1. Working clandestinely outside the law (like most versions of the X-men, and all of your examples) and working very publicly against the law are not the same thing.

2. I never said it made them unique or original, I said it set them apart and gave them a distinct quality compared to other student teams, and it does.

I don't understand the intended point of this comment; are you asking everyone which is better or are you implying that one obviously is? I genuinely can't tell..

Kind of both. Felt like you narrowed down all kinds of shock values, I assumed there still can be a significant difference in quality between them.

@koays: I think the Ms. Marvel writer is just on for an arc though that might have changed. I hope that they are preparing to have David be the regular writer for that book after they are done cycling through different ones. Hopefully they are just working everything out.

As to the Spiderman and the Xmen thing. I don't think I'll be supporting this. I just think they are floundering with that book and need to stop reinventing and reimagining the same old thing. Its not working in my opinion. I only wish Xfactor was given the leeway this book has had. While some may try to justify it, I wont. Spiderman should stay in his Spidey books and the Xmen should be in theirs. It speaks of desperation in my opinion just throwing in whatever name with the xmen. At this point I'd probably be happy if they cancelled these "so-and-so and the xmen" books altogether and just gave us more issues of Amazing and XX-men to pick up some momentum for those books. Its not for nothing that the JGS side is not as well likes and seen as directionless and that's saying something with Bendis writing on the other side. Geez!!

I'm definetly on the side of Peter David joining this book if that's a legit option. Really my only concern is that we'll have to sit through 6 issues of a story arc that won't matter long term because X-Factor isn't ending yet. Idk what issue was supposed to be the last one but i'm really anxious to see what they do with David next.

I completely agree. They seem to be beating the dead horse with these books nowadays. Idk what Latour's run was even about other then holding a place till Wolverine died, and Spiderman with the X-Men just isn't something i wan't because of how random it is. It almost makes me nervous that they figured an X-Men book about the students wouldn't sell without a name on the cover....I mean right or wrong if that's the logic it's scary to see this is where we are now compared to not so long ago when the idea of "young X-Men" was interesting in itself. It seems like these are problems an editor should address with quality control before they start throwing big names at the problem.

I'll check out the first 2 or 3 issues more then likely....but I'll likely be dropping it regardless because (like with Cyclops) it would bother me if a book about a character who has no business being here is of better quality then the other X-books. It's irrational....but it's true.

@oldnightcrawler: working outside of the law is working against the law by definition. So with that, plenty of student teams cut the path for Bendis to follow.

@koays: are they going to reboot x-force.......oh i know hope and the x-force

@hopesummersforthefuture: I'm thinking their going to let it rest for a while. I mean by the time it ends they'll be getting ready to put out a lot of titles from the secret wars crossover. So I doubt they'll, be focusing on a satellite book

@koays: RIP x-force

@hopesummersforthefuture: For now....it'll be back again.

@koays: why does magneto's costume color changes from white to black to white again????? i like it better in black

Another big dump unexpectedly soon but ok.

Axis #7- Yea...honestly I didn't plan to take this even seriously. And i really don't take anything about it seriously. But it was a nice attempt at making us feel like the situation has developed a bit further on the X-Men front. Decapitation was cool, but i really came out of it just not wanting to follow this anymore because of the last pages. I've never been a Scarlet Witch fan, and while I do like Quicksilver the majority of my interest in both characters is directly related to the Magneto connection. While I can see how in the long run is doesn't change as much as we might think, I find it to be in bad taste and really just damaging of my view of the characters in future portrayals...but then again Marvel doesn't really care about older fans. Issue was 5/10

X-Men #22- This issue was confusing because it felt like it had been a while since i looked at it. But even looking at my other thoughts I feel like this issue suffered from a lot of downplayed moments. Three in particular bothered me alot though: Monet and Jubilee's redevouz should've had a bit more urgency then it did; Storm's return from near death should've been a big character moment; and Rachel's final seen with the Shiar dude should've had a full page worth of closing considering how prominent a factor it was in the plot. All and all while it was a good issue, it closed up predictably and undersold some of it's better moments which hurt it in my eyes. Really i ended up thinking that the Rachel plot was tacked on throughout most of the whole arc and the resolution didn't leave me thinking better of it (especially since she just showed him what he already knew happened). 6/10



Uncanny X-men Annual #1- I have no complaints here. While i feel like the art wasn't exactly helping to establish scenery in the early scenes I felt that once the focus moved toward Dr. Magik things started to fit in quite well. I'm interested in seeing where this peace of development goes and i'm happy for what will probably become the next big debate worthy X-Men arc BUT I'm actually dreading the inclusion of the All New X-Men book in this. While Tempus will come out of this with eyes on her more intensely, I can see this being hurt badly by an X-Men Crossover or a tie in with the All New X-Men characters. I get the two books are connected, but the Uncanny characters need alot of development and All New X-Men seem to overshadow them alot. Though i did love the hints about "places in time" that were being dropped here. 8/10


