Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

As Mentioned in Episode 25 – The Best at What He Does

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4 comments

  1. Frank Miller’s art style has changed so much over the years that it’s not always easy to look at his early work and recognize it as definitely his… Until there are ninjas or people fighting in silhouette. Then it becomes unmistakeable.

    I can’t help but notice that the way the podcast is handling the X-Men’s chronology has conveniently led to Storm’s night with Yukio being discussed twice in consecutive episodes. I assume this is Rachel’s doing, and I for one approve.

  2. So this episode got me to pick up the trade via Comixology, as I haven’t had the issues in…well, a long, long time. Anywho, a few thoughts (having read the first half).

    1: It’s irrelevant, but every time they translate ‘Hai’ as ‘Hei’ I want to stab someone in their face. It’s weird that they got more complicated phrases correct (and ‘Iie’), but went with that very non-standard spelling. I don’t know why that bugs me so much, but it does.

    2: I can definitely see the progression of Miller right before Ronin. Some stuff is clearly him still developing a style, but when he starts channeling Goseki Kojima, his influences are RIGHT. THERE.

    3: Interesting how Wolverine’s narration happening mostly in boxes means that it reads almost like a modern comic. The thought balloons outside of the narrative almost seem out of place and it’s curious to see when Claremont uses them and when he doesn’t.

    4: Orzechowski. ORZECHOWSKI!!!

    5: One thing that this comic really makes me reflective about is reading on paper versus an e-reader using ‘guided view’. I’m not sure how that changes the experience. The guided view actually makes it flow more like a movie in some ways, but the whole page aesthetic and composition is compromised. I’m curious what you guys think about one versus the other, especially given Rachel’s feelings about some pages she’s picked up and their effect as a page, versus a collection of panels.

    1. While I’m also interested in how Japan and Japanese culture is portrayed in American comics, I have heard some Japanese people pronounce “hai” as “hei”–Japanese, like English, has a range of variant accents (including vowel shifts) depending on region, generation, and individual voicing. Having said that, of course, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it was used in a way that was plausible for the character. Even as I write this, though, I’m beginning to suspect that swarms of ninja were also uncommon in early 80s Japan.

      Looking back, I also wonder about things like the Emperor having invitations to the wedding sent out in his name. I realize this was meant to express how well-connected Mariko was, but I honestly don’t know whether the Emperor of Japan would involve himself in such an event (I mean, hosting a high-society wedding). Next someone’s going to tell me adamantium is a fictitious substance.

      1. If I had to No-Prize that one, I’d say he’s expressing his gratitude for Wolverine and Mariko’s role in dismantling a major crime syndicate, rather than it just being something he does for anyone of her social stature.

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