Ari Bard - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com The comics criticism you crave Thu, 13 Oct 2022 02:24:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/comicsxf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/cropped-orange-favicon-2.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Ari Bard - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com 32 32 107498702 Legion battles Uranos (and his own insecurities) in Legion of X #6 https://comicsxf.com/2022/10/13/legion-battles-uranos-and-his-own-insecurities-in-legion-of-x-6/ Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=43417 Judgment comes to David Haller as the world starts to burn. Given Legion’s recent defeat at the hand of Uranos, and his inability to save the people of Arakko, how good are his chances? Find out how David makes his case to Earth’s newest god in Legion of X #6, written by Si Spurrier, drawn...

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]]> 43417 Legion of X Ends Its First Arc by Declaring Its Love for Mess https://comicsxf.com/2022/09/21/legion-of-x-ends-its-first-arc-by-declaring-its-love-for-mess/ Wed, 21 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=43077 Legion is possessed, the Altar and all who reside within it are under threat and a judge who can wipe people out of existence with a glance has shown up to hide the evidence of her blasphemous god summoning. This is what happens when you mess about with mutants, gods and omega-level psychics. Legion of...

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]]> 43077 INTERVIEW: Scott Snyder Talks about a Year of Creator-Owned Work https://comicsxf.com/2022/09/15/interview-scott-snyder-talks-about-a-year-of-creator-owned-work/ Thu, 15 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=42854 It’s been a little over a year since Scott Snyder left DC to pursue a massive line of creator-owned work at Comixology, IDW and other publishers. A lot has changed across the industry and in the work, so I sat down with Scott to talk about the new genres he’s branching out into, the craft...

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]]> 42854 Legion of X #4 Clicks Amidst Answers and Confrontations! https://comicsxf.com/2022/08/04/legion-of-x-4-clicks-amidst-answers-and-confrontations/ Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=42355 How much power does belief really hold?  Krakoa is in crisis as mutants question their belief in their leaders, their peers, and their Gods. It’s up to Nightcrawler (after a steamy night and following day with the Weaponless Zsen) and the Legionnaires to answer this question in Legion of X #4, written by Si Spurrier,...

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]]> 42355 More Like the Ass-tral Plane, amirite, in Legion of X #3 https://comicsxf.com/2022/07/06/more-like-the-ass-tral-plane-amirite-in-legion-of-x-3/ Wed, 06 Jul 2022 13:01:34 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=41894 There are demons in all of us — but if you’re a resident of Krakoa, that can often be a very literal problem. As Pixie traps the body-hopping Skinjacker and tracks down his body, Nightcrawler and Zsen head through the Astral Plane to find a lost god, only for both cases to collide in Legion...

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]]> 41894 Philip Blank Wants a Small Story in Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E #1 https://comicsxf.com/2022/06/29/philip-blank-wants-a-small-story-in-agent-of-w-o-r-l-d-e-1/ Wed, 29 Jun 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=41731 I first read Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. #1 (along with its second) last year, back when it was called C.H.A.O.S. Agent. At the time, I was finishing up a teaching certificate program with the University of Connecticut (Hartford). Back then, I was working as a student teacher at Eastern Middle School in Riverside, CT. Most days,...

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]]> 41731 Truth and Absurdity in Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E with Deniz Camp https://comicsxf.com/2022/06/27/truth-and-absurdity-in-agent-of-w-o-r-l-d-e-with-deniz-camp/ Mon, 27 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=41679 From Deniz Camp, Filya Bratukhin, Jason Wordie and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Scout Comics’ Agent of W.O.R.L.D.E. follows special agent Philip Blank, a top operative for the orangutan bosses at W.O.R.L.D.E., as he travels all over the world, time and the multiverse saving it from itself. But Philip isn’t naive enough to think that his bosses have...

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]]> 41679 A Legion Of Moving Pieces In Legion Of X #2 https://comicsxf.com/2022/06/08/a-legion-of-moving-pieces-in-legion-of-x-2/ Wed, 08 Jun 2022 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=41387 The Legionnaires have only just been founded but they have a number of cases on their hands. A skinjacker running amok, a mischievous god on the loose, and Mother Righteous wheeling and dealing her way across Krakoa. Are any of these related? All signs point to yes. Can Nightcrawler and the Legionnaires keep track of...

