X-Line Cohesiveness Breaking Down?

[loke13]

Now I'm not usually the person to be making doom&gloom threads but I just can't shake this thought.

I feel like the books are starting to revert back to a VERY loose cohesiveness that we saw before Hickman came on board and hopefully I'm not the only one who feels that way. After HoX/PoX it seemed like all the X-writers were on the same page with Hickman being the architect for the current layout. Each book complimented the other and there was very little confusion on which books/events came before others. Even the data pages held a wealth of knowledge and even a few Easter eggs that teased new developments in other books.

Since Hickman's departure I can't help but notice a distancing from this type of format and more so a return to the old ways where each book is its own playground and only the FLAGSHIPS seem to get recognized by or are deemed "important" enough to read as opposed to each book being a part of a greater whole

As it stands X-men, X-Men Red, and Immortal are the books to look out for in this current "era" with LEGION OF X trailing close behind. All that to say it really does feel like the X-Line has lost a sense of direction following Hickman's departure. Maybe the pandemic/shipping shortage messed things up more than I thought but it definitely feels like a return to the pre-Hickman days with each writer doing their own thing with very little regard with whether or not it steps on current continuity.

[Omega Alpha]

Yes, it's true. X-force, Wolverine and Marauders for the most part feel like books that could be set in any era of Marvel, specially the two last (in X-force, there would be less dead members every issue, though) and have nothing to say about the present one.

[DarkMagnus]

In Judgment day i saw Quire figthing eternals.

Isnt he kinda dissapear?

[Fokken]

In Judgment day i saw Quire figthing eternals.

Isnt he kinda dissapear?

There's been a few missteps between the writer, the artist and the editor.
Noteably Quire & Rachel, in this event. Buuuuuut who knows. The timeline thing is tricky and print /release delays. For all we know, those characters may be returning from oblivion and Otherworld just before the AXE event started. <shrug>

[Jackraow21]

They need a new architect, and to trim the line down a bit. I nominate Al Ewing as architect and head writer!

[Krakoa]

There's been a few missteps between the writer, the artist and the editor.
Noteably Quire & Rachel, in this event. Buuuuuut who knows. The timeline thing is tricky and print /release delays. For all we know, those characters may be returning from oblivion and Otherworld just before the AXE event started. <shrug>

I don't think Rachel is really a mis-step. Knights of X 5 was supposed to be out before this as originally conceived.

The biggest mis-step lately was definitely the timeline of Marauders/Gala/Red which just doesn't make sense.

[Master of Sound]

I have been reading X-books for many many years now. There are always continuity issues, especially with crossovers.
It can indeed be annoying.

[davetvs]

I heard the sky is falling too

[NewMutant]

I think that happened after the first Hellfire Gala. Trial of Magneto was such a let down. Both that event and Inferno were IDIOTICALLY named. And then it became event event event. Some of these stories would do better if it was just part of a run and not marketed as an event. Still, the stories feel more fresh and interesting than anything since AvX.

[JB]

I'm not sure if it's necessarily a breakdown of cohesion but rather an intentional allowance of books to do their own thing? The titles were definitely more connected while Hickman was at the helm (and I prefer that for the line), but perhaps now that we're a couple of years into the Krakoa era, the books can explore more. At the beginning there was a focus on building what exactly the Krakoa era was so it was a big mission statement that all books could participate in. Now that we're more settled in, the mission statement doesn't feel so big. If that makes any sense.

[Devaishwarya]

I'm not sure if it's necessarily a breakdown of cohesion but rather an intentional allowance of books to do their own thing? The titles were definitely more connected while Hickman was at the helm (and I prefer that for the line), but perhaps now that we're a couple of years into the Krakoa era, the books can explore more. At the beginning there was a focus on building what exactly the Krakoa era was so it was a big mission statement that all books could participate in. Now that we're more settled in, the mission statement doesn't feel so big. If that makes any sense.

I agree, 100%
The little/minor disparities we see now are certainly due to the scheduling/printing delays but the individual books themselves have been doing their own thing for quite some time, even before Hickman left. And yes, the Krakoa: Mutant Nation building aspect is pretty much completed (eventhough the writers could have gone into that societal aspect much deeper and at length) so there's no need for the books to look and read as interconnected and cohesive as they were before.

[Krakoa]

I think that happened after the first Hellfire Gala. Trial of Magneto was such a let down. Both that event and Inferno were IDIOTICALLY named. And then it became event event event. Some of these stories would do better if it was just part of a run and not marketed as an event. Still, the stories feel more fresh and interesting than anything since AvX.

The only people who I've seen hammer in that everything was an event are fans. Trial of Magneto and Inferno were just minis. Important minis, but, AXE is the only event since X of Swords.

[captain Qball]

What's the difference between a mini that involves the whole of mutants and adds the the meta-story/ ongoing narrative and an event that involves the whole of mutants and adds to the meta story? Is it the tie-ins? King in black was also in there that impacted some x-books.

[Wolverine12]

It’s definitely a bit more loose now but still better than pre Hickman imo.

[MythicalChicken]

Now I'm not usually the person to be making doom&gloom threads but I just can't shake this thought.

I feel like the books are starting to revert back to a VERY loose cohesiveness that we saw before Hickman came on board and hopefully I'm not the only one who feels that way. After HoX/PoX it seemed like all the X-writers were on the same page with Hickman being the architect for the current layout. Each book complimented the other and there was very little confusion on which books/events came before others. Even the data pages held a wealth of knowledge and even a few Easter eggs that teased new developments in other books.

Since Hickman's departure I can't help but notice a distancing from this type of format and more so a return to the old ways where each book is its own playground and only the FLAGSHIPS seem to get recognized by or are deemed "important" enough to read as opposed to each book being a part of a greater whole

As it stands X-men, X-Men Red, and Immortal are the books to look out for in this current "era" with LEGION OF X trailing close behind. All that to say it really does feel like the X-Line has lost a sense of direction following Hickman's departure. Maybe the pandemic/shipping shortage messed things up more than I thought but it definitely feels like a return to the pre-Hickman days with each writer doing their own thing with very little regard with whether or not it steps on current continuity.

Not every book is to my liking but this is the best the x-books have been in nearly 15 years and I won't grumble one bit.