X-Men Monday #127 – Jordan D. White Discusses ‘Inferno #1’

[Wolverine12]

Hickman is still working w/ Marvel, right?
Was his new project the Infinity thing?Because he said it wasn't X related.

Because if he is then he would lie about it, that makes sense.

Hickman has said he is moving onto “his next big project” at Marvel already. I’m convinced he’s not done with the X-Men yet, but just taking a break to plan out the Phallanx story for the X-Books. Hickman also tells us he’s paid to lie to us so it’s hard to know what’s really going to happen.

[Rev9]

Hickman has said he is moving onto “his next big project” at Marvel already. I’m convinced he’s not done with the X-Men yet, but just taking a break to plan out the Phallanx story for the X-Books. Hickman also tells us he’s paid to lie to us so it’s hard to know what’s really going to happen.

I have the same feeling that he will come in to wrap up the penultimate arc ,when the Phalanx show up and then maybe Moira's life 11 will be used. I hope my gut is right

[Devaishwarya]

I follow story. Yes, in like HiX-Man on X-Men but that doesn't mean I'll read him on another franchise.
And while I do love the X-MEN as an IP I most certainly will not read anything and everything that they publish, regardless of writer or characters. (Other than X:Men Red I vehemently avoided all the pre-Krakoa books because I just wasn't interested.)
In order of priority
Story/Premise
Artist
Writer
IP

[dkrook]

At the end of the day, its simple. Prior to Hickman's arrival the X-Men books were dull, uninspiring. They were close to collapse. This office and want to stretch out the goodwill and interest Hickman brought while low key sliding their cabal of mediocre writers in. Well, I'm not here for it. There's a reason the X-Men were failing JDW and his writers. Fluff, repetitive stories with Logan Jean, Scott, and Magneto are what we are gonna get more of until the wheels fall off

[Jackraow21]

Logan, Scott, Jean and Magneto… yeah, Hickman didn’t use them at all.

[Devaishwarya]

Other than his X-Men book which mainly served to seed ongoing plots, HiX-Man's plans were executed by the other writers in their books. That's still going to happen going forward so really.... nothing has changed.

[Spit and Syntax]

I think when people try and go “look they’re still using Hickman’s plots” people seem to forget that authors aren’t just plots.

I genuinely enjoy that way Hickman writes and paces a comic, and a lot of the times 1000 writers can use the same tropes, but the ones that aesthetically appeal to me, know how to structure a narrative and know how to write prose in a way that works for me, matters way more than a plot point.

it’s not just a machine, and with any craft specific people are drawn to specific things.

If the writing isn’t worth my money I probably will jump off and probably only read Eternals from Marvel.

hope it’s good though !

[Devaishwarya]

But it's not that HiX-Man was writing the plots. He imagined and orchestrated the plans but the only book he wrote was his X-Men book, which dealt with some minor plots overall.
Those who were reading only for HiX-Man's writing must have only been reading his X-book...considering that every writer wrote what they did, as they felt suited their books under his somewhat 'loose' direction. By his own admission, he wasn't dictating what they should write and how they should write.

[charliehustle415]

Meh. When it comes to comics, I’m here for the IP. Sorry. There are so many other channels for entertainment that if not for the attachment to the IP I probably wouldn’t bother with comics at all. Writers comes and go. X-men are my constant. *shrugs*

Just a personal preference. It’s not right or wrong either way.

Nothing wrong with it all, it's all personal preference.

Following IP is hard for me because I like beginnings, middles, and ends. When I follow writers they tend to have a plan and it gives me that closer that a lot of modern superhero comics lack.

[Anchorsify]

Logan, Scott, Jean and Magneto… yeah, Hickman didn’t use them at all.

Using them doesn't mean focusing on them. They were just one part of a bigger story being told, which is perfectly okay. When it becomes a book all about them, then it's an issue (because it's an ensemble cast, and they get plenty of time being parts of stories.. like how he used them). You know what he was saying, and he wasn't saying to not use them at all, just to not have the sole focus be about them as characters in a supposed team book.

Anyway, what he said here is true:

At the end of the day, its simple. Prior to Hickman's arrival the X-Men books were dull, uninspiring. They were close to collapse. This office and want to stretch out the goodwill and interest Hickman brought while low key sliding their cabal of mediocre writers in. Well, I'm not here for it. There's a reason the X-Men were failing JDW and his writers.

Emphasis mine. Hickman brought a fresh take to a team that'd been treading water for years, and now that he's leaving it's obvious damage control to tell people far and wide "don't worry, this was all planned, it'll still be quality" but really, why should anyone trust the Editor whose been largely ineffectual at his job beyond the one act of giving majority control (read: Editorial duties) to someone else? JDW is probably a good dude, I dunno, I've never met him. But I've never agreed with how he handles the X-men, and now that it's clear Hickman is no longer in charge and guiding the ship, I don't trust his steering for shit. Even in this interview "there is no Head of X" .. motherfucker YOU are the head of X as Senior Editor in Charge. That's HIS job and HE is stating in interviews no one has that title anymore. Is it that no one, including him, realizes he should be saying he is? Is it because they're afraid of the backlash of him saying that? Is it because he's avoiding responsibility by saying no one is Head of X? IDK. I just know it's obvious damage control, and not a very good attempt.

