Leah Williams reveals changes made in X-Factor #10

[Technopriest]

I wasn't the biggest fan of this series, but it still sucks to hear how much editorial/marketing messed/interfered with the series. With the recent announcement that Hickman (and now Williams) moving to substack and others like Howard ending their exclusives with Marvel, I think that we are seeing the beginning the end of the HoX era in X-Men. The fact that Hickman is not writing the new flagship (and that flagship itself being more traditional superhero fare) and has no ongoing series in the new releases is pretty telling. I do belive that Inferno and ToM will serve as the endings for this current era. At the end nobody should be surprised, this are corporate comics at the end of the day. People love to take sides on the DC/Marvel "rivalry" like they are sports teams, and some belive Marvel to be more hands off with creators for whatever reasons, but at the end of the day both produce comics to create and maintain IPs for their larger corporate owners.

[teapartyofthedead]

When I initially read issue ten, I was disappointed in Leah. She seemed one of the last people to make these kinds of errors in presenting and storytelling such sensitive issues. I should have listened to that instinct. It’s shameful that no one in editorial explained this from the start to her and the readers, and allowed Leah to face so much criticism and insult in silence.

It would seem editorial is of the opinion that because Marvel ultimately owns the IP, they don’t have to consult with the writers about the final product before release. It reminds me of how Wizards of the Coast failed to communicate last minute but impactful changes made to Graeme Barber‘s adventure in the Candlekeep Mysteries module that he found problematic as well as unprofessional. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dic...ce-alterations

With the previous news that Jonathan Hickman is leaving for substack while citing issue with Marvel as well, it would seem the Great Resignation has finally arrived in the comics industry.

[NewMutant]

Thanks for all the info DAHX.

Interesting to hear this on her end; I wonder how much of TOM (terrible to reuse not one but TWO old story titles) was shoehorned into the HFG event itself. Conceptually it works great with the Hellfire Gala story but Scarlet Witch doesn't show up for only a few pages in the final issue. It also completely overshadows Christian's subplot; though I'm likely the only person who cares about that. haha.

[Technopriest]

I feel terrible for her, this was such a lousy way for Marvel to treat her. I'd say after Trial of Magneto she is definitely gone from the company or she wouldn't have revealed all of this in the podcast. I I think her revealing this gives more credence to Hickman bailing early if editorial are carrying on like this. And its not just the X Office because there is definitely something suspect about Spencer rushing to finish his Spidey run.

Marvel is ending Zdarsky's Daredevil run as well. It might have more to do with those creators moving to substack, and that leads me to belive it will happen to Hickman's X-Men "run" as well.

[Technopriest]

When I initially read issue ten, I was disappointed in Leah. She seemed one of the last people to make these kinds of errors in presenting and storytelling such sensitive issues. I should have listened to that instinct. It’s shameful that no one in editorial explained this from the start to her and the readers, and allowed Leah to face so much criticism and insult in silence.

It would seem editorial is of the opinion that because Marvel ultimately owns the IP, they don’t have to consult with the writers about the final product before release. It reminds me of how Wizards of the Coast failed to communicate last minute but impactful changes made to Graeme Barber‘s adventure in the Candlekeep Mysteries module that he found problematic as well as unprofessional. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dic...ce-alterations

With the previous news that Jonathan Hickman is leaving for substack while citing issue with Marvel as well, it would seem the Great Resignation has finally arrived in the comics industry.

We might be in for another "Image Exodus" type scenario, and I am old enough to remember the first one.

[Gripstir]

I don’t understand why people are saying she got screwed over. It seems the comic wasn’t selling and they cancelled but they liked the Magneto story and wanted to put it somewhere it had more chance to be seen. What am I missing? I feel this was just a case of a bad selling book with a story not enough people were willing to follow. And with the pandemic Marvel is desperate to find hits. I mean it’s weird to defend marvel because I have a serious problem with their business model atm, but I’m not sure I understand the issue here completely. Maybe I need more details

[Havok83]

Well, now I'm glad I didn't say much about X-Factor #10. Leads me to wonder how much other issues (e.g. X-Factor #4) were similarly affected, or conversely how Trial of Magneto might be affected.