Spiderman and the X-Men #1- Wow. I thought i would make it 3 issues. Yea, this book isn't to be taken seriously. It's clearly aimed at a much younger audience and i can respect that. I do take issue with a few pieces of dialouge as they kind of come of disrespectful to the X-Men mythos though. They way he phrases the set up of the book sort of makes the X-Men seem incompetent and really i think everyone would agree that childish, incompetent and disrespected are all words that the JGS group don't need directed toward them. 6/10 but its not hurting anybody.

All New X-Factor 17- This is a great issue. Great fight scenes and the team comes out looking strong without hurting the other X-characters pulled into the conflict. We even get a little bit of plot movement. Not much else to say except i wish it wasn't ending and Peter David should consider doing a Longshot and Sunfire mini. 8/10 because it's still tied in with Axis and sort of held up by that.

@koays: i know this is off-topic but why did jean grey go after logan when both logan and scott were in trouble. you think her first priority would be her estranged husband, lol

hmmmm........

@hopesummersforthefuture: Logan/Jean is not real and I will not entertain it.

@koays: im tired of hearing rachel whine about her family, she hardly knew them.

it was suppose to be sad for rachel but it didnt make me feel that way, nothing got resolved

see nothing

@oldnightcrawler: i want to know more about how xavier married mystique? did he know it was her? did she marry him for his money? or is this made-up garbage made from bendis???????

@hopesummersforthefuture: Yea. It kind of ruined everything for me. I'd rather if they just don't ever come back to the non mutant Grey Family. They wasted the plot by just halfa$$ing it.

maybe it would have been more sad if rachel was there with teen jean grey.........now that would be sad

Honestly i don't think so. There's no real connection between them and for Jean she gets to go back to her time and spend time with her family if she wants to. For Rachel she's pretty much alone and very disconnected from most of her relatives. Really this story should've just focused more on Rachel, and let Deathbirds story play second fiddle.

what happened to deathbird's baby? who was the father. i didnt really read it

This week's releases were pretty weak in my opinion. The best story that really went nowhere but left more questions was Bendis' Uncanny Xmen Annual.

Axis 7- From the start I've tried to ignore the premise and it's not working. Remender can do so much better than this. The Scarlet Witch/Quicksilver reveal really aggravated me to the point that I've seriously considered whether I need to keep investing in marvel. The heroes as villains thing feels like its been going on since Civil War and it's really become tiresome for me. This story just brings that to the forefront and magnifies it. All of it just seems unnecessary and ridiculous at this point.

Xmen-22- Another weak issue. This started out as intriguing but this storyline has lost steam and the end was very anti-climactic. There were plenty of character moments that were missed or just glossed over. I agree that the focus should have been on rachel as the last of the grey family. The killing of her family was a tragedy and she should feel a loss in that it further distances her from anyone related to her since her parents were in another reality and now any family is gone. But it should be a subpoint to the fact that someone ordered her death for something she was innocent of. Maybe I missed something but we still dont know anything much about Deathbird's baby right? Other than that she was experimented on.... maybe I missed it. And did this issue have Jubilee with some sort of blast powers, I thought i saw her hand glowing, eh maybe not. But this story just got weaker with every issue and while i love this team, at this point there is no story that has really been memorable.

Uncanny Xmen Annual- My only complaint is that the art was a little bit of a problem. I also thought alot of time was wasted with time travel to the future then the past/I'm lost are you my teacher thing. But I understand its trying to tell the story. It felt like more questions were brought up than answers but thats most likely my intrigue with the story. Its actually one of the better stories from Bendis on his Uncanny run and its featuring the only truly interesting new student at NXS. Looking forward to the finale though I hate that its in All new.

X-Force 13- I originally was upset that this book is most likely going away but the last 2 issues have me thinking that it might have been a bit of nostalgia kicking in, because the last few issues have been garbage. I think Spurrier is losing it. Having issues focusing on Fantomex and somebody called ForgetMeNot is not a good idea. Like I said about Remender, Spurrier is better than this but it seems he's over thinking things now or maybe its gone to his head and he thinks he can make us like any character. The stuff with Hope is just confusing. Seriously can't anybody tell a story in 2 or 3 issues anymore? What's with all the long drawn out plots, that's not how you build a following.

