XMEN BLUE #12 Spoilers and Discussion

[Bart]

Still hate this issue.

Bunn writes Jean like an amateur softie. Where is the confident, sassy Jean? I miss Bendis' Jean. Cyclops telling her to look away and it'll be ok? wtf. NO. She can handle it.

I really dislike Jimmy Hudson. What is the point of him again? I tried giving him a chance, but Bunn has done nothing with him to make him memorable or likeable.

Why have those Rakasha guest star? They're awfully designed and brought nothing to the story. Worst guest stars ever. I feel like Bunn just uses random continuity points or characters just for the sake of showing that he knows his history. But it's not doing the story any favors which could have used more focus on the actual characters in the book. Between them, trying to haphazardly develop the "Hex-Men", Maddie's awful dialogue, the lack of the main characters, and the story just felt really hollow. Like something I'd read from an X-Men Adventures title in the 90s.

The art while decent, doesn't really seem to fit the caliber of artists I'm used to for the core X-Titles.

[danielsan52]

I want Psi-Lord on this team instead of Wolverine VI

[salarta]

Still hate this issue.

Bunn writes Jean like an amateur softie. Where is the confident, sassy Jean? I miss Bendis' Jean. Cyclops telling her to look away and it'll be ok? wtf. NO. She can handle it.

I really dislike Jimmy Hudson. What is the point of him again? I tried giving him a chance, but Bunn has done nothing with him to make him memorable or likeable.

Why have those Rakasha guest star? They're awfully designed and brought nothing to the story. Worst guest stars ever. I feel like Bunn just uses random continuity points or characters just for the sake of showing that he knows his history. But it's not doing the story any favors which could have used more focus on the actual characters in the book. Between them, trying to haphazardly develop the "Hex-Men", Maddie's awful dialogue, the lack of the main characters, and the story just felt really hollow. Like something I'd read from an X-Men Adventures title in the 90s.

The art while decent, doesn't really seem to fit the caliber of artists I'm used to for the core X-Titles.

On Jimmy: you may notice that a fair amount of his use revolves around how he reminds people of Wolverine. Bunn has a problem with seeing characters that are similar or related to a "popular" character as being mostly or completely defined by the popular character.

On the Rakasha (or whatever they're called): I think Bunn is pulling in characters he's more comfortable with writing because he's not comfortable writing the teen O5. Bunn prefers dark and edgy. The teen O5 is light and upbeat. He's out of his element, so he's pulling in things from his element to make writing the book easier on himself.

[theoneandonly]

goblin madelyne needing a anchor to stay made send but the lack of pages or whatever made beast resolve his internal conflict very quickly and didn't denote the kind of struggle which revolting against such potent dark magic requires. Hank being described as a brooding complex person in all realities seems a tad too much of every X character being the sombre and gloomy types. Why he doesn't feel compete after all his accomplishments is backing as is the case with the other hank.

[Calaigah]

Bunn writes Jean like an amateur softie. Where is the confident, sassy Jean? I miss Bendis' Jean. Cyclops telling her to look away and it'll be ok? wtf. NO. She can handle it.

Ehh. She still gets more development than most of this cast, and she has her own book.

I really dislike Jimmy Hudson. What is the point of him again? I tried giving him a chance, but Bunn has done nothing with him to make him memorable or likeable. Why have those Rakasha guest star? They're awfully designed and brought nothing to the story. Worst guest stars ever.

Bunn is a slow burner writer. He didn't finish Archangel's arc in Uncanny. Hopefully, he has something good for them. Then again, he didn't choose this cast. Guess he can only do so much.

I feel like Bunn just uses random continuity points or characters just for the sake of showing that he knows his history. But it's not doing the story any favors which could have used more focus on the actual characters in the book.

Everyone here would be guilty of this.

Between them, trying to haphazardly develop the "Hex-Men", Maddie's awful dialogue, the lack of the main characters, and the story just felt really hollow. Like something I'd read from an X-Men Adventures title in the 90s.

