Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Behind the Scenes of the Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan – I have been to Osaka and Tokyo when I traveled to Japan, but I never had the opportunity to ride the train connecting to both cities. Recently, I spotted this really information and captivating Nippon TV video about the Tokaido Shinkansen which is the high-speed rail line that connects Tokyo with Osaka. The video looks at the operators of the train, why their work involves a lot of precision and what is done to maintain the rail line. I encourage you to watch the video now!
#2 Japanese steak, rice and more – While I ate in several places in Japan during the few visits I made there, I don’t ever remember eating steak there. Recently, I found this video by the Japanese Food Noodles channel which focused on a certain food joint in Japan that specializes on steak. In fact, it is eat-all-you-can steak with rice or some other food. There is a lot to learn here from how to cook steak, how to operate a restaurant, how to keep customers satisfied, and more.
#3 GoodBadFlicks examines cartoons based on video games – Remember decades ago in America when there were these cartoon shows on TV that were based on video game properties? As a kid, I saw several cartoon shows based on video games and they were mostly fun to watch. You can discover more and you might have fun watching the recent video by GoodBadFlicks posted below.
#4 Reaction videos about Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining – Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of the late movie director Stanley Kubrick. I’m not a fan of Stephen King as well. Believe it or not, the two were not aligned with each other when 1980’s The Shining was released in cinemas. Based on King’s novel, the movie was essentially Kubrick’s very own version and he had his creative touch all over it. While King was very turned-off with the cinematic version (which had a younger Jack Nicholson), many moviegoers and film buffs enjoyed Kubrick’s version a lot. It is not surprising that the 1980 film is the subject of multiple videos in YouTube. You can see how The Shining movie impacts YouTubers by watching the selected videos below.
#5 Rhetorical Thrill reacts to Excalibur – I can hardly believe I first saw Excalibur on local TV way back in 1988. Fifteen years later, I saw it on home video and eventually bought my first-ever DVD copy of it some years later. Having replayed Excalibur as an adult, I eventually recognized the established actors like Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart. After checking out recent reaction videos of Excalibur on YouTube, I found the video by Rhetorical Thrill actually entertaining to watch. I encourage you to watch her video below.
#6 The Dazed, the Dumb and the Delusional from the Leftists – Now for some serious stuff. The Satanic Left always have extremists who are delusional, dumb, dazed, and even evil without realizing it. Democrats and their fellow Leftists have so much wokeness, they lost their touch with reality and they cannot realize how wrong they are. The recent edition of Lefties Losing It hosted by Rita Panahi posted below will show you exactly what I mean. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 and explore a part of Marvel Comics’ universe through the reimagined tales emphasized in the What If monthly series.
Back in 1993 – the year that Marvel Comics celebrated the 30th anniversary of the X-Men – the definitive rival of the X-Men, Magneto, made a major comeback and he was so resourceful as a threat to everyone. With the massive space station Avalon as his lair, Magneto sent out Exodus to lure mutants to join him. As time passed, Magneto’s own force grew and arrogantly disrupted the funeral of Illyana Rasputin in the presence of the X-Men, X-Force, Excalibur and X-Factor (as told in Uncanny X-Men #304). As the conflict went on, Colossus betrayed the X-Men to join Magneto.
Can you just imagine what would it be like had Magneto became the ruler of mutants?
With those details laid down, here is a look back at What If #85, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Arnie Jorgensen.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins inside Avalon with Magneto and Colossus watching recorded footage of Charles Xavier announcing his decision to stop opposing the ascension of Avalon. It turns out, Xavier’s decision paved the way for mutants to relocate to Avalon (orbiting Earth) in return for assurance that those who remain in it will do so unmolested. With the intention to let Avalon’s residents achieve their full and glorious potential, Magneto allowed the mutants to rule themselves without any dictatorship by him.
Through the years, division between Avalon’s mutants – Acolytes who believe in isolation and the Acolytes who believe in annihilation – intensified and proved that the spirit of mutant unity has faded away. As violence between the mutants went on, the number of explosions inside Avalon kept increasing…
Quality
A magnificent view for Magneto, Colossus and the readers.
