X-MEN #2 Arakko Review *spoilers*

[JKtheMac]

Xavier has several mutant back-ups in case one set of "files" become lost or corrupted...including his own mind.
We know Forge has built all the most current models of the Resurrection Helmet...he probably has one or two on hand.
Jean is an Omega telepath, and is seen wearing one on the cover of an X-Force issue.

Sometimes 2+2=4 no matter how awful you are at Arithmetic.
And besides, unless that scene is set in the past...Xavier is up an about having Heads of State meetings with Magneto and Apocalypse...at least going by another upcoming X-Men cover.

My assumption from before we even got confirmation of the death was that the UN stuff was flashback.

There is no story in having him immediately brought back with no difficulty. I would love to expand on where I think those options are but this just isn’t an X-Force thread.

[JKtheMac]

I'm mostly a DC guy, but Hickman and his collaborators are doing something special here and they got me reading X Men again.

Much to my surprise I've really enjoyed X Men #1 and #2, especially this issue. It's a great story, with lots of interesting potential for the future.

The weird thing is that I can't forget House of X/Powers of X, but it doesn't seem to matter. I can't forget that this Scott is not the original, he came out of an egg. This is not his family. But the story makes me want to forget all that. It's so fun to see Scott try to be superdad to Rachel by offering to take her on a special vacation, or look at his goofy expression as he listens to his "children" fight. The three of them are fun together. All of it makes me want to relax, forget what I know, and just enjoy the story for what it is. But too much has happened for that. It's a strange tension, but it's working really well.

Well, you can forget it because it is still the ‘real Scott’. There is no rug being pulled away from the resurrections we have seen.

[JB]

I'm mostly a DC guy, but Hickman and his collaborators are doing something special here and they got me reading X Men again.

Much to my surprise I've really enjoyed X Men #1 and #2, especially this issue. It's a great story, with lots of interesting potential for the future.

The weird thing is that I can't forget House of X/Powers of X, but it doesn't seem to matter. I can't forget that this Scott is not the original, he came out of an egg. This is not his family. But the story makes me want to forget all that. It's so fun to see Scott try to be superdad to Rachel by offering to take her on a special vacation, or look at his goofy expression as he listens to his "children" fight. The three of them are fun together. All of it makes me want to relax, forget what I know, and just enjoy the story for what it is. But too much has happened for that. It's a strange tension, but it's working really well.

Glad you're enjoying the books!

[JB]

The fact is Cassidy was right. Krakoa just let enter anyone with an X-gene without much control and we have alreday seen that the system is easy to deceive. In the other hand I can understand that Xavier wants Krakoa to be a Paradise and security controls about inmigration is not the most pleaseant thing once you come to a Paradise.

And now we get to see them shore up their security measures. X-Force is now in play.

[Wall-Crawler]

I didn't quite understand Apocalypse's part on this.

[Wall-Crawler]

Anyway, this issue wasn't good nor bad, it was simply there, but I can forgive that after the amazing first issue we had and the masterpiece that was HOX/POX, and I'm sure we'll be back to more of that with the third issue.

IN HICKMAN WE TRUST !!

[Devaishwarya]

Well, you can forget it because it is still the ‘real Scott’. There is no rug being pulled away from the resurrections we have seen.

I can understand why it would be difficult for some Character-Specific-fans to let go of their ingrained perceptions of their favourites. Even despite the decades under various good and bad writers...probably in spite of them.

From my perspective though...and this is just my thought...if we see these characters as living, breathing entities and love and appreciate them as such, then we have to allow them opportunities to grow, change and develop into characters beyond what's established and "definitive". As, through our personal experiences and impactful circumstances none of us are the same as we were three, five, ten, twenty, years ago, you have to figure that, given the extreme life-altering experiences the X-Men face on a daily basis there's no way they can remain the same as when they were written by Lord Claremont (which, let's be honest, is the "only true versions" of these characters most of us adhere to).
And that's why I LOVE HiX-Man, Duggan, Howard and Brisson's versions/take on these characters...because, after ALL they've been through during and at the end of HoX/PoX...it's very difficult to see these characters not affected, not changed in some very fundamental ways.

