep them from turning into the Brood.

- Rogue explains that she healed fast from the poison due to being "half-alien."  This is apparently a reference to how she absorbed the memories and abilities of Carol Danvers, but it is (as far as I know) the only time she ever claims to have absorbed Carol's part-alien physiology.  I'm going to go ahead and say that is explanation is blatantly incorrect.  If you're feeling generous, you can argue that Rogue misspoke and meant to say that her nigh-invulnerability (which she absorbed from Carol) makes her resistant to toxins, which makes a little more sense.  Maybe Rogue just isn't too bright; if she had a clear understanding of her powers, she wouldn't need the X-Men's help, would she?

- Yukio still uses "Gotcha" as a catch phrase.  *Sigh*

- The Silver Samurai swears to kill Storm and Yukio, as soon as he kills Mariko.  To the best of my knowledge, this is never referred to again.

- After several months without one, the fan letters page returns --- with Kitty Pryde acting as a guest host, answering that month's mail.  The first letter (which may have been a prank --- it's hard to tell in retrospect) is from Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter, threatening to become a "killer vampire pervert" if the letter page is not reinstated.  Um.  What?

Worth Noting:
- This is the first time Silver Samurai and Wolverine are portrayed as enemies.  This is a big deal for Samurai, as this relationship more or less defines his character from now on.

Everything 80s:
- The back cover is an ad for the Intellivision version of Frogger, which has "all the enhanced, colorful graphics Intellivision is famous for."  Man, the past was awful.

Daredevils #7

"Rough Justice"
Published July 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
At her trial, Saturnyne explains what happened on Jim Jaspers' world (Earth 238), and justifies her abandonment of Captain Britain in that warped reality; she saw that the Fury was indestructible, so she retreated and saved as many lives as she could.  This explanation is not good enough for the judge, Mandragon, though.  Unfortunately for Saturnyne, he has prevented her Avant Guard underlings from testifying.  That leaves only Captain Britain to corroborate her story; Mandragon discredits him by suggesting that Saturnyne and CapBrit are lovers and that he will lie to save her life.  Predictably, this leads to Captain Britain punching things, and the trial gets out of hand from there; Mandragon sentences Saturnyne to death, while the Special Executive decide to help Captain Britain brawl with the bailiffs.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- We are finally treated to the story behind the mysterious woman from issue #2.  Her name is Linda, and she is from Earth 238, like Jim Jaspers and the Fury; she was that world's version of Captain Britain.  During a nightmare/flashback sequence, we see the Fury massacre her world's superheroes in quick succession.  Linda was spared at the last moment by her boyfriend, who managed to transport her to our reality.  I suppose watching one Captain Britain escape him at the last moment might help explain why the Fury has such a boner for hunting and killing our CapBrit.

- Captain Britain's reality (Earth 616) has a Jim Jaspers in it, and he is calling for superhero legislation, just like his counterpart did on Earth 238.  Uh-oh.

Writing!
The further I get into this run, the more I find myself enjoying it.  This is another issue that could have felt like the plot was only inching along, but it is just varied (and fun) enough for that not to matter.  At a glance, the intentionally one-sided trial of Sautrnyne is not very interesting, but balancing that obviousness with a massive brawl and the reluctance of Wardog to participate was a nice choice. 

Even better was the wholesale slaughter of the superheroes of Earth 238.  These throwaway characters could have just been analogues to more famous characters (and, okay, some of them definitely were), but they were colorful and odd.  Something about those characters --- particularly the robot, Andy --- just makes me smile and piques my interest.  Too bad they're all dead now.


