Cannonball – Page 6 – Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

316 – Return to Megalopolis: At the Movies with the New Mutants

December 6, 2020 Jay 16 comments

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Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

In which we review the New Mutants’ film debut.

NEXT EPISODE: Rogue, Gambit, and feelings!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 306 – Between Here and There

August 30, 2020 Miles 3 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

Kids, send in your answers for a prize! (Uncanny X-Men #322)

Pink was IN for pretty much all projectiles in 1995. (Uncanny X-Men #322)

Jeez, Warren, get over it. Everyone has to wear a mask these days. It’s not that hard. (Uncanny X-Men #322)

Now I want to see what Bishop would think of Mandy. (Uncanny X-Men #322)

I really like Jean’s family. Shame what Claremont did to them in 2006. (Uncanny X-Men #322)

Getting punched by the Juggernaut is a way quicker method of depilation than waxing or electrolysis. (Uncanny X-Men #322)

Uncanny X-Men #12-13 could’ve been cut down to about a page and a half if Psylocke had been around. (Uncanny X-Men #322)

Sigh. (Uncanny X-Men #322)

This page was very important to young Miles. (Uncanny X-Men #323)

Okay, who spiked the Danger Room? (Uncanny X-Men #323)

X-Force’s former leader, folks. (Uncanny X-Men #323)

Low blow, Trish. (Uncanny X-Men #323)

On one hand, Iceman is a loyal and caring friend. On the other hand, he calls himself The Bobster. It kind of evens out. (Uncanny X-Men #323)

Logan, this is how we got banned from Denny’s, remember? (Uncanny X-Men #323)

The Container Crew. (Uncanny X-Men #323)

DC’s Azrael only wishes he could look this cool. (Uncanny X-Men #324)

Look at my teeth! LOOK AT THEM! (Uncanny X-Men #324)

Would’ve been funnier if it was a vampire bar. (Uncanny X-Men #324)

You said it, Logan. (Uncanny X-Men #324)

1.5 stars in Yelp’s morgue section (Uncanny X-Men #324)

This Fall on CBS! (Uncanny X-Men #324)

Letting Bobby’s call go to voicemail? Jeez, this is almost as bad as that time she blew up a pony! (Uncanny X-Men #324)

NEXT TIME: Hey, it’s these kids!

LINKS & FURTHER ATROCITIES:

Check out Episode 203 – The X-Man’s Burden for more on the apparent death of the Morlocks!
WHOA, DANG! Jay wrote an official X-Men comic, which comes out on September 16!

306 – Between Here and There

August 30, 2020 Jay 9 comments

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In which we continue our ongoing tour of the post-Age of Apocalypse X-Universe; Onslaught gets a name; nobody’s sure what Noah Dubois is doing there; Iceman gets to be the practical one, for once; T&A should not generally appear on the same visual plane; someone needs to talk to Cannonball about kink safety; and Emma Frost lets a call go to voicemail.

X-PLAINED:

Tarzan fandom
X-Man, summarized
Uncanny X-Men #322-324
Color as a narrative tool
The evolution of Storm’s shower etiquette
How not to relax with Lucas Bishop
Seat-of-the-pants plotting
Parenting
Noah Dubois, sort of
A road trip
Sexiness vs. sexualization
Emma Frost as Caprica Six
How not to walk a supervillain
Cannonball’s uniform
Sack
Vessel
Greycrow (more) (again)
The worst morgue and/or disco ever
Edna and Norton McCoy
Times Rogue has absorbed Colossus’s powers
X-Men: Marvels Snapshot

NEXT EPISODE: Generation X

Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog.

Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

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As Mentioned in Episode 304 – Explosive Ops

August 18, 2020 Miles 3 comments

Listen to the episode here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

Next up: this cover sadly walking away from a gathered crowd of additional copies of this cover. (X-Force #44)

They’re about five minutes away from standing on each other’s shoulders and wearing a big trench coat to seem like an adult. (X-Force #44)

All of the elements of a relaxing vacation: an idyllic cottage, a beautiful forest, adorable animals, a tiny speedo… (X-Force #44)

“Also, I’m going to need you to start doing machines. You’ve been cool but rude for too long.” (X-Force #44)

“Ah’m nigh invulnerable when Ah’m excited!” (X-Force #44)

Morally yellow and purple. (X-Force #44)

“DOOM”? Are we looking at Caliban and Sabretooth or Surtur and his anvil? (X-Force #45)

Adam Pollina draws some pretty great faces. (X-Force #45)

“Every time he seems to be ready to come down, he loses count of his pouches and has to start all over again.” (X-Force #45)

If you asked me what X-book would look most like a romance comic in 1995, I would not have predicted X-Force. (X-Force #45)

Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that the character Mimic has spent the most time with in the preceding decade was the Hulk. (X-Force #45)

Rutland, Vermont: not just a frequent setting of 1970s Marvel and DC comics, but totally a real place! (Avengers #119)

