The X-Men: The Sentinels Trilogy - Roy Thomas & Neal Adams

“There are two things which make a battle great -- the warriors and the stakes for which they compete”, explains Ben Raab in the foreword of Greatest Battles of the X-Men. In the case of the X-Men, the struggle is not only against a certain rival but also against abstract concepts like fear and prejudice. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Sentinels in “Among Us Stalk...The Sentinels!”, they combined in a single army of deadly robots these two notions. After all, the Sentinels were programmed to hunt and destroy mutants, but the real enemy was the man behind the programming.

In the original story, eminent anthropologist Bolivar Trask built the Sentinels to protect mankind from the mutants, but in the end he realized that his ‘cure’ was much worse than the ‘disease’, and he decided to sacrifice his life to destroy the Sentinels. However, Larry Trask blames the X-Men for the death of his father, and he rebuilds the Sentinels. So once again “The Sentinels Live!” (originally published in The X-Men # 57, June 1969). 

For Roy Thomas, the most horrifying aspect of the Sentinels isn’t their capacity for destruction but rather the fact that they are the embodiment of all the hate humans feel towards mutants. One of Thomas most inspired moments takes place in “Mission: Murder!” (The X-Men # 58, July 1969), when the Sentinels start capturing mutants all over the US (and the success of this operation prompts other nations to demand the use of Sentinels to decimate their mutant population). However, the public opinion is divided, despite all the propaganda, all the prejudices, there are men and women who cannot agree with the way mutants are being treated: “Americans begin to question the wisdom --even the constitutionality-- of this modern witch hunt”. That was Charles Xavier’s greatest concern when the Sentinels first appeared, and the situation is even more dangerous now. 

For Larry Trask, mutants are like garbage that needs to be eliminated. “How can one be humane… to monsters that aren’t even human”, affirms Trask, emphasizing that he’ll show the world “the true depths of mutant depravity”. Last time, Professor X played a key role in defeating the Sentinels, but this time he’s absent. So it’s up to Cyclops, Jean Grey, Angel, Beast and Iceman to come up with a plan in time to save themselves and the rest of the mutants that have already been captured.

One of the elements that I enjoyed the most about this Sentinels Trilogy, is the how ambitious in scope it is. In the original tale, the robots seems to be only after the X-Men. But this time both heroes and villains are chased down. In different pages we see the Sentinels attacking Mesmero and Magneto, imprisoning classic foes like Unus the Untouchable, the Blob or Mastermind. Even Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are unable to escape from the large army of Sentinels. One by one, they all fall: Banshee, Havoc, Polaris, etc. 

Havoc

There is a reason why Cyclops is featured prominently in the cover of the final chapter “Do or Die, Baby!” (The X-Men # 59, August 1969). Because Cyclops, Jean Grey and Beast are the only ones left. They are the last X-Men but also the last mutants that can attempt to overcome the Sentinels. But despite their abilities, they don’t have enough power to stand against an entire army of Sentinels. In the final pages, Cyclops last desperate gambit pays off. He questions the Sentinels, finding a weak point in their strict robotic logic. If their mission is to protect humans, and annihilate mutants, then what happens with the fact that all humans are ‘mutated’ in a way? From Cro-Magnon to Neanderthal and then to Homo sapiens, our species has evolved (or mutated) through time. It’s quite interesting to observe that using his powers, Cyclops cannot win, but using his intellect, he rises victorious. 

