New X-Men 2.0: Stuck In Detention

[Strong Girl Daken]

OOOOOOF. I gotta get into this when I get more time on my hands.

LOL I look forward to it.

[Tycon]

OML #40 was a gift. It's a shame this was only a two-issue arc and it's an even bigger shame that I'm 100% sure this Logan is going to bite the dust before he interacts with the students again.



LMAOOOOOOOOO



hey! his monster arm is back. kind of. for one panel. why?



i can't tell you how happy i am that we have New X-Men beating the sh!t out of Purifiers instead of miscellaneous X-Students

LOL I look forward to it.

Lemme just get the "of course" reason out of the way, THEIR NAMES. GOD, THEIR NAMES. Genesis and Oya have the luxury of not being created by Aaron, so they don't have to deal with his "naming" technique. Eye-Boy. Kid Gladiator. Shark Girl. This may be an unpopular opinion but gender/age identifiers + whatever your primary power might be is nothing but lazy ass namework. He's a boy with eyes all over him? EYE-BOY! Stroke of genius there! Girl whose power is that she turns into a shark? And that kind of logic just goes on and on. If you’re going to create a name based around their power, make it creative yet simplistic. Wolfsbane, Rockslide, Anole.

Secondly, the focus of the story/narrative. This is coming off the heels of Schism, as well as the Schism of the students. We see the end of Schism #5 where Anole, Oya, Blindfold, Rockslide, Q**nt*n, Glob, and Armor are working to rebuild the school in hopes of living out the dream of cohabitation without feeling that need for survival. And the first two issues of WatXM seem to hammer that home, but then it devolves into nothing but those same characters walking around in the background, with an occasional two or three lines. Mercury, Hellion, Anole, and Rockslide hanging out again should’ve been something so amazing and full of potential, especially after those kids were put through the wringer as full-time X-Men during Utopia (fighting against near-indestructible Nimrods, being hauled off to Limbo once more, getting kidnapped by anti-mutant zealots, having to re-kill their dead friends and face new losses against Selene’s undead army, rising up against Osborn’s regime etc etc). Most of their story gets told through Brian Wood’s Adjectiveless X-Men, where they kind of share the spotlight alongside Storm’s team.

And not to mention the utter disrespect that comes out of AvX. Unlike WatXM, the kids on Utopia weren’t as harshly dealt. To start off, they didn’t have their entire characterization erased and their reasons for staying (particularly Surge, Pixie, and Dust) seemed like the culmination of their entire character arc post-Decimation. Following them from the end of Schism to their Regenesis stories to their AvAc appearances to finally settling down back at the Jean Grey School made it feel like there was actual narrative and thought behind every appearance. But once they are forced (???) to come back to the same school they avoided in the first place as “refugees”, they were just kind of shoved in and forgot about. While that sucky Hellfire Club saga was going on, we could’ve had a subplot surrounding the return of the Utopia kids and how that’s affected the school dynamics or the tension surrounding their separation with their other friends.

Maybe if the focus of the stories was more divided up, with more focus on the students and more serious plots, I would’ve loved this title much more than I did. They can certainly be redeemed cause I don’t think I could ever fully hate an X-Student. Shark Girl is a great example of that.

[924COLLECTIVE]

I think at this point it is only the fans that can save the NXM.

[Tycon]

Also, speaking of Avengers Academy, a few of them made an appearance in IIM #600 today! They aren't X-Men, New X-Men, or even mutants, but I felt I had to post this in solidarity of Marvel treating the characters like sh!t.

[RoamingGnome8]

Also, speaking of Avengers Academy, a few of them made an appearance in IIM #600 today! They aren't X-Men, New X-Men, or even mutants, but I felt I had to post this in solidarity of Marvel treating the characters like sh!t.

It makes me so happy someone remembered Striker!

[Tycon]

I think at this point it is only the fans that can save the NXM.

That's why X-Positions are so important. To be persistent in asking the statuses on the students. It gives the characters a little bit more pertinence.

It makes me so happy someone remembered Striker!

This is essentially Avengers Academy 2.0 with higher profile characters like Spider-Man, Cable, Ironheart, Blade to help make it sell. Just put Gage and McKone (if he still does interiors) and you've got yourself a book.

[Strong Girl Daken]

That OML arc was wonderful. I bought these issues just so I could read them.

Kitty came across terribly in a comic she doesn't even appear in. The kids are freaking out because they think she's going to be mad after Purifiers just attacked them. What does that say about her as headmistress and leader? Yikes.

Lemme just get the "of course" reason out of the way, THEIR NAMES. GOD, THEIR NAMES. Genesis and Oya have the luxury of not being created by Aaron, so they don't have to deal with his "naming" technique. Eye-Boy. Kid Gladiator. Shark Girl. This may be an unpopular opinion but gender/age identifiers + whatever your primary power might be is nothing but lazy ass namework. He's a boy with eyes all over him? EYE-BOY! Stroke of genius there! Girl whose power is that she turns into a shark? And that kind of logic just goes on and on. If you’re going to create a name based around their power, make it creative yet simplistic. Wolfsbane, Rockslide, Anole.