I mean, look at this:

AIPT: OK, we’re here to discuss Inferno #1, so let’s pivot, starting with an X-Fan question from aleX, who asked: What’s the X-Office’s mission statement with Inferno?

Jordan: I don’t know how to answer that question… to do an awesome comic everybody’s excited about? And also sell books?

No, I mean, again, this is a big story that Jonathan’s been planning to tell for a long time and he’s been working really hard on and it addresses some of the ongoing mysteries that we’ve been letting percolate over the course of the X-Books.

Your Senior Editor is asked what this new book is meant to be doing and his first answer is "gosh I hope they like it and buy it." Thanks JDW, what a great response. Followed up with: Well it's Hickman's thing he's passionate about it. (you guys wanted to know it was hickman's idea, right? that helps sell the books? please buy this book.)

I didn't love Hickman for his weeklies, I loved him on X-men because he had a plan. He knew what he wanted to do with the X-men and did it confidently (and Larraz' art sure helped make everything look amazing). He knew what he was doing and where he was going. That is essential to an ongoing, perpetual franchise like X-men, because otherwise you retell Magneto being a mutant supremicist for the 100th time, or the Phoenix returning yet again, or another time Juggernaut has to be stopped, or oh no Sentinels are attacking.. again, and it's all just the same.

JDW has never seemed to know what the X-men should be doing or what he even wants out of his writers, and you can't constantly burn through writers replacing them every six months bringing in different plots with no relation to one another. It becomes a manic mess without any overarching importance or presence beyond its own existence.. which is exactly what the X-men were before Hickman, and what they'll likely devolve into now that he's not 'Head of X'. Because JDW and all the other Editors want to wash their hands of responsibility in favor of saying "look guys we brought on this writer! aren't you excited?!" Without actually doing their jobs of knowing what they want out of the people they bring in and where everything should head.

[Kitty&Piotr<3]

I'm not huge on Hickman. Honestly, his takes on any characters that aren't just generically rude like Emma and Magneto are pretty terrible and not worth noting. But what may end up missing, as a couple of others have mentioned, is planning and setup. Hix has been worth it for the Krakoa setup alone and I appreciate the grandiosity that is there.

Apparently, they intend on NOT having a creative to set an overarching story arc for the line. That doesn't sound like a good idea and seems like a step backward.

[dkrook]

Logan, Scott, Jean and Magneto… yeah, Hickman didn’t use them at all.

The difference being execution, and Hickman doing a better job of incorporating other mutants while broadening the mythos in a lot more creative narratives. If you didn't understand what I meant.

[Malachi]

JDW has never seemed to know what the X-men should be doing or what he even wants out of his writers, and you can't constantly burn through writers replacing them every six months bringing in different plots with no relation to one another. It becomes a manic mess without any overarching importance or presence beyond its own existence.. which is exactly what the X-men were before Hickman, and what they'll likely devolve into now that he's not 'Head of X'. Because JDW and all the other Editors want to wash their hands of responsibility in favor of saying "look guys we brought on this writer! aren't you excited?!" Without actually doing their jobs of knowing what they want out of the people they bring in and where everything should head.

Before we blamed it on the MCU and Disney. JDW was almost powerless in our eyes due to corporate strategy.

Now after Hickman there is nothing to hide behind anymore.

A line as large and sprawling clearly needs a distinct direction and vision. I was more excited for the show runner aspect of Hickman run. Knowing how well suited he was for that. While hoping some other writer would give my favorites love.

[Mercury]

It all started with this…

So, during the pandemic, when the time came for me to start pointing things toward writing the second-act event, I asked everyone if they were ready for me to do that, and to a man, everyone wanted to stay in the first act. It was really interesting, because I appreciated that House of X resonated with them to the extent that they didn't want it to end, but the reality was that I knew I would be leaving the line early.

[Mercury]

Something is Killing the Children. Nice House on the Lake. Department of Truth...are my go-to's right now.

no worries my dude



Oh, I am just getting into these right now. Tynion is so good, it's a shame his Batman is milquetoast.

Currently, I am wrapping up the IDW TMNT run and holy crap is it amazing and then I think I was to start reading Once & Future by Gillen that art by Mora is gorgeous

I'm reading all of those titles besides Batman and TMNT, they're all pretty good so I think you've got some good times ahead if you haven't read them.

Department of Truth is just… 🤯 I’ll check out the rest.

Yeah.