Current State of Affairs of Marvel's X-Franchise

Marvel's X-Franchise (that is, the X-Men and related titles) saw a revitalization within the last year with the Messiah Complex crossover (which is to say, Marvel's X-people finally figured out what to do with the ramifications that came from House of M, some years later). Despite not being as high-profile as some X-fans hoped for, the crossover story was nonetheless sound, involved the majority of X-characters in varying capacity, and succeeded in taking the X-franchise in a new direction. Some characters left, other characters found a new direction, some books were canceled, and some new titles were started. Good, good. It's nice to see something actually happen, isn't it?

This week saw the release of the latest issue (#4) of Young X-Men, one of the aforementioned new titles. Although the first arc is not yet completed, I happen to be caught up on all X-issues, and so this makes for a good time to take a look at the titles and where the X-Men line, at the moment, is. Yes, there are spoilers.

X-Men: Legacy - Mike Carey (writer) and Scot Eaton (pencils): This title is one of the strongest X-titles on the stands, if not the strongest. Originally, it was the title usually referred to as Adjectiveless X-Men, started once upon a time ago to showcase Jim Lee's art. It took the name change coming out of the end of Messiah Complex, to make Uncanny once again the flagship of the series (whereas, leading into Messiah Complex, Carey was pushing the train full steam ahead in these pages), and allowing Carey to pursue his newest endeavor: an ongoing following a broken Xavier, trying to pick up the pieces in a world where he's no longer the leader of the X-Men. The premise might not excite a lot of people - and, in fact, it hasn't - but nonetheless, the premise is strong and sound, as are the pages and the writing. Eaton's artwork is fine - quasi-realistic, which fits the X-Men well enough, and given that this title is darker and more serious it fits even better - and his panel work is equally fine. What Carey's doing here, essentially, is no different than what Grant Morrison has been doing with his recent and ongoing run on Batman. Carey is putting Xavier moving forwards, but haunted by his past, and is dragging up bits and pieces of past stories, essentially cherrypicking what he wants to use versus what he wants to disregard. He is also, with the most recent issues, picking up what happened to Mr. Sinister in Messiah Complex, and putting Sinister and (presumably) Gambit back at their A-games. Carey is also responsible, even as far back as the "Endangered Species" one-shot issue, for bringing Sebastian Shaw back into the picture, and is using him in the pages of Legacy. Carey is clearly (and self-reportedly) a fan of the X-Men, and a fan of the X-mythos, and it shows. The pages of Legacy honor the mythology and, even better, add to it.


Cable - Duane Swierczynski (writer) and Ariel Olivetti (artist): If there's an X-title currently published that competes with Legacy at the top of the franchise, it's Cable. Cable has had his own ongoing before, and comes to this new ongoing from his time in the spotlight in the relatively shortlived (only 50 issues) but mostly-phenomenal Cable & Deadpool. Like Legacy, this title makes use of artwork that isn't the norm for X-Men. Yes, the X-Men comics are generally used to a more cartoony and less heavy-realism style, and to inject a piece of opinion here, it's how I generally like to see them. But Eaton's artwork, above, works. And here, the realism in Olivetti's art works, and makes for a lovely synergy with Swierczynski's dark story. The backstory goes to and before Messiah Complex - in the crossover's "prologue," Carey's "Blinded by the Light" arc, Cable appears to die (reflected in an issue of Cable & Deadpool). Of course, he's not dead, and returns in Messiah Complex thanks to a clue he received from a supposedly-enemy Gambit. (I called that, for the record, way back when.) He snags the mutant baby in Messiah Complex and, at the end of Messiah Complex, takes off into the future with her. That's where the ongoing begins. The future, by the way, is not very flattering - a rather destitute place, looking almost like what one would expect to see in a good ol' fashioned western. Swierczynski himself is a novelist, and joins an increasing number of novelists who are moving into writing for the comics medium. He makes the transition well enough, and makes for a more successful storytelling direction in conjunction with Olivetti than if he were paired with someone else. A huge part of Cable is Cable's arch-enemy, thus far, of the ongoing - and that is the previous X-Man, Bishop. Bishop's turn has been a sore spot among fans, apparently, and a large part of that is caused by the fact that it was barely covered within Messiah Complex. We know why he wants the baby dead, but it's a very sudden revelation. It's fine, but could have been done nicer, done better. Yes, Bishop wants the baby that Cable is protecting dead - yes, Bishop is willing to kill the baby. But, then, Bishop has always been a character, like Cable, who has always been willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Swierczynski doesn't take the easy way out, though. The ongoing is not all about Cable. Swierczynski uses Bishop's perspective as well from time to time, though not anywhere near as much as he writes from Cable's perspective. Additionally, Swierczynski has a wonderful grasp on Cable's character. Yes, Cable is a diverse character. Yes, Cable can be used as a messiah the way Fabian Nicieza did in the wonderful "The Burnt Offering" arc of Cable & Deadpool. But, at his core, Cable is a soldier used to fighting a war. And as any larger-than-life character, he leaves a trail behind him, and it's usually not a trail of roses and other pretty-smelling flowers. He leaves a trail of destruction and devastation behind him, and it changes the people he touches. There's a wonderful, poignant moment in which Swierczynski/Olivetti show this in the latest, fifth issue of Cable. (Oh, and also in the latest issue, the baby is shown to have the outline of a phoenix in her eyes - another red herring, or is it actually Jean reborn?)


