Way of X issue 4. Kill no man. SPOILERS!

[SanityOrMadness]

I agree with this. At least give the characters new personality some page time. I much prefer what they did with the mutants who died on Amenth, Wild Child and Nanny being more honed or sharper versions of themselves although that seems to have been mostly forgotten.

Well, Wild Child and Orphan Maker are noticeably different from what they were in the pre-XoS issues of the series (even if it mostly amounts to Orphan Maker turning into a teenager rather than a younger kid, while Wild Child is in heat). Nanny, not seeing so much - she's mostly been reacting to OM no longer being a "young child" by moving on, but I could see that happening anyway.

Did everyone in tiki bar died? I don't remember it correctly, but wasn't it stated that Dazzler immortal? She'd probably resurrect herself in a while.

Dazzler was also M-Poxed, wasn't she? Which just got forgotten after IvX (not just with respect to Dazzler, everyone), in spite of nothing actually happening in that series to help those already-afflicted. They just got rid of the mists so there were no new cases.

[jwatson]

why does everyone think kurt abandoned lost on mars? he left to go get cortez and bring him to her so the two could sort out the problem between them and try and help lost move forward. the issue is only taking place over a few hours at most

Because every other option was skipped and it went straight to outcast. Surely there is at least one mutant on krakoa with gravity powers that could assist lost. Or a room with low gravity. A gravity field that can help contain her power, certainly forge could do something like that but this book is just about pushing plots whether they make sense or not.

To top it off none of this started until legion showed up but not a single person mentions the coincidence? Ok.

[jwatson]

Also if they were trying to help Lost, wouldn't it have made more sense to get her to Synch or Hope. Two people that could potentially help her with her powers. Synch in particular could synch with her and perhaps help her to control her abilities but they sat her out in the middle of no where so she could have a one on one with someone she can't stand and rightfully so.

Then there is the sinister-ness in the plot where kurt has been separated or rather isolated from all of his friends. Where is Kitty, Storm, Colossus, Wolverine, not a single confident that Kurt would go up to was there for him, and that is also how i know this isn't a kurt book. Legion is his only sounding board? The only one he can bounce these ideas off. Where is Scott? Jean? Meggan?

the more i thin about it the more plotholes appear in just the canon of this story. Kurt thinks in previous issues mutants need something to rally behind, something to really bring them together well i'm sorry but if bringing a planet back to life didn't bring them together nothing will. Which especially stands out since at the end of Planet sized they all arrived and looked happy at the sight of planet arrako. Then last issue kurt wakes up, wanda should be dead but i'm guessing no one has found the body yet despite in this very issue it is obviously after the gala and when her body would have been found but not a single mention.

[Grunty]

Also if they were trying to help Lost, wouldn't it have made more sense to get her to Synch or Hope. Two people that could potentially help her with her powers. Synch in particular could synch with her and perhaps help her to control her abilities but they sat her out in the middle of no where so she could have a one on one with someone she can't stand and rightfully so.

Then there is the sinister-ness in the plot where kurt has been separated or rather isolated from all of his friends. Where is Kitty, Storm, Colossus, Wolverine, not a single confident that Kurt would go up to was there for him, and that is also how i know this isn't a kurt book. Legion is his only sounding board? The only one he can bounce these ideas off. Where is Scott? Jean? Meggan?

To be fair suitable experts, capable friends and more straightforward solutions are often ignored in these works of fictions to preserve drama or to maintain a problem to be resolved by the main characters on their own.

Infact this whole era of X-men currently puts this narrative issue to the brink, considering just how much exptertise, experience, ability and super powers are gathered in one place yet we have multiple series depicting issues that have to be resolved by less suited or capable people and the writer will only bring in the obvious experts after things have hit the fan or when they seemingly feel it's a cute idea to reference them.

