X-Men (General Discussion) Comic Book • Page 12

I got bored and have decided to try to do an X-Men re-read of all the big stuff from New X-Men on.

Just got to Astonishing X-Men. Man those Cassaday covers are just gorgeous. Laura Martin’s colors. My goodness.

 

My read through continues apace. Finished Deadly Genesis (big swing and a miss from Brubaker on that one), the Madrox mini, and now I'm doing the first arc of X-Factor.

I remember loving David's X-Factor, so I am excited to run through it again.

Also, Funko announced some X-Men 97 Pops! that look cool. Cyclops, Magneto, Gambit, and Bishop.

 

Man, Realm of X #1 is so friggin bad. Who let this exist?

Complete disregard for the fact that even without her mutant powers, Magik is a War Captain, and a powerful sorceress to boot. But they write her so weirdly helpless.

 

I haven't read more than a preview of Realm of X yet because that was one I reluctantly decided to trade-wait. But, given that it's a Torunn Grønbekk comic, "so friggin bad" that it's surprising it exists... seems unlikely? lol.

Are there problems with the issue outside of Magik not being at 100%?

 

Lol alright maybe that’s an exaggeration. I just really didn’t like it. A lot of the character writing and voices felt out of character for the cast In a way that felt wildly off to me.

 

It's funny how there's a lot of X-material that's appealing to me, but the side effect of that glut of material is me slowing down terribly in the past year. I bought that whole recent New Mutants mini and left it in my to-read pile. I think that Mutant Strike Force one-shot was the only X-book I read between Dark Web and last week's Dark X-Men (which was great imo). Deciding to trade-wait Children of the Vault was so hard, lol.

With this Fall of X initiative, that big Wolverine storyline with Sabretooth in early 2024, and Tom Brevoort moving later next year from the Avengers office to the X-office... I'm terribly curious what's coming next.

 

I think they’ve said Fall of X is like Act 2 of the the whole Krakoa era, so I wonder if by the time we actually see stuff start to come out from the start of Brevoort’s tenure, the Krakoa era will be totally over. If he’s moving there later next year, I imagine the first X stuff we see with him at the helm will be mid to late 2025ish?

 

Idk. Depends I guess on how far out they have things mapped out and what that sort of transition looks like behind the scenes. Maybe Tom’s talking to Jordan White & the various creatives to know where the story ends, and beginning to assemble potential new creative teams & books for late 2024 into 2025? Maybe one of next year’s events is some kinda “Phalanx Covenant” thing.

My gut feeling is that, long term, Krakoa as it existed in this era will end, but its legacy will continue with some form of Arakko as a permanent addition to the Marvel universe.

 

!!!

 

Ugh not looking forward to it. I’ll try to have some optimism though.

 

I doubt Krakoa is totally going away. My money is on the mansion returning in some form, while some choose to stay on the island. A Utopia/Jean Grey School type of situation. Although maybe not as at odds with each other.

 

Idk. The mutant that is the classic island itself might not literally die, but my gut feeling is that Krakoa as it has existed will end. And if that happens, imo it’s a healthy choice.

I maintain that the best ways to carry on the legacy of this era are, one, keeping some form of Arakko thriving on Mars (with its own ongoing series), and two, having all those characters who were resurrected or given their powers back still on the table afterwards.

 

I do really hope Arakko sticks around and remains an important part of X titles for a long time.

 

So long as they keep giving some non-a list mutants time to shine, I'm fine with wherever the line goes. It's been really cool to see characters like Exodus and Synch's growth (both in popularity and as actual characters) over the last few years

 

X-Men '97 episode titles and synopsis:

Episode 1: To Me, My X-Men
Episode 2: Mutant Liberation Begins
Episode 3: Fire Made Flesh
Episode 4: Motendo
Episode 5: Remember It
Episode 6: Bright Eyes
Episode 7: Shine With Strength Reborn
Episode 8: Tolerance is Extinction Part 1
Episode 9: Tolerance is Extinction Part 2
Episode 10: Tolerance is Extinction Part 3

"Storm and Wolverine try to continue the X-Men. Magneto comes in and wants to step up for Charles Xavier. Mister Sinister comes in to try to end the X-Men once and for all."

 

I neeeeeed it

 

Very excited for this, and based on the title of the fourth episode, I bet anything it's going to involve this guy right here:

 

Will anyone rewatch seasons 1 - 5 to prep for this? I'll probably just do recaps as much of the show is still in my memory.

 

I won't just because I've read recaps that did not paint the show in a very flattering light, and I kind of want to keep it in my mind as the show I remembered watching, not the show it probably is.

I will say though, even as a kid I was shocked at how ballsy they were for introducing a character in the first episode and immediately killing them off. I was also so super stoked when they brought Morph back in the second season. His whole arc is just great.

 

All I know is…..

Covered with scorpions!

 

Anyone keeping up with the X-line, in its shift from “Fall of X” into, uh, “Fall of the House of X”?

I was incredibly optimistic, more than most, about the line as Hickman transitioned out. And, the best stuff I’ve read (or sampled to read in collections to read later) have been great. But, it really feels like it lost its foundation and is now petering off.

The X-fandom I interact with online has this fear of the Brevoort era coming up, of moving backwards, of ~the mansion~ returning. However, I’m not convinced that some of this final act isn’t itself a form of playing it too safe, playing the hits, etc. As much as the upper echelon of Krakoan era books will always be all-timer X-books, I’m so ready to see the shape of this July relaunch.

 

The only thing I think regularly about X-Men is how fucked they've made Beast's characterization over the years. Went from one of my favorite characters to a real scumbag.

 

To be fair on that one, the seeds of this angle can be found as far back as at least the 90s. And, to Percy’s credit, he’s had an obvious escape hatch to classic Beast ready for a while that, based on solicits, is getting pulled as X-Force wraps up this year.

What was the last X-book you read all the way through? Anything in the Krakoan era? As much as it grew bigger than it should have, there’s a lot of good shit throughout these five years. (Just wish it’d been tighter, but that’s a systemic issue in Big 2 comics, lol.)