“Is that..? Couldn’t be. But who else has that topknot and ‘burns combo?” (X-Force #46)

And that’s why you always leave a note. (X-Force #46)

These animals look way more judgmental than the ones in the last hologram. (X-Force #46)

“This new hair gel… When it says ‘apply sparingly’, it means it.” (X-Force #46)

“What? Someone on your team now has more pouches than me? I’ll be right over!” (X-Force #46)

Reminds me of my first car. (X-Force #47)

Aww, kid. (X-Force #47)

I’m not sure why Adam Pollina sometimes randomly gives us art nouveau backgrounds, but I’m not complaining. (X-Force #47)

Jeez, now I’m scared to go outside. (X-Force #47)

Aww not this again (X-Force #47)

This haircut! Bring back this exact haircut! (Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe #1)

NEXT TIME: The kinda-new, sorta-different X-Factor.

LINKS & FURTHER NONSENSE:

Rutland, Vermont had multiple Marvel and DC stories set in it during the 1970s – but it’s also a real place. Apologies for telling everyone it was imaginary, and thank you to all the listeners who kindly pointed out that it wasn’t!

304 – Explosive Ops

August 17, 2020 Jay 30 comments

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In which Jay discovers a continuity loop; phonetic spelling reaches a new level of implausibility; it’s always already Onslaught; X-Force’s roster gets shaken up; Siryn goes undercover; and the Upstarts remain vaguely plot-relevant despite our fervent wishes.

X-PLAINED:

Mimic (Calvin Rankin)
Wing problems
X-Force #45-47
One of Adam Pollina’s more remarkable non-Marvel art credits
One of many homages to the cover of X-Men #138
X-Force, its members, and its recent history
Phonetic spelling
Warpath’s hair
Baffling managerial decisions
Whether Reed Richards is machine washable
Many pouches
An unlikely friendship
Sabretooth’s state of mind
Rutland, VT
The Weisman Institute for the Criminally Insane
Dr. Rachel Weisman
Jeremy Stevens
Part of why we like following X-books over time
Character redesigns

CORRECTION: In addition to being the setting of a number of 1970s Marvel and DC stories, Rutland, VT is actually a real place with a famous annual (and largely superhero-themed) Halloween parade!

NEXT EPISODE: What X-Factor’s been up to

Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog.

Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

As Mentioned in Episode 292 – Weekend at Sinister’s

April 19, 2020 Jay Leave a comment

Listen to the podcast here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

It still really, really looks like the cover of a Star Trek novel to me. (Factor X #1)

Wow, Alex, you’re the worst. Second-worst, after Gabriel, but he doesn’t exist in this universe; so, yeah, you’re the worst. (Factor X #1)

Meanwhile, in Sinister’s secret hideout IN THE HEAD OF THE BIG APOCALYPSE STATUE… (Factor X #1)

Damnit, Sam! You’re better than this! (Factor X #1)

The Bedlam Brothers are way too wholesome to be working for Apocalypse. (Factor X #1)

HOLY SHIT SOMEONE REMEMBERS MELTDOWN (Factor X #1)

That costume. =( (Factor X #2)

See, this is why you’re never going to be Sinister’s favorite. This, and your DNA. (Factor X #2)

Every time, Alex. Every time. (Factor X #2)

If only he hadn’t learned dramatic reveals so well from Sinister, he might never have been found out. (Factor X #2)

It’s like the Silver Age, but different. (Factor X #3)

Ew, but also kind of cool. (Factor X #3)

Aw, Rahne. (Factor X #3)

‘Kay. (Factor X #3)

In Scott’s dubious defense, that’s also just a really poorly thought-out test. (Factor X #3)

Damnit, why’d you have to go and pull on my X-Men #137 heartstrings? (Factor X #3)

This will definitely end well. (Factor X #4)

In case you were wondering whether Alex is still horrible this issue: yes. (Factor X #4)

I KNEW IT! I KNEW THEY WERE TOO GOOD FOR THIS LIFE! (Factor X #4)

DON’T TALK TO ME OR MY BAR EVER AGAIN (Factor X #4)

If only they’d gotten to eat him. (Factor X #4)

NEXT EPISODE: Children are our future!

LINKS & FURTHER VIRTUES

YOU CAN BID ON OUR #CREATORS4COMICS AUCTIONS UNTIL MONDAY, APRIL 20, AT NOON EST:
- A custom voicemail greeting from Jay and Miles!
- A private (remote) screening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Jay–at an intoxication level of your choice–along with a custom cocktail recipe, a very tasteful poster, and–goal just unlocked–Jay’s mother-in-law, a retired school principal who has never seen the film!
Learn more about the original Scarlett McKenzie in Episode 114 – Meltdown.

