Results: X-Books Awards voting 2023

[Rift]

Glad to see Percy doing better here than ever before.

[NewMutant]

I still say Duggan gets a bad wrap. He does not have the gravitas that Hickman, KG, Morrison, Whedon, etc... but its fun and solid comic fun that leads to more traditional. He is clearly a fan of the series and its certainly better than most of what happened from AvX to HoX.

[Wolverine12]

I still say Duggan gets a bad wrap. He does not have the gravitas that Hickman, KG, Morrison, Whedon, etc... but its fun and solid comic fun that leads to more traditional. He is clearly a fan of the series and its certainly better than most of what happened from AvX to HoX.

I'd take Duggan 10x over every writer of the core title after AvX but before HoX. The CompleX years were the WORST!

[Master of Sound]

Least Favorite X-Artist

Just because you are an artist, doesn't mean you are a good artist. Anyone can make art, but not everyone can make you feel something positive when viewing their art and these artists did not make us happy this year. We want to relate to characters and their stories, but some artist make it very hard for us to do so. Sorry to say, but these were the artists we did not have much love for in 2023.

We could actually rename this part of the voting to Liefeld, Land and others, as each year when these two gentlemen delivered an issue or more, they ALWAYS are elected in the top 3. This year they both made it in again.

NUMBER 1
Rob Liefeld
With 37 points and 8 times voted as number one
For his work on Deadpool Badder Blood, Rob, always doing well in this category.


NUMBER 2
Diogenes Neves
With 29 points and 5 times voted as number one
A brand new artist to the X-Verse (as far as I know) is not welcomed with open arm due to the work delivered on Realm of X.


NUMBER 3
Greg Land
With 23 points and 3 times voted as number one
And here we thought this was a Land-less year, but nope, at the very end he drew a one-shot, Original X-Men. Well there for he made it once more in this top 3.

[Master of Sound]

Hero with the most outstanding performances this year

We have a lot of favorites polls on this board, almost each month someone will post one and we know what characters are love. But every year some stand out a bit more than others. Some got some great focus, others made an awesome development or were brought back to us in an awesome way. There are those who will be our all time favorites, even if they did barely appear.

That is why this as per last year this category will change into 'Hero with the most outstanding performances' But back to this election ,who was the best character of 2023? Were it the leaders of the quiet council, one of the characters who created Planet Arokko, or an unexpected surprise?


NUMBER 1
STORM
With 38 points and 8 number one votes
This position actually changed with the last few voters, as our number 2 and Storm just switch places at the very end. Last year Ororo was our number 2, now she has won. Storm does lead Planet Arakko and did become the general in the war for Arakko, the Genesis War.


NUMBER 2
FIRESTAR
With 36 points and 7 number one votes
Firestar suddenly and unexpectedly got a very interesting role within the X-books, she became a spy, an undercover X-Men, infiltrating in Orchis and making the X-Men her enemy. Good thing some of them are now aware and she might be safe. Thanks to Firestar, we might actually stand a chance against Orchis.


NUMBER 3
SUNFIRE
With 22 points and twice voted as number one
Sunfire did not really get a chance to shine when he was elected on the X-Men and haven't we been waiting like forever to get this story delivered. Shiro made his promise, he freed Redroot the Forest, but at what costs? Only the future knows.


Runner-up was Rogue for saving Xavier at the very last moment

[Master of Sound]

Hero with the worst performances this year

You have heroes who were once our favorites, but were written in such a way that we lost the love for them and others, we just never cared for at all. Many years Glob Herman ended up in this top 3, but as off last year he did get a well needed break from the x-books. Who else could do with such a break according to you? Well, there is another who has been voted on this one for a few times, he is back again on this top 3. Well, the winner was the least favorite in 2021 and 2022 as well, so I guess he needs to go on a long vacation.


NUMBER 1
BEAST
With 45 points and 9 times voted as number one
I really wonder how they are ever going to redeem Hank McCoy. As they already proved Dark Beast is in a jar, they cannot put the blame on him. Has another evil version taken the real McCoy's place, was he brain washed, controlled by a villain, or will they come up with something original to explain? Or is it as it is in many other dimensions, at one point, Beast just turns evil?


NUMBER 2
XAVIER
With 27 points and 6 times votes as number one
The first time Professor X made this top 3. Xavier started Krakoa with Eric and Moira, the next big step for mutant kind. He is supposed to be the strongest telepath on Earth, so how come is was being manipulated so easy? First by Sinister, then by Orchis, making every mutant scattered around.


NUMBER 3
QUIET COUNCIL
With 14 points and once voted as number 1
The third place was actually a close call with a few others. But the Quiet Council made it into this top 3, thanks to them being tricked so easy by Sinister, used by Mikhail and trusting Mother Righteous. Are these the leaders this new nation needed?