Art!
Given how good Alan Moore is with facial expressions and comedic moments, I sometimes forget how effective his action scenes can be.  The Fury's attack really gives him an opportunity to flex his violent creativity.  Here we have three different deaths on a single page, all different from each other:

  

I like Davis' choice to keep the figure of the Fury ill-defined in this sequence.  The character has been seen clearly a number of times by now, but shrouding it in these panels places the focus more on the horror of the deaths than the empowerment of the killer.  It may seem like a small choice, but I think it pays huge dividends.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- In case you were wondering, the trial announcer was a reference to British television host Terry Wogan.  I don't know much about him, but let's just assume he's analogous to Dick Clark or Ryan Seacrest, which makes him being squished by a giant robot foot far more amusing.

- I love how cowardly Linda is as her dimension's Captain Britain.  I imagine that this is to give her a redemption character arc, but she is hilariously useless and whiny in this issue's flashback.

Worth Noting:
- This issue slyly references Marvelman (which Alan Moore was writing at the time, and which Alan Davis was drawing around this period), which was under legal dispute with Marvel Comics at the time, regarding the character's name.  This is the first time the character was referred to as "Miracleman."

And while he is not specifically named, Linda's boyfriend, Rick, is definitely wearing Kid Miracleman's costume. 

- This is the first reference to the Marvel Universe as "Earth 616."  It's not a huge deal, since it is primarily used online to differentiate between alternate reality versions of characters and in comics where the characters visit multiple realities, but I've always liked the term.  I just think it's clever to give the "prime" reality a number that implies that it is inconsequential in the larger scheme of things.  I suppose it was originally just intended for the Marvel UK Universe, but when that started being assimilated into American comics (mostly by Chris Claremont), I guess it was broadened to mean all of Marvel comics.

A Look Back on Bob McLeod's New Mutants Run

Modern commission via http://www.bobmcleod.com/

As co-creator of the New Mutants with Chris Claremont, Bob McLeod played an important part in the X-Men mythos.  If nothing else, he helped design Cannonball, Karma, Psyche, Sunspot, and Wolfsbane; collectively, that group includes two future Avengers, four future members of X-Force, a member of X-Factor, a leader of the Hellfire Club, an agent of SHIELD, a mutant terrorist, and a Valkyrie.  Clearly, the characters have grown to have a sizable impact on the Marvel Universe.  A broader perspective would also indicate that McLeod helped bring about the X-Men as a franchise, instead of just a single comic title.

Modern commission via http://www.bobmcleod.com/

Despite the historical impact of McLeod's run, it was surprisingly short.  He pencilled and inked the graphic novel and three issues, and inked two others.  According to interviews, McLeod blamed his short time on the title on a combination of deadline difficulties and problems with Claremont's scripts.  Instead of having the full script treatments that Claremont is known for --- a script that would plan out every panel of every page --- McLeod received "detailed plots" from the writer that were about 40 pages long for a 22-page story.  So, take a book that was already having problems meeting the deadlines, give it a an artist doing two jobs, and then make him take a lot of extra time to figure out what he is supposed to draw, and you have one seriously stressed-out Bob McLeod.  Fun fact: it appears that the Team America crossover was the breaking point for McLeod, because he got tired of doing what he considered "crap."

Vintage 1983 art via http://www.bobmcleod.com/

From a story impact, McLeod's run was uneventful.  Aside from introducing the team and playing a small part in the Brood storyline, these stories aren't particularly good or important.  That's not necessarily McLeod's fault, since Chris Claremont was writing the title, but it's an unfortunate legacy for a co-creator.  Before reviewing these issues, I didn't particularly care for McLeod's art, but I've grown to appreciate it now, especially his inking; I am still amazed at how much his inked work over Sal Buscema's rough style actually looked like McLeod pencilled it himself.

It's not all fantastic, granted.  McLeod was at his best in casual, character-based scenes.  His action scenes are sometimes laid out awkwardly, and his faces occasionally looked grotesque.  Still, McLeod provided artwork that made these five team members look and feel like distinct individuals of different shapes and sizes --- something that would prove difficult for future New Mutants artists to pull off.

