Marvel is returning to greatness... after 18 years

[Denirac]

I'm a Nick Lowe fan, too. I liked his stewardship of the X-books and he's been killing it on the Spider-line.

I enjoyed Bendis' run, even if I felt it dribbled to a conclusion, but calling the current books "directionless" is an unfounded complaint.

We've had Jean, Logan, Scott and Xaiver all return - in storylines that clearly had a vision of eventually bringing these iconic characters back to the forefront of the line.

We've also seen the soon-to-be solo Uncanny writer build up to his run with three minis - New Mutants, Multiple Man and Astonishin X-Men - that laid the groundwork for his team well before anyone even knew he was heading to Uncanny.

And we finally had a storyline in Extermination that wrapped up the long - too long - hanging storyline with the O5.

So lately, we've seen a great deal of focus, advance planning and examples of writers and editors playing the long game. Not "directionless" at all.

And if we're going to toss out the "nostalgia pandering" card, Bendis' run was the far bigger culprit in that regard as bringing back the O5 from the past was ALL about nostalgia.

Exactly, Even Extermination didnt just wrap up the Storyline of the O5, it advanced several plots. Ending the O5's story, Reuniting X-Force with a New Mission and Resurrecting Cyclops so he can have a bigger role in Uncanny.

HUNT FOR and RETURN OF WOLVERINE also did this- They set up elements of Daredevil and Uncanny while also Resurrecting Wolverine.

Uncanny X-Men is leading to a BIG reboot of the X-Line presumably after Age of X-Man where i assume they'll reshuffle the teams again, its also tying in Return of Wolverine and Cyclops and Probably going to Tackle The Status of Xavier, which is now a Rosenberg Plot

[Prof. Warren]

People forgetting that when Bendis was around you were still getting other books like Uncanny Avengers, Wood's X-Men and Ultimate X-Men. Sucks Logan died though.

So yeah Snoop is right with the "Bendis" era thing.

But yet people still complained about all those other books at the time. The Bendis era was not loved when it was going on, if you go by message boards comments.

Point being, many X-fans always carry on as though the current books are just the worst that's ever been.

And while you had Uncanny X-Men, Wood's X-Men and Ultimate X-Men then when Bendis was on the books, lately there's been X-23, Old Man Logan (now Dead Man Logan), Mr. & Mrs. X, Astonishing X-Men, Exiles, Domino, X-Men Red, and minis like New Mutants. So it's not like there's been a drought of quality X-titles.

[JKtheMac]

When Bendis was there, people couldn't stop talking about how terrible it was. Now it's "remember how good the X-line was with Bendis?"

Nothing changes with X-fans. Whatever's going on, whoever's writing the books at the time, it's regarded as a total sh*t show, the worst indignity the mutants have ever endured.

Then time passes, and suddenly, no - things were great then, it's the books right now that are the worst!

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Not sure exactly how this is different to any comic book fan. We are seeing lots of retrospective praise for Secret Empire now for example. One would be forgiven in thinking Spencer was ruining comics forever only a few months ago.

On a wider note, the whole premise of this thread was flawed from my perspective. Theoretically it would have been possible for an individual reader to make a thread like this in any year, with any gap, extolling old books and new books and criticising books in between them. 18 years ago was nowhere near as good as the last five or six years according to this reader. I wouldn't even bother reading Marvel if they truly had turned back the clock to that specific moment, but they haven't. I cant see any parallels. Marvel do repeat themes and recycle story ideas but they are not truly cyclical. No era maps onto any other.

I also consider Bendis leaving to be highly regrettable, but a regret I can live with. At least I won't have to worry about being up to date with his books when I listen to him on Word Balloon, because I have no interest in Superman.

[Mike_Murdock]

Scott is Alive again (hopefully to be redeemed after Death of X character assassinated him)

How did Death of X character assassinate him?

[JKtheMac]

How did Death of X character assassinate him?

I can’t resist playing devil’s advocate here. Death of X is specifically about subverting his memory. Taking a tragic death and turning it into a symbol. It is true that the story doesn’t quite land. The repercussions that supposedly made him a pariah in the stories that lead up to the Death of X, referred back to events in a manner that was not paid off. But supposedly his actions were unspeakable and unforgivable in canon.

"Cyclops did something terrible. There is no excuse for his actions. But we are not all Scott Summers" ... Storm

That's damming even though his actual actions don't match this rhetoric. Especially when Storm is shown to have been at least sympathetic to Scott in the actual story.

Lets face it. Marvel got their story twisted out of all proportion. Desperately trying to make the Mutants' actions somehow objectively bad in destroying the terrigen clouds. A lot of over the top rhetoric was pushed at us. Supposedly it was akin to genocide even though nobody was going to die except mutants. In reality it was an affront to a religious stance that is unlikely to have garnered any support from anyone other than the most extreme Inhuman.