Runners up were Wolverine, Talon, Betsy and Cyclops

[rhaenylis]

Least Favorite X-Artist

Just because you are an artist, doesn't mean you are a good artist. Anyone can make art, but not everyone can make you feel something positive when viewing their art and these artists did not make us happy this year. We want to relate to characters and their stories, but some artist make it very hard for us to do so. Sorry to say, but these were the artists we did not have much love for in 2023.

We could actually rename this part of the voting to Liefeld, Land and others, as each year when these two gentlemen delivered an issue or more, they ALWAYS are elected in the top 3. This year they both made it in again.

NUMBER 1
Rob Liefeld
With 37 points and 8 times voted as number one
For his work on Deadpool Badder Blood, Rob, always doing well in this category.


NUMBER 2
Diogenes Neves
With 29 points and 5 times voted as number one
A brand new artist to the X-Verse (as far as I know) is not welcomed with open arm due to the work delivered on Realm of X.


NUMBER 3
Greg Land
With 23 points and 3 times voted as number one
And here we thought this was a Land-less year, but nope, at the very end he drew a one-shot, Original X-Men. Well there for he made it once more in this top 3.

Neves worked on Wells' New Mutants run
His art was pretty good back then

[Uncanny X-Man]

Hero with the most outstanding performances this year

We have a lot of favorites polls on this board, almost each month someone will post one and we know what characters are love. But every year some stand out a bit more than others. Some got some great focus, others made an awesome development or were brought back to us in an awesome way. There are those who will be our all time favorites, even if they did barely appear.

That is why this as per last year this category will change into 'Hero with the most outstanding performances' But back to this election ,who was the best character of 2023? Were it the leaders of the quiet council, one of the characters who created Planet Arokko, or an unexpected surprise?


NUMBER 1
STORM
With 38 points and 8 number one votes
This position actually changed with the last few voters, as our number 2 and Storm just switch places at the very end. Last year Ororo was our number 2, now she has won. Storm does lead Planet Arakko and did become the general in the war for Arakko, the Genesis War.


NUMBER 2
FIRESTAR
With 36 points and 7 number one votes
Firestar suddenly and unexpectedly got a very interesting role within the X-books, she became a spy, an undercover X-Men, infiltrating in Orchis and making the X-Men her enemy. Good thing some of them are now aware and she might be safe. Thanks to Firestar, we might actually stand a chance against Orchis.


NUMBER 3
SUNFIRE
With 22 points and twice voted as number one
Sunfire did not really get a chance to shine when he was elected on the X-Men and haven't we been waiting like forever to get this story delivered. Shiro made his promise, he freed Redroot the Forest, but at what costs? Only the future knows.


Runner-up was Rogue for saving Xavier at the very last moment

I'm very happy to see both Angelica and Shiro doing so well in this category. And Ororo is of course very deserving of the first spot here, she just had her best year in how don't even know how long.

[NewMutant]

[B]

NUMBER 2
Diogenes Neves
With 29 points and 5 times voted as number one
A brand new artist to the X-Verse (as far as I know) is not welcomed with open arm due to the work delivered on Realm of X.

Diogene drew the Storm Worlds Apart mini like a decade ago. Much better work then.

[Havok83]

Least Favorite X-Writer

Sometimes you read a X-Men story and wonder if the writer really loves their job and seriously doubt if they feel any connection to the X-Universe. Because some write stories so badly, that we would be better off if these stories were never written. We also learned that using a title that was successful in the past does not guarantee success today.

NUMBER 1
Gerry Duggan
With 34 points and 6 times voted as number 1
You have voted for him and the work he the delivered on either X-Men Dark Web, Uncanny Avengers or the official flagship book: X-Men. Or was it perhaps all of them combined? I know it felt like X-Men had no real direction and perhaps changing the team members so regularly does not help either?


NUMBER 2
Benjamin Percy
With 30 points and 5 times voted as number one
Benjamin delivered a lot of Wolverine and Beast turned dark. He wrote X-Force, Wolverine and Ghost Rider/ Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance. Perhaps it is time the Beast story wraps up and Benjamin can focus on Logan?


NUMBER 3
Stephanie Phillips and Tini Howard
Both with 23 points
Tini has been part of this top 23 for a few years in a row now. I think it is time somebody else gets a shot at Betsy Braddock and Askani. Stephanie just did the unforgivable thing in making Gambit cause some innocent woman to die out of stupidity.

I REBUKE this! Duggan was the 2nd best to me. No way should he be #1. Percy deserves that honor

[Omega Alpha]

I REBUKE this! Duggan was the 2nd best to me. No way should he be #1. Percy deserves that honor

I think Percy didn't win this year because most people gave up on X-Force long ago, so they didn't read anything from him

[Master of Sound]

Sorry for the delay guys, mega busy period at the moment.

Villain with the most outstanding performances this year

What is a good story without a great threat? Those threats mostly come from villains and OMG, some villains were written in a great way. We still have the villains Omega Sentinel, Nimrod and Orchis and Genesis and her babies made a return as well. Also we did get the Children of the Vault and Goblin Queen from Battleworld was still here to mess with 616 Maddie. These were the most admired for the parts they played this year;


NUMBER 1
NIMROD, the HUNTER
With 45 points and 8 times voted as number one.
Nimrod made his mark on 2023 big time. Leasing the Orchis attack on Krakoa and making a 5 heads kill on entry. He might actually be the biggest threat that Orchis has to the merry mutants of planet Earth.