What I like most about this What If tale is its core concept exploring what would have happened had Magneto ruled the mutants specifically those living in his own realm (Avalon). Writer David Michelinie (best known for writing Amazing Spider-Man stories) wrote a really inspired script that emphasized Magneto’s vision of mutant utopia isolated from the twisted and complicated societies of Earth (which still has lots of people who are afraid of and hostile towards mutants) while leaving room for conflict in the form of ideological division between mutants on Avalon. As the growing division and violence are shattering Magneto’s vision of mutant utopia, the birth of an infant whose presence adds to the tension and fear of Avalon’s inhabitants.
The good news here is that Michelinie’s script is pretty solid and Arnie Jorgensen did a good enough job visualizing it all. The characters, mainly Magneto, Colossus and Beast, were portrayed clearly in character and to see the master of magnetism struggling with maintaining order on Avalon is a nice portrayal of his human side which makes him have a lot more in common with his opposite Professor X when it comes mutant matters. Considering Magneto’s long history of intense evil and obsession with leading humanity, his portrayal of insecurity, doubt and weakness is very believable to read.
Colossus, whose betrayal of the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #304 remains unforgettable, is the loyal and sensible servant of Magneto. Beast, meanwhile, remains the very bright and insightful mutant scientist as he has always been which makes Michelinie’s writing really impressive.
Also at the heart of the story is mutant order. Apart from the division between Avalon mutants who want full separation from humanity and those who want to conquer Earth by eliminating all human beings, the very fabric of mutant society got shaken all because of an infant who was born there on Avalon (Avalon’s first natural birth ever). I like the way this sub-plot added tension to the mutant division because it is, in some ways, socially relevant to this day. It will remind you that certain groups of people out there who would go as far as committing murder only because they are so obsessed with their foolish, worldly beliefs. Look at the Palestinian terrorists, the Iranian terrorists and the woke mobs in many parts of the world.
Conclusion
Remember Fabian Cortez and the Acolytes?
With a very solid script filled with intrigue, social relevance and portrayals, What If #85 (1996) is a pretty engaging read. As it is strongly focused on Magneto and his mutants on Avalon, this comic book gives readers a fine dramatization of its core concept as well as developments on what would have happened had mutant utopia been realized far away from human society. I should state that for every build-up in the story, the payoff is fortunately solid. Consider this comic book a dramatic portrayal of mutants of Magneto without the involvement of the X-Men.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1When Atari invaded Japan – Here in the Philippines, me and my friends played video games on the Atari 2600 consoles in our respective homes during the first half of the 1980s. What I did not know back then was the fact that Atari did its best to sell its console and video games in nearby Japan. It turns out, their console in Japan was the Atari 2800. Watch and learn about this particular part of video game history with the video of GTV Japan below.
#2 A look back at Superman: The Animated Series – When it comes to animated series of the 1990s related to superheroes, X-Men: The Animated Series, Batman: The Animated Series and Spider-Man: The Animated Series are often remembered by long-time fans and geeks. The animated series of Superman, however, does not get remembered as much even though it had good quality animation and presentation. Of course, it should be remembered that the 1990s was the same decade when DC Comics had Superman killed, introduced the Supermen, brought Superman back to life and even had the Clark Kent identity destroyed which probably overshadowed the animated series. To discover more of Superman: The Animated Series, watch the video below.
#3 Examining the original 2099 comics franchise of Marvel Comics – You might have heard about 2099 among the many comic books Marvel published through the decades. The futuristic of Marvel’s shared universe originally started in late 1992 when the comic book speculator boom was still intense. It started strongly with Spider-Man 2099 followed by Ravage 2099, Doom 2099 and Punisher 2099. In the 2nd half of 1993, X-Men 2099 followed and even more related comic books got released. Of course, the 2099 franchise of the 1990s eventually ended. How and why it all happened like that, you can learn by watching Owen likes Comics’ video below.
