Hellions 18 Review/Spoiler Thread - "This has the potential to get messy"

[Huntsman Spider]

While it does?

There have been a bunch of times of the course of this run where I have tried to figure out how Marvel has not either put this writer on it's "Heavy Hitter..." IP or let said writer run with some of the more "Oddball..." IP.

Just seems like a complete diamond in the rough.

Uh-huh.

I would rather Zeb do the writing for one of the X-titles , his writing is better and more consistent than several current writers like Duggan. I won't mention the rest as there might be a backlash from the writers' fans.

That's fair.

[Pumpkin King]

A great ending to the best book in the Krakoa era, imo. This was a team book that actually knew how to be a team book. Even the tragic parts with Peter and Nanny made sense for the characters, and their arc over the course of the book. Amazing how Wells made me feel things for the whole team, most of whom I had little to no interest in prior. I even feel a bit bad for Empath, as awful as he is. I don't think we're supposed to believe that he's responsible for Orphan Maker's rampage, or the team initially fighting the X-Men. The book has emphasized that the whole team (except Psylocke, who has basically just been the chaperone) is "troubled" and more than capable for getting out of control without any outside interference. I can buy Orphan Maker losing control and Greycrow punching Cyclops in his defense. But I also understand why people could read it that way - I might be wrong!

One minor complaint - Wells has Catseye's voice all wrong, but it's forgivable since she's just there as a cameo.

That final scene between Greycrow and Psylocke was lovely. I hope we see him pop up in the Marauders reboot. And I hope he keeps hanging out with Kyle. Greycrow can probably be the common sense friend who keeps Wildchild from flying off the handle.

But Sinister getting beaten up and muzzled was the best part. Get 'em.

[Hulkout42]

Council did them dirty! Damn Sinister and Empath walk but the others get screwed, of sure Maddie is back but we all know how that will end...Alex is in for bad times. Kwannon and Greycrow were nice to see in the end but man i wish this book didn't end, it was the best one of the entire line up.

[JB]

It's really great to read all the positive posts about this book. I'm genuinely going to miss it and I'm touched at how many feel the same.

[Wolverine12]

Such a good series. Sad to see it go.

[crimsontt]

I think zeb and tini howard are in exact opposite places

Zeb told a consistent story with d-listers he made us get to
know and emphatize with. From kwannon to orphan maker, almost every character got some decent development and panel time.
There was frustration, romance, humor, plot twists and a lot of action for only 18 well wrapped issues.

On the other hand, Tini had an estelar cast, with 4 members of one of the most prominent x-team plus A+ former villain apocalipse.
In her first year in excalibur she pretty much dragged the book to build up x-of swords with really poor sense o purpose for the team. In 25 issues jubilee and gambit had nothing to do, rogue was written out of the book and nobody missed because there was nothing to miss. The main character (Betsy) as been written as an anti-version of what the readership is used to and now that she is finally back in a proper characterization it’s too late and nobody seems to care about the book anymore.

I want zeb to stay in the x-titles so badly

[Hulkout42]

I think zeb and tini howard are in exact opposite places

Zeb told a consistent story with d-listers he made us get to
know and emphatize with. From kwannon to orphan maker, almost every character got some decent development and panel time.
There was frustration, romance, humor, plot twists and a lot of action for only 18 well wrapped issues.

On the other hand, Tini had an estelar cast, with 4 members of one of the most prominent x-team plus A+ former villain apocalipse.
In her first year in excalibur she pretty much dragged the book to build up x-of swords with really poor sense o purpose for the team. In 25 issues jubilee and gambit had nothing to do, rogue was written out of the book and nobody missed because there was nothing to miss. The main character (Betsy) as been written as an anti-version of what the readership is used to and now that she is finally back in a proper characterization it’s too late and nobody seems to care about the book anymore.

I want zeb to stay in the x-titles so badly

Wow, that is exactly how i feel about X-calibur in comparison to this book, heck i feel Marauders suffers the same issues as well with how it seems so focused on Kitty and Frost and leaves Bishop, Pyro, and Iceman hanging.

Hellions was the best of the entire line up by far and for all the reason you state.

[jwatson]

I just wanted to add i greatly enjoyed that Wells never went into "comic politics" with this book as well. He came in, knew what the premise was, and told an amazing story in that setting while acknowledging things like Arrako and the gala etc. For me it is a suprising treat in hindsight as some of the other books have had a penchant to comment on the era as well as other books in an almost meta sense which was always a bit distracting or downright annoying. I felt the professionalism and the love of the work in every issue. It really would be a great loss to the x-office to lose wells and i am hoping Xmen knights is a captains book where they take the hellion thing to the next level and try to make more mutants a service to their nation by rehabilitating them. Turning them from societies piranha to it's knights.

