New Exiles #1 Discussion Thread

[Brian Cronin]

Okay, normally, I do them - but I'll allow that Jack's take on the issue was fair enough, so I'll let this one stay up!

As for my thoughts on the issue, quickly enough - I thought that it was silly to see the FF be revisited AGAIN, and there was WAY too much continuity for a "brand new start," so I wouldn't really recommend the issue, but it was an improvement over Claremont's Exiles run so far, so if he could only trim down on the old plots a bit and concentrate on the NEW stuff, I think this could be a good comic.

This first issue, though - Not Recommended.

-Brian

[Jack]

Couldn't find one of these already in existence. Sorry if there was and I missed it.

We begin! With a splash page introducing the All New Exiles! Wait, no, that was the alternate reality series loosely based on the X-Men featuring reformed X-Men villains. This is just New Exiles. Sorry. This page is a little odd given what comes later, but I suppose it's just there to introduce the cast... which also happens during the rest of the book.

Anyway, the actual story begins on the Storm Ranch, 1953, where Susan Storm has spent her entire fortune on an experimental rocket. Continuing her streak of foolishness, she brought her kid brother along, but that's okay because it's Established Canon with capital letters and all. Anyway, instead of working out kinda okay it works out terribly and they all die, except for Sue who unconsciously protects herself from drowning with a forcefield. Yes, they died of drowning and not of cosmic radiation, meteor impacts, re-entry or crashing into the ocean.

Anyway: Namor! And a pretty page with lots of sea life. Namor looks black, but I'm assuming that's dramatic shading and not a deliberate change. Namor saves Sue, and then the next page I think skips ahead in time, but it's not particularly well done, since it features yet more meteors. It would probably be better done if the references weren't so very specific to American culture, but whatever. These meteors crash into the sea and cause massive tidal waves that destroy cities and cute mountain cabins and other stuff.

Oddly, when we return - for the first time - to the Crystal Palace, we're told that the story has gone forward half a century, so maybe there wasn't a skip ahead in time. Because I don't know for sure, but I don't think Eisenhower was the youngest American president when he came into office. But whatever. My point is just that the whole time thing is confusing, especially since no dates are ever mentioned, just referred to relative to events.

We get a nice image and even a nice idea, in that all the stars the Exiles can see when they look up at the night sky are actually universes. Also, Cat Pryde likes learning stuff and doesn't like people. Boo, people! Especially that mean Morph, who throws an American football at her head while she's trying to read. Morph is very happy and sunny and tries to get Cat to play a game with him. She agrees, and maybe they're flirting. Or maybe they aren't. Or maybe just Morph is. It's hard to tell.

A sinister shadow disturbingly suggests that he has dark, creepy plans for them. It's actually Sabertooth, but the way he's drawn really changes the context of his actually completely harmless dialogue. Or at least I hope it's harmless, because otherwise it would seem really out of place. Actually, they go out of their way to make Sabertooth seem really creepy throughout the issue, always lurking in shadows and pouncing on other people, but it just seems like a tired device to create some sense of tension where tension there ain't.

Anyway, Sabertooth has a page of very expository musings, including another spread of the team. The gist of his thoughts are that the Exiles need to be better than just staying alive, that people think he's dumb and that Betsy is invisible to the Palace's sensors. Also, he thinks a bit about Cat and the fact that she is oh so mysterious.

Morph and Cat are playing the most pointless game ever, on the American football field that Morph has apparently painstakingly created somewhere inside/outside/confusing!/whatever the Crystal Palace. I say pointless because Cat can phase, and Morph knows that, and he's not an idiot, but he still seems to think that she won't use her powers even as he turns himself into a giant with super-long arms. The pointlessness is somewhat abated when Sage shows up out of nowhere. The others comment on how creepy she is for doing so, which really seems rather redundant considering that she has gone crazy since Roma dumped all her memories into Sage's head. Do we need to be told that someone is creepy when they look at an innocent pasty formation of unstable molecules and see giant bugs and alien squid-plants?

Next comes the bit that makes not the sense in the slightest, since apparently (Shock! (Dammit, now I miss having S-Man in the book) Horror!) DIANA FOX is back, thanks to Roma. Or, that is to say, that the memory of Diana Fox has somehow avoided being utterly drowned in the immense influx of newer, more potent memories and has instead used them as a power source to give herself physical form. Or something. Because as little as it makes sense, when the hallucination of Diana slams herself into Sage, Sage falls over.