New Mutants (Vol. 1) #5

"Heroes"
Published July 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Bob McLeod
Cover: Armando Gil

What's Going On?
The New Mutants go on a trip to the town fair with Stevie Hunter, which has typical fair stuff: cotton candy, a Ferris wheel, target practice, airplane rides (?), and a peep show (?!?!).  At the fair, the kids watch Team America perform sweet-ass dirt bike stunts for the crowd.  Unfortunately, the show is interrupted by armed thugs that attack Team America, because that is the sort of thing that happens to stunt bike riders.  Not being ones to sit out a fight, the New Mutants do what they can to even the odds; they do pretty well, until the Silver Samurai steps in and kicks ass.

All this trouble leads to the appearance of the mysterious Dark Rider --- exactly as the bad guys have planned.  The Silver Samurai destroys the Dark Rider's motorcycle and captures the Rider, who turns out to be...Danielle Moonstar?!?  When Dani awakens, she finds herself in the clutches of the Silver Samurai and his evil mistress, Viper.  Apparently, Viper wants the Dark Rider and Team America to steal something for her, and if Dani can't do it, Viper will use her as a hostage to force Team America to do the deed.  Professor Xavier helps convince Team America to help Viper, as it will buy time for the X-Men to arrive and rescue Dani.  The members of Team America are mutants whose abilities are unusual; when around each other, the team are a "projecting gestalt," which possesses someone and gives them the sum talents and abilities of Team America --- the Dark Rider, in other words.  Team America are untrained, though, and their projecting gestalt possesses innocent bystanders, like Dani.  Since Team America is a dangerous loose cannon, Xavier opts to give them a crash training course in controlling their mutant power.  Meanwhile, the New Mutants decide to take their own actions to save Dani.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- Professor Xavier is still having trouble walking.  Lilandra suggests that the pain is not psychosomatic, but the idea dies there.  While Xavier is in pain, he loses his psychic powers, which means that he is not in psychic contact with the New Mutants at the fair.

Above: Xavier the pirate

That's a nice picture of Jean Grey on the wall.  I wonder where Thunderbird's picture is?

- Cannonball is frustrated with his difficulty learning to turn.  Sure, he made a successful turn last issue.  No, turning had nothing to do with the Silver Samurai beating him up in this issue.  That's just how Sam feels.  Deal with it.

Writing!
This is truly awful stuff.  It's bad enough that the New Mutants are relegated to spectator status in this issue, but to play second fiddle to Team America?  That's rough.  If you are unfamiliar with Team America, join the club.  If you're curious as to their origins, click here.  Otherwise, suffice to say that they were a toy line that Marvel was under contract to make a comic book about.  If nothing else, this issue makes two things clear.  The first is that the New Mutants was selling pretty well; normally, guest stars this early in a series would be featured prominently on the cover, to draw fans to the new title.  Instead, Team America is given the "backdoor pilot" treatment, as New Mutants fans were given an introduction to the stunt-riding group (and why bother?  The Team America comic was cancelled earlier in 1983).  The second thing made crystal clear by the inclusion of Team America is that Chris Claremont had absolutely no direction in mind when this series started.  After the initial Xavier-recruits-mutants-because-he's-possessed-by-an-alien arc wrapped, we had last issue's Very Special abuse story and now the beginning of a two-part Team America crossover!?!  It's bizarre to see this series floundering with its writing and art, especially since its sister title, Uncanny, was doing so well at the same time.


The logic in this plot is also baffling.  Viper wants to capture the Dark Rider to steal a MacGuffin.  When that fails, she just blackmails Team America to steal it.  Since her pitch to Team America is essentially "I have a hostage that I won't identify and won't give proof exists --- do my bidding," it seems like there is a wasted step there.  The end of the issue is worse.  There are two missions: save Dani and help Team America steal the MacGuffin.  Xavier choosing to train Team America instead of working to free Dani, who is in deadly danger, goes against the past year of character development; after months of mourning the X-Men, he has a new team that he wants to keep out of danger (like when he wouldn't let the X-Men borrow Wolfsbane).  Now, he is willing to spend time training a group on a time-wasting mission instead of saving one of his students?  That might have worked when he was possessed by the Brood, but not now.  Also, the entire reason Team America is going through with their mission is because they need to buy time to summon the X-Men to save Dani.  Where are the X-Men?  That is never mentioned, oddly enough.  Naturally, the New Mutants --- who did not do well against the Silver Samurai --- are going to take matters into their own hands and try to rescue Dani on their own.  After all, waiting for help might mean waiting too long and Dani may get hurt.  Xavier seems to be aware of their plan, though, and doesn't confront them about it.  Seriously, fuck this issue.