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]]> 41387 Legion Of X #1 Challenges Readers, But Is The Book Up To The Challenge? https://comicsxf.com/2022/05/25/legion-of-x-1-challenges-readers-but-is-the-book-up-to-the-challenge/ Wed, 25 May 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=41067 The Way of X has been discovered, and that way is the Spark. Now the Spark must be protected, and out of a station located on the Astral Plane, tucked inside Legion’s mind, Nightcrawler has formed a new policing force to keep the Spark alive. The Legion of X’s first major mission? Arakko’s missing a...

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]]> 41067 AfterShock’s Land of the Living Gods #1 Continues Wave of African Storytelling https://comicsxf.com/2022/02/28/aftershocks-land-of-the-living-gods-1-continues-wave-of-african-storytelling/ Mon, 28 Feb 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=38191 It is said that when the world dies, the spirits of the first people will return to witness the last days of humanity. Well, the spirits have arrived, and the end is here. But not everyone has given up hope. Naledi, a teenage girl living in the deserted city once called Johannesburg, has always believed...

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]]> 38191 Suicide Squad: Blaze #1 Brings a Touch of Horror and Politics to the DCU https://comicsxf.com/2022/02/11/suicide-squad-blaze-1-brings-a-touch-of-horror-and-politics-to-the-dcu/ Fri, 11 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=37921 The attacks begin without warning. Brutal, sudden…cannibalistic. A metahuman with all the power of Superman but none of his humanity. An unstoppable being ruled only by hunger and instinct, striking at random across the world. To stop this threat, Harley Quinn, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang and King Shark have been assigned to corral, nursemaid, and if...

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]]> 37921 The C2E2 Tapes: Kyle Higgins and Ryan Parrott Get Supermassive https://comicsxf.com/2022/02/08/the-c2e2-tapes-kyle-higgins-and-ryan-parrott-get-supermassive/ Tue, 08 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=37833 In December, ComicsXF’s intrepid head honcho, Zachary Jenkins, hit the floor of C2E2 with a microphone in his hand and a hankering to talk to as many creators as he could get five minutes alone with. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of those interviews. Thirty years ago, Image Comics introduced the...

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]]> 37833 Searching for the Perfect Word in Ice Cream Man #28 https://comicsxf.com/2022/01/31/searching-for-the-perfect-word-in-ice-cream-man-28/ Mon, 31 Jan 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=37727 Some of us are lucky enough to find passions or interests that truly define us. These are pursuits we’re willing to go to the ends of the Earth for all while remaining uncompromising. But what about the cost that comes with this journey? Find out in Ice Cream Man #28, written by W. Maxwell Prince,...

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]]> 37727 A Metamorphosis — and Your Troubles — in Ice Cream Man #27 https://comicsxf.com/2022/01/04/a-metamorphosis-and-your-troubles-in-ice-cream-man-27/ Tue, 04 Jan 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=37141 At some point or another, we’re all forced to change with the times. You can either embrace the transformation or fight it kicking and screaming. So cozy up in your cocoon and prepare for a metamorphosis. Will what emerges be better than what entered? Were you ready to confront life’s existential burdens? Find out in...

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]]> 37141 Go on a Lore Tour in BOOM’s Power Rangers Universe #1 https://comicsxf.com/2021/12/30/go-on-a-lore-tour-in-booms-power-rangers-universe-1/ Thu, 30 Dec 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=36751 What is the true origin of the Phantom Ranger? And what is his connection to the Morphin Grid? From the moment he first appeared 24 years ago, fans have wondered about the origin of the mysterious Phantom Ranger. Questions which have never been answered, until now. BOOM Studios presents a limited-series event that will delve...

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]]> 36751 X-Force #26: Have We Reached Peak Invasion? https://comicsxf.com/2021/12/16/x-force-26-have-we-reached-peak-invasion/ Thu, 16 Dec 2021 15:05:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=36035 DOMINO, KID OMEGA and WOLVERINE head back into the thresher to recover the precious cargo stolen from Krakoa!

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]]> 36035 God Loves, Dudes Rock In X-Force #25 https://comicsxf.com/2021/11/17/god-loves-dudes-rock-in-x-force-25/ Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=35298 An Inferno rages on…in another title. While Colossus is roped into the machinations of the Quiet Council, relationships fizzle, romances begin, and waves get ridden. All this and a baby heist in X-Force #25 by Benjamin Percy, Robert Gill and Guru-eFX, and Joe Caramanga. Kenneth Laster: I’m not going to lie–I did not realize that...

