Project X Zone

There has been a depressing trend among Japanese publishers - deciding to pass on US Localization for games, because of a misguided perceived notion that American gamers don't like Japanese games. Its wrong - flat out wrong. I know First Person Shooters do currently dominate the landscape - but there is a desperate thirst for the games only Japan can create.

Its been slow, but I think its finally begun to dawn on companies, that while First Person Shooter might dominate - there still is a market for Anime-Infused video games. We saw a recognition of that, when Xenoblade Chronicles was brought over to the US, after initially only being brought over to Europe. Fan interest and good word of mouth really drove home that there was a market for such a game.

Another company that seems to be going out of its way, to serve foreign US fans, is Capcom. (They still don't get why we like Mega Man, over in the States so much; but I think they'll catch on soon enough.) They brought over the incredible title "Tatsunoko vs Capcom" on the Wii - jumping through legal hurdles bring that game over Stateside. Why the legal hurdles? Well, unlike in Japan - many of the Anime Tatsunoko characters are licensed over seas by various different companies. In Japan, it's all under one roof -- so bringing all so different-licensed characters into a single game must have been an insane undertaking!

Capcom, though, is doing it again - bringing over the ultimate Fan-Service Fighting RPG: Project X Zone. It's a combination of characters from Capcom, Namco-Bandai, and Sega. Mixing the three different universes into an RPG-like setting, with fights played out as Hyper-Stylized battles. It, quite frankly, looked awesome!  BUT - surely something like that could never come stateside, right? To literally EVERYONE'S surprise, Capcom announced the game would be coming to America, in June 25. It will cost $40 - as it comes with bonus content, a booklet, poster, and game soundtrack. (Essentially we'll be getting exactly what Japan got, in their limited edition version of the game.)

Every single character had to be re-negotiated for, to bring them overseas. And this game does not skimp on a cast of characters - boasting 25 teams of 2, equaling 50 characters! That isn't even counting the thrown-in characters, who join the battle as solo fighters -- John McClane, of Die Hard fame, even makes an appearance - though under a pseudonym. (I didn't even know they made a Die Hard game!) No characters are missing - even Tatsunoko vs Capcom came up short of one character.

The game looks like a wild ride, and I intend to get it. I have to admit, there are a lot of characters I don't recognize - but there are enough familiar faces, that I should be just fine. The likes of Ryu and Ken, Chun-Li and Morrigan should be familiar with any fan of Street Fighter, or Marvel vs Capcom series - but even some rare oddities, I never thought possible Stateside, are in here. Sakura Wars really stands out to me - as it's a game that caught my eye because of their stellar theme song. That series only made one US release - and you can tell why, just by the description, as it's a Dating Sim/Tactical Battle RPG. Still - that song has stuck in my head for years, and getting a chance to see it in this fighting game seems really cool.

One thing I have to note - is that while everything is translated - the original Japanese voice-overs remain. This is both a cost-saving decision, but also a fan-based one - as many fans love the original Japanese voices, and seeing them reproduced in this version is another testament to that fan-niche, that Capcom has been wise enough to cater too. Its because of fans that an untranslated portion of the game is both acceptable and desired. I think fan reaction to the game, simply put, showed Capcom that there was a market for this kind of product.

Here's a trailer for the game. (This is the english trailer, and noticeably doesn't have voices. Trust me, the original Japanese dialogue is going to be in the game.)

This trailer shows the Japanese version of the game, with voices - and highlight of many of the characters featured in the game.

Brainiac, Superman Unbound

Superman Unbound came out today - the latest in DC's stellar line of Animated Movies. Sadly, I see no hide nor hair of Bruce Timm's name on the project - and I have to wonder if that effected the quality of this film.

The movie, by no means, is bad at all -- it faithfully adapts the Brainiac storyline, from Geoff Johns' run on Action Comics. Yet it didn't seem to live up to the same bombastic sensibilities you expect from a movie (even if that means being unfaithful to the original source material) What it relied on, sadly, seemed to be scenes of violence, blood, and body mutilation (His Eyes!!!) While a Superman story can have violence, it seemed gratuitously added, to make Brainiac more frightening. In that way, at least, they succeeded - giving us the same Matrix-Inspired Collector developed by Johns and Gary Frank. Brainiac was expertly voice casted with John Noble (Fringe), perfectly captured the analytical monstrosity, but underlaid with a seething anger.