#4 You, Me and the Movies’ Excalibur reaction – Excalibur is an epic medieval fantasy movie about the legend of King Arthur and his knights released in 1981. I first saw the film on TV in 1988 and it was an intriguing viewing experience. I replayed it on physical disc format in 2003 and eventually recognized Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne looking much younger. If you want to discover more of Excalibur through the reaction of You, Me and the Movies, watch the video posted below. It’s a fun watch.
#5 Assorted videos about Planet of the Apes (1968) – Planet of the Apes of 1968 is considered by many as a great science fiction film as well as a philosophical and intelligent viewing experience. While it is an engaging viewing experience, I find the concept of human evolution and the so-called genetic links between humans and apes to be nothing more than fantasies. Considering its fame, it is no surprise that a lot of YouTubers made their own videos about it and you can watch the selected videos below.
#6 A look back at Robotron: 2084 – Robotron: 2084 is a 2D, multi-directional shooting game first released in arcades way back in 1982. I never played the arcade version but managed to play it on an IBM PC around the mid-1980s. The history behind the game is quite rich in details and you can enjoy learning about it by watching the video of PatmanQC below.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, superheo enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts, X-Men fans and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the X-Men monthly series of the 1990s and look back at one of its most significant events it ever published – the wedding of Scott Summers/Cyclops and Jean Grey. By the time this particular comic book was published, the 30th anniversary celebration of the X-Men (note: Read my Fatal Attractions storyline retro reviews by clicking here and here) had just been concluded and that includes a major change of direction for the iconic X-Men member Wolverine. It is also notable that the X-Men had Sabretooth contained within Charles Xavier’s mansion (for retro reviews, click here, here and here).
With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men #30, published by Marvel Comics in 1994 with a story written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Andy Kubert.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins inside Xavier’s mansion. Jean Grey reads a handwritten letter from Logan/Wolverine, who left the household after getting traumatized from their last encounter with Magneto. Logan refers to her and Scott Summers as special. While reading, Jean is already in her fancy wedding dress being assisted by her mother and storm as Rachel Summers looks on. For Jean, the wedding is about her dedication on spending the rest of her life with Scott as well as possibly gaining Rachel (who comes from one possible future) as a daughter.
Professor X with four of his original team members plus Alex Summers.
Elsewhere in the mansion, the groom Scott spends quality time with his original teammates Bobbdy Drake/Ice Man, Warren Worthington/Archangel and Hank McCoy/Beast. With them also is his brother Alex Summers/Havok. Alex tells Scott that the day of his wedding is the first day of the rest of his life which causes Bobby to say something inappropriate.
Suddenly, Professor X comes in to join them…
Quality
Jean Grey in her wedding dress with her mother, Storm and Rachel Summers present.
To get straight to the point here, this comic book serves two purposes: highlighting Scott and Jean’s relationship to an all new level with the wedding as the main event, and offering long-time or die-hard X-Men fans a whole lot of stuff to chew on. Very clearly, Fabian Nicieza wrote the script with X-Men fans in mind while also making references to the past with some creative touches or shortcuts so that the comic book would not be bloated with excessive fan service.
The wedding itself was executed nicely by the Nicieza-Kubert team and was clearly conceptualized to not only be memorable for the fans but also creatively serve as a major pay-off to all those years of Scott and Jean Grey being together early as teammates, getting separated temporarily and getting together again (note: they were also the original X-Factor team). Right after the wedding was executed, the visuals and words elevated the emotions higher and any long-time X-Men fan will find the moment sentimental.
Opposite the wedding are several scenes showing the other X-Men characters plus those from X-Factor and X-Force (with a not-so-recognizable Cable present). The dialogue written ranged from sentimental to comedic. And then there were also a few lines that I felt were just thrown in as fillers.
As far as visuals go, Andy Kubert’s art here are pretty good to look at. While he did his best to really make the story visually appealing and memorable, there were a few panels of art that look rushed.
Conclusion
So many guests. Can you recognize many of them?
