I actually think that sometimes a writer not getting a character they necessarily want can be a good thing. But it requires a certain mindset, with a writer that's willing to explore and try to understand characters genuinely even if they're not a personal fave. Writers with that mindset may be more open-minded to setting aside nostalgia and preconceived notions based on others' past work. Austen originally planned to just marry Lorna and Havok off and send them packing before he dug deeper into her. Likewise, the plans for Lorna on Gifted were originally pretty one-note until the showrunner and writers looked deeper, and their work in season 1 combined with Emma Dumont's excellent performance made her a breakout character.
But writers incapable of that mindset probably shouldn't be given characters they can't handle. For those writers, the research can be really shallow, plans informed largely by mistaken ideas of the character, and the character might end up being written as if they're a stand-in for a "better" character or a plot device to benefit the other characters the writer actually likes and respects.
None of this is commentary on Duggan in relation to these things. They're just broad remarks on these matters as a whole.
I can also be reached on BlueSky and Tumblr. Avatar by kahlart.
Ghosts of Genosha minicomic focused on Polaris, written by me and drawn by Fin_NoMore.
Polaris 50th anniversary minicomic written by me and drawn by Mlad!
Gallery of Polaris commissions (without NSFW or minicomics)
Still not over all we got from Polaris in X-Men today. Adored her shady comment about the Avengers, and seeing her force field hold back all those creatures was very impressive.
Agreed. There is a lot of love for his Lorna out there, and I hope the positive reception will maybe entice Duggan to continue writing her in the future. Particularly when the X-Men roster gets shaken up again.
Last edited by Soulsword323; 08-04-2021 at 12:08 PM.
Loved seeing the Lorna we got here, personality, powers, and working with Jean!
Now I want more, more, more, lol!
[Quote Originally Posted by Thor-El 10-15-2020 12:32 PM]
"Jason Aaron should know there is already a winner of the Phoenix Force and his name is Phoenixx9."
Like a Red Dragon, The Phoenix shall Soar in 2024!
Depends on the writer. Some can, and do, expand what they are capable of as writers what they are forced to move out of their comfort zones - others phone it in, and what the writer has been capable of before isn't always an indicator. Cullen Bunn only wanted teen Jean when he had X-Men Blue, but was forced to take on the rest of the O5, and gave one of the worst Cyclops runs I have ever had the misfortune to read. Scott in those days was the only one whose power was working at close to his eventual potential, and was the most trained of the team - so Bunn wrote an incompetent idiot whose power wasn't worth the effort it took to use in the incredibly rare event he landed a hit.
Which goes back to the editor handing out the assignments knowing the writer and what they are capable of. Are they the type who can handle unexpected cast changes, or will they give up the moment anything they didn't want happens? Managing the talent and knowing who is capable of what is the editor's primary job - to put those writers in best position to succeed.
Anyways, glad to see that Duggan is writing good characterization on multiple fronts, and that I am also not hearing angry mutterings from fans of the characters who weren't front and center. It gives me hope for when my favorite gets some spotlight.
Dark does not mean deep.
Duggan’s run continued to hit its target telling a high quality story with X-Men #2.
In terms of Lorna his urban mutant princess theme continued to be a winner. It is proving a solid way of including Lorna on team protagonist titles though one I worry future runs may find difficult to adapt.
spoilers:end of spoilers
This was the first time since Austen’s run a writer put in a real effort to have Lorna and Jean interact and the MRI power feat was a cool one. Also, rarely do we see Lorna put up shields in the modern era as runs typically prefer to show Lorna as simply a metal bender with the occasional power blast so it was nice to see Lorna showing some power versatility for the first time in a long time.
"This is f****** gross, Jean." Had me ROLLING lol I'm loving this Lorna no shade to Leah but I'm enjoying her much more in this title. Can't wait to get an issue focused on her. Duggan is writing her well.
I don't want to be redundant so I'll just say that I echo the enthusiasm for Lorna's handling in X-Men 1 & 2. And on a readership/community note, I particularly enjoy the title of 'Urban Princess" that jmc247 used.
I want to go to lunch with Polaris and then to the beach after. She feels so fun and approachable in this series, but also comes across as tough and powerful.
[Quote Originally Posted by Thor-El 10-15-2020 12:32 PM]
"Jason Aaron should know there is already a winner of the Phoenix Force and his name is Phoenixx9."
Like a Red Dragon, The Phoenix shall Soar in 2024!