My weekend – and X-men comics!

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

Nephew
Friday I worked from home and voted, and Doris picked up our nephew Ursulo and brought him home Friday evening to spend much of the weekend with us. I love Ursulo. Our plan for Saturday was: buy comics, watch an X-men movie, then go out to dinner and then to Comedy Sportz’s “clean” improv show for all ages. Ursulo had a blast, as did I. Although I feel ambivalent about adopting a baby myself, I do hope that if we don’t adopt, Doris will be satisfied if we can just spend more weekends with Ursulo. I know it works for me! Ursulo is 9 and is pretty self-sufficient but it still does make it hard to do anything else when he is around.

X-men comics
I’m surprised to find that I am kinda enjoying the X-men Astonishing comics. Paradoxically, although I’ve been an X-man fan for 12 years, I’ve never liked the comics that much. Over the years I’ve picked up an X-men title here and there, but given the confusing plotlines, often crappy artwork, the utter lack of any continuity, weird things like people dying and coming back every week, the X-men having been split into multiple teams and the writers having the insane idea to pair Scott Summers with Emma Frost, and females frequently going into battle wearing outfits which nearly bare their bosoms – well, yeah, I’m just not a fan.

But Astonishing X-men is pretty good. I picked it up because of Northstar and Kyle’s wedding, and I’ve been reading the issues that took place after the wedding too. There’s some good stuff in here. There’s a lot of banter among Gambit, Wolverine, Northstar, and Bobby (and sometimes Hank). I like all these guys and it’s good to see them being friends. The female characters in Astonishing, I’m not as close to; because they weren’t in XTAS or the movies, I just don’t know them that well. But Cecillia Reyes is definitely cool from what I’ve seen, and I’ve heard Karma is interesting too. Warbird is on my shit list for being so homophobic that she couldn’t attend Northstar’s wedding, and I just don’t see how she fits in or jells with the gang here.

I sure miss the other characters I am more familiar with: Rogue, Storm, Jean, Scott, Jubilee. I am sad that all pairings I love most in X-men are nowhere in sight, although Northstar/Kyle has grown on me too and Astonishing has been brave to highlight a gay couple, even showing them in bed! And I aim to focus on what I do have instead of what I don’t have, and I like what I wrote above about Astonishing.

Would love to have a Northstar/Kyle icon, but it seems that Northstar is drawn crappily in every panel so I don't know if anyone could even find a decent shot of him with Kyle with which to make an icon. Kyle was drawn pretty well in the last issue though.

I don’t slash Gambit/Wolverine, but I like them being friends. They always struck me as friends in XTAS (and even in the one X-men movie they’re in together). For those who follow the comics, how would you describe their relationship? One friend told me they argue and fight but are definitely friends in the comics she’s read.

And even though I will never see Bobby/Jean Paul being a couple in canon, it’s nice to see them bantering and being friends in Astonishing. Although Jean Paul accidentally did something really bad to Bobby at the end of the last issue I read, but I will avoid a spoiler.

Next weekend – game night with the BFFs! I can’t wait!!

Comments

[shar-bernadotte.livejournal.com]

But-but-but...bared bosoms=distraction. If you can't out fight them....distract them with BOOBIES!!!! Anyways, seriously, the cat suits or undergarments that comic women wear to fight in....O.o...how they manage to do anything in a corset that is laced so tight their ribs probably went on strike and high-heels so high that strippers are going 'oh hell no' is beyond me. Maybe all super heroines have the latent ability to accomplish epic feats of fighting prowess while dressed like a hooker...hmmmm. Edit: btw, nearly precariously covered bosoms are VERY distracting. I've seen some girls at school that make you hope they don't bend over or jump because the girls are definitely going to be popping out to say hello. I like male bodies but when a woman has several inches of cleavage on display I feel like a guy and have to actually think about not talking to her breasts. (I'm envious of the beauty of it, but not the back pain)....

Glad you have some comics you like. I am currently reading Journey Into Mystery, The Ultimates, and a few others here and there. Not as fond of the artwork in The Ultimates but it's alright. There are a few comics I won't touch simply because I HATE the artwork. I don't understand how they employ some of these artists. Eesh.

