The Punisher War Journal #1 (November 1988)

When it comes to a certain man who made his name ending the lives of criminals by liberally spraying them with bullets, one would not expect him to have any sort of sentimentality. However, Frank Castle is still human. He may be a skilled soldier and hunter of criminals, but he's still a human man. And even he is not immune to feelings of nostalgia and sentiment. The comic we are looking at this week shows an example of that. Let's look at Punisher War Journal #1!

The cover is a Carl Potts and Scott Williams piece. It's a pretty good and basic cover, showing our man Frank leaping down and filling some criminal punks with hot lead. It's a good cover for a first issue, giving a basic idea of who Frank is, and what he's about.

"An Eye for an Eye, Chapter One: A Sunday in the Park"
Writer: Carl Potts
Penciler: Carl Potts
Inker: Jim Lee
Colorist: John Wellington
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Don Daley
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with Frank Castle taking an Uzi blast to the chest.

"Hi, I'm Frank Castle and welcome to JackAAAAAAAAGH!"

Well, this comic ended quickly. Nah, not really. Frank is testing how his Kevlar armor hold up against a new 9MM gun. Microchip points out that they could have tested it without Frank wearing it. After all, we wouldn't want Frank to accidentally get any holes in him. Frank points out that he needs to see how the impacts incapacitate him. It could mean the difference between life and death for him.

With that test done, Frank has some business to take care of today. He sees a Daily Bugle headline reporting on some mysterious deaths. He asks Microchip to investigate this, as it may be something that he may need to step in and take care of. Frank has until noon to be where he needs to be at. Unfortunately, the traffic and the heat are not helping things.

Frank's like "Nuts to this, I'm in a rush". He pulls his Battle Van out into an exit, and then employs an alternate mode of transportation.

Frankie couldn't wait to try out this sweet new toy...

The motorcycle allows Frank to beat the traffic no problem. On the way, Frank's narration notes that the business contained in the building that his West Side safe house is at has been vandalized. He stops at said business, a deli to pick up some supplies. The time is 11:20. Only forty minutes left. After he leaves, the people operate the deli note that he's not seen much around. The cashier, a young woman, thinks he's spooky.

It's revealed that the vandals were sent by the building's landlord to try and drive them out so they can "gentrify" the place. The old man cleaning the place tells the cashier they can't do anything, lest it reveal their true nature. They have to depend on the legal system. In fact, the old man has an appointment with a Mr. Murdock to discuss it. 

Frank comes to Central Park, where he sees what looks like a family (a man, a woman, and a baby) being herded into a car. It's 11:35. The car's brake lights are flashing. It seems like a nervous driver...but the lights are flashing Morse Code. In particular, an SOS. 

Frank considers calling the cops, but they won't arrive in time. Frank is easily able to handle the gunmen, then drives the car into an alley. He wants an explanation. 

The woman (I'm naming her Joanie, as she seems like a Joanie, and the comic doesn't name her) explains that she married a man named Mark Scotti. After she got pregnant, she learned the man was a mobster. Joanie was horrified, as she didn't want her son to have a mobster for a father. On top of that, it's implied that Mark abused the woman. 

Joanie needed to flee. She called upon a man named Steven, who was an old rival of Mark's for Joanie's affection. Mark wants his son and "heir" back, and he'll kill Joanie if he has to. So, Joanie hatched a plan. 

Her idea involved her sister's baby Alex. Alex isn't much older than her own little tyke. The thing is, Alex is mentally disabled. I'm not sure how they'd know that. The baby in Joanie's arms in the comic seems really young. Wouldn't that be something that would show later in life? Anyway, she kidnapped Alex and gave him to Mark in exchange for some money. Mark somehow noticed the switch and is now after her. Yeah, more on this when I give my thoughts at the end. And now we're here.

The time is now 11:55. Frank considers letting them drive out of town, but then reconsiders. Sometimes, he loses sight of why he does what he does...and maybe this is a bit of a reminder. He takes the three to his safehouse. We then go back one week to Riker's Island. We look in on a prisoner named Montoya. 