Xfactor 4 was the only good issue of the series...lol

[NewMutant]

I don’t understand why people are saying she got screwed over. It seems the comic wasn’t selling and they cancelled but they liked the Magneto story and wanted to put it somewhere it had more chance to be seen. What am I missing? I feel this was just a case of a bad selling book with a story not enough people were willing to follow. And with the pandemic Marvel is desperate to find hits. I mean it’s weird to defend marvel because I have a serious problem with their business model atm, but I’m not sure I understand the issue here completely. Maybe I need more details

I find altering the the words of a writer and the content the create and NOT TELLING them is pretty terrible.

It seems like LW might have preferred to keep X-Factor than to get ToM; understandable - but very common for Marvel to cancel and revamp the title for sales. Way of X is going that direction as well.

When Iceman was cancelled twice with Sina Grace then brought back as one shot X-Men: Winters End to help boost sales.

[FFJamie94]

Honestly, this coupled with issues retaining to royalties make me believe that Marvel better come up with something quick to fix all the issues in the Company.

I joked on another thread that DC treats Batman as if they were an overprotective Parent.
Here it seems Marvel are pretaining to the same problems.
Part of the issue here is sales, X-factor just wasn't performing. That's no worry.
The problem is the short notice of the cancellation and retaining scenes without knowledge.
Both are just dick moves And tell me there's an issue at Marvel.

[Su_Whisterfield]

It’s a shoddy way to treat any creative talent.
And if I was, for example, another writer, perhaps even the one in the driving seat of all the X-Books, and someone came up with a new creator owned platform for my work, I’m sure that seeing one of my fellow writers treated with such a cavalier attitude would influence how receptive I’d feel to it. And how committed to my current project I might feel.

[Frontier]

Seeing all the hoops writers have to jump through and how much of their work gets altered or changed by editorial, it's no wonder so many high-profile writers are jumping to substack.

[JB]

I feel terrible for her, this was such a lousy way for Marvel to treat her. I'd say after Trial of Magneto she is definitely gone from the company or she wouldn't have revealed all of this in the podcast. I I think her revealing this gives more credence to Hickman bailing early if editorial are carrying on like this. And its not just the X Office because there is definitely something suspect about Spencer rushing to finish his Spidey run.

Agreed. And to think this is just one writer discussing one specific situation. One can only imagine how much of this has happened since Hickman entered.

[pkingdom]

The problems with X-factor didn't start with Issue 10. It did greatly exacerbate them, I'll grant you. It always sucks for a writer when all of their plans get thrown out because of editorial. But if the sales aren't there, then it ultimately doesn't matter how good your end intentions and ideas are. And the story actually told in X factor was kind of dull imo. And changing Syrin's powers to talking to the dead just further kills any mystery the story could have had. It was sold as some kind of detective agency, and there already were problems of the cast feeling redundant with their powers and abilities.

I'm really suspicious of their explanation of the kind of story coming up in the Trial of Magneto. "Empathy and healing" starting with the fridging of Wanda? Even if they ultimately revive her as a mutant and use that to sweep the whole thing under the rug, murdering her to get it done is pretty messed up.

[Malachi]

That is really a low blow from Marvel against Leah, Baldeon and others involved. It's hard for us fans to ask them to care about the product if they know that things like this can happen. Why should they care at all. It certainly doesn't foster a good enviroment for either the creators or us readers.

The next question is how deep the problem goes. I remember when reading Jim Shooters blog posts about his time at Marvel that these problems permatetes Marvel at every level. So even if we want to blame editorial for some decisions. Or marketting, or the EIC. Disney as it is is also has levels of problems. In the end I dobut that Marvel will change unless it is sold to someone who will allow that. That doesnt' excuse the horrible way some of these problems are dealt with. In this instance the communication between Marvel and Leah&Co.

[Spit and Syntax]

Feel bad for her obviously. That X of Swords issue was the only thing I’ve read from her, but man that issue had some of the worst dialogue I have read in a comic since I was a kid. Read one of the bubbles out to my girlfriend who has never read a comic and we laughed at how ridiculous it was.

Marvel gave TOM a big push - bought the first issue on a whim after seeing the YouTube trailer - so let’s hope it’s a fun and not an editorially chopped up ride.

Let’s hope the wheels aren’t coming off in the X-Office after so much goodwill and PR about a harmonious writer’s room.