Since it highlights the wedding of Scott and Jean Grey with several other X-Men-related characters mixed in, X-Men #30 (1994) is clearly a commemorative story made with X-Men fans in mind. While a lot of work was done to make the story momentous on its own, readers who are unable to immerse themselves deeply into the X-Men mythos (plus X-Force, X-Factor and others) prior to reading this comic book won’t be able to relate to the wedding and the character moments very much. While it may not be significant to newcomers who find this comic book for the first time, it still marks a significant chapter in the history of X-Men within the Marvel Comics universe of the late 20th century. For the long-time fans who were able to read enough of Scott and Jean Grey’s times together from 1963 until the early 1990s, this is one X-Men tale that they can relate with deeply.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, X-Men fans, superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the 30th anniversary celebration of the X-Men which took place in 1993. Back then, Marvel Comics went full blast with the anniversary celebration of their mutants by releasing related merchandise, posters and comic books with gimmick covers (note: read my retro review of 1993’s X-Men #25) that came with high prices.
To put things in perspective regarding 1993, Marvel’s X-Men line of comics had monthly series of Uncanny X-Men, X-Men (Volume 2), X-Force, X-Factor, Excalibur, Wolverine and Cable. X-Factor #92 marked the start of the Fatal Attractions storyline which was the basis for the X-Men 30th anniversary celebration. X-Force #25 was released and it not only brought Cable back but also Magneto.
Then came the 3rd chapter of the Fatal Attractions storyline which was published in Uncanny X-Men #304. Not only did that particular comic book bring together many mutants and moved the storyline forward to a crucial stage (note: tension leading to it was built up in Uncanny X-Men #300, Uncanny X-Men #303 and also in X-Men Unlimited #1), it also served as the very celebration of the 30th anniversary of the X-Men (although it was not the storyline’s conclusion as the plot continued in X-Men #25, Wolverine #75 and Excalibur #71).
So did this particular, anniversary celebrating issue of the Uncanny X-Men succeed with its objectives? Has it aged well through the decades? We can all find out in this look back at Uncanny X-Men #304, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Scott Lobdell and drawn by John Romita, Jr., Jae Lee, Chris Sprouse, Brandon Peterson and Paul Smith.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with division among the Acolytes who learned that their lord Magneto actually survived (note: refer to 1991’s X-Men #3 by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee). They ganged up against their leader Fabian Cortez for betraying Magneto. After pushing his now rebellious team members away, Cortez reminds them that for several months already, they have been continuing Magneto’s work on behalf of mutantkind. Suddenly Exodus appears to them and describes himself as the voice of Magneto and will guide mutants to rise and mentions paradise for the faithful mutants. After subduing Cortez and tempering the tension among the Acolytes, Exodus tells them to prepare themselves for ascension. This frustrates Cortez who realizes that he no longer holds leadership.
Over at the X-Men’s headquarters, Charlez Xavier is personally disturbed over the death of Illyana Rasputin, the sister of Colossus. He starts questioning himself as Illyana’s death under his watch makes his years-long mission (of convincing his fellow mutants to leave their old lives to take risks to fight for a world that fears and hates them) doubtful and tries to figure out how he could present himself in front of them. A holographic image of Lilandra appears to him.
In outer space, inside the space station called Avalon, Magneto stares at planet Earth. With nobody around him, he speaks apologizing to his followers for he cannot save them all. He also mentions that he was wrong in previously believing that he could rescue each and every one of them from humanity as he recently realized that Earth, for the moment, is doomed.
After walking an unspecified distance inside Avalon, Magneto picks up his old helmet and wears it…
Quality
This 2-page art by Brandon Peterson is easily the best looking part of the comic book.
