Blog Posts – Page 27 – Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

As Mentioned in Episode 227 – Wolverine, Killing

December 16, 2018 Jay 4 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

It looks like it would be good, right? It SHOULD be good! (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

And still! (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

The Whale and/or Shark! (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

“I see,” readers concluded, “The villain is clearly a very tall lady with no arms.” (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

S.H.I.E.L.D., no. (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

What if I just include the cool parts in the visual companion? (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

Meet Mr. Big. (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

Wolverine: the man so manly his stubble will fight you. (Actually, it’s adamantium.) (Not the stubble; that’s just stubble.) (You get the idea, though.) (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

Again: The art is good; it just very much seems like it belongs in a different book. (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

And now for something completely different! (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

It’s worth noting that the “Hell’s heart… hate’s sake…” quote is often misattributed to the film version; but it is, in fact, from the original novel. (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

The big, dramatic twist, I guess. (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

…Okay. (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

OKAY. (Wolverine: Inner Fury)

The title and cover of Wolverine: Killing conspire to make it look much less interesting than it actually is.

We are always here for Cowboy Poet Wolverine. (Wolverine: Killing)

Wow. (Wolverine: Killing)

A brief, bright incursion from a different story. (Wolverine: Killing)

The pulse that keeps time in this story. (Wolverine: Killing)

This is how to do weird right. (Wolverine: Killing)

Please note: not sexy. (Wolverine: Killing)

King Hiss? (Wolverine: Killing)

I love the idea that she’ll emerge into the larger world talking like a hard boiled P.I. (Wolverine: Killing)

He may not know which parts of him came from where, but he knows who he is. (Wolverine: Killing)

The costume goes on! (Wolverine: Killing)

OH SNAP (Wolverine: Killing)

NEXT EPISODE: Subtlety and stealth.

LINKS & FURTHER TANGENTS:

For more discussions of Kent Williams art, check out Episode 114 – Meltdown.
For more hawk talk, go to Episode 212 – Drumbeats of Despair.
Nate Powell makes gorgeous comics.
John Moschitta, better known as “The Micro Machines Guy,” was famous for his fast patter in the ’80s.
Smooth, smooth, smooth.
Chichester and Sienkiewicz’s Moby Dick
You cannot understand how impressive this animation was in 1998.
“It sucks… as it cuts!”

At the End of the Fight

December 12, 2018 Jay 3 comments

Do you wish Les Miserables were about X-Men? TODAY YOU ARE IN LUCK: Here is a downloadable version of the parody of “At the End of the Day” that closed Episode 226!

lyrics &c.

As Mentioned in Episode 226 – Les Mutants

December 9, 2018 Jay One comment

Listen to the podcast here!

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!
Meet Random. (X-Factor #88)
Quesada ribbons: totally a thing! (X-Factor #88)
Look, if it works, it works. (X-Factor #88)
Well, THAT can’t be good. (X-Factor #88)
Who Wore It Better, Garden of Earthly Delights Edition! Genosha, or… (X-Factor #89)
…Hieronymus Bosch? (Bosh. Definitely Bosch.)
Oh, kiddo. (X-Factor #89)
Romance! (X-Factor #88)
AND THAT’S WHY YOU ALWAYS LEAVE A NOTE (X-Factor #89)
Big mood. (X-Factor #90)
Remember when Alex Summers was actually pretty awesome? (X-Factor #90)
GENOSHA WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU (so much) (X-Factor #90)
Harsh but valid. (X-Factor #90)
Meet Mutate #24601, whose mutant power is probably painfully complex internal rhymes. (X-Factor #90)
Aw, these goofballs. (X-Factor #90)
Genosha’s sanitation system is ridiculous. (X-Factor #91)
A+ lurking, Rahne! (X-Factor #91)
This definitely won’t come back to haunt Jamie. (It definitely will.) (X-Factor #91)
NEXT EPISODE: Wolverine vs. Everything!