Beast & Iceman

These three issues were penciled by the legendary Neal Adams and inked by Tom Palmer. Adams work is absolutely exquisite: harmonious, dynamic, vibrant, it combines the best attributes of men like Kirby, but adding a very unique style. Neal Adams plays with the basic structure of the page, changing the usual arrangement of panels. There is not a single monotonous image, everything the artist does is full of energy and visual beauty. Adams covers are iconic and breathtakingly dramatic. 
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“Hay dos cosas que hacen que una batalla sea grandiosa -- los guerreros y aquello que está en juego y que los lleva a competir”, explica Ben Raab en el prólogo de “Las batallas más grandiosas de los X-Men”. En el caso de los X-Men, la lucha no es sólo contra un determinado rival sino también contra conceptos abstractos como el miedo y los prejuicios. Cuando Stan Lee y Jack Kirby crearon los centinelas en “Entre nosotros acechan... los centinelas”, combinaron en un sólo ejército de robots letales estas dos nociones. Después de todo, los centinelas fueron programados para cazar y destruir a los mutantes, pero el verdadero enemigo era el hombre detrás de esta programación.

Larry Trask

En la historia original, el eminente antropólogo Bolivar Trask construyó los centinelas para proteger a la humanidad de los mutantes, pero al final se dio cuenta de que su "cura" era mucho peor que la "enfermedad", y decidió sacrificar su vida para destruir a los centinelas . Sin embargo, Larry Trask culpa a los X-Men de la muerte de su padre, y él reconstruye a los centinelas. Así que una vez más “Los centinelas viven” (publicado originalmente en The X-Men # 57, junio de 1969).

Para Roy Thomas, el aspecto más horrible de los centinelas no es su capacidad de destrucción, sino más bien el hecho de que son la encarnación de todo el odio que los seres humanos sienten hacia los mutantes. Uno de los momentos más inspirados de Thomas está presente en “Misión: asesinato” (The X-Men # 58, julio de 1969), cuando los centinelas inician la captura de mutantes en todo los Estados Unidos (y el éxito de esta operación hace que otras naciones soliciten el uso de centinelas para diezmar a la población mutante). Sin embargo, la opinión pública está dividida, a pesar de toda la propaganda, y todos los prejuicios, hay hombres y mujeres que no pueden estar de acuerdo con la forma en que los mutantes están siendo tratados: “los estadounidenses comienzan a cuestionar la sabiduría --incluso la constitucionalidad-- de esta moderna cacería de brujas”. Cuando los centinelas aparecieron por primera vez, esa era la mayor preocupación de Charles Xavier, y la situación es aún más peligroso ahora.

Para Larry Trask, los mutantes son basura que necesita ser eliminada. “¿Cómo puede uno ser humanitario... con esos monstruos que ni siquiera son humanos?”, pregunta Trask, haciendo hincapié en que él va a mostrarle al mundo “la verdadera profundidad de la depravación mutante”. La última vez, el Profesor X jugó un papel clave en la derrota de los centinelas, pero esta vez él está ausente. Por eso le toca a Cyclops, Jean Grey, Angel, Beast y Iceman idear un plan para salvarse a sí mismos y al resto de los mutantes que ya han sido capturados.

Mesmero & Magneto

Uno de los elementos que más me gustó de esta Trilogía de los Centinelas, es su ambicioso alcance. En el relato original, los robots parecen perseguir únicamente a los X-Men. Pero esta vez tanto héroes como villanos son atrapados. En diferentes páginas vemos a los centinelas atacando a Mesmero y a Magneto, vemos el encarcelamiento de enemigos clásicos como Unus el Intocable, la Blob o Mastermind. Incluso Scarlet Witch y Quicksilver son incapaces de escapar. Uno por uno, todos caen: Banshee, Havoc, Polaris, etc.

Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver

Cyclops aparece en un lugar destacado de la portada del último capítulo “Haz o muere, bebé” (The X-Men # 59, agosto de 1969). Cyclops, Jean Grey y Beast son los únicos que quedan; no sólo son los últimos X-Men, sino también los últimos mutantes que pueden intentar vencer a los centinelas. Pero a pesar de sus capacidades, no tienen el poder suficiente para enfrentarse a todo un ejército de centinelas. En las páginas finales, Cyclops concreta un último y desesperado intento. Pone en duda el razonamiento de los centinelas, y encuentra un punto débil en su estricta lógica robótica. Si su misión es proteger a los seres humanos, y aniquilar a los mutantes, entonces qué ocurre con el hecho de que todos los humanos han "mutado" de una manera u otra. De Cromañón a Neanderthal y luego a Homo Sapiens, nuestros especie ha evolucionado (o mutado) a través del tiempo. Es muy interesante observar que usando sus poderes, Cyclops no puede ganar, pero al usar su intelecto, la victoria está garantizada.

