Fifty-Three

1987

July, 1987 Giant Sized Annual The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 No. 11 by A. Davis, Neary, Glynis, Orzechowski, Claremont + Nocenti

March, May, June, & August, 1987 Fallen Angels Vol. 1 No. 3-8 by M. Severin (3), Gammil (4 & 7, cover 3-5 & 7-8), Staton (5-6, & 8), Mignola (cover 6), Palmer (3 & 7, cover 3-5), V. Mayerik (4-6), Williamson (cover 6), DeZuniga (8), P. Scotese, Oakley (3, 5-8), Gregory (4), Duffy + Nocenti

May & July, 1987 New Mutants Vol. 1 No. 55 & 57 by Blevins, Austin, Glynis, Orzechowski, L. Buhalis (No. 55), Louise + Nocenti

July, 1987 Giant Sized Annual The New Mutants Vol. 1 No. 3 by A. Davis, Neary, Glynis, Orzechowski, Claremont + Nocenti

Previously on “to me my ❌-Men,” we determine where Romita Jr. landed, and we are thankful, for it was a delightful excuse to visit with Daredevil, once we got through the Longan parts, of Nocenti’s other gig; writing top shelf Marvel comics. Logan was off in the woods of upstate New York, having gotten separated from Ororo as they both left post Mutant Massacre, to regather themselves, when he caught the whiff of a mutant murderer, that brought him back to NYC. Then he took off again. We staid a bit in Hells Kitchen for a haunting government conspiracy, environmental waste, and child endangerment plot. Last we saw the rest of the “team,” Havok had joined officially, as his ideal life is going up in smoke. And he doesn’t know the worst of it, because Lorna is now possessed by Malice and leading the Murauder, as mysterious Mr. Sinister’s No. 2, in New Mexico. Ororo leads, Rogue, Alex, Bets, Ali, Longshot. Kurt, Kitty, and Piotr are in Scotland, hopefully recovering from the Mutant Massacre; Callisto is there, the last standing Morlock. New Mutants are split between the school under Maggie, who spends to much time with the Hellfire Club for some folks taste; and a few lost in the pages of the Fallen Angels. A whole thing we are getting back into here. Logan, Ororo’s No. 2, presumably to return from his walk about.

Not my favorite Alan Davis cover, is I believe my first exposure to his pencils, and I am immediately taken in by who he draws a compact, curved, fluid, and struggling Ororo and Logan here. I don’t care for the character they struggle with. Horde is an incredibly well rendered terribly designed “big bad.” The concept is wonderful. I don’t know why we need this eye sore. On the ground is Bets, but we don’t know it, and she is clearly a proto- design for Danger Room in the 21st Century. Kelly’s favorite (sarcasm), floating heads are about in a pleasant green ink; Ali, Longshot, Maggen, Brian, Alex, and Rogue. I had not read any Captain Britain. I had no idea, Maggen would be come an all time favorite. I was already all in on Longshot after a single exposure. I was excited for Rogue. Alex’s costume is low key the best. It is nice to have confirmation now, that Brian, and Meggan come to visit, Bets, and Logan is back with the team inside this issue.

Paul Neary, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel UK, responsible for expanding the universe across the pond, a cartoonist, who had written and penciled in the pages of Hulk in the UK. He had begun working Alan Davis, and the two began forming a partnership that gained familiarity with American audiences, including myself, in these ❌-books. This was their third work together in the states. Uncanny X-Men No. 213, and a New Mutants annual, that conn sided with this publication, we are using as a bookend to this chapter, being the other. It seems Davis found his inking partner, as they worked together at DC and and at Marvel often into the 21st Century. Davis’ pencils require a steady hand and partnership. We are blessed with their work. A true joy.

Logan approaches the school, drunk, three beers in his six pack left, cowboy hat and boots on. Birch trees in the background. He mutters the Wizard of Oz. He is home.

Lost in the FUNHOUSE

Starring the Uncanny X-Men and Captain Britain.

Davis and Neary join the A-Team.

I once played with this image…mashing up The Hand clothing, a Longhsot/Han Solo/Luke/Batman inspired belt, and Meltdown’s Logan (no worries we will get there…unforgettable pre Hugh Jackman Logan), with it:

Over two pages we have delightful scene unfold, that pulls in the vibes we had been treated back in Britain. Claremont and Davis have a specific language that is unique to their cartoonist co-authorship. It just feels wonderful in how delights through humor, sexuality, and a magical reflection of our reality.

Ali is first to encounter Logan in this state, and her wonderfully rendered colorful lights and oversized dress shirt, repels him in his condition. To bright.

Immediately Logan is overwhelmed with the ❌-Men and their British guests. He leans into the performance, and slices with one claw, through the top of another beer, downing it, half going down his face and into his lumberjack shirt. Alex, the elder, and squarest ❌-Men, puts his perspective in predictable language on Logan.

Logan: “Blazes I am.”

Logan leans in to close to spit his reality…the poison can’t effect him…cause healing factor. Evidence to the contrary all over his body and breathe.

Ali offers a shoulder to lean on. He goes with:

“But this is none o’ your business.”

I am all to familiar with this, growing up in my hood.

He does Billy Baily walk off.

Longshot inquires on the severity of Logan’s actions. Part of his on going assessment of where the line is. Ali puts this across the line. Ororo, back up the “none ‘o your business.” Ending the matter for now.

It is rare we get these moments, these three Brits in a kitchen. ❌-coffee talk…er…tea…moment. We’ll take it. I start that up when Fall officially arrives…back to school tomorrow…a few short weeks and Earl Grey time. This morning:

Bets, who needs not telepathy to know her twin, prepares tea and offers cake. Maggen finds a tv in the kitchen. Having read Captain Britain we all know her obsession…I was just being introduced to the character here. She doesn’t want to disturb them. Sure. Brian respects Ororo, but has to make that odd announcement of accepting her leadership in this moment…as if he is not a guest that just arrived, and has no role in leading anything on this side of the pond. He inquires about his sister. She lets him know, her delusions of safety here, are shattered and there is no so such thing. She asks aloud to her brother, will we, mutants, ever not be hunted?

Bets assessment of her team’s road to this life is interesting. She shares it with Brian in the kitchen, late at night. She questions her own belonging amongst warriors. He sees her as strong, and doesn’t understand what they all just lived through. Not that they haven’t been through some things…they have…she has…but for some reason this seems more visceral. Or maybe just helpless.

How she sees Alex seems off to me. She sees him here out of duty…sure…I guess…because life was not leaving any other choice…calling it “glory road.” I don’t think this is right. I think she is projecting Scott onto Alex. I really think Alex doesn’t want glory. However, I agree he is a square who defines things in these simple terms…and if that is describing honor and a forced hand…sure. That kinda describes Alex’s arrival. He is giving up on life, so that he can face head on what is trying to take his and those he cares for lives away. It’s an interesting paradox, that makes him a martyr.

Bets calls Ali’s situation “fate gives them no real choice.” This aligns with how I see Alex’s situation. Only Ali was seeking glory in the American context, of being the star in our own story. Alex wanted to be lost to the world, on a mesa doing his work with the love of his life. He doesn’t care for glory.

Bets then focuses in on those who “seem actually to be born to it.” Logan and Ororo. How she sees Rogue and Longshot in this, we are not told here.

We turn from characters and narrative we know well from Chapter 43, to the character that was my on-ramp, and what we know of his world back in Chapter 7; this issue pulling stories that were congruent, but oceans apart. The Atlantic in 43, and the Pacific in 7. I read the 1982 comic Wolverine, in 1984…while I was supposed to be paying attention in a 4th grade classroom. I didn’t read any of Bets story till 1987, and this right here is what I knew of Brian, at that point. The Logan I knew, was from three years ago. This night is an anniversary that never was. Ororo, presumably is the only other one who would be aware of this up this late night.

“Upstairs and sideways from the Kitchen”

“in…Hudson Valley…”

Logans room, “…furnishings are as eclectic and dichotomous as mix as the man…”

Four years, on this night, annually, Logan struggles. He respects with honor what is. He struggles as a human still in love, with Mariko Yashida. Her position as head of Clan Yashida, is complicated in this moment. She is struggling with her half-brother Kenuichio Harada (Silver Samurai) over control, and with Matsu'o Tsurayaba, who’s Hand, developed close criminal ties within Clan Yashida. She was manipulated in getting to this place, but the oceans between them are to significant for Logan, especially given his local responsibilities to his own found family ties; The ❌-Men. His heart breaks in two.

“A floor above…in Storm’s attic loft…”

Ororo speaks lovingly to her bertanicel garden roommates…and is suddenly taken out.

Bets imdeidalty knows, and speaks aloud her name. Brian instructs Meggan to be ready and of use. Rogue in a bad arse army green jumpsuit, over black body suit, lime green standard boots and wrist length gloves, has had a haircut and in Alan Davis hand, extra sudductive curves. She flys into the action, with Bets pink eye butterfly logo along side, as guide. She was in the Hanger Complex. I was wondering. Rogue still has that solo mindset, but she has Brian and Meggan with her as they bust through the lofts skylight. Ororo is in the Horde’s hands…a silhouette…as not to ruin this nearly perfect page.

Page turn, Logan moves into action on instinct, but knocks into Ali also racing towards the noise. Alex helps her, as annoyances fester amongst the three, and then Logan is grabbed by the face and tossed onto them. Longshot pokes his head out, minimally dressed, with knives and rope at the ready. A hand through the wall grabs him. Bets on the stairs, a 1930’s horror shadow overhead. Light illuminates as the Horde introduces himself to her. Her friends and family floating catatonic. He plans to take them elsewhere, as soon as she joins them, as they all are, but he. The Horde.

The two page spread is wonderfully rendered, from initial tiny details onthrough, head shots and full body, the slightest of action, however, the prize is the final panel, where Dazzler unleashes on the Horde with light emitting from her eyes. The design and drawing come together, eliminating the enemy. Horde’s design. None of this saves the page from tiresome “big bad” dialogue and his assault on Ororo’s agency over her own lips. She advises us all to hold. As he reveals he is a mutant from another world, who is set on total rule, not helping others, and that he knows everything about them, except Meggan, and he heals them, gives them their fighting gear, and belittles them on individual levels…until Ali simply can’t hold…and releases us from these pages on the right note.

Logan, then Longhsot, with Cap and Rogue working in tandem, follow Ali’s lead. Havok, Meggan, Ali, and Bets all at once firing on all slender, a beautiful display of power in Davis and A-Team’s hands. Ororo covers her eyes, as it s a bright spot in this comic. As the dust is still about, a voice respectfully belittles them more.

So not much of a negotiation, not even much of a job interview commences, as Horde cooly floats in a crater created by the :x:-Men’s combined immense power. He wants them to steel the Crystal of Ultimate Vision from the Citadel of Light and Shadow. The why us, comes, and he compliments Ororo’s lead team, on their skills as thieves. Stroking Ororo’s childhood ego. The why not you, comes, and he does what power does, and simply doesn’t want to be bothered. No sense of adventure, just domination. The why should we, comes, simple, destruction of Earth. This banter with Ororo, has Ali stating the obvious…Earth is not simply just the :x:-Men, but Horde believes himself invulnerable and a credible world dominator. Bets, cautions, he may be right. There is a growing list of these sorts in Earth-616’s history, and some even live on Terra. Unless you have already read this issue, Horde is likely not on your own mental list. Ororo is basically 'fine…where is the Citadel.' Somehow she missed the massive building and the many statues of giant aliens who line the way towards its door. Kree and Skrulls are recognizable first.

We turn to another one of many pages for a wall in this issue:

Meggan, Brian, Bets, Longshot, Ali, Alex, Logan, Ororo, and Rogue turn their attention thusly. Anything to begin to rid ourselves of Horde’s design. The universally well traveled, Brian begins the comments thread…

Brian: “I’ve never seen any place like this…and I’m glad!”

You of all people…never seen Alan Davis glorious alien architectural design?! Please!

Ali: “How ‘bout a hug, Longshot. Right now. I could use a little tender loving care.”

Did she just make the first move? She understands right off…he requires direct and bold.

Longshot: “Alison, what this place makes me feel…is that FEAR?”

Priceless.

Rogue: “The heck with it…I say we fight the Toad.”

I half wish it was the Toad.

Four panels return focus to Ororo and Logan, hashing this out. What’s the plan. We have not seen this dynamic since Upstate New York in Mutant Massacre aftermath, at Sarah Grey’s place. I can’t help, having seen Spidy BND since then and the official announcement of X-Men casting, to wonder, when and if, I will ever see this properly in context and delivery adapted to screen. You really can’t have Jean and Scott, Chuck and Maggie, around for this to feel right. Those four suck oxygen out of the comic and the theater.

Here we have wisdom and experience that feels absent of forced care, manipulations, platitudes, eroded victimizations, intellectual debate, games, the insular, high horses, and privileges. With Ororo and Logan, we have genuine human competency and flaws, working together to find a path in face of the the impossible. They agree what the results of following this direction will be, and Ororo sees a path forward:

Ororo: “Death or slavery, at Horde’s hands.”

But to stand and fight, makes littles sense, as they already know their limitations in standing ground. However, she suspects, he fears entry, as something within can perhaps counter him, and this may be the source of their salvation.

“Find it and learn how to use it.”

Logan: “A longshot gambling if ever I heard one.”

Horde, had inferred he has the luck, not Longhsot. But Ororo is not one to take his word. And she quips in this moment, their fortune to have Longshot with them.

And then an iconic panel, that is complex, and wonderfully so. There has been a lot of forced kissing in these comics as of late. Ororo was just forced into a kiss by the Horde. Each one has context which help delineate our feelings about agency. Something that has changed as time has passed for our cultures, and our individual maturity. The kissing around Cain, Ali, Rogue, Ororo…there is a lot to unpack. However, here, this one is consensual and just as dynamic in how we feel about it in time and from person to person.

I might have hoped this was something more, when I was 12. I don’r remember. Now, I see two friends who feel deeply for each other, crossing over a threshold, that may not get deeper than this. It could be sustainable if they survive, however, for both, their true hearts are elsewhere. This is as much about care for the other, as understanding a shared bond in broken intimacy that lays elsewhere with others. There may not be another opportunity. Should they survive, they have healthy and unhealthy options out there. They have neutral fun too. But here, this is home, and pain, and comfort, and stability, that simply doesn’t exist in any other relatisohip either has. It is actually for them, uncomplicated and deep. A paradox of platonic yet sexual intimacy. In the face of death, with a slim hope for life:

Ororo: “And if not, Logan, then—as the saying goes—this is as good a day as any to die.”

They kiss, lovingly…an Alan Davis classic panel…bravery in their hearts.

Ororo: “And the best of friends to do so with.”

The page turn reveals the scale of this place is for real. The ❌-Men look literally like ants entering. Alex is wondering the meaning of the statues, and one of them ask him about the two he recognizes. It may be Longshot asking. But is it possible they are not commonly known amongst this team?

Bets and Logan don’t sense the presence of anyone or thing living. Only the dead. A lot of em. Longshot’s legs won’t let him cross the threshold. He is experiencing fear for the first time in this reboot of his mind, and he doesn’t quite know how to move forward towards it.

Longshot: “My legs don’t want to walk. My hearts don’t want to make them.”

How many hearts does Longshot have?

Ali: “Hey, Pal-o’-mine we’re ALL scared! Comes with the territory when you’re a super hero. Don’t worry, I’ll stand by you, no matter what. Partners to the end.”

I don’t know if I just feel most at home here, but Tom Orzechowski, lettering is the most inviting, consistant, readable, and aesthetically pleasing I have experienced.

She tells him they are a team, and they all need him aloud, but in her head she says she needs him. This really is the issue that you need to fully get their love story. I am enjoying this romance comic.

He has passed the entryway, Ali has him. So the a god sized giant metal door comes crashing down to a close, knocking not just the bird skeleton'd Longshot over, but the whole lot.

Brian boasts and fails to counter the door. Alex is equally ineffective. Not a scratch. Brian is turned on by the scientific process of Havok’s powers. Logan is so, ‘yeah yeah…’ He takes the lead into the mystery. His senses and a team mind link provided by Bets is the guide. Rouge cautions, as her understanding of Logan, is he is not on his a game. Ororo is set with, these are the cards we were dealt.

If you haven’t caught on yet, we are on a yellow brick road scenario. Like…

…Agatha All Along’s Witches Road or…well like, yes…the yellow brick road:

There is a lot of Thor vibes here too. The Oz bit connects with Love & Thunder for one.

Rogue is first to be pulled into the enchanted extraterrestrial trap. She wonders off towards what looks like a waterfall, but is actually more of a looking glass, into an alternate reality. Where she sees an unfortunate reflection of herself, in a plantation gala. The ball of privilege built on slavery of old, not dissimilar to that systems inheritors the correctional system. Herself approaches, and she falls through the looking glass into herself entrapped by the racism fantasy of privilege she imagines ‘Camelot’ was like. Not sure Brian and Bets would agree. From the ❌-Men’s perspective, thankfully for Rogue’s sake perhaps, all they see is their reformed friend staring into a reflective wall, frozen by a fantasy. Bets calls her “most fundamental hope and yearning.” To be fair to Rogue, the core part of the fantasy she is drawn to, is the romance fantasy of dancing and the physical intimacy of child like storybook love. She certainly can’t help where she was born, and the story that brought her up. This very well could be her foundation of desires. And her mutant condition certainly complicates the matter. As Bets walks the team through her condition, she become one with the dream, and turns into pink dust in front of them, as the words “she has no more need for our reality” leaves Bets lips.