The few character moments in this issue aren't any better than the big picture.  Dani is, once again, pretty worthless in this issue.  Karma gets to be this month's example of a female character being helpless against any physical force.  Sunspot hero worships Wolf on Team America because...why the hell not?  Someone has to try and convince readers that Team America is worth talking about.  Karma does step up and lead the team at the end of the issue, so at least that's a positive development.  Still, this was wretched writing.

Art!
The art is not a whole lot better than the writing.  This is Bob McLeod's last interior work on the monthly New Mutants title (he would later do some covers and an annual), and you can tell that he did not turn in his best work.  Check out this panel from the beginning of the issue:

McLeod's softer, more expressive inking is clearly on display here.  Toward the end of the issue, though, his inking became less expressive and more like tracing:

Both panels were drawn by Sal Buscema and inked by Bob McLeod, but it is obvious that less time was spent on the second half of the issue.  I'm generally not a fan of Buscema's work, but seeing what McLeod did with Buscema's pencils (at least in part of the issue) impresses the hell out of me.  I normally don't give a second thought to inkers, unless they are extremely expressive, but McLeod did a great job here...for part of an issue.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- This is the second issue of The New Mutants that Tom Corsi has appeared in.  He doesn't really need to appear in either issue, but what's weird about this appearance is that the only characters in the extended X-Family that have a history with him are Wolverine and Carol Danvers...and yet, we haven't even been shown that they know he's alive!

- When the Silver Samurai is fighting off the New Mutants and Team America, his prowess is ridiculously overstated.  Not only does he throw a shuriken at a gun to make it explode with near-lethal force (which makes that gun seem poorly designed, to say the least), but he does something no one has ever done to Cannonball.  He swats Cannonball, mid-blast, and this actually diverts Sam's path; until now, he has been like a runaway train when blasting.  Not only does he change Cannonball's direction (something Cannonball has trouble doing on his own), but Sam is knocked unconscious --- despite being invulnerable when he uses his powers.  So...either the Silver Samurai is a total bad-ass, or Cannonball is written inconsistently. 

- Team America seems astonished to discover that they are mutants...even though they learned that in their own series.

- Team America is a group of mutants who, together, can make one superhero.  They're like a dirt bike version of Captain Planet!

Worth Noting:
- The Silver Samurai got his teleportation ring from John Belushi in an issue of Marvel Team-Up.  In case you were wondering.

Everything 80s:
Here's a photo of the Team America toy line:

For a closer examination of the ridiculous Team America story, click here.

Uncanny X-Men #171

"Rogue"
Published July 1983
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciller: Walt Simonson
Inker: Bob Wiacek


What's Going On?
Rogue, a member of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, arrives on the doorstep of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, pleading for help.  Ever since she absorbed the powers and memories of Carol Danvers (back in Avengers Annual #10), her mutant powers have been out of control and she is on the brink of losing her mind.  After examining Rogue, Xavier decides to admit her to the school and into the X-Men.  The team is against this decision because A) she has fought the team as a villain B) she is an active member in a terrorist group that could be using her to set a trap C) she grievously injured their friend, Carol Danvers. 

I love Grumpy Xavier face

Xavier counters with a guilt trip; his argument is that if they believe in Wolverine, who is capable of great good and great evil, why wouldn't they do the same for any mutant?  In the end, Rogue joins the team, Binary shows up to punch her really hard, and then Binary leaves the X-Men (although she was never a part of the team in the first place).

