It’s Wolverine’s time to shine in X-Men #10, written by Gerry Duggan, drawn by Javier Pina, colored by Marte Gracia and lettered by Clayton Cowles.
Tony Thornley: Cori, welcome back. Missed you last month (though Adam Reck did a wonderful job). Ready to check out an issue that (in my opinion) continues the series’ upswing?
Cori McCreery: I am certainly glad you two held down the fort while I was besieged with real life. This is much more enjoyable.
Five Sisters?
Tony: Before we get into the meat of the issue, that first page sure seems like it’s specifically directed at you and I. We learn why Laura is all metal now — Proteus screwed up.
I mean, it’s nice to see a textual alteration that isn’t Quentin Quire’s genitals, but also was this page really needed beyond that?
Cori: It’s a nice little No-Prize for what was likely editorial oversight. Maybe the next time around they’ll put her back the way she had been, because I’m positive she’s gonna take after dad and die an awful lot in this new era. But you’re right, this was a page that was solely offered up to appease a specific kind of fan, and we could have probably done without it.
Tony: Yeah, I agree. It’s fine, but unnecessary. I know you and I both called it out a time or two, but it could have been done in a line of dialogue instead of a slightly awkward flashback page.
On the following page, which is just beautifully illustrated by Pina and Gracia, Rogue takes a quiet moment to pick up a gun and … oh, the gun is just a long-range Tricorder that Rogue pointed at Feilong. … More sci-fi technobabble please, thank you!
Cori: And here we get to the meat of the plot of this issue, with what originally looks to be a rescue mission for one of Laura’s estranged sisters, as they detect a very specific amount of living adamantium that’s too small to be a Logan. What’d you think of this rescue mission, Tony?
Tony: I miss Laura solo stories (I feel like I’m one of the few that seemed to enjoy Mariko Tamaki’s X-23 series, despite the title). This was a nice change of pace from the big, bombastic stories the title has given us so far. It feels important to the overall story, and to Laura’s journey in the title. I also really enjoyed that it called back to those sorts of stealth stories that I don’t feel like we get in comics very often. It’s a mission that recalls both Logan and Remy, two of her mentor figures, but with Laura’s style.
Plus, it’s great to see she’s not as hung up on Synch as he is on her.
Cori: I appreciated the narration that stated that Laura was annoyed at them taking bets about how long she’d last before the plan fell apart, until Scott told her that Logan would have started the conversation. It shows that even if she still has a bit of imposter syndrome (Who doesn’t, am I right?) the rest of the team sees her as every bit the Wolverine that the team needs. And sure enough, the plan does go to hell, but mostly because the rescue mission wasn’t for who we assumed it would be.
Tony: I was a little disappointed that the cover spoiled that reveal a bit. Sure enough, it wasn’t one of her sisters. It was Lady Deathstrike. I really liked Deathstrike’s disorientation, thinking that Doctor Stasis had traded her to the X-Men and all. It shows that not everyone involved in Orchis has a full picture of what’s going on. They may all be bad guys, but they’re not all bad guys, to borrow from cinema classic Wreck-It Ralph.
The fight between the two lasted just long enough, and then they figured out they were in it together. I think Duggan paced it perfectly there, and Pina did some great things with the fight staging in the layouts. What did you think?
Cori: I agree that it was a really well done fight sequence. Credit where it’s due, I really loved how Gracia worked with the color palette to evoke rage and blood without the fight actually being all that gory (save one panel where Laura impales Deathstrike on her feet claws). But then we get my favorite sequence of the issue with Rogue getting to play a bit of outfield. It’s been too long since an X-Men baseball issue, dangit.
Tony: I complained so much about getting so little Rogue in the series’ first arc. So glad it’s getting rectified. She absolutely pulls a reverse fastball special here and makes a fantastic save (including her internal narration).
I love that Rogue’s role in this series isn’t as the team’s tank. She’s the team’s Superman or Thor. She’s not just the muscle or a human shield. She’s the powerhouse, but she also has the fun side and compassionate side to go with it.
Cori: Yeah, this is a perfect role for her as one of the characters who has grown up the most in her time with the team. This is her family, and she’ll fight like the dickens to protect them with all her heart. It’s a team full of muscle, but she’s the soul.
Small Blind
Tony: I am really enjoying Destiny having an increasingly prominent role in the line. Here, as the team gets celebratory takeout and helps Deathstrike recover, Destiny pops in to both see her daughter and nudge the plot along. She’s a deus ex machina, but it feels natural for her.
Cori: Lord, though, do I feel bad for Gambit. How? How is it possible that I feel bad for him? Like that’s how you know things are bad for him is when I pity the dirtbag. Because boy is Irene ruthless in her brutality about how she feels about her son-in-law.
Tony: I mean a decade ago if I was in Destiny’s shoes, I would have hated him, too. But he’s another that’s grown so much recently, I do feel incredibly bad for him. I adore that he’s still holding clandestine poker games in the basement of the Treehouse, though.
Cori: One thing I didn’t really love about Destiny here was that she went a little too “Deadpool Fourth Wall Breaky” to my taste with the pointed Mr. and Mrs. X comment. It’s a little thing, but that kind of meta comment just didn’t seem in character for Destiny. What’d you think of our buddy Rocky being the next piece of the puzzle to get them to Gameworld?
Tony: A) You have a good point with the reference. I missed it, but it’s a little too cutesy.
B) Giving Rocket a more prominent role in the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe in general? That’s great. Basically making him the space version of Spider-Man or Wolverine (a la all his connections), that’s even better. It’s absolutely hilarious to me that he’s not just a good source of information for Gameworld, he’s actually taking the call while standing in the middle of Gameworld.
I love scoundrels. Rocket Raccoon is Marvel’s Han Solo, and I’m here for it.
Cori: And if there’s one thing Rogue loves, it’s scoundrels. Seems like next month we’ll finally get a bit more of the Gameworld story, and that’s exciting. See ya then!
X-Traneous Thoughts
- Wolverine snack watch: Just Laura’s Hellfire Gala shrimp from last year.
- By which we mean in a flashback to the Gala. I don’t think even a Wolverine can bounce back from botulism from year-old shrimp.
- Lorna coffee watch, she draws an X in her latte.
- Also, Lorna clearly made about $200 on the pool. That’s enough for like … five coffees. (Tony doesn’t drink coffee. Is that how much coffee costs?)
- Cori also doesn’t drink coffee, but that seems about right. Maybe a couple slices of avocado toast, too.
- [Grote’s note: Was drinking coffee while he edited this.]
Yes, it's Cori McCreery—strange visitor from DC fandom who came to Xavier Files with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal critics. Cori, who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, race a speeding bullet to its target, bend steel in her bare hands, and who, also works as an editor for a great Eisner winning website, Women Write About Comics, fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice.
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.