Unus, Blob & Mastermind

Estos tres capítulos son dibujados a lápiz por el legendario Neal Adams y entintados por Tom Palmer. El trabajo de Adams es absolutamente exquisito: armónico, dinámico, vibrante, una combinación de los mejores atributos de hombres como Kirby, mezclados con un estilo muy singular. Neal Adams juega con la estructura básica de la página, cambia la disposición habitual de las viñetas. No hay una sola imagen monótona, todo lo que hace el artista está lleno de energía y belleza visual. Las portadas de Adams son icónicas e impresionantes.

June comic books / cómics de junio

In May I picked Morning Glories # 18 as the best issue of the month. Now this time it’s a tie between Hit-Girl # 1 and Astonishing X-Men # 51. Hit-Girl was really great and I’ll write a full review on this first issue in due time. Astonishing X-Men, on the other hand, was a wonderful surprise. I had never read anything by Marjorie Liu and I absolutely loved her story. The fears and insecurities of Northstar as his wedding day approaches are intense and honest. Discrimination is also made evident as even some of the X-Men refuse to attend this gay wedding. Issue # 51 made me remember everything that I love about X-Men, as well as the whole concept of mutants, prejudice and heroism. Fantastic issue! Hypernaturals # 1 and Extermination # 1 were quite impressive, I’d really like to read more of these titles. The Boys # 67 and Unwritten # 38 were very good too. Finally, I really enjoyed the conclusion of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Century 2009, it has some amazing moments, like the one in which Mina and Orlando are walking down the streets and Mina says that she was used to poverty and hunger in the Victorian age but what she sees now is something else... people in 2009 feel kike there is no point to anything. And then Orlando says that's what happens when culture becomes irrelevant. That moment right there is just brilliant. I won’t say more because I’m always against spoilers, but let’s just say that I had a lot of fun with June’s comics. And now, without further ado, last month’s list:

ASTONISHING X-MEN #51
(W) Marjorie M. Liu (A) Mike Perkins (CA) Dustin Weaver
The wedding of the century!

BOYS #67 (MR)
(W) Garth Ennis (A) Russell Braun (CA) Darick Robertson
Covers: Darick Robertson Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Russ Braun Colorist: Tony Aviña  The ghosts of the Legend's past rise to haunt him, and in a way so do MM's- as he catches up with his daughter and finds out much, much more about her recent mistakes than he bargained for. Meanwhile Hughie investigates the recent tragedy and end up in an unexpected showdown... with Monkey? The bodycount mounts in part two of The Bloody Doors Off.

EXTERMINATION #1 MAIN CVRS
(W) Simon Spurrier (CA) John Cassaday & Various We Lost. They Won. In the wake of an apocalyptic alien invasion, the world's greatest super-heroes and deadliest super-villains must form an alliance to prevent their own extermination. Two arch-enemies, Nox, a driven hero, and Red Reaper, a ruthless villain, form a volatile partnership for the greater good. The enemy of your enemy is your friend - but will they be able to ultimately put aside their bitter past to prevent global genocide? What happens when all the battle lines are redrawn and foes become unlikely allies in a desperate war for the fate of the very planet - and the outcome of a species? Written by Simon Spurrier (X-Club, Fear Itself: The Home Front, Wolverine: Dangerous Games), Extermination is a superhero survival story by an author that boldly explores the dark crevices of an entire genre.