It seems like every time they do a new movie, they take the opportunity to cast someone new as the Man of Steel's voice. Matt Bomer does a good job here - but his voice likewise doesn't stand out as distinct or noteworthy as the Man of Steel. The same can be said for Molly Quinn, who voiced Supergirl -- she fit the part spot on, but nothing special was added to the character or roll. It didn't help matters that Kara, while being a relatable Super-Person with problems, instead came off as indecisive and annoying. Stana Katic, on the other hand, did a great job portraying Lois Lane, adding that sense of fierce competitiveness and brashness the character embodies.

The art design of the story, also, felt like it could have done so much more. Superman looks fine -- but, at times it felt like the story might have been served better with a more bombastic art style, like from the Elite movie -- or at least anything that didn't depict Superman as so skinny. That, contrasted by his many muscles, seemed like an odd contrast.

Also, as far as art direction, I feel like there where some missed opportunities, when it came to depicting Brainiac's ship. They captured the feel of it, but didn't seem to take advantage of it; I felt like, it should feel more scary - more alien. (I hesitate to say more cables and wires would have made it more creepy - but it really might have helped!)

I was also confused as to why Supergirl's parents where written into the movie, when steam-lining, and leaving them out of the story, would have made so much more sense. The emotional impact, of Superman finding them, was completely absent; making their inclusion all the more perplexing.

One last thing to mention -- the ending. It ended quite similarly to the original storyline, which excellently had Superman use his wits, in addition to his brawn. Still, there was a problem after the fight. I don't want to spoil anything - but I thought the gratuitous need for violence went over the top, concerning Brainiac's demise - with Superman looking on, no less! Superman doesn't have to save everyone - but it seemed very off-putting, to see Superman stand there while the villain self-imploded. (He could at least show a little concern)

I am being overly critical on some issues, to what was otherwise a good movie. The story arch for Superman, contrasted against Brainiac's ambitions, seemed like a decent direction to follow in; but they made it corny by what they added at the very end. It just feels like this movie could have been so much more!

Special features seem decent -- but only if you get the Blueray Combo pack - as DC Warner always seem to be trying to stick it to anyone who dares buy the cheaper DVD, which apparently isn't even worthy of having Audio Commentary (that was saved for Blueray only) They always seem like cheap manipulative jerks, when it comes to this.

BTW - Target might be you're best bet, to buy this movie - as they include a code for a Free Digital Copy of Action Comics #866, Part 1 of the Brainiac Story.

If you're interested, at all, in the original story -- they have a great value TPB, on Amazon.com, featuring the Last Son storyline, in addition to the Brainiac Storyline. Geoff Johns is a superb writer - and he brought his A-Game to the Superman titles. So if you're curious, especially with the upcoming movie coming out, this is an excellent volume to start with.

I really hope my disappointment about the DC Animated Film franchise will be put to rest, if the next film "Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox" turns out to be good. Bruce Timm might be gone - but there are still many immensely talented people still working there; I would just suggest to them; don't always play it safe. If a movie can be better, by changing something in the original story, then change it. It just felt like this movie kept too much to the original script - and what played excellently in comics, didn't work as well as it could have in film.

Revisiting Ultimate Spider-Man

I recently got the opportunity to revisit the Ultimate Universe - the Ultimate Spider-Man series, to be specific. When Marvel launched their Fresh Modern Take of their classic super heroes, I stayed on the side lines - unimpressed by what they where offering. The quality and success of the Ultimate line of comics, though, eventually persuaded me to give it a try. Thanks to an affordable and awesome Barnsandnoble Hardcover, collecting nearly the first 40 issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, I was able to familiarize myself with what I had missed. (That Hardcover is no longer available on their site. Sorry!) Bendis' fresh take on Spider-Man was, in retrospect, revolutionary. He brought all the qualities and nuance of an indy creator to a company owned character. His long-form of storytelling set a new standard for comics, for years to come - which he's both famous and infamous for, "decompression". Stories where set around 6 or so issues, telling a longer and more fulfilling story. (Comic book decompression, though, backfired when inappropriately used - stretching out a storyline for longer than it needed to be, just to sell more books) What I really liked about the book, and which Bendis himself has stated is a key reason the series was so successful, was that it essentially stood alone, as its own product. No company tie-ins, or appearances in other titles -- Bendis was able to do anything with his version of Spider-Man, and wasn't hampered by company tie-ins.