Alex asks Ororo, but it seems obvious. The Horde sent them, because the temptations of your dreams will result in this, and his dream is to retrieve whatever the place guards. He needs other capable problem solvers to take the risk. And, yes, Alex, this absolutely could happen to you all. Brian reminds Ororo she is in charge. Something he seems to do, in a way that comes off not in the best of lites. Here, the reaction should be, “gee, thanks.”

I feel for Ororo and Logan. She has folks saying the obvious around them, forcing her to say the obvious. At a time when perhaps silence and moving through this would be the way. Logan has folks simply not trusting his capability, though he has survived longer than any of them. He lives this quite quest life. And the two of them are a team that could do this without the question and comments.

I think the one person who has constantly provided mature understanding and helpful utility, has been Bets. She has been doing this since the midst of the Mutant Massacre.

Rogue has tried to be a leader in Ororo and Logan’s absence, but her internal guide has flaws that can lead to this sort of result. She wants to be independent, and only leads out of obligation and friendship at times. She is a solo act, performing as leader.

Ali who is independent is accepting her vulnerability as such, and applies what she has confidence in, but is open about needing the team at this point. Like Meggan, Longshot the innocent is committed to the camaraderie. A natural leader who has no recollection of being in that role. So he follows, and openly learns. Alex has experience, but his resistance to this life, lacks ambition to be what his brother was, a challenge to Ororo.

Ali lights up the cavernous crystal castle interiors labyrinth. The architectural marvel is overwhelming. As this happens, some space is created between the team and Longshot, who has noticed his hand is translucent. He scampers after them, hiding it in his satchel.

Brian, who has been providing the unwelcome note ever since arriving in America…a core issue between Brits and Americans…has Alex now playing the part…as he represents the leave me alone, I know what I am doing, I just want some space and to be left alone, western tude; I have and many of us west of the Mississippi arrive at. His Masa is the perfect place for Alex, and this Brit is pretty far from getting Alex. He simply wants to confirm the understanding that Alex and Dazzler’s powers from a strictly scientific reality, will reflect of this envionement and could kill one of them on accident. Alex, who is amongst the elders in this group, but lives under his older brothers shadow, in this same context, expresses, he is not an idiot, and then goes beyond to let the group know, they have no idea what it is to be constantly bombarded with cosmic rays and have to contain them so that he does not burst into a star…as his natural state and function is a star. Brian and him are both scientists. However, we have no evidence of this conversation happening. No shared respect. It is simply an pompous Brit telling and cowboy American what he already knows…and that American is making clear…I am a pressure cooker. So chill, bra!

And with that, Alex, “he found his destiny, he is at peace,” Bets clarifies. He stand frozen, as in his mind, he is a star, after glowing dangerously for the group.

Bets: “There are worse fates.”

“…The irony is I can SENSE the crystal.”

“…a thousand or more miles beneath the planetary surface.”

Brian wonders if that is another illusionary trap.

Ali: “LONGSHOT!” “He’s DISAPPEARING!”

“…HELP HIM!”

Longhsot: “I ‘ m f l y in g a w a y!”

The page pulls in and out, each panel creating different intimacy with the diagloge deliveries. Here we end with Longshot looking like a refection relatively close, and in an awkward positioning.

He grows into a giant ghost, and then dissipates with an apology crossing his lips, after he says the Citadel does not want him with them. Ali seeks forgiveness. Her heart is broken. The pop star and the stuntman are lost to each other. Bets says he is one with the Citadel, his presence is everywhere. Conjectures his incense has no hearts desire, so he vanished into thin air.

Ali: “He made one. He was scared to come inside. I…I held out my hand to him.”

Ali blames her fear and runs off. Brian was set to go after her, but Ororo needs them together. To them she is now lost, as well. That is, until Bets mind link can help guide her back, when she is calmer.

She runs, until she compasses. Wishing Bets out of her head. Bets does not let her go. Instead guides her with casual, but real, and relevant, intimate chatter about forgiveness, and inner strength, and how they await her return, with open arms. And then as she is coming around, her light goes out.

Ali sees her self, a life not taken passes before her: US Attorney for Southern District of NY, takes down Wilson, then Chief Justice of US. In reflection, this is her father’s wishes. He loved the law. She wanted to please him. But then her pleasing herself, she says a star, we see a punk or metal icon. Then it turns into a path that leads her to dumpster diving for sustenance. Three choices, and she is caught between these paths. She fades away as she questions the path of least resistance. The easy path, the hardest path.

Bets is frustrated, loosing Ali in this moment, and slams the wall. The crystals shatter. Explode really, at the team. What’s left of them. Brian begins a scientific inquiry. It is unusually brittle. Ororo, wonders if Longshot’s merging has helped it be so. Betsy questions her strength. This when she notices the skin torn at her hand, and metalic hand underneath. She hides her discovery from them, especially her brother. She is the figure on the cover, that looked like an inspiration fro Danger Room.

Brian flys up, and then flys down, and down, and down…floor after floor…as Claremont lets us know, his desires were for a normal life, and he questions at times, if offered the choice for this Captain Britain path, if he would accept it, knowing the complexity and oddity of its path. Maggen, carries the remaining two ❌-Men. The four approach a miniature of the citadel. Their size. Not a giants size.

Ororo is clear in directives of expediency and for Bets to guide Logan to them. He apparently is approaching with thoughts of daring to fight them. Ororo is unaffected by this, in the moment. As Brian, who has not been entirely lock step with Ororo, notices something within a crystal, and stalls, to smash it. The entry way to Braddock Manor appears, and the three who call it home, see themselves in it. And Meggen and Brian have a baby in hand. Brian questions his right to have this, and then turns to Bets, who proceed to rip of her face, to the wonderfully rendered horror of Meggan and Brian. Revealed, as her desire, Bets stands, and her family is sucked into their own illusion. Ororo and a metallic Bets part ways. One to be her youthful self. The thief. The other to be her truest self, the hero. The fare the well.

We turn the page to Logan, who is rounding a corner, reflecting on his utility not changing all evening. When he encounters Mariko, in Japan. The cherry blossoms bloom at the Yashida Ancestral Castle. His sense all seem to authenticate this place, and her. He deprecates himself, as she lets him know she sees in him a noble heart. He has changed into approbate attire for time and place, and they rekindle, as he thinks, he should return to the task at hand…only Mariko, becomes his hearts desire, in leather, in a wild bar scene…he has changed with her. He wants her, but not like this, in his world…and he beaks through the crystal and the panel border…and into view of Bets and Horde…falling into the replica citadel, near by. Ororo inside, has visual on the crystal, and is being blinded by the light, when an arm pulls her through a wall…she was this close.

Page turn, and Ororo to is in Japan. Tokyo, with Yūkiō. Ororo changes into approbate attire for their upscale Japanese punk night life. Yūkiō references what we saw part of in Chapter 7. We chose not to stay for the entire event, but this moment has better rendering, and our imagination can center Ororo’s desire and make more of this then is on a few pages.

Yūkiō: “<The fun we had last time…>in X-Men #’s 172-173—A <…was nothing compared to what awaits us now!>”

Ororo💭: “To be a thief again—to dance always on the edge of oblivion, with none to care for but ourselves, living from moment to moment, enjoying each to the fullest. I never knew truly how to laugh before I met Yūkiō. In many ways I have never been as happy since. I want to join her.”

These few moment of Yūkiō and Ororo, have grown in time and space to fill millions of minds, queer and straight, a fantasy of more than friends, who absolute fuck, but more importantly intimately get each other and have what is needed for lifemates. The ❌-Men are a romance and a tragedy. Comics are a space for cartoonists and their audience to share in the telling of this story on an intimate level, with safety. We only know we were all thinking and collaborating on the same wavelength, because what was a dangerous conversation in comic shops, homes, and convention centers, became commonplace with the illusion of safety as the internet became chatrooms, became social media. For Ororo in 1987, this is as far as she can take this on the page, what happens between panels, pages, issues, years, people…

Ororo💭: “…this is the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong way. I lead the ❌-Men. That responsibly…I cannot abandon. My clothes—they are unchanged!”

Our sixth page (1, 2, 6, 11, 14, and now 33) deserving of a wall, has Logan comically crashing on his back and head, to the surprise of another he adores. His friend, Ororo.

On the juxtaposed page, they collect themselves, as Bets head bounces on the ground by them. Horde holds her arm in his hand. Logan presses Ororo back through the wall into Tokyo. Yūkiō was standing by. Logan goes for the crystal, but is stabled in the back by a flung javelin. As the page turns, Horde, lords over Logan, picking him up and stabs him with his own claws…a drop of blood flys. The Horde realizes to late. It lands on the crystal just beyond Logans reach. His blood claims the prize for him. The Horde yells the arches “no.”

The page turn, as Logan dissipate and then rebuild graphically from DNA, to brain and nervous system, to skeleton and muscle, to himself floating enlightenment personified. Horde, failed to understand, in every cell, Logan’s healing factor exists. Including that blood cell. The crystal provided enough power needed for the drop to do its work. The Horde has had a crystal on his head. Logan claims it, telekinetically…momentary bonus power. The Horde shrivels to dust. His terrible costume a pile of junked metal. Logan wonders if this is how Jean felt as Pheonix. He can see the entire universe. We see it in his cells.

Logan: “…stop. Before I start. I’m talkin’ like a god. Only I ain’t god. That was Horde’s trip.”

He looks wonderful, full of stars, an expression of human realization across his mug.

I think the reason I can’t stand Jean most of the time, not all, is she went down this path and what she made of it, was genocide…but also, the path itself. I detest. I detest her in this context. I find it incredibly uninteresting. I also don’t care for her role as “the girl” on the team. What effect that had, that was placed on her, by Chuck, Scott, Warren, Bobby and Hank has nothing to do with her character. But through out our understanding of the character, her escape is through this god like figure. And then you have the Ororo of it all. This supposed sisterhood. We put a lot on Ororo. Her character, doesn’t need Jean in the least. Jean may need Ororo, but it is not mutual. We just saw conditions of desire that make sense for Ororo. Jean hasn’t been a thought for some time. Jean, Chuck and Scott…don’t come up often for years. And when they do, like here, it’s a reminder of how this story has grown up, beyond them.

Jean in a small life, free to think. She and Alex deserve more than these comics can offer.

Logan, who at this time, has organically grown into a wonderful character; not raw like the 70’s version, and not over exposed and over acted like the 90’s made him…just right…turns to the crystal and does what he reason must be done. Eliminate the existential threat, and reject any temptations…claws out…smashes it…and all the crystals and the illusion shatter.

“And so…back where this all began…”

Ororo is in her bed, a dream…she joins the others down from her loft…they are all in costume…as they were ready for action…talking of a dream. The compare notes…Rogue loved hers a little too much for my taste. Bets feels enlightened as to her path. Ororo, will miss her fantasy…and live in her reality. Ali is messed up…thinks herself a looser. Alex must remain in control. Brian and Meggan are bonded more. Logan is in his room, at his alter. Ororo answers a Longshot question; Logan is in meditation thinking of Mariko. Ororo, equates the moment with Logan’s spirit reaching out like Phoenix did once upon a time.

Ororo spends the early morning in contemplation, looking up at the sky, from the top of the school. As the beings around the citadel gather for ceremony to bring the architectural horror back to life.

My Mom was human, but lived an impressive life. From 1980-1996 she was a single mother. Though, I guess we were also part of a functional blended family from ‘87 on. On balance my Mom was incredibly gifted at making great choices. Being human, however, she did make a choice, that my brother and I didn’t learn about till her cognition was diminishing. How we found out, through siblings that are not hers, was a bit alarming in the moment, water under the bridge at this point. The choice my Mom made contributed to the divorce, but was not the root cause. It was also part of a pattern, that was relatively healthy.

I am aware of the captain of the football team, John the ATL architect, my Dad the hippy therapist, the unnamed mystery, Henry the cowboy contractor, Carlos the bland, and Harvey the scientist tennis pro. She married three of them, John, my Dad, and Harvey. My Mom’s parents only had each other their entire lives. Though in final weeks, with her own mind cognitively diminishing, she would tell stories of a crush she had in the 30’s.

Prior to being a single mother my Mom started out in a WWII vet and sweethearts idyllic nuclear family in Oaklahoma. My Mom and her sister took classes as kids a diversified classroom that was equitably split between whites and Muscogee, Cherokee, and Osage. These two white Jones sisters formed cute couplings with two Cherokee brothers. The Smith boys. After moving from Tulsa, they joined with the rest of my grandmothers family in Normand, who owned s furniture store in OKC. The family made the furniture and sold it. My Mom grew up working there. Her Dad primarily worked as an educator at a few colleges and universities in the state.

My mom’s older sister went into education, eventually settling in Northern California, and raising my two cousins on that side of the fam. I have a lot of 2nd Cousins, and 2nd Cousins once removed etc…around OKC still, but my closest family outside my home, growing up was in the Vacaville and Davis area. My aunt would diverse once and remarry. We were all very close. My Dad still feels a strong bond with them all, even after the divorce.

When my Mom was in high school, back in OK, she was captain of the cheerleading squad and so dated that football captain. She became valedictorian, and went to college. My grandmother, decided to join her, and so my Mom actually roomed with her Mom, as they both entered college for the first time. My grandmother was the top student in their undergrad class. She says it was my grandmother who taught her how to work. In other words, my Mom was smart enough to coast through High School at the top of the class, but her Mom had to teach her the work ethic that would take my Mom further. And she did.

She met, John when he was finishing up his architecture degree, a field my Mom loved more than her new husband. He seemed like a practical choice. Part of my Mom’s pattern. She tended to be pragmatic about love.

Her parents were on a base level, themselves. They loved each other, and the home was always loving, but we are not big on emoting, and there is nothing dramatic happening, seemingly ever in the Jones house. Salt of the Earth is an ease label to put on that side. My Dad’s side is the eclectic, complex, and emoting side.

Anyway, so my Mom and John went to Europe for their honeymoon, and it completely changed my Mom. Coming from Oaklahoma, and John from Arkansa, the world’s expansive nature, even if simply the European exposure, was a revelation for two minds geared towards art, design, and intellectualism.

They settled in the ATL, as John had family there. They became close with the neighbors behind them. The husbands taught at the university, and worked in Architecture. The wives were career oriented in similar fields. My Mom got a studio, right on the boarder of redlining districts in Atlanta, in what was the transition out of the Jim Crow Era. And everything that involves change where my Mom is from, does so, like molasses. Her art studio was front row seat to the lives of its Black neighbors lives. My Mom’s white illusions were eroding, as the practice of art strengthened her cognitive process. The front row to the reality of America, her in-laws pressure on the couple to go to church on Sundays, and the fact that John was not interested in having children, his career evolving while her’s was stagnant, played out over seven years. The highlight being friends, and some time visiting Savannah, my Mom got a divorce and moved to Maddison, WI.

My Dad was part of a policing protest Army reserve contingent who were there because of the Vietnam War. He would spend his free time protester. We Cohen’s live a good paradox. He was trying to find a way out. He met my Mom at a party, as her apartment building in Maddison. She was majoring in an environmental and sustainable Architecture program. She made a practical choice, this man she estimated would be a great father. She fell in love, but not in the way he was in love.

There are a number of stories about how this all unfoded, but the long and short of it is, they gamed the system, nearly lost connection with my Mom’s parents back in OK in the process, but were able to settle in Boulder, Co, near where my Dad had gone to college, and built their own cabin utilizing sustainable architecture methods my Mom had studied. A community was forming, that was very of the times, and this is the world I was born into. An event that brought our families together in a healing way. All of my cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents have these incredibly found memories of our early life in the cabin in the woods of the Rockies.

My Dad then got excepted into the DMH program through Cal, and this began the upheaval which lead to divorce three years later. It’s funny, but it took forever for both my parents, very open people in general, to be honest with the adult me about what happened. 25 years ago, I learned my Mom only went along with it because she wanted to have a second child. The potential for my brother is why I didn’t grow up in Boulder. A few weeks ago, my Dad admitted to me for the first time, that the narrative of this deep spell of love was under was not exactly a thing.

My Dad is incredibly empathic, so I can see how those in his life saw him as a puppy dog in a relationship with my Mom. Who is loving, but has this grounded stoic side, that also, seems to often have tears running down its face. These are complex people, when you actually get to know them. Like any other human.

As I was saying, my Dad this summer reveals, he didn’t actually want my Mom to come with him. Which is a crazy statement to make to me, in the middle of road trip in who knows where Nor Cal, where he is relying on me for everything. I chose not to dig into it. It doesn’t bother me much, and it doesn’t change our relationship. However, the immediate question is: ‘soooooo…what about me?’ It’s possible, this was a wish about my Mom, but the reality about me, dictated everything, and so the thinking never went beyond a wish. The reality certainly didn’t. But I definitely was mucking up their freedom and agency. And they have always clearly loved me…as they would my brother.

So we moved to Berkeley and I spent my formative years there, eventually along with my brother, who was a toddler when my parents got divorced. My Mom was working in her studio as a Batik Artist. My dad was finishing his doctorate at Mount Zion in SF, through Cal in Berkeley. He was also working within the correctional system as part of this. His stress level was high. She made a choice. It was a bit of a mess. I still don’t understand the economics of it all.

