X-Men: Gals on The Run by Chris Claremont and Milo Manara was released in Italy. Our reader, nicce, was nice enough to provide us with spoilers and scans! Check them out. Just one more thing: In X-Men Vs. Agents of Atlas #2, Psylocke was knocked out by Namora and didn't show up anymore, so I don't feel like posting spoilers for it. LOL. Enjoy:Spoilers: In Madripoor, Psylocke, Storm, Rogue and Shadowcat face a group of "modern pirates", which has kidnapped Rachel. The rescue operation is more complicated than the girls have thought as Rachel seems to betray her teammates even if Kitty says that Rachel told her telepathically to trust her. When they try to escape, they are hit by a beam which deprives them from their powers. They fall, but miraculously save themselves.
At this point we are informed on how all the story started. Rogue had inherited a villa on a Greek island, Kirinos, and so the X-Girls have left for a holiday, an entire week of relax. While the girls were having fun, dancing and singing, Rachel was kidnapped. An explosion would have killed the others if Psylocke hadn't saved them.
Here we go back to the beginning of the story. Kitty understands what Rachel had told her: the pirates have closed the Xavier Institute into a "Bubble", a stasis field which freezes all that is inside of it, and that's why they tried to kill the girls in Greece as they weren't in the Xavier Institute. Moreover, the pirates kidnapped Emma Frost and Rachel because they needed them to make something work.
The X-girls are then captured by the legendary tribe of the South Seas, which venerates the planets as Gods. The girls are treated as slaves by them. During this period, Kitty realizes the pirates used Emma and Rachel to increase a power beam that cancels mutant powers, used in a secret war between India and China.
Afterwards, the pirates attack the tribe and team up with the X-girls against them. Fortunately, the leader of the tribe is a mutant with the power to inhibit combustion. Her powers lead to a total blackout in Madripoor, which makes the cancel-beam-machine not to work. The girls get their powers back and face the pirates again. The X-Women manage to defeat the enemies and save the world.
“For so long, my life has been out of control. Chaos and serendipity, wrapped in insanity. I have suffered, I have lost. Not just my life, but my very soul, my self. But no more. Now I know who I am.” – Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock, daughter of Otherworld, mutant, telepath, telekinetic, defender of the realm and, above all, X-Man.
35 comments:
sounds ok. how are the interactions.
All right, I have just have to say it how I see it, and honestly, this art for Gals on the Run is in league with Greg Land. The cover being the worst offense, it just seems like a bunch of female objectification which does not invite the respect for the X-Women that it should have. I mean, I knew this Claremont, I understood to a degree degrading these characters had to happen on some level, but this art is atrocious.
Sorry for contributing such a negative comment, but honestly it's a hard to get past feeling and I simply feel Psylocke should be treated more respectfully as should the rest of the X-Women.
Well, Milo Manara is well known for very erotic art, so I'm not really surprised it's all tits and ass here.
At least she actually looks asian. Hahaha!
I personally think that the art is beautiful,and knowing Milo's work,i wasnt expecting anything less.this is for his fans just as much as it is for x-fans.Psylocke looks powerful to me in lots of the images,I espically like the scene with her hosting kitty in the air.The objective of this book was too make it fun and very sexy,and i think they suceeded.Its sexy in an oldskool pin-up way.Plus an asian looking Betsy is always a plus.
Why does Claremont insist on putting Betsy in a Dragon Lady dress?
Random question Kwannon was mixed race wasnt she Japanese/Chinese?
@PsySpears - Good Question. It would have been easier if Kwannon was Asian/English :)
@Mr. Hellfire - I agree with you, here. In the images, you can clearly see the sexual objectification of our beloved X-girls, like they are nothing but bar whores to be used and abused in one night stands with their beloved "bad boys." Not my cup of tea...
I am not an avid fan of the art in this book either. Physically, the girls are well proportioned and beautiful, but in terms of their faces, they are mostly unremarkable. I probably would buy it if the story received strong reviews.
Best,
centurion
Rogue inheritted a villa situated on a Greek island?Right now,I am so proud of my Greek origin!
Only problem is that there is no Greek island named "Kirinos". *rolls eyes*
Ugg this looks awful- awful plotline and awful art
Skipping this
OMG cant believe some of you dont like the art,i really think its beautiful.overtly sxualised,but that was kinda the point of the book.The whole point in the first place was to get an erotic artist like milo and try somthing different with the x-gals.Its a one off thing.