This kind of isolated, but freeing, storytelling led to some truly classic stories.

Mark Millar and Adam Kubert's Ultimate X-Men proved equally as successful as Ultimate Spider-Man - setting Marvel's Merry Mutants in a much harsher, modern day era of suspicion, racism, and terrorism. Like much of Millar's work, it felt uncompromising - and his run of the series pretty well solidified the other half of Ultimate Universe.

Ultimate Fantastic Four, initially written by Bendis and Millar, with art from Andy Kubert, saw a younger version of the FF as part of a Government Think Tank operation. The idea of a young prodigy Reed Richards actually worked. The title stumbled, though, when it introduce Doctor Doom - who never matched the same greatness of his regular 616-counterpart. Mark Millar, though, came back to the title with Greg Land and transformed the series into an interesting, fast paced, science fiction series - introducing a zombie-hero universe, for instance.

The true masterpiece of the Ultimate Universe, though, had to be Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's "Ultimates" - (Ultimate Avengers, just without the word "Avengers") Bryan Hitch's art was truly stunning - and well worth the wait needed, for him to complete two 12-issues series on the title. This series basically defined and refined the idea of comic books matching the scope and feel of the blockbuster summer movie. The realistic, and always bombastic, reinterpretations of classic characters made for some of the most compelling storytelling yet. Captain America was a soldier truly out of time - Tony Stark, Iron Man, was a drunk socialite genius, and Thor was a (presumed) delusional hippie, with the power of a god! You probably saw many aspects of the Ultimates in the Marvel Movies; the most direct example of that being...

Everyone's favorite Super-Spy: Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury! Jackson officially leant his likeness to Hitch's drawings - and cemented his place as the only actor able to take on the role in the movies.

So -- if the Ultimate Universe was so great, why did I eventually leave it? Well - Marvel began to publish around 4 different titles a month. Ultimate Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and the Ultimates -- with a mini-series thrown in every now and then. While being "new reader" friendly was the mandate at first - the weight of continuity began to collect on all the different series. After Millar was done with X-Men and Ultimates - both series went in different creative directions. No longer was it about having a modern "reader friendly" version of these characters - it became about having a small, but contained universe - with only around 4 books required to read. I actually wrote a letter to Marvel, about just that -- which I think they listened to, because later they labeled all 4 titles as the "Gold Standard" of comics. They might have listened too much, as Spider-Man and the X-Men began crossing over in one event after another - until the continuity became just as bad as the regular Marvel Universe. Bendis participated in these gatherings, but managed to keep his series above the fray, or by using events to his advantage.

Thats where Jeph Loeb and David Finch stepped in - with the disaster-movie series "Ultimatum". Basically, if the Ultimate Universe was no longer fresh and easily accessible - it would act as the sandbox creators could do ANYTHING to the characters, that they otherwise would never be allowed to do with their non-Ultimate counterparts. Magneto essentially enacted a doomsday plan - to launch a massive tidal wave on New York City. (Given the recent real-world event, of Hurricane Sandy, this story takes on a whole new feeling) The city is simply devastated - and a majority of characters are either killed or broken down. The X-Men where probably the worst hit - with Kitty Pryde, Iceman, Rogue, and others being the few to survive.

The big kicker, at the end of that mini-series - was an atom bomb of a revelation: the mutant gene was not natural; it was instead created in a government lab, and released onto the populous. Mutants, essentially, where the unnatural recipients of a government made disease! That, really, just blew my mind - how awesome and interesting the idea would be! Basically, after Ultimatum, mutants became illegal - sent to camps, killed, or tortured - a new level of persecution before unseen. The left-over X-Men's story has continued on in different ways; one, though a son of Wolverine, and the surviving X-Men. I've only glanced at what Nick Spencer has done with Ultimate X-Men - but every time I see some of it, it shocks me how amazingly dramatic the series as become.

