Kelly Sue DeConnick // David López
April 2015
****
All too soon, Captain Marvel reaches the finale of ‘season’ 2. Pirates have kidnapped Cap’s crew, while she’s stuck on a crippled ship in a relativistically ‘deep’ pocket of space. López still can’t quite stage star battles, but a pair of double-page splashes give the mag a sense of grandeur & scope.
last issue: Captain Marvel #11
next issue: Captain Marvel #13
also indexed for Apr. ’15
Hawkeye #21
Kelly Sue DeConnick // David López
March 2015
****
The creative team nail this Christmas issue, full of good cheer. Carol visits Earth, specifically NYC, where her mother figure is hospitalized w/ cancer. For action, Cap teams up with Santa Claus (!) against the mad scientists of KSDC’s first ‘season’ on CM, w/ FL staging a solid hand-to-hand fight.
last issue: Captain Marvel #10
next issue: Captain Marvel #12
Kelly Sue DeConnick // David López, Marcio Takara, & Laura Braga
February 2015
***
According to editorial, this is Carol’s 100th solo issue. Ironically she’s off-panel most of the ish, reading about her friends back on Earth. The escapade has the supporting cast (several gals & a token male) vs. a mob of rats! Of the 3 artists, Takara comes off best—but I miss Andrade.
last issue: Captain Marvel #9
next issue: Captain Marvel #11
Kelly Sue DeConnick // David López
January 2015
***
The cover nods to Wicked + Divine, fitting for an issue that guest-stars intergalactic rocker Lila Cheney. She needs Carol, in her role as Avengers space diplomat, to bail her out of an arranged marriage. On a planet of music fans, the conflict is settled onstage (I’d love to hear Carol sing!)
last issue: Captain Marvel #8
next issue: Captain Marvel #10
Fabian Nicieza // Salvador Larroca
June 1995
**
The sort of romantic melodrama that Nicieza & his era of X-Men excels in. His pet hero Gambit chooses to rescue his gal pal (not Rogue, by the way) and so damn the universe. This is heroism? Larroca, at least, shows artistic growth. He uses chiaroscuro well to avoid an impulse towards Image rococo.
continued in X-Men: Omega #1 of 1
last issue: Gambit and the X-Ternals #3 of 4
also indexed for Jun. ’95
The Amazing X-Men #4 of 4
The Astonishing X-Men #4 of 4
Factor X #4 of 4
Generation Next #4 of 4
Weapon X #4 of 4
X-Calibre #4 of 4
X-Man #4
X-Men: Chronicles #2 of 2
X-Men: Omega #1 of 1
X-Universe #2 of 2
Fabien Nicieza // Salvador Larroca
May 1995
**
Gambit, of all characters, saves the multiverse, repairing its crystalline nexus by “sacrificing” his love for Rogue. Nicieza thus equates him w/ Claremont’s Phoenix—a ludicrous comparison! Larroca improves on Daniel, tho’ his art often foregoes environment, a key to good space-adventure comics.
last issue: Gambit and the X-Ternals #2 of 4
next issue: Gambit and the X-Ternals #4 of 4
also indexed for May ’95
The Amazing X-Men #3 of 4
The Astonishing X-Men #3 of 4
Factor X #3 of 4
Generation Next #3 of 4
Weapon X #3 of 4
X-Calibre #3 of 4
X-Man #3
X-Universe #1 of 2
Fabian Nicieza // Tony Daniel
April 1995
*
The M’Kraan Crystal, unrepaired by Phoenix in this timeline, threatens to obliterate existence! Like the whole series, this concept rests wholly on Claremont’s work; the ish itself is an exposition dump. Daniel’s Liefeld-like pencils, all posturing & grimacing, underscore the lack of incident.
last issue: Gambit and the X-Ternals #1 of 4
next issue: Gambit and the X-Ternals #3 of 4
also indexed for Apr. ’95
The Amazing X-Men #2 of 4
The Astonishing X-Men #2 of 4
Factor X #2 of 4
Generation Next #2 of 4
Weapon X #2 of 4
X-Calibre #2 of 4
X-Man #2
Fabian Nicieza // Tony Daniel
March 1995
**
This mini replaces X-Force during the Age of Apocalypse (a fun ’90s metaseries that takes itself way too seriously). Despite its terrible title, G&XT revamps its parent mag more radically than most. It reconceives Gambit as a mutant Robin Hood & sets up in the space-opera corner of the X-mythos.
continued from X-Men: Alpha #1 of 1
next issue: Gambit and the X-Ternals #2 of 4
also indexed for Mar. ’95
The Amazing X-Men #1 of 4
The Astonishing X-Men #1 of 4
Factor X #1 of 4
Generation Next #1 of 4
Weapon X #1 of 4
X-Calibre #1 of 4
X-Man #1 of 4
X-Men: Chronicles #1 of 4
Fabian Nicieza // Andy Kubert
June 1995
**
Read all the other issues first: the penultimate issue of AoA ties the various minis’ plots together. The ish also takes the time to moot a few moral choices. Unlike last ish, however, the noble sacrifices (Banshee & Madrox both kamikaze) are over-melodramatic & executed by supporting characters.
continued in X-Men: Omega #1 of 1
last issue: The Amazing X-Men #3 of 4
also indexed for Jun. ’95
The Astonishing X-Men #4 of 4
Factor X #4 of 4
Gambit and the X-Ternals #4 of 4
Generation Next #4 of 4
Weapon X #4 of 4
X-Calibre #4 of 4
X-Man #4
X-Men: Chronicles #2 of 2
X-Men: Omega #1 of 1
X-Universe #2 of 2
Index Indigo 