Well, less now. With Marvel having recently announced the cancellation of Generation Hope, Daken: Dark Wolverine, X-23, and Wolverine: The Best There Is (among other titles) the House of Ideas looks to be doing some spring cleaning across the line, cutting low selling titles and doubling down on established series and concepts. But still, even with the recent culling, there remains a plethora of X-Men titles out on the market, and that can be a bit overwhelming to the new fan or the lapsed reader looking to return. And seriously, I encourage you do! Now, more than many times in recent history, there are a number of X-Titles out on the stands that are actually really really good. Series with unique mission statements, compelling characters, strong art, clever dialogue, and high concepts brimming with new ideas but still capitalizing on the core conceits of the franchise. And yes, there are also a glut of mediocre titles that exist because of a dedicated number of readers who will buy anything with an "X" on the cover.
How do you know which is which and what is for you? Are you into mainstream Super-Hero adventures, noirish suspense, or over the top science fiction? Are you looking for idealogical innovation or comfort food? Do you wanna see Wolverine do what he does best, or did you rewatch the 90s cartoon on Netflix and just want to see if Rogue and Gambit have finally hooked up yet?
No matter your interest, Heroic Endeavours has got you covered, providing you a handy guide to the core concepts and casts for each of the current X-Books. See what strikes your fancy and head to the store a little smarter when it comes to Marvel's mutants.
UNCANNY X-MENTHE CAST - Cyclops, Emma Frost, Storm, Namor, Colossus, Magik, Hope, Danger, Psylocke, The X-Club (Dr. Nemesis, Madison Jeffries, Dr. Rao).
THE CONCEPT - Uncanny is the core title, and the historic heart of the X-Men line. This is the book that everything else revolves around, and now it also has a very specific mission statement outside of being 'the important book.' Uncanny is focusing on Cyclops' current position as the effective leader of a mutant nation in a non-stop Cuban Missile Crisis. His solution? Put together a very public team of X-Men that ARE the weapons themselves in response to the world's nukes. Cyclops has created an 'Extinction Team' of the heaviest of heavy hitters - the majority of which are also either reformed villains or individuals of conflicted moral character - to act as the face of the X-Men. It's a combination Super-Hero team and PR gambit. If Scott and company can save the world enough times MAYBE one day they'll be accepted. But if not, they will DEFINITELY and very purposely be feared, and that will keep the bombs from coming . It's a risky gambit made worse by the company he keeps - Magneto is basically his consigliere now, and the underlying question is what happens when Scott's team goes too far. The X-Men have always been hated and feared, but this may be the first time they've embraced it as a political maneuver.
WOLVERINE AND THE X-MENTHE CAST - The Faculty and Staff of the Jean Grey School, most notably: Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, The Beast, Iceman, Rachel Grey, Husk, and Toad. Also the Students, focusing on: Quentin Quire, Broo, Kid Gladiator, Oya, Genesis, and Angel.
THE CONCEPT - On the opposite side of both the country and philosophical divide sits the second flagship of the line - Wolverine and The X-men. After splitting with Cyclops over his use of children as soldiers, Wolverine literally put his money where his mouth was and re-opened the Westchester school to try and teach young mutants about more than survival. This book is ALL about that school, and Wolverine's attempt to run an academy of hormonal super-teens rather than a hit squad.
It's fantastic, with great characters and an over the top, anything goes style that fuly embraces mixing super hero comics with John Hughes movies. Focusing equally on the teachers and students, this is the kind of high concept that TV wishes it could put on prime time, but only comics can do since no one else has the budget.
ASTONISHING X-MENTHE CAST - In flux, but soon to be: Wolverine, Iceman, Gambit, Northstar, Warbird, Karma, and Cecilia Reyes.
THE CONCEPT - Astonishing first launched as an opportunity for Joss Whedon and John Cassaday to have a clear path at steering the franchise after Grant Morrison's seminal run ended. The book was designed for new or lapsed readers, with A-List talent working on stories that, while in continuity, were self contained and focused on a core cast. In the spirit of their run the book then became a 'boutique creator' book, featuring other A-List talents focusing on similarly self contained stories with that same cast. The mission statement was "Entry Point" - this was the book for someone who wanted to read one really good X-Men as Super Heroes book, without extra baggage. Eventually (and sadly kind of quickly) the quality of those A-List Teams really started to drop, the cast changed based on the story, and it became just another X-Book. In a few issues it will be officially reconfigured with a new core concept - the members of Wolverine's NY squad acting as heroes for the city of New York. A pretty basic premise designed to spotlight fan favorite characters not already featured in other books.
X-MEN: LEGACYTHE CAST - Rogue, Gambit, Frenzy, Rachel Grey.
THE CONCEPT - Legacy has been something of a rotating ensemble book with Rogue at it's core. Nominally about her acting as a mentor to the younger students, that aspect has often taken a back seat to her adventures of the day. With Rogue moving out to New York to side with Wolverine at the school, the book now serves the purpose of focusing on the X-Men living in New York that are not being featured in Wolverine and the X-Men, with Rogue serving as the focal point. A more traditional comic than W&TXM, but with more of a focus on the school than Astonishing, this is a book to buy if the core cast is specifically of interest.
THE CAST - Storm, Psylocke, Colossus, Jubilee, Warpath, Domino, and rotating guest stars.