The Ultimatum Wave had a big impact on Spider-Man's universe. He desperately helped save as many civilians as he could - an act of awe-inspiring heroisim not unnoticed by J. Jonah Jameson, who made Spider-Man a beloved hero of New York City, reversing his longtime suspicion of the young hero.

The biggest reason for all this change and destruction, to once successful variant properties for Marvel? Sales, simply put, where slipping. This was not helped by Mark Bagley's departure from Ultimate Spider-Man -- even though he put in 110 consecutive issues - beating Marvel's old record of 102 consecutive issues held by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Bagley more than deserved a break from the series -- and Stuart Immonen stepped in and delivered in spades. Still, it wasn't enough.

So Ultimate Spider-Man rebooted with a new #1, and a new artist who stunned everyone with his manga-esq style in Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #3. David Lafuente delivered a style of Western-Manga that everyone was trilled about. It just looked stunning, and worked excellently with Bendis' writing.

I dropped the series at issue #7 - as I originally disliked the changes happening to the title. Bendis essentially took Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, Ice Man, and put them in the same house as Spider-Man. Included in that bunch where Gwen Stacy, Kitty Pryde, and Mary Jane. Aunt May essentially turned her place into a half-way house for homeless super-heroes. I thought it seemed too much like "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends".

Anyway - it was at that point that I have been lucky enough to be able to get TPBs and Hardcovers of the issues I had missed! There is some truly awesome stuff that came out after I had left -- like Kitty Pryde being forced out of school, at gun point, just because she was a mutant - and later the Ultimates taking an active role in trying to train young Peter Parker in being a better Super Hero.

I also got a mini-series "Ultimate Doomsday", which Bendis did together with artist Rafa Sandoval. They put together a mystery, or sorts, of an unknown enemy attacking and destroying the Ultimate Universe. The story actually centered around the remains of the Ultimate Fantastic Four - who since Ultimatum had split off in different directions.

Ben Grimm, the Thing, comes back into Sue Storms life - declaring his love for her. She had recently broken up with Reed Richards, which all-in-all turned out to be a pretty good thing, as the mastermind behind the whole plot turned out to be Reed Richards. An explanation wasn't really given, as far as motivations for going evil -- but the dynamic way Bendis wrote this collapse of the Fantastic Four, I really didn't care.

The relationship between Ben Grim and Sue Storm really surprised me; in addition to changes, like Ben Grimm evolving into a new state - where he's glowly and strong, and instead of a rocky-Thing.

Anyway - my journey back to the Ultimate Universe, though, might be short lived - as coming up will be the Death of Ultimate Spider-Man. Sales simply did not rebound, like Marvel was hoping, and so they brought back Mark Bagley to draw Ultimate Peter Parker's last stand, before tragically dying.

The series rebooted, once again, with a new protagonist Miles Morales - a half-black, half-hispanic Super Hero, who decided to try and live up to the inspirational (and now public) legend of Peter Parker. Killing off and replacing a white character with a minority raised some eye brows, but from all accounts Miles Morales won over fans and critics, as not simply being a replacement for Ultimate Spider-Man, but someone trying to live up to the ideals Peter Parker lived and died by. I haven't read the series, but I might back track again someday to see what I missed here.

I did, though, get a taste for what Bendis was doing with this new character when he released a mini-series "Spider-Men" - which saw regular 616 Spider-Man, cross over into the Ultimate Universe and meet Miles Morales. Bendis and Marvel have sworn, up and down, that they would never have a Regular Marvel Universe crossover with the Ultimate Universe. They called the idea creatively bankrupt. Still - they said such things before Ultimatum, and before Ultimate Spider-Man's death. What resulted was touching and wonderful story, allowing Miles Morales to meet his hero in the flesh.

I've heard rumors about a Marvel Universe/Ultimate Universe crossover that could be in the works - but this time, the plan being to end the Ultimate Universe entirely. As far as a creative experiment, I can't fault Marvel for wanting to go out on a relative high-note. Most likely something will be done to include a Miles Morales in the regular Marvel Universe. I'm just speculating, though!