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The X-Men leave the Morlocks in the Morlock Tunnel, with Storm commanding them to leave humans alone or face her wrath.  She also privately challenges Callisto to fight her again.

- No mention is made of Kitty Pryde's promise to stay in the Morlock Tunnels with Caliban, in exchange for his help against Callisto.

- It turns out that Madelyne Pryor is the sole survivor of a fiery plane crash.  The date of the plane crash was September 1, 1980 --- the same day Jean Grey died!

- Carol Danvers visits her parents for the first time since Rogue's attack.  Apparently Xavier has been helping her cope off-panel since then; she has regained most of her memories, but not the emotions that go along with them.  That means that she has no real ties to anyone on Earth, aside from the X-Men.  Way to set up her joining the Starjammers, Claremont.

- Kitty Pryde is still throwing tantrums about the New Mutants, and they are still unwarranted.

- Xavier is still going through physical therapy to try and walk again.  This time, though, Lilandra proposes the possibility that the problem is, in fact, physical and not mental.

- Illyana programs a Danger Room sequence for the team to blow off some steam with, but she accidentally programs a simulation of her time in Limbo, under the power of the demon Belasco.  Seeing the scenario briefly drives her mad, and she attacks Kitty before breaking down into tears.

- Storm is still struggling with emotional darkness.  It seems that the pressure she has put upon herself to become a good leader requires her to cut herself off from her emotions, and this is making her control over the elements.  And, apparently, she now carries a knife with her.

Writing!
Well, we've reached the end of the Morlocks story.  Looking back on it, I think it worked fine as another step for Storm toward a darker, grittier self.  It did not work well for anything else.  Kitty's subplot was completely dropped here (although I recall that it pops up again in a few months) and the Morlocks are left an undefined, unsympathetic mob. 

As for Rogue joining the team, I think this is one of the best examples of Xavier's dream at work.  Does it jibe with the way Rogue was written at the time?  I don't think so --- I would have to start collecting Dazzler to be sure, and I'm not willing to make that sacrifice --- if only because she was an unrepentant thug when the X-Men met her in Uncanny X-Men #158 (her only other X-Men appearance until now).  Still, this is a fairly interesting development for the character, especially since she appears not to have any heroic aspirations, which sets her apart from all the other villains-turned-heroes in the Marvel Universe.

On its own merits, this is a busy issue that juggles a lot of subplots and changes the team dynamic noticeably.  It's not that compelling as a single issue, but at least things happen.

Art!
I love me some Walt Simonson, but this issue is a little disappointing.  There are some pretty great panels, like the opening splash page with Storm:

For most of the issue, though, the art is underwhelming.  Characters look lumpy of unfinished, and Simonson's typically dramatic style is almost nowhere to be seen.  

Above: lumpiness

This could be because he was filling in on short notice, or because he did not want to stand out from Paul Smith's recent work on the title.  Personally, I think it is a combination of being rushed and not being compatible with the inker.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- With the end of the Morlocks storyline, I can now confirm that Angel had zero lines of dialogue in this story, and was completely objectified as a gentleman in distress.  It's not something you usually notice the first time through, and it certainly is unusual in a superhero comic.

- I love the fact that Claremont gives the date of Jean Grey's death.  It's a reminder of another era, when comic companies were not afraid to let their characters age.

- After several hints, this is the first direct reference to Illyana's time in Limbo.  It only took 11 issues for Claremont to get around to this, and we still have a few more months until the Magik limited series.  This is the earliest example of Claremont dragging out a minor subplot for a ridiculous amount of time that I am aware of.

- Claremont does a good job justifying why Xavier accepts Rogue on the team, but this is very different from any other addition to the team.  Rogue is not the first former villain to join the team --- that would be a mind-controlled Banshee --- but she is the first to not repent her evil ways.  Her motivations, while quite believable, are the most selfish I have seen for a super-hero character in this era; she's just trying to save her sanity.

