X-Men Monday #123 – Jonathan Hickman Talks

[Kingdom X]

What is it with the X-line that seems such a complex and hard franchise to write?

We have outstanding writers doing mediocre to awful jobs (Brubaker, Lemire, Fraction, Bendis). Some of them leaving before their time (Hickman, Bendis).

I used to think the problem was the editors. But Hickman had the editors in the palm of his hand.

What the **** happens with the mutant line?

Lemire really never had a chance with the Inhumans mandate. Has Bendis ever talked about having to leave early in interviews?

[carmoc1234]

Kinda off topic, but I'm wondering if Inferno is pre- or post-Trial of Magneto. Or, somehow, concurrent.
It will only have 2 of 5 issues out by the time Inferno starts. And in the one preview image with Magneto in it, he has the ToM color scheme going on, but he is wearing a cape and not the long coat he started ToM in.

i assume concurrent. they both end the same month in december before the apparent relaunch and magneto is wearing the black outfit in the inferno teasers

[Cyke]

Thought this was a super interesting take on how he wanted to launch the X-line:

“A big thing that I really regret not getting to try was how we wanted to execute the launch of the entire X-Line. My initial idea was to use the X-Men title as a springboard for the other books. So, X-Men #1 would have been about the Hellfire Trading Company and then we would have launched Marauders two weeks later. Then two weeks after Marauders #1, and because of the complications introduced in that story, X-Men #2 would have been about the need for a mutant CIA, and then we would have launched X-Force #1 two weeks after that…”

I feel that we got the smallest taste of that with the start of the New Mutants line by Hickman, with X-Men setting it up. Alas, I would have loved to see that approach play out for the other books.

What is it with the X-line that seems such a complex and hard franchise to write?

We have outstanding writers doing mediocre to awful jobs (Brubaker, Lemire, Fraction, Bendis). Some of them leaving before their time (Hickman, Bendis).

I used to think the problem was the editors. But Hickman had the editors in the palm of his hand.

What the **** happens with the mutant line?

I can't answer that, it's just that I wanted to throw in Mark Waid in there as someone leaving before their time. Same with Peter David during his first run on X-Factor; his return to X-Factor was fairly insular (at least, as insular as someone as reference-heavy as PAD could get), but gradually it started to play more and more into larger crossovers once again.

[Stormy]

reading this it seems Hickman has had enough with mutant related stories as if he had a negative experience while in his current role. I wonder what that is all about?

As far as I know, he likes to work alone, and with the xmens he fell into a whole team of four, five writers, many things he wanted to do, it didn't happen, as well as the delay in scripting the stories, because the writers wanted explore the "First Act" more, that's all I know ..

[cranger]

I can't answer that, it's just that I wanted to throw in Mark Waid in there as someone leaving before their time. Same with Peter David during his first run on X-Factor; his return to X-Factor was fairly insular (at least, as insular as someone as reference-heavy as PAD could get), but gradually it started to play more and more into larger crossovers once again.

You hit on an issue that probably plays a part in some of these cases. While some writers might not care, my impression is that most of them find it frustrating to have to deal with the crossover events and even just having to always be having worried about having to drastically alter story ideas because of something someone else did. The more a writer is part of the discussion the less we hear about it, but it's likely annoying just the same. I feel that Bendis pulling the O5 out of the Jean Grey School had a lot to do with making his books separate from anything Aaron or whoever was on WatXM was doing.

[Malachi]

What is it with the X-line that seems such a complex and hard franchise to write?

We have outstanding writers doing mediocre to awful jobs (Brubaker, Lemire, Fraction, Bendis). Some of them leaving before their time (Hickman, Bendis).

I used to think the problem was the editors. But Hickman had the editors in the palm of his hand.

What the **** happens with the mutant line?

The easy answer is that it had Claremont. Not only did he write good stories, he did it over a long period. While writers who have come after have been better at some elements none have been so well rounded as Claremont. So we compare it to a level of quality, coherent vision and character work(from the man who created or defined them) that is hard for a team to replicate over splintered runs.

That was part of the appeal with Hickman the show runner. That unified vision and coherency.

