Xmen Monday 114. Gala week 5

[PeterParked]

I feel (putting on my tin foil hat) is him covering up the fact that the other writers wanted their say too and kinda wrestled control away from him.

So, they give him a mini series to wrap up his story and walk away as the hero who saved the X-Men

Because does this look like a man with no plan (his FF run fully mapped out)

These are just different projects type. With FF and Avengers he had the reins of the franchising, i.e. he was writing basically all the books. X-Men always had a lot of titles, and knowing he could only write a finite amount it didn’t make sense to make something completely predefined and force anyone else to write his desiderata, as a creator he probably has more respect for his peers that most readers have, and as an adult person he probably doesn’t have a “I want everything done my way” aptitude.

He said since the beginning that this project was different and he didn’t made a issue by issue roadmap but just defined 3 phases that could go on indefinitely if readers liked them. Probably they didn’t expect the Krakoa phase to be so successful with readers and this made plan change a bit; we clearly entered part of the second phase, the expansion in space that Powers of X talked about, but at the same time we didn’t leave the Krakoa phase behind yet, Inferno will change things for sure but I don’t think it will be the end of Krakoa, unless they want to shut down all the books based on the premise (basically all the books except S.W.O.R.D. and partially the new X-Men title). Moreover the Orchis, Hordeculture, Children of the Vault and several other plots have not been solved yet.

What it could be is that between writing a 20 pages book monthly + specials or a couple of 160 pages maxi series like Inferno per year, where creative and artistic integrity are easier to maintain (no fill-ins, double shipping and so on) he preferred the latter approach, who wouldn’t. Perhaps he will continue to coordinate things and co-write with other creatives here and here to make sure the things he needs are into place for his maxi series with top artists. Or maybe he is going to write a monthly more in his wheelhouse about Moira, the Council etc. like he did New Avengers while leaving the classic action-driven heroics to other writers like Duggan, he doesn’t seem to care a lot about them anyway.

If he is leaving is not for some power struggle that would make no sense at all (all books have been free to go in thei direction they wanted as much as they wanted, and the need to respect some broader story guidelines is not something specific to Hickman’s X-Men, all mainstream comics work this way, especially when one writes satellite books) but because he may have got a better gig, like TV or movies.

[DAHX]

Ok so some interesting tidbits in this one.

So there’s a lot of possibilities that can still be explored with a lot of these characters. Some of them, there are specific plans for already, but that doesn’t mean that X-Factor can’t still be a thing. And it also doesn’t mean that more of them might not find other places to do things. So no, I don’t necessarily have it locked in place where all of them will be, but that’s partially because we’re still leaving room for there to be more opportunities for them.

Some of the X-Factor characters already have plans? Polaris is confirmed for X-Men and Daken is hinted at as shown below, but I wonder who else. JDW is leaving it up in the air that X-Factor may be coming back but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I do know a little bit about where it will go and where we will see it go that way. So, Daken fans, you’re going to continue to be well-served, I think.

Daken will probably continue to show up in some title.

He also said:

X-Factor could be back or in a new form. Who knows — but I can’t talk about that yet.

So basically there are plans for the cast already and they will be used individually in other places in the next year, but they still keep the possibility for another X-Factor team/book. It’s good if they keep utilizing these characters, I don’t want them in limbo just because X-Factor ended.

[jwatson]

I don't know if it's the post or the chardonnay as i relax before the supposed hurricane but i swear i need an X-factor book where now that sol is on the galatic stage they are investigating greiviances mutants and humans have against like being abducted or missing family members. i just thought it would be hilarious seeing quicksilver and daken banter over how to approach an old lady who said her husband was kidnapped by some "skrull hussy" during the invasion. LMAO

[Malachi]

These are just different projects type. With FF and Avengers he had the reins of the franchising, i.e. he was writing basically all the books. X-Men always had a lot of titles, and knowing he could only write a finite amount it didn’t make sense to make something completely predefined and force anyone else to write his desiderata, as a creator he probably has more respect for his peers that most readers have, and as an adult person he probably doesn’t have a “I want everything done my way” aptitude.

I'm just going to pick some parts of what you said =) On the whole I agree with you.

* Yes he's not writing all books but he has the rein of the franchise. It's in his job description as showrunner. Back in the relaunch it seemed that included the number of books, assigning writers and those books hiting specific notes in the general plot.

* I have no clue about how Hickman is but that type is quite common in any creative medium. So lets not discount it in any scenario based on speculation of maturity. Especially not in comics. A medium famous for it's level of immaturity.

[Grunty]

I don't know if it's the post or the chardonnay as i relax before the supposed hurricane but i swear i need an X-factor book where now that sol is on the galatic stage they are investigating greiviances mutants and humans have against like being abducted or missing family members. i just thought it would be hilarious seeing quicksilver and daken banter over how to approach an old lady who said her husband was kidnapped by some "skrull hussy" during the invasion. LMAO

I was suprised by how X-factor or a similar organization wasn't allready formed right after the official cloning facility was established, considering just how important the investigation of mutant deaths (including depowered ones) is for the process of bringing them back.
Actualy even if they wouldn't be able to clone and mind/soul download mutants, investigating their deaths should have been a top priority either way, considering how they flat out declared all mutants citizens of their new nations (not to forget the whole "make more mutants" law).