Secondly, the focus of the story/narrative. This is coming off the heels of Schism, as well as the Schism of the students. We see the end of Schism #5 where Anole, Oya, Blindfold, Rockslide, Q**nt*n, Glob, and Armor are working to rebuild the school in hopes of living out the dream of cohabitation without feeling that need for survival. And the first two issues of WatXM seem to hammer that home, but then it devolves into nothing but those same characters walking around in the background, with an occasional two or three lines. Mercury, Hellion, Anole, and Rockslide hanging out again should’ve been something so amazing and full of potential, especially after those kids were put through the wringer as full-time X-Men during Utopia (fighting against near-indestructible Nimrods, being hauled off to Limbo once more, getting kidnapped by anti-mutant zealots, having to re-kill their dead friends and face new losses against Selene’s undead army, rising up against Osborn’s regime etc etc). Most of their story gets told through Brian Wood’s Adjectiveless X-Men, where they kind of share the spotlight alongside Storm’s team.

And not to mention the utter disrespect that comes out of AvX. Unlike WatXM, the kids on Utopia weren’t as harshly dealt. To start off, they didn’t have their entire characterization erased and their reasons for staying (particularly Surge, Pixie, and Dust) seemed like the culmination of their entire character arc post-Decimation. Following them from the end of Schism to their Regenesis stories to their AvAc appearances to finally settling down back at the Jean Grey School made it feel like there was actual narrative and thought behind every appearance. But once they are forced (???) to come back to the same school they avoided in the first place as “refugees”, they were just kind of shoved in and forgot about. While that sucky Hellfire Club saga was going on, we could’ve had a subplot surrounding the return of the Utopia kids and how that’s affected the school dynamics or the tension surrounding their separation with their other friends.

Maybe if the focus of the stories was more divided up, with more focus on the students and more serious plots, I would’ve loved this title much more than I did. They can certainly be redeemed cause I don’t think I could ever fully hate an X-Student. Shark Girl is a great example of that.

These are really great points. I've never thought of their names like that before, but you're totally right that they're silly, reductive, and shortsighted. Not a fan of names with a character's gender in them to begin with. It's really unfortunate that no one was looking out for the New X-men kids after Schism. I love Oya and Genesis, but like you pointed out, they weren't created by Aaron. I liked a lot about the Jean Grey School but so much was ignored to make it work in the way Aaron wanted.

[RoamingGnome8]

That's why X-Positions are so important. To be persistent in asking the statuses on the students. It gives the characters a little bit more pertinence.



This is essentially Avengers Academy 2.0 with higher profile characters like Spider-Man, Cable, Ironheart, Blade to help make it sell. Just put Gage and McKone (if he still does interiors) and you've got yourself a book.

Is the dinosaur looking person hinting that Reptil is still alive? Or is it another character?

[Tycon]

That OML arc was wonderful. I bought these issues just so I could read them.

Kitty came across terribly in a comic she doesn't even appear in. The kids are freaking out because they think she's going to be mad after Purifiers just attacked them. What does that say about her as headmistress and leader? Yikes.

It's so refreshing to see a great story told at the school since Gen X and Iceman ended, some luxury Gold can't afford for some strange, totally nonobvious reason. I firmly trust that Extermination is being written in (& by) good hands.

And the Kitty thing reads like a speed dial to CPS. The students had guns and flamethrowers shooting at them, while they sent on of the students back with a bomb attached. And all they worry about is "Kitty is gonna be MAAAAAAAAAAAD". oof. Then again, could also be a testament to how nonchalant this whole 'Purifier attacks the schools' routine has become to the more experienced students.

These are really great points. I've never thought of their names like that before, but you're totally right that they're silly, reductive, and shortsighted. Not a fan of names with a character's gender in them to begin with. It's really unfortunate that no one was looking out for the New X-men kids after Schism. I love Oya and Genesis, but like you pointed out, they weren't created by Aaron. I liked a lot about the Jean Grey School but so much was ignored to make it work in the way Aaron wanted.

Even Pixie, the STAR of the Utopia era, was criminally underutilized after AvX where she got shoved to the side with Surge. And was WatXM fun? Absolutely. Did it necessarily make sense in a cohesive narrative? Nope. And it speaks volumes that everyone's favorite characters were actually characters not even made by him.

Is the dinosaur looking person hinting that Reptil is still alive? Or is it another character?

You'd be correct. That's actually a miscolored Reptil. You can tell by the design of the shirt + the cargo pants + the claws.

[Sutekh]

Lemme just get the "of course" reason out of the way, THEIR NAMES. GOD, THEIR NAMES. Genesis and Oya have the luxury of not being created by Aaron, so they don't have to deal with his "naming" technique. Eye-Boy. Kid Gladiator. Shark Girl. This may be an unpopular opinion but gender/age identifiers + whatever your primary power might be is nothing but lazy ass namework. He's a boy with eyes all over him? EYE-BOY! Stroke of genius there! Girl whose power is that she turns into a shark? And that kind of logic just goes on and on. If you’re going to create a name based around their power, make it creative yet simplistic. Wolfsbane, Rockslide, Anole.