Another problem is the very large cast the X-men has evolved into. You can cameo away some of it but there are many who are just to important to be wallpaper. The x-office needs to find a formula for balancing this and so far they haven’t. This era is still plagued by many of the bad decisions that have been done before. Stealth solos are not the way to go.

[CGAR]

I still think Hickman had editoral/upper management shenanigans to deal with. I don't think he could get away with as much as we think he can.

[yellow cyclone]

I still think Hickman had editoral/upper management shenanigans to deal with. I don't think he could get away with as much as we think he can.

i think it's this. the fact that he had to change his plans, and alludes to it again with his original x-men kicking off the other books as that plot progressed, it makes more sense


which is just stupid for the higher ups, the x-line finally gets the big boost it needs and deserves, and it's so great, and now it'll probably just fade and be another line. really going to be interesting what sales are after inferno

[Wolverine12]

That feeling when you realize we’re the reason Hickman dipped

[Devaishwarya]

All writers face the prospect of changing plans and stories depending on what's happening within the office or outside the office...it's understood and accepted that stuff happens, and sometimes editors and creatives have to go with the flow. C-19 in 2020 played a major factor in how things played out story-wise (I remember someone saying that XoS was actually supposed to be later, rather than sooner, and they were all okies with readjusting/rearranging their stories to suit.)

They could be lying, or not telling us the whole truth, but at this point...long after the decisions have been made...we are the last to know and what we think/believe actually "went down behind the scenes" is quite irrelevant.

[Kingdom X]

That feeling when you realize we’re the reason Hickman dipped

No fr... we X-fans are crazy. I'm glad I keep all my comic discussions to these threads cause social media only amplifies the crazy.

[The tall man]

Yeah, I think we have all been guilty of over-crediting Hickman and therefor having these reactions now that he's leaving, but a lot of the things going on in the books are still in the hands of the people who contributed to them. He seems pretty at peace and he just doesn't want to lessen the impact the other creatives are having on the franchise.

I think we as a fandom just want one person to praise or blame for everything all the time.

Over-crediting Hickman really? He deserves every once of credit he receives, he singlehandedly revived the x-franchise and the new status quo is all him. Who among the other writers deserve the credit and praise that Hickman gets, who contributed to the new era as much as he did; none of them did, their all playing in his sandbox. All of this is because of Hickman, let's see what happens now that they don't have his vision driving things. Expect mediocre and derivative storytelling. I think he is to much of a professional to really say what he thinks/feel so he is content to just walk away let them have at it.

[Winter_fury]

Hox/pox is always going be a favorite of mine. I’m ready for what ever he’s writing after inferno but I’m probably going stop buying floppies(for dc and marvel). It really has no use with writers leaving the stories unfinished for whatever the reasons might be.

[cranger]

Over-crediting Hickman really? He deserves every once of credit he receives, he singlehandedly revived the x-franchise and the new status quo is all him. Who among the other writers deserve the credit and praise that Hickman gets, who contributed to the new era as much as he did; none of them did, their all playing in his sandbox. All of this is because of Hickman, let's see what happens now that they don't have his vision driving things. Expect mediocre and derivative storytelling. I think he is to much of a professional to really say what he thinks/feel so he is content to just walk away let them have at it.

I cannot argue that is not what you are already getting. I cannot argue that anything Hickman started with House of X #1 has had any true significance in any story in any other title.

That is, to make it short, if you are actually enjoying any of the non-Hickman books as they are you should continue to keep enjoying them.

Unless what you enjoyed was the idea of Hickman, which maybe allowed you to read those books with some positive preconceived notions of some bigger story.

[Winter_fury]

Over-crediting Hickman really? He deserves every once of credit he receives, he singlehandedly revived the x-franchise and the new status quo is all him. Who among the other writers deserve the credit and praise that Hickman gets, who contributed to the new era as much as he did; none of them did, their all playing in his sandbox. All of this is because of Hickman, let's see what happens now that they don't have his vision driving things. Expect mediocre and derivative storytelling. I think he is to much of a professional to really say what he thinks/feel so he is content to just walk away let them have at it.

Mmm let then have there fun soon enough they will be back to complaining like they did with x-men gold, lemire, bunn, rosenburg, bendis, aaron and fraction.

Hell some of them even complain about morrison’s run when that’s the second best run after claremont/byrne we had.