He just sent a letter out to his family. Another con plans to beat him up, out of revenge for a beating Montoya gave him. Also, Montoya's due to be released for good behavior. The prisoner and his compatriot try to hassle Montoya, but the man doesn't take the bait. A guard breaks it up.

Back to New York! Microchip confirms Joanie's story. With that, the Punisher has a new mission.

"New mission: Kill Mansion. I hate mansions!"

The time is now 12:40. Whatever Frank had planned today, he's now late. Yeah, Mark Scotti is dead just for that. Frank tries to sneak his way in but is forced to make a bit of noise.

One of Scotti's men helpfully tells the Punisher where Scotti and the kid is. Frank finds his target in the bathtub, enjoying a nice relaxing soak. 

"Why do I always get bothered while I'm in the bath?"

Frank holds him at gunpoint, telling him to promise to fully support Joanie and their baby. Also, to leave them alone. To make sure that he's telling the truth, Frank is also packing a lie detection device. He also demands Mark go straight. But the device says he's lying.

Frank gets ambushed by Scotti's bodyguards. While our man is giving them bullets, Scotti goes for his own gun. Frankie's not too happy with that, so to express his displeasure with that, the Punisher kicks a radio into the bathtub.

Mark Scotti's rise through the criminal underworld came to a shocking end.

With Scotti good and fried, the Punisher makes off with Alex and a case full of money.

The money is for them and for Alex's care. Joanie asks how they can thank him. He tells them to forget about him...and be good parents. Now that that is out of the way, Frank can attend to his original objective. He goes back to the deli and stocks up again. So, what was this important thing that Frank had to do today? 

"🎵 Let's go fly a kite...🎵"

Today was the day that Frank Castle's family was killed, turning him from family man into the Punisher. He just spends a day in the park, flying a kite. 

I thought this was a pretty decent one-shot story. There were a couple parts of the story that did bother me a bit. One was a part of the plan Joanie had to escape Mark Scotti. I get what they were trying to do with the bait and switch thing, but I felt her kidnapping her sister's mentally disabled child to fool Mark kind of helped undermine her as a sympathetic character a little bit. Also, I felt it was a bit of an unnecessary complication of the escape plan. Just grab your kid and run! No need to endanger another child in the process! 

Also, as a fair warning, the characters do use the word "retarded" in the story. It's not used as an insult, it's used to describe the baby that the Punisher rescues in this story, basically as a term for mentally handicapped. I just thought I'd warn you all about that before you decide to read this issue for yourself. 

There was a clever thing that this issue did. As the main story went along, there was always a panel at the bottom of every page retelling the origin of the Punisher without dialogue. It was a clever way to inform people of how Frank came to be the Punisher, while subtly revealing exactly what the big mission he had today was. It was a nice touch.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2008 trade paperback Punisher War Journal Classic Vol. 1 or the 2018 trade paperback The Punisher: Shadowmasters. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time! 

Tactics Ogre Reborn Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

In 1995, Quest Corporation released the game Tactics Ogre for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or the Super Famicom in Japan. The game had been in development for two-and-a-half years. The second game in the Ogre Battle series, it takes place in the war-torn kingdom of Valeria. You play as Denim Powell, a resistance fighter who gets caught up in the various conflicts in the area.

The game would sell 500,000 units in Japan. It would also receive positive criticism. The game would then go on to be ported to the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. The game would then get remade for the PlayStation Portable as Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. It has gone on to be regarded as one of the very best tactical RPGs ever made. This remake has been remastered for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStations 4 and 5, and Microsoft Windows. Let's look at the trailer!

Heh. I like that they kept with the original mid-90s look. It's okay for video games to be colorful, guys, gals, and whatever you wish to identify as.

Am I the only one who thinks Denam's name is a bit...odd-sounding for this world?

War is Hell, indeed.

Huh. So let me get this straight. If you get different results for this personality test, you'll get affiliated with different gods, which affects your path in the game? Hey, there's something for replayability.

Hey, customization! Find what works for you! I'm all for that!

I like that rewinding feature. Sometimes, you make a stupid mistake, and you need to erase that, or all your work will be for nothing.

