Panelology
      continued
     
    
   
   
    
     
      throne
      of
      Geo-Force’s
      native
      land
     
     
      (don’t
      you
      hate
      it
      when
      that
      happens’),
     
     
      leaving
      the
      Outsiders
      fugitives.
      The
     
     
      old
      heroes-on-the-run
      bit
      has
      been
      a
     
     
      series
      premise
      as
      long
      ago
      as
      the
      old
     
     
      Freedom
      Fighters
      series,
      but
      there’s
     
     
      not
      much
      beyond
      that
      here.
      The
     
     
      insubstantiality
      is
      compounded
      by
      the
     
     
      slick,
      exaggerative
      art
      of
      Paul
      Pelletier
     
     
      to
      make
      the
      Outsiders
      look
      really
      silly
     
     
      by
      times.
      On
      top
      of
      all
      this
      there’s
      one
     
     
      or
      two
      senseless
      cast
      deaths
      in
      the
     
     
      offing,
      the
      first
      of
      which
      comes
      out
      of
     
     
      left
      field
      in
      the
      first
      issue
      for
      no
      apparent
     
     
      reason,
      and
      despite
      its
      attempt
      to
      shock
     
     
      it
      hits
      the
      reader
      with
      all
      the
      emotional
     
     
      impact
      of
      a
      wet
      noodle.
      Outsiders
     
     
      has
      a
      few
      interesting
      characters
      on
      tap,
     
     
      and
      it
      tries
      hard,
      but
      it’s
      gonna
      have
      to
     
     
      try
      harder
      than
      this.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      X-Men/Uncanny
      X-Men
     
    

    
     
      (Ongoing
      series):
      The
      original
      mutant
     
     
      team
      is
      becoming
      interesting
      again,
      if
     
     
      only
      through
      the
      law
      of
      averages:
      there’s
     
     
      so
      many
      characters
      on
      the
      roster
      now
     
     
      that
      some
      ofem
      are
      bound
      to
      be
     
     
      interesting,
      and
      regardless,
      Scott
     
     
      Lobdell
      and
      Fabian
      Nicieza
      usually
      give
     
     
      every
      character
      an
      interesting
      moment
     
     
      or
      two.
      Interesting
      and
      sometimes
     
     
      shocking
      developments
      in
      the
      cast
      make
     
     
      it
      worth
      a
      browse--
      |
      just
      got
      around
      to
     
     
      reading
      the
      ‘Fatal
      Attractions”
     
     
      conclusion
      in
      X-Men
      #25
      afew
      months
     
     
      after
      the
      fact,
      and
      was
      very
      impressed
     
     
      by
      the
      strong
      direction
      that
      unites
      the
     
     
      bookand
      all
      its
      characters
      in
      an
      ongoing
     
     
      saga
      which
      grows
      organically
      out
      of
      the
     
     
      characters’
      past
      continuity-
      the
     
     
      culmination
      of
      years
      of
      storytelling.
     
     
      Gambit,
      Rogue,
      Beast,
      Banshee,
      Iceman,
     
     
      Archangel,
      Wolverine
      and
      others
      are
     
     
      facing
      some
      very
      interesting
      and,
      in
     
     
      some
      cases,
      refreshingly
      human
     
     
      developments.
      Look
      for
      more
      on
      the
     
     
      X-folks
      in
      future
      columns.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      That's
      all
      for
      now,
      but
      look
      for
      the
     
     
      long-promised
      Avengers
      and
      Force
     
     
      Works
      reviews
      soon,
      and
      a
      variety
      of
     
     
      other
      goodies
      later,
      like
      The
      Ray,
     
     
      Books
      of
      Magic,
      Green
      Lantern,
     
     
      Batman/Spawn,
      Gunfire,
      Spider-
     
     
      Man,
      Captain
      America,
      Fantastic
     
     
      Four,
      Namor,
      New
      Warriors,
     
     
      Northstar,
      X-Men,
      and
      more!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      really
      matters
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      FAITH
      HUNTER
     
    

    
     
      HELLO
      UPEI,
      HOW
      R
      U?
      ALLOW
      ME
     
     
      to
      introduce
      myself.
      My
      name
      is
      Faith
     
     
      Hunter.
      It
      isn’t
      really,
      but
      since
      |
      share
     
     
      these
      pages
      with
      the
      likes
      of
      [the]
     
     
      Iceman
      and
      Jean-Claude
      Van
      Damme,
     
     
      surely
      |need
      not
      reveal
      my
      trueidentity.
     