I don't know if I'll read any further than Peter Parker's death - but I'll definitely be on board for any End of the Ultimate Universe mini-series. It sure has been nice to revisit, and catch up on what I had missed. Its rare you get a contained, and intricate character drama, all in one title. Sure glad I joined in and was able to read such wonderful stories.

Comic Book Review: Action Comics #19

After the conclusion to Grant Morrison's wonderful run on Action Comics, it came as quite a disappointment when I heard upcoming writer Andy Diggle was leaving the title because of editorial interference. I don't know exactly what kind of interference was happening - but this first issue certain looks like it was messed with, on some level, to meet the set-upon expectations of DC's "WTF" month. See - Diggle's first issue was suppose to be issue #17. That got pushed back, and then again with issue #18, as Grant Morrison needed more room to conclude his epic. So suddenly Diggle's first issue needed a "WTF" moment to slap on the cover -- and this is what we got:

Really, Jimmy Olsen is Superman's greatest enemy? Stupid as it sounds - I believe this Jimmy Olsen/Enemy idea was forced into the story, were it otherwise didn't belong. All just so DC could pull a lame "gotcha" moment. At $3.99, readers deserve better than this. Heck - on page count alone - clocking in at 25 pages of story, this issue underwhelms in both terms of content and quality.

Still, lets look past it - and see if there's something redeemable about this issue? The issue begins a year ago, in the fictional war-torn country of Qurac. Lois Lane is celebrating with Clark her achievements -- which, quite frankly, instant sounds cartoonish -- as she not only got an interview with a captive rebel leader, but managed to rescue dozens of political prisoners while she was at it. How did she do this Super Heroic feat of reporting? She left the safety of the hotel, unlike all the other foreign correspondents. (Any real-life foreign correspondents feel a bit insulted?) It flat out sounds outlandish, and immediately takes you out of the story. There a bit of throw-away romantic tension between Lois and Clark, but is quickly thrown away as Superman is called into action. Lois, though, meet some other reporter, Jon Carroll. I know DC is trying to take it slow, not having Clark and Lois dating - but it annoys me how often that means some other guy is getting in Clarks way. Can't they just be competitive reporters -- does Lois really have to one-up Clark every time, with a new man in her life?

Whatever - this issue quickly moves onto the action, which it thankfully does very well. Its not a complex or long fight - but Tony Daniel's art really works in these moments, as Superman faces off against hovering assault tanks. They give Superman a run for his money with rail gun shots, hellstrike missiles, and sonic attacks - but Superman forges through and takes out the assaulting machines. One of the pilots of the ship lands safely from the wreckage, and takes Superman by surprise because he looks so much like Jimmy Olsen. It's a similarity - nothing more. (Surprise!!!) The pilot isn't able to give up any info on who hired him to do this, as his body explodes into flames; sub-dermal thermite was injected into him, to make sure he never talked.

We move on to the person behind these minions -- that of Lex Luthor. A physiatrist is trying to give an evaluation of Luthor, but is giving an unsatisfactory diagnosis by labeling him Psychotic Megalomaniac. Luthor disagrees, and it then becomes clear that this psychiatrist is actually a prisoner of Luthors - playing some kind of game, trying to get a diagnosis that suits him. Its actually an interesting moment - and in-tune with Luthor and how dangerous he can be. We are then shown how Lex's plan against Superman worked. The robotic tanks where merely a decoy, to hide a dangerous nanites, shot into Superman's body during the battle. Made of Kryptonite, the nanites were able to enter his body - but their true function is not merely to poison him - but to rewrite his Kryptonian DNA. Three weeks later, the nanites are activated, and Superman crashes into the ground - his hand radiating a sickly green - with quickly spreads!

Now, to answer and point something out -- this issue made it clear these events are one year prior to the current time-line. Why does that need to be established? Because in the pages of "Superman", modern-day Lex Luthor has been introduced in a specially designed prison, bearing scars on his face. Solicitations hinted that this storyline might be where those scars are explained - but I'm not entirely hopeful about everything matching up that well. Proof evidenced by Andy Diggles swift departure - I don't think a definitive road-map has been made for the Superman titles.