Spiderman and the Xmen #1- I'm glad i didnt spend money on this. My 3 year old picked it up in the store and i guess thats who its catering too. He loves Spiderman and on seeing the issue he talked about Spidey, a shark, a fishbowl with peanut butter in it lol(no-girl), and old man (ernst), and bubblegum (glob herman), then he said Spidey was fighting dinosaurs. I thumbed through it and just shook my head. Since when has the Savage Land become everybody's go to opening or second arc. Are there really people out there clamoring for more savage land adventures. I just cant see it. I even read the interview with the writer on another site and its kinda scary when the writer doesn't know who's alive or dead or a villain now etc. Add to that the fact that he plans on writing Hellion as a brat, which is actually a regression and he's using Eyeboy, Sharkgirl and Glob herman and calling them fan favorites and the feeling is yet again Marvel has given us a writer who knows little about and cares little about the Xmen. I'd like to know what message boards this guy is visiting where people are clamoring for those characters, because in every one I've seen, people are not asking about this garbage.I really dont get why they keep revamping and reimagining and giving all the chances to so-and-so and the Xmen books, when in the same breath they justify cancelling Xfactor and Xforce. In the interview the one issue that could have been somewhat interesting was what was mentioned in the last question regarding the potential character conflict on the basis of philosophy and superheroes, mutants etc. In that Spiderman believes the Xmen should be heroes in protecting all of humanity not just heavily focusing on mutants. But then the writer pissed that away by saying he wouldn't get too deep into that because he had to leave room for plenty of jokes. Really? And contrary to some thoughts i think it does hurt something in that it makes the Xmen especially on this side of the Schism, just a big a joke. The deeper issues are what should be explored but it seems they want to stick with the silliness. And just plugging in the next big name plus the xmen is really a sad and scary state of the franchise if thats whats needed to sell books. Not encouraged at all by this.

All new xfactor- I think this was out last week but it continues to consistently be one of the stronger books and it really bothers me that this is being cancelled when you have these other books going nowhere fast and all these needless solos floating around out there.

Amazing Xmen- For some reason i ended up getting the last two issues together. The one focusing on Anole was just a waste. I admit I dont care for Anole so I was skeptical of any issue focusing on him, especially with Northstar there. I mean could we be anymore obvious and inflammatory with that...? But, I didn't care for X-23 in the beginning or even Hellion but the stories drew me in and now they are some of my favorites among the students. This issue definitely did nothing of the sort for me. The last issue with Nightcrawler's inversion was decent with the inclusion of Mystique, though the way she's written is a constant mystery.. now being depicted as a caring mother, go figure right. Ive always kind of wanted Nightcrawler and Colossus to be a badass, Xforce- kill squad type of guys as opposed to the morality priest and gentle giants of the group, so this kind of filled that desire for me as far as Nightcrawler goes. However this is a tie-in and product of the inversion so there's that. Overall this last issue was a take it or leave it type deal. I keep waiting for this book to cathc its footing but it just seems like K&Y maybe working with a roster they don't want or they are dealing with editorial mandates that are hampering their stories. not even they wrote the Anole one. Hopefully the Once and Future Juggernaut arc will be better.

Totally agreeing with you on Axis, X-Factor Uncanny and even with the lost potential in SatX-Men.

On XX-Men- I think i barely noticed the Jubilee thing my first read through. I think the artist had originally intended for Rachel to be running down the hall, which sort of points to making it more of a "crisis of concious" moment when she's all alone with the Shiar and has to choose whether or not to help them. I would've preferred that honestly because that ending bugs me to no end and just made me mad seeing it again. "How do you keep living" I mean it's not like she showed her whole life and all the tragedy she'd been through even before they killed the Greys....she just showed the exact thing that the guy had wanted to happen. And honestly from a visual standpoint, Rachel has a tattoo etched on her back from that massacre that could've helped to illustrate the scars she still holds do to it. Just unnecessarily disappointing.

On Amazing X-Men- I really had to wait to get this issue. So I didn't get a good look at it's inner story but i thought Kyle and Yost weren't writing the book again till December? I mean I know they didn't do the Anole story and I was kind of thinking that they would take the time off as a way to get a better handle on what their working with cast wise. Really though i'm not feeling the colors in this book, and i kind of wish i had it just to post the image i saw of Mystique Kurt and the Helicopter...what shouldve been a darker scene just wasn't colored or shaded with that in mind. Really i fear that when Colossus takes the spotlight and we hear about the darker period of his life then we'll feel so safe and comfortable with the bright solid colors and round shapes.

