Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities X-Force: Shatterstar (#3 out 4/27 )

I forgot about Tabitha's energy blasts. I don't think I've ever dropped a book so fast. Certainly not a favourite.

I'm not sure I got all the issues in the X-Force mini. I know I got the first and last. The last was the worst thing I've ever read. Bar none. The recap was funny though. I suspect it was Nicieza's work.

Shatterstar #1 was much, much better, but I can't blame anyone for skipping Liefeld.

Long time reader, first time commenter.
(Okay, maybe not so much that last half...)

When Fabe and Rob launched X-Force, it was numberone. Fabe continued to provide great work post Liefield. When Marvel returned from AOA with their relaunch, they really messed with X-Force.

Since then, the runs of each creative team didn't really flow or connect. While each writer had his good storyline, the lack of cohesion really killed the book. Interesting note, Marvel Young Gun Jimmy Cheung use to pencil this title under JFM. If he was given the hype he's getting now, who knows what would have happened?

Fabe wrote a great book, defining these characters, grooming them as adults. Recent appearances have turned X-Forces stable into one dimensional cardboard cut-outs. He's scripting in the recent XF mini showed his skill at writing these characters; the "writer" just didn't give him much to work with.

The Shatterstar mini had potentail to revive interest. Having read the first issue, this series will likely kill any lingering fans.

Can't say I agree. I was never especially fond of Fabian's X-Force, but that's at least in part because I hated just about every page of artwork from #1 until Pollina took over.

I thought the book was better when Loeb took over and peaked during the Moore/Pollina run. I was never overwhelmed with Cheung's art and that may be the reason why the overall quality of the book seemed to decrease for me when Pollina left.

I'll tell you straight out that I'm a huge fan of Fabian's work (particularly Cable/Deadpool). I saw no trace of Fabian in X-Force #1, which is why I didn't read anything further.

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The Shatterstar mini had potentail to revive interest. Having read the first issue, this series will likely kill any lingering fans.

I kept thinking the same about X-Force. I figured, sure, it will suck with Liefeld around, but he'll eventually leave and someone with talent could step in and make the team interesting. But, no, I don't think that's going to happen. I think everything Liefeld touches turns to rust.

Including Deadpool and Cable?

I read through this thread to see if there was any word of Longshot - whatever happened to him?

It'd be interesting to see Spiral again though...

I wanna say Longshot died somewhere but that may just be something silly I read online.

Speaking of Shatterstar...I think he's a great character. BUT like many Marvel mistakes over the years I think they need to really look at what makes the guy tick, retell/rework his origin. I don't care for the son of Longshot thing...but may not get rid of the Mojo origin all together.

Flamboyant, celebrity, cool, and loses temper at times are things that I think describe him. A solid origin (not too complicated) a better look (ferget the Liefeld rags)...keep the long hair and other trademarks (star tattoo).

As fer Longshot?

You know sometimes I think comic book companies need to take more time with characters. Really sit down and figure out why is character popular...or what can make a character popular.

I think if a character was tailored a bit more (Claremont was great at this) they would be more successful.

As for Claremont...the New X-Men being the best example...down to Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Psylocke, Gambit down to Red Lotus, Lifeguard, and her teleporting Aussie brother...Slipstream is it? And while I can still see some mistakes or things I would have done different...it seems like he gives the character more attention...and tries to make them likeable (and popular) Sorry for the tangent.

Shatterstar has tons of potential and I think they should be smarter using him.

IIRC, Longshot will be appearing in the Shatterstar mini. Whether his mullet will remain intact is unknown at this point.

The outfit Shatterstar's using in the mini, isn't bad. Kind of gladitorial. He's in jeans and a t-shirt for most of the book, though. I like the idea of him being a former gladiator slave, I think it's got good story potential beyond just the fish out of water thing.

The hair and the star have to stay.

I actually meant that it turns to rust while he's involved. Other writers are obviously capable of doing great things with the characters he co-created. Fabian is one of them, which is why Cable/Deadpool is one of the most entertaining books I read. I love it. And I'd love to see X-Force make a comeback with a good, solid writer and artist. It was great once and can be so again.

They've waffled a lot as to whether or not he's Longshot's child. Yes, we had the throwaway line from Dazzler about her child (who, IIRC, she miscarried) being name Shatterstar, but that's all it was. In the Longshot mini, Spiral claimed she and Longshot had children together. Some issues of X-Force suggest that Spiral is definitely his mother and that he has a twin (Ben Russell, who was raised in Boston). That could tell us that Shatterstar and his brother are the children Spiral referenced in the Longshot mini, or it could be that she had children with someone else. At this point, there's not enough definite information to say one way or the other, and it's always possible that Spiral has been lying. (Of course, she showed clear affection for Shatterstar when no one else was present - including Shatterstar, who was comatose.)

To my mind, Claremont was who made me lose interest in Longshot. I loved the Longshot mini, but to retread the same story just to shoehorn him into the X-Men was a bad move. It might have been more interesting if Gambit turned out to be Longshot, which was rumored to be Gamit's original origin. I think Gambit would have turned out to be a different character and Longshot would have had some sort of character evoltion.