"The whole point in the first place was to get an erotic artist like milo and try somthing different with the x-gals."
Er, that's a bitchy joke right?
I'm sorry, but the X-Women being objectified as "something different" is one of the weirdest things I've ever heard. It's comic books, the women are ALWAYS sensualized whether or not you perceive it. Land and his porno pencils are just one very obvious way, but seriously, re-examine the pages of most comic books and you'll find the majority have suggestive poses with the women being horribly out of proportion. This book does better on the proportions end, but is absurd on the objectification end.
Psylocke in her Asian body has never NOT been sexualized. I've seen her ass more than my own. So I don't mind the art. It looks ghetto because it's not inked, but I think the art looks ok.
ewwwwwww !!
*EXCUSE MUST LEAVE TO VOMIT :S
Sorry 4 that LOL
They might as well sell blow-up dolls of the X-Women or any other DISRESPECTFUL crap (How can Disney autorize this to sell on the U.S.A.? hope they don´t contribute to more disgracefulness to my x-girls thank you U_U
By the way HATE Milo´s porn ¨art¨...
Well, the art is beautiful. And Milo Manara is well known - and respected - for drawing erotic comic books, so it was quite obvious that the x-gals would be very sexualized in this. And it's nice to know that, despite the oversexualization, they are also shown as strong and smart women who even without their powers are able to save the world.
But on the other side, it's sad to know that many readers will ignore this plot part and just buy it because the X-Women appear in short clothes and provocative positions in it. It's not only disrespectful, but also shows that the comic books are still quite sexist in their characterizations, and that only alienates the female readers from them. I mean, Marvel would never consider doing a comic book with Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit, Iceman, Cannonball and Colossus wearing only speedos and becoming humiliated slaves throughout the stories, so why should the X-Gals be treated differtly than them?
BTW, considering this story takes place during the Reload era of the X-Men, it seems Claremont forgot Polaris was also in the team back then...
"X-Boys on the run" Hmmm the sequel should be VERY interesting
Since when did comic book readers get so conservative? I think there's nothing wrong with women expressing their sexuality, irl or in fantasy media or whatever. We don't live in the '50's anymore... progression is a good thing!
I just hope the story is engaging.
@Brian, I'm so far from conservative, I actually once mentioned I thought that Ariel (X-Men Legacy during Utopia) should be revealed to be transgendered. I'm totally serious.
Here's the deal: To me it's about whether it helps or hurt women. I absolutely loved Ellis' Thunderbolts where Moonstone would be like, "Let's make this short, I've got some casual sex going on in an hour." I'm ALL over that like no one else. What I don't support is when it comes back in backlash calling her a whore and following writers blurring the lines between being a whore and a woman who's open about her needs. Still, I support female characters talking openly about their sexual needs, just not in any way that makes them sound like they're in a porno.
Conclusion: I have NO problem with women who are comfortable with their bodies and sexuality, but when it comes to porno pencils, ridiculous proportions in provocative poses for no reason, then I do have a problem.
@Mr. Hellfire - Always love to read your contributions on this blog! The lines between what is considered sexually whorish behavior in women and just being candid about female sexual needs are often skewed and nebulous. It often seems as though there is a double standard. When men speak candidly about their sexual needs, it seems acceptable and not pornographic, but with women, on the other hand, it is often construed as being not appropriate.
Best,
centurion
This is the first "openly" sexualised x-book.People were kinda expected to know what to expect.Its also not screwing into cannon that much,so was made that people that want it can get it and people who disagree can ignore it easily.
But i do agree,if the x-girls are treated like this,so should the x-boys BUT the money making potential in that is probably questionable for marvel.they havent really experimented to much with their female and gay guy audience and too tell you the truth the whole Disney takeover probably puts a knife in that before its even started.
Anyway i think some of the mainstream book exploits the girls sexuality more than this book,atleast this comic,Claremont and Milo were being honest from the start that this book is x-porn with the girls keeping their clothes on.
I'm used to the pin-up style poses and over sexualized way most heroines are drawn including most of the artist who draw the X-woman. We all now Land and others who draw them looking like super-slags first & super-heroes second. It's been happening for years.
That being said I still find this offensive. I appreciate a hot heroine but they look like Xavier's going to show up tell them good job for stopping the pirates & then telepathically slap them back to there corners to make that extra buck.
Is that how he's been funding the institute?
After seeing that dress, I know Betsy is in an asian body but she herself is not asian. I never want to see her in any trashy qipao or maybe anything of full asian design again. Her next costume needs to reflect her kunoichi status without flat-out saying. it.