This issue has many, many faults. In the end, though, it manages to be half-way decent. I do wonder, how much of this is really Andy Diggle's writing, and how much is editorial re-writing? Simply put - the art of Tony Daniel really saves the issue. The downside, though, is that this 25-page story becomes extremely short. Again - I expected better from DC, especially for $3.99. I'm more forgiving, for now - as I'm considering continuing to read this storyline. I'm hopeful DC will announce a new writer to come onto the series. If not, I might drop it after a few issues. Lets at least see what Andy Diggle set up, and wether Daniel can pull the rest off by himself.

As for wether this issue is worth you're time? It is new-reader friendly, with nothing too confusing muddling the waters. The action is quick and satisfying -- but, I only wish, the story had been as robust as the art was. This can be a good jumping on point -- but, in terms of value, the $2.99 Superman title, with Scott Lobdell, provides a more compact and longer-lasting story, and only with 20 pages. That Superman title, though, is more continuity-filled. So there are pluses and minuses to each title. (Or, just wait for Superman Unchained, by Scott Snyder a Jim Lee -- where you're guaranteed to get your money's worth!)

This image is promoted at the end of the issue, with the tag-line "Things to Come..." While I don't mind a different Superman costume - I really simply adore the current Jim Lee designed Red and Blue outfit. Any wardrobe change HAS to be temporary. Whatever the future storylines coming down the pike - they will be without Andy Diggle. I really wish he had gotten more of chance to spread his wings -- as this issue might be the sum total of his work on the series. I have hopes the series and story will improve. If they don't, I will quit the series. I'm simply being hopeful here - so, with or without Diggle, I hope DC doesn't let me down!

X-Statix Omnibus

Egad - this book is heavy! I don't know what insanity fell over my local Comic shop - but they have been marking Hardcovers down, and I just got another book for a great price. I got X-Statix, Marvel's quasi-independent X-Men book. You can actually find it, used, on Amazon for about the same price I found it. (This is my first time buying an Omnibus - and boy, is it heavy! This is probably why it was being discounted, even though it use to cost $125, marked down to around $30, -- it's a freaking heavy book! (If you order it online - expect extra shipping, because of the weight)

X-Statix, though, is a cool series -- and its entire run is collected in this volume. I mean EVERYTHING! All X-Force issues, all 26 X-Statix issues -- Short Stories, mini-series -- EVERYTHING!

This series was unique for Marvel, as it's really an independent title, masquerading as an X-Men book. Written by Peter Milligan, and drawn by Mike Allred - the title revolves around a group of mutants who, unlike Xavier's flock, want only to cash in their mutant powers and be famous. Social commentary, pop culture, and wacky-adventures collide in this series.

The title originally began as X-Force -- stealing and taking over the title with issue #116. I remember when that first happened -- it was strange, but the opening issue really convinced me to stick with the series. Allred's art simply popped off the page -- and from the very start, the series screamed "anything can happen", as they kill off the majority of the team in that first issue! A series of characters are added, subtracted, frequently, during the series -- with three characters standing out as central figures.

The Orphan

Aka Mr. Sensitive, Guy Smith, gave us the tortured, but super-cool mutant to lead the team. His powers, basically, is to be super sensitive -- like, he can feel a fly moving through the air, kind of sensitivity. He wears a suit which dampens these powers, to a livable degree. This first apperance tell us a lot about how messed up he is, as he frequently engages in a game of Russian Roulette. (Though, with his powers, I've always guessed that he would always be able to "feel" wether the chamber was empty or not, before pulling the trigger)

U-Go Girl

U-Go Girl acted as the group's teleporter. She basically symbolizes the trendy, self-destructive Hollywood model-type celebrity. She comes along with a built-in medical condition, as her powers make her extremely tired after teleporting; meaning she constantly looks sleep deprived, sometimes popping pills to stay awake. She became a fan favorite of the group.

U-Go Girl and Orphan are quickly tied together in a relationship. While it might be a Hollywood-style pairing, they both brought a lot to each others character.

Anarchist

Tike Alicar portrays the stereotypical black celebrity star, but challenges the mold behind the scenes - coming from an adopted white family, which has given him racial identity-issues, and obsessive compulsive issues. His power is the ability to generate acidic sweat, making him a powerful offense for the group.