[JB]

I can understand why it would be difficult for some Character-Specific-fans to let go of their ingrained perceptions of their favourites. Even despite the decades under various good and bad writers...probably in spite of them.

From my perspective though...and this is just my thought...if we see these characters as living, breathing entities and love and appreciate them as such, then we have to allow them opportunities to grow, change and develop into characters beyond what's established and "definitive". As, through our personal experiences and impactful circumstances none of us are the same as we were three, five, ten, twenty, years ago, you have to figure that, given the extreme life-altering experiences the X-Men face on a daily basis there's no way they can remain the same as when they were written by Lord Claremont (which, let's be honest, is the "only true versions" of these characters most of us adhere to).
And that's why I LOVE HiX-Man, Duggan, Howard and Brisson's versions/take on these characters...because, after ALL they've been through during and at the end of HoX/PoX...it's very difficult to see these characters not affected, not changed in some very fundamental ways.

Co-signed 100%. Hell, we may not be the same person we were 5 minutes ago. We're allowed to evolve and change moment to moment. May we all continue to grow and morph forever.

[Leirus]

My assumption from before we even got confirmation of the death was that the UN stuff was flashback.

There is no story in having him immediately brought back with no difficulty. I would love to expand on where I think those options are but this just isn’t an X-Force thread.

He is in the cover of a Marauders issue, too...

[JKtheMac]

I can understand why it would be difficult for some Character-Specific-fans to let go of their ingrained perceptions of their favourites. Even despite the decades under various good and bad writers...probably in spite of them.

From my perspective though...and this is just my thought...if we see these characters as living, breathing entities and love and appreciate them as such, then we have to allow them opportunities to grow, change and develop into characters beyond what's established and "definitive". As, through our personal experiences and impactful circumstances none of us are the same as we were three, five, ten, twenty, years ago, you have to figure that, given the extreme life-altering experiences the X-Men face on a daily basis there's no way they can remain the same as when they were written by Lord Claremont (which, let's be honest, is the "only true versions" of these characters most of us adhere to).
And that's why I LOVE HiX-Man, Duggan, Howard and Brisson's versions/take on these characters...because, after ALL they've been through during and at the end of HoX/PoX...it's very difficult to see these characters not affected, not changed in some very fundamental ways.

Which is fair enough. But to imagine they are living breathing people is to ignore the fact that they are not, don't you think? So I agree but for different reasons entirely.

The way I imagine it is, if I was handed a Cyclops book I have a very clear idea of who he is and what his issues are. I think I have a pretty solid handle on what makes him tick. So I reckon I could make a stab at writing a mini-series about him. But I know for certain that a proportion of Cyclops fans wouldn't see him like I do. They would point to the same canon and bring out entirely different things that they perceive as essential to his character.

So given that, why would I care about those fans? If Marvel gave me the book, my pitch was accepted by them, and I stayed within the guidelines of the editorial team then that's between me and them. Fans wouldn't have a say other than to purchase the product. The book would live or die on its success, not on its critical reception. I would have no control over that. A writer can only please their inner sensibilities and those of the team around them.

So complaining about characterisation is not only pointless, it is entirely irrelevant to the experience of Marvel and the writers. It just isn't how things work in the real world.

However I wasn't referring to this in my response to Kevin. I don't think he was talking about that at all. I think he was talking about the fact that he perceived Scott as a clone and not the original Cyclops, but that the story allowed him to forget those concerns.

[JKtheMac]

He is in the cover of a Marauders issue, too...

And we have no idea what that means. Covers are misleading. Books are not always written concurrent to a timeline. Flashbacks are prevalent.

What I am saying is, let us wait and see, let us not all assume we know exactly how this will play out. There are many possibilities available to the writers.

[Devaishwarya]

But...for a great number of readers/fans on this site and many others, they are living, breathing entities.

Then you have to factor in...as you astutely point out...the writer's interpretation of these characters...that may or may not mesh with the fans' notions.

