Hickman is back!

[XPac]

The quote is from the C2E2 panel:



Now I'm wondering how different things might have been if Bendis had decided not to leave the Avengers and Hickman had gotten X-Men... but then he'd probably have run right into the war between Marvel and Fox in the mid-10s, so maybe it's all for the best.

I wonder if that would mean he would have simply done his Secret Wars stuff through the X-Men instead of the Avengers books. He was already doing Fantastic Four, so the seeds of Secret Wars was already being planted.

[Frontier]

I wonder if that would mean he would have simply done his Secret Wars stuff through the X-Men instead of the Avengers books. He was already doing Fantastic Four, so the seeds of Secret Wars was already being planted.

I mean, there wasn't much about his Secret Wars storyline that was really Avengers centric, the team books were more his vehicles for telling what ended up being another FF story in the end, so I don't think it would've changed much.

[TheCape]

I mean, there wasn't much about his Secret Wars storyline that was really Avengers centric, the team books were more his vehicles for telling what ended up being another FF story in the end, so I don't think it would've changed much.

I always thougth that most of his Avengers were action figures instead of characthers, he was more focus in his big concepts than in the team IMO.

[Frontier]

I always thougth that most of his Avengers were action figures instead of characthers, he was more focus in his big concepts than in the team IMO.

His Avengers, yeah.

New Avengers was where I think the real story was for Hickman.

[Iron Maiden]

His Avengers, yeah.

New Avengers was where I think the real story was for Hickman.

Me too. This is where the core part of the story with the incursions, the plans with Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom and the Molecule Man takes place, which all ends in Secret Wars. It caps off his Fantastic Four run in an epic way.

[Reviresco]

I always thougth that most of his Avengers were action figures instead of characthers, he was more focus in his big concepts than in the team IMO.

He did have a lot of cool big concepts. But he also did a great bromance with Thor and Hyperion as well as the stuff with Cannonball, marriage and the kid.

His Avengers, yeah.

New Avengers was where I think the real story was for Hickman.

And yes. Anyone that says Hickman doesn't do characters wasn't reading New Avengers. That was mostly characterization, under CRUSHING circumstances.

[Snoop Dogg]

The problems with the characters in the Life side of Hickvengers are fixed with that Avengers World DLC.

[TheCape]

His Avengers, yeah.

New Avengers was where I think the real story was for Hickman.

I can agreed with that.

[kcekada]

I always thougth that most of his Avengers were action figures instead of characthers, he was more focus in his big concepts than in the team IMO.

Same.

Big concepts are fine, but characterization is just as important. Hickman's run didn't impress (and neither did the ridiculous 2-page spreads that were nothing but diagrams).

[JKtheMac]

Same.

Big concepts are fine, but characterization is just as important. Hickman's run didn't impress (and neither did the ridiculous 2-page spreads that were nothing but diagrams).

Well clearly you are never going to be a Hickman fan. His entire career has been about graphic design in comics. He is all about diagrams, symbols, heraldry and other iconography. They are one of the ways he likes to express his big concepts, and one should expect more of this in his X-Men work.

As to character, Hickman’s style is epic and sweeping with characterisation focused upon key stress moments. This isn’t a lack of character, this is presenting characters as larger than life, pivotal figures.

Ironically TheCape’s accusation of them being action figures is spot on. But that is not lack of character, that’s broad brush stroke, epic characterisation. Those of us that are fans of Hickman don’t see this as a flaw, it is his style. The style we applaud and are looking forward to.

[Force de Phenix]

I like what he did with the inhumans. He did a great job creating characters and lore. I can imagine him taking the X-Men to a whole new level. Based on the titles, he's probably gonna create new concepts for them. I'm glad Jean's back for this.

[Yohei72]

Anyone that says Hickman doesn't do characters wasn't reading New Avengers. That was mostly characterization, under CRUSHING circumstances.

Agreed. It's funny, I read all of his Avengers and New Avengers (plus Secret Wars) in one great TPB binge last year over the course of a month or two. So for me, it's all just "Hickman's Avengers" and I don't necessarily recall what was in which title. Maybe that's why I'm always perplexed when people make this "Hickman's Avengers are all cardboard cutouts for action scenes and big concepts" criticism. I found his Illuminati really compelling tragic characters. I also loved his Captain Universe, whom I wish we'd seen more of.

[Reviresco]

Agreed. It's funny, I read all of his Avengers and New Avengers (plus Secret Wars) in one great TPB binge last year over the course of a month or two. So for me, it's all just "Hickman's Avengers" and I don't necessarily recall what was in which title. Maybe that's why I'm always perplexed when people make this "Hickman's Avengers are all cardboard cutouts for action scenes and big concepts" criticism. I found his Illuminati really compelling tragic characters. I also loved his Captain Universe, whom I wish we'd seen more of.

I tend to lump all that together also, including Infinity, though New Avengers, besides the obvious reason, sticks the most in my not so great memory.

Some people made the same complaint about his Fantastic Four run, but I found it full of nice characterization as well as Big Plots. I don't even like Spider-Man, and that team-up issue he did with him and Torch was just wonderful.

I also wonder about folks complaining about characterization. Cause right now, Chip Zdarsky's Invaders is one of the best books for that, and it is full of emotion -- and yet, it continues to be outsold by bombastic, flashy, emotionless comics.

[Ramsay Snow]

Well clearly you are never going to be a Hickman fan. His entire career has been about graphic design in comics. He is all about diagrams, symbols, heraldry and other iconography. They are one of the ways he likes to express his big concepts, and one should expect more of this in his X-Men work.

As to character, Hickman’s style is epic and sweeping with characterisation focused upon key stress moments. This isn’t a lack of character, this is presenting characters as larger than life, pivotal figures.

Ironically TheCape’s accusation of them being action figures is spot on. But that is not lack of character, that’s broad brush stroke, epic characterisation. Those of us that are fans of Hickman don’t see this as a flaw, it is his style. The style we applaud and are looking forward to.

Well said, good sir! Well said!!!!

On a side note, someone (I can't remember if it was in this thread or another one) made a jabbing remark about Hickman always having a female character thrown in who's stark-white in appearance.....I took grave offense to that remark. In East Of West, it's a male character who has that look (Wolf), while Wolf's female paramour (Crow) is jet-black in appearance.

[CaptCleghorn]

Well clearly you are never going to be a Hickman fan. His entire career has been about graphic design in comics. He is all about diagrams, symbols, heraldry and other iconography. They are one of the ways he likes to express his big concepts, and one should expect more of this in his X-Men work.

As to character, Hickman’s style is epic and sweeping with characterisation focused upon key stress moments. This isn’t a lack of character, this is presenting characters as larger than life, pivotal figures.

Ironically TheCape’s accusation of them being action figures is spot on. But that is not lack of character, that’s broad brush stroke, epic characterisation. Those of us that are fans of Hickman don’t see this as a flaw, it is his style. The style we applaud and are looking forward to.

Exactly. There's a graphic look to much of Hickman's work and it's a huge reason I was disappointed he wasn't doing Legion of Super-Heroes over at DC. Some of the magic of his look is that it looks different. It's the combination between a graphic shine and getting the basics of a series that makes Hickman's successes successes.