X-Overview

Man, there are a LOT of X-Men comics out there, huh?


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-MEN

THE 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-MEN

THE 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-MEN

THE 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: LEGACY

THE 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.

X-MEN

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-FORCE

THE 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-FACTOR

THE 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 MUTANTS

THE 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.)

This Week's Haul - 1/12/12 (Part 2)

Part 2! Check out part 1 (and an in depth look at the current philosophical paradigm of the X-Men) here.

***********SPOILER WARNINGS***********

X-Factor #230

I've been reading X-Factor consistently since it relaunched 80 issues and five specials ago (there was a renumbering in there too). It has been my most consistent purchase over the last several years and there are two major reasons for that. The first is writer Peter David, and the second are the incredible characters he has helped to shepherd and develop. Somewhat of a rarity in modern comics, David has been the only writer for all 80+ issues of the revival and this has allowed the title to develop a consistent feel and narrative, even amidst the revolving door of artistic talent that has drawn the book. While the high concept of the series has waxed and waned over the years (and it's a high concept which I love - Jamie Madrox and company running a mutant detective agency for the Marvel Universe with a slightly noirish tint) what has stayed steady is the incredible characterization and growth of an ensemble cast that has managed to turn perennial C or D-listers into absolute FAVORITE characters of mine. I never thought I would tell you that Rictor or Shatterstar would be some of my favorite characters in comics, but hey - they're awesome. While some story arcs are better than others, and I hold that the best arcs are the ones that really live in and embrace the core high concept, what ties the series together are the relationships at play - and those relationships keep me coming back issue after issue.

This particular installment has an unusual goal in that while it's the second part of a story, it's also clearly branded as a jumping on point for new readers as part of the line wide Regenesis banner. I think it succeeds pretty well given that you're jumping into the deep end of the pool no matter which issue of X-Factor you get. David is juggling multiple plot lines, some as old as several years ago, and he has consistently proven that they will all eventually build into each other and pay off for the longtime reader - but you're pretty much starting in the middle of something no matter what. This is also a book with a core ensemble of twelve characters (two new additions this issue!), another core character on hiatus but coming back this year, recurring guest stars, and a remit to interact with the Marvel Universe at large. It's a crowded book, and yet everyone gets a chance to shine and express themselves.

It's not a perfect issue - some of the humor felt off this time around, a bit too forced, or maybe the timing between writer and artist was off. When X-Factor is on it is laugh out loud funny, and this issue was more a knowing nod going "ah, I see what you were going for there." But there is some nice stuff, particularly between Layla Miller and Wolverine as they stand over the body of the presumed dead Madrox. Wolfsbane's reaction to Wolverine showing up was also a nice nod (given the last time they worked together she was driven into blood lust and made to eat her own father), and Logan's relationship with Rahne provides one of the clearest examples as to why he's decided that children as soldiers is a TERRIBLE idea and to open a school instead. I'm actually hoping Logan brings Rahne up to Scott as it serves a pretty poignant example of the cost.

In many ways X-Factor has been the X-group operating most closely within the ideals of Xavier's dream of actual integration ever, certainly more than the X-Men themselves, by deciding to set up shop in NYC and earn a living through their powers by offering a service to humans and mutants alike. Given that half the X-Men just basically took a hike from Utopia due to Scott's isolationist tendencies, it's nice to see Madrox's crew get the credit for walking the walk well before anyone else decided to. Madrox has been telling Scott where to stick it for awhile now. Too bad he's only vindicated once he's dead.

Next Up - 2 weird Spider-Man anthologies.

This Week's Haul - 1/12/12

One of the things I love most about shopping at Big Planet Comics in College Park is that right in the front of the store they have the 'give away shelves' - restocked pretty consistently week to week with books culled from the back issue bins and donated collections. Any book on those two shelves are free to take away with you, and I have used that opportunity to add greatly to my back issue collection. It adds a better value to my trip, as I may be paying full price for my new issues but overall I'm still getting a great deal on what ends up in my bag. It also means that in my weekly reviews from the store I'll have an interesting collection of the books I'm reading now (mainly X-Men related with some New 52 thrown in), but also some curious selections from the back catalogue. Case in point today - two over sized Spider-Man anthologies I had never even heard of.

So lets take a look at this week's haul.

***** SPOILER WARNING***********

Wolverine and the X-Men #4

Okay, if you're not reading Wolverine and the X-Men and Uncanny X-Force then I can't promise that's your first problem, but it's definitely your current problem. Because these are phenomenal books and both are important to this issue, which sees writer Jason Aaron succeed in a tremendously difficult arena - the creation of an enjoyable self contained issue that also pushes the main plots forward while adding in subplots from an entirely different series. He does this all while deftly juggling an ensemble cast in the double digits and giving everyone a moment in the spotlight. It's fun, funny, quirky, and hits just the right notes of playing to the shared universe of these stories without feeling beholden to it. Given, I'm reading both books, and this is a compelling next step for a trio of characters that seem to be moving from X-Force to WatXM. This series has been a home run so far, and I truly recommend it.