Eventually it all settled. Two homes, split the week in half, Dad at Kasier, Mom working on her Architecture education at Cal. Two boys, preschool and public, then both in Montessori. My Mom would graduate from Cal top of the class of course. She worked in the City for about a year. Two different firms. And then settled at ELS walking distance from out neighborhood. We returned to public school. It was a great life.

My Dad got remarried, moved, became the every other weekend Dad in his eyes. In our eyes, he was a great and present Dad. He suffered. Maybe, because of that Boulder wish not taken, building up inside. I got two wonderful sisters out of it, and I still have my Dad, Tal and them and theirs. I really colorful loving home and family to return to with my own family.

My Mom was with Henry, in Berkeley around the time of Dad & Tal’s move. My brother Jordan and I became close with Henry, with his own complex 80’s divorced family. For a minute. It was nice. But it didn’t work out.

So then came Carlos from San Rafeal. In 1985, we watched the Super Bowl at his place. Down the hill there was a comic shop. It was the first one I had been to that was not Comics ‘n Comix. It was clearly not as great, but I liked visiting it. I memorized the street name; Lincoln Ave. Ancient Dragon would remain part of my comics life, off an on, till it closed. My time with it in 1985, was short lived, as the relationship with Carlos was.

However, two years later, we moved to Marin, a year into our life with Harvey. Harvey is still part of my life today, though we have lost my Mom, our families are blended forever now. My Mom became a local Mill Valley Architect legend, retire and then passed away on her terms. My brother lives in San Rafeal. I bring my niece and nephew down the hill to the inheritors of Ancient Dragon’s comic market.

Back in 1987, we moved from Berkeley and everything for me changed dramatically. It was not easy to get to San Rafeal every week from Mill Valley; walking and BART, I was comfortable with, but the bus…I really didn’t enjoy. Every other weekend I could get to Berkeley or a comic shop in Contra Costa County when visiting my Dad. So I was at least still tethering me to the East Bay.

As we have been exploring in this Chapter, completely incidentally reading comics centering a fighting thief (Ororo) and having been schooled in schoolyard brawling (in Berkeley) with a passion for comics (developed in the East Bay), a friendship was formed in Mill Valley, that lead to a brief life of crime.

It is during the early days of life with Harvey, and the yearning for Comics ‘n Comix, that Sasha and I were extremely close for short and formative time. Our families briefly reconnected a decade ago, in Seattle. Both of us worlds away from this Middle School tomfoolery. We reflect on it fondly. Getting into fights, stealing comics, and reading them, talking about them constantly winter-summer of 1987. We had a third wheel, Luan from my Dad’s home city, Chicago, that Sasha would use to pit me against, a manipulation of power and entertainment, that resulted in Sasha being hurt, and a number of life lessons learned for all there of us.

All three of us were not your typical Marin kid. Luan’s parents ran a small convinecne store, working class from Laos. Shasha’s Dad worked in contruction and was divorced. Both our every other weekend parents lived in Contra Costa County. My Mom was an Architect yes, but was pulling it out of the mud, commuting to ELS, with no path to partnership, so she built her own thing in a tough market place. Harvey, was a tennis club manager, an old Marin family, which built parts of Mill Valley and beyond in Marin, at this point solidly middle class in an affluent county. We were stable and exposed enough to understood our privilege, but were being raised amongst the most privileged in a privileged country.

For Sasha and I, our crimes were petty, small enough to not lead us anywhere, but to some scrapes, bruises, and anecdotal tales of wayward youth. For Luan, it may have been more significant. Always got the sense he was headed to more trouble than us. But this is conjuncture based on the fact that we were pitted against each other, and he liked to talk smack. I have long hoped things went well after we parted ways.

I don’t know if I stole this Fallen Angel floppy or not. It is possible, I read it at Sasha’s Dad’s and it was in the possession of Luan or Sash, and not me. What I do know, is I have not read these since 1987.

Some sort of real life heist, brings us to a Gammill and Palmer cover; 75¢, ‘87 vintage MARVEL corner box inking of Fallen Angels stuffed in it, bathed in baby blue overlay. Hank and Bobby making a cameo, are startled as Boom Boom AKA Tabitha Smith does her thing towards them. We last saw these ❌-Factor characters in Tabi’s introduction as part of Chapter 46’s Mutant Massacre. We dropped the title, but we are delighted to see them here. It doesn’t come as total surprise, as the Vanisher has been a founding member of Fallen Angels. Our introduction to him (a classic ❌-arch dating back to ❌-Men’s second issue in 1963…thus an old acquaintance of Bobby & Hanks) the same scene that brought Tabi to our tribe. New Mutant/Fallen Angel, Berto, and fellow Fallen Angel, Ariel are being joined by Tabi through a teleportation doorway, facilitated by Ariel.

I am discovering that Gammill, here is a fellow cartoonist traveler to Nellie the Nurse Comics & Care Bears cartoonist, Howard Post. Who is on the short list of highly influential on my own cartooning. Also on this list, perhaps more so, is Marie Severin, sister to John. Both 20th Century cartoonist legends through EC (Mad) and Marvel. John was at that faithful dinner, before Joe Maneely’s (another massive influence on me), death. Which contributed the changed in the course of history in Stan & Jack’s life, contributing the rebirth of Marvel, beginning with the Fantastic Four.

I am still on the hunt, for Kull The Conqueror Vol. 1 No. 2, Howard the Duck Vol. 2 No. 7, Not Brand Echh! Vol. 1 No. 1-13, and a handful of Fraggle Rock & Muppet Babies Vol. 1 issues, but cherish my Marvel Mini-Book reprints and my Spoof originals. Marie, who is mentioned often as the head colorist when the Silver Age turned Bronze at Marvel. In addition to penciling the previously mentioned comics, also, penciled some back up pages we read as part of Chapter 9, and as we open this issue of Fallen Angels is guest penciling. Appropriately, for Gammill. Likeminded are Post, M. Severin, and Gammill. Pure mid century American cartoonists, like perhaps the biggest influence on me in this style, M. Severin’s former colleague, the Savannaian, Jack Davis, of EC (Mad).

Fourteen-year-old Berto written by Jo Duffy, penciled by Marie Severin, narrates. He is so extreme in his thinking. The frontal cortex and fatty tissues are not conducive to quick matured judgment, but also he has come to think he knows himself and the world. He has defined himself as evil. Warlock, the ultimate friend, like E.T. has joined him in running from his friends, classmates, budding teammates at times called the Mutants:

“…to share in a life as a lonely outcast. Together with other mutants, some familiar to us and others very strange strangers indeed, we passed through the door of what appeared to be a seafood restaurant, seeking our destinies…instead, we have found that…”

EVERY CARD IS WILD

See what I mean…there is so much contradiction in there.

Berto, Warlock, four Jaime Madrox’, Gomi, Bill, and Don, are stunned by their collective lack of understanding of the answer to the question: “where”?

Turn of the page reveals the answer tagged on the wall:

THE BEAT ST. CLUB

This has me jumping to a conclusion. They somehow traveled to perhaps another borough, or blocks, and back three years, to South Bronx c. 1984, and into the film Beat Street.

Here we have my after school crew chillin’ at my Mom’s watching the generational film; c. 1984 or 1985.

But this ain’t that. This is something else entirely. This is Marie masterfully laying out and penciling a two page spread in nine panels of a comics hijinks set up.

Vanisher welcomes the “outcasts,” with salesmen showman provocateur open arms. Ariel lounges, but leans into the hostess dismissive of others worries. Chance arms crossed, but a welcoming tilt and a smirk.

Vanisher speaks of invitation to loyalty to his leadership, as if this is a privilege. Reminding us of an occurrent of the current White House. Berto questions, his use of the term, “home.” He is not seeking a home. Chance dismiss this crudely. Ariel jumps to the limited assumption of, you got to call somewhere home, and here it is. I question this entirely.

“Beat Street is the home for the Fallen Angels, all of us misfits who knew we weren’t going to make it as heroes…or maybe didn’t think it was worth it to even try…”

Chance tries to seal the deal:

“And we can tell just by lookin', that description fits all of you!”

Rude!

Berto and Chance almost get into it, as Berto feels disrespected…in part because that is his base state of mind, but also he might have a point as he was abandoned by Chance as he attempted to help her. Vanisher steps into deescalate, and throws the mic to Ariel, who casually, playfully, flirty a bit, puts it as if, she and Chance, actually felt bad and so here we are. With Ariel corralling the newbs. She puts as a rescue mission, and Berto questions, but then is taken in by her obvious charmer tactics. He thinks she is wise even. The Jaime’s mention they are there to bring Berto home, but as soon as Ariel mentions pretty girls in the Beat Street Club, they all cave. Gomi settles in, with Don & Bill.

Suckers.

We turn to one of my happy places; Gomi and the crustaceans are selecting vinyl to spin. Don’s picking the tack; he speaks with emoji’s before emoji’s existed:

Don: “🎶🙂🛢️🎵”

Gomi: “Hmmm…either “talking heads’!…or “The Albuqerque Fat Boys’ Greatest Polka Hits”…

We are treated to close up panels of Don and then Bill. Always a highlight of this series.

Don: “🎵🐟🎶”

Bill:

Gomi: “I’m sorry Bill.”

Actually, Bill is just hungry, and this is serves to underscore Vanisher is manipulative MFer, and Chance knows the game, so doesn’t seem sympathetic on this page either. Ariel is instructed to go get some grub. Warlock is learning that Bill and Don are sentient. Berto, shrugging, confirms. Jamies are curious. Gomi is frustrated by the condition of a record. A scene we would kinda expect.

Page turn:

Off panel (entry into seafood restaurant shown): “whatdoyoumeanthey’renotheretheyhavetobehereisawthemcomeinhereandthere’snowhereelesetheycouldbe!!”

“Now, Siryn…”

Siryn: “I mean just look at this place”

This Jaime, is attempting to deescalate a hot tempered Siryn, in the entry of a perfectly rendered calm square buttoned up 80’s straight white adults fancy dining ambiance.

Jaime: “It looks like a seafood restaurant…”

He’s not good at this. For one, he is confused by the urgency and the volume; doesn’t see a problem with a seafood restaurant. Siryn’s powers begin to affect the room, as the host is hopeful they find a table. A close up of dinners plates and glasses shaking from sonic influences. As there is no Sunspot, Warlock, or multiples of men here.

Page turn to glasses braking. Jaime distracts from the unusual moment, and the host is content focusing on things that are normal. So they are seated, which Siryn finds as a clever move.

Jaime: “Not really, Siryn. I was hungry.”

Jo must have been famished when she was writing these pages.

A pattern is forming aesthetically. At times Marie is drawing heads too big for my taste. I estimate on the board she drawing them shy of 1 3/4 inches in height and they are being fit on bodies that are about 9 inches. So the ratio is off by about a quarter. While when she draws them as smaller scales, it comes off more normal. While this larger head ratio happens with Siryn, she does end up coming off better in comparison to other characters. That specific wrinkle is true with Gammill’s art too. I think this is a byproduct of EC, Mad traditions. Siryn, not only is starting to look more well rendered, and less humorous, she stealing scenes aesthetically.

Siryn is concerned that Jaime misses his fellow Jaimes. He seems unbothered. As Jaimes are the level headed ones, as Berto is “hotheaded” and Warlock is an “innocent.” He also clarifies, every Jaime is the same, but an individual. So he doesn’t know where they are, and he is no better than they are…other then being the lucky one to be with her. Smooth talker in the fancy restaurant y’all!

The Jaime who had been with a New Yorker women, since Chapter 50, not with Siryn and not with Berto & Worlock, who he is now assisting the unnamed women with her bags from the bus terminal, is yearning for independence. A return to one body:

“It’ll be like dying…like loosing myself.”

He is reminiscent about how he has been to NYC once before and how exciting it is to be here. And how he lived on a farm without his parents, but he was not alone, despite feeling lonely. There we “too many.” When the Jaime’s merge, their individual memories merge into a conflicted recollection of reality.

The bulk of the Jaimes mull about, a few choosing the floor, in the Beat Street Club lounge with the rest of the Fallen Angels boys. Laze and bordom, is the vibe. Vanisher looking content on his beanbag. They wait for the “girls” to return with food. The hunger is effecting all the Jaime’s, they are hilarious in how they communicate, so dumb. In solving this, I wouldn’t call it brilliant, but I do think Jo and Marie are cleaver here.

As the slam dance until they are one belly to feed.

Ariel and Chance arrive with their stollen food and a refusal to clear the table. Vanisher, without lifting a finger, agrees it is only fair.

Vanisher: “Gomi, clear the table.”

Gomi: “okay”

Gomi uses a form of telekinesis and clears the table, only he doesn't have the training to do wo without hijinks. Items fly around the room, causing Vanisher to loose his cool, and blame Gomi. Bill is not happy with this, and attacks Vanisher’s ankle. Don gets in a fighting stance:

“☠️grrrr…”

Ariel reminds Vanisher, the lobsters don’t take kindly to that sort of bullying on their boi. Berto hilariously takes this display of loyalty by the lobsters to sulk in the feelings of how he once had such loyal friendship, until the “tossed it aside.

Warlock: “FriendBobby’s attitude is one of dejection _ Query: is self’s friendship not satisfactory?”

Berto: “Warlock…I do not know what good act I have performed in this wasted life of mine…to deserve as true a friends as you…”

Bobby is not a head space or place, that makes me not think we are witnessing a mental health crisis unfolding. Warlock is mensch.

Their discussion transitions to the Jaime’s willingness to be in their presence.

Berto Narration: “I guess even outlaws must have gangs.”

Maybe the sense that the X-Men are a gang, and by extension the Mutants, under the guidance of Maggie, are shifting from a gang to a team and a class. I remain suspicious, but there can and should be growth.

My opinions are perhaps rapidly changing, as I reread relics from my childhood.

The rest of the gang is going through the food, no Fish McNugget’s for Bill and Don. Chance went with Special Penguin McBurger.

Don: “🐧”

Vanisher: “Ariel…You took my seat”

Arial (off panel): “That’s because I knew you knew I’d be tired after stealing the food, and you’d want to be nice and give me your comfortable chair…and sit on a box.”

Vanisher: “Oh. Oh. yeah. I guess you’re right.”

Vanisher 💭: “That makes sense.”

It’s a small thing, but Jo flexes cartoonist writing all over this comic. A casual conversation, that has these slight juxtapositions and utility of comics techniques and elements to bring this small moment to life. I try and write with a creative bent, and seem to be gleaning a little bit of influence from Jo Duffy here.

Bill: “🙂”

This is when, Jaime asks Gomi for Don and BIll’s origin story.

Don is a mutant lobster, per his blue color. Not sure why Gomi and frankly everyone else seems to see Bill as not mutated…at least by this panel. He is green.

Gomi goes on talk about how all three of them are cyborgs. He begins to picture a lighthouse, laboratory. It looks like the Braddock light house, but I don’t believe there is any connection. We had a flashback to Madrox Family Farm in Lawrenceville, Kansas, and now we are at Coney, Island…and I have no idea what Marie is doing here…I mean…she has been drawing New York her entire career as a local cartoonist…and this looks like Maine or Scotland.

Anyway, Gomi has this cousin and his BFF who have minds that rival Reed, Tony, and Doom. That’s what is says here. Ramon Lipschitz and Tadashi Fujita are stereotypical science nerds who have a lab assistant, Gomi with them in this cliff sitting lighthouse on Coney Island…and as teens are setting up a lab to work on cybernetics, because the won a research grant. Gomi apparently is a tag along that Ramon takes advantage of. Tadashi, named Gomi, because Gomi doesn’t like his birth name; Alphonsus Lefszycic. Gomi means garbage in Japanese. I verified Ann’s note.

Ok so Don is the mutate, the control on their experiment to make Bill, the normal lobster have super powers, through cybernetics. The goal is to scale up to human if successful. Classic mad science origin.

Gomi is supportive of Bill and Don right off. Talking up that they will be able to have super strength, live outside water, be able to communicate, become famous like FF or even Frankenstein Monster. They will be able enjoy music and tv.

Meanwhile, Tadashi and Ramon are total creeper with his Jean Grey classic Marvel Girl poster on thier wall. They are basically doing this because they fetishized Jean, with their shared pop crush.

The experiment is a success and so the BFF scientist go to celebrate leaving Gomi with the lobsters to set them up right. No lame stereo.

Gomi: “But Don and Bill like Menudo.”

The story quickly references Jean’s death and the rise of the Pheonix and the time she battles Firelord…I however, am not lame like these two…and don’t care much. The temptations to include that issue was the part about Jean and Misty Knight being roommates, and both of them getting opportunity escape the contexts of their hero life…only to have a lame powered character crash their apartment. The BFF’s read the article and realize someone who looks like Jean is alive…again this is a story from the past…so 1977.

This motivates the BFF’s to create a cybernetic Jean. The cartooning is fun. Marie is in her EC and Brand Echhh bag and so it has a Mad Mag feel. They determined they need a human test case. And so they attack and experiment on Gomi, naturally. Giving him super powers.

Jimmy Carter’s administration trimmed sicnetifc research, as part of a budget cutting effort. Though research and devilment over all still increased, the rate of the increase was leveled a bit, in 1980. So the flashback is likely ending in 1980, and probably goes through the Ford administration and most of the Carter administration.