X-Factor - Peter David (writer) and different pencilers: X-Factor continues to be, after Messiah Complex, the same strong, fringe X-book it was before Messiah Complex. Showing the strength of David's writing, the title continues to change and evolve. Initially, the title began as an homage to crime noir, and X-Factor was a detective organization run by Madrox. Initially-initially, David's X-Factor, in its original ongoing, was a government-run mutant team. And now, as of the latest issue, X-Factor might again become a government-run mutant team. But, we shall see. Primarily, the book is all about the character moments. Stories happen, and stories make change, and characters have to respond and react accordingly. This means tons and tons of character development. David's cast of characters hasn't really changed, with the exception of Wolfsbane leaving. However, the characters themselves have certainly changed over the time the book has been in publication. And, of course, we have witty and funny dialogue. X-Factor is definitely a big X-title, despite not being a full-on X-title.


X-Force - Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (writers) and Clayton Crain (artist): Crain's artwork is really neat, and makes for a great gritty and dark style for a gritty and dark title. Kyle and Yost come from their work on New X-Men, where they decided to take a really no-holds-barred position and kill some characters (which has forever earned them the enmity of no few number of fans). But they write a fine book that isn't about much else than action - the book could really use another name, though. The title stays true to the new evolution of Cyclops's character, as someone willing to push the buttons, in the name of mutant security, that Xavier never would. Kyle and Yost continue writing their character, X-23, who now threatens to revert to the road she was made for - killing. They write Warpath as returning to his vengeful and killing roots. Some fans might have a problem with this, since Warpath left those roots behind - and, truthfully, the death of Caliban isn't a thrilling or genius reason for him to revert - but the characterization is nice, because Warpath has to continually war with it. He knows he's reverting, and it isn't what he wants, but he also wants the Purifiers to pay (not only for Caliban, I think, but for all the mutants and former mutants they've murdered), and knows that he's one of the few mutants willing and able to do it. And they write a thrilling Wolverine, who isn't blabbing all about how "he's the best at what he does," which gets to be such a tired tagline after you hear it the 90th time. Instead of going the stereotypical route, they write Wolverine as caring and concerned. He knows he's a murderer and, despite being a good guy, a monster. He knows he should be doing the wetworks, and doesn't want X-23 and Warpath doing it with them. But Wolverine also isn't the compassionate father figure - when they insist, well, there's a job that needs doing, and here's how to do it. It's an interesting take and dichotomy on the character. Despite initial looks being not very promising, X-Force has turned out to be an above-average title.


