Primer - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com The comics criticism you crave Fri, 06 Jun 2025 01:23:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/comicsxf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/cropped-orange-favicon-2.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Primer - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com 32 32 107498702 Who the hell is [REDACTED], the 3K member revealed in X-Men #17 https://comicsxf.com/2025/06/06/astra/ Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52968 Caution: This article contains a spoiler for X-Men #17. You’ve. Been. Warned. Little by little, we have begun to learn about the membership of 3K, the mutant-making shadow organization introduced at the beginning of Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman’s X-Men, whose most notable member appears to be Cassandra Nova. This week’s issue #17 brought another...

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]]> 52968 When Captain America was a mutant: The curious case of Sam Wilson https://comicsxf.com/2025/02/16/captain-america-sam-wilson-mutant/ Sun, 16 Feb 2025 11:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=51684 The X-Men and the Avengers have had a long and complicated relationship with one another, dating to their shared birthday on July 2, 1963, and continuing through a series of meet-ups, miniseries and misunderstanding-based fights. From their first encounter in X-Men #9 to the time the love-child of Professor Xavier’s suppressed rage and Magneto’s …...

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]]> 51684 Xavier Files entry 123: Psylocke (Kwannon) https://comicsxf.com/2024/11/15/xavier-files-123-psylocke/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=50821 In honor of the launch of a new Psylocke solo series, we’re updating the longstanding Xavier Files entry on everyone’s favorite telepathic ninja! Remember, you can help choose who we add to our Mutant Master Rankings. Support ComicsXF on Patreon at the $8-a-month level or higher, and you can request either a new entry to...

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]]> 50821 Xavier Files Entry 122: Cassandra Nova https://comicsxf.com/2024/05/07/xavier-files-122-cassandra-nova/ Tue, 07 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=48837 That’s right, readers, we’re bringing back the Xavier Files, and this time, you get to help choose who we add to our Mutant Master Rankings. Support ComicsXF on Patreon at the $10-a-month level or higher, and you can request either a new entry to the Files, or an update of an existing file (as most...

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]]> 48837 10 key episodes of X-Men ’92 to watch before X-Men ’97: A ComicsXF Primer https://comicsxf.com/2024/03/19/xmen-animated-series-primer/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=48273 Everyone loves X-Men: The Animated Series, right? At least, that’s what Disney is banking on with the release of X-Men ’97, the follow-up to the animated series that theoretically introduced a generation of kids to the X-Men. But with 76 episodes spread across five seasons in very confusing watch orders (Do I watch based on...

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]]> 48273 Your guide to the weirdest, wackiest, wrongest What Ifs: A ComicsXF Primer https://comicsxf.com/2023/12/22/whatif-primer/ Fri, 22 Dec 2023 13:30:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=47459 What if Roy Thomas, who had recently stepped down from being editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics in the mid-1970s, was like, “Well, I want to keep writing, but I don’t want to deal with continuity?” Marvel has answered that question a bunch of different ways over the years, from Thomas’ own Invaders series, written during the...

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]]> 47459 Reading The Marvels: A ComicsXF Primer https://comicsxf.com/2023/11/09/the-marvels-primer/ Thu, 09 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=47091 As comics fans, we always hope we can find some magic arrow that will transform people who see movies adapted from comics into comics readers. The system is rigged against that, of course: Comics publishers — especially mainstream superhero comics — exist as little more than IP cannon fodder for their vertically integrated masters, feeding...

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]]> 47091 The Pull List, Summer 2022 https://comicsxf.com/2022/05/27/the-pull-list-summer-2022/ Fri, 27 May 2022 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=41096 The Pull List Summer 2022 How can there be both too many comics and still not nearly enough? The idea of finding something new to read can seem daunting. If you’re looking to jump into a new book, the staff of ComicsXF can point you in the direction of some of our favorite recent releases...

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]]> 41096 Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler https://comicsxf.com/2022/04/08/kurt-wagner-nightcrawler/ Fri, 08 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=39916 GOLD SILVER BRONZE Kurt Wagner is many things. He’s a mutant born in Bavaria with unique physical features: blue fur, a prehensile tail, pointed ears, fangs, and three-fingered hands and feet. He’s a teleporter and a trapeze artist. He’s the adopted son of a Romani sorceress and the biological son of a shapeshifter and a...

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]]> 39916 Kate Bishop, Hawkeye https://comicsxf.com/2022/01/06/kate-bishop-hawkeye/ Thu, 06 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=36992 GOLD SILVER BRONZE Kate Bishop– the younger of two heroes code-named Hawkeye– emerged when the older one, Clint Barton, had temporarily retired. A hero by choice, she took up his color scheme (purple on purple on purple), his bow-and-arrow theme, and his acrobatics-and-bruises fighting style, first with his resistance, then with his blessing, and then...

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]]> 36992 Doom Patrol https://comicsxf.com/2022/01/04/doom-patrol-primer/ Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=36630 GOLD SILVER BRONZE Cliff Steele is a race car driver. Larry Trainor is a test pilot. Rita Farr is an actress. They have little in common. Cliff’s car goes up in flames. Larry’s plane is hit by radiation. Rita’s exposed to strange gasses in a shoot. They now have something in common. Tragedy has taken...

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]]> 36630 The Pull List, Winter 2022 https://comicsxf.com/2022/01/03/the-pull-list-winter-2022/ Mon, 03 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=36642 The Pull List Winter 2022 How can there be both too many comics and still not nearly enough? The idea of finding something new to read can seem daunting. If you’re looking to jump into a new book, the staff of ComicsXF can point you in the direction of some of our favorite recent releases...