Sage picks herself up and tries to banish her myriad visions, lunging at Cat to get the ball and missing her entirely. Nonetheless, she gets up and tackles Cat, making her drop the ball. Now it's Sage's turn to run, and Cat teams up with Diana to...god, I can't even make myself finish typing this scene. Blah blah Sage gets a touchdown but loses her inner battle.

Now Sabertooth is thinking about the ridiculously named Mystiq. Why not just Mystic? Are we too stupid to get that he's a male Mystique unless there's that all-important Q? Well, maybe I am. I'm pretty stupid after all, since I'm not sure I've actually enjoyed an issue since Claremont took over, and yet I keep thinking it might get better. Sabertooth likes Mystiq, but apparently they're just too similar, especially since they both have the centegenarian-hots for Psylocke. Cut to her, and despite enjoying her flight over the sea cliffs of the ever versatile Crystal Palace she can't get over the fact that she has so many horrible memories of 616 Sabertooth and Mystique. Plus, Slaymaster, but he's not trying to sleep with her. At least I don't think he is.

Mystiq is also at the cliffs, and he made a picnic for Betsy. Aww. They bond over food and chess, and as Mystiq invites her to dance we learn that Sabertooth has been spying on them, and now thinks he needs to learn to dance. Not particularly confident in himself, this Creed fellow. But then maybe that's only right, as he thinks "Haveta" is a word.

Cue Rogue, who is also sneaking around and spying on people. She's not as good at it as Sabertooth, though, because he's at least heard of an inner monologue, whereas Ms. Raven is just speaking all her sinister and potentially treacherous thoughts for anyone to hear. Sabertooth sneaks up on her, still being very creepy, but as she turns to see who dares approach all she sees is a star, temporarily blinding her. Funny that, given that we'd already established that all the "stars" were actually universes. Also funny since Sabertooth teleported her away to a desert location, where the "stars" are small and distant, not close enough to appear as big as the one she saw did.

But such concerns are short lasted as Sabertooth calls everyone together. He has two surprises for them: first, a new mission; and second, new costumes!

Sabretooth has decided, see, that the Exiles need a new look to celebrate their new number one... I mean, umm, new beginning. This is odd for a number of reasons. I mean, Sabretooth insists that Mystiq needs a costume, but he himself just has jeans and a t-shirt. Which just goes to show that he totally has double standards. Personally I think that he just wants Mystiq to look stupid in front of Betsy, because it's clear that he doesn't feel good enough for her. This would also explain why her new costume shows even more skin. Plus it's odd that only three people have new costumes, since there are only three packages. Well, three and Morph, of course. So it's a new look, but not really.

Also, Sage, Cat and Morph are benched. Cat is happy, Morph is outraged and Sage is null, because we don't see her again. Oddly Morph insists that Sage get to go, because apparently she's completely vital for a mission's success. But Sabey doesn't trust Sage so Morph is there to keep her and Cat out of trouble.

Oh, and the mission is to go to the world that was almost destroyed by the meteors, because something even worse is apparently going to happen. The way Sabey puts it out doesn't really make it sound like a real Exiles mission, but more of a humanitarian expedition. But whatever.

Creepy false-drama-building Sabey returns, as he hides round a corner and then forces something onto Psylocke's arm. He explains that it's a mini-Tallus that will let the computer track her. Apparently he did it that way because it was more fun.

They teleport away. Morph complains that his current costume looks better than his new one, which we haven't seen yet. I really mean "we" there, because I don't know how Morph would have seen it either, unless Sabey just described it for him. We do get to see Cat's new costume... from a distance, and part of the top of Psylocke's. But not Mystiq's, even though he's on the mission team.

But before anything else can happen... DRAMA! Rogue gets hit by something, be it an explosion or another meteor, and Sabey screams his concern for her. Because, of course, it will be a shocking reveal when Rogue turns out to be invulnerable.

Finally, the best part of the book comes in the form of the soon-to-be-letter-page. At the top there's an oh so cute Mini Marvel picture of Sabey opening a letter with his claws and fierce snarl, and at the bottom there's the cover preview for the next issue with what looks to be the son of Namor and Sue Storm. Which is cool.

[jcp011c]

I'm going to have to apologize to Psylocke....to tell her that I can't follow her down this path. I'll catch up with her with she returns to 616 universe.