I'm betting permadeath is a thing in this game. It would make sense, considering the game's whole "decisions affect the path you go on" thing. 

Well, this looks like a fun game. I'm not normally into tactical RPGs myself, but this is supposed to be a classic, and I'm always willing to give a game like this a try. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Justice League America #61 (April 1992)

This week saw the celebration of a new year. A time like this is seen as a time of rebirth and fresh starts. A time for starting anew. A time to start fresh. It's not just regular folks that feel this way. Superheroes can feel this way about a new year, too. During its decades of its publication history, the Justice League has undergone its fair share of rebirths. So, for the first review of 2023, I thought that it would be appropriate to take a look at a comic that celebrated the rebirth of the Justice League. 

After the events of the "Breakdowns" crossover, the Justice League International (as it was known at the time) ended up disbanding. However, you can't keep an iconic team like that down for long. With various members of the League working together again in Justice League Spectacular #1 (April 1992), it was time to see the League reform properly.

The cover is a Dan Jurgens and Murphy Anderson piece, which homages the cover to the very first issue of the Justice League's comic: Justice League of America #1 (November 1960), which was drawn by Anderson and Ira Schnapp. That cover has become an iconic cover in itself, and it's appropriate that it be homaged in a comic that celebrates the rebirth of the Justice League. It's amusing seeing Guy Gardner in the spot Hal Jordan was in the original cover. Appropriate as they're both Green Lanterns.

"Born Once Again"
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Penciler: Dan Jurgens
Inker: Rick Burchett
Colorist: Gene D'Angelo
Letterer: Willie Schubert
Editor: Brian Augustyn
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with Guy Gardner sitting in the ruins of the Justice League's old Happy Harbor headquarters as a deliberate nod to Justice League #1 (May 1987). 

The Ted Kord Blue Beetle and Booster Gold arrive, and Gardner tries to pull his typical "I'm the leader" shtick. Beetle scoffs at it and Gardner offers to fight the inventor to the death for it. The Almeracian queen known as Maxima arrives, offering to take on, and defeat the victor.

Thanks to Brainiac, Maxima's homeworld's been blown to pieces, and she has nowhere else to go for now. Hopefully, once she takes a mate, she can return and help her people rebuild. And happily for her, the being she wants resides here on Earth as well. And it's not Guy Gardner, as much as he hopes it is. Her intended betrothed is actually on his way to Maxwell Lord's offices, where the man himself is making a sales pitch to former JLI members Beatriz "Fire" da Costa and Tora "Ice" Olafsdottir. 

Superman points out the League exists because of a need for it, and the League is not meant to be an extension of Maxwell Lord's ego. Ice agrees with Superman on this, and makes it perfectly clear to the mind-controlling businessman. 

Superman heads out to meet the other Leaguers, Ice happily following. Max wonders what got Tora so fiery, as she is normally rather meek. Fire realizes she's crushing a bit on Superman. Oberon points out that Max is losing the League. Max plans to do something big. So big, even Superman will beg to have Max help. Yeah, that's totally not ominous...

We next look in on a nice private boat.

The boat is owned by a mysterious man, who has a rather...unusual client.

The Dominator is pleased the man will take the job. He thinks the reformed Justice League will be child's play. After all, he's beaten the best in the universe. He had the Royal Flush Gang fight the League recently, and he found them...unimpressive. It left him...quite disappointed.

This man is the Weapons Master, and they have nothing he cannot counter. The self-proclaimed Weapons Master teleports into the Happy Harbor headquarters. He easily takes down Guy, Beetle, and Booster, but Maxima is able to hit him with a psionic blast. The Weapons Master teleports away. He didn't expect Maxima there, so he has to reassess the situation. The four heroes have a brief reprieve, before he returns.

This time, he's packing a helmet that protects him from Maxima's mental powers. 

He's easily able to take down the four heroes. He then gets a Kryptonian knuckle sandwich from Superman. The Man of Steel gets the advantage for a while, even managing to damage the Weapons Master's armor. However, the man teleports Superman away, and then metaphorically curbstomps Fire and Ice. He then makes his way to Guy Gardner's ring. You see, the Dominators hired him to get Gardner's Green Lantern ring. They want to be able to duplicate the ring's tech for their own use. But another obstacle makes themselves known.