I will start with the visual aspect of this comic book. The artistic quality ranges from fine to weird which should not be surprising since this one involved five artists. The 4 pages drawn by Brandon Peterson (who was once a regular artist on Uncanny X-Men) made the X-Men, Magneto and the Acolytes look not only good but also intense. The Peterson art here is artistically similar to the respective styles of Marc Silvestri and Jim Lee of that particular time. Jae Lee’s art on the flashback of Magneto’s life (during the time of the Nazi occupation in Europe) is undoubtedly very stylized. While his art brings out the intensity of Magneto’s painful past, certain images can be a little challenging to understand especially to readers who focus strongly only following the plot and details. John Romita, Jr.’s art, for me personally, often looks rough and there were times I hardly recognized the characters. The other artworks by Paul Smith and Chris Sprouse have cartoonish aesthetics.
This is Jae Lee’s artistic contribution to the comic book. I found it weird that Magneto’s hair was shown as white during his past with the Nazis.
As for the plot, I can clearly see that a hard effort was made to compose a story that would push the Fatal Attractions storyline forward, establish a turning point and still become worthy of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the X-Men franchise. I can say that the storytelling is somewhat bloated. Early in the story, it was made clear that the respective sections showing Exodus with the Acolytes, Charles Xavier and Magneto pointed to an eventual confrontation that happened during the funeral of Illyana Rasputin.
As the build-up continued with the flashback of Magneto’s life, the fan service short scene of Kitty Pryde and the unfeeling Colossus (note: their romance was highlighted in Uncanny X-Men many years prior), and the talk scene between Bishop and Banshee, the pace of the story slowed down dramatically. By the time the attempt to move the narrative back to the core plot was made with the funeral scene (composed of the X-Men, X-Force and X-Factor), the pace was still really way down. By the time the conflict with Magneto, Exodus and the Acolytes stated, the pace recovery was incomplete and as such, seeing the scene unfold was very jarring (and not even the pages of Colossus’ frustration towards Professor X could solve the narrative pacing problem).
Unsurprisingly, the conflict was written to be overly dramatic complete with lengthy pieces of dialogue here and there. That being said, references to past comic books were established as Magneto once again emphasizes his beliefs about the human-mutant conflict using violence (while also side-stepping Jean Grey’s psionic powers to allow the Acolytes to come in undetected).
Human-mutant conflict aside, themes about faith, religion, idolatry salvation are clearly used. Magneto, who has a tremendous record of villainy and his previous leadership of the X-Men proved useless, was portrayed to be a walking wicked idol whose followers cannot do anything except idolize him and cause violence out of dedication to him. They really could not realize that idolatry is foolish and unholy which further adds to chaos on the world. As Magneto deceived himself to be the savior and lord of mutants, he further causes more pain and destruction to others around him. In short, Magneto will always be stuck with his wicked nature and clearly does not deserve heavenly authority no matter how hard he believes himself to be a savior.
The classic rivalry between Xavier and Magneto here was portrayed dramatically and yet I cannot help but think that their conflict was nothing more than a repeat of past encounters with the state and future of mutants at stake. To be fair, what happened here served as a logical build-up for the shocking encounter between Professor X and Magneto in X-Men #25.
Conclusion
Nobody among the X-Men (except Charles Xavier), X-Force, Excalibur and X-Factor cared to dress properly for the funeral.
To be clear, even though I am an avid X-Men fan, I find Uncanny X-Men #304 (1993) hard to be engaged with and hard to enjoy. Efforts to make it a worthy celebration of the X-Men are very clear but it’s just not entertaining nor compelling to read. As for the X-Men traitor scene, the revelation was not that shocking as the foreshadowing made it too obvious. At best, this comic book served as a warm-up for X-Men #25 which itself paid-off nicely. Being more than sixty pages long (including the advertisement and bulletins), this comic book has too much creative baggage which ultimately hampered its storytelling. It’s not terrible. It’s really not that great to read. What I experienced way back in 1993 with this comic book is just the same as I re-read it. It has not aged well.
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Uncanny X-Men #304 (1993), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $20, while the near-mint copies of the signed-and-numbered edition and the newsstand edition cost $120 and $60 respectively.
Overall, Uncanny X-Men #304 (1993) is satisfactory.