This sounds....just painful.

[bfrank]

Originally Posted by jcp011c

I'm going to have to apologize to Psylocke....to tell her that I can't follow her down this path. I'll catch up with her with she returns to 616 universe.

Me too...:(

[Beast]

Originally Posted by Brian Cronin

I thought that it was silly to see the FF be revisited AGAIN

It's not an FF issue. The FF die 50+ years ago during the meteor strike, other than Sue.

[Brian Cronin]

Originally Posted by Beast

It's not an FF issue. The FF die 50+ years ago during the meteor strike, other than Sue.

I didn't say it was an FF issue, did I? I said the FF was "revisited AGAIN!"

Which is true.

This is the third story arc that Claremont has done on Exiles, and EACH ONE has involved the Fantastic Four in some capacity.

That's just plain silly.

It doesn't mean the book is bad or anything, but it is is still silly.

-Brian

[Beast]

Having one or two members of the traditional FF show up in a storyarc that doesn't feature 'The Fantastic Four' does not count as 'Revisiting the FF'. Especially since the previous two storyarcs had little or nothing to do with the Fantastic Four in it's self. I guess everytime Storm shows up in Black Panther, it's 'Revisiting the X-Men'. Or when Dani Moonstar and Beast showed up in Avengers: The Initative it was 'Revisiting the X-Men'.

[Novaya Havoc]

This. Panel. Made. My. Year.

LMFAOMFAOLOL!EJKROFTL!!!



The whole Sage/Demons/Football bit was so. effing. funny.

[Brian Cronin]

Originally Posted by Beast

Having one or two members of the traditional FF show up in a storyarc that doesn't feature 'The Fantastic Four' does not count as 'Revisiting the FF'.

Yep, it does.

-Brain

[Pach!]

Originally Posted by Beast

Having one or two members of the traditional FF show up in a storyarc that doesn't feature 'The Fantastic Four' does not count as 'Revisiting the FF'. Especially since the previous two storyarcs had little or nothing to do with the Fantastic Four in it's self. I guess everytime Storm shows up in Black Panther, it's 'Revisiting the X-Men'. Or when Dani Moonstar and Beast showed up in Avengers: The Initative it was 'Revisiting the X-Men'.

Visiting the X-men, because Dani Moonstar and Beast don't show up every arc.

[Exiled]

Originally Posted by jcp011c

I'm going to have to apologize to Psylocke....to tell her that I can't follow her down this path. I'll catch up with her with she returns to 616 universe.

This sounds....just painful.

The issue was very good IMO and I recomend you read it.

[jester1436]

If a story revisits the origin of the Fantastic Four does that mean it's not revisiting the origin of the Fantastic Four if most of them die?

It's like the if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did a tree fall?

What?

[Pach!]

Originally Posted by Brian Cronin

Yep, it does.

-Brain

What are we doing tonight?

-Pinky

[Brett P]

Originally Posted by jcp011c

I'm going to have to apologize to Psylocke....to tell her that I can't follow her down this path. I'll catch up with her with she returns to 616 universe.

Same. I'll miss Morph too.

Originally Posted by Novaya Havoc

This. Panel. Made. My. Year.

LMFAOMFAOLOL!EJKROFTL!!!



The whole Sage/Demons/Football bit was so. effing. funny.

So glad I stayed clear.

[metalgorgomon]

I like this issue..
Sure it does seems a lot of continuity for a new book. But we all know beforehand that this book is indeed a continuitiy from the 'old' Exiles.

I'm a bit bugged as well the FF related story is revisited for the background for the arc, but i think (and hope) that it's not the main story for this arc.

Sabes monologue serves its purpose for introducing the new team. I know that Rogue, Cat and Mystiq are new to Exiles, but they are way too mysterious (not only Cat) for us. I would like to know their origin/past as soon as possible.

Not too sure bout Sage though.. But it's good to see she's vulnerable and not as confident as before..

Love Psylocke's new outfit.. and the armband as well. Guess wearing it has its own purpose. But I think I'm going to miss the 'ninja thong bikini' for a while.

Morph's new outfit looks like Star Trek's uniform.. I think it's kindda cute. But hey.. he's Morph. He can always change to whatever costume he likes (including his previous one)..

Can't wait for issue #2..... and G(N)ambit!!!