Check out DA and see if someone on there has a good piece of Northstar/Kyle that will let you borrow it for an icon. Doesn't hurt to ask.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Ah ha! There's a reason for the skimpy costumes of the X-women! Now it all makes sense to me. :)

And great idea on DA; it's always worth asking. Thanks!

[shar-bernadotte.livejournal.com]

I came to the conclusion about the costumes at school. Too many times have I done a double take at some of the outfits girls wear, I keep trying to figure out how they don't have 'wardrobe malfunctions'...

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I have wondered that myself many times.

And hey! I found a great Northstar/Kyle pic, and the artist says that one doesn't even need to ask in order to make it into an icon. You're good at icon-making. For some reason, I can't even take a pic and re-size it and come out with a decent icon. Can I send you the link? Pretty please?

[shar-bernadotte.livejournal.com]

Go ahead.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Really? You don't mind? Thank you!

http://my.deviantart.com/messages/#/d2f3oij

I'd be happy with a shot of mostly their faces, or whatever you think is best.

And please, take your time, no rush.

Thank you again!!

[shar-bernadotte.livejournal.com]

Give me a day or two. I'll see what I come up with...

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Thanks again!

[shar-bernadotte.livejournal.com]

So, I am going to upload the icons to my userpics. If you like them, take them. If want me to play around some more, please say so. I could add text, etc.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness!! They look great! I can't wait to start using them. Thank you SO Much!

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

P.S. - I tried to send you a v-gift as a thank you but LJ is saying you can't accept V-gifts. Is it true or is LJ being weird?

[shar-bernadotte.livejournal.com]

Apparently it's true. I just checked. And thanks, but it's not unnecessary. Glad you like them.

[sevarem.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for another gay pairing, there's Rictor and Shatterstar over in X-Factor. They've been established for a while. Karma is a lesbian, though aside from having feelings for Kitty Pryde at one point, they haven't really done much with that. But she's been written as being very open about her sexuality.

Gambit and Wolverine didn't get along at all originally. And then they kind of did. And then they haven't been written on the same team in a long damn time, because Gambit is like the pariah of the X-Men or something. Mostly because writers were desperate to hook up wet dishtowel Rogue with Magneto. Ugh. Whatever.

I kind of dropped the comics a while ago, but I'm probably picking them up again for Uncanny Avengers and All New X-Men, because THEY FINALLY BROUGHT JEAN BACK OMG.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Very cool - I thought I'd heard that about Karma, glad to know it's true even if they haven't done much with it. I do keep meaning to track down some comics with Shatterstar and Rictor.

Thanks for some background on Gambit and Wolverine. So it seems that Astonishing is the first comic they've been in together for a while. It is too bad that Gambit has been made a pariah though, although in the issues of Astonishing I've read, the others seem to treat him fine.

Jean is coming back?? Even I knew she was gone....say, do you know how long she was gone?

[sevarem.livejournal.com]

Gambit's not so much of a pariah now, but there were a few years where it seemed like the writers were doing their hardest to make him unlikable. Like having him betray the team to work with Mr. Sinister, causing the X-Men to DUMP HIM IN ANTARCTICA. Stuff like that. Marjorie Liu (the current Astonishing writer) did some good things with him in the X-23 series, because she's a big ol' Gambit fangirl. I'm glad to hear she's doing more with him in Astonishing now. Maybe I should pick it up?

They needlessly and violently killed Jean in 2003, so that Scott could make out on her grave with his whore, Emma Frost. She's coming back as teenager Jean from the past, which clears the deck of a lot of her baggage and opens the way for what I hope will be some very interesting stories. And it keeps the writers from trying to saddle her with douchebag Cyclops, which makes me very happy.

[nytshd3.livejournal.com]

i'm super looking forward to game night!

also, i'm madly in love with my niece. so i can totally understand the fun with ursulo. i'm looking forward to when she's old enough to do stuff with and go places with.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Yes - as Hilary gets older, she'll be even more and more fun to hang with! I've always loved Ursulo, and Doris and I were talking about how each year he's more fun as he matures. Playing board games gets more fun because he gets to be a better player each year. Being an Aunt is awesome.

Can't wait for game night!