     
      Besides,
      Shakespeare
      had
      a
      valid
      point:
     
     
      “What's
      inaname?
      A
      rose
      by
      any
      other
     
     
      name
      would
      smell
      as
      sweet”
      (though
     
     
      calling
      a
      rose
      “pencil”
      would
      change
     
     
      something,
      I’m
      sure).
     
    

    
     
      You
      may
      wonder
      why
      |
      am
      invading
     
     
      this
      week’s
      X-Press.
      The
      answer
      is
     
     
      simple:
      |
      got
      inspired
      by
      Fate,
      called
      by
     
     
      Destiny
      (bored
      by
      studying).
      |
      would
     
     
      have
      written
      sooner,
      but
      |
      have
      just
     
     
      recently
      recovered
      from
      avery
      serious
     
     
      illness
      which
      left
      me
      unable
      to
      write
     
     
      even
      a
      single
      tangible
      word.
      And
      what
     
     
      illness
      was
      that,
      you
      ask?
      Perhaps
     
    
   
   
    
     
      you've
      heard
      of
      it.
      It’s
      called
      authoritis.
     
     
      It
      starts
      in
      the
      mind
      and
      can
      leave
      its
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _victims
      in
      a
      state
      of
      complete
      pencil
     
    
   
   
    
     
      paralysis.
      But
      I’m
      as
      good
      as
      old
      now
     
     
      (or
      is
      it
      “as
      old
      as
      good’”?
      Or...),
      and
      I’m
     
     
      ready
      to
      write.
     
    

    
     
      If
      you’re
      really
      on
      the
      ball,
      you
      will
     
     
      have
      noticed
      that
      the
      name
      of
      this
     
     
      column
      is
      “What
      Really
      Matters”.
      |
     
     
      decided
      to
      call
      it
      that
      because
      |
      don’t
     
     
      plan
      to
      be
      very
      news-conscious.
      |
      hope
     
     
      to
      write
      an
      underwear
      [brief]
      note
     
     
      each
      week-
      provided
      my
      academic
      and
     
     
      television
      schedules
      remain
      unharmed-
     
     
      but
      |
      plan
      to
      concentrate
      on
      what
      isn’t
     
     
      news.
      You
      hear
      enough
      about
      war
      and
     
     
      Michael
      Jackson
      and
      current
      events.
      |
     
     
      want
      to
      tell
      you
      about
      the
      worst
     
     
      problem
      we
      face
      today:
      the
      everyday
     
    
   
   
    
     
      condition.
      |
      want
      to
      report
      on
      REAL
     
     
      issues:
      the
      how’s
      and
      why’s
      of
     
     
      schoolwork
      stress,
      how
      to
      translate
     
     
      professor
      jargon,
      the
      rhythm
      and
      blues
     
     
      of
      true
      love
      and
      fast-food.
      In
      other
     
     
      words,
      “What
      Really
      Matters”
      is
      a
     
     
      column
      about-you
      guessed
      it-
      what
     
     
      really
      matters.
     
    

    
     
      Let
      me
      leave
      you
      with
      something
      to
     
     
      ponder
      about
      (something
      especially
     
     
      relevant,
      considering
      that
      frozen
      fingers
     
     
      and
      the
      flu
      are
      now
      common
      in
      the
     
     
      refrigerated
      [winter]
      state
      of
      P.E.lI.):
     
     
      Why
      is
      it
      that
      you
      can
      catch
      a
      cold
      but
     
     
      you
      can’t
      catch
      a
      warm?
     
    

    
     
      Well,
      folks,
      that’s
      my
      time.
      See
      ya
      next
     
     
      week.
     
    

    
     
      Take
      Care
      and
      Dream
      Big,
     
    

    
     
      Faith
      Hunter
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      ___x.pressfebruary
      first
      1994
      page
      19
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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