IT'S NOT THE HEAT

So, in answer to part of my question: Paul Smith left Uncanny X-Men to work on Dr. Strange? And at some point in there also worked on X-Men/Alpha Flight, which ISN'T in this Essential.

Breezed through the opening Cockrum issues during dinner and started the Smith's. Smith's stuff is just blindingly good. Both artists', though are stuck in a Shi'ar/Brood story, which fits their styles well but seems to miss the point of the X-Men. I've never liked the Shi'ar as X-Men characters. Avengers? Sure, that would make sense. I don't care if they were involved in the Dark Phoenix saga and then this story and then hald a million more. I don't care if it's Byrne or Smith or Lee or Quitely in the works, the Shi'ar just don't make sense as X-Men characters. They're an alien galactic empire with internal intrigues and constant civil wars. The X-Men are an evolutionary advancement and persecuted minority tasked with protecting those that hate and fear them. Even when it kinda worked, the whole Lil'lilandra/Xavier, Scott/Corsair, Shi'ar/Phoenix, Casandra Nova/Shi'ar stuff just never gelled.

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You know who does make aliens work? Lewis fucking Trondheim. A.L.I.E.E.E.N. is the funniest, grossest, prettiest kids' comic I've read since... well Trondheim's Mr. O. Lovely desaturated colors fill the simple lines of wonderful characters as they lick, poke, beat, stuff, skin and humiliate one another. Which is more disgusting: an alien witha never-ending trail of poop or one alien poking his eye out from the very same sphincter? Awesome. Another First Second success.

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No panels to post. There was no way I was inking in that humidity last night. You'd think the rain storm would have broken it, but it hasn't. Supposed to rain all weekend. So, I'm just doing my full layouts, and then maybe I'll ink the page at once.