Besides the obvious example of what is going on in New Mutants, we also have the so called "mutant CIA" in X-force which is led by an incompetent self-absorbed fool and completely understaffed with various mutants extremely suited for spywork and data analysis (or grey moral standards) being ignored, nearly half of the X-factor team lacking in either ability or conviction to be part of a team investigating mutant deaths (again there are better suited ones) and Excalibur... well the criticism towards how the team is depicted is frequently brought up.

So it's not like Way of X is the only current title guilty of this narrative issue. Not that i want to defend it either, albeit some concessions need to be made for these stories to keep on going (which is another reason i don't like the current status quo as it makes these things more problematic).

Though Kurt not getting in touch with his friends (at least Wolverine) to discuss the matter does seem odd and now that i think about it, as cliché as it sounds, we could wonder how much these events are actualy happening in reality and how much might be a second simulation in Legions mind, which Kurt is frequently pulled into since the end of issue 1.

[JB]

Yea Rockslide got it worse. Gorgan at least can speak and express himself. Santo last time we saw him just stares and reacts to things like there’s no sense of self present.

When Santo made that small cameo in the last X-Factor, I got the feeling his story isn't over. At least I hope it's not.

At what point could you call Krakoa a failed state?

Usually a failed state is when the majority of citizens start rebelling and the government has lost control.

[jwatson]

To be fair suitable experts, capable friends and more straightforward solutions are often ignored in these works of fictions to preserve drama or to maintain a problem to be resolved by the main characters on their own.

Infact this whole era of X-men currently puts this narrative issue to the brink, considering just how much exptertise, experience, ability and super powers are gathered in one place yet we have multiple series depicting issues that have to be resolved by less suited or capable people and the writer will only bring in the obvious experts after things have hit the fan or when they seemingly feel it's a cute idea to reference them.

Besides the obvious example of what is going on in New Mutants, we also have the so called "mutant CIA" in X-force which is led by an incompetent self-absorbed fool and completely understaffed with various mutants extremely suited for spywork and data analysis (or grey moral standards) being ignored, nearly half of the X-factor team lacking in either ability or conviction to be part of a team investigating mutant deaths (again there are better suited ones) and Excalibur... well the criticism towards how the team is depicted is frequently brought up.

So it's not like Way of X is the only current title guilty of this narrative issue. Not that i want to defend it either, albeit some concessions need to be made for these stories to keep on going (which is another reason i don't like the current status quo as it makes these things more problematic).

Though Kurt not getting in touch with his friends (at least Wolverine) to discuss the matter does seem odd and now that i think about it, as cliché as it sounds, we could wonder how much these events are actualy happening in reality and how much might be a second simulation in Legions mind, which Kurt is frequently pulled into since the end of issue 1.

I think the problem for me, because on some level your right about, "the right people for the job" Is there is no balance here. Kurt is pretty much only talking to legion and only following the direction of the guy who shows up right when the onslaught thing is happening. And it seems like because of that Kurt is doing things he would never do and it's definitely adding up. Perhaps it is a simulation in legion mind and that on some level would make more sense to me but with what is in front of me, if i just go between these four books it makes me feel like "Believe what i say, not what you see and read." if that makes any sense. It's like David is talking and people are listening but wheres the rest of it? Where is the person who is suppose to be questioning his motives?

[RamaBird]

A lot of the problems of this book might get solved if they make it a Legion book instead. Feel like Nightcrawler was just an excuse to actually write a book about Legion.

[Grunty]

(...) if that makes any sense. It's like David is talking and people are listening but wheres the rest of it? Where is the person who is suppose to be questioning his motives?

I agree. Regardless of how much Si Spurrier or fans of his X-men: Legacy run like Legion, it doesn't look like good writing if he is constantly supposed to be in the right and the only one doing anything usefull aka. "Way of X: The Legion show". Especialy since i recall Legion in X-men: Legacy (where Spurrier started his X-men work and tried to expand Legion) was portrayed as a lot more flawed and wrong (his solution to safe the world was to erase himself as source of the problem after all), so it would be odd for him to be the prime and sole savior of mutantkind here.

