Chuck Austen

Welcome back to what I think is going to be The Churn, because wow.

So we last left our Exiles (Nocturne, Morph, Mariko, Sasquatch, Mimic and newly joined Magyk) having watched Blink nearly die then be sent "home" (thus beinf replaced by Magyk). Fun story the issues AFTER that preceded to then follow Weapon X (led by Gambit, with Storm, She-Hulk, Spider-demon, Vision and Deadpool) for some gods awful reason. So did the Exiles do any missions between then and now?

No clue. Maybe? Let's go with that.

I was going to give this volume a 2, since the backcover says this is a crossover...which um I got no clue what it crossed over with (storywise) from X-men so the "lasting consequences" mentioned means nothing.

I gave it BACK a star however because the Nocturne/Nightcrawler stuff was cool.

I was trying to remember what this reminded me of, comparatively with DC, and the closest I can come up with is the Kingdom Come/The Kingdom stuff from the 90s, but even that's not really fitting.

Oh I forgot the whole first reality is THE WORST. For some reason the whole team (aside from Magyk) decides to defy Tallus and try to make things right. Which historically works so well. And while I sided with Magyk, she made some good points, her absolute WHINING about it made it hard to want to listen to her.

Also was it just me or did these issues lean a bit...racist against Asians? During the first arc it was a feeling moreso then concrete points, but in the second one Morph makes a couple cringe jokes that surprise me as passing through edits.… (altro)

BLIIIIINNNKKKKK - we're back friends!

Oh boy are we back.

Sigh.

Okay so the first...third of this volume I hated. Like. I can't properly enunciate why I hate it, and since this is a personal review I don't have to. Just know I hated it. Also it would have been maddening to me with what they did AGAIN - we finished with the Exiles, Sunfire is dead, Blink is back...here's 5 issues with THE OTHER reality hopping team Weapon X, but it apparently matters for the next story arc for the Exiles.

As a sidenote, I really hate when stories do that in individual comics. That means it was a SIX MONTH WAIT to find out what it meant that Blink was back. Six. Month. Wait.

Anyhow so the Weapon-X team has a couple new people, including Hyperion who I don't know at all, but I'm getting he's a bit like if Superman went Tyrant God? He immediately is like "nah let's not kill everyone and do the mission...LET'S INSTEAD TAKE OVER THE WORLD". When that doesn't...quite...work out....ugh when that doesn't work out they skip out of that reality and go to a new one.

We come to find out that between that mission (Mission Die) and the one in which the Exiles stumble into (Mission Die Part 2) there was a couple in which Gambit managed to fu...er mess with the crazies in the group (Hyperion, Ms. Marvel, Spider) enough that they could you know, avoid committing genocide for funs.

God I hate these people.

In comes the Exiles, Morph is mad at Mimic, Mimic is emo'ing left and right, Illyana is being Illyana. Blink is all sorts of confused, but not QUITE as confused as Weapon X Gambit who just wants everyone to remember to eat okay? Weapon X Gambit fills everyone in - Hyperion has gone completely rogue taking Spider (who let's face it was always a murderous idiot) and Ms. Marvel (wow Carol you uh went dark huh) with while he decides this Earth is nice enough to be the ruler of.

Things happen, including some insight (that may have been a lie anyhow) into Illyana's behavior, Morph coming to grips with certain things (though that felt a bit forced) and Blink proving she does deserve to be the leader. And more shady Timebroker "I'm a construct of collective consciousness" shenanigan's which NO ONE BELIEVES SO STOP THAT.

The last two issues are Nocturne talking about happy memories she has about her father/world. Which 100% will have no bearing on a future plot for the series I'm sure. This series LOVES giving us heart warming moments for no story reason at all.… (altro)

BAM! WHAP! SKKKZZZTTT welcome back to what is becoming increasingly less joyful for me to read.

Killing folk? Well these are comics so I kinda get it.

Meeting alternate evil versions of beloved chars? Again, yep comics signed on for this.

Purposely leaving chars behind? Now wait a minute assholes...!!!

I'll try to explain, but first our realities.

The first three-parter is uh quite the world...that we've apparently already been to, so time to revisit from a different angle. I gotta admit Namora is pretty spot on - why the hell do they all just listen?

But the story decided they'll leave TJ (who's totally okay with it???), take some guy named Beak who's a GOOD FATHER and HUSBAND and possibly one of the most tolerant people ever instead.

Exiles ain't just baby killers, murderers and world enders--they homewreckers too now.

An issue where Morph gets to "shine".

Then our last world where the Exiles face their toughest opponent yet: common. fucking. sense.

A lot of this arc is predicated on the Exiles unwavering faith in Blink, lack of proper planning and luck. So. Much. Luck.

You see for some reason or other a mutant I've never heard of nor have we seen be an issue before (which she should have been given her powers) tips off Mystique who impersonates Blink for the majority of the book.

This is where the blind Faith in Blink comes in. Lotta red flags are thrown up, but no one REALLY thinks about those.

Which comes to their second idiocy, they never thought to make a plan in case this happens. It never once occurred to any of them, most of whom I can safely state know Mystique in some capacity, to make a contingency plan in case she pretends to be one of them.

And lastly luck. They were lucky that Calvin Rankin was like "well damn why be a criminal!". They were lucky that Mystique didn't create more issues. Mimic appears to be lucky that Blink didn't know he slept with Mystique!Blink.

So much luck.

Give me back TJ dammit.… (altro)