At the End of the Fight

Lyrics by Jay Edidin, with apologies to Herbert Kretzmer

Performed by *Luz Bianca, Greg Black, Jeremy Borders, Lucas Brown, Kitty Byrne, *Tina Carelton, *Finn Carter, Everett Christensen, Veryan Croggan, Chris Eddleman, *Christina Eddleman, edibleflowers, Sol Foster, Emily Freville, Matt Gardner, Eric Michael Gray, Pete Gresser, Becky Hawkins, Andrew Hill, Jeff Holland, Al Kennedy, Steve Lacey, Kevin Lanigan, Elana Levin, *Alex Lundquist, Dan McMahon, William Mason, Steve Neal, notwhelmedyet (Lynn), Duck Orsino, Shannon Pack, Erin Pence, *Steve Pence, Philthy, Mariana Poole, rainproof, Samantha Riedel, Scott Sharplin, Adam Slevison, Richaundra Thursday, Dave Tomaine, Devin Toohey, and Grace Young.
*Soloists

[X-FACTOR]
At the end of the fight you’re another page older
And that’s all you can say for the X-Factor life
It’s a struggle, it’s a war
And just when you think that you’re winning
You find yourself stuck on the moon, facing down Stryfe
And the fight’s just beginning

At the end of the fight you’re another fight older
And the X on your jacket won’t keep out the chill
And the readers all hurry past
To the six other X-books they’re buying
As the Legacy Virus spreads fast, ready to kill
One fight nearer to dying

[COMPANY]
A tthe end of the fight there’s another fight coming
A crossover next week, an annual soon
Like a storm that’ll break any second
Foreshadowing Fatal Attractions
There’s a reckoning still to be reckoned
Plus the critics’ hot takes and reactions
And the future is not looking bright
At the end of the fight

[VAL COOPER]
At the end of the fight there will be a debriefing
You don’t get to slack in a government job

[STRONG GUY]
We’ve got better things to do
And this system doesn’t seem fair
After all, we threw all the punches

[POLARIS]
Plus, we don’t care

[STRONG GUY+ WOLFSBANE]
And we need a vacation.

[MULTIPLEMAN]
Have you seen how Val Cooper is fuming today

[QUICKSILVER]
She might be possessed, she seems so out of sorts

[VAL]
Step it up Summers, there’s paperwork waiting–
They’re not dissertations, just mission reports

[COMPANY]
At the end of the fight it’s another fight over
To whatever extent superhero fights end
Fight Magneto, fight the Blob
Fight some guy we just met in a sewer
What the hell, at least it’s a job
Just find us the next evildoer
‘Cause there’s no resolution in sight
At the end of the fight

LINKS & FURTHER NONSENSE:

David Dinkins was New York City’s first Black mayor and a pretty interesting dude.
The Lindbergh baby was not in fact safely returned. Sorry, Rahne.
If you want to know more about Genosha, check out Episode 99 – Those Who Walk Away From Genosha.
You can hear about Havok’s short career as a magistrate in Episode 156 – Genosha Strikes Back.
For Val Cooper’s unfortunate encounter with a tentacle monster, listen to Episode 216 – X-Amining X-Factor.

As Mentioned in Episode 225 – Class Reunion (feat. Austin Gorton)

December 2, 2018 Miles 2 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

I miss when comics had dialogue on their covers! And when Emma Frost was ten feet tall. (New Warriors #10)

“Your uzi is no match for my very tall right boot!” (New Warriors #10)

If Emma’s telepathy weren’t invisible, this is exactly how viscerally violent it would look. (New Warriors #10)

Oh, Speedball – never change. Like, especially into a mopey edgelord with spikes inside his costume. (New Warriors #10)

Angelica Jones, you warm my heart. And also everything else. (New Warriors #10)

The tarot of the who now? (New Warriors #10)

You tell her, Firestar! (New Warriors #10)

Darick Robertson, you sure can draw… everything. (New Warriors #31)

Background-Cyclops is annoyed at the damned teenagers always hogging the phone line with their endless calls and their AOLs. (New Warriors #31)

Cannonball’s facial expression speaks for us all. (New Warriors #31)

Remember – neither of these women actually has flame powers! (New Warriors #31)

I bet there’s a long German word for the terror that comes from knowing you’re about to crash into your friend’s crotch at seventy miles per hour (and a second word for the terror that comes from being on the receiving end). (New Warriors #31)

Shine on, you justifiedly resentful diamond. (New Warriors #31)

That’s it. That’s the whole explanation. (New Warriors #31)

Emma Frost believes strongly in clear labels. (New Warriors #31)

I liked the yellow better, but this ain’t bad. (New Warriors #31)

Next time: X-Factor finally makes it to Genosha!

LINKS & FURTHER READING

We talked all about Firestar in Episode 42 – A Firestar Is Born
Check out Austin Gorton’s X-Aminations – writeups of every X-issue from 1963 on!
Listen to Austin on his podcast, A Very Special Episode!

