Ha! You’re absolutely right. I started with Psi cause Jean’s initiative wasn’t really a “team” so much as a collective consciousness, using the Phoenix to amplify the Cuckoos’ groupthink into an open channel for all X-telepaths to use, no matter distance or otherwise.
From there, I went with colors, even though a lot of them wouldn’t need colors. Exodus leads a group of weapons of mass destruction, they don’t need a color designation. Sinister and Mystique are ragtag entourages, same. Magneto’s army led by Cyclops is X-Special-Forces, and Xavier’s pop stars could have their own name. All the Hellfire colors could go by Hellions. The only teams that really ought to be “X-Men” are Gold and Green. Storm’s Gold is the example others rise to, and Nightcrawler’s team needs to know theyre not just scrubs.
For the most part I like the set up and would keep a lot of it, but I’d probably consolidate some books like so...
X-men - I’d leave this one be, have it focus on the “big guns” (Cyclops, Jean, Logan, Storm, Nightcrawler, etc.) with other characters rotating in and out as the writer sees fit to use them or as story dictates (e.g., Warren, Betsy); double ship this one as often as feasible since it’s the flagship
Hellions - Combine New Mutants and Hellions into one book featuring a rotating cast of former New Mutants/X-Force, Gen X and New/Young X-men characters
Marauders - Combine this and Excalibur into one book with Kitty Pryde, Bishop, Gambit, Rogue, Jubilee, Iceman, etc.
X-Force - I would pretty much leave this be, but bring back OG Cable and put him in charge of the field ops unit with Domino, Laura and Colossus; intelligence team consists of Beast, Sage, Psylocke (Kwannon) and Forge
Wolverine - same with Percy writing and Adam Kubert on art chores, but with Ron Garney rotating with him
Cable - Kid Cable gone back to the future, so this features OG Cable resurrected in a younger body (think Cable in his prime, back when illustrated by Ian Churchill; maybe late 30s to 40ish?); Duggan writing but with Greg Capullo plus Victor Bogdanovic on art duties #makeCablegreatagain
Those are the main ones. For anything else I’d do limited series or one-shots.
I think for me what isn't working the most might be some of the team compositions and the artists that were paired with those books. Here's my stand on each title...
Marauders...I am mostly fine with the team composition of this book, but it has been very heavily Kate centric. The only thing I would really change here would be the artist. Lolli is decent, but I would give this book to someone with some serious style or pizzazz such as Mahmud Asrar or Kenneth Rocafort.
Line-up: Captain Kate, Storm, Iceman, Pyro, Bishop, Emma, Forearm, Rogue & Gambit.
Excalibur...This book is the one I would make the most changes with. While nothing is wrong with the artists at all this book just doesn't play into their strengths. The same is said for the cast. Betsy would stay as would Rictor, Apocalypse and I think that's it. Trini has proven she is a good writer, but she seems to have zero handle on Rogue, Gambit or Jubilee really. I would give her Pixie, Neal Shaara (Thunderbird III?) and Frenzy. This book is supposed to be centered around the concept of mutant magic, but outside of Betsy's heritage, there's no characters that fit that really other than Apoc. Artistically I would choose Russell Dauterman for this one or retrieve Dexter Soy from DC and let him go back to his painted style. I would also bring in Spyral as a sometimes adversary, accomplice. This would also be the home of Dazzler...while not necessarily a member of the team, she and Betsy have a close friendship.
Line-up: Captain Britain, Apocalypse, Pixie, Thunderbird III, Frenzy, Dazzler, Rictor.
New Mutants...I like the concept of this book being everyone from the New Mutants, Academy, Young, Gen X, Hellions, MLF classes all together, but that's an incredibly LOADED cast. The only thing I would do here would be if Kenneth Rocafort wasn't used on Marauders, he would be here. Let him go wild with designs.
Line-Up: All of them. Serious rotation of characters and events. Centered on Magik, Mirage and Jubilee putting teams together for whatever is needed. These guys would go focus on all the weirdo crap happening.
X-Force...with all the characters at hand, this book feels the most limited in cast. So far it has only focused on Domino, Wolverine and Kid Omega with guest appearances of Sage, Beast, Colossus and Marvel Girl. With Quire on here, there's no real need for Jean to be on this team. I would pull her out and put her prominently in X-Men. Other than that, just beef up the team a little.
Line-Up: Wolverine, Domino, Omega, Wildside, Scout, Beast, M, Darwin.
X-Factor...I just dont like Eyeboy. that's all.
Hellions...Psylocke needs a new costume as does Empath. I might also add Phantazia or Tarot.
X-Men...X-Men...X-Men...it seems the premise for this book is mainly a Cyclops centric title which is fine, but it also seems to be the most ambivalent book. There's no structure or reason for it other than to weave other threads in and out of. Even in that there seems there could be some greater structure that is succinct to this book. Perhaps on ongoing page or couple of pages that are strictly about the Quiet Council? I would make Marvel Girl one of the main characters for this book as well alongside Cyclops.
I think that's what I would do. I may change my mind in a few weeks.
Also Sinister isn't a mutant. He just stole the blood of a dead guy and gene spliced himself. So its not 'mutants doing it themselves'. Hell, everything with Krakoa basically fell out of the sky, so they didn't really work for any of this. Xavier just suddenly had most of it.
This is more of a personal change than most on here, but I wish Emma would face SOME kind of consequences for all the crap she pulled these last few years. Unleashing the Sentinels on people is supposed to be a mark that you are an irredeemable monster to the X-men. I know her fans hate that period, but she did so much awful stuff that seeing everyone be totally chummy with her, and having her suffer no consequences at all is infuriating. The closest thing was at the end of Uncanny, where Scott choose Jean over her (which is sexist as hell for a 'consequence'). And that was immediately undone in HoXPoX
Ehhhh nevermind. I don’t even care that much.
Last edited by CRaymond; 03-23-2020 at 09:50 PM.
I think a New Mutants book should be about the group who opposes going to the island and protects and helps mutants who cant or wont go. It could be the New Mutans and Gen X teams combined like it is now but they've just decided to follow a different philosophy and not drink the koolaid so to speak
Well He did let that Ghost Riders dude's Dad die of cancer.......errr and hes responsible for SpiderMans whole retconned marriage fiasco...
He's more of mutant than the flatscans people are clamoring on seeing in the book/KraKoa. + the fact hes an open mutant voluntarily says he's down for the causse. KraKoa's a mutant so why wouldn't it offer itself to ease the noose around other mutants collective neck? All the sh!t Mutants gone through Why would anyone throw shade on something positive in their narrative? How do you qualify who is deserving of anything?
Well I mean Magneto's done it...Shaw... they're both on the Quiet Council. That whole arc is soooo OOC for Emma but still, taking something used to hurt you and turning on the people hurting you is kinda cool. but just like Shuri and Wakanda...If you put your people in danger during a War the casualties kiiiiinda fall on you.
Who would be on that team?
Cannonball? who saw his lil brother manipulated by humans causing the deaths of 42 innocent kids?
Doug? He and KraKoa are like almost BFFs
Warlock? See Doug
Sunspot? Ugh Probably.
Dani? Uh Dani's always repped her people Cheyenne, Valkerie, Mutant...
Rahne? Didnt have a good experience amongst humans....plus she canNOT be on a damn Xteam
Karma...unless shes looking for her siblings
Husk? See Cannonball
Mondo...too chill
etc.
etc.
GrindrStone(D)