NickV

May 28, 2016 10:48 pm I remember during the Age of Ultron review Conor said something like "no matter what, I just get so much joy from seeing these characters together" and maybe that’s how I feel about the X-Men because I loved this movie. [Sorry if you touch on some of this, but I turned off the cast after a bit because I sensed the direction it was going and I plan to see it a 2nd time, then listen to the rest]. I loved the nods to the comics: like in Uncanny X-Men (#117) Xavier catches Storm picking his pocket and recruits her, while in this movie (because it’s an alternate timeline thanks to DOFP) it’s now Apocalypse who encounters Storm stealing. And Caliban is a black market dealer of mutant identities, playing off his comic power ability to identify them. I loved the playful moments like Scott accidentally taking out the tree and Nightcrawler posing for his ID photo. I also felt there were some really powerful moments like Erik singing to his daughter, when Moira getting her memories back, and Quicksilver saying he is always too late (despite his speed). Finally, I liked that this wasn’t actually shot like a typical disaster movie, by which I mean it’s not all buildings falling down and debris. Instead, Magneto’s powers form these kind of beautiful, geometric arches so even the destruction is visually interesting. Also the X-Men bring down Apocalypse by focusing all their powers on him and working as a team, not surrounded by buildings going down (like in Man of Steel, Avengers, and Age of Ultron). The main problem is Singer's editing. In place of 20 minutes at Weapon X, we could have had the kids at the mall scene for 10 minutes, which would have made the movie shorter and more fun. Then, the End Credits could have been Wolverine breaking out of Weapon X as the facility would have been partially destroyed by Magneto’s powers at the end. Also, we didn’t need Jean’s dream or the Blob. Ultimately, as I said before, seeing a young Cyclops, Jean, and Storm on screen brought me immense joy and and point-by-point is meaningless compared to the fact that I just loved watching it. Sorry you guys didn’t feel the same!

May 18, 2016 10:14 pm Hi guys, first of all, I am sorry about Darwyn. Whenever you speak about him it is easy to appreciate how much you admired him, even beyond his wonderful artwork and storytelling. Secondly, thanks for responding to my Civil War question despite its length. [But no Ron on the show where I relate the time I spent thinking to my commute on 280?!] I agree, they weren’t really "plot holes," but for me something like the greatest assassin of the century not taking out a video camera before a double murder did take me out of it. Then again, I may have been taken out of it more easily since I was in a theatre serving food, which is not my usual comic book movie venue of choice. The IPA was delightful, but the distraction from the servers may be bigger than I initially appreciated. Also, you are absolutely right about not needing to see a demented Peggy slipping away and your point about comic book weird sex stuff being a thing is well taken (especially as a reader of any and every X-men comic). Thanks again, especially for going through it point-by-point. Your podcast is a commuting life saver and beyond that fills a huge void as none of my friends read comics anymore.

June 25, 2015 11:11 pm Hi Conor & Paul, Thanks for responding to my question about Low. I agree it ultimately may be more powerful collected together, but I still couldn't imagine waiting to read it later while those beautiful covers are sitting on the shelves. Conor, keep up the good work on iFanboy. Paul, very much enjoying Panels. And didn't get a chance to mention it in my question, but thanks to Mission Comics & Art for being such a great comics shop and turning me on to so much great stuff. --Nick in SF

July 25, 2014 9:17 pm I realize we are far enough out from this people may not care, but I just heard this podcast and there was the question of what Mystique (as Stryker) pulling out Wolverine could mean... I think it serves to take him out of the fold of the first class team and sets him up to be a more-evil leaning version of himself through his association with Mystique. Then he is primed to be taken by Apocalypse as one of the 4 horseman (maybe along with Mystique?).