This whole thread is a tangent since we're not even discussing the issue in question. In any case, Kitty Pryde is one of my problems with Claremont. Did you read the What If about Magneto co-founding the X-Men? Kitty knew everything and could do anything. I've heard Claremont really wishes he could get his hands on her and, frankly, I'm glad he hasn't. Kitty is smart, yes, but she's not Reed Richards. She also doesn't need to be a ninja, doesn't need to be immune to telepathy, and doesn't need to have a mind that exists in multiple dimensions. These are all traits Kitty has accrued under Claremont. He has a bad habit of escalating the powers of his favorites and it's not something I like. Her original power is fine and, quite frankly, powerful enough to take out most foes.

i.e. He shouldn't be in the hands of Liefeld.

I don't think anyone's arguing with you on that.

BTW, I was wrong about the t-shirt and jeans. He was actually in pajama bottoms for most of the issue. Lord knows how I missed that little detail.

As for Spiral as Shatterstar's mother, I quote: Shatterstar: Do you intend to follow me around all evening woman?

Spiral: You'd like that, wouldn't you , Shatterstar.

I hope they're not related.

Just heard a new rumour.

There's a new X-Force project planned and Liefeld turned it down.

I've no idea how accurate this is, but we can hope.

It is.

Here's what he would have done:

*Choke*

Rob L's work scares me, but I sure miss Illyiana...

I don't think I miss her quite _that_ much.

Yes! An X-Force project without Liefeld is bound to be, at minimum, mediocre! So it won't suck! Yeah, I know mediocre isn't good but we're talking about a comparison with Liefeld.

Anyway, I've really missed X-Force and would love to see them back with a solid creative team.

Well...Liefeld's idea actually reminds me of the one good thing I liked about him. On more than one occasion, he depicted Illyana - in at least one pin-up page and, IIRC, the X-Force "Shattershot" annual. He obviously liked her. If he could get her back and then have things finagled so that she immediately went to some other creator, I'd love it!

I doubt the editors would go for it. IIRC, Claremont wanted to bring her back, but they wouldn't let him. She was the original ghost in teh last New X-Men arc, too, but the editora nixed it before the she was shown.

"Mediocre" is a good word to describe the Shatterstar mini.

Issue two! That means it's time for another scintillating "Rip-Roaring 'Rachne Review"!!! TM.

Not a chance.

It's pretty much like the last issue. There's not much wrong with it, but it's bland. Spiral's not quite the same as she was portrayed in the Longshot miniseries, but she's been in a lot of comics that I haven't read since then, so it might not be wrong.

I like Shatterstar's new outfit (the one he's wearing in the book, not the one on the cover (which is bad even by Liefeld standards.)) I'd love it if they just got rid of the head gear.

Oh, and Cable's in it. Maybe. Looks like they're playing with his past again.

Aw, c'mon, Arachne! You have to review it so I know what I'm not missing!

Oooooh, aaaRAAAACHneeee...

[shakes head]

Don't ask. Just... don't ask.

But who cares with LSH 5 out. Ohhh, and that is so not what I want to say.

Sigh. I miss Arachne.

Anyheeeew...my first-time reading of Legion Lost v.2, courtesy of library trades, started out for research purposes, but it quickly snowballed into a warm, fuzzy flashback to a lot of the stuff I loved about early 90s Marvel Comics, which resulted in a re-read of the Nicieza/Capullo X-Force issues (#15-24; actually, #25, too, but I gave that one away because that's the one where Cable came back. And I hate Cable.) I'll elaborate further on LL2 in the Legion forum, but right here, right now (see what I did there?), I want to sing the praises of Fabe & Greg's wonderful, far-too-brief run (damn those Image brats for their poaching of not only Capullo, but also Dale Keown and Jae Lee. )

With its frantic pacing, in-your-face action, garish coloring, spandex costumes, and GORGEOUS long hair on both the male and female team members, it was almost everything I wanted in a superhero comic -- sure, even at its best, Fabe's X-Force run was like a steak with more sizzle than substance, but it was pure 100% Fabe in his prime, not like his concurrent work on the X-Men flagship book where he resorted to badly aping Claremont's worst excesses (and even there, Fabe had his moments for sure.)

And I would be remiss if I were not to confess that I've never read the JF Moore X-Force run, even though I liked a lot of Moore's earlier writing, because I was on hiatus from comics from 1997 through 2004. I'll have to remedy that soon-ish.

What follows is a sampler of Capullo X-Force imagery. Enjoy!!

With Deadpool's recent over-exposure, and the lameness of the way he's been written going on 10 years now, I'd love to be Domino here:



The cover for Greg's first X-Force issue:



Personally, I wish they'd killed each other right then and there.

I don't know whether this trade is still in print, but find a used copy if you can, because it has the cream of the Fabe/Greg X-Force:

http://comicsalliance.com/files/2011/05/xfassgmmphccvr.jpg

EDIT: And, finally, this double-page exercise in splash-tacularness is too big to fit in a post, but to me, it's the apogee of X-Force goodness:

http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7qhk1mFFc1qzkq0co1_1280.jpg

Then, of course, there's my favorite X-Event of all time, The X-Cutioner's Song, where Fabe and his team and its villains temporarily took over the franchise:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/bc/03/5d/bc035d870aa31d3d87369cf90370507e.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/95/9f/2d/959f2d28183ba3362a20f4348354526f.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/2e/b6/20/2eb6205d53b982952842833897e61ac5.jpg

XCS is collected in a trade which I think is still in print. Find a copy and read it.



EDIT: Yeah, it's a poor and misleading choice of cover, considering that Poccy's not a Fabe/X-Force villain, nor are there any X-Forcers on the cover, but you can't have it all.