292 – Weekend at Sinister’s

April 19, 2020 Jay 14 comments

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In which it is probably not actually possible to be too nasty for Earth-295; Sinister is on nobody’s side but his own; Vulcan is still the worst Summers in the multiverse; the Bedlam Brothers are too delightful for the EMF; Heaven is just straight-up Rick’s Bar now; Polaris of Earth-295 is the saddest Polaris; Scott Summers and Jean Grey make a good team in most universes; and the metaphors of 1995 read very differently in 2020.

X-PLAINED:

Nathaniel Essex of Earth-1610
A regrettable tattoo
#Creators4Comics
Scott Summers (Cyclops) of Earth-295
Alex Summers (Havok) of Earth-295
Factor X #1-4
Working for the Man
Costume design as narrative
The EMF (Elite Mutant Force)
Northstar and Aurora of Earth-295
Sam and Elizabeth Guthrie (Cannonball and Amazon) of Earth-295
Jesse and Terrence Aaronson (Bedlam Brothers) of Earth-295
Heaven (the bar)
Scarlett McKenzie of Earth-295
Someone who is not Magneto
The Brain Trust
Lorna Dane (Polaris) of Earth-295
An obscene monument
Innuendo of several sorts
That time Jean Grey got captured
Resistance of various sorts
Poetic almost-kinda justice
One more fallen angel
Villains of the Age of Apocalypse

NEXT EPISODE: Generation Next!

Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog.

Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

As Mentioned in Episode 286 – Family Before Continuity

February 23, 2020 Jay Leave a comment

Listen to the episode here.

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line!

Don’t worry! The world will end before they can die in that plane crash! (Excalibur #86)

Pete Wisdom is a happy man with a happy life. (Excalibur #86)

MAH PUIR WEE HOVERCRAFT (Excalibur #86)

I want a team that’s just him and Chamber, brooding. (Excalibur #86)

A green and pleasant, &c. (Excalibur #86)

Well, so much for that mission. (Excalibur #86)

Me, too, Sam. Me, too. (X-Force #43)

I relate so hard to Shatterstar right now. (X-Force #43)

Time travel has some good looks. (X-Force #43)

Aw, these dudes. (X-Force #43)

“We’re here for you, in all our oddly-proportioned glory!” (X-Force #43)

He hasn’t, actually, but that won’t be revealed for a while yet. (X-Force #43)

“Man, is THIS what happens when your boss ditches you for another book?” (X-Force #43)

I know, right?! (Cable #20)

Pretty sure that every one of the original five has, at some point, referred to Hank as their best and/or closest friend. (Cable #20)

Ouch. (Cable #20)

OUCH. (Cable #20)

I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING (Cable #20)

Aw, these guys. And it didn’t even take a bathtub! (Cable #20)

Sometimes a family is eight people in tight clothing posing dramatically for the end of the world. (Cable #20)

NEXT EPISODE: Welcome to Earth-295! Hope you survive the experience!

LINKS & FURTHER EVENT HORIZONS:

Come see us at Emerald City Comic Con! Miles is delightful in person; and Jay, um, exists corporeally.
Jay wrote an X-Men comic! It’s about Cyclops, and it will be out in April. Please tell your local comics shop to order a lot of copies so that they will let him write more.
Also, Thor: Metal Gods continues on over at Serial Box!
We covered the first 3/4 of Legion Quest in Episode 285 – Immediately If Not Sooner…
…and interviewed Fabian Nicieza about X-Force and a bunch of other stuff in Episode 250 – Minding the DNA!
New Intersections: Queer Futurism and the Krakoan Body Politic is a really fascinating article.

286 – Family Before Continuity

February 23, 2020 Jay 16 comments

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Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS

In which Sunspot is a bad enough dude to save the president; Black Air is nowhere near as fun as WHO; we reach the end of Fabian Nicieza’s X-Force run; Rictor and Shatterstar talk about feelings; Gambit does not go gently into that good night; Scott and Jean choose family over continuity; Legion Quest comes to a close, along with Earth-616; the heart of Dawn of X is its margins; you should come see us at ECCC; and we announce a new schedule.

X-PLAINED:

The Maker (Reed Richards of Earth-1610)
Jay & Miles at ECCC and FlameCon 2020
Stuff Jay writes
Excalibur #86
X-Force #43
Cable #20
Black Air
Pete Wisdom
What’s been up in Genosha
The Midnight Runner
Navigating Kitty Pryde’s age in Excalibur
A very abrupt ending
The ongoing evolution of X-Force
Locus’s new look
Clubbing with Rictor and Shatterstar
Legion Quest so far
Complicated feelings at the end of the world
A reunion
Where it all started
Vague power sets
Complicated feelings about Dawn of X
The new podcast schedule

NEXT EPISODE: The Age of Apocalypse

Check out the visual companion to this episode on our blog.

Find us on iTunes or Stitcher!

Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men is 100% ad-free and listener supported. If you want to help support the podcast–and unlock more cool stuff–you can do that right here!

Buy rad swag at our TeePublic shop!

Come see us at ECCC, March 12-15!