The funding for the BFF was taken away, before they could use it on a Jean sort, perhaps. They left, Don, Bill, and Gomi at the light house alone. When the Fallen Angels showed, they voted 2 to 1 to go with them.

Warlock has a query to turn the food into food he can eat. And we are delighted to see him being able to do so.

Jaime asks Ariel about her teleportation. And she sluffs it off as a simple trick she learned back home. Concentrate on a door and picture another…and when you open it…you are opening the other door. I kinda love this version of teleportation. Proto Monsters Inc.

The Vanisher suggests a demo…a manipulation…to go and retrieve Boom Boom from the “clutches” of ❌-Factor. Change has feelings about this, because Boom Boom turned them in at one point, but Ariel codedly reminds Chance there is a large context at play. Chance changes her tune right off.

Meanwhile, Siryn and a Jamie are using the portable Cerebro to discover mutant readings around the ❌-Factor complex, and another around Midtown. Hellfire Club?! No…Fallen Angels silly.

Inside the ❌-Factor complex, Bobby and Hank are working in the lab. Hank is having trouble with his math. Boom Boom pops in to have them come upstairs for something that happens in ❌-Factor No. 17. I didn’t include it, but I believe this is WWIII’s funeral.

Hank is resistant to the invitation, as he is focused on his work…a surprise funeral is odd right?! He doesn’t trust Boom Boom…and the prankster, well intended, plants a boom boom in his experiment. And proves his point to Bobby.

As Boom Boom runs up the stairs, being chased by Bobby, who is placing ice on the floor, a door opens, and Ariel pops out. Boom Boom slides right in, before Bobby catches up. Hijinks is the vibe. No one is in that closet when Bobby and Hank open it of course.

Tabi(tha) introduces herself as Boom Boom > Tabitha. Jaime introduces himself with his full name. Vanisher has been laying on thick, that she should trust him again…because of their history. Chance doesn’t say a word.

Ariel is being cornered by Warlock and Berto, by questions. Where did she come from? She works her way out of answering. And then she opens the door, as the entire Fallen Angels are together…because Siryn was just about to nock on it. She gives Berto an ear full. Vanisher attempts manipulative mediation. Chance is direct at the stranger to her. The Jaime’s unite. Tabi had her eye on him. Ariel promises an answer to questions…just walk through this door here.

And they are in a scene of nature out of Oz. The door closes, leaving Beat Street behind.

A Gammill cover, who is back penciling this issue, has our Chapter 50’s setup paying off here, as we have a red stegosauria attacking Berto as Sunspot, with Chance feld at the edge of vegetation on a hill. On a cliff in the distance is Gomi, Bill, Don, Syrin, Warlock, Ariel, Jamie, and Tabi…with an additional cliff above them amongst the tropical forest in shadow is Devil, with Moon Boy on his back. Waifs of clouds the color of dusk, have pterodactylus‍ hovering above.

Mayerik inks are little to heavy handed for my taste. They are great for reprint clarity, but cover up subtitles in the pencils I believe provide a mid-modern subtlety that is being transformed into late 20th Century animation aesthetics. Erasing what has been drawing me to Gammill when Palmer inks, like on the this issues cover. An inker's the final editor for the line art, and can make or brake page with their hand and choices.

I am not sure who colored the cover, but the stegosauria is now green, in Scotese’s hands. The scheduling of cover and interior is not aligned often. Occasionally a cover date on the cover can provide context.

It’s an educated guess, but the cover is often needed for promotion and the work can be done before the interior pencils are done. Which can put is at odds with interior, as the story may change through the cartooning and editorial process and/or collaboration. It can be done after the fact if the comic is well ahead of schedule, or a pitch includes a completed issue. There is also the more and more common occurrence of artist working on the cover and not the interior.

Which was probably my biggest complaint in late eighties. I really felt like it was false advertising. I can except not judging a book by it’s cover, but that really is talking about graphic design with or without illustration and the printed word. With comics, there is a deliberate choice being made here, for deception.

The change of inker here is throwing me off in 2026, and the change in artist last issue, took me a second. Thankfully, I love M. Severin’s work.

When the gimmick of selling variant covers contributed to the ballooning of the collectors market, I was alarmed. I appreciate folks getting work out of it today. However, that is in the context of living through this method and renumbering contributing the breaking of the industry.

I will be going back to distilling this down in a post one day, on how the comics industry has worked, and try to communicate what works in my understanding of it, and what doesn’t. For what good that will do.

What unfolds comes off like a polished Ruby-Spears, Sunbow Entertainment,
DIC Entertainment, or Ashi Productions Saturday Morning cartoon. Confronted by the dino, the Fallen Angels story is told through a flashback, that unfolds beyond the door being open into this Earth from millions of years ago. Tabi threatens Ariel to get them back, when the dion startles Vanisher. Who…vanishes:

PLINK!*

*a sound effect I use quite a bit for the same effect. I guess, it was floating in my brain all these years.

Chance demands Ariel stand her ground and not vanish too! Ariel is not this brave. Warlock query if Siryn has a plan, as she takes off and uses her sonic powers on the dino. Who is distracted, as we Ariel makes a run for it. Tabi who is unafraid joins in the attack with her boom booms. A solid panel has Jaime confirm they need more help.

Tabi doesn’t understand what he is asking, so he gets her to slap him. And now there are two. So he has her do it a few more times. The Jaime’s grab Gomi and the lobsters…on has Gomi’s glasses. One grabs Chance who is still ready to take on the dino herself. And they trip over a rock.

Ariel swoops in to save one of them, as that is all she cary. Now…Jo Duffy forgives her for her choice. I do not! There is multiple Jaime’s…and only one Chance. I don’t care if this one is her fave…and she is falling for him…she doesn’t know which one it is. And the scene slows, as a large panel stops the flashback, with its shape and size.

You see the size and juxtaposition of a panel helps determine pacing. It is as much a musical instrument as a narrative device. This panel is like a bass needle drop. A dino fills it, above our eye view from behind. Chance unafraid is swinging at air. Berto seems to far, fear for Chance is seemingly to far away, though he is now black with Kirby dots…Sunspot, is no longer reflecting on the scariest context he could ever think of….screeetch…REALLY…what about Demon Bear…for one…

A page of action with a dino, which break the grid enough to create a sense of being off kilter, informed by interior art being a rolling off center rotating angle, as if we are bing turned with the action. Berto made up a lot of ground and flips the dino, surprised, in four panels. Berto’s strength surprises Chance and himself. He uses a tree against the dino, but a chip of it hits Berto and knocks him out. This combo of vulnerability and strength is rather rare, but there is no actual reason this doesn’t work. The dino had enough and saunters off. Berto out, is cared for by Chance, who has a soft moment. Ariel emerges from behind a tree, as if she is not scared, and just stumbled into them, puffing Chance up.

A silhouette on a cliff above:

Moonboy: “There, you see, my brother? Truly, these strangers are of great strength and courage, and stand in no need of our aid…although, had you chosen to aid them, I know from the actions, I have seen that they would be worthy allies…of worthy foes, if they chose to stand against us…I wonder what has brought such strange and mighty beings to the Valley of the Flame.”

Ariel stars this page, as we get some classic renderings, including the last one, an all time, it’s about her and she is an innocent pose…when the drawing makes it obvious neither is true. You can read all this without a word. Chance is confronting her on the fact that she brought them to a place that is putting mutants at danger, and she had been supposedly very protective of mutants. Her logic is this place and time is a very “potent evolutionary stage” and she has identified at least two key mutants, so important, it’s worth sacrificing some of their fellow mutant gang members. Thus the gang label.

All Ariel has to do here, is question Chance’s fortitude here, and the threat of being “soft,” has Chance, who has laid her iconic black leather jacket on Berto, is now kicking him, to prove lack of softness. The inking has improved over the past three pages, to a high level that is bringing in a balance between Gammill’s mid century and an Art Adams metal use of line details. Chance is having a moment in this first panels drawing. Berto awake, hoping for the nightmare to be over, no chance…he is being abandoned by one who has no scruples at all, and one who fears showing care. Time, do the panel shape, lack of lines, words, and limited drawing of environment…slows. Abandoned, a shadow has overcome him.

We are treated to a Vanisher page, in his 80’s record executive casual tropical print get up. A rare moment that treats him with empathy. He is in the shade of a tree. We slowly see his face revealed, and with it his concerns. He dismisses it, as quickly as we do. Bah, the Vanisher doesn’t care…they are fine…and he can’t actually care for them. Don’t be silly. In three panels a chameleon startles him and

PLINK!

My kinda cartooning. A nearly perfect comics page. Wall worthy.

Gomi, carrying Don and Bill, being carried by a helicopter Warlock, is hammering on about how, sure they are all cybernetic enhanced…the lobster v dino physics are against them. Two Jaime’s carry Tabi, who comically…these are the smallest possible drawings of characters…is screaming:

“PUT ME DOWN!!!”

“Query: Friendsiryn…”

Warlock wants to make sure it is safe to put friends down. Jaime’s are taking a little two long in doing so with Tabi…one slips in the word “sweethart,” as they do. And Tabi’s mind is off to the races with that. So one Jaime has a mutual thing going with Siryn…and another or more…has Tabi developing a stalker potential. The Jaime’s pull themselves together…and Siryn calls him her “love.” Tabi’s thought:

“Fooey.”

Warlock: “self is anxious about wellbeing of Friendbobby and Friendchance’s physical units! Query:…”

And so, Friendsiryn gives him the okay to go track them down. Warlock thinking he is clever, disguises him self in the shape of a dino…one who looks as he does in terms of circuitry designed by Bill Sienkewicz…but in the shape of:

Dee-no.

Gomi, Don and Bill uses science to determine their basic needs have not been met. In endearing jargon Gome communicates this, and Tabi is all for it, until Gomi causes a tree for kindling to nearly kill her, as it is is felled by telekinesis. She goes after him, but is tripped by two lobsters. Bill and Don have a big moment in this panel. A boom boom bounce bounces towards the trees…and now they have a lot of kindling. Gomi had to be shaved by Siryn in the process.

Jamie conveniently falls on Tabi. She uses the tried and true…you're so strong on him…he is nervous and naive. Siryn is taking leadership…so is annoyed at the hijinks and delay of making a fire unfolding.

Lame.

Warlock is out in wild and is as you would think…a combo of brave and scared. He comes across a T-Rex nocked out by FriendBerto.

“Jubilation.”

As Warlock catches Berto up on the state of things. A query leads to Berto’s take on the rules of heroics villainy teams and gangs and such…and Bobby’s increased powers remain a question.

Page turn to one of our favorites of the series. A final splash for this issue of Devil Dino with Moon Boy on top, and a shocked Warlock…Berto not shocked…as it was not him who took out the T-Rex…but them two!

Wall worthy!

The quality pages continue with an Ariel, Chance and a cameo from Vanisher page. The use of birds-eye views, asymmetrical angling in a six tall panel grid, presses these elongated moments together, making pithy work of the gestural cartooning, that keeps us off balance while flowing through the reveal of Areil’s lengthy diatribes and Chance’s sturdy action. Exposing a toppled over Vanisher. Ariel is aware of Devil’s appearance in 1978, through old media reports of his rampage, and that lead her here to discover Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur. Her yammering is getting in the way of Chance’s efforts…but Chance is able to get the jump on an unknown third party...

The Vanisher: “No! Help! Mother!”

Page turn to a two page spread…the delights continue:

Ariel: “Hey Boss! It’s us! Don’t be afraid!

Chance: “And don’t vanish! We aren’t going to hurt you!”

Vanisher: “Please let me go! I taste terrible and it’s against my religion to be eaten and anyway…”

This half page tall and thin panel is accompanied by four smaller versions along the top and one open panel taking up the a portion of the middle of the page. Two squarish panels along the bottom half…the first slightly larger for effect then the second. The next page is similarly designed to these last two panels, with a six panel grid on it.

Those thin tall, smaller panels read a large question mark, a series of close ups to the Vanisher’s bald head and his face hiding in his hands nuzzled in the bottom of the panel…he slowly looks up and realizes:

“whew!”

The open panel has him trying to save face, as a caught, used cars sales men playing at “fearless” leader would.

At the bottom of the page we are treated to a perfectly frames Vanisher centered, back turned, set to walk the other way, as he is flanked by Ariel and Chance, who has his jacket and is set to turn him around and join them. The Vanisher flips this to him leading them in the direction chosen by Chance and Ariel.

The second page is of those they seek; Siryn, Gomi, Bill, Don, Tabi, and Jamie have taken the cyborgs advice and have a camp fire going. Gomi is cooking meat. Don wants some dark meat. Jaime is explaining the portable Cerebro, while being creeped out by Tabi’s classic cartoon staring. He does a demo, and it reads that Don registers as mutant, because of his blue color…not powers…and Bill does not…because green (greenish brown) is normal for lobsters.

Page turn, to three delightful panels, a ¾ overhead view midway close up of Jamie working cerebra and a dramatic ¾ worms eye view close up of Siryn…one of her best panels in the series, sandwiches a ¾ overhead view balancing nearly full body gestural drawings of the love triangle. In this moment, Jaime has a moment. He just wasn’t right for a sec. We see a word ballon…like the kind I use all the time…and these perhaps cells. The rest of the page is three panels one long and two short that bring the Vanisher, Ariel and Chance to the camp fire. Reunited. Cerebro is reading Ariel and Chance as mutants…which seems like an impossibility to them.

So we turn to Vanisher eating the food he just came out of the bushes to, after being dragged there, after falling out of other bushes, cooked by Gomi who he has little respect for…and inferred they were to leave without Berto and Warlock which gives us splendid three panels of Siryn getting in his face as he eats food he should not be eating…when Jaime gets a reading just before Berto and Warlock to come out of the bushes. And Jamie has another mutant reading still…

So naturally we turn the page to a delightfully dramatic gestural drawing of Ariel motioning towards what they had come for in the first place…Vanisher nearly looses his lunch…as a red T-Rex with an prehistoric man on his shoulders is yelling in his stunned face. Vanisher transitions to welcoming and offers up his stollen meal to their final new gang members…in a perfect group shot moment to end the issue.

Staton & Mayerik take over the next few issues, and now my head is in the space of: is this a mistake. I have let in the door some issues, I would never even pay for if it was 75¢. And here I am, having tracked it down, and now trying to read. The reason to keep on trucking through these issues, is the story, not the storytelling. I have skipped many comics to get is here. Way more than I have questioned letting in, like these two. However, here I am in the moment, wondering, was this compromise worth it.

Part of this entire exercise, has been a larger endeavor. The purging of comics from my personal collection, to provide a limited selection to Savannah, when I pass. I don’t want her to see a bunch of comics and just toss them, because they present as overwhelming. I would love to provide her with what I valued in my life, and for her to have and if she wants to, pass along, as a keep sake of my time, and for her and hers to make their own connection with.

This is a unique context, because most comics are done by the same creators and the quality changes as they do, but there is generally a reason of aesthetics and storytelling that makes them stick around in my house. I almost never keep a comic that simply doesn’t work for me. I don’t care what society deems of value. Not with anything. I want less, not more. I ams what I ams. I don’t want to have, to be, or to pass along a burden.

Here there are so many pieces to the puzzle, by so many creators…and it holds so many moments that impact my life, in aggregate becoming the central fiction that drove along with me, as I forged this path I am on.

I can’t make the argument these two issues were central to this. Not in the ways I typically do it. Aesthetics + Storytelling = Quality comic to keep around. This has neither.

And yet, here we are…struggling through Staton & Mayerik’s aesthetics and storytelling, accompanied by Jo Duffy writing that seems to be choosing this moment to be overly verbose (like I am), and not pithy (like I should be)…to help us get through. Your welcome for the approximation of my own pains.

All because, there is a story moment, I simply can’t let go of. And I am worried, I will side with this moments preservation, over my standards…subjecting Savannah, to works that will collect into filling a recycling bin.

LOST AND FOUND

BOOM BOOM!!!

The Fallen Angels are back at Beat Street and don’t all fit, because now they have a dinosaur. Their powers have been augmented by their journey into the fervent evolutionary climate of the past; a theory. They bicker amongst each other. Gomi, Bill, Don and Warlock, are guided by Ariel to find more space for the team to live in. A foreshadowing moment, Gomi reminds Don, what Bill and him have been saying…don’t stand under foot…it doesn’t matter how super strong you are. They reveal more space to the team. They are all sent to criminally gather sustenance. Ariel and Chance discus, Jaime’s thought that Chance has latent mutant abilities. Chance of course is dismissive. Ariel uses positivity to manipulate a merchant who reminds Chance of her Dad. She is disgusted by the flavor of tactic…and proceeds to assertively lift a women’s purse. She does so, with timing to induce Berto and Warlock into being complicit, and then the two thieves, leave him in a compromised position at a women’s pool. Ariel and Chance show the Vanisher, they stole money, and manipulated a merchant into a bag of fruit. Moonboy and Devil were supposed to remain hidden, but they decided to go gather like their new friends. Pay tribute to Vanisher. Meanwhile, Berto and Warlock are accused of being creeps…by women at the pool…but then they think they are to innocent…oh but wait they are mutants…so call X-Factor. Berto and Warlock use powers to escape. One of the worst aspects of this comic, is this narrative of suicidal thoughts. Not only is it not great from a 21st Century cultural perspective, but it is poorly handled, from a 20th century perspective. It is supposed to be part of this motivation, that simply is not holding water. Gomi and Tabi are not happy to be paired, and she is overly impulsive and wants a big splash, while Gomi is like me, and wants the easiest and most low key solution. They run into a Jaime. It is the one that loves Siryn, and who Siryn loves…but doesn’t realize the distinction quite yet, between Jaime’s. And of course Tabi doesn’t care wich, so is immediately attached to this one…who has no idea who either of them are…as he has been wondering around NYC all this time…since his spontaneous date with Siryn. And then there is some page filler collision with a guy on a bike to fill in that Gomi is a rule follower…as am I. Tabi is worried about Jaime who was hit. Don and Bill pinch the bikers ankles, and he runs off. As Moonboy and Devil are near by. The rest of Jaime and Siryn are dealing with his headache. There is conflict back at the new Beat Street HQ…Berto is mad about being abandoned. So suicide is off the table…and anger is back on. Tabi, Jamie, and Siryn love triangle is coming to a head…the rest of the team shows…and it is in this moment that Don is once again under foot…the moment that may save this comic from recycling…or cause them all to be recycled…Devil…crunch…kills Don by stepping on what is under his foot.