X-Force- Still haven't gotten around to X-Force yet, but i remember the previous issue to be a bit better because of the treatment of Fantomex as a main villain. I mean despite the dislike a lot of people have for him, he's sort of been really relevant for the last 4 years of X-Force titles...so there is a good character arc to be traced here that makes him being a villain kind of a big twist for the X-Force. (Though again i haven't read the recent issue so he may have ruined that already) Forgetmenot, is alot less defendable....mostly because he doesn't even have enough of a character for me to be neutral on him like i am with Fantomex. Really he's just a bit whacky and when you add Mojo to the cast...it takes you a little to far out of the darkness of a bunch of broken X-Men characters trying to save the world while pretending their ok with their brokeness

I think marvel is still focusing on how to make good on avengers titles and not giving the x-titles love.

@koays: You have a much better outlook when it comes to Fantomex than I do. I hate the character with a passion and really feel that this creation is one of Morrison's worst. I think I've always just felt that Gambit or Cable would have been better in Fantomex' place during Remenders run on Uncanny Xforce

(Yea, i thought the same thing about Gambit the last time i reread Remender) Well hey I'm FAR from a Fantomex fan. I just think that at least this sort of validates his being included in 3 different versions of the team. Like if they were going to include him instead of Gambit on the team at least we can finally say he contributed something even if he had to be completely deconstructed as a character for it to happen. I mean "Fantomex is a joke character designed with all the traits that we liked about other characters so he can appear to be likeable...." That statement has gone from a sad fact to a plotpoint....which is something.

So uh.....Is Uncanny X-Men getting Havok after Axis?

@koays: Hmmmm... yeah I just think it was a wasted opportunity to not use Gambit or Cable. Cable especially since the 1st mission had to do with Apocalypse.

I dont know about to Uncanny. I was afraid he might die in Axis. I really dont know about this one. When Bendis said he was getting something from Axis, I was afraid he was talking about Apocalypse/Evan which would just be stupid

@hawk2916: I preferred Gambit, just because he really wasn't doing anything.... I mean i enjoyed Rogue's X-Men Legacy title, but Gambit didn't really do much except be mad and contemplate his "Death" side. Idk how they would've fit him in with Warren going through the same thing, but it wouldve been something more for him. At least Cable was fighting in the future.

Honestly thought Bendis was just going to get Apocalypses spaceship or something. But the solicits for March mention things heating up for the Summers family.....so i'm betting it's Havok....or he's finally stealing Rachel (which i doubt).

@koays: I guess Gambit could have been Death once Warren ascended to Apoc-status but him being there would have been awesome, even if he was there as an alternative just in case Warren failed in some way

That does make it seem as though it might be Havok, because really Rachel is not even really involved in Axis as far as i can tell. Though with the Malloy story bringing her onboard could be interesting. Also with Peter David's Xfactor being cancelled and Xfactor tieing in to Axis, I wonder if Bendis would get some of those characters. You know like Polaris which could cause some heat for the Summers family if Havok were there. Or the long-slightly-rumored but somewhat abandoned plot of Gambit actually being a Summers brother? Lol, i know thats a reach but talk abut heating things up.

@hawk2916: Yea It would be alot better then what we ended up with for him. Though if I had to be completely honest I would've preferred if they had put all the X-Men at the center of the story considering how big it all was.

Lol Yea it is a bit of a reach but in these times I'm not willing to say what Marvel will or won't do. I'm actually hesitant when it comes to him using some of the characters in X-Factor since most of them are a bit less likely to join Cykes crew currently and I don't see him writing them well as neutral or supporting characters. Lol though it would figure that Rachel is the one character anyone wants Bendis to write about and he wouldn't do anything but let her read a mind for two seconds.

@hopesummersforthefuture: maybe because she thought if scott was in trouble it should be emma who should be rescuing him and no one can rescue logan but her.

why would she think emma?

@koays: did u read the new anxm?????

@hopesummersforthefuture: Not yet. Didn't yet...won't get it till 2morrow...Bendis blow up Marvel?

lol no its just really slooooooooooooooooooow paced and to be continued cliff-hanger

@koays: heres some clues http://xmen-supreme.blogspot.ca/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=50

@hopesummersforthefuture: Yup....im dropping All New X-Men after this. It's not good and it's really ruining Jean Grey for me.

@hopesummersforthefuture said:

Bendis should write for an italian editor: the format of our comic books has stories ninety-six pages long. So maybe he would have the room to go wherever he wants go in short time.

Nope, he would immediately fired: we italian like stories which start and end in only a book (this is the reason for such long format) and without lack in the storytelling or unsolved mystery.

Bendis, gli X-Men e "La Battaglia dell'atomo".