NUMBER 2
GENESIS
With 26 points and 4 times voted as number one.
Genesis came back, in company of Annihilation and Genesis' children, causing the Great Ring to get divided and starting a planet size War. She was the big threat on planet Arakko this year. Now with Stormm and her Brotherhood winning the war, we wonder, what (and where) will we read what comes next.


NUMBER 3
MOTHER RIGHTAOUS
With 23 points and once receiving a number one vote
The clone of Mr. Sinister's late wife made her mark on 2023. She received this 3rd place for taking advantage of everybody else stupidity and used it to the max. All just so she could become Dominion. Guess what..... it did not work.

[Master of Sound]

Villain with the worst performances this year


For every well written, or popular villain, there s one we do not like as such, in fact, some we simply hate to the core (I just wanted to sound a bit dramatic today). Last year we had the same winner as last year. I think we can all guess who that will be. But also the other two did not surprise me at all.

NUMBER 1
MOIRA X
With 36 points and 5 number one votes.
The big changes they made with Moira MacTaggert being a mutant, was handled quite nicely. But making her a villain in the end and betraying mutant kind has been a step to far, or shall we say a leap to far? The love of her life is a mutant, she was herself ne and now working with Orchis to destrot=y all mutants> No, we do not like robo-Moira.


NUMBER 2
MISTER SINISTER
With 15 points and twice voted as number one
So now we had to find out the real Mr. Sinister died years ago and the one who put us all through Sins of Sinister was just another clone. Well, low score on creativity there Marvel. Guess we will find out the coming year he is actually still alive and will claim Dominion? Hope they will do better than that, really.


NUMBER 3
CAPTAIN KRAKOA II
With 14 points and also twice voted as number one
It could have been interesting who took over the Captain Krakoa mantle and become a serious theat. Well, I will admit, he made quite an entry when putting Cyclops out, but that was actually the only impressive action he did. We were all guessing who it was, the outcome: a let down and the way he was written more so,

[Master of Sound]

Comeback of the Year

Over the years writers have created fantastic characters, one better then others of course. You have those who were really missed by many for long periods of time and then, suddenly one writer likes them as much as you do and brings them back into the spotlight for them to shine once again like a bright star. . We saw many heroes and villains make a comeback this year. They were once amongst the dead, or were in limbo for years and they came back in a big way. We saw many old characters from Sword of X return as well of some fan favorites.


NUMBER 1
APOCALYSE
With 38 points and 8 times votes as number one.
Apocalypse, aka En Sabah Nur, aka Revelation, aka ..|A|.. has made his return while the War for Arakko was raging. Would he side with his wife and Children, or side with the heroes who took him in as one of their own? Good thing for us, he is still on the good side. Well, for now....


NUMBER 2
REDROOT THE FOREST
With 21 points and 3 times votes as number one.
Making us wait for so long made us wanting to see the return of Redroot more and more. The quiet voice of Arakko was finally freed from Otherworld by Sunfire. But both seem to be effected by it. Time will only tell how.


NUMBER 3
PHANTAZIA
With 20 points and 3 times voted as number one
If you blinked twice, you will have completely missed the comeback of Phantazia, as it was just a very few panels in Dark X-Men. But the X-Books forum has a lot of Phantazia fans, we saw that the recent years in the category Most Missed Characters. What she did do this year? Pretty much nothing, just being there on a few panels can make some particular members of this board so happy. You see how popular outsiders can be?

[Master of Sound]

Breakout Star of the Year

Which characters made the jump to the forefront of the X-Men comics this year? Skirting the edge of, had exciting focus, or developments? Last year we had a winner in Sunspot who became a cental figure of tRed X-Men's Brotherhood and Great Ring. This years winner is one who came back from the past 2 years ago and has now been rewarded with a big role in fighting against Orchis.


NUMBER 1
FIRESTAR
With 41 points and six times voted as number 1
Well, didn't she do well in this years voting? She became the number 2 hero with the best performance and now the winner of this award. She infiltrated within Orchis, shared valuable info with the underground X-Men, got rid of one of it's leaders and was able to free Juggernaut. Well done, can't wait to see where this ends.


NUMBER 2
MADELYNE PRYOR
With 35 points and 5 number one votes
Madelyne is finally redeemed and on top of that rewarded with become the owner of Limbo, giving refugee to hunted mutants, become a leader and was able to kill off the evil Battleworld version of herself.


NUMBER 3
SUNFIRE
With 24 points and 4 times voted as number one.
Shiro surely made an impression on us this year. We saw, what I think, the best written Sunfire focused story ever. Let's hope we will see more of focus on him in 2024. He was able to free Redroot from Otherworld and aided in defeating Annihilation. Job well done!