I didn't enjoy it either, it was the only other book I picked up besides X-Men. I honestly don't recall what happened in the book, I dropped it around No 10 or so. I know everyone keeps saying how much they're enjoying their books, and I've said I'm happy for them (it's posted on here, I can't lie about that) but I'm just not interested in the other books. I want the book I am picking up to be good.
Does it need doing?
Yes.
Then it will be done.
One thing that is making this book hard for me at least to get into is this resurrection thing, it feels a lot like that extended Thor arc where Asgard was anchored over a US city and the storyline went on and on until King Thor and then an equivalent of Bobby Ewing in the shower (80's Dallas TV trope) and oh this storyline never really happened, was it a dream or a parallel earth who knows but it was a waste of time. I know lots of thing are wiped away these days when creators changed, ah continuity went the way of Kayfabe (wrestling term) but when if seems like a show is in an alt universe or might be a fever dream it is harder to invest in it, yeah crazier things can happen because they can't truly be that way. Yeah Hal can die in Gods among us but that isn't really Hal. I have felt that way since HoX PoX mini's where it's like Wolvie is dead and I am like, yeah right, come to find out all the X-Men are Kenny on South Park but that can't last either because then what is the tension?
That's fair, Hickman's run hasn't been downright terrible, it's just disappointing me.
As a former wrestling fan, I guess the way forward is to work on getting readers to suspend their disbelief despite the death of kayfabe. No gimmicks or hype, just plain old good writing.
Does it need doing?
Yes.
Then it will be done.
I didn't make it as far as #10 but hopefully I'll enjoy it more with the new writer. I agree, though - I'm getting to the point where I'm past the introductory phase and I'm not interesting in pressing on with the books that I'm just not enjoying. At the moment, it's looking like I'll keep reading X-Men (the new direction that's coming up helps) and Marauders (I love the team line-up and despite some frustrations I mostly enjoy it).
I won't be continuing with X-Force (which is basically a circle of Beast making terrible decisions with no consequences) or Hellions (the first arc didn't really grab me and I'm not overly invested in any of the cast).
I'm on the fence about X-Factor - I've read #1-3 now and while I'm enjoying the premise, the execution is lacking something for me...it seems more interested in trying to be quirky and funny than telling an engaging story. I'm going to persevere with it for a few more issues.
I'm looking forward to trying Wolverine, SWORD and Way of X.
I never had a problem with the whole resurrection thing because characters never stayed dead and in some cases ruined a great story. I do feel you hit the nail on the head with the Kenny on South Park comment because that seemed like the running joke every time I read X-Force.
The more I think about in hindsight, am I the only one who found it really uncomfortable how Apocalypse was painted as some poor misunderstood hero?
Context is king.
X-23's most basic surface level characteristic that any idiot should grasp: Stoicism.
I don't demand that her every minor appearance be a nuance in-depth examination of her character, but is it to much to ask she be written in Archetype?! This is storytelling 101! If you want people to stay invested in a character, you need to, at the bare minimum, write them such a way that they can plausibly be believed to be the same character!
You know how some insects can inject something into you where you don't feel the sting or them sucking your blood? I wonder if Krakoa does the same thing. It drains peoples live energy and gives them the subliminal message "Krakoa is a great place to live! You love everything about the place! Nothing wrong every happens here!"
I'm willing to accept that for the purpose of a particular story, when a character dies, they're dead. It's going to mean something and everyone is going to treat it like a big deal, even if later it gets changed.
What they're doing right now though doesn't even give you that. "Death" has basically just become a penalty box. You died? Well, you just have to sit the rest of this mission out and we'll fix you later.