The Bearded Trio

Starring High Jackman, Patrick Stewart,  Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, eriq LaSalle and Dafne Keen Screenplay by Scott Frank, Michael Green and James Mangold Directed by James Mangold  Reviewed by Paul & Patrick Gibbs Out of Four T he X-Men franchise has had spectacular ups and downs since its debut in 2000, but our fondness for the franchise has remained a steady presence. We went into the first movie with only a passing familiarity with the source material, but we were quickly hooked by it, and like most everyone else, one of the key factors for us was this unknown Australian actor, Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine. The actor and the character commanded the screen from the get go, with a roguish sense of mystery, and strong physicality.  There was the inescapable feeling of a complex, tortured soul in there, a soul capable of great good, and perhaps great evil. Jackman has played the role now for 17 years. To put this in perspective, consider

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. What would you give up in your quest for power? What if it cost you your very soul? This February, those questions and more will be answered in the pages  Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex ,  the epic crossover taking place in the pages of  Guardians of the Galaxy, All-New X-Men, Legendary Star-Lord, Cyclops, Captain Marvel, Nova  and  Guardians Team-Up ! But before this epic even blasts off in 2015, Marvel is pleased to present your very first look at a selection of  Cosmically Enhanced Variant Covers , all by blockbuster artist  Andrea Sorrentino  ( Uncanny X-Men Annual, All-New X-Men Annual) ! With the power to unlock the user’s true cosmic potential, The Black Vortex, an ancient artifact of limitless power has been unleashed upon the universe. Now, get your first look at some of the Guardians and the X-Men in their new, supercharged forms! “What happens when one person submits to the Black Vortex and b