To catch you up, the X-Men have split on philosophical differences, mainly relating to the treatment of mutant teenagers as part of the post-Decimation world (where the Scarlet Witch robbed just about all mutants with the exception of the 198 most famous ones of their mutant powers, leaving them an endangered species). Cyclops is leading a mutant nation on an island just off the coast of San Francisco, utilizing the relatively novel strategy of starting a new cold war with the rest of the world to ensure mutant safety, using themselves as the nukes. Scott is training the younger X-Men that stayed with him to be combat ready in a world that may strike at any moment. Conversely, Wolverine basically said enough is enough, and kids are kids, and went back to Westchester to reopen the old school and teach younger mutants rather than train them. Their school is insanely awesome. Effectively, Scott is now practicing the more pragmatic and isolationist ideas that Magneto used to champion, only without the killing innocent people part. Logan is championing a more pure version of Xavier's dream by not only re-opening the school, but incorporating more species than mutants into the student body - including aliens, clones, and living land masses at last count. It may seem surprising that Scott Summers, the former poster boy for the Xavier school, is the one living alone on an island with Magneto daring Iran not to blink, but it's actually a pretty natural extension of the characters after the last few years, not to mention a guy who was raised to be the leader of a covert para-military operation since he was 16. In many ways, Logan's new school is MUCH more representative of an actual school than ever before in X-Men history, except for the Morrison era, and so far he has a leg up on Xavier since no busses full kids have blown up yet (yup - totally happened).

What's pretty awesome about this set up is two fold. First, while characters like Magneto and Xavier are both still around and operating and significant supporting characters, they are no longer the figureheads for the core ideological discussion at the root of the X-Books. They have been supplanted by the next generation of mutant leaders and thinkers - a promise heralded all the way back in Grant Morrison's seminal New X-Men - Planet X arc, but with a potential only now just beginning to be realized. This allows the book to feel like it has actually evolved - a tremendous feat in a medium where Stan Lee once boldly (and apocryphally) announced in the 1970s that we 'no longer needed change, only the illusion of change,' and where nostalgia fueled reboots tend to wipe out years of development in favor of starting clean for a new generation.

The second exciting thing is what the nature of this schism allows us to have from a storytelling perspective. It took a long time and a lot of moving pieces to get us here, but we finally have both sides of the ideological divide represented equally and evenly and at a relatively equivalent morality. For a long time Xavier's methods were always the protagonists' methods, and so while Magneto might have made a good point or two, it was hard to ignore that he was doing so while leading 'The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants' or calling for the slaughter of most homo-sapiens. Now maybe you disagree with Scott's politics and worry he's riding way too close to the edge - a plot point in the book - but he's also been shown as a capable and competent wartime general who united and led his people to survival. This is no evil villain calling for the death of humans, this is Scott friggin Summers from 1963's X-Men #1 taking on the responsibility of a world leader. And it is EXACTLY what Magneto was trying to do with Avalon in the 90s, only on island by the bay instead of out in space. And the threat of a global EMP. It's fascinating to see that for all of Xavier's teaching Scott is basically following the Magneto path, down to Mags kneeling before him in a public show of fealty and is now acting as his concierge. Intentional or not, that is a rather damning commentary on either Xavier's dream, or his methods. I'm going to go with methods, as I've spent the better part of my life believing in the peaceful coexistence of races - but it is fascinating to see both sides fleshed without one being the ostensible villains.

Which leaves us with Wolverine, the man who is concurrently running a non-violent school for youths AND a black ops hit squad, as the moral figurehead of Xavier's dream. This duality is at the center of this particular issue as we see how the ramifications of X-Force's latest mission (which resulted in the death and rebirth of Archangel without any of his memories, and a young clone of Apocalypse named Evan who was raised in a virtual reality Smallville to really answer the nature vs. nurture question) will affect the school, and how Logan and his staff will navigate that. It's interesting to note that while Hank, Kitty, and Bobby (definitely the core moral center of the X-Men now) want NOTHING to do with X-Force, none of them are particularly surprised to hear Wolverine is doing that kind of stuff, because that's the way he's always been. If anything, this school is a MUCH bigger change for Wolvie - who used to take teenage girls under his wing by teaching them how to use swords and dodge bullets. Contrast that with the shock and horror everyone had when Cyclops was doing the same thing, and it's because Scott has changed, and I don't think it was apparent to anyone just how much he had until recently.

So this issue is a bit of an epilogue, a bit of a breather, and a TREMENDOUS amount of fun. It's the X-Men book I've wanted for a long time, and I've been a fan of some more recent runs (Fraction's, for all its flaws, in particular). The students are great, the teachers are great, the stakes are high, the high concepts are present and so are the small character moments, as well as the philosophical implications.

If you look at the X-Men as one giant, long form story told over generations this is an important series of moments.

To Be Continued