Yeah this arc sucked. He went mustache twirling. Would've been better, having 616 Maddie show up when Goblin Queen summed the Madelyne's. Magneto, Polaris, Danger and Iceboy came off as jokes. She should've tied them on train tracks!

They all forgave Hank too fast. Would've been better having one person secretly disapproving of him.

[jmc247]

Ehh. She still gets more development than most of this cast, and she has her own book.

Agreed teen Jean has gotten more development then the rest of the 05 combined even though a bit soft compared with Bendis teen Jean.

Yeah this arc sucked. He went mustache twirling. Would've been better, having 616 Maddie show up when Goblin Queen summed the Madelyne's. Magneto, Polaris, Danger and Iceboy came off as jokes. She should've tied them on train tracks!

No touch of gray and I am talking moral ambiguity has been an issue with Blue.

But, yes Magneto, Polaris, Danger and Iceboy came off the biggest losers of the story arc... well other then Ultimate Quicksilver and a few others that got toasted before they did much of anything.

[Knives]

I think Bunn is pulling in characters he's more comfortable with writing because he's not comfortable writing the teen O5. Bunn prefers dark and edgy. The teen O5 is light and upbeat. He's out of his element, so he's pulling in things from his element to make writing the book easier on himself.

True he is out of his element but there are other factors weighing against him as the insertion of many subplots and the return of certain original characters creates a climate where it seems that these stories will not matter in the medium or long term.

Changing the subject seems like whatever they are using to make mutants gain a second mutation is not safe which is likely to turn against Emma in the future because of their alliances.

[AbnormallyNormal]

I dropped this as it was definitely the WORST arc of the book. Subpar art, bland characterization, a far more compelling side story than main, more alt reality characters, and an ending that only got dragged out so Bloodstorm, the diversity token, could switch sides.

And they really killed off a bunch of interesting stories by throwing away 1610 QS like that. I thought the Ultimate X-Men would've had more of an impact on the story instead of Sinister's cannon fodder.

Agreed about QS being dead already making no sense but we haven't seen what happened to all the others, if they';re all gone too that's pretty wasted

[salarta]

True he is out of his element but there are other factors weighing against him as the insertion of many subplots and the return of certain original characters creates a climate where it seems that these stories will not matter in the medium or long term.

The stories only won't matter in the medium or long term because he doesn't try to make them matter. Even if the teen O5 were to completely disappear by the end of the year, he could do a hell of a lot. He could write the teens to show facets of their adult counterparts - something he sort of tried to do for Hank with this arc while screwing over other characters in the process. He could use the teen O5 to develop characters like Polaris and Danger. He's choosing not to use what he has, and instead pull in mock-ups of characters he wishes he could write instead.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

The confusing thing is why bring in Bloodstorm but have her not be the Bloodstorm from the Mutant X universe where the character was created in the first place, it's like Bunn wants the name recognition for the characters but then just wants to make everything else up as he goes...

[Tycon]

Agreed about QS being dead already making no sense but we haven't seen what happened to all the others, if they';re all gone too that's pretty wasted

Oops. I forgot to add that I will most likely pick Blue back up (MAYBE Gold too) after the Mojo Worldwide crossover. That Cross Time-Capers sequel looks like it'll be fun (especially since that was basically what all the teasers in #1 were). I'm interested in the Miss Sinister arc w/Wolfsbane, Blob, and Toad's secondary mutations. This book can really benefit from good 5-6 issue stories since they have double-shipping.

[Hulkout42]

This a very Meh issue for me and really the cover was misleading by putting Miss Sinister there while still dealing with Pryor.

[AbnormallyNormal]

The confusing thing is why bring in Bloodstorm but have her not be the Bloodstorm from the Mutant X universe where the character was created in the first place, it's like Bunn wants the name recognition for the characters but then just wants to make everything else up as he goes...

I agree that was just incredibly confusing to be honest

[Sardorim]

.....Seriously?

Yes, she is technically and genetically both of their daughters.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

It'd be like if another writer brought in Ruby Summers to their book, but have it not the Ruby Summers that we've already met in past issues...