[Odd Rödney]

Well, that was a pretty rad finale! As I always point out, I get to these threads super late because I don't get to read my comics as early as the rest if y'all. But yeah, this was a damn good book. I'm gonna miss this team. I'm not terribly cool with how they've handled Maddy but other than that Wells knocked it outta the park. Hopefully he gets to do more work in some X-Men books in the future.

I'm excited to see where the Kwannon/Greycrow relationship goes. That beach scene was gorgeously drawn.

Me too, both characters have heaps of potential stories that could be told with them and I'm here for it!

I liked how Alex and Lorna just casually say hi to each other during the proceedings. This book was great at balancing seriousness and levity.

I loved that moment!!!

Empath's got me wondering. Did he calm the Hellions down after they lost control, or did he instigate things in the first place? They lacked pink thingies around their heads when the fighting first started, so it's probably the former.

I'm like, 90% sure it's the former.

Nanny's final moment with OM was sweet. She was so unfair with him, but I'm glad she was still in his corner in the end.

I was really mad at Charles for insisting that Orphan Maker go to his punishment without Nanny. That was unnecessarily cruel IMHO. I genuinely felt really bad for them both.

I'm sad for Nanny and Peter. I hope however Creed gets out, they somehow bust out too.

I'm with you on that! I hope they're in the Sabretooth book.

Can Jumbo please get the OG ADULT Hellions out of those school uniforms and into some individual costumes??

Yes! This! 100%

I really wanted too see Orphan Maker's real form.

Me too, we still could at some point I guess.

Nanny bringing up Kitty's mother opened a can of worms for me.

Like is she still in contact with her regulary? What's her mother thinking of Krakoa? Has she informed her of her temporary death status? How is she going to explain to her that they are bringing back the dead mutants of Genosha, but obviously won't bring back the hundred thousands of normal humans who died on it which includes her father?

I wondered about this too. Hopefully we'll find out, just a little scene addressing it would be nice. But I doubt we'll get such a thing.

with all of X-Force and X-Men Green human murders all of this reads very shallow.

Yeah, I thought about that too. Is Logan gonna go to the pit for the people he's killed in X-Force? What about Jean? Yeah, that ain't gonna happen. It's kind of like the justice system in the U.S. One set of rules for those in power, another set of rules for everyone else. Not an ideal system at all.

[Dinosaur Hulk]

Question to everyone who have read New Mutants by Wells. Is it anywhere near quality of this book? Interested in chemistry between characters, humor and action. Thinking about buying tpb to fill the hole left with conclusion of Hellions.

[Odd Rödney]

Question to everyone who have read New Mutants by Wells. Is it anywhere near quality of this book? Interested in chemistry between characters, humor and action. Thinking about buying tpb to fill the hole left with conclusion of Hellions.

I enjoyed it a great deal. Your mileage may vary. Different strokes for different folks and all that. Some of it ties in with Necrosha if I remember correctly. Or Second Coming. Or maybe both. There's also some stuff with Limbo. It's a good read.

[Dinosaur Hulk]

I enjoyed it a great deal. Your mileage may vary. Different strokes for different folks and all that. Some of it ties in with Necrosha if I remember correctly. Or Second Coming. Or maybe both. There's also some stuff with Limbo. It's a good read.

Thanks for the answer!!

[Odd Rödney]

Thanks for the answer!!

You're welcome!

[Lukmendes]

I don't think Madelyne is feeling it at all. I mean they basically used her as a consolation prize for Alex and she knows it.

Not to mention she's clearly planning to do something, if the next writers remember, she'll start some **** lol.

Also one thing I find interesting is how Empath looks so sad at the end, I think it's because for the first time, he knows what it's like to have people around who aren't being forced to kiss his ass, now using his powers to control anyone to kiss his ass feels fake, that's cool.

Oh well, sucks this comic's ending, but hey, it was fun while it lasted, hopefully its events aren't ignored lol.

[Leirus]

Question to everyone who have read New Mutants by Wells. Is it anywhere near quality of this book? Interested in chemistry between characters, humor and action. Thinking about buying tpb to fill the hole left with conclusion of Hellions.

One of my favourite runs. Illyana was always a popular character, but I am convinced her actual success comes from how well Wells wrote her on that run. Kinda the same deluxe treatment Kwannon has received, now that I think about it.