HIT-GIRL #1 (MR)
Hit-Girl spins off into her own blood-soaked series by the sales-busting creative team of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. This story takes place between Kick-Ass Volumes 1 and 2 as Mindy McCready tries to settle into life as a regular school-girl, but wants nothing more than to be dispensing hot justice to the scum of New York City. Her mother and step-father think she's doing her homework, but in reality she's taken Kick-Ass on as her sidekick and is training him up to punch, shoot and stab ... just like Daddy would have wanted. A limited edition variant by Leandro Fernandez will be released for this issue, as will a Variant (artist TBD) & John Romita Jr. Sketch Variant, and a Blank Cover Variant. NOTE: Variant supplies limited. Consult your retailer for availability. Scheduled to ship 06/27/12.


HYPERNATURALS #1 MAIN CVRS 
(W) Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning (A) Brad Walker & Various (CA) Francesco Mattina & Various This July...A UNIVERSE TREMBLES. It is the far future; the human race has finally colonized the galaxy, preserving an era of prosperity that's only possible because of The Hypernaturals. They're a celebrated, galaxy-wide superhero task force that keeps the peace. That is, until they all mysteriously vanish. Now, as the galaxy teeters on the brink of chaos, it's up to a group of retired and long forgotten Hypernaturals -- and their novice recruits -- to save the galaxy from complete destruction. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, the superstar writing duo behind ANNIHILATION and THE LEGION, launch an all-new original series that takes cosmic super-heroes to a new frontier. Experience the special preview issue of THE HYPERNATURALS this May and pick up the #1 issue this July!

LOEG III CENTURY #3 2009 (MR) (C: 0-0-3)
(W) Alan Moore (A/CA) Kevin O'neill
The narrative reaches its cataclysmic conclusion in London 2009. The magical child whose ominous coming has been foretold for the past century has now been born and has grown up to claim his dreadful heritage. His promised age of unending terror can commence, the world can now be ended, and there is no League, extraordinary or otherwise, to stand in his way. The bitter, intractable war in Q'umar crawls bloodily to its fifth year, away in Kashmir a Sikh terrorist wages a holy war against Islam that must push the world into a nuclear holocaust, and in a London asylum there's a patient who insists she has all the answers.

Astonishing X-Men # 51

MORNING GLORIES #19 (MR)
Lights Out. Nobody home.

my drawing (pencils and inks) /
 mi dibujo (lápices y tintas)

MMW UNCANNY X-MEN TP VOL 05 
(W) Chris Claremont, John Byrne (A) John Byrne & Various (CA) John Byrne, Richard Isanove The X-Men had fought many battles, been on adventures spanning galaxies and grappled with enemies of limitless might - but nothing could prepare them for the most shocking struggle they would ever face. One of their own members, Jean Grey, has gained power beyond all comprehension, corrupting her into the Dark Phoenix! Now, the X-Men must decide: Is the life of the woman they cherish worth the existence of the entire universe?! It's the definitive X-Men tale, painstakingly restored for the Marvel Masterworks. Also featuring the seminal 'Nightcrawler's Inferno,' a Wolverine/Wendigo brouhaha guest-starring Alpha Flight, the original version of X-MEN #137 in which Jean Grey lived, and the Claremont/Buscema Phoenix tale from BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27. Collecting X-MEN (1963) #132-140, X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #4, PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY and BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27.

SAGA #4 (MR)
(W) Brian K. Vaughan (A/CA) Fiona Staples
story BRIAN K. VAUGHAN art / cover  FIONA STAPLES    Welcome to SEXTILLION, a distant planet where even your darkest fantasies become reality.  See why everyone's talking about this hit new ongoing adventure from BRIAN K. VAUGHAN and FIONA STAPLES!

UNWRITTEN #38 (MR)
(W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross (CA) Yuko Shimizu
The weird cultists who worship Tommy Taylor are the chief suspects in a series of bizarre disappearances - and a young, relentless detective thinks she's found a way to crack the case. Plus, puppetmaster Madame Rausch is on her deathbed - but can she find the strength to pull the final strings?