They all look trashier than the DOA/Ninja Gaiden girls and I thought that would be impossible. The only good thing is that while they have bad designs he's the first artist I've seen in a while to make Betsy actually appear Asian, even over her own mini.
"After seeing that dress, I know Betsy is in an asian body but she herself is not asian."
Yup, Betsy is fooling everyone by making herself look like a stereotype (an Asian girl in an Asian dress), when she's actually a deeply multicultured woman (British woman in a Japanese body wearing a Chinese dress and spending vacations in Greece), heh...
Seriously now, I have to say: even though I still think it is wrong to oversexualize women in comics, I'd still buy this book without thinking twice. Claremont's script may even be atrocious (I hope it isn't), but Manara's art is definitely worthy of the purchase!
"Yup, Betsy is fooling everyone by making herself look like a stereotype (an Asian girl in an Asian dress), when she's actually a deeply multicultured woman (British woman in a Japanese body wearing a Chinese dress and spending vacations in Greece), heh..."
Maybe it's because I'm Asian myself and I'm projecting, I just find the outfit skanklandish. She looks like some old Dragon Lady archetype. If they were going to go that way the outfit(s) could have been a bit more tasteful.
Does anyone know how well Psylocke
#1 is doing in sales? Maybe it is too early for the sales results. What about the reviews? Thank you!
Sincerely,
Evan
@Selene - Yes, that's true. But I am sure if Kirinos actually existed, there would be a deluge of Psylocke fans headed there for 2010 spring break :)
Best,
centurion
@centurion Seems to me in CBR's the Buy Pile it got a Meh which isn't as bad as a No No No... but still.
My review of it's favorable though? I dunno, trying for a bright side.
@Mr. Hellfire - Thank you for the information! I just read the review as well. Maybe Psylocke #2 will be better than the first issue, but overall, I enjoyed the first issue. I am still reading X-Men Forever. Betsy makes a cameo appearance in X-Men Forever #10 at Wolverine's funeral (as was mentioned earlier on this blog), but she just seems so distinctly different from her 616 counterpart. I have a strange feeling that Betsy's role in X-Men Forever will be a limited one...
centurion
I was reading the topic about this book at CBR forums yesterday, and LuckyStar is 100% correct when she says the second scan could very well be a Brazilian "baile funk"! I wonder if Manara ever went to a baile funk and got inspired by it to draw this scene...
Betsy isn't Nelly Furtado, but she knows how to be a promiscuous girl...
*FSaker ¨Betsy isn't Nelly Furtado, but she knows how to be a promiscuous girl...¨
I really hope you´re just joking around ._:
Because she ain´t promiscous at all. I mean she´s just openly liberal and had 2 relationships with 2 X-Men and well... that make-out session with Sabrethoot from New Exiles =S
And she´s quite sexual and free spirited.
But It´s not like she´s sleeping around with everyone or anything OK?
@Alejo =~ - Yes, I was joking with that scene of her and Rachel dancing promiscuously with very short dresses. I think we all know here that despite having a quite sexual image, Psylocke is actually one of the most well-behaved X-women out there.
Storm and Emma are the real promiscuous X-Women. But I still like them.
@Fsaker - Hi. I definitely see Emma as being the paradigm of a "promiscuous" X-Girl. There are times when I think her relationship with Cyclops is purely sexual. She certainly doesn't strike me as the nurturing girlfriend type, but a more self-centered, vain, and narcissistic type.
As for Betsy, there are times when she was quite tame and restrained, then occassional moments in her history of sexual wantonness.
very best,
centurion
Because I can't resist blabbing on and on about Emma, I have to say though Emma is sexual and has her fair share of a list of people, I wouldn't really think of her as "promiscuous X-Girl" just because her known sexual history is tame.
I go to college, there was a girl who did 14 guys in a semester, so maybe I'm just absolutely desensitized, but sexual histories like Emma's are kind of standard to me.
And seems to me Betsy's sexual wantonness is limited to flirting with Cyclops once, not even of her own totally right mind and flirting in New Exiles. To me that's almost as tame as waiting until marriage.
I just get the sense that comic book women's "sexual" factor comes more out of how they're presented by the artists and in subtle hints in writing because the ones I'm thinking of at least right now have relatively tame sexual histories compared to what I've known.
@Mr. Hellfire - Yes, Betsy and Emma are amateurs compared to some of the girls I have seen...
Best,
centurion
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