As Mentioned in Episode 224 – Fix the Future

November 25, 2018 Jay 6 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

(Well, kinda.) (Excalibur #61)

Phoenix vs. Galactus. (Excalibur #61)

I’m not gonna show you the whole fight, but these splash pages are so good. (Excalibur #61)

Well, maybe one more. (Excalibur #61)

Death is a remarkably chill cosmic entity. (Excalibur #63)

Seriously, good job there, buddy. (Excalibur #63)

Excalibur X-Plains Rachel Summers. (Excalibur #64)

She’s had a rough time. (Excalibur #64)

And then… (Excalibur #64)

It’s cool, though. (Excalibur #64)

Rachel, you scamp! (Excalibur #65)

Oh, dang, that cover! (Excalibur #65)

Secret origins of Widget! (Excalibur #66)

Well, THAT can’t be good. (Excalibur #66)

I know there are a lot of full pages in this visual companion. Blame Alan Davis, I guess? But in a good way. (Excalibur #66)

Kitty, no. (Excalibur #67)

The other, OTHER R.C.X. (Excalibur #67)

Why is the Internet never as cool in real life as it is in fiction? (Excalibur #67)

Possibly the most cathartic moment of Excalibur. (Excalibur #67)

Seriously, I *still* get teary just looking at this spread. You did good, Mr. Davis. (Excalibur #67)

NEXT EPISODE: The passion of Butter Rum (feat. Austin Gorton)!

LINKS & FURTHER COSMIC ENTITIES:

For the highlights of Rachel Summers’s history with the Phoenix Force, and Earth-811, we’d recommend checking out these episodes:
While we can’t guarantee that it’ll protect against telepathy, here are a pattern and detailed instructions for making your own cardboard Magneto helmet.

As Mentioned in Episode 223 – Live at Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival

November 18, 2018 Jay 3 comments

Listen to the podcast here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

We went to Vegas Valley Comic Book Fest!

Possibly the grooviest Dracula-related cover ever published. (X-Men Annual #6)

HELL, YEAH, IT’S DRACULA! (X-Men Annual #6)

Kitty is having SO MANY FEELINGS, and you will NEVER UNDERSTAND! (X-Men Annual #6)

Check out Cyclops and Nightcrawler exchanging a look, like, “Parents? What the hell are those?” (X-Men Annual #6)

This panel is actually a pretty good encapsulation of what I remember about being 13. (X-Men Annual #6)

TBH, a lot of Kitty’s dreams probably start like this. (X-Men Annual #6)

THAT’S NOT A BAT. (X-Men Annual #6)

Dracula is probably the only person who looked at a bright green catsuit and yellow pouches and thought “stealth.” He’s mysterious like that. (X-Men Annual #6)

Ah, 13: that tender age when a young girl’s heart turns to eldritch summonings. (X-Men Annual #6)

Dracula, that’s really the kind of thing you should be keeping track of. (X-Men Annual #6)

[Eliot Spencer voice] “It’s a very distinctive sound effect.” (X-Men Annual #6)

How does Nightcrawler know the Montesi Formula? Who knows? Who cares? He’s a good pal. (X-Men Annual #6)

OH, SNAP. (X-Men Annual #6)

That’s our Wolvie! (X-Men Annual #6)

Lilith really looks like she’s visiting from an Archie comic. (X-Men Annual #6)

Skids and Northstar!

NEXT EPISODE: Fix the future!

And here’s a bonus gallery of Jay’s convention sketches:

Quentin Quire is indisputably the Nancy of the X-Men.

Warlock!

Smol Magneto.

Iceman assures you that he is rad.

LINKS & FURTHER GAMBLES:

We discussed X-Men #159–and a lot of other Dracula-relevant material–in Episode 18 – You’ve Got a Dracula Problem.
You can hear–and see!–us read the picture-book adaptation of “Days of Future Past” in the Jay & Miles Storytime Special.

223 – Live at Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival

November 18, 2018 Jay 3 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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In which Dracula probably doesn’t drink his blood from a World’s Greatest Dad mug; Miles massively underestimates the cultural ubiquity of Sexy Dracula; Bill Sienkiewicz may or may not have ever seen a bat; Kitty gets possessed; and Dazzler is singularly well suited to a Vegas residency.