I translate only the title of the article: "Brian Michael Bendis, the X-Men and the right to disappointment."

Do you agree?

what about the black vortex? also teen beast being angry with jean because shes ignoring him, lol. poor guy

@hopesummersforthefuture: black vortex is a crossover and I'm just getting through buying the last crossover. Plus I don't care about Gotg....at all.

Why is every guy in love with teen Jean? She doesn't even have a character and yet him an Miles and seemingly everyone else is obsessed with her. I get that its kind of Bendis' style to write characters as "awesome and loved by everyone" but I don't get why she's loved or why she's powerful or anything about her even though the story is basically about her and has been for most of the year. She has no personality, so why should anyone like this whiny girl

I wish you guys would stop buying Bendis so we could get a different (and, odds are, much better) writer running the X-Men.

This pacing and obvious lack of any discernible plot is unforgivable. Can't believe Bendis' conscience let's him put out such obviously shoddy work.

i get it for the pictures/art. also everyone hates his slow pace at 3.99 we should get more pages for it

her personality is that shes short and sweet and beautiful. but yeah she should have a attitude

He DOES get great artists. He and Land should go do Spider-Woman or Jessica Jones or something.

@phoenixegg: was he slow-paced on the avengers?

I've heard he was pretty decompressed and a huge time-waster on Avengers too, but I dunno. I don't read normal Avengers books and never have. I pick up Mighty (Minority) Avengers and New (Illuminati) Avengers sometimes, but the regular Avengers that Marvel pushes into everything (Steve Rodgers, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Red haired girl that isn't Jean and isn't interesting and punches stuff, Hawkeye) are the most boring, character-less bunch of heroes I can think of. That's probably why Bendis "excelled" at writing them...their word-balloons don't matter because they don't have character. He could just have them all say corny witticisms and be done and not have the writing be offputting.

Compare them to the X-Men which have so many varied personalities and backgrounds...

@ec2277: lol well its hard to say whether I agree or not with that based on just the title. But you mine giving a short summary of what was said?

@koays: I meant if you agree with the title, but you are right: it's better if I write a summary.

The start of the article is: «The ending of the "The battle of the Atom", inside the Brian Michael Bendis' run of the X-Men, leave a deep feeling of despondency. "Is this all?" is the immediate reaction, to which follow: "After all what we could be expected?", in order to mitigate the frustration.»

Then the article examine the limit of the Bendis' storytelling: the use of comic scenes in order to obtain an easy satisfaction of the reader, the continuous introduction of interesting element (why Rachel remains in the Jean Grey School even if she fought against the Wolverine's decision to bring back the Original 5 in their time?), regularly abandoned in favour of a quickly solution of the events and the crossover end in great punches up (I don't know if is the right plural of punch up) and spectacular rescues.

In short the crossover is a story develops with a brilliant narrative tactic, but without any strategy and end without great consequences in the life of the X-Men; exception for the transfer of the Original 5 form the Jean Grey School to the New Xavier School.

Besides the article poses some questions: which expectations can a reader have about an ongoing series?

Is the Bendis' choice acceptable?

Do it exist a "right to delusion" for an ongoing series?

What implies an drop in the threshold of satisfaction?

What consequences can have this attitude?

P.S. Koays, you have to know that now I hate you: summarize and translate a long article full of words like metainformations it's very hard.

@ec2277: lol Yea...I probably should've been clearer in that a few lines about it to help me understand what the title was saying would've worked too.....sorry Lol.

But on the other hand I do fully agree with everything that's being said there as well as the questions asked about the stylistic choices he makes.

Bendis clearly has a general direction in mind when it comes to the series but otherwise he lacks substance in a lot of areas and any sort of specific character moments on a smaller scale.

Moments like BotA which are supposed to be complicated moments where you have to decide " what's right morally vs what's right for the world" have no weight to them since characters who chose the moral side aren't fleshed out enough for us to understand why they find it acceptable to risk what their risking. And then on a one to one basis, if someone disagrees with their team enough to risk the world...shouldn't they leave?

Its just as serious a problem with All New X-Men, which has a lot of flash but very little in the way substance. Bendis has established that the kids don't want to go home, but hasn't done much except restate that fact after every arc. There's no discussion of the risks of them staying around or of what they can do to change their timeline or even the current future....they just sit around and repeat that the future sucks while Bendis throws crazy relationship pairings and shocking changes to a characters powers at us, without really developing or building up to any of these things.

So Yea. The article as you've summarized it is an interesting and hard to dispute look at the weaker points of Bendis' writing style

@koays said:

No problem, it has was a good exercice to improve my english; but I hate you the same. :-D

@ec2277: lol that's fair