The X-Men Are Entering a New Era...and It's a Lot Like the Old Era

The X-Men have spent the last 5 or so years on Krakoa with their own nation-state. Various plots from the past came together to take the X-Men to one logical conclusion they'd form their own country and tell the rest of Earth to put up with it because they're sick of being hated by a humankind they wanted to protect. Magneto tried it on a small scale with Genosha, but Krakoa was a massive undertaking and resulted in some cool comics thanks to a major change in the usual X-Men status quo. It was never going to be permanent.

This coming Summer the X-Men will be back to living amongst regular humans in various cities where they'll hide out in military bases or such. It feels like a major step backward into the 1990s--something others have observed. The brand has had so much growth the past two decades and now we're reverting to the old ways? Perhaps I'm just bitter as I didn't really, "Get into," the X-Men until the early 2000's when Grant Morrison delivered what I feel is the best run on the series ever (no shade at Claremont). Their run on, "New X-Men," was amazing and changed so much that Marvel then sprung, "House of M," on everyone and made mutants incredibly endangered. Eventually, mutants started gaining bigger numbers and were then put on the editorial backburner whilst Marvel tried in vain against all logic to make the Inhumans popular and a replacement for the X-Men. That was until Jonathan Hickman ushered us into the Krakoan age in 2019 with, "House of X," and, "Powers of X." That resulted in some stellar comics, but it is coming to an end...and we're going back to how the X-Men were in the 1990s when I had minimal interest in the brand as a wee lad and preferred to read about Spider-Man (he's been through some changes for sure too, but that is a whole different article).

I'm not surprised with the vaguely retro revert (say that three times fast) the X-Men are getting. After all, that, "X-Men '97," show is coming to Disney+ and enough time has passed from the 1990s that folks are now nostalgic for it. Still, I didn't really like the X-Men then and besides Wolverine (he was always cool) could have cared less about all the other characters. The creative teams on the three big books are great and the other series could be good, but I just can't muster any excitement to go back to the old ways. 

I got into the X-Men during a period of huge change and always enjoyed the X-titles the most when things besides the usual, "Mutants protecting humans who hate and fear them," motif was used. I adored the aforementioned, "New X-Men run." I had a ton of fun when for a good year or so a team of X-Men was in space, I had a great time with, "House of M," and enjoyed the fallout of that event. The Krakoan age was insanely creative even if way too many comics were released relating to it (there was a ton of stuff to read if you wanted to keep up to date). When the X-Men are simply hiding out in a mansion or in old military bases in between going on missions to save humans who curse them out for being, "Dirty Muties!" I just don't care. It was done from about 1963 to 2000 and done especially spectacularly for years by Chris Claremont in one of the longest uninterrupted runs in comics ever (1975-1991). Old fans who miss the 90s are probably excited and younger comic fans might be intrigued who didn't live through the past stories. As for me? I said the creative teams look great (Jed MacKay and Gail Simone are both amazing writers and Ryan Stegman is a stellar artist, to name some folks), but I may just skim the new main books and secondary titles unless one manages to really grab my attention. Time will tell.

Make Sure to Attend the Quad Con in Saint Charles this Sunday!

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I always love it when the Quad Con happens at the, "Steel Shop," in Saint Charles. It's a big mixed-use space that perfectly fits all the numerous vendors and creators I always love seeing at the con! The Quad Con will have comics, toys, video-games, art, and more! Cosplay is always encouraged too and I look forward to some rad outfit. I will doubtlessly find some fun stuff to take home at this Sunday's Quad Con and encourage everyone to go to 49 Lawrence Street on March 17th between 10AM and 4PM. Wear some green too, as it is Saint Patrick's Day!

"Wail," Comic Advance Review

I took the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of, "Wail," from Blue Fox Comics and it was quite creepy and sad--that's a good thing as this is a bit of a horror-themed tale! Written and drawn by Richard Fairgray, it follows a woman named Beth dealing with a lot of regret and unsaid things in life that she worries may be too late to tell--even with ghosts involved. This is a story of love, longing, and taking advantage of informing people how we feel while there is time. So yes, I enjoyed, "Wail," a lot.