WALKING DEAD #99 (MR)
(W) Robert Kirkman (A/CA) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
story ROBERT KIRKMAN art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN  'SOMETHING TO FEAR' CONTINUES! The unthinkable happens, as we all gear up for next month's monumental issue 100!
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En mayo elegí Morning Glories # 18 como el mejor cómic del mes. En esta ocasión hay un empate entre Hit-Girl # 1 y Astonishing X-Men # 51. Hit-Girl estuvo increíble y escribiré una reseña sobre este primer ejemplar próximamente. Astonishing X-Men, por otro lado, fue una maravillosa sorpresa. Nunca había leído nada de Marjorie Liu y me encantó la historia. Los miedos y las inseguridades de Northstar conforme se acerca el día de la boda son intensos y honestos. La discriminación también se hace evidente cuando algunos de los X-Men se rehúsan a asistir a esta boda gay. Este # 51 me ha hecho recordar todo lo que siempre me ha encantado de los X-Men, y todo el concepto de los mutantes, el prejuicio y el heroismo. ¡Fantástico número! Hypernaturals # 1 y Extermination # 1 fueron bastante impresionantes, me gustaría leer los siguientes números. The Boys # 67 y Unwritten # 38 estuvieron muy buenos. Finalmente, realmente disfruté con la conclusión de League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Century 2009 y es que tiene momentos asombrosos, como cuando Mina y Orlando caminan por las calles y Mina dice que estaba acostumbrada a la pobreza y al hambre en la era Victoriana pero lo que ve ahora es algo distinto... en el 2009 la gente siente que nada tiene sentido. Y entonces Orlando responde que eso es lo que sucede cuando la cultura se vuelve irrelevante. Es un momento brillante. No diré más para no arruinar sorpresas, basta decir que realmente me divertí con los cómics de junio. Y ahora, sin más preámbulos, la lista del mes pasado:

ASTONISHING X-MEN #51
 El momento más esperado: ¡La boda del siglo!

BOYS #67 (MR)
 Los fantasmas del pasado de la Leyenda lo acosan. Mientras, una inesperada lucha ocurre, y la cuenta de los cadáveres sube.

EXTERMINATION #1 MAIN CVRS
 La invasión alienígena comienza, y los más grandes súper-héroes y villanos deben formar una alianza para prevenir su propia exterminación.

HIT-GIRL #1 (MR)
Por fin, se revela la historia que sucede entre KICK-ASS volumen 1 y volumen 2. Mindy trata de adaptarse a su vida como colegiala, pero lo único que quiere es ajusticiar a la escoria de New York. 

HYPERNATURALS #1 MAIN CVRS
 En un futuro lejano, la humanidad ha colonizado la galaxia, y la prosperidad es mantenida por los Híper-Naturales. Hasta que todos se desvanecen misteriosamente. Ahora que la galaxia está al borde del caos, los Híper-Naturales deberán reclutar y entrenar a un grupo de novicios.

LOEG III CENTURY #3 2009 (MR)
 La narrativa alcanza su impactante conclusión en Londres, en el 2009. La ominosa llegada del niño mágico que fue predicha el siglo pasado ha ocurrido, ahora él ha crecido y reclama su terrible herencia. La era prometida de terror sin fin puede comenzar, el mundo puede terminar, y no hay ninguna Liga, extraordinaria u ordinaria, que pueda enfrentarse a él. 

MORNING GLORIES #19 (MR)
 Las luces están apagadas. No hay nadie en casa.

MMW UNCANNY X-MEN TP VOL 05
 Guión y dibujos de Chris Claremont & John Byrne.

SAGA #4 (MR)
 Bienvenidos a un planeta en el que los deseos se hacen realidad.

UNWRITTEN #38 (MR)
 El extraño culto que idolatra a Tommy es el principal sospechoso en una serie de bizarras desapariciones.

WALKING DEAD #99 (MR)
 “Algo que temer” continúa. Y lo inesperado sucede.