THE CONCEPT - This is basically X-Men Team Up, featuring a different guest star for every story-arc. Previous guests have included Spider-Man, Blade, the Fantastic Four, and War Machine. There has also been a running subplot about mutants vs. vampires acting as an undercurrent since the title's inception, leaving Jubilee as the (somewhat surprising) linchpin of the book. Since the X-Men schism, the core cast (which had previously rotated as well) is being focused on Cyclops' "covert action squad" in order to spotlight characters living on Utopia not being focused on elsewhere. Essentially the remit is the same - this is standard fare with the team up aspect as the hook.
UNCANNY X-FORCETHE CAST - Wolverine, Psylocke, Fantomex, Deadpool, Age of Apocalypse Nightcrawler.
THE CONCEPT - When Wolverine isn't teaching his students, he's keeping their world safe by making the hard decisions he hopes they'll never have to make - by running a black ops mutant hit squad. A leader of damaged people trying to do right with the hands they were dealt, his squad targets those evils that require lethal and horrifying force. This isn't all guns and blood though - this is a dense character study about morality and redemption, and the consequences of necessary but brutal acts on the human soul. Steeped in X-Men history while remaining accessible, this is a pure ensemble book soaked in science fiction grandiosity and black humor. What could have been a gratuitous send up to the excesses of the 90s is instead a sprawling, nuanced take on the violence and the cost of being
broken and trying to do right despite it.
X-FACTORTHE CAST - Madrox, Layla Miller, Rictor, Shatterstar, Strong Guy, M, Longshot, Wolfsbane, Banshee, Havok, Polaris, and Pip the Troll.
THE CONCEPT - Jamie Madrox runs a mutant detective agency out of New York City, helping the common man deal with specialized supernatural cases. He's assisted by his team, a motley group of former super heroes who now use their abilities to do right for a living wage. An ensemble book with a noir-ish tint, this is a combination character soap opera and investigative thriller set within the heart of the Marvel Universe. The core of the book are it's rich character interactions and it's deep sense of humor. While the whole cast shines, Madrox proves to be a philosophically deep lead as a man with the power to do everything, and thus has a hard time processing the meaning of anything.
NEW MUTANTSTHE CAST - Moonstar, Sunspot, Magma, Cypher, Warlock, X-Man.
THE CONCEPT - The New Mutants is a book capitalizing on nostalgia for the original iteration of this series, by reassembling most of the classic line up for a reunion tour. The historical legacy of the title, as well as creating a showcase for some fan favorite and otherwise underutilized characters, is the primary reason for this as part of the publishing plan. They have given the book a hook aside from 'the old gang gets back together,' though. This is a squad working for Cyclops, with a primary concern of dealing with the X-Men's 'loose ends.' While a little vague, after 50 plus years of publishing history the X-Men have more than enough loose ends to address, so the idea should be rife with story possibilities. Whether you're here to see beloved characters reunite or want closure for some lingering issues, the hooks of this series are clearly geared toward the knowledgeable fan, so I'm not sure if this is where I'd start as a new reader.
WOLVERINE
THE CAST - Wolverine
THE CONCEPT - What is Wolverine up to when he's not running a school, leading a black ops squad, patrolling NYC as an X-Man, or saving the world as an Avenger? Glad you asked! If you wonder what Wolvie does with his days off (ha!), then Wolverine might be for you. Featuring the solo adventures of Marvel's most popular mutant, Wolverine proves that Logan is indeed the best at what he does - and what he does is ubiquity. This is where you'll get your dose of Logan's love life, his adopted daughter, and the relatives of all the cannon fodder he's killed over the years coming up with revenge plots to kill him. So basically, Tuesday.
DEADPOOL
THE CAST - Deadpool
THE CONCEPT - Looney Tunes meet killer for hire in the serialized solo adventures of Wade Wilson, the Merc with a Mouth known as Deadpool. Dark humor, slapstick violence, and non-stop stream of concious fourth wall breaking narration separate this character from the herd. He's an assasin with a heart of gold and some SERIOUS issues - not the least of which is a healing factor that keeps him alive, but also horribly disfigured. He knows he's in a comic book and often talks to the reader. An immensely skilled fighter, he's also the bane of most other characters' existence, and watching his interactions with the 'straight men' of the Marvel U is part of the fun. Deadpool may be an acquired taste, but if you like smart aleck banter, hyper violence, and a level of metafictional self awareness, then give it a try.
ULTIMATE COMICS: X-MEN
THE CAST - Jimmy Hudson, Iceman, Human Torch, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Quicksilver
THE CONCEPT - This book takes place in the Ultimate Universe, which started out as Marvel's 'classic heroes updated for the modern day and free from continuity' new reader friendly line and a decade later has become the 'we can break the toys however we want to' line. Case in point - Ultimate Comics: X-Men takes place in world where Wolverine, Cyclops, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Xavier and a lot of other characters have all been murdered - either before or after Magneto drowned all of NY, killing millions. In this world mutants were created by the government, Logan was the first mutant, and the US is just straight up gathering them into camps. In the midst of this, old friends Iceman, Kitty Pryde, and The Human Torch (who all used to chill at Peter Parker's place before HE died) are left with some other mutant runaways trying to survive. This is X-Men as teen dystopian future survival film, and part of the (morbid) attraction is that anyone can die and chances are they ain't coming back, so it's a chance to see some things they'll never do over in the regular titles (until it works here).
There we go! You should be all set to start your X-journey. So get to your local comic shop ASAP! (Tell 'em Schlaf sent ya.)
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