First off, let me apologize for being late with the strip. Due a freak electrical storm that fried my ethernet card on Wednesday night, I’ve been without access to the internet.

I thought things would be hunky-dorky since I bought a replacement card last night and installed it, but I still can’t connect. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve done something wrong, or if it is my woefully inconsistent local service provider. My card appears in my Network Connections window of my control panel and it says it’s enabled, but it just can’t make that leap to connecting to the internet. If anyone has any ideas, please contact me.

With that out of the way, how many of you are seeing X-Men 2 tonight? I should see EVERYONE raising their hands. That’s right. Even you in the back. I can see you.

The early reviews look to be pretty positive, so I’m excited for a good result. It’s been reported that Brian Singer was given a budget upwards of $157 million – and it shows.

Usually I’m of the persuasion that throwing more money at a picture makes things worse, not better. But, if anything, the first X-Men was sorely lacking in the amount of effects it could have exhibited. A healthy dose of greenbacks could be the only solution.

Personally, I’m pumped to see Nightcrawler on the big screen and I think the casting of Alan Cumming was brilliant. His addition to the cast, I feel, will be much better received than if they had introduced Gambit or Beast. (Extra points for them sneaking Colossus into the mix!)

I’ve always been an old-school Nightcrawler fan. I don’t like the direction his character has taken in the comics – that of a priest (I prefer his swash-buckling days) – but I always appreciated the dynamic of a man who outwardly looks like a demon, but inwardly is devoutly religious. The irony is palpable.

And, of course, the ability to teleport just kicks ass.

*BAMF!*