This mysterious figure is called Bloodwynd. He's a sorcerer who draws his power from the spirits of the dead. The Weapons Master takes his leave. After all, he knows nothing of this new superhero, and he doesn't like operating without knowing beforehand what is going on. He took the defeated League with him. Bloodwynd is left on his own...until he finds a weapon the Master left behind. 

So, where did the Weapons Master go? Well, he's got a little pocket dimension in his bag of tricks, and he's transported the League here.

Why did he transport them there? Well, he wants to play a game.

He's willing to play a game with Ted Kord for Guy Gardner's ring, the prize he's been seeking. Beetle is actually all too happy to let the Weapons Master have the ring, as he thinks it may humble Guy a bit. The Weapons Master points out that this game is for something he thinks Ted would really value: The lives of his teammates. Ted thinks this whole thing is nonsense. After all, he knows the game is likely rigged in the Weapons Master's favor. After all, the man's after the ring. It makes sense he would rig the game to make it easier for him to win, and this, get the ring.

The Master puts the chess piece of Ice on a black square on the board. It transports Ice to a world of fire and magma, assuring she is good as dead. "Play the game, Blue Beetle", he says. Or the other Leaguers' lives will be forfeit. 

I personally enjoyed this comic a lot. It does feel like a nice little sequel and continuation of the Justice League International that preceded it, even though it doesn't quite have the humor of the Giffen-DeMatteis-Maguire era. There are still amusing moments, though. Mostly from the character interaction. I never realized this when I first read this comic, but it's basically a modernized version of/sequel to a Silver Age JLA story. That's pretty cool. The Weapons Master to me is an interesting villain, and I would hope that we see more of him.

Jurgens is normally a very good artist, so it was surprising to me to see that his art looks a little rough in places here. It was nothing that ruined the comic for me.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2016 trade paperback Superman and Justice League America Vol. 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope 2023 will be a great year for you!

2022, The Positives

2022 was quite a year. Understandably, it was a rough year for many people for various reasons. But it wasn't all bad. No, really. There was some good things that happened this year. Let me alert you to a few of them, courtesy of the Good News Network. 

- Scientists use artificial DNA to kill cancer cells. The main reason why cancer is lethal is because it is able to fool our immune systems. Cancerous cells can resemble normal cells, allowing them to grow right under our immune systems' metaphorical noses. Oncologists in Japan have been experimenting with using artificial DNA to essentially train the immune system to recognize these rogue cells and attack them. The research is still early, but the potential is enormous. This could literally be one of the medical holy grails: a cure for cancer.

- Unrecyclable plastics being made into roads. The states of Virginia, Hawaii, California, Missouri, and Pennsylvania have been starting pilot programs to take unrecyclable plastic items like printer ink cartridges and plastic bags and turn them material to repave and repair roads. The results of these programs have been impressive. And this isn't just happening in the United States. Australia had completed a stretch of highway with recycled facemasks. This is a fantastic way to help reduce waste and give new purpose to items that were originally useless junk.

- Gecko makes a comeback. On St. Vincent and the Grenadines, there resides a little gecko called the Union Island Gecko. Barely larger than a paperclip, the little geckos are known for their hides having markings like jewels. Since their discovery in 2005, they've been a popular target of animal smuggling, which has threatened to drive them into extinction. However, over the last four years, thanks to an international collaborative effort, the gecko's population has been going up. Nearly 20,000 geckos are known to live in Union Island now.

- Kitty rescued from winter storm. In Michigan, a good Samaritan found a cat frozen to the ground during a winter storm. The kind stranger managed to get the cat to the Big Lake Community Animal Clinic in Muskegon. The vets at the clinic were able to save the cat's life and is resting comfortably. The Clinic is looking for any information on the cat's owner.

- Penguins visit an old folks' home. The residents of the Colne View facility in Halsted, Essex, England got a very special surprise for the holiday: A visit from penguins! A pair of penguins, named Pringle and Widget, got to explore the facility and hang out with the residents, providing them some wonderful Christmas cheer.

