In the New 52 era version of Suicide Squad, government agent Amanda Waller has created a black ops group out of expendable villains to take on covert missions. The reward for success is the possibility of a shorter prison sentence, though failure or insubordination will lead to getting your head blown off. Any way you slice it, they’re pretty much screwed.
Following the events of Avengers vs. X-Men, Professor X’s group of mutants have hit a new low. Charles Xavier is dead, while Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magik and Magneto are working together to start a mutant revolution. At a loss for next steps, a passing comment from present day Iceman sparks an event that will break the spacetime continuum. Through the use of time travel, the original five X-Men come to the present to stop Cyclops from completing his misguided plan. This fateful event is a convenient way for All New X-Men Vol. 1: Yesterday’s X-Men to relaunch the franchise while acknowledging everything that came before. Yet it’s also a risky fictional device to use, as any missteps can undermine and tarnish the entire timeline.
Ever since I bought the Marvel Now and New 52 omnibuses, I’ve been on a bit of a comic book vision quest. The benefit of starting with these books is that I can start at the first issue of almost every Marvel and DC franchise. The experience has kind of been like reading the first chapter of a few dozen books, which in itself is a bit odd. But with the way comic book stories have progressed over the years, this is a perfect introduction to the landscape. I’ve still got a long ways to go before completing either book, but I did want to jot down some notes regarding my progress.
Comic books have influenced my life for as long as I can remember through movies, cartoons, video games, toys and more. However, up until recently, I’ve never actually read a legitimate comic book in earnest. For most of my life, I perceived the act of reading comic books as something that was too nerdy for me. By the time I warmed up to the idea, I had no idea where to start. With almost 100 years worth of DC and Marvel content out there, picking a logical starting point proved difficult.
Every year, Fan Expo is especially harsh on my wallet. I rarely get access to much in the way of nerdy stuff to buy, let alone everything I could ever want in one place. This year proved extra fruitful, as I bought or got pretty much everything on my wish list and then some. In case you’re interested, here’s what I got!
Hey Friends,
Sorry for the lack of posts these last few days. I’ve spent most of the last four days enjoying the spoils of Fan Expo 2011 in Toronto. I haven’t even been at my house to sleep most nights, as it’s been more convenient for us to have me crash at Steff’s place.
If you were there, I hope you enjoyed it as thoroughly as Steff, Michelle and I did. It was once again a great event, and moving the location to a larger venue helped make things run so much smoother. I will try my best to document as much of my experiences as I can in the next few days, though my fleeting memory will also be challenged by a looming vacation to London.
I may not be as thorough with my posts as last year, but I’ll be sure to scribe something before I hop on that plane! Take care everyone!
Last year, my girlfriend Steff and I had a blast at Fan Expo. It was the first convention we ever went to, and we told ourselves very early on that we have to do this all over again next year. If you’re interested in reading up on our exploits last year, check out the posts below:
With the 2011 edition of the show approaching in a matter of weeks, we already have our tickets and are getting pumped for the ensuing awesomeness.
In Third Person 