I don't mind *one* person in a group having a silly name like that, as it comes off as snarky or ironic or whatever. But when multiple people are doing it (and it's not the Legion of Super-Heroes), it just seems like there's something in the water and it's messing with their brains.

I kind of prefer for different characters to have different sorts of naming conventions. This one went for 'Shark Girl.' Hellion is not really a wild child, but seems to have gotten his codename because he was teacher's pet, and that was the name of her previous team of teen mutants. Indra is named after a Hindu god (ballsy? totally appropriate, like a Latino kid named Jesus? culturally clueless? I dunno.). It sort of feels more genuine if the different students had different ideas as to what was a 'cool' (or appropriate) name.

But yeah, less silly or stupid names. And, my gosh, a moratorium on teen characters named 'Kid [Villain name here]', please! Kid Krakoa? Kid Gladiator? Kid Omega? I've lost interest. Thankfully, Evan 'Genesis' Sabah Nur didn't decide to call himself 'Kid Apocalypse.' And the sooner we *don't* have a Kid Selene or Kid Onslaught or Kid Juggernaut, the better.

[Strong Girl Daken]

Does anyone have thoughts on if Indra's name is inappropriate? I hadn't considered that.

Kid Apocalypse would have been ridiculous and I have a feeling it almost happened lol

What does everyone think of the Generation Hope team? I remember reading it way back then and liking it more than most people seemed to. I'm not sure if I would like it today, but some of the story beats I remember about Kenji still seem interesting. If any character were to break out from this cast, I'm glad it was Idie. This team had a neat premise and you'd think they'd be better remembered given their importance to mutant history.

[RoamingGnome8]

It's so refreshing to see a great story told at the school since Gen X and Iceman ended, some luxury Gold can't afford for some strange, totally nonobvious reason. I firmly trust that Extermination is being written in (& by) good hands.

And the Kitty thing reads like a speed dial to CPS. The students had guns and flamethrowers shooting at them, while they sent on of the students back with a bomb attached. And all they worry about is "Kitty is gonna be MAAAAAAAAAAAD". oof. Then again, could also be a testament to how nonchalant this whole 'Purifier attacks the schools' routine has become to the more experienced students.



Even Pixie, the STAR of the Utopia era, was criminally underutilized after AvX where she got shoved to the side with Surge. And was WatXM fun? Absolutely. Did it necessarily make sense in a cohesive narrative? Nope. And it speaks volumes that everyone's favorite characters were actually characters not even made by him.



You'd be correct. That's actually a miscolored Reptil. You can tell by the design of the shirt + the cargo pants + the claws.

I'm glad they brought Humberto back! I was shocked Hopeless hinted he died in Arena, considering that there was a period of time where Marvel was pushing Reptil in the animated shows.

I hope this means Marvel might use them in an upcoming book. I'm not a big Iron Man fan, but I'd buy it if they get somewhat of a steady role.

[Beetle]

I hope this means Marvel might use them in an upcoming book. I'm not a big Iron Man fan, but I'd buy it if they get somewhat of a steady role.

This was Bendis' last issue at Marvel so I wouldn't start picking up any Iron Man books hoping to see more of this concept or more from those characters.

[Jumpyshark]

I actually was a bit annoyed by OML #40, as Quentin Quire being right there with *one* Purifier (I'm no huge fan of QQ, but him cleaning up afterwards was wildly OOC too), plus Nature Girl, of all people, itching for a fight were some big flaws for me to overlook, but I was still thrilled to see Anole and Rockslide kick some Purifier butt. Cecilia even got in on it, which was cool. Oh, but I just remembered that the prior background Glob/Sprite relationship from Gen X rather undercut this arc.

What does everyone think of the Generation Hope team? I remember reading it way back then and liking it more than most people seemed to. I'm not sure if I would like it today, but some of the story beats I remember about Kenji still seem interesting. If any character were to break out from this cast, I'm glad it was Idie. This team had a neat premise and you'd think they'd be better remembered given their importance to mutant history.

I really liked Generation Hope when I read it, as I'm a big fan of Gillen and I really liked the focus of the series, which felt appropriate while also allowing for a big Akira homage. The New X-Men => Utopia wave until it breaks apart as ţh€ €жţяą-๏яďɨɲąя¥ Tycon detailed was a high point of X-Men for me, as I really liked the X-community feel, which Generation Hope encapsulated well, and the team had good chemistry. Plus, the era/this book were mostly fun, without being frivolous which is what I want more of rather than endless extinction plots. Occasional serious threats sure, but downtime and bonding too please.

[RoamingGnome8]

This was Bendis' last issue at Marvel so I wouldn't start picking up any Iron Man books hoping to see more of this concept or more from those characters.

Yeah, hopefully Slott or other writers might carry on the concept; but I doubt it.

While Avengers Academy wasn't my favorite teen group, I did like them and some of the issues the comic book dealt with.
I think it's sad that Marvel developed all these great young adult groups (New X-Men, Young Avengers, Runaways, Avengers Academy, etc) and is only currently using the Runaways.