Stealing the X-Force brand, this Hollywood-esq group of mutants became an entertaining and engaging soap opera, mixed with the sensibilities of a reality show. Even though it was stealing the title of an established X-Men franchise -- it nonetheless became a successes, probably due in part to getting fans like me to give it a try (even though it was co-opting a popular X-Men title).

Eventually the franchise was able to support it's own unique title, and became X-Statix! BUT - this came with a heavy cost, as fan-favorite U-Go Girl is killed, leading up to the new series.

Venus Dee Milo

Don't worry, though -- if X-Statix teaches you anything, it's that everyone is replaceable. Enter Venus Dee Milo - another mutant teleporter, who likewise begins a relationship with the grieving Guy Smith.

Her powers, though, initially preclude any kind of intimacy, as her powers require her to contain herself in an energy suit. Xavier eventually developed a better suit, though. She served as an adequate replacement for U-Go Girl -- but never fully took her place.

Dead Girl

Other cool characters included Dead Girl -- a zombie-fied mutant, who's power was coming back to life, regeneration, and talking to the dead. She even received a 5-Issue Mini-Series, which I've never actually read - which its inclusion in this book is what convinced me to buy it.

Doop

Doop - an odd floating green potato-shaped mutant, acts as mascot and camera man of the group.

He talks in a weird coded language "Doop-Speak", hangs out with Wolverine, and is (humorously) referred to by the team as possibly one of the most powerful and dangerous mutants of them all. You can decipher Doops language, to find out what the heck he's saying.

In addition to guest starring in an early X-Force issue, Doop and Wolverine shared a two issue mini-series together, as drawn by Darwyn Cooke.

Doop, in fact, even recently got a spot-light issue in Wolverine and the X-Men #17 (not collected here; this was more recent, probably still on comic shelves!) It was a hilarious re-visit to the X-Statix mentality, drawn by Allred, and showing a bit more of Doop and Wolverine's long lasting friendship.

This balling ball scene is probably one of my most favorite random moments in comics, EVER!

X-Statix, in examining society and popculture, the series delved into different areas of controversy. Two members of the group, Phat and Vivisector, announced that they are both gay - which originally didn't set too well with me (it was brought up rather suddenly, mid-story arc) - but has over time won me over, as simply not being a big deal.

I absolutely LOVED the second-to-last story arch, done by the series - which, I recall Peter Milligan said (I'm para-phrasing) "Next story arc, if we do our  jobs right - we'll all be fired!" Sure enough - the series was cancelled soon after -- probably in no small part to the Princess Diana storyline. Well... not Princess Diana -- the story was later changed to a fictional pop british celebrity -- but the original intent of the storyline was to have Princess Diana return from the dead (her mutant ability), and join X-Statix!!! It came as a surprise to no one when news came that the British Royals where shocked and appalled - leading to the re-write. (I later heard that the reported outrage, though, came from suspect tabloids -- so the story might not have been true.) Either way -- the fact X-Statix ended, after the next story arch, sort of fulfilled that original prediction!

For a send off, though -- X-Statix did it right; nothing less than an epic battle against the Avengers! Seeing the X-Statix group, usually considered off-continuity, matched up against the on-continuity Avengers was a strange sight, but offered up a lot of fun!

Each X-Statix member went up against a different Avenger. Anarchist went up against Captain America, and dealt with race relations. Vivisector went up against Hawkeye, Deadgirl fought the Scarlet Witch, and Antman fought against Venus Dee Milo.

Guy Smith and Iron Man both gave up their protective suits of armor and had a duel in the nude (very strange issue!)

Doop went up against none other than the Mighty Thor! Since Mike Allred's art is obviously very influenced by Jack Kirby, it was cool to see Allred depict Thor and Asgard.

The final issue, with X-Statix #26, connected back again with the opening issue, with most of the group being killed. You really have to respect both Marvel, Milligan and Allred, to be willing and able to kill off your own characters.

This is a wonderful series, and I'm happy to have run into this book for such a good price. The series definitely isn't for everyone - and will probably fly in the face of certain continuity-obsessed fans as well -- but, if you get hung up on something like that, you're missing the point of the series. This is a series about Fame, sex, lies, and death. This is X-Statix!