Uncanny X-Men - Ed Brubaker (writer) and Mike Choi (pencils): As of next issue, #500, the creative team will be different. Matt Fraction joins Brubaker on writing, and Choi gets replaced by the alternating art duties of Terry Dodson and Greg Land. Regardless, the flagship of the franchise rates right about here, well under Legacy and Cable. Brubaker is a great writer, and though his writing on Uncanny has not been and is not horrible, it's not anything to write home about. His initial arc, the twelve-issue "Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire" suffered from pacing and, in the end, 12 issues was not enough to legitimately tell and finish the story. His follow-up arc, "The Extremists," was just fine - it showed his strengths, writing at the street level (see Captain America and Daredevil) - but lacked the oomph of what the story was about, and what it accomplished. Yes, it brought in the powerless Magneto, but nothing happened with Magneto until Carey brought him into the initial Legacy arc. There was nothing, by the story's end, that happened, for the characters to respond to. And now, following Messiah Complex, that the book is returned to its flagship status, it falls on the figurative shoulders of Uncanny to set the status quo for the rest of the franchise. This, it does - the X-Men set up shop in San Fran. But the arc in which this happens suffers the same fate of "The Extremists." What happens? Scott and Emma thwart another Mastermind who made San Fran into a hippy-ville. It's nice to see some downtime. It's nice to see a new status quo set. But a story ultimately has to be about defining moments for characters, too - and Brubaker has to know this, considering his work elsewhere - and we're missing that, outright. Even after a fight with Cyclops in the final issue, there's just an apology to Proudstar/Warpath for shooting him with an optic blast. In Russia, Wolverine/Colossus beat on Omega Red until Nightcrawler decides to teleport him way up into the sky (which rocked, by the way), the only aftermath is "Well, yeah, I guess we should call SHIELD in to cart his ass away." There doesn't need to be melodramatic moments, but it would be nice to see some dramatic moments, or some aftermath that concerns the characters, how they feel, and that would allow them to develop and/or grow. Among other things. But Choi's artwork is gorgeous, and his Colossus is awesome. Too bad he's leaving the title. It'll be interesting to see if Fraction co-writing improves the title at all.


Young X-Men - Marc Guggenheim (writer) and Yanick Paquette (pencils): Essentially, this title replaced New X-Men, previously written (as mentioned above) by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost. This title even uses a couple - Rockslide and Dust. Then we have Blindfold and Wolf Cub. And then we have a couple new characters. And a weird premise. The supposedly-Cyclops assembles a questionable team of kids to kill the former New Mutants who are supposedly now the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. As of #4, Cyclops has been revealed to be Donald Pierce. Originally, people were claiming the Cyclops to be a Skrull, which didn't make much sense. It's actually not incredibly fair to try and rate this title, considering the first arc hasn't ended yet. There are still questions, and hopefully some answers will be forthcoming. Paquette's artwork might not be the prettiest to look at, but there's nothing wrong with the storytelling properties of his panel work. It's not a particularly incredible book, though. It could possibly become something great (the team of kids operating out of the Hellfire Club at the behest of the previous New Mutants, for instance - Sunspot and Cannonball and Moonstar and Magma taking the teacher and leadership roles on the east coast while the mainstream X-Men operate on the west could make for some very interesting stories), but at the moment it's simply a slow-moving beast that doesn't show much promise.


Astonishing X-Men - Warren Ellis (writer) and Simone Bianchi (pencils): Don't confuse this with the Whedon-Cassaday Astonishing X-Men. Hopefully, this creative team won't face six month delays that really hurt the book. Whether the title will still operate in its own little bubble or actually have some relevance within the rest of the franchise, I'm not sure. Ellis does have the team operating out of San Francisco, though, so the title at least works out of the mold set by the current status quo. Beyond that, though, the title only has one issue under the new creative team's belt. What's there to really say? Ellis perhaps overdoes Emma's dialogue and attitude a few times. He brings in Storm, whether as a guest-star or permanent member of the team remains to be seen. His Cyclops continually refers to Beast as "Henry," rather than "Hank," which is and feels odd. But even with those little problems, Ellis isn't reinventing the wheel or going outside his comfort zone - he's incorporating the weird scientific realm he excels at writing within, and when he starts having Beast explain scientific stuff, it flows and feels incredibly natural. The first issue shows a neat premise. Whether it delivers, well, that remains to be seen, too.