+++++
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
As an X-Men fan, 1993 was a memorable year for me during my time of collecting comic books and enjoying what was believed to be the modernization of superhero comics in America. Gimmick covers of comic books, the post-event effects of the Death of Superman, the launch of the Ultraverse and then there was the 30th anniversary celebration of the X-Men which was wild.
To put things in perspective, Marvel Comics organized the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Spider-Man releasing lots of merchandise and, most notably, special issues of comic books that came with covers with holograms, more pages for content and a cover price that was more than double than what was normal (note: read my review of one of them). Such comic books were hot stuff for not only Spider-Man fans but also comic collectors who were often hunting for the next great collector’s item that would ensure them great wealth.
Marvel had the same business approach with the 30th anniversary of the X-Men, and there were multiple X-Men-related monthly series of comic book back then. X-Factor #92, X-Force #25, Uncanny X-Men #304, Wolverine #75 and Excalibur #71 all were released with covers with hologram cards on the front, more pages of content and inflated cover prices.
The one 30th anniversary celebration comic book of the X-Men that was most memorable to me was X-Men #25 (Volume 2) and to this day, its plot remains very memorable for its shock value. I bought my copy of this comic book at a store in BF Homes. With the history lesson over, he is my retro review of X-Men #25, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Andy Kubert.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with the United Nations Security Council’s approval to initiate the alpha and beta parameters of the Magneto Protocols which literally sent waves from the White House to the Kremlin. A short time later, several satellites orbiting the Earth activate and linked with each other to form a protective mesh of electro-magnetic fire. This provokes Magneto (accompanied by Acolytes and Exodus at Avalon) to react by generating a massive pulse wave that affects the entire world. Even the Fantastic Four and Excalibur were not spared.
At the School of Gifted Children, Charles Xavier organizes an urgent meeting with the X-Men. Together they discussed the impact of Magneto’s pulse wave which not only rendered world’s mechanical and technological resources useless but also caused trouble (plane crashes, medical equipment failure, etc.) and deaths. For Xavier, the mere fact their team survived (aided by Shi’ar technology) is a mistake on the part of Magneto considering his capability to wipe out life around the world.
In response to Wolverine’s question, Xavier stated, “We do not have the luxury of time, nor the occasion for nobility…at this point, we are not fighting for the philosophy of a cause, a hope, or a dream, we are fighting for our very survival and if we do not win this fight, this planet will be irrevocably lost to us!”
Quality
The X-Men during their daring mission.
I can clearly declare that when it comes to the combined works done by Fabian Nicieza and Andy Kubert with the X-Men, this particularly story was not only the most ambitious collaboration of theirs but also their most compelling and finest work at the time of publishing. Very strong writing (top-notch characterization, plotting and pacing) and great art really defined this comic book!
Characterization is spot-on! Wolverine is arrogant and gritty as usual, Gambit is still the smooth-talker, Cyclops is the focused leader serving under Xavier, etc.
Without spoiling the major details, I can say that the shocking moments executed were greatly done not for the mere intention of shocking but to break new ground with regards to the characters of Wolverine and Charles Xavier. The first time I read this comic book back in 1993, I was really stunned with those particular scenes and I started to question Wolverine’s durability as well as Xavier’s sanity. And then there was the state of Magneto at the end of the story. The thing about the shocking moments was that there was an adequate amount of build-up leading to them and the pay-off was excellently done.
Conclusion
The immense power of Magneto.
There is no doubt in my mind that X-Men #25 (1993) is the true gem of the entire X-Men 30th anniversary celebration. The creative team led by Nicieza and Kubert really outdid themselves and what happened in this comic book had consequences that lasted for a good number of years. The creative team took big risks and pulled them off nicely as the impact of the story was eventually felt in the years that followed. Lastly, unlike Uncanny X-Men #304 (supposed to be the highlight of X-Men’s 30th anniversary celebration), this comic book is more focused and really had no creative baggage nor filler that got in the way of the storytelling.
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men #25 (1993), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $50 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition is priced at $150. The near-mint copies of the signed-and-numbered edition and the gold edition cost $210 and $368 respectively.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Author Carlo Carrasco 