A cute photo of Don is not saving Staton.

Neither is an appealing title by Duffy.

THE COCONUT GROVE

A funeral happened between issues. The art is now also lazy. What was over worked is simply deadline motivated. Conflict remains. The highlight is Bill is after Moon Boy and Devil, for the manslaughter of Don. When the dust settles, Berto sees a kindred spirit in Devil, both depressed; Warlock actually got mad…at Tabi…a highlight in his character’s story; The two Jaimes are both still there; there is indications that it is Chance who is increasing, and in this case nullifying powers. Creating interesting story contexts…that are being undermined by aesthetics and storytelling. Until that is driven by the existential threat of the Murauders, and X-Factor, we enter on the final two pages, a tiki lounge vibed, Ariel’s home space The Coconut Grove.

And so, we turn to our final Gammil & Palmer issue, which has the timing of a filler issue, here, in a series Gammil co-created with Duffy. One that, when he or M. Severin are the penciler, it is elevated, but especially in his hands. This cover is my second fave of limited series. No. 1 is to iconic an image, but here we have Gammil and team flexing with detail, while No. 1 went less is more.

Off centers in three quarters Birds Eye view a full bodied Siryn, in the best character design of her comics appearances. She raises a toast with an inter-dimensional cocktail, dressed in a sci-fi late 80’s classic outfit. Sunspot, costumed on a equal level, is lounging, positioned to counter clockwise lead your eye through a golden spiral that goes as follows; a Coconut Grove server; Chance, appropriately unchanged; Ariel, as she was…iconic; presumably Jaime prime in an upgrade; ‘cause Tabi is feeding him, in her own big shouldered space short dress; Gomi and then Bill, the same munching; some ominous space guns framing the bottom; Warlock in some wacked look, whose head leads into the logo in reveres; and then in the background Devil and Moon Boy in a yellow vest; and finally tucked away, our MC party host, Unipar, who debuted at the end of the last issue. The setting is a palm treed dark inter-dimensional-tiki bar. The counter clockwise tensions and upheaval, feels intentional. I bet that is the case.

TRIPLE CROSS*

In a Star Trek font.

Iconic Chance, back against a wall, shadows encroaching, lit like she is on stage.

Turn of the page, half a page later, Chance has been mobbed by local stylists against her will. Her knife is not effective in this moment.

Aril is complimenting Warlock on his new look, and Berto is feeling it, in his. The old Berto seems back. Though I feel like our lack of care this entire time is partially my fault, and partially Jo Duffy’s…and Berto in general. An unappealing personality is what he has…elevated by a sick looking iconic designed power.

The final panel of this second page, treats us to a sketchy, but wonderful Berto panel, guest staring Warlock and Ariel, as they hear Chance’s screams. Duffy does so much better to me, when her words are surrounded with quality art:

Warlock: “Analysis : Oral expression of extreme fear and distress. Identification : Chance’s voice.”

I got to say, most of the time outside of Sienkiewicz’s hand, Warlock fails to appeal to me aesthetically. Sometimes there are moments that do well enough, to see that the Saturday Morning Cartoon versions of him can work. But they often are attempted with lazy design, that doesn’t consider the page and panel constructions, or the aesthetics of the other characters. This has not and will not always be the case. For example, this next panel has him running, with limited lighting, and the shape fits Gammil’s style, and works with the eye to bring us into the page with the approbate vibes. I’m an established sucker for a step in panel. Berto does his part here to balance this out. A scuffle in the background. And then we get a nearly perfect example of the times and Gammil’s place in them, as we are convinced Berto is desperately reaching through he Coconut Grove locals, who are all fantastically deigned, to reach for Chance, as if we are Chance. And the the camera angle shifts to a perfect rendering, if not perfectly framed view, over Berto’s shoulder (a foreshadowing angle) to see , what has come of Chance. And she is punk glam cute. It really is an assault on her character. She looks just as great. Just not the same at all. Sunglasses off kilter, nails done, reaching traumatized for a lifeline:

Chance: “Bobby…make them stop…”

We the reader…are her only friends here. He turns on her ruthlessly digging into the old question of her gender. It always has played into the Berto is an arse, characterization.

Warlock’s query is unhelpful.

The room is brutal.

A shocking turn of character, Ariel, comes running in to defend her fish out of water friend.

On page turn, she quickly acts to facilitate a quick change back into the Chance we know and love.

Berto who is a misogynist poster child, keeps his lips flapping. Chance threatens him with her blade, and he looking like a Micheal Jackson character, dismiss her, entering into the limelight of the party. He narrates:

“Perhaps someday I shall provoke the little pest by telling her…how cute she looks when angry or afraid.”

He is lucky to be and is so 14.

Every page has comics art that just works for me on the highest level here.

A eluding to what is happening her, begins to unfold, in a quieter, but still distracted moment. Chance is left standing, blade in hand, stunned. Ariel is intent on checking on her friend, but Unipar, who is a glorious triangular, stout, clownish, jester, host, with large green parted in the middle pompadourish hair that flairs out, large squared glasses frame his round face, his checkered jacket is large in the shoulders, and massive red bow tie pulls his suit together. He’s form and getup compliments the tall thin framed Ariel. They clearly are from here, and opposites at once. He reminds me of cartoonist and SCAD’s Sequential Art Department’s founder Prof. Bob Pandarvis. Together they remind me of those iconic couples of short strong introverted men with tall thin extrovert girlfriends….but that is simply another remembrance of form, here in Savannah, where I am writing this. Unipar distracts Ariel from care for Chance, the actual introvert. She critiques his handling, and shares that he has overplayed his part in the affair. Chance is not the target. She is actually someone Ariel cares for. Perhaps some classic queer coding here. In this we get wonderful drawings of all three characters, especially the final two panels of the page. Where Unipar walks towards us, away from the moment. Leaving a perfect open panel deigned to highlight that Chance doesn’t know the details, and Ariel is not ready for her to know yet. But we know something is to happen to our mutant friends that sounds like a trap.

A double page spread picks up the activity with every panel in isolation being a lesson in use of gesture in storytelling and guiding of the eye. The design of the characters working in concert with this effort, propelling us through an active scene, that flows as much as it overwhelms the senses; delightfully so.

The exchanges of surface compliments continue, as it is Tabi’s turn to be gazed upon. Chance’s back handed, yet sincere, compliment: “Umm…I’ve never seen you look more like yourself!” Chefs kiss, Duffy.

Tabi is there there to stir the pot. As a fellow pot stirrer, I have to respect her attempts here to defend Chance’s honor and get into a moment she lives for. Chaos.

Centered on the page, masterfully, in her hand, a little something for Berto’s back pocket.

Subsequently they approach, and she skillfully drops it in. Warlock questions the moment, as the data does not support she is upto anything other than no good here…but Berto’s ego blinds him from most forms of reality.

So…

BOOM!

…goes his pocket. Startling him and his alien classmate. The look on Warlock’s face is classic.

A lovely, light comics page. Reminding us, this is the kind of romance comic that you find in a well executed Archie. Also, a reminder that Marvel has been making that sort all along…in every decade since the 40’s.

Tabi running off (towards us) in the juxtaposed page’s first panel is a delight. Folks love her. I have a hard time, because she rarely gets a rendering that supports her spirit. Here she gets it all. An ideal Tabitha Smith Boom Boom moment.

Tabi, stops with her friends for a moment…bent over…caught out of breath…with joyful emotions. I am not this sort of pot stirrer. I am a subtle wit. This is hijinks.

Tabi: “Oh Mother! Help me stop laughing or I’m going to be sick!”

We then are treated to a moment to moment panel sequence of Berto’s accurately rendered fierce face, turned embarrassed…as he goes from hot headed vengeance to shocked realization…the bottom of his backside is exposed. His arse is hanging out of them tight pants. The room erupts…and so does he.

Warlock leaps into action…

Page turn brings us to a flash back around a powered up Sunspot’s head shot. Warlock was set to stop his friend from harming another friend in his state of rage, as he had Sam…the entire reason Berto is here…because this temper of his lead to him realizing he is better off alone…only he is never alone…and now he is perhaps going to repeat his pattern…friend Warlock is prepared this time…but so is Berto. He settles himself. The 14-year-old has a moment of growth. It was a wacked road getting here…suicidal thoughts and all…but we got there somehow. Still embarrassed and agro…he stopped before crossing the line. Warlock attempts to help, by literally covering Berto’s arse as he walks off…I think it makes it worse. Snickers are left behind.

What follows, is my kind of cartoonist page. Something I could see myself doing. It’s seven panels. A longshot, with six panel grid of tall panels. A repetition of form across each one. The longshot has a headshot of Chance, a medium shot of Ariel behind her, taking up space with her lengthy arms, and a shadowed background Tabi behind. Chance in the foreground is cut off by the panel at top and bottom. You can see more of Ariel and Tabi, as they stagger lower in the panel, like stairs, or a direct line, tiled down to the right. Leaving space for dialogue and negative space along the top above them. A condensed version of this plays out in each individual panel subsequently. The camera is fixed on this medium shot, that has them framed with this staggered height and their bodies overlapping, just so. Their individual acting depicted, but their positions remain the same, an animation technique that also is rooted in comics. It saves time, and is an effective storytelling method to slow pace and center nuances of their interactions and individual characterization. Repetition as a visual eminent has its own inherit appeal. We often look for this as artistic intent. In many design elements, from fabric patterns, to architectural structures, to musical notes, pattern plays to our senses of stability and practice of learned lexicons. There is something soothing about this. Even when it is foundational to a scene like this. It also elevated and frames the nuanced differences.

What unfolds in this context is, Chance feels for Berto, but Ariel counters this (with reason), and Tabi builds the comedic beat, of concurrence with Ariel’s point of view. Building sisterhood. Chance then changes to their point. And Ariel doubles down. To which Tabi provides a second receptive beat of copycat. Chance, unites this with making it about them them v him explicitly. And Ariel, slips in what is perhaps her honest truth. An over sharing. “We don’t need any of the Fallen Angels!” And Tabi provides a third comedic beat: “Yeah! Who needs us!?” This stops all there. Chance has been flipping her blade this entire time. She stops and give backwards side eye. Ariel looks caught, like deer in headlights. And Tabi, can’t believe what she has just uttered. All three have a perfectly placed question mark above thier heads. A classic technique I use as repetition myself. Trying to recover, as Tabi should not have this information…let alone be a part of it…since she is one of the mutants to be trapped…Chance says: “except for Boom Boom of course.” Ariel now is the one mimicking the voice before her. And Tabi provides her reliable third beat in the panel again. And as she motions to leave this repetitive united pattern, Ariel underscores tabs would of course keep this to herself…and Tabi making her leave awkwardly of course copies this beat. Ariel underscores this with an inference of forget the entire thing…and Tabi escapes casually with a last beat of comedic repetition of seconding that thinking.

A perfect comics page, worthy of a wall, and note to self.

I think in this moment, I have decided to purge any of the “to me my ❌-Men” issues that don’t rise collectively to the aesthetic and storytelling level I deem quality. I have documented here, what is needed to be known…and then some. There is no reason to burden Savannah, with what I find unworthy of our time and space. I don’t want to leave an impression of something that simply doesn’t work for me. If it feels incomplete…she is welcome to her own adventures in finding them as I have.

This issue stays…the previous two will not…I suspect the last won’t make it either…but we shale see.

The spinner rack effect continues.

The pace and intensity of the pages picks back up, as we first are walking with Chance and Ariel through the Coconut Grove tiki bar. Yammering on about how Ariel’s relative, another Ariel, is used in Shakespeare’s The Tempest to manipulate space and people to their will, as she has been doing, and just did with Tabi. Revealing to us a source of Duffy’s inspiration for the character. Chance admires the game.

Her Shakespearian lecture is interrupted by sonic scream, which wonderfully flys through Siryn, carrying her Jaime (making assumptions), who is outfitted as the spoiler: Genoshian Mutant Slaves will be, a year from now. They land perfectly cartooned, is followed by a model posed Siryn, who speaks of this continued experience of heightened powers.

The have arrived to inform the Fallen Angels of a meeting called by the Vanisher. Who is perhaps less terrible than Chuck, because he is present…well…maybe not…in fact this is a receptive complaint carried out by Chance…and transparent in his manipulations. Like it is obvious. But not by intent. Both are terrible. Fine.

We get a fun little panel of Chance continuing the The Tempest talk and then turning it on its head as nonsense…but Ariel insists she is related to the character. And this being Marvel…I believe her. Because that is how Sensational She-Hulk taught me this all works. Jaime now has his own questions. And Ariel continues to provide answers…designed to move the story along…and continue the conversation in the same breath.

Tabi is not with them, so we are left with a page that focuses on her fun cartooning, including action, acting, and an iconic close up. Guest staring Unipar. She is left behind, so, after Ariel had just finished explaining the importance of a functional and existing door for teleportation space bending…the door they used is blown up by the impulsive Tabi…in a classic cartoonist funny way.

Unipar takes Tabi under his wing, into a balanced focus between them. Gammil isn’t inventing this level or these techniques of cartooning. However, his mastery and the way in which he uses variation on the page, results in a freshness in each panel, and then a single panel on each page, that stands out. Sometimes, it’s not even the most interesting use of the form, when you look closer…but for whatever reason, here it may be an assist from Petra’s coloring choices, something stands out at a high level…while everything else is feeling newly performed at its own high standards. Unipar is puffing up Tabi’s chaotic good tendencies, and is perforative in sharing he is enthralled with her power, and frames her like one on a pedestal. This breath of fresh air blowing up her arse is manipulating as Ariel was. Of course, his celebration of the mutant is masking what seems like will be trouble for mutants. The Vanisher, a mutant himself, Ariel, and Unipar, all play the used car sales men. You feel like you are on a lot, and there is competition for the sale. As they sinter off, two of his compatriots are given a signal by his gesturing, which gives up the highlight of the page…these twin like lanky spacemen.

What was bright environment, interior at night, is now a treat of external night in Coconut Grove, palms and sci-fi design out of a SHAG print. Berto on a now common Warlock plane, fits here. They fly to the meeting, and both seem in a good place going in. The meeting’s scene harkens back to the cover.

Berto admires the style of all. Moon Boy looks especially dapper, reminiscent of Beethoven.

Bill “👓”

Meeting’s refreshments: Nachos, Pizza, M & M’s, Twinkies, Hawaiian Punch…this comic came out in summer of 1987.

Ariel cuts off, Chance’s answer, to Jamie’s question of Tabi’s whereabouts. Chance is safe, but not in the loop.

There are two other Jaime’s. Both injured. One presumably the second that has been with him. The other the one that one that was wondering around. I am sure I have failed at keeping track and am likely making the wrong assessments here. Love the concept…but I am a bit lost now.

Oh…so, yes the same one that refuses to go back in Jamie prime…is now two. Makes sense. Exercising independence continues. Setting up a fun, Warlock “query” about them healing when joining Jamie prime, but their individual refusal to do so, to remain independent…only they copy each other like the Thompson Twins from Tintin. It’s delightful…pulling from what first got me interested in comics at age four.

Jaime prime in conversation with Chance and Ariel transitions from frustrations with his other selves stubbornness, to his continued readings that Ariel and Chance are mutants…which they also stubborn, deny.

This launches Ariel into a speech that frames an open panel of most those present, that serves as a nice team shot, everyone looking their best…as she says they are mutants and therefore all uniquely special…thus bringing them here to Coconut Groove where there are no mutants; in theory. Jaime interrupts with a reading uptick of her mutation. And this is overhead by Coconut Grove servers. However, Cerebros function is now in question…so a Siryn demo is in order. So we get a page of some action and power displays. And an almost mysterious other reading. The pages turn, past wonderful art, because we must know. And we do…it’s Chance. Who tries to leave, as they are accused of being a mutant. Ariel reframes it. Chance then goes after Vanisher for vanishing always; see also sucks like Chuck. But like everyone…it’s not within his control. Vanisher and Gomi are about to drop science and experience knowledge bombs…when them twin Cocoanut Grove that got the signal from Uniper, show up with other officers of the law. Gomi makes a pants joke…you’d have to see it…Chance’s readings spike again…and everyone’s power disapear. Gomi’s quick wit deduces his bionics work…and he attacks the law. Chance has hit puberty…and her powers are now on. Ariel reveals what side she is on…and that has been foreshadowed since go. She advises on how to deal with the one threat…Gomi. Devil tries to fight, but space lazers can handle Dinos from the past. He and Moon Boy are stopped. The law goes to take in Chance, but Ariel tries to remain loyal to the only one she cares about. Unipar, shows, to undermine her plan. He brakes some promise he made. The specimens, all of them, are to be taken in, by the law.

