So what? You think that every single person in America wanted to free the slaves?

That's the whole point of this blog. It's not here to talk about what people like. It's here to talk about what's GOOD.

"This man does not represent us."

I liked Grant Morrison's run on X-Men. I like Joss Whedon's current run on X-Men. These two things are not mutually exclusive. I merely brought up the point about Morrison's run because:

a) one of the two criticisms I frequently hear about Whedon's run is, "He's undoing Morrison's stuff!" And my response to that is, "So does every writer who has to follow Grant Morrison. That's how Grant Morrison's stories usually work." X-Men isn't on the level of 'Animal Man', true, in what needs to be retconned, but that's because more editors pay attention to the X-books than they did to 'Animal Man'.

and b) the other of the two criticisms I frequently hear about Whedon's run is, "He's so unoriginal! He's just rehashing Claremont! Why doesn't he do something more like Grant Morrison did?" Which I find generally amusing, since people are saying he should be more original, but what they mean is that he should slavishly imitate Writer A instead of Writer B.

Obviously, these two criticisms might not represent your view. Please feel free to assume I'm not talking about you.

But ultimately, I do feel like this is just the inevitable backlash--whenever a popular writer/artist does a new project, there's invariably a huge initial positive response, then a huge subsequent re-evaluation of the work and negative response, then people's opinion settles down a bit and finds a