I think we are supposed to draw parallels with 'No More Mutants'. As if Emma caused 'No More Inhumans' in Scott's name. Lets face it, some fans think the 'No More Mutants' moment was beyond the pale, and perhaps Marvel got cold feet and pulled the punch a little.

If he had actually unleashed his blasts at the royals maybe that would have been an act of war. But because he was just illusory that wasn't possible. All they can say is he shot first but didn't hit his target. Surely that wouldn't be akin to becoming the super villain he was cast as, but it could be spun as a highly aggressive act. Like a killer who dies at the hands of the police by shooting his gun when told to give up.

But to try and close this huge can of worms. This has mostly been swept under the carpet, and I hope Scott returning won't go too deeply into this nonsense. I just want Scott back. Villain or hero, I don't care. Scott is always right.

[Mike_Murdock]

I don't think Scott is always right, but that's besides the point. But that's my point, regardless of whatever led up to Death of X, Death of X didn't assassinate Scott's character - especially since all Scott did was go to Muir Island and die.

[your_name_here]

Cyclops was failed in AVX when everyone just decided to make him the big world-ending threat at the end. Before that, he was interestingly dark but still the hero (and had room to bounce between the both as Daredevil does)...I don’t think many people knew what to do with him from there.

[The BaRoN]

Tony Stark is back
Captain America is not a nazi
Peter Parker is not Stark lite
X-men finally being treated with respect
Fantastic four on the verge of a return
Disney buying fox has saved mutants
Bendis is gone
Slott is off Spider-man
Avengers is just 1 book and interesting
Guardians is cancelled
Rogue and gambit in the spotlight
Jean Grey is back
Wolverine is back
Cable is back
Bruce banner is back
Thor is coming back
BND on the verge of being reversed
Mutants are back
Inhumans are done


What a time to be alive! the 90s are back baby!

You just know theres going to be a special moment when it all falls into place and the big re launch happens in may.

Wow, so much has happened in those 2 years since this was posted.

Tony Stark is getting a great new creative team
Captain America is still not a nazi
Peter Parker is not a man child anymore and back with MJ
X-men finally being treated with respect and king of sales again
Fantastic four back on top
Disney own fox so no more anti mutant/FF stupidity
Bendis is still gone
Slott is off Ironman
Avengers aren't pushed everywhere anymore
Guardians is much better
Rogue and gambit are married
Jean Grey is important again
Wolverine is back
Cable is back
Hulk is one of the best comics right now
Thor has a good comic again
Inhumans are still done

[Will Evans]

Hank Pym is still dead.

Old Cable is dead, but a younger version is here, similar to O5 X-men.

And the original New Warriors are partially back.

[Sutekh]

Hank Pym is still dead.

Old Cable is dead, but a younger version is here, similar to O5 X-men.

And the original New Warriors are partially back.

Are you listing these as good things? 'Cause I'd argue that kid Cable is not a 'good' thing, and I could go either way on Hank Pym still being dead.

('Cause I like the character, and am pretty sure if he was alive right now, he'd be getting scapegoated for something new, so it's a case of wondering if the character's better off dead, at least until this 'deconstruct / drag all our heroes through the mud' trend goes out of style...)

[Triniking1234]

Hank Pym is MIA, nor dead.

[MatthewFieldhouse]

Hank Pym is still dead.

Old Cable is dead, but a younger version is here, similar to O5 X-men.

And the original New Warriors are partially back.

Old Cable was in Cable #1 before lockdown so probably will return soon

[Will Evans]

Are you listing these as good things?

Neither. I’m being neutral.

Just listing some add-ons responding to the OP stating the “90s” are back at Marvel.

[Force de Phenix]

Lets face it. Marvel got their story twisted out of all proportion. Desperately trying to make the Mutants' actions somehow objectively bad in destroying the terrigen clouds. A lot of over the top rhetoric was pushed at us. Supposedly it was akin to genocide even though nobody was going to die except mutants. In reality it was an affront to a religious stance that is unlikely to have garnered any support from anyone other than the most extreme Inhuman.

I really don't get how people say Marvel was trying to make X-Men the villains and in the next sentence say "they were going to all die. It was genocide"

The statement completely contradicts itself. How is someone made out to look like villains when they are saving themselves from genocide? It's the complete opposite. The inhumans were made out to be the villains and Marvel was gaslighting X-Men fans. Can someone explain how someone is objectively bad for trying to save their people, and how someone is objectively good for wanted to [according to Marvel] kill a species?

Also, Cyclops was made out to be a villain 5 years before the whole inhuman thing in Avengers vs. X-Men when he was trying to save/bring back mutants with the Phoenix Force while the Avengers didn't want to risk anything. People are/were just making excuses to hate on inhumans because their an easy scapegoat.

[cable guy]

Old Cable was in Cable #1 before lockdown so probably will return soon

I really hope he comes back soon.