Breaking Up Isn’t Hard To Do: State Of The X-Line

For sixty years, the adventures of Marvel’s Merry Mutants have engaged, tantalized, and energized generations of fans through various mediums. Whether one found them in the original comics, animated shows, or a slew of movies, many have gravitated to these time-tested characters.

I’m one of those people. From sneaking into my parents’ bedroom to devour my mother’s collection of X-Men comics to eating cereal while bouncing in happiness at the latest X-Men: The Animated Series episode. I was there, though thick and thin.

My love has never wavered, as I found myself overjoyed with the video games and toys. Forging friendships through the X-trenches of online fandom. Even found steady writing work because of one of those friendships that has lasted almost two decades.

Despite all that, I’m ready to take a break.

While Marvel only uses the term now that it’s over and they are ready to cast it aside, the Krakoa era truly was a golden age for the characters. New ideas, new voices, taking bold choices, and moving beyond the tried-and-true (more like tired-and-true) status quo beats. Never had the idea of these characters being stand-ins for marginalized groups been so powerful.

We watched as they thrived, struggled, and bartered as they found society and found freedom (for a moment) from being under the constant boot of their oppressors. Until those oppressors came back strong and ripped it all apart.

Krakoa is ending, but the X-Men will continue (as their new promos state). They have to, because they’re big shiny money-making IP for Marvel. Disney/Marvel Studios has some sort of big screen plans percolating, now that the Fox stuff is mostly a distant memory (Hello Patrick Stewart‘s Professor Xavier and Deadpool & Wolverine).

We’ve now seen what the new era — under a new editor (who has been at Marvel since tons of us were in grade school or younger) — will look like.

It was clear ahead of time where the vibes were heading. A return to more “iconic” status quo beats, strong X-Men ’97 (the revived X-Men: TAS) synergy, and a refuting of Krakoa. Hell, they even dusted off all the actual 1990s (and before) era logos for all the books.

If one had asked me five years ago how I felt about this premise and creative teams, I would have likely been fully in. We were coming off some rough color-coded years of X-Men at that point, and something of this nature probably would have felt like a soothing balm for our burned X-hearts.

After Krakoa though, any return to “normal” feels more like a slap in the face than anything else.

That’s a bit of a grand statement. Marvel isn’t actively trying to slap me in the face, they just do that reflectively at this point. At the end of the day, they don’t care what anyone, or two, or even a hundred fans feel or think. They have an IP to churn out stuff for and as long as these books sell within their chosen parameters, they won’t give even an inch of a rat’s ass how I feel.

I’m just one person, among others (insert there are dozens meme here), who has feelings about things. For every person that loved it there was another who loathed everything about Krakoa and is now rejoicing. Some of those people being happy was stomach-churning because they were not-so-hidden bigots who hated Krakoa for the wrong reasons. Others, of a non-bigoted nature, just didn’t jive with such a departure from what they loved and that’s fine.

The world would be boring without different flavors. That being said, some of us just don’t want to be eating slightly different shades of vanilla every day.

I loved the X-Men through a variety of status quos and periods. Many of them mirroring this new one. The difference is now I’ve experienced the fine dining that was the first years of Krakoa, and returning to standard fare food doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve tasted the pinnacle of what could be (under a corporate umbrella at least).

There’s no going back, especially to a lineup that is pretty snow white on and off the page.

So, what am I saying then?

Well, I’m saying it’ll be nice to take a break. To step away from the X-Men comics, and take in the wide multitude of really amazing comics out there today, full of so much variety and diversity of characters, thoughts, approaches, and voices.

I’m not saying that the X-Comics will be bad or anything. I haven’t seen them beyond promos. What I am saying is that the overall premise doesn’t entice me, so I’m going to pass. It’s the healthy way to approach any creative endeavor. Taking in the stuff that you enjoy, and passing on that which you don’t or won’t.

No need to hate consume art just to scream about it. Even though I could do so and get paid, I won’t. Life is too short to spend it on things we’re not vibing with when real life-ending things are happening around us every day. The world is a negative, scary place and my focus should not be on railing about comic books I’m not into.

Other than this piece of writing that is, which just came to me in a stream of consciousness. Truly, that is some of the best times as a writer. When it all just flows out.

Plenty of people will love these books. Others will hate them for whatever reason that they feel. I hope that they do well and lots of people find their X-Men to love.

I wrote a piece months ago about — “Pouring One Out For Krakoa” — where I was saying my goodbyes. I felt ready then, and that was before months of just rushed-not-great comics that are meant to wrap up the era.

I’m more than ready now.

While the Krakoa era is over, what it brought us will forever live in my X-World loving heart.

With that, I won’t say goodbye, but instead, see you later.

Because while myself and the X-Men might be taking a break, the love remains. We will meet again.

When the mood is there and the time is right.

So, farewell my merry mutants. Until we meet again.