- Image of Earth still inspires. In 1972, Apollo 17 went on its way to the Moon. It would be humanity's last attempt to set foot on a non-Earth body. During that trip, the astronauts took a photograph of the Earth that became known as "The Blue Marble". 50 years later, it has become regarded as one of the most powerful images of Earth ever taken. It has even become a symbol of Earth Day. 

- Money thrown into fountain helps the poor. In Rome, people like to throw coins into its famous Trevi Fountain. It's estimated that about I million Euros in coins are thrown into the fountain yearly. The tradition is believed to have originated with the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain. In the film, two of the three main characters throw coins into the fountain as a way of wishing to find love. You may ask, where does that money go? Well, it's collected by a charity called Caritas. They use the money to help fund soup kitchens, and various other projects (even a dental office) for those who live in poverty. A wish on the fountain gets to help people. 

- Farmers in Bangladesh create a "Water Machine". Using simple farming methods, farmers in Bangladesh have created an irrigation system that has turned the Bengal Basin into one of the richest croplands on Earth. It's allowed them to produce so much rice the country is now grain-independent. Scientists hope similar systems can be used to help area like the Mekong Delta that are vulnerable to climate change.

- Scientists discover way to make new brain cells in mice. Scientists at the University of Illinois-Chicago discovered a way to use gene therapy to stimulate the hippocampus in mice to grow new brain cells. This could potentially lead to an actual cure for memory loss diseases like Alzheimer's. 

- New solar panels can also collect energy at night. Solar panels do have one big downside. At night, they can't collect energy, requiring them to be paired with batteries to store the energy they collect. That may be a problem of the past. Scientists at Stamford University have developed photovoltaic cells that solve that problem. How? Well, the Earth absorbs solar energy during the day when the sun hits it. At night, that energy is released back into space. These new cells collect that energy as well as sunlight. The technology is new and is being worked on, but it could help make solar a much more attractive option for a person's power needs.

These are just some of the really neat and heartwarming things that 2022 has brought about. Hopefully, we'll see many more awesome things in 2023. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time! Happy New Year to you all and may your 2023 be a great year! 

X-Men #98 (April 1976)

Last week, this blog drew inspiration from the cold by telling a story of X-Men ally Madelyne Pryor falling from grace and helping ignite an Inferno. I had also chosen that issue because I struggled to recall a story with a comic set on Christmas. It wasn't until I had written that issue that I recalled that I had read an X-Men story that was set on Christmas. D'OH! So, to provide one last bit of Christmas cheer (and celebrate the last review of 2022), I thought we could look at a tale of the X-Men spending Christmas battling some old enemies. This is X-Men #98!

The cover is a Dave Cockrum and Gaspar Saladino piece. The cover depicts the X-Men valiantly standing against the Sentinels, who have decided to claim this building and play "King of the Castle". I think it's an exciting and dynamic cover.

"Merry Christmas, X-Men - The Sentinels Have Returned!"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Dave Cockrum
Inker: Sam Grainger
Colorist: Janice Cohen
Letterer: Sam Rosen
Editor: Marv Wolfman

The story starts with the X-Men enjoying Christmastime in New York City. The group are enjoying the season in their own way. Scott and Jean head into a restaurant, planning to enjoy a nice meal. However, a certain bunch of giant robots decide to step in.

"IT'S SENTINELLING TIME!"

They're here to capture Scott and Jean. The two mutants are able to knock away their assailants (and literally blow a hole in one of them in Scott's case). However, one of the Sentinels manages to blast Scott and capture Jean. As the Sentinel flies off, Scott is left hanging, quite literally.

"Man, getting on that MTV show is not worth it!"

The remains of the destroyed Sentinel rain down on the ground, catching the attention of Sean, Ororo, and Logan. Storm is able to rescue Scott, and he reveals that Banshee and Wolverine were ambushed by more Sentinels. Another one tries to take down Ororo. She...objects to that.

Scott realizes that Professor X is unaware of the return of the Sentinels, and he has to be warned. 