These pages are wonderful, and as I slow down to view this one, we get wonderful close ups of Unipar and Ariel. The flexibility along McCloud’s triangle is great cartooning here.

Ariel is no help to Chances plea. And as she makes her walk away in shame, a green beam impressions her, as she is also a mutant. And with proclamation, Unipar, leaves us “to be continued…”

Around this time, a comics aesthetic was forming which feels nostalgic today. You could find it across New Universe, G.I. Joe, DC, and Archie comics. It has to do with form, line wight, size, pallet, production, and expression on the page. Here was have Gammil’s final offering, which fits with this general sense of the era.

Tabi is on a surgical table, and the surgical team are alarmingly all members of Coconut Grove’s community. The Fallen Angels are behind glass, with looks of horror…the same one we see on Tabi’s own face.

The opening of the comic, is not as rough as it had been when turning from Gammil to Stanton previously. I don’t know if it is a sizable runway to provide a forgiving deadline, or the work of DeZuniga’s inking. It definitely is in concert with Duffy’s writing. As we have Bill staring at us, ready for action. And then he has a full page to his own, where he is wonderfully determined to perform heroics, and Stanton is penciling a standard level comic of this era. Nothing to celebrate, but certainly worthy of our 75¢, should we be hopping on a plane, and finding something to read on a flight. This issue is built for a casual encounter with comics. Which fits the over all nostalgic vibes. It is not what Staton had provided before, over worked aesthetic and storytelling eroding a critical moment, and then a rushed and/or lazy effort in it’s aftermath that only on the final two pages, seems to deliver something worth looking at. I will never look at this issue again, or his others on this series. But I wouldn’t call this one here, failure. I would call this proficient professional work. And we don’t celebrate that level nearly enough. It’s thankless work.

Bill is a delight here.

“He’s a lobster with a mission…better watch out.”

Stanton has figured out what Gammil and M. Severin do like breathing…how to stay on model. And while not perfect, he is bringing to form his own voice, a visual lexicon, that we require, to begin to learn his language. And it’s actually not at all what it was before. Here there are these flat, kinda adults in Hanna-Barbera cartoons, like Johnny Quest, that mixes with a simple Mike Magnolia shape, designs for some characters, and then big heads with a softer more real rendering for women and kids, while the villain..a classic cartooning technique has more detail (again read McCloud), and then Warlock is reduced to a scratchy shape with iconic eyes and hair, that make him the one we can identify with. Devil is also, not being over worked, so he has a refreshed variation in line. A sign inking is helping a lot.

The narrative is settled into, Coconut Grove has been stagnate in evolution, and so they require mutants to study and figure out how to fix this. Thus, more mutant children being manipulated by adults and kidnapped, and they would never choose to be this, but they have become a gang, a family, playing at being a team…with the need for an education…that seems to not be happening. Together they find themselves and each other in struggle. A bond is forming in this crucible. Making this stand on solid “to me my ❌-Men” foundations. The Lost Boys version.

Oh, and this has a small horror vibe, as Unipar, has turned on Ariel and reveals her flower shaped eyes. There is simply something unsettling about how it plays out. Nothing seems scary at face value here, in Coconut Grove.

The bickering continues, especially when Ariel tries to save face, and Chance doesn’t want to hear it. They are all trying to problem solve, but it seems Unipar has accounted for every variable amongst the eclectic gang. He has even returned Tabi, after her treatment.

I kinda love this approach. I don’t know if I am ever going to be at a place again to utilize it, but frankly it should not feel like a revelation here. It should be a norm. A massive inflection point of the cover could be a spoiler, but what if that is all you get, and then in the comic, we see the after math. Filling in the horrors in our minds eye. A transition from the previous issues cliff hanger, plays out in a single image on the next issues cover, and then inside building to another diff hanger…or resolution to end a series. I mean…that seems to be exactly my preferences. See above.

Oh no….I know how to do a series my way…ack…I thought I had given up on this…how to can I make the time and conditions to do this…my time is running out. Damn…I might have to attempt this once more. 12 issues. How?! When?!

They have been torturously studying at a cellular level, and extracting the ❌-factor, to provide it to local youthful volunteers. Super science is alive and well.

The Jaime’s can’t be complacent, and confront their captures, as they seek to extract one of them. The guards react impulsively themselves and shoot one of the Jaime’s. Unipar, is upset by this hasty action. With one of the Jaime’s dead, Unipar turns to the real threat of Gomi going next, should this continue. The other two Jaime’s are in shock, having lost one of their own. A wonderful exchange in admitted loss in translation between Moon Boy and Gomi is attempted, as Gomi is blinded and needs explanation of what is happening…then Unipar decides to take the two remaining Jaime’s, which gets the better of Berto, and he impulsively kinda volunteers himself to go come along too. This puts Warlock in a place of questioning aloud his own actions and path, driven by emotions he analyzes publicly in real time. It is endearing, as he struggles with impulsiveness driven by his care for his friend, and his reasoning to let his friend go into harms way to help everyone else. This places Siryn in the position of counseling Warlock. She sees his immense empathy as life long.

As the Jamie’s and Berto are escorted away, Berto thinks he deserves this end, and they do not. We are on that train of thought again. Sigh. The Jaime’s try to impart a lesson, Berto needs to hear. His machismo has driven him to think, he failed to try and save the Jaime that died. This branding him a coward. However, the two living Jaime’s make clear, there is a time and place for heroics. Sacrificing your own self would have been the act of someone just “showing off,” in face of certain death. “That kind of ego trip can be pretty expensive.” The Jamie who died, didn’t follow this logic, and he is dead and they are no better for it.

Berto reflects on the road he took to this place. What transpired with Sam that set this in motion, was part of this idea that a failed hero is a villain. But along the way, Berto finds he is an even more unsuited for the role of a villain.

I’ll underscore these labels, especially the binary, is absurdist, stereotyping we construct to make ease of communication simpler. But in doing so, we create wedges, bread the conditions to foster hate, we disconnect humanity as we all become ‘the other,” and in doing so we become tools for storytellers to shape culture, which informs society, which shapes the environment, and contributes in this context to eroding a world that we collectively depend on to nurture us as we live on it.

There are no good guys or bad guys, there are only infinite choices, we make collectively, as individuals all headed to the same place. An end. The stereotype is a short hand for characters who are supposed to be easily identified to a reader in passing. We use to dilute ourselves into thinking this brought us safety. A survival skill we called it. The survival skill was the development of communication. Not the use of communication to build walls. A healthy boundary exists because we first created a context to need it. I use mine. I need it. But I always leave a secret door open. If you can find it, I welcome you in. That is the key to my survival. We did this initially as if the resources were scarce…when we individually were in amongst other animals seeking the same sources. Well, we are making sure resources becoming scarce and have been almost all along for most of us…one story at a time. Until we learn how to tell stories that reverse this narrative. That is the steryotypes supposed utility. To often we cast them as protagonist and arch. To often we set conditions for there to be a protagonist and arch who are deductive into stereotypical cliche. A narrative, feedback loop. The why to our repetition of cycles of life. Thus the appeal and utility of repetition in art.

At times the ❌-Men works as an antidote to this. At time Marvel does. Sometimes it attempts to investigate these dynamics on the page. However, the branding, marketing, and their competitors in capitalism, preserve conditions that make the binary stereotypical story of Americans…we are the hero in our stories…a nation made of a each of us being a collection of mythical legacy…our individual liberties and freedoms in life…united…and we are conditioned to cast the other as a villain…making it easier then we sometimes realize to play that part in each others mythical existences…despite our high ideals to upend this in our founding and constitution. Paradox is our human condition. One choice at a time. An imperfect union.

Berto, an immigrant, is as American as apple pie.

Berto, narration: “Is that it, then? To fail is not an excuse to give up…but a reason to try all the harder.”

The bootstrap speech. The dust yourself off speech. The what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger speech. The problem solving reality. We don’t solve problems. But that doesn't stop us from trying. Trying is what we do…till we no longer do a thing. Not even breathing.

Berto: “I understand…”

He still is stuck on the motivations of the unenlightened, but we see growth. Jaime’s plan to merge when they are next transitioned. The moment is arriving.

Berto provides a moment of leadership and tactical advice. Something he has this thought was in himself, but seldom showed to others. He has in-site into who Jaime might help with the solution here. One Jaime, the wondering, fiercely independent one, is injured. However, if the Jaime prime mutiplies himself many times, and then the injured one unites with these healthy copies, he will heal, Berto, surmises. Jaime prime is impressed. Independent Jaime, is concerned, he will loose himself in this process, as he combines with all these other Jaimes. Berto uses the lesson, the Jaime’s taught him five minutes ago, that growth requires sacrifice. Like the sacrifice their fallen brother made…okay…maybe this is actually Berto’s core lesson to impart on them…either way…growth is centered again for these teens in crisis.

Berto: “Part of growing up is accepting that you can’t have things just as you would want them!”

And in America…sometimes we just won’t grow up. never grow up never grow up never grow up 🎵

The gang continues to work on a solution. Perhaps Devil can stop Gomi’s entrapment long enough for his to use his abilities to help. Only Gomi has no faith in communicating the plan in terms Moon Boy would understand…to then communicate to Devil. Moon Boy knows enough to know they are talking about them, and says as much to Devil. Chance is in her head, trying to figure out why she is being harsh to Ariel, as she went along with the plan, and thought it was good…until it wasn’t. They all did to a point. Ariel herself did. Vanisher is having similar reflections, only all of his are about how the plan served his selfish needs…until it didn’t. He has regrets.

Suddenly the guards are alarmed…because here comes Bill to the rescue!

And he does. He is so rad!

Bill: “👓”

Bill: “➡”

Gomi: “…in a moment…”

Bill: “⭐️*!!#!!”

Gomi has to give Bill a speech in the name of Don’s memory to not abandon the Fallen Angels…yes the one who killed Don…but to be brave and help them.

Bill: “FUCK“

The question of what to do with Ariel arises.

Vanisher is for it…till it turns out to be a bad idea. Tabi is not okay with this even. Siryn, doesn’t like her, but can see she is repentant. Chance forgives her, despite her betrayal. They desired to help her. Gomi’s powers are the key and they are on their way.

They take out the guards. They use cerebro to track. Boom Boom explodes a wall. The split up to dosage different issues. Chance and tabi free Berto and Jamies. The Jaimes cary out Berto’s plan. Boom Boom goes with the injured Jaime who is a little better. Chance stays with Berto to help him…a surprise to him. Chance makes Berto stronger and they out match more guards. Until, they wise up to taking Chance out…only Ariel arrives and manipulates them into thinking they don’t want to do that. This is her mutant power. The Fallen Angels all converge on the scene. Unipar is bested. And Berto makes what is obvious plane. Ariel is a mutant…so they have evolved with out all this nonsense. And in their haste they nearly destroyed what they were looking for. Seems like some folks need to read these comics. Unipar pleads for consideration, and Ariel gives the…nah…my people are these kids and we live at Beat Street. A very Scooby-Doo vibed ending.

Everyone is vibing…for the moment, Ariel, Vanisher, Gomi and Bill…Moon Boy and Devil are here till maybe the days of Moon Girl…Tabi is staying perhaps…with a Jaime…Siryn and Jamie prime are so into this spot that they decide to stay member of the Fallen Angels…they ask Berto and Warlock, to give their regards, as they take their leave on good terms…returning to the Mutants.

Which we now turn to.

In 1987, our friend Bret Blevins, often had a knack to not sell me a comic with a cover. To be fair, so did Walter Simonson. In retrospect, I am still glad, because, refining is a key component to cartooning, and aesthetic preferences are a guide to finding your voice as an Artist. That doesn’t mean there isn’t commonality in Blevins, with Marie Severin, Kerry Gimmill, and Howie Post. There is. Bret might be some connective tissue between them and Art Adams. In fact it may come down to Bret playing in the same sandbox, with me, but making different choices with the sand. Sometimes, I simply don’t get it. Other times, I see him.

Just not this The New Mutants cover.

Or this splash page. Though, I at least appreciate what he is drawing; Sam flying about in panic in his room with Lila all over it.

The highlight is Orzechowski and Buhalis have the title moving in concert with Sam’s smoldering trail.

Over four subsequent pages, Terry Austin captures, a version of Bret Blevins’ pencils that feel like a time capsule of the moment. Glynis Oliver’s coloring do heavy lifting in this area. Each page a six panel grid, that occasionally has pressure release valve of an open panel, which compliments and holds Bret in a space he thrives in. He plays, by pulling the camera in and out, offering gestural figures, and expressive faces, that depicts teens as they are. Especially super powered mutant ones. The angles of the camera move freely utilizing perspective informative and for emphasis, in concert with the humorous drama of the horrors of their lives. Where everything is a lot, because time has been short, and there looms existential crisis as high school becomes college. Every choice has ramifications. I believe the choice are about what to ware.

Let’s read.

As we have been eluding to, and documenting here, in “to me my ❌-Men," Louise, Ann & Chris's stories become over come by the artists ambitions in 1990. An ironic unfolding of events, when contrast with the dynamics of power between, writers and artists leading into 1975.

We have read over a dozen Louise “Weezie” Jones Simonson written comics, roughly, evenly split, between Power Pack and then X-Factor. Her first Marvel writing assignment, historically appropriately, a X-Men regular and Marvel comics first comic ever character, Ka-Zar issue. This issue…I swear we are about to actually read…is her New Mutants debut, having co-created Power Pack, and then defined X-Factor when taking over for Bob Layton, in issue No. 6. He, despite being a Jim Shooter ally, being pushed out of his own title, as the X-office’s success was overwhelming the economics and creative ambitions at the top. She will continue to write all three titles for some time. Power Pack will be the first to go in summer of 1988. The onset of the holiday season of 1990, would see her pushed out of New Mutants…which quickly becomes X-Force. And last X-Factor after the new year of 1991. Her final writings, at Marvel, pre-comics industry crash of 1996, were two Sensational She-Hulk issues, a Spidy issue (having dabbled all along in this space), and a couple religious issues (despite having spent time with her…I clearly don’t know her). The Sensational She-Hulk issues, are really interesting to me. John Byrne has an interesting friendship with her. She is featured in both Alpha Flight and then as a core character in Sensational She-Hulk. She is essentially the co-star in this series. However, she is an amalgam of the real person Louise and the 40’s superhero the Blonde Phantom, in Byrne’s fantasy. Having Louise write two of these issues…there is a lot to unpack in this space. Another time, perhaps.

As Doug, who is ready, tries to calm his classmate, Sam, down and in another bedroom, Magic, Rahne, and Dani excitedly get ready to party. It be time for Lila’s new album launch party. The other eldest, Dani, is also displaying frantic energy. She accessories Magic, instead of it being her own attire, it seems the project in this room, which has emptied every item onto the floor, is Illynana. Instead of a Lila or…ewww…Paul McCartney tape playing, the news tells tale of a “Bird Boy,” who was rescued from “North Atlantic ice flow last week.” Being held in Manhatton, with destination, “research lab",” has caught Rahne’s empathic ear, amongst her classmates chaos. We also, get an editorial note from Ann Nocenti, referencing Fallen Angels No. 1-8…thus I shuffled my reading, as soon I saw it. The on model scene continues onto page four, where Illyana’s solved, but Dani and her, have turned their unwanted attention onto the conservatively and traditionally Scottish dressed youngster. Her hair passes for punk, but nothing else about her says, ready to party. Dani, using her mutation, pulls from Rahne’s own mind, “the dress,” she wishes she could pull off. A violation, Rahne is quick to identify. Dani, simply plays it off as this what she is about. Illyana, is set to teleport towards a solution.

The speed at which these teens operate is believable and orchestrated by Louise and Bret perfectly in tandem. While Walter and Louise make a synergy that is unique, legendary, an acquired taste, for an aging population; while June (Brigman) and Louise flexed an ability to build an onramp from the Star brand audience into this universe; Bret and Louise have in three of four pages, and soon a fourth of fifth, the ability to synthesize into a cartoonist who speaks directly to adolescent audience. These partnerships are instantaneous and feel like seasoned professionalism, decades old.

In contrast, it was a half dozen years; Shores and Lee, Streeter and Lee…nearly a decade; Winiarski and Lee, DeCarlo and Lee…a full decade; Post and Lee…a decade and a half; Maneely and Lee; Hartley and Lee, Ditko and Lee…over two full decades; Kirby and Lee…around three; Romita Sr. and Lee, Everrett and Lee, J. Buscema and Lee, Heck and Lee, Steranko and Lee, Colan and Lee, M. Severin and Lee, Kane and Lee…and finally…nearly 50 years; before Mœbius and Lee found each other in a place where Lee had a creator and the found ability to deliver on what a partnership that approaches what Louise is finding with Bret here. One could argue, that M. Severin and Lee worked right off. That Winiarski, DeCarlo, Post and Maneely were simply a great match for Stan Lee. That the greatest creativity happened with Ditko and Kirby. That the refining of the genre and Marvel was happening with Romita Sr, Everrett, J. Buscema, Heck, Steranko, Colan, and/or Kane. But the pencilers in every case were making Stan Lee, not the other way around. Here, a balance is being struck in the pages of New Mutants No. 55, that Stan Lee was incapable of striking.