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]]> 35298 The Music That Mattered To ComicsXF At 18 https://comicsxf.com/2021/11/05/whats-the-furthest-place-from-here-has-the-comicsxf/ Fri, 05 Nov 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=35105 In Matthew Rosenburg & Tyler Boss’s upcoming Image title “What’s The Furthest Place From Here?” a group of teens each pick an album to represent themselves, to give themselves meaning, long after they are gone. Now, they can’t actually listen to the albums but that’s beside the point. With the book coming out next week...

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]]> 35105 Álvaro Martinez Bueno Talks about the Nice Art of the Nice House on the Lake https://comicsxf.com/2021/11/04/alvaro-martinez-bueno-talks-about-the-nice-art-of-the-nice-house-on-the-lake/ Thu, 04 Nov 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=35032 The Nice House on the Lake is one of the best comics, especially in the horror genre, to come out this year. With the 12-issue series about to go on hiatus after a shocking midpoint cliffhanger, we thought we’d chat with co-creator and artist Álvaro Martínez Bueno about his process in creating such a well-defined...

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]]> 35032 Dig into the Roots of Your Family — and Your Troubles — in Ice Cream Man #26 https://comicsxf.com/2021/10/29/dig-into-the-roots-of-your-family-and-your-troubles-in-ice-cream-man-26/ Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=34936 Are you brave enough to climb down the twisting, gnarled trunk of your family tree? And honest enough to accept whatever you find? Discover those internal truths and more in Ice Cream Man #26, written by W. Maxwell Prince, drawn by Martin Morazzo, colored by Chris O’Halloran and lettered by Good Old Neon. Will Nevin:...

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]]> 34936 Watching Your Favorite Heroes Get Killed Couldn’t Be More Fun in DC vs. Vampires #1 https://comicsxf.com/2021/10/29/watching-your-favorite-heroes-get-killed-couldnt-be-more-fun-in-dc-vs-vampires-1/ Fri, 29 Oct 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=34928 Ari: Alrighty, let’s take a stroll through yet another DC alternate universe where a lot of heroes die, this time featuring vampires and the creative team of Matthew Rosenberg, James Tynion IV, Otto Schmidt and Tom Napolitano in DC vs. Vampires #1. Ritesh: I’m glad you mentioned this, because this is certainly part of that...

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]]> 34928 Our Actions Are Not Our Own In X-Force #24 https://comicsxf.com/2021/10/13/our-actions-are-not-our-own-in-x-force-24/ Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=34558 We return to our Russian retreat as the Chronicler weaves a wicked tale! What do Mikhail and his weaponized reality-warping writer have in store for Colossus and Kayla? And back on Krakoa, will Black Tom escape the Beast’s innards? All this and more in X-Force #24 by Benjamin Percy, Martin Coccolo and Guru-eFX, and Joe...

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]]> 34558 X-Force #23: The Man with the Peacock Tattoo https://comicsxf.com/2021/09/08/x-force-23-the-man-with-the-peacock-tattoo/ Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:05:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=33406 We traveled all the way to Russia and boy, are we chilly. That's okay because the embers of INFERNO will keep us warm as Mikhail Rasputin returns. Plus, tiny men travel inside Hank McCoy. Don't miss our breakdown of X-Force #23.

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]]> 33406 Why Am I Like This – Musings on Bliss and Man-Bat https://comicsxf.com/2021/08/31/why-am-i-like-this-musings-on-bliss-and-man-bat/ Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=32721 “Why am I like this?” What a loaded question right? It definitely comes with a burden of uncomfortable introspection and contemplation about the changes we might want to make moving forward. After all, we can’t change the past, right? What we’ve already done, for better or worse, is permanently imprinted onto us, and what people...

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]]> 32721 Man-Slaughter Teams Up With The Mutants In X-Force #22 https://comicsxf.com/2021/08/30/man-slaughter-teams-up-with-the-mutants-in-x-force-22/ Mon, 30 Aug 2021 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=33171 Remember Man-Slaughter? Us neither! But he’s back for more plant shenanigans in X-Force #22 by Benjamin Percy, Robert Gill, and Guru-eFX and Joe Caramanga. Ari Bard: The plants are everywhere! There are different strains and they’re infectious and they all matter EXCEPT Black Tom Cassidy and his veg. Percy has made it very clear that...

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