X-PLAINED:

Dracula’s ungrateful children
Marvel Dracula
A fortuitously named writer
Rachel Van Helsing
X-Men #159 (again) (briefly)
Sexy Dracula
The secret origin of sexy Draculas
Fastball Special body mechanics
X-Men Annual #6
A nightmare
“Bats”
Yet another Castle Dracula
The Montesi Formula
Sound effects, spoken or otherwise
Lilith
Chairs
The relative efficacy of holy symbols against Dracula
X-Vegas
Characters we have grown to love as a result of the podcast

NEXT EPISODE: Fix the future!

Check out the visual companion to this episode–along with Jay’s convention sketches–on our blog!

Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

We’re in the process of migrating our official shop to TeePublic! Click over to check it out! (You can still find the designs we haven’t moved yet at Redbubble.)

As Mentioned in Episode 222 – A Tale of Two Betsys

November 11, 2018 Jay 5 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

Spoiler: It’s Betsy Braddock’s original body. (X-Men #20)

Does it seem weird to anyone else that Jubilee is putting her skates on in Professor X’s news den? Is there even room for that? (X-Men #20)

That’s not how gravity OR abs work. (X-Men #20)

BETSY NO (X-Men #20)

We have reached peak Scott Summers. (X-Men #20)

This stuff will be a running backbeat to the remainder of Scott and Jean’s relationship. (X-Men #20)

WHAT?! (X-Men #20)

These reaction faces are priceless. (X-Men #20)

Sure, that’s what you CLAIM, but so far Colossus has not thrown Devil Dinosaur at anybody, so I’m suspicious. (X-Men #21)

Kwannon seems to like posing for pictures about as much as Jay does. (X-Men #21)

Same face, same hair–who wore it better?! (X-Men #21)

This guy, AGAIN. (X-Men #21)

At this point, Matsuo’s hair may actually be more aggressively styled than Wolverine’s. (X-Men #22)

Betsy and/or Kwannon X-Plains Betsy and/or Kwannon. (X-Men #22)

“As completely as I understand what happens when two people like each other very much.” (X-Men #23)

And so forth. (X-Men #23)

And you thought that conversations with YOUR grandparents were awkward. (X-Men #22)

The creepiest thing about Sinister is the moments of profound disconnect when it’s clearly Sinister, but everyone reacts to him like he’s just a regular dude. (X-Men #22)

In which Scott Summers continues to never under any circumstances be allowed to take an actual vacation. (X-Men #22)

Seriously. (X-Men #23)

Heralding several decades of nonsense. (X-Men #23)

NEXT EPISODE: Dracula, live at Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival!

LINKS & FURTHER SORROWS

Listen to our discussion of Psylocke’s original transformation–featuring author Sarah Kuhn–in Episode 137 – Kicky Kinko Killers.
Marvel’s current EiC has a particularly ugly history when it comes to appropriation of Japanese culture and identities.

Jay & Miles Storytime Special (featuring the PDX Broadsides)

November 8, 2018 Jay 6 comments

In the aftermath of Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, we sat down for a wholesome, old-fashioned read-aloud, followed by a visit (and performance!) from the PDX Broadsides!

Special thanks to Max, without whom this monstrosity would never have been possible.

As Mentioned in Episode 221 – Better Than LEGO

November 5, 2018 Jay One comment

Listen to the podcast here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

Bella, as seen on FaceTime between rounds of headbutting the phone.

The late, great, immensely fluffy Buzz Lightyear.

What, you thought this whole thing was just gonna be photos of cats? (Sorry) (X-Force #20)

Whoops. (X-Force #20)

That hair, though! Why, Shatterstar? WHY? (X-Force #20)

Those spacesuits look incredibly cumbersome. (X-Force #20)

You never forget your favorite ship. (X-Force #20)

That is a GREAT use of a spread. (X-Force #20)

X-Force really only has the one setting. (X-Force #21)

Aw. AW. (X-Force #21)

AWWWWWWWWW (X-Force #21)

“THE TEETH COMMAND IT!” (X-Force #21)

And that’s why you always leave a note. (X-Force #21)

“The guns were inside you all along!” (X-Force #22)

Well, then. (X-Force #22)

But he looks so happy about it! (X-Force #22)

I was gonna make a callback to that one tangent about how Cable probably carries a bunch of tampons because they are useful and he seems like the kind of dude who has a good attitude about menstruation, but it seemed too forced. (X-Force #22)