Speaking of Professor X, where is he now? 

"🎵 Sailing, Sailing, Over the Bounty Main...🎵"

That's right, he's taking a nice little relaxing cruise. He's traveling with a friend of his: A Dr. Peter Corbeau. Corbeau's been looking into a request Xavier had for him: find a certain binary star system. However, Corbeau has been unable to find it, even the Avengers and the Fantastic Four's star charts don't have the star system. He suggests that Xavier's been under strain, and maybe needs a psychiatrist himself. The conversation is interrupted by Xavier getting a bite on his fishing pole. Hey, we're eating fish tonight!

...unfortunately, it's not a fish that Xavier has caught.

"Surprise, MotherXavier!"

Xavier is able to knock the Sentinel back into the water with a mental blast, but it should have destroyed it. Evidently, Xavier's issues have weakened his power. He orders Corbeau to gun the boat and run for it.

It's here that Xavier is hit by another one of his visions. The Sentinel smashes the boat and makes off with the Professor, leaving Corbeau in the water amongst the wreckage. The Sentinel hurries off into the sky, as evidently it can't be out in the sun too long.

So, where did the Sentinel get off to?

"You see X-Men, I'm not the bad guy...even though I come off as one."

Banshee's been here for a few days, so he recognizes the man in charge: a Dr. Stephen Lang. He's the head honcho of this little space station. It's explained that the Sentinel that captured Xavier hurried back because there's some solar radiation storms coming, and they could interfere with the Sentinels' systems. 

Anyway, Lang explains that he plans to destroy mutantkind. He captured members of the X-Men because they've been the Sentinels' toughest foes. He figures that if he kills them, then mutantkind would not be able to put up a fight against the Sentinels. Lang is nuts. And dumb.

Jean mocks him, and he angrily slaps her. This infuriates Wolverine, who easily breaks his way out of his shackles and unleashes his claws. He easily takes out the guards and even a Sentinel. He frees the other X-Men. He and Jean have a brief argument about getting Charles out of there (the man is trapped in a tube a la Zordon), but the Sentinels forcibly table it.

"You cannot leave! We have not served dessert yet!"

The three X-Men easily tear their way through the Sentinels, which confuses Jean. They should not be able to smash their way through these big ol' robots easily, but Wolverine just sees it as a gift. The X-Men continue fighting their way through the Sentinels. Banshee then uses his sonic scream to get everyone out of there...sort of. The Irish mutant's eyes widen in shock...and his scream cuts out.

Back at the Xavier Institute, Cyclops has spent the last few days trying to find his comrades. He's scanned the world with Cerebro twice over, but has failed to detect them. Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler, tries to get Scott to take a break. After all, he's been at this non-stop for four days. Man needs a break.

The Institute's scanners detect someone trying to sneak into the mansion. Kurt goes to investigate, and discovers it is Dr. Corbeau. Corbeau fills in the remaining X-Men about the Sentinels taking their comrades, and it leads Scott to believe they are dead. But that's the thing. When one of the Sentinels made off with Xavier, it mentioned it had to leave before it suffered damage from the sun. It leads Corbeau to realize that the missing X-Men are not on Earth. 

Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Storm now know where their missing comrades are. But it may already be too late to save them...

When Banshee said he wanted to go to space, this was not what he had in mind...

This was pretty good. Wasn't very Christmassy, but it did have a lot of exciting action. This is early Claremont, but it does show some of the things that would become hallmarks of his run. The evolution of Jean Grey into a stronger character, Storm being regarded as one of the strongest X-Men in pure power, and the like. This issue has one heck of a cliffhanger. Stephen Lang is your run of the mill "I want to destroy all mutants because I think they are all bad" X-Men villain. Not the first the X-Men have fought, not the last. 

I don't have much to say about Cockrum's art. I do like it, but then again, I'm better at assessing the writing of a comic over the art. That's something I've come to realize doing this blog over the years. I thought Cockrum did a good job with the artwork.  

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2003 trade paperback Marvel Masterworks: The Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! Have a belated Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and have a Happy New Year! Hope 2023 is a good year for you! See you all next time!