Illyana emerges through a portal disk, dream dress in hand. Barnaby poster on the wall. Rahne, loves it, and then rejects it…it is from hell. She is too good a Christian to accept.

Illyana: “I was raised in Limbo, Rahne…I come from there, too!”

Rahne speaks of “temptations.” Illyana call it what it is: “Just a dress.”

Dani deescalates the tension, and find a way through Rahne’s fantasy play to to convince her to simply put it on. It’s safe.

Outside, Sam, laments Berto not being there…he knew fashion. Sam blasts off, as a rolls approaches, crashing into the hallway…yup he found the girls. Maggie sends them off with required fashion critique of the aged…and a curfew of one.

So the teens, driving through Jersey in the Rolls, the one that the X-Babies went to Central Park in, in Chapter 47, it now passing Battery and Governors Island, where Rahne notes, the Bird Boy is being held. Suggesting they simply teleport over there to check it out…

“Tomorrow! Tonight, we party!

We see a small, out of place panel, of something yellow screaming. And a note of what could happen in a night. Reminding us, this is a horror comic, despite the fresh updated on model vibes.

Six panel page layouts, two pages of them spread out, before our eyes; each panel nearly a square, just so to accommodate the interiors particular penciling. The occasional use of open panel parts to free the word balloon from being a completed oval, and the necessity to allow Lila to brake the panel boarder, as it is her party and she sees Sam approaching, so she gets expressive. The Mutants exit the Rolls to a true celebrity carpet scene, with gawking onlookers who immediately speculate about those exiting a Rolls Royce. Some even brag they recognize who must be a famous face, from being a rock star or a film star. Sam’s aloof mask is delightful, as he presents their invitation to the door man. The pink background, and pastel primary and secondary colored circles of light, are a wonderful touch by Glynis. The scene plays out amongst dancing, mingling, and a lavish spread. Lila leaves the side of the character from the cover…the one that is pulling this issue down…while it attempts to sore; Raek. Ridiculously large and triangular shoulder pads, forming a triangular frame, his hair doing a pinkish pompadour complimentary shape to a design, fit for the Saturday Morning Cartoon, Galaxy High. An obviously dumb character and design, is abandoned by Lila to embrace her love, Sam…and end a conversation asserting to Raek, he is uninvited and a trickster who obviously tricked himself in…duh! Like into the entire comic. Lila makes clear their status, on Sam’s lips. No matter, he missed the mark on the outfit, and looks nothing like himself. Ack…now he has to dance. Our people, the wall flowers, Rahne and Doug, small talk as you do on the wall, and then find the food…before a plan to go exploring. First, they observe Raek, glaring at Sam, and then speaking in another language. Rahne asks Doug what they are saying…and he says he doesn’t want to be impolite, as Maggie had asked them to not be so.

Two panels reveal Rahne has the uperhand, and Doug must comply. He can’t pick up every word. A delightful panel of the two in the light of the party, in a larger panel, designed to accommodate two panels of Raek’s big dumb triangular face, reveal to us, there is more than one, and they are aliens. However, our Wall Flower Mutant friends cascade up the elegant stairs, despite this nonsensical statement by Doug of wanting witness his friend Sam, having this Raek bozo take Lila away from him. I think it is a line both Louise and Ann missed…’cause it misses. And the Wall Flower Mutants miss the momentary arch reveling he needs Lila’s attention, so that they can use her teleportation to get some Jewels, before they are destroyed in 24 hours and Sam is now in the way of this…Phase one is now commencing…standard issue arch dialogue. Nothing about these last two panels on page ten, are of any value, beyond the stairs.

The juxtaposed page, is a delight. Not saying Raek’s big head, doesn’t find a way to ruin it…in the last panel he and his forgettable pal Gyrk, certainly do, as they observe what’s unfolding with us. However, what unfolds is delightful comics cartooning, and reminds me, especially panel three, of perfect mid 20th century romance comic hijinks, and more importantly, 80’s through today, Los Hernandez Bro’ Love and Rockets comics. The comic every adult should be enjoying for the past, closing in on, five decades. Sam gets into the dancing a bit to much, feeling his joy, his feet betray him, his cowboy boots go up, and his punk vested chest goes down, sound effects (Buhalis and Orzechowski have been flexing this entire issue) make the page, as a classic cartoonist pile up of bodies on the dance floor, deliver literal laughs.

Lila: “That was an INCREDIBLE move!”

Sam seeks a drink after it.

Our lame arches speak of Phase two. It’s been two pages. Oy! How many Phases are there?

Poor Sam is in his head. This side of him, has played out over years now, and in Louise and Bret’s hands, despite the delight of it all, it feels like regression, from the Clermont and Sienkiewicz days.

I think there are big picture perspectives that are contextualizing this panel for me. I am a supporter of legacy numbers. I have real problem with how superhero comics use numbers as a ploy in the pretext of an onramp for new readers, when it really is a bated hook for the collectors market. This approach has undermined the respect for legacy of characters and creators.

The renumbering of Wonder Woman was long a symptom of an issue of an industry wide problem, that doesn’t address any of the actually issues. Symbolic gestures, and representations are nice…but not actually working the problem.

I have said a number of times, that a Jeph Loeb quote, really stuck with me. He shared the opinion, that superhero comics should start their story over annually. I essentially agree.

What Claremont, with Miller, Louise and Nocenti have accomplished here over sixteen years, The Claremont Era…was and is unprecedented. As you read them as I have and am again here, it becomes clear, that a paradox forms.

I have long felt, but am just now approaching the ability to distill down, my thinking as one who celebrates the achievement of longevity, but have experienced that it does not deliver over time.

Claremont needed experience through time to get there. Louise and Ann, had it through editorial, observation, and frankly a frustrating context of misogyny, the ability to collaborate in lockstep with a level of professionalism and cartoonist voice, from go. Chris took his time in getting there, and with each creative partner found a new voice, much as Ann and Louise. The longevity of these cartoonist runs, and their collaboration dating back to Stan Lee’s long and storied career…it kinda makes sense what Loeb is addressing.

I have witnessed Kelly Thompson develop, from go. She is one of the all time best as collaboration, plot construction, character development, and word smithing. She is what I consider the gold standard of how to operate as a writer in comics in this Century. When any project she does goes beyond a year, I struggle to keep with it. It does not drop off…I do.

The audience, by design, has a short attention span, financial commitment, they age out, or time and logistics change the patterns of their commitment. You don’t need a change in quality or creative force for a comic to erode in audience numbers. I am always a fan of Kelly’s work, not because of friendship, but because of it’s quality. However, not every collaboration is the same, and I have preferences based on aesthetics, character, world building, etc…This is not on Kelly. It is rare, I see something amiss. It simply is, not every context is for every one. I lean into the acquired taste, she maneuvers around it. That said, usually, life just gets in the way of my commitment to supporting my friend.

So how is one supposed to build and then sustain an audience over a lifetime in comics. How did Schulz do it? How are Xaime and Berto still keeping things this solid, still?! Shouldn’t our dreams be the careers of the wisdom of Watterson, the grind of Ditko, the frustrations of Kirby, the erasure of Finger, the obscurity of this Ben Cohen?

What number or branding should be placed on this issue. No. 55? The New Mutants? I really don’t like subtitles…Daredevil: Born Again…that’s a terrible title for a show trying to maintain and build an audience. There should be free flowing on and off ramp…so folks can come in an out as they see fit. I don’t want a renumbering, but I do want a clarity by cover design…that this is Liouse and Bret’s comic…it would be nice to have the original creators at the top…the title…the legacy number…and then a clear “by…” with some visual clues that remain unchanged by graphic design…so signal…this comic is for you new reader…this is still for you old reader.

It seems only fair that Louise and Bret have this opportunity to tell this Mutants story in their way, free of what came before in characters lives. We are treating this in context of the Sam of 1984, 1985, 1986, and now 1987. However, these are not McLeod & Buscema, Sienkiewicz, or Guice stories about Sam. And for us to know it from the cover! No wonder he is in his head right now.

Approved by the comics code authority, during First Lady Nancy Reagan’s anti-drug era, the next eight panels make clear how far adrift we are from a space opera, nightmare plane of existence, inside a mind of multiple personalities, an underground death cult, a farms grave in rural Kentucky. The heads getting bigger, the cartooning get sappy and saturated, the narrative is disgustingly over zealous in teaching us about peer pressures and the temptations of drugs. Sam thwarts these aliens first attempt with his preference for Pepsi, but the threat of not being enough for Lila, gets him to pop some pills. You eliminate these panels…and you do us all a favor.

That said, the final two panels of the double page spread say Sam is feeling better, and at least the art is making me feel better too. He asks if Lila is mad, and of course she is not, because this side of Sam is absurd…and he is thusly being absurd.

The next page waffles between a hint at classic Mutants psycho drama, its new leaning into midcentury romance, and "Just Say No" aesthetics. Sam escapes the scene and the dance floor. Leaving Lila to be the only appealing aspect of the page. Not her first time. The juxtaposed page, has our saviors, Rahne and Doug, looking wonderfully on model, and interestingly angled in space, depending from above to try and rescue their classmate. He has been taken by eye sores from space.

Groggy, Sam attempts to use his powers in the air to save the next page…it’s a pointless effort. Despite the classic ❌-trope of a kidnapping. It continues for an additional page…as Sam’s mind spirals like his body and Bret’s cartooning…out of control.

Back at the party, with the aliens out of the scene, Bret settles back to a six panel grid, that stabilizes the comic. The juxtaposed page eases with an open panel longshot, and scene establishing contained longshot, and then four smaller squarish panels. This structure and this open negative space in the middle, establishes a pacing that allows for a controlled variation which looks on model, and lovely, as it is also frantic. Rahne doesn’t want to ruin her dress, but Doug notes, she could…this is the level of drama…and it is delightful, without feeling like Nancy Reagan is putting her boot on our childhood necks…the innocence of Rahne and Doug is playing out in a way that works…and yes…they have been through worse…but it doesn’t seem out of character or unearned. Maggie’s opinion on her in the dress plays in her head, but she dismisses the thought. There is no time. The two youngsters, pull their domineering classmates, Illyana and Dani off the dance floor. Agitated, it takes a moment to get them to listen and see. Having them point out what we can’t see is far more interesting and a quality use of the comics format then, having us witness what we just endured. They teleport the narrative on track, in the right direction, and land lightly comedically in garbage…on a barge…ruining the dress and freeing Rahne from its symbolism into her wolf form, which leaps towards terribly dull aliens, as Rahne accurses her vanity…and somehow thinks Sam gives a shit about it.

The page turn, brings us the a wolf over a deservedly terrified alien; the operations No. 2. It works, as nearly everything else has been far less frightening to look at. Doug has a moment of action, as he uses his basic ❌-training to fight using what he has at hand. He is so successful, taking out the fourth alien, we get a delightful moment of him surprising himself and celebrating it. And then a for shading moment…the third Alien, she grazes a laser across his back. Smoldering, he goes down and Illyana, without hesitation, has grabbed the fourth aliens laser gun and ZAPT! the third. Despite the presence of the aliens, the use of space centering Mutants and not Aliens, as well as staying within the limits of aesthetically pleasing drawing sizes, delivers a scene that speaks to three of the Mutants, at who and where they are…and gives us hints at what is to come…plus they all look delightfully still ready to party. Especially the wolf.

Unfortunately, Sam still needs to punch Raek, and we have to witness it on the next page. Sam dressed himself, and it has not been a forgiving choice. There is something off about his design, and as the comic has unfolded, he is the one who creeps closer to the Aliens terrible aesthetics. Mirage uses the aliens mind to show what they fear…which looks like a baby rattle, or one of those Japanese hand drums. Raek’s threat of death, seem laughable. And Dani attempting to convince us and Sam of their truth…I can’t see how anyone in convinced. Louise and Bret seem lost here. They have cartooned themselves into a corner perhaps. The scary item, is being referred to as a lollypop. The dialogue around it stinks of corniness. And the fear has evaporated form the scene. Lila finally settles us down, having joined this trash, and instruct Mirage to reveal Reaks desire; The Jewel of Ikerno.

It’s honestly not important. Let’s ignore all that.

Over two pages, the cartoonists struggle to land the plane. In to much dialogue, Lila looks wonderfully off center cropped squished by to much dialogue over explaining a back story to who these dorky aliens are, and how they present some semblance of an ethical dilemma to her. Reak has not been shut up yet, so we get lazy labeling sent at Sam, along with more drug propo. Illyana, like Lila saves a panel, just looking interesting in her expression…something Sam and Reak have failed to do, because their heads are slightly to big. Here it is that Illyana is frustrated she can’t simply murder them…but is that actually an issue for her. She and Lila seem it only fare they are sent to hell. So what’s the difference…an admission of a distinction between a hell and a simple ending of life? Lila and Illyana are complex and real, being forced to be neither her…and it comes off bizarrely. The demon sorceress and international criminal are not in the right scene to be true to themselves. Lila says she loves Sam and returns to the party…satisfied with the ending. Illyana, wonderfully teleports the aliens to Limbo…and it is perhaps the first time they don’t look abysmal. Rahne, who I sometimes forget is in love with Sam, can’t save a panel from his giant head, with her words of shame for not living up to an expectation in her head and not his at all. Though he gets her, as a fellow conservatively raised child. Dani saves her and her dress/wolf form embarrassment with an oversized sweater. Which Doug immediately compliments her on. Which grosses Dani out. The sappiness to much for her and I. But the cuteness of Doug can not be denied…even by Rahne. As Illyana teleports her friends away from the scene…which nearly always works to save one…Sam does his best to ruin it…but bringing up his embarrassment of taking drugs…and his assumption that Lila gives a shit if he is high. She is literally at a party right now on coke…not Pepsi.

It doesn’t crash, but there Scooby-doo ending is tested to its limits by a Stan Lee onramp presented as an issues finally, plotting postmortems, lazy gags wrap ups, and Nancy Reagan’s Comics Coded Authority eighties for purified for the adolescence who are all petrified of getting Aids and dying in nuclear holocaust.

This is nothing compared to what comes next.

Bird-Brain.

35 issues, or 11% of “to me my ❌-Men” is an issue of the New Mutants. Four are annuals, and one is a special edition. So strictly speaking, volume one is represented by just shy of 10%. However, the presence of Illyana (15%), Berto (13%), Dani (13%), Sam (12%), Rahne (12%), is more, Warlock (9%), or less Doug (6%), and Xuân (4%), felt consistently, as integral to the story.

At times centering them. Only seven members of the adult team, of ❌-Men appear more than Illyana. Only nine more than Dani and Berto. Ten more than Sam. Maggie appears just slightly more than Rahne. Lockheed, Scott, Maddy and WWIII edge out Warlock, who represents the number of Mutant issues we are reading. They appear more than Professor X AKA Chuck. Making this as much their story as nearly anyone else. The exceptions being: Logan, Ororo, Kitty, Rogue, Piotr, Ali and Bets. As it should be, if you are my age, having grown up with these comics.

This said, we only have seven more Mutant issues left. Two are annuals. So five more of the regular series. We get four more Louise and Bret issues. One of the annuals is also written by Louise, and reunites her with June one more time for us. We have a guest penciler as we leave them, with Louise guiding the way. A handful of issues before she and Rob Liefeld put the series to bed, in 1991.

I celebrate Louise’s contributions to the ❌-Men, in how she was able to guide it through being a wonderful collaborator, possessing an invaluable editorial eye and knack for the written word. I appreciate looking back how she was balancing creative and personal relationships, and balancing Chris and Ann’s desires for experimentation, creativity, depth, maturity, struggle, with her own defense of superhero comics maintaining an onramp for youthful engagement. One that met them where they were at. An evolving reality, that was about to be eroded by some of their new collaborators. The founders of Image, shared a point of view that was aggressive by nature, and this dovetailed into a timing that worked in their favor, and put Louise in a position of possibly feeling she was the last line of defense of her own childhood’s experiences with comics.

Born in 1946, Louise was 7 when the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency was established, under McCarthyism. 8 when the solution presented itself; The Comics Code Authority. The most influential publisher of her childhood was Helen Honig Meyer, and her Dell comics. Louise would be 18, in 1964, when a superhero title, Action Comics would take back the top selling comic spot; edging out Archie. It wasn’t till she was 23 that Marvel, through the Amazing Spider-Man, was becoming relevant in 1969.

Louise comics influenced childhood was not informed by a domination of superheroes, but rather funny animals, romance comics, and historically inspired slices of life and education. All designed, per the US government, to be appropriate for children.

When Louise was entering her 20’s, DC took control, having a moment, as the Batman tv show popularized superheroes for kids. However, romance comics, like Archie, were nearly just as popular, as Louise attended Georgia State College and married Jeffrey Catherine Jones, whom Frank Frazzetta dubbed the “greatest living painter.” A cartoonist for King Comics, Golden Key Comics, Creepy, Eerie, Vamperilla, Witzend, DC Comics, National Lampoons, Heavy Metal. Jeffrey Catherine Jones, her studio mates were, Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Michael Kaluta (another Denny O’Neill collaborator); their space was The Studio. Louise and her divorced in the early 70’s, and this is when Louise began dating Walt. As all three of them were entering into comics with future collaborators like Frank Miller and Chris Claremont. Some of the architects of comics, which inspired the future generation she was attempting to collaborate with, but also protect her childhood’s wonder from.