Fairgray's art is fantastic, whether set in the present time where characters are sad and mourning, or in flashbacks that contain more enthusiasm and optimism. Once the supernatural aspects occur in the story his illustrations are perfectly creepy without being over the top--this isn't exactly a scary story so much as one that makes us fearful of opportunities missed during life. I appreciated the backmatter too where Fairgray discusses his belief in ghosts and artistic process. There will be a Kickstarter campaign for, "Wail," run by Blue Fox Comics in the near future so keep your eyes peeled and make sure to get yourself a copy of, "Wail."

5 out of 5 stars.

Pi Day and 314 Day!

Within Saint Louis, many phones have an area code of 314. Also, the first few digits of PI (which as far as we know never ends) are 3.14 when you write them out. Hence, on March 14th, Saint Louis gets to celebrate Pi Day and 314 Day. Make sure to have your favorite flavor of pie and then enjoy things that are heavily associated with Saint Louis! 

If you aren't aware of Saint Louis-related stuff, that would include but is by no means limited to: Edible items such as toasted ravioli, gooey butter cake, and Imo's Pizza/any pizza with Provel cheese. Some landmarks to learn about would be the famous Arch, the Botanical Garden, and our Saint Louis Zoo. Then, you could play some music by Chuck Berry, Josephine Baker, Michael McDonald, Scott Joplin, and Nelly. Happy Pi Day and Happy 314 Day!

Is Fighting in the NHL Something of a Bygone Era and Outdated?

Sports evolve. Rules change. The basketball of today is nothing like its original format. Football has changed a lot too. Hockey has seen many alterations, but one thing that has persisted is a fondness for, nay an endorsement of, fighting. It is somewhat in the sport's DNA. Players will get irritated enough with one another they, "Drop the gloves," and engage in a good ol' bout of fisticuffs. The NHL will itself lean into how this attracts attention while ignoring how a number of enforcers suffered the same traumatic brain injuries from fighting that we see in other physical sports such as boxing or football. The NFL has made some effort to address CTE and other concerns but the NHL basically shrugs when certain guys want to throw down. Is fighting in hockey--and the NHL in particular--outdated and something that should be discouraged or outright punished

There is no easy answer to such a question. Hockey is a game of grace and speed, but it is a very physical sport too. Certain actions are verboten (boarding) and others will get you slapped with a penalty, but while fighting will get you in the box it isn't as big a deal as if a baseball player or basketball player threw a punch at someone. The, "New York Post," is a bit of a tabloid paper, but I'll be darned if Phil Mushnick's article, "NHL’s promotion of fighting is sick and out of touch," doesn't make some valid and calmly-presented points in discussing how two men punching each other should be less of a draw for the sport and more of an embarrassment (also, a player discussed in that a piece is now in trouble for a dirty hit some days later). Now, when I was a kid and would watch some hockey I'll fully confess I was eagerly awaiting someone to get pissed off enough they took off their gloves and started throwing haymakers. I'm a grown-ass man now, however, and I enjoy hockey and want to see people playing a game of skill. I don't have a problem with the sport getting physical or a fight happening. I also don't crave it as some fans seem to do. I'm not sure what the solution would be for fighting and how it is treated in the NHL, but I think sooner than later something official will need to be said or done.

Television Tuesday: "The Vince Staples," Show is Short but Superb

"The Vince Staples Show," is a Netflix production starring a semi-fictionalized version of rapper/actor/entrepreneur, Vince Staples. At only five episodes which are as brief as 18 minutes or a little under a half hour, you can binge the whole show in the time it would take to watch most movies. That's okay, although some glowing reviews observed with a little disappointment how the show, "...feels like an appetizer that only scratches the surface." As for what, "The Vince Staples Show," could be categorized as, it features episodes that mostly stand-alone but with little callbacks as Vince navigates life as someone somewhat famous and somewhat wealthy in a vaguely absurdist and off-kilter Los Angeles.