And yes, I quite agree, fans do not and should not have a say in how these characters are written...they can certainly shout their displeasure but...as I pointed out elsewhere...to what end? When the writers and editors are not at all inclined (after the fact...because these stories are plotted way in advance) to change anything...and as such is quite pointless and irrelevant...as I pointed out elsewhere (and got tone an attitude for it.)
That's why I personally accept things/stories/characterisations as they are, judging only on whether or not they interest me/entertain me.

I love these characters, and I probably will till my dying breath, but I am open to them changing and evolving with the times and the writers. That said, I do think readers like you and me are in the minority though.

It is what it is.

[Celestialbodies]

I agree with everyone saying it felt off/strange. Surreal or like this is another fantasy or dream Scott is having of him as a good ole aw shucks gee willickers father getting to raise his children and fight monsters together

Did not seem real at all

Rachel and Cable's characterizations very bizarre indeed

I have to attribute Rachel to PTSD from what happened in the future with Ahab (how she got out of that remains completely unaddressed as well)

It had its semi comic moments but overall a bit silly

I did like the concept of the two islands mating/merging that was kinda neat. And the Summoners are cool I guess.

Definitely seems even more obvious now Arakko and Limbo are tied together

We have literally never seen this kind of story before with the Summers family.

There's a reason it comes across the way it does to us, which is different than how New Mutants, Fantastic Four, etc come off.

It's not a criticism. I think it's really interesting.

All of this!!

Scott did get to raise Nathan from birth to 12 years old. Nathan is only a few years removed from when Scott left him

This!!

technically Nathan did not realize that till he was sent into the past by Blaquesmith, so a lot of his knowledge of Scott, Jean, and Rachel is what he read on the computer. This was all stuff adult Cable found out way later back when Jean and Scott were still in X-Factor and Rachel was still in Excalibur, that's when they all learned the truth about their links to each other.

Anyway, I am not really disputing you, I am just saying I think Rachel and Nathan are trying really hard to get to know their Dad again after a lot of crappy things that happened over the last several years for all of them.

This is no different then family getting together on Thanksgiving and trying to be in their best behaviour to get along. It's not so much that Nathan and Rachel are faking it, but more that they are invested in trying to make a good impression for their Dad!

Didn't Blaquesmith tell Kid Cable this very thing in the recent X-Force title?? Thus validating the time Jean and Cyke spent in the future raising him?

Is this actually true, didn't Hickman talk recently about certain fans wanting solo focused X-Men team books when they should actually be team focused?

No, but it's hilarious that some Cyke fans think so..




In regards to X-men 1 & 2, I think it's a mixture between these character not being consistently written in the roles that Hickman has cast them. And more specifically there wasn't any real work done beforehand to reinforce them being a family as a whole. Plus, Hickman's strength isn't in these kinds of character moments instead they come off as hollow and awkward. I get what he's trying to build towards however a good idea would have been to develop the Summers relationship throughout HOX/POX. In short I think it both a shock seeing the Summers written as family and Hickman not capturing their voices, I can only imagine what he's going to do with Scott/Jean..

[Kevin Street]

I didn't quite understand Apocalypse's part on this.

I don't have the issues with me and can't remember all the names, but briefly put: monsters from another dimension invaded the Earth thousands of years ago. Apocalypse and a group of his Horsemen (maybe the first group) fought the monsters on the combined island of Krakoa/Arak. The only way they could win was by splitting the island in two and sending the Arak half into the other dimension, with his Horsemen still on it fighting a delaying action. Apparently they've been in that other dimension ever since, fighting the monsters all this time. But now the descendants of the Horsemen are starting to lose, so somehow they sent a couple of representatives on their island back to Earth to seek assistance from Apocalypse. He apparently knew they were coming, and this may have influenced his decision to join the new society on Krakoa. And in this issue we learn that the descendants of the Horsemen are related to him, so he must have sent some of his own children off into another dimension in that first battle.

[Tazpocalapse]

I was nodding along until you said it was unrealistic. You seem to encapsulate what is great about this story and then say it’s not great.

The parts i feel were not great were Scoot having to tell Rachel to use TP, i think she is more experienced with her powers and battle honed to need to be reminded to try to reach out to him with TP.