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]]> 36642 Chris Bachalo https://comicsxf.com/2021/12/13/chris-bachalo-primer/ Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=35794 GOLD SILVER BRONZE The Canadian-born, California-bred cartoonist Chris Bachalo (buh-CHA-lo) is one of the most visually energetic and inventive cartoonists working, infusing every project with an overabundance of detail and passion. A breakout star of the 90s, Bachalo successfully transplanted his Vertigo aesthetic to Marvel comics. His style is constantly evolving, becoming more exaggerated and...

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]]> 35794 Norrin Radd, The Silver Surfer https://comicsxf.com/2021/09/17/norrin-radd-silver-surfer/ Fri, 17 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=33754 GOLD SILVER BRONZE The Sentinel of the Spaceways, weilder of the mighty power cosmic, was once Norrin Radd, a humanoid alien from the planet Zenn-La who gave up his life and love to save his world from the planet-eater Galactus. After many years of loyal service as Galactus’ herald, the Surfer leads the devourer to...

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]]> 33754 Laura Kinney, Wolverine https://comicsxf.com/2021/07/23/laura-kinney-wolverine/ Fri, 23 Jul 2021 14:01:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=31649 GOLD SILVER BRONZE Born not with a name but a designation, X-23 was raised in a facility to become nothing more than a weapon. With the help of her mother, Laura was finally given a name and a chance at a real life. Finding her way to the X-Men and Logan, the man known as...

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]]> 31649 The Eternals https://comicsxf.com/2021/07/16/primer-eternals/ Fri, 16 Jul 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=30956 GOLD SILVER BRONZE Before the dawn of history, Earth was visited by mighty Space Gods. These Celestials germinated the seed of humanity and created their evolutionary cousins of homo sapiens – Eternals and Deviants. The Deviants are monstrous in appearance and prone to volatility while the Eternals are immortal demi-gods tasked with being mankind’s guardian...

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]]> 30956 The Pull List: Summer 2021 https://comicsxf.com/2021/07/06/the-pull-list-july-2021/ Tue, 06 Jul 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=30520 How can there be both too many comics and still not nearly enough? The idea of finding something new to read can seem daunting. If you’re looking to jump into a new book, the staff of ComicsXF can point you in the direction of some of our favorite recent releases and currently ongoing titles. Looking...

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]]> 30520 The Pull List: June 2021 https://comicsxf.com/2021/06/10/the-pull-list-june-2021/ Thu, 10 Jun 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=29169 How can there be both too many comics and still not nearly enough? The idea of finding something new to read can seem daunting. If you’re looking to jump into a new book, the staff of ComicsXF can point you in the direction of some of our favorite recent releases and currently ongoing titles. Looking...

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]]> 29169 Pete Wisdom https://comicsxf.com/2021/05/31/pete-wisdom/ Mon, 31 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=28477 GOLD SILVER BRONZE A spy working for shady British intelligence organization Black Air, Peter Winston Wisdom saw what was really going on in her majesty’s secret service, and he didn’t like it. He joins the mostly mutant superhero team Excalibur after accompanying them on a mission to Genosha and developing a relationship with core member...

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]]> 28477 Kate Pryde, The Red Queen https://comicsxf.com/2021/05/28/kate-pryde-the-red-queen/ Fri, 28 May 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=28391 GOLD SILVER BRONZE Known as Kitty, or Shadowcat, for most of her life, Kate Pryde is now a mutant of some renown: captain of the Marauder; Red Queen of the Hellfire Trading Corporation; a member of the Quiet Council that rules the mutant island Krakoa. For much of her life she was, instead, the relatable...

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]]> 28391 The Pull List – May 2021 https://comicsxf.com/2021/05/11/the-pull-list-may-2021-primer/ Tue, 11 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=28343 How can there be both too many comics and still not nearly enough? The idea of finding something new to read can seem daunting. If you’re looking to jump into a new book, the staff of ComicsXF can point you in the direction of some of our favorite recent releases and currently ongoing titles. Looking...

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]]> 28343 The New Mutants https://comicsxf.com/2021/05/11/the-new-mutants/ Tue, 11 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=28392 GOLD SILVER BRONZE When the X-Men were believed lost in space, Professor X recruited a new class of young mutants; he never intended for them to become superheroes like the X-Men, but they nevertheless found plenty of adventure as they added new classmates (and teachers) to their ranks. Over the years, they became a tightly...

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]]> 28392 Miles Morales, Spider-Man https://comicsxf.com/2021/05/11/miles-morales-spider-man/ Tue, 11 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=28382 GOLD SILVER BRONZE When the bite of a genetically engineered spider gave thirteen-year old Miles Morales similar powers to Spider-Man, all he wanted to do was keep his head down and get through school. But when Peter Parker was killed in front of him, Miles stepped up, because he knew the world needed a Spider-Man!...

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]]> 28382 Diana Prince, Wonder Woman https://comicsxf.com/2021/04/27/wonder-woman-primer/ Tue, 27 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=28377 GOLD SILVER BRONZE The Amazonian daughter of Hippolyta, Princess Diana of Themyscira journeys to the world of men after discovering Steve Trevor, a United States intelligence officer, washed up on the shores of Paradise Island.  Wonder Woman adopted the civilian identity of Diana Prince, serving first as a military secretary before moving on to a...

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]]> 28377 Peter Parker, Spider-Man https://comicsxf.com/2021/04/16/peter-parker-spider-man/ Fri, 16 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.comicsxf.com/?p=28372 GOLD SILVER BRONZE After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker went from fairly ordinary high school student to having the proportionate abilities of an arachnid. This includes not only super-human strength, speed, and durability, but the ability to climb walls and a ‘spider-sense’ capable of detecting impending danger. Soon after, a personal tragedy...

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