[mugiwara]

A lot of the problems of this book might get solved if they make it a Legion book instead. Feel like Nightcrawler was just an excuse to actually write a book about Legion.

I'm totally fine with writers using the Not New Not Different X-Men as bait for telling stories about less exposed characters.

[jwatson]

I'm totally fine with writers using the Not New Not Different X-Men as bait for telling stories about less exposed characters.

I'm totally fine with it too, the problem is insert Storm, Jean, Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, Lorna, Havok, any character into the role Nightcrawler is in right now, and them having the same reactions he is having right now. I just can't imagine any of there fans going "YAAAAAASSSS" So if your going to use a bigger name to bring exposure to a smaller one, then one must take into account the potential for an avalanche when that character is belittling the draw.

[Pav]

I agree. Regardless of how much Si Spurrier or fans of his X-men: Legacy run like Legion, it doesn't look like good writing if he is constantly supposed to be in the right and the only one doing anything usefull aka. "Way of X: The Legion show". Especialy since i recall Legion in X-men: Legacy (where Spurrier started his X-men work and tried to expand Legion) was portrayed as a lot more flawed and wrong (his solution to safe the world was to erase himself as source of the problem after all), so it would be odd for him to be the prime and sole savior of mutantkind here.

That flawed Legion is still here. He's still making mistakes -- most notably the situation with Loa and Mercury. Even in his own series when he had the moral high ground, we often saw his actions or his motivations as... arguably manipulative and not very moral after all. I see no difference here.

This isn't addressed to anyone specific, but if a reader goes into a comic looking for faults, he or she will find them.

-Pav, who can't imagine enjoying the hobby that way...

[jwatson]

That flawed Legion is still here. He's still making mistakes -- most notably the situation with Loa and Mercury. Even in his own series when he had the moral high ground, we often saw his actions or his motivations as... arguably manipulative and not very moral after all. I see no difference here.

This isn't addressed to anyone specific, but if a reader goes into a comic looking for faults, he or she will find them.

-Pav, who can't imagine enjoying the hobby that way...

100% agree with this.

[Pav]

Legion doesn't realize that he and Xavier are cut from the same clothe. They are both full of **** and both have messiah complexes and both act like they're superior.
Legion just looks hypocritical whenever he takes a jab at Xavier

David's hypocrisy is one of the the key elements to his personality under Spurrier, as is his willingness to be manipulative if he thinks the end outweighs the means.

But another element of Spurrier's David is that he knows these things about himself. He is constantly trying to figure out new ways of helping mutants, but because of his actions, it always seems like a mix of success and failure.

I find him incredibly compelling.

-Pav, who figures he's surpassed Madrox as his favorite mutant...

[pkingdom]

Usually a failed state is when the majority of citizens start rebelling and the government has lost control.

Good point. Here the 'nation' of Krakoa doesn't seem to really care about the citizens at all. Everyone is just sort of left to their own devices and just kind of hoping they don't cause problems. Can you even call it a nation if it doesn't exert any control over its citizens at all?

[bkart1978]

why does everyone think kurt abandoned lost on mars? he left to go get cortez and bring him to her so the two could sort out the problem between them and try and help lost move forward. the issue is only taking place over a few hours at most

Yeah, I thought I missed something the way people were reacting. It's not like she was banished; it was more like "hey Lost do you mind popping through this gate so we can all have a chat somewhere with different gravity? When we're done you can pop back to raise the Krakoa babies."

Couldn't be enjoying this series any more; Spurrier's dialogue is hands down the best in the business. I also have to say, after somewhat disliking the preview art, that Bob Quinn has been a very pleasant surprise. That panel of Dust's face in the sand was beautiful, and I think he really nails both the comedy and the quieter moments. He also seems like an extremely nice dude, based on what I've seen from his online presence.

This is easily my favorite X-Book at the moment and I hope Spurrier sticks around after the Onslaught one-shot (though people attacking him on Twitter the day his baby was born probably didn't endear him too much to the whole community).