This niche still hasn't gotten over the hangover of nostalgia of Claremont's run. Thats whats creates toxicity. I can definitely see DeMayo knowingly bringing this up, not because he likes these two characters but to increase more engagement for niche. Bring up the popular bits together. Doesn't matter if it's toxic or not. For now I am beginning to believe he hasnt read Wolverine his whole life otherwise he wouldnt have jumped on this so easily.
As for Logan and Jean's relationship i have seen a lot of pop culture references based characters in shows, films even games. HIMYM, Friends, Dark Knight(film) are some popular references
I don't get the impression the directors of '97 like Logan much at all. See my arlier linked interview of one of them asying as a kid you like Wolverine and as an adult you like Cyclops.
Not to mention when it came to actually being the "leading character" and leader of the team he would usually get beat up or be useless, was barely a good leader in most episodes, and in general they never really justified putting him in charge.
Steve Blum was great VA-wise though.
I do have fondness for WaTXM because I liked the voice cast, designs, and the structure of the plot/setting and the various era's they pulled from even if the sum wasn't always equal to the parts.
As mentioned I'm a new reader still making my way through Krakoa, and after that I wanna go back and read the Decimation through AvX era, but I just found this little blurb fascinating.With Professor X gone and his school transformed into a nightmare reflection of itself, the series sees Rogue step up to be the pillar of Xavier’s dream alongside Wolverine, Gambit, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee. From their new base of operations in New Orleans, the Uncanny X-Men are back to being the outlaw heroes the world hates and fears—and the light in the darkness for mutants everywhere! Mutantkind made a big statement with Krakoa, and now, life is harder for them than ever before, but Rogue’s X-Men will be there to welcome mutants to their new found family.
I'm sure there's a lot of nuances I'm missing, having not read the issues in question as of yet, but it strikes me as really interesting that Wolverine of all people tends to be on "Team Idealist" in these splits. Was he not against Revolutionary Cyclops in Schism and AVX? Apparently, Scott is once again entering that mindset and once again Wolverine stands with what seems like the most impossible dream.
My main source of reference is still comics and cartoons where his "ruthless pragmatism" tends to be in opposition to the idealists. the latest ep of X-Men '97 is a perfect example. But in these..."ideological conflicts" he is on the idealist side of things.
If I'm understanding all this right. As I said, still got so much to read.
It's a horrible era but the Wolverine side of things was readable especially Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force and Jason Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men. Actually more than readable, they were the only two bright spots of the X-Men during this team and UXF is a new classic and critically adored. One of the best characterization of Wolverine imo.
Going as far back as Claremont's run, there's evidence that Wolverine had become the more idealist type. That he was Xavier's biggest success story because of what Wolverine once was and what he became. He and Storm are more or less the main two protagonists of Claremont's X-Men as they're there from beginning to end and change the most.
Wolverine in X-Men '97 is one who is still depicted more like he was early in UXM before he went through his changes. But even during his idealist time, he was never above killing if he felt it was for the greater good, hence X-Force. And that's been true for a lot of the X-Men in general.
This is what I'll be reading once done with Krakoa:
The vast majority of this - Fraction, Carey, Kyle/Yost - i've only heard good things about. For Wolverine and Wolverine Family stuff, there's also Marjorie Liu, another one I've only heard good things about. That won't be vital to understanding the main plot but her Wolverine and X-23 stuff will also be part of my reading.New X-Men by Kyle/Yost (#20-43)
X-Men by Mike Carey (#188-204)
Messiah Complex
Uncanny X-Men by Matt Fraction (#500-512)
X-Force by Kyle and Yost (#1-13)
Cable by Swierczynski (#1-12)
Messiah War crossover
Utopia crossover
Uncanny X-Men by Matt Fraction (#515-522)
X-Force by Kyle and Yost (#17-20)
Cable by Swierczynski (#16-25)
Necrosha crossover
Second Coming crossover
Uncanny X-Men by Fraction/Gillen (#526-543)
Schism
Uncanny X-Men by Gillen (#544, vol. 2 #1-14)
Avengers vs. X-Men, including the Uncanny X-Men tie-in (#15-20)
AvX: Consequences
I think one thing to keep in mind is that the love triangle has to continue here because it was in the original show and never resolved. People say the movies brought back the love triangle but it was really the 90s show that brought it back full swing, if not revived it from the grave. Compare Logan's reaction to Scott and Jean's wedding in the comics vs the show where he's trying to kill Scott in the danger room and screaming "you can't have her." And it makes sense too why these versions are so disparate because the Wolverine from the show is more closely based on how he acted in the 70s compared to the 80s or 90s. He hasn't had the growth which he does have now in '97, allowing him to reject Jean which he would never have done in TAS, particularly S2.
https://www.tiktok.com/@itsslanderki...28913653419307
That iconic meme of Wolverine looking at Jean's photo is so closely tied to the show's legacy and Wolverine's character at this point that it still gets referenced today. And there's another one too also featuring Sad Wolverine. That's what the public has been saturated with and what they expect.
I do feel though that there's been a deliberate attempt to downsize Wolverine for this show. But a few others, like Beast, Bishop, and Morph have been similarly affected, and we might also feel differently after his episode comes.
Last edited by whitecrown; 04-26-2024 at 10:09 AM.
Kyle and Yost X-Force was popular and well liked. Mike Carey's run was also good if you're a Rogue fan. Lotsa development for her including the Rogue, Gambit, Magneto love triangle. It doesn't offer much for Wolverine fans though. Fraction...the less said the better.
And I agree that Marjorie Liu's X-23 is required reading to understand her dynamic with Logan and a few other X-Men characters.
I want an UnderArmour shirt of that new design to workout in.
“Not as good as I once was… but I’m as good, once, as I ever was.”
"Good-bye. Good luck. Good riddance."