Ideally, the next one is "Timecrime," hopefully with Black Cat!

This is like a preview book, but also unlike one: from 2025, Timeslide #1, written by Steve Foxe, art by Ivan Fiorelli.

The main plot here is Bishop and Cable, teamed up to try and save Tempus, from the latest living weapon from the time-stretching Children of the Vault, Vacuna. (I think I've read all of two comics with Tempus in a speaking part, and was confusing her with the MLF's Tempo.) Mostly though, it's a framework to hang glimpses of the future, coming in the next year or so from Marvel! Or not, some of the future peeks are probably red herrings, or won't make it past later revisions. Skipped to a dark, techno-virus infested future, Bishop and Cable meet Bronze, who might be one of the last X-Men; and she gives them a list of events they should maybe do something about...no? Bishop at least acts like he wants to help, but Cable is more focused on the job at hand and kind of blows Bronze off.

Separated, Bishop and Cable land at earlier points in each other's timelines, to get a look at the tragedies that made them. Convenient! That gives them a little more appreciation, which leads to better teamwork, and they manage to loop Vacuna back on himself. The Children's Caretaker is given a harsh lecture about how the mutants adapted, and always would; although it's mildly unbelievable that Cable wouldn't immediately just put two bullets in him instead. Before leaving, Tempus advises them to forget the future teases they saw...I'm not sure how many I remember, that actually came about yet? And looking back at that list, at least four are Spider-Man storylines/problems; good luck getting help from Bishop and Cable there. (I'd actually love to see that, because they'd be both really condescending and completely unhelpful. "Have you considered just shooting the Rhino?" "Yeah, he's just a guy in a suit, he's not actually endangered." "Thanks, I got it, guys.")

Back in '22, Marvel did Timeless, which was not unlike this one except it featured Kang. Then another Timeless in 2023--still a #1, for that matter, as was Timeless #1 in 2024! I do have one of those three, although I didn't buy it new either; but it was handy for a reason...I think these remind me of some of the DC loss-leader/preview books, like Brave New World, but that was more a framing device around preview pages.  

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"Taken."

I don't love this one, because it ran afoul of my staging: Longshot's unconscious ass was on the farthest edge of stage left. (From the point of view of someone facing out at us!) Without breaking up the set, I spent a lot of time trying to finagle a shot from the other side of the bar shooting out; which was difficult because of the placement of the figures, focus, and that such a shot would also include most of my living room! It's something that comics could do easily, but in movies I believe it would be considered breaking the 180˚ Rule. (Stephen King mentions breaking the rule when he was directing Maximum Overdrive, out of ignorance; that's an interesting read there.) Long story short, I ran out of interesting angles or shots for Satana and Dazzler to talk over Longshot.

I wanted to get at the idea that Longshot might be as guilty of toxic masculinity as most superguys; that he decided to forget his wife and kid, under the notion that he'd be better able to protect them. I think this is technically accurate: Longshot leaping into action to protect strangers, would be a noble act, and his luck powers would kick in. Protecting his family, however, would somehow be considered a selfish act, and his luck would not only not work, it may backfire completely. This may make Longshot a more tragic character, or more of a dumbass. Or both? 

In the words of the great Evan Dorkin, "Don't drink Zima! It zucks! And it's made by Coors!" That said, I'm positive I've had it at least once; but I think I drank wine coolers for a ridiculous amount of time, so as usual, my taste is questionable.

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"Currency."

Hmm, considering I'm behind schedule, this one still turned out longer than expected. So, small victories. At least part of this was done before last Saturday's events, though.

I'm pretty sure it's from a Silvestri-drawn issue of Uncanny X-Men, where Dazzler absorbs the sound so much it's like she's taking the words from people's mouths. Turning sound into light, is basically alchemy; like one of the craziest mutant powers if you think about it. 

So, of course Kurt would take a more "humanist" view of the situation, and be more concerned with Alison and Longshot themselves, rather than what may or may not happen in the future. Which, to Bishop and Cable, would be like burying your head in the sand and pretending not to hear the warnings. They think more tactically, and aren't necessarily wrong here.

How many more episodes will Longshot be passed out...?    

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"Joined."

I didn't think we were going to get the Liefeld Cable in there, and yet, here we are. Also, having one Stryfe figure is weird enough; having two very slightly different ones feels perverse somehow. I've only read a few comics with him, but in the Krakoa era, there were notes from a Quiet Council meeting where his resurrection was up for a vote, and was maybe unanimously shot down. The fact that he's maybe not a mutant, but a clone of a mutant, feels like splitting hairs; but he probably was downvoted just because he's a jerk.  Read more!

"Arrived."

I did watch Looper the other day, and that still holds up; but the loopers comment might be swiped from the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 version of "The Time Travelers."

I also dug around, and while I have other Cable's, this was the only other Bishop I had: the old, Toy Biz one! I really thought I had another, but I maybe didn't get the  last one from the Deadpool BAF Sauron wave.

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