And yet not only was no investigation service created straight away, the one they got was clumsly assembled and only because someone had the super natural ability to sense his sister's death and was forced to provide her carcass (i use that word because of how he treated her mortal coil) as proof of her demise.

The resulting team (and how they were written) were in my opinion a mostly unqualified mess, with a terrible track record in numbers of investigated deaths, quality of investigation and even in being able to prevent their own deaths.

So i totaly agree on the notion that something like X-factor not only makes sense, but would be needed for a nation like Krakoa or the current status quo of mutants and Earth in relation to galactic community contact.

However i don't think this team or this writer should be used for it going forward, as the former is again in my opinion a mess with a bad track record and the later failed to create the necessary quality of story telling not only in my (personal and likely flawed) opinion but also seemingly a way that it could sell the comic to an audience who actualy want to support it were it counts.

So i think if they keep X-factor as organization/group around (which they totaly should) the team needs to be mostly replaced with more qualified characters (Prodigy is a must though as it's the perfect spot for him and while i don't particular find Eye-Boy interesting he fits by his powers), written by someone else and best given backround or guest appearances until they can build up enough stock again to maybe get another shot at a series under the current status quo (if it lasts that long).

[jwatson]

I was suprised by how X-factor or a similar organization wasn't allready formed right after the official cloning facility was established, considering just how important the investigation of mutant deaths (including depowered ones) is for the process of bringing them back.
Actualy even if they wouldn't be able to clone and mind/soul download mutants, investigating their deaths should have been a top priority either way, considering how they flat out declared all mutants citizens of their new nations (not to forget the whole "make more mutants" law).

And yet not only was no investigation service created straight away, the one they got was clumsly assembled and only because someone had the super natural ability to sense his sister's death and was forced to provide her carcass (i use that word because of how he treated her mortal coil) as proof of her demise.

The resulting team (and how they were written) were in my opinion a mostly unqualified mess, with a terrible track record in numbers of investigated deaths, quality of investigation and even in being able to prevent their own deaths.

So i totaly agree on the notion that something like X-factor not only makes sense, but would be needed for a nation like Krakoa or the current status quo of mutants and Earth in relation to galactic community contact.

However i don't think this team or this writer should be used for it going forward, as the former is again in my opinion a mess with a bad track record and the later failed to create the necessary quality of story telling not only in my (personal and likely flawed) opinion but also seemingly a way that it could sell the comic to an audience who actualy want to support it were it counts.

So i think if they keep X-factor as organization/group around (which they totaly should) the team needs to be mostly replaced with more qualified characters (Prodigy is a must though as it's the perfect spot for him and while i don't particular find Eye-Boy interesting he fits by his powers), written by someone else and best given backround or guest appearances until they can build up enough stock again to maybe get another shot at a series under the current status quo (if it lasts that long).

While i can see your point an agree certain members could be substituted if we are thinking big on X-factor there are certain members that could change the scale. Rachel, we aren't just dealing with earth mutants anymore, as we have seen many times there are brood mutants and shiar, that can't be all, who is looking for them, who is claiming them now that in a sense Sol has the same deal as earth Krakoa. Do Rachel hound abilities to track mutants and even her chronographic telepathy could be essential in storytelling in how these intergalactic mutants came to be.

Eye boy, the all seeing. He work here or in Exaclibur as Wanda's Agamatto but i digress. If he is here fine, if not i would keep Prodigy here, his ability to absorb knowledge of gives the team an instant insight and understanding of the politics of a planet as seen in Marvel voices where he didn't understand he was bi but he understood he had similar feelings to what kitty felt for colossus and she was into him and thus he understood the commonality in that on an emotional level.

Bishop, natural born detective. This is what he was meant to do, investigate the well being of mutants on a galatic scale and if need be, bring them home. Revive his sister and have her here too.

I would replace north star with Quicksilver for legacy but place kyle and northstar in X-corp with Kyle new company being the prime pr for not only the x-men team but x-corp as well. i could go on. lol

[Grunty]

While i can see your point an agree certain members could be substituted if we are thinking big on X-factor there are certain members that could change the scale. Rachel, we aren't just dealing with earth mutants anymore, as we have seen many times there are brood mutants and shiar, that can't be all, who is looking for them, who is claiming them now that in a sense Sol has the same deal as earth Krakoa. Do Rachel hound abilities to track mutants and even her chronographic telepathy could be essential in storytelling in how these intergalactic mutants came to be.

Eye boy, the all seeing. He work here or in Exaclibur as Wanda's Agamatto but i digress. If he is here fine, if not i would keep Prodigy here, his ability to absorb knowledge of gives the team an instant insight and understanding of the politics of a planet as seen in Marvel voices where he didn't understand he was bi but he understood he had similar feelings to what kitty felt for colossus and she was into him and thus he understood the commonality in that on an emotional level.

Bishop, natural born detective. This is what he was meant to do, investigate the well being of mutants on a galatic scale and if need be, bring them home. Revive his sister and have her here too.

I would replace north star with Quicksilver for legacy but place kyle and northstar in X-corp with Kyle new company being the prime pr for not only the x-men team but x-corp as well. i could go on. lol

I have to admit those are some good points and i can see the quality in these choices.

[JB]

I would replace north star with Quicksilver for legacy but place kyle and northstar in X-corp with Kyle new company being the prime pr for not only the x-men team but x-corp as well. i could go on. lol

I like all of your above ideas but the idea of Kyle's company doing PR for Krakoa/X-Men/X-Corp is genius.