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View Full Version : X-Men Unlimited (Vol. 2) #9 Discussion: Review and Spoilers


Ryan K
06-02-2005, 01:09 PM
Synopsis:

Dead Man Walking
Written: Matt Fraction
Pencils/Inks: Sam Keith

The first story in this issueis Wolverine reminiscing about his life while riding a motorcycle to a funeral. He talks about how things like life and death get a little abstract when you go through. the things he's gone through.

Eventuall, Woverine starts reminsicing about his buddy Johnny. A drinking buddy of his he met while in the Merchan Marines. Johnny and Wolverine used to box for fun, and one night after a fight some people felt the fight was fixed and tried to kill the duo. Johnny took a bullet meant for Logan even though he knew Wolverine could take it.

The shooting left Johnny "gimped up" and had to use a cane. The funeral Wolverine is attending is Johnny's. His widow Grace offers Wolverine Johnny's cane but he says he gave him enough already.

The End,

Resignation
Written: Damon Hurd
Pencils: Mark Brooks

The second story see Iceman waking up in the middle of the night, his room frosted over. He gets a shower, gets dressed and sits down to write a letter that begins "Dear Scott, I'm sorry but I have to resign from the X-Men."

As Iceman writes the letter we see flashbacks of his life with the X-Men. His first meeting with Scott. Throwing snowballs at Hank. He says he doesn't bother to learn the new students names anymore. They just get crucified on the lawn like Skin. He talks about the changes he and the others have been though. We see Archangel. Beast with blue fur. Jean's death. He talks about Graydon Creed and his father.

Iceman ends the letter with " I have to resign. Your friend, Bobby". He then takes the letter and puts it in a drawer in his desk with dozens of other letters just like it. Then Beast comes to the door and Iceman acts like his old joking-self.

To be continued. . . . and continued . . .

The End.

Review:

The first Wolverine story was OK. It was nice to see Sam Kieth's work on the character again. But in the end I thought the Johnny story was pretty cliche and unnecessary. I also really don't think any character with his own ongoing series should be getting spotlighted in the X-Men Unlimited title.

The Iceman story was very good. I very much liked seeing this side of Iceman. The stuff with Skin was very touching.

There was a bit of a continuity error with the artwork in that Iceman was drawn with hair, but it is very forgivable.

I'll be interested to see if the "To be continued. . . . and continued . . . " at the end means we l be seeing some of this come to light in the pages of X-Men.

Thoughts?

fishtaco
06-02-2005, 01:27 PM
ooo. I think Im going to pick this up for the Iceman story. That sounds like a story that really has an effect on the character. Iceman has doubt apparently about his life as an X-man. He is not yet resigning, but he will be prepared to when he wants to leave. Definitely going to pick it up. I appreciate that the writer seems to know a lot about the character, as seen with the flashbacks.

But im making too many judgements (even if they are positive) and I havent actually read it.

The Lucky One
06-02-2005, 01:38 PM
That really sounds like an interesting Iceman story... who'da thought? Nice to see someone recognizing the fact that Bobby is a guy who -- much like Jamie Madrox -- has some very deep-seated, serious emotional issues, but constantly covers them up with a smile and a slap on the back... but that kind of problem avoidance always takes its toll down the road, and this particular therapeutic approach to dealing with it sounds really interesting. Just might have to pick this one up after all, next week.

-D

Beast
06-02-2005, 07:33 PM
The Wolverine story was nothing special. The standard fare, which does little to add to the actual character. Probably because Wolverine's been so over-exposed, there's very little you can add to the character. They should have left out a Wolverine story, and done something else. Considering the guy has his own book for stuff like this. I'd just like to see Unlimited utilized better.

That brings us to the Iceman story. It was very good, but suffers from a great deal of continuity errors. His origins are heavily altered, mostly to recap them in the smallest time possible. It ends up hurting what was a very good book, and especially good to see Beast and Bobby still horseplaying, and hopefully helping each other cope. This really shows why we need the original five in a book again. I miss their characters being friends. :(

leg end
06-02-2005, 11:21 PM
Wow, might pick this up just for the Iceman story.
The complaints seem typical of Unlimited stories- altered history cause of lack of space and such. This is why I still feel Unlimited should be scrapped or changed to give us whole issues or small arcs dealing with those characters who wouldn't work in a long-running solo title. A whole issue of Iceman and his problems, a storyarc focusing on Beast, a couple of issues dealing with Collosus and his feelings after returning (kinda a do I belong here story?).

Beast
06-02-2005, 11:46 PM
Wow, might pick this up just for the Iceman story.
The complaints seem typical of Unlimited stories- altered history cause of lack of space and such. This is why I still feel Unlimited should be scrapped or changed to give us whole issues or small arcs dealing with those characters who wouldn't work in a long-running solo title. A whole issue of Iceman and his problems, a storyarc focusing on Beast, a couple of issues dealing with Collosus and his feelings after returning (kinda a do I belong here story?).
Agreed. Sometimes the story is hurt, due to the limited space allowed for it to occur in. Or by a writer that doesn't know his canon history well enough. The last issue with the Beast story was very good though. And the next issue is going to be all about the Beast. X-Men: Unlimited #10 features 2 Beast stories. One about going back home after first turning blue and furry, way back in 1972's Amazing Adventures #11-17. And then another focusing on Beast stepping into the shoes of the X-School's Guidence Counciler.

fishtaco
06-03-2005, 10:16 AM
What were the continuity errors? Im writing all of these down.

Bart Simpson
06-03-2005, 10:24 AM
I picked this up. I actually really like the Iceman story. :D

CodeMonkey
06-04-2005, 05:48 PM
I wish they'd take the Unlimited book and make a rule where non-feature characters only could be focused on.

The Wolverine story was just a waste of pages that could have been used to expand on the Iceman one which was actually quite good. Often times the Unlimited stories suffer due to only getting 10-12 pages. This one was handled perfectly from start to finish and left me with feeling like I read an actual story and not some writer's jumbled thoughts.

slively
06-04-2005, 08:43 PM
I agree the Wolverine story was a waste of space. Many of the stories in X-Men unlimited seem that way to me. Except this Iceman story. Excellent. Offered compelling insight into the character. Gave him a complexity I've never seen before with this character. I loved seeing the time pass as he grows up...all of the changes he has had to endure, both in himself and in his friends and loved ones...like the transformation of Beast. For a brief shining moment, we were privy to the real Iceman, the man who lives deep inside the jokes and the ice.

My hope would be that this Iceman would find his way into mainstream x-books.