Worth Noting:
- Rogue is now a member of the X-Men.  While it seemed unlikely at the time, she has become one of the team's mainstays for the last thirty-plus years.

- This is the first appearance of the Illyana's Soulsword.  It can apparently cut Kitty Pryde, even when she is phasing.

Everything 80s:
Apparently, Marvel made a promotional Kool-Aid comic.  Because kids love to read about what they drink.  I think the best thing about this ad is that there is a limit of one comic per household.

Daredevils #6

"Judgement Day"
Published June 1983
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Alan Davis
Inker: Alan Davis

What's Going On?
After being kidnapped by the Special Executive last issue, Captain Britain resigns himself to the fact that he has been taken to an alternate dimension to testify on behalf of Saturnyne.  And by "resigns," I of course mean "punches people until he gets tired."

When he arrives at the Supreme Omniversal Tribunal, Cap is surprised to meet Captain England (of that Earth) and Captain Albion (of the "Earth next door"), both with themed costumes like his own.  Exhausted, Cap agrees to speak with Saturnyne, and is shocked to find her filthy and in shackles; she is on trial for the ruin of the alternate Earth that Mad Jim Jaspers warped.  While he doesn't like her, CapBrit won't let her be punished for something she is innocent of.  Unfortunately, the head of the tribunal is Saturnyne's replacement, Lord Mandragon, who has a vested interest in keeping Saturnyne from resuming her post.  Before the trial begins, Mandragon chooses to destroy the entire universe containing Mad Jim Jaspers' Earth; he argues that it is to keep Jasper's reality warp from affecting other alternate Earths, but it also serves to eliminate any evidence that the defense might have been counting on.

Sub-Plots, oh the Sub-Plots!
- The Fury, the last sane creature on its alternate Earth, has come to the conclusion that its most recent prey, Captain Britain, may have escaped to another dimension.  It naturally concludes that it must visit alternate dimensions to track him down and kill him. 

Thanks to this decision, it is able to alter itself enough to survive the destruction of its universe.

- The alternate Earth where Mad Jim Jaspers reigned supreme has apparently become entirely enveloped in a reality warp, driving all the inhabitants insane.  This isn't terribly important to the main story, but it does establish the destructive scope of Mad Jim Jaspers' powers.

Writing!
The more I read of this run, the more impressed I am with how much Alan Moore fits into such a compact space.  This is, essentially, a pretty dull issue --- it is a lead-in to a trial --- but there are so many ideas being thrown around that it's easy to overlook the lack of action.  In this issue, we have Saturnyne partially de-villainized,  the introduction of the Captain Britain role as a constant throughout multiple dimensions, and a governing body that has the power and right to destroy entire universes with the flick of a switch.  That's some heavy stuff!  And yet, Moore keeps things pretty light, making small jokes here and there and using the Special Executive as light comedy relief.
Honestly, I'm surprised at how funny this series is turning out to be.  It's not "bwa-ha-ha" funny, but it is getting a little funnier each issue.  I especially liked the concept of "universe lag" for trans-dimensional travelers.  I wasn't so sure about Moore's choice to return to the multiverse after effectively rebooting the character, but I'm really liking where the series is going right now.

Art!
This is not the juiciest script Alan Davis has had to draw in this series, but he makes the most of his opportunities.  The all-out brawl between Captain Britain and the Special Executive was fun, but brief.  He clearly had fun creating the cast of thousands in attendance at Saturnyne's trial.  I think his most impressive work, though, was in designing the alternate Captain Britain characters.  Little is explained about them, but Davis does a great job conveying the variations on a theme that was required for the characters.

Retrospectively Amusing:
- The unifying theme of Captain Britain uniforms is apparently thigh-high boots.

Worth Noting:
- This issue marks the debut of the concept of the Captain Britain Corps, which becomes a large part of the Captain Britain mythos.