Nightcrawler

X-Men: Apocalypse is continuing the tradition of recasting classic X-Men as younger characters (Sophie Turner as Jean Grey and Tye Sheridan as Cyclops), so it should be no surprise that another fan favorite is getting recast. Director Bryan Singer announced on Instagram that Kodi Smit-McPhee (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) has signed on to star as Nightcrawler, a sleazy Hollywood paparazzo who will stop at nothing to get his shot. (Wait...)

The early ’90s were spoiled for choice when it came to comic book adaptations. Not only was Batman: The Animated Series on the air, but X-Men led Marvel’s push to get on the small screen, diving right into the often convoluted continuity of everyone’s favorite mutants, luring in a generation of fans, and paving the way for cartoons to follow. That’s why we’ve set out to review every single episode of the ’90s X-Men animated series. This week, Jubilee actually compares the events of her life to a soap opera, just in case you didn't get that before now.

Changing the racial identity of characters has become a contentious issue amongst fans of superhero comics and their adaptations in other media. The awful practices of casting white actors to play people of color, or of turning previously non-white characters into white characters, is all too common in movie adaptations of books, cartoons, TV shows, or even real life stories -- but rather surprisingly, superhero comics and their adaptations have mostly avoided this problem. In comics, the controversy takes a different direction. Several white characters have become non-white, mostly in movies, and sometimes in reboots. Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm in the new Fantastic Four; Helena Bertinelli aka the Huntress in the New 52; Nick Fury in the Ultimate Comics line and on screen. These are changes that agitate some readers -- but realistically, the changes don't go far enough. Superhero comics have a cultural bias towards white characters that has everything to do with their institutional history and nothing to do with what makes sense to the stories.

The early ’90s were spoiled for choice when it came to comic book adaptations. Not only was Batman: The Animated Series on the air, but X-Men led Marvel’s push to get on the small screen, diving right into the often convoluted continuity of everyone’s favorite mutants, luring in a generation of fans, and paving the way for cartoons to follow. That’s why we’ve set out to review every single episode

Wednesday's links await, after the jump.

Nightcrawler is coming back! As announced at Sunday's X-Men panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the return of the X-Men's swashbuckling blue elf is the centerpiece of the first arc of Jason Aaron and Ed Brubaker's new X-Men ongoing series, Amazing X-Men. With a hand-picked team featuring Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Iceman, Northstar and first-timer Firestar, Amazing X-Men sends its heroes off into the afte

Marvel's weekend of announcements at San Diego Comic-Con wrapped up with the X-Men panel, which featured news of another X-Men team book and the resurrection of fan favorite character; an unlikely new solo mini-series from the creator of The Adventures of Dr. McNinja; and the addition of artist Terry Dodson to Brian Wood's upcoming X-Men storyline. Marvel director of communications Arune Singh mod

Long before Dane Cook worked "BAMF" (willingly or painfully) into wider pop culture canon, Wolverine's main elf Nightcrawler was "bamfing" like a BAMF his own way -- sulfury teleportation-style. Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum know what's up, working the appropriately named "Bamfing Nightcrawler" into August's approaching Minimates Wave 41/Toys "R" Us W

In one of the cooler trans-corporate crossovers we've seen in a while, the producers of This American Life have collaborated with Marvel Comics to create a limited edition poster featuring Wolverine and Nightcrawler to promote both the X-Men comics as well as This American Life, the Ira Glass radio documentary series enjoyed by homo-sapiens and mutants alike...

There's a flashback in issue 16 of "Wolverine Weapon X," where, sitting by the grave of Jean Grey, Nightcrawler consoles a mourning Logan by telling him "But trust me, we will see her again." This one-shot is an examination of Logan's grieving process for his recently deceased friend Kurt Wagner, one that explores the contrast between Kurt's religious faith and Logan's lack th