So it becomes clear to me, while in middle-school and entering into high school at the end of the 80’s, I was becoming wary of what Louise was writing in collaboration with Byrne, Miller, Nocenti and Claremont’s writing; and a host of collaborative cartoonists. That part was increasingly not working for me. As I felt established and maturing in concert with consuming Marvel comics, Louise was trying to maintain space within this story for elementary school kids. So like her writing of X-Factor, her writing of the New Mutants would become, not for me. And this had nothing to do with the quality of her work. It had everything to do with her intent. I wished to remain connected, but simply was growing up, and had been influenced, namely by her friend, and fellow New Mutants creator, Bill Sienkiewicz.

It is in this context, that I would frame Bird-Brain.

Austin inks Blevins, and Bird-Brain pops out the page and into our lives, colored by Glynis vibrantly. We were not ready. And by the looks of it, neither were the Mutants or the school of Gifted Youngster’s living room. Shredded and broke, Dani looks up, Illyana has a light shade on her head, seems unconscious, Sam is cannonballing, and Rahne holds onto the leg of this bird boy for dear life. Doug is bewildered. Everyone is on model, and looking iconic.

So we open the comic.

How to start a serialized multi-genre comic for the youth…after a cover like that:

Establishing shot…a small sliver of indication…based on what we already all know. In this case the exterior of the school…a sign…and a word ballon coming out of it:

“But, Magneto, we don’t need to work out in the Danger Room today!”

No splash page.

No title.

No second shocking moment, to double down on the cover’s beat.

A simple and effective start to a standard issue comics page…in a simple and effective standard issue professional comic book.

An aesthetic refreshment to stretch this summer and childhood out, please…and thank you.

As Rahne demos and Doug asks for a one question test, Sam drops in information, that bares questions…maybe…he claims they are depressed, after Amara leaving.

Amara left. Magma, never fit quite right to me. I was confused, as a kid, by her place in all this, simply because I was so sporadic in reading this comic. I never felt I know her. We had no connection. Her powers felt derivative and redundant. Her visual presence equally so. Ironically, it is her debut, that I chose to debut the Mutants in “to me my ❌-Men.” Her role in Berto’s life, as a cultural crutch, really never seemed all that steady. And with him note here, I wouldn’t have noticed, had Sam not said anything. We will see her again, but I suspect, as it has been, she will feel like an extra.

Illyana, finishes the pitch, to not work out, with we got to study.

She teleports back with a stack of books. Here is the thing though…they are still teens trying to outwit a seasoned experienced adult. One who knows manipulation, as it has served him in survival since Auschwitz, when he was their age. He has uses positive reinforcement and work life balance, plus a request to Dani project what he wants most…and in the next panel they are in the Danger Room control booth…Illyana…still carrying her books. Where Maggie has found a carless error…someone left an environment on in the Danger Room. Something he has reminded them of before.

Standard issue. Professional. Comics page. Simple. Effective.

We even get a rendering of a computer tech gadget console…and an island at sea environment. It feels like summer to me!

The flip of the switch and a page turn, reveals three tall panels on top of a longshot, with a title running across the top, effectively overlaying the three panels:

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

In a sequence of panels, the environment has evaporated bellow Bird-Brains feet, and with the island home gone, he is freaking out. As is Maggie:

“…what the heck is THAT?”

Sam: “Now we’re gunna catch it!”

And with that the hijinks are off to the races.

By page six, we have witnessed the class working well together, to solve the situation, despite not every power, being the right tool for the job. Sam, Rahne, and Doug are a range between problematic escalation, and uselessness. Doug doesn’t speak “squawk” yet. Dani provides the illusion of desire to deescalate…food. Illyana, teleports in the real thing…the fridge. And Rahne uses her rapport and a jar of pickles to calm their new friend.

As with Amara leaving, we don’t actually need to know how we got here…but still Maggie has questions. He can have his questions.

The Mutants, novices still, provide answers. Which confirms, we really didn’t need to see all this. Sam accidentally freed Bird-Brain, and so the Mutants rescued him, and they think he might be a mutant…but can confirm…cause Cerebro was posted up “*in X-Men #213. -- Ann.” Chapter 46. AND the portable one has been in Jaime’s hands this whole chapter. Maggi has an analyzer however. And it registers as…

“…an anomaly…” on the dot matrix printing. And with that Maggie is lost in thought…and the Mutants are off to…

…study!?

We are treated to a wonderful panel of them working in the computer lab, on IBMs. The struggle is real. We get information on Amara…she is avoiding this right here, according to Dani…at the Massachusetts Academy, with Emma and the Hellions. Illyana, plays with her pencil on her face, and leans on the monitor, as she claims it was for a better male to female ratio…more boys. Rahne guides Bird-Brain into the class. The page continues. Illayana, leans back, face towards the ceiling, the pencil balanced on her upper lip, as Rahne chimes in, Amara was use to more people. Doug: “People, HA!” Preach! Bird-Boy begins to interact with the computers, by climbing on them and licking the screen…nobody is going to get any studying done. Doug…just try and communicate…please…humph.

Doug for all his innocent charm, and harmless utility…all his open friendship…is in this moment…revealing his upbringing amongst privilege…and frankly…I think…perhaps smartly…on Louise’s part…his pain of abandonment…from Warlock…who has left him…for protection of Berto…and now…this Bird-Brain is his replacement!? Doug is not embracing this change…and is hostile to it. He is being an arse. With feelings.

Rahne, is gaining her “Warlock,” and needs Doug to ease the transition and assimilation into the class for Bird-Brain…and she assumed Doug…would be Doug and kindly do the right thing. She is now having to force the situation…and she has been supportive of Doug and Warlock…why is Doug reciprocating Rahne and Bird-Brain? She is reasonably pissed off.

This is my reading of this situation unfolding here. And it makes me really enjoy the choice to read this comic here. Hopefully, one is enough.

Bird-Brain, needs more food…so Rahne takes him out of the lab…and Sam questions what is Doug’s deal. Doug is defensive AF.

Amara, has not left quite yet. She and Maggie stand outside, as her ride arrives. A wonderful, send off page contains an iconic silent panel, I have always loved…perhaps this is what compelled me to keep this issue. A single panel, can be enough. It is of Rahne, Doug, Illyana, Sam and Dani, looking standard issue GenXer…what the kids later call EMO. Doug in his untucked dress shirt and Sam in his Lila tank cut off shirt…are especially looking 80’s “cool.” Dani provides the ripped shirt. Amara does want more to her life than this. She calls it duty. They react in this way, but in the end do a proper swarming of love around their now former classmate, before she takes off. A perfect page for this moment.

Emma is present to be a total bitch, as she cassually, pragmatically, mean girl, claws at Maggie, declaring this a win…in subtext. While in reality…it is possibly…simply the right thing for the student. Maggie’s restraint should be legendary.

The context of the schools and their status as the White Queen and King of the Hellfire club serve as Emma’s version of deescalation after escalation.

Rahne: “Not rivals! Is she DAFT?”

Oh Rahne.

The postmortem is predictable. Rahne speaks the important part…Amara didn’t fit here. Illyana, speaks the entertaining part…if a Hellion transfers their way…it best be a boy.

I am noticing, as wonderful as Bret has figured out to reign in the big heads, and keep everyone on model amongst the Mutants…Sam is absolutely perfect now…he struggles with adult bodies in the panels spacing…and their heads look fine design wise…but the body and limbs are not right. Both Maggie and Emma are crouched and shortened…a mistake. I would simply do what should always be done in this sort of setting…I would behead them. An adult, especially a caregiver should be removed from humanity in the eyes of children…and function as faceless obstacle through childhood. It works for Peanuts and Muppet Babies…it would be working for the New Mutants here. Or at least for Maggie’s spine, and Emma’s legs.

Maggie sends them off to their studies…

Sam: “He’s depressed.”

Illyana: “Me too!”

May I present: Sam’s empathy, and Illyana’s dismissiveness, y’all.

Illyana: “…say we take in BURGERS AND A MOVIE AT THE MALL!

Take a drink!

They track Bird-Brain down, retrieve him from his happy place in the Danger Room…dress him up like a hobo…reminding me of my SCAD Grad Class’s gift to our Professor, James Sturm…before he left Savannah to start up the Center for Cartooning Studies here in Vermont. We both married Vermonters…both lived in Savannah….

…The Mutants in 1987…teleport to The Mall, and head to the malt shop…A delightful and iconic scene unfolds at a booth…as they attempt to reign in Bird-Brain to remain pacified by burgers and fries. They takes Dougs. With predictable results. Illyana instructs him, as a fellow pot stirrer to slurp a straw. The scene turns on its predictable head. In the best cartoonist way possible. Illyana, satisfied, helps Dani, pull Bird-Brain out of the scene. Sam pays…and tries to ignore the waitress’ dismay. Loose in the mall…folks take notice. They slip into the theater. However, Bird-Brain sees this as an environment like the Danger Room and he and Sam are quickly flying into what looks like a space scene…not a screen. The audience loves it. Illyana extracts the Mutants through a teleportation disk. Best movie ever.

Maggie is a waiting confrontation in the Danger Room.

Doug speaks up in defense of Maggie’s point of view…as they share alignment on this. However, as he tries to prove Bird-Brain is just a bird…he engages in actually Squawking…and suddenly his mutation works…as he is actually trying…and they both begin Squawking…and hug.

Translation…Bird-Brain was made and then manipulated with starvation by humans. Rahne, Bird-Brain and Doug…hug it out. And they are pleased to tell Illyana…he identifies as a “boy.”

Illyana and Dani’s reaction….

We turn to a GIANT SIZED ANNUAl…to complete this chapter.

In 2004, I had debuted my self-published floppy, Ordinary Betty & Ted the Milkman, under my Ben’סStillNoSound imprint. I had been working on this while finishing up my graduate thesis. Ben Towle, had been doing the same, and debuted Farewell, Georgia, published by Slave Labor Graphics, a year prior. In our class of 18, there were three Bens. Ben Phillips, being the third, is also an established cartoonist, who was left behind by us, to become a professor at SCAD.

Towle, forged his own path in comics academia. I initially began there, and then being the tumbleweed I am, meandered around a bit, while staying tethered to family, community, and a mortgage. Towle’s path has brought him five Eisner nominations. Phillips has brought him to publishers like Fox, Static Press, Lulu, Top Shelf, and Archie. We stay in contact, seeing each other when we are in the same area.

Phillips and Towle arrived in grad school with an established style. Towle, was clear in his vision all along. Phillips was a bit more chaotic in style and approach. I on the other hand was a tumbleweed.

If I set my mind to it, I could mimic most approaches, but I was trying to let go of all that, and find my own voice. This created confusion for others and myself. Were was I going? How was I going to get there? What am I even trying to say? Who am I? When will I commit to a project? I had a foundation of awareness of a quest for process and speaking your truth. I was unclear on the path to both.

Completing one focused comics project, not a zine, a mini, an anthology…a single completed 20+ page issue…and putting it out there, as I was, at SPX, in 2004, with Towle and my undergraduate friend and classmate Xeric winner, and CCS founding staff member Robyn Chapmen…a network established with Top Shelf, a distribution connection made with Last Gasp…a job as a comics cartoonist professor back in Vermont, when I returned.

I tumbled away. As I did so, I produced a page about my Dad. And it worked. Towle’s response was, that my Dad’s childhood friend Bill Frolige looked like it was out of a Jack Davis comic.

Jack Davis, Savannah’s own, who I had encountered, back when Jim Woodring was turning my head, and I was learning from him and Sturm, how to forge the path Towle took. I felt so far from those Image founders. I was so removed from Ben Cohen of 1994.

Now over two decades more removed, I am sitting here thinking about how Chris, Lousie, and Ann, had range, because of who they collaborated with. How I was being exposed to range, just with in this “to me my ❌-Men” world building, as I was defining who I was.

I have long understood aspects of my tumbleweed nature. Born into a bicultural household, on a mountain without running water, rolling down, through western desert, into a bay, a fish out of water in the urban neighborhood that raised me, bused around into a learning environment that reflected the worlds perspectives, transitioning to the coast where socioeconomic divides stood in stark contrast with my lived experiences, as I opened up to independence, as I encountered “the artist” who changed my life, a musician from another small rural mountain and coastal community, and found himself in the same bay, with an apatite for all the voices at once, regurgitating them out his own mouth. And then there is what was on the page. This comics world, unfolding, and being refined during this time, to this story. Which had range. Because the pencilers represented range.

On the one hand we had the influences of Frank Frazetta, Norman Rockwell, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Milton Caniff, Alex Toth, Wally Wood, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Al Williamson, Goseki Kojima, Harvey Kurtzman, Mœbius, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt, Bernard Krigstein, Chester Gold, Will Elder, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Jim Aparo, Noel Sickles, Curt Swan, Sergio Toppi, Alberto Breccia, Bob Peak, Bernie Fuchs, Bob Heindel, Sandy Kossin, Barron Storey, Robert Baxter, Francis Bacon, Egon Schiele, Kurt Schwitters, Lyonel Feininger, Dick Giordino, Tom Palmer, Johannes Vermeer, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Rembrandt, Paccaso, Roy Crane, Franklin Booth, Howard Pyle, Albert Dorne, Frank Bellamy, etc…funneling through Bill Sienkiewicz, Frank Miller, David Mazzuccelli, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bernie Wrightson, Kyle Baker and Klaus Janson into me. However, on the other hand, and in some cases through the same hands, Howie Post, George Herriman, Jack Davis, Hergé, E.C. Segar, Charles Schulz, Walt Kelly, Al Capp, Johnny Heart, John Buscema, Walt Disney, etc…have been funneling through Alan Davis, Marie Severin, and Kerry Gammill into me in equal measure. Never you mind Wendy Pini, Jeff MacNelly, Yoko Ono, or Jasper Johns. I had been drowning.

Art Adams and Marc Silvestri, were about to blow up any balance I had been consuming. My submission package to Image comics was a half dozen years away, as we turn here to Alan Davis, to bookend this chapter.

As a kid in the 70’s I would watch Saturday Morning Cartoons. As I remember it, Super Friends was on first. The two villains who made the most lasting impression were Giganta and Mister Mxyzptlk. If I were to shout out a third it would be Black Manta. I rather like Mister Mxyzptlk, as Shiegel and Shuster mischievous interdimensional imp. With a year left of the war, he debuted in Superman. Nineteen years later, the industrial war complex was being fed, by a decades long conflict in Vietnam. The US had just backed a military coup. And Lee and Kirby had introduced their own imp, in the pages of Fantastic Four, Impossible Man. One appeals to me and the other does not. I guess, it is because of how I view DC and Marvel, but when you get into the She-Hulk and Dark Knight of it all…that argument falls apart. So here, on an Alan Davis cover we have daikaijū Impossible Man v kaiju Warlock, at war over NYC. And it doesn't work for me. I share in Rahne’s apprehension from the corner box. Only Berto seems entertained, and Illyana seems put out. The rest of the Mutants have trepidation to be sure.

Anything YOU Can Do..!

It is a bit of an adjustment going from Bret’s on model refinement, to Davis standard issue visual lexicon of a boys face, but the page is fun. Doug is DJing. A flashback scene…so lets not get to caught up in the timeline it seems. Beastie Boys to Joan Jett to Lila to Tina to Dazzler to “The Broo” to Bruce. His set up is unbelievable.

He is in the control booth of the Danger Room. I am so glad this exists.

The are back from space, Dani is the war chief, this is after some Mutant Massacre and before Fallen Angels. Doug sets them up against the Avengers. Cap, Thor, The Jen, my Captain Marvel, that wizard guy and the Black Night. There was a X v A mini series…so this after that too. Doug makes them teens.

Jen: “Teen Avengers Assemble!”

In the air; Magic takes out teen Black Knight, a bit of fun.

Berto and teen Jen fight and make out. He bests her.

Rahne and Sam are up against teens Cap, Thor and Captain Marvel. Dani has to startle them with fear. Teen Avengers fall from the sky. Teen Doc Druid is taken out by Warlock…now the session is done.

Then the places goes bonkers and outside they run to discover a giant green space ship. Impossible Man emerges to his own disappointment…they are not the ❌-Men. He shape shifts through icons of the Marvel universe. Eventually they fight. So the Mutants have put on those new costumes they had in that box in the attic. They fight…travel about…fight…head to the beach to show off or see others showing off…There are accusations of cheating at the beach swimsuit competition….then tennis…I am starting to think this is lyrics from a Wall of Voodoo song…or Camper Van Beethoven. A race car scene…Warlock and Impossible Man are warping from one sup to another….then they become the Watcher and Galactus…finally Impossible Man goes strait Godzilla. And Warlock counters with Shogun Warrior. This leaves Impossible Man crying…a wonderful panel. And the Mutants and him settle in front of the tv. A lesson of sportsman ship ends the story. Illyana doesn’t love it. Maggie shows up…and only finds out what happened…because the tv has the news on.

The chapter of hijinks of over.

Next: Uncanny X-Men No. 220

Punch Up: “To Me My ❌-Men”

Ben Cohen*
Jericho, VT
© 1975-2026

* The Ben Cohen originating from Jamestown, Boulder County, CO, USA; Raised in the Bay & Trained in Savannah.

Punch Up: “To Me My ❌-Men”