"The Vince Staples Show," takes place in reality, but not. Things happen that are a bit surreal and just plain off. Whether its a theme park mascot taking offense to Vince bumping into him while he tries to find an open restaurant within the park or a bank robbery that takes a humorous turn when the robbers recognize Vince as a friend, weird shit just kind of happens around Vince and he does his best to attempt to roll with it. I've heard comparisons to, "Atlanta," and its sometimes fantastical elements, but I think a lot of folks are bringing that show up as both it and, "The Vince Staples Show," involve rappers who are also actors. If anything, "The Vince Staples Show," reminds me of, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," a comparison my wife, Samii, stated too when we were watching the show. Just like the characters on that show, Vince often has an idea or goal, and has to go through a bunch of people or obstacles in an attempt to achieve what he's after (Vince is at the aforementioned bank trying to get a loan for a cereal idea, for example). 

Vince ends up knowing the robbers at the bank he's trying to get a loan from.

On, "Sunny," it is often a scheme that the gang of characters is trying to enact to the detriment of others, but Vince is less of a malignant force than anyone on, "Sunny," even if he clearly is by no means a hero as his show makes clear. He's just kind of there, putting up with weird shit happening the best he can. Sometimes that means assisting his mother at a family reunion as she attempts to find out who else brought Mac & Cheese in an attempt to show her up. Sometimes that means running for his life when an old schoolmate with a relatively unexplained grudge tries to hunt him down around town. "The Vince Staples Show," and, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," share some formatting, and both are darkly hilarious, but Vince's show is also its own unique and weird beast.

You don't need to watch every episode of, "The Vince Staples Show," in one sitting. You can, but I watched it in pieces over a chunk of days and enjoyed it just as much as if I'd binged the program. It is a fantastic show with the third and fourth episodes being my favorite (the family reunion and trip to the theme park). The first episode is actually the weakest, in my opinion, meandering a bit with Vince locked up briefly with some odd characters after getting pulled over for speeding. It's not a bad start to the show by any means, it is just that everything else fires on all cylinders after that slightly awkward kick-off. Overall, however, this short debut season I'd rate 5 out of 5 stars. I hope we get more (and possibly longer) seasons!

Now Warner Brothers Discovery is Going After Video-Games

David Zaslav is the head of Warner Brothers Discovery and he has essentially slaughtered whole franchises in the name of saving money. He cut 2 billion to make 100 million in profit (so yah?) and everyone seems to dislike him. Thanks to him the, "Batgirl," movie got thrown in a vault, "Westworld," got canceled, tons of shows were taken off HBO MAX--which he renamed simply MAX--and impossible to find anywhere legally due to a lack of a physical disc release, and so forth. Now, Zaslav's bloodlust seems to have expanded to video-games.

Warner Brothers Discovery has announced a number of games will be retired/delisted from online stores that are associated with the WBD brand in some capacity. Anything cool relating to Adult Swim shall be off online marketplaces or Steam and the focus for games in the future will be just four big franchises with more live service games. The four franchises are Harry Potter, anything relating to DC, Mortal Kombat, and Game of Thrones. Oh, and yes, WBD is fully aware the live service-focused, "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League," game has performed horribly but like a gambler who is already on a terrible losing streak, WBD wants to double-down on live service and, "Free to play," games in the hope their luck/the gaming population, comes around. Expect less fun indie games that you can simply buy and look forward to more big ol' franchises delivered via microtransactions. That is really exciting to imagine. Excuse me, did I say exciting? I meant excruciating.

It's Mario Day and is When Daylight Saving/Spring Forward Occurs

Today was an interesting mash-up of notable sorta-holidays. March 10 is also known as Mario Day because if you write MAR10 it looks like Mario. I believe this started out as a thing fans did but now Nintendo loves to acknowledge it and make a big deal out of it too (just be careful with your fan celebrations as Nintendo loves to sue people who infringe upon them in any minor way). In addition to Mario Day, we sprung forward an hour during the night and entered Daylight Saving Time. For years I thought it was, "Daylight Savings," but apparently you don't need to add that last S. 

I've discussed before how the whole springing forward and falling back annoys me, so I'll refrain from doing that today and just look on the bright side that we literally have a bright side of it staying light longer in the evening by a whole chunk of time as of today. So yes, this March 10th you can celebrate Mario and a little extra daylight whilst you struggle with losing an hour of sleep if you live in America (but not Arizona, Hawaii, or certain territories). Have a good one, ya'll.

I Missed the ToyMan Show Today

The ToyMan Show was today but due to a stuffy baby keeping us up over the entire night, I was far too exhausted to attend the show this morning and have an obligation in the earlier-ish afternoon. If you have a chance still today I'd encourage you to swing by! The next show is May 5th and I hope to attend that event. It is always a fun time!

We Warned You Anti-Choice Zealots Would Come After IVF. Birth Control is Next, By the Way

When the Supreme Court undid Roe Vs Wade and destroyed abortion as a Federally protected right those of us who are pro-choice warned you. We told you that women would be stuck with nonviable pregnancies in states that wouldn't let them abort a fetus with zero chance of survival. We warned you that women having miscarriages would potentially be prosecuted now that they were little more than incubators and the fetus they carried had the full rights of an actual living baby. We also said that IVF would be at risk as those are fertilized eggs. Yes, they are in a petri dish and frozen in a lab, but if life begins at conception, then those are equal to a freshly-born baby in the eyes of anti-choice zealots. They're playing a long game, and they are unfortunately winning.

I was not surprised in the least when a judge ruled a fertilized egg used for the intention of IVF was a human baby and had the full rights of a real human. I also wasn't surprised that Republicans quickly tried to backpedal and talk about making exceptions because these are people who want babies who are doing IVF so of course they would do all they could for these women. Some have pointed out that a significant number of those who do IVF are wealthy white women. A chunk of that demographic might have voted Republican and be upset to discover that banning the right to choose how to control their bodies involves IVF too. After all, people doing IVF want a baby, they aren't getting an abortion! Well, guess what? When you decide that a fertilized egg is a baby with no exceptions, that means no exceptions. Zero wiggle room. 

IVF

Whether you need an abortion because your baby will be born with a terminal illness like Tay-Sachs, were raped, just don't want to have a child, or do desperately want a kid but have to do IVF, you're out of luck. That's because this was never about protecting babies, it was about controlling women or anyone with a uterus (not everyone with a uterus identifies as a woman, after all). It isn't about kids, it is about control and making sure you don't have it over your reproductive organs. IVF was a piece of control for those who wanted a child but, hey, no exceptions. You know how the Plan B pill is not an abortion but could theoretically keep an egg from being fertilized or a fertilized egg from implanting? They're going to come for that next.

I'm not exaggerating. Tons of anti-choice groups want to make Plan B illegal and then have their sights set on regular ol' birth control under the guise of it harming women. Yet more control that women will have stripped away. Condoms will probably be legal still, however. After all, men/anybody with a penis can choose if they want to wear those or not and nobody wants to control a man's body--heaven forbid! Go ahead and tell me I'm being silly. Tell me that once abortion became a state's issue Republicans wouldn't hint at a federal abortion ban (they have). Tell me they wouldn't go after IVF as you stated a year ago (they've gone after it). Tell me birth control-related pills aren't next because you'd have been wrong about everything else so what's to stop you being wrong about this? It is all about taking reproductive control away from anyone with a uterus and giving that control to cisgender (and of course straight) men. If you can make it harder for LGBTQ couples to have a kid by banning IVF that's just a nice bonus as they're living in sin anyway, right Conservatives?

Taking away the right to have an abortion was just the first step of many. They won't stop until we live in a reproductive dictatorship. You can say I'm engaging in hyperbole, but so far they've followed every step I and other reproductive health advocates have said they would. They've trampled on a bunch of rights so far on their march to total control, what's to stop the anti-choice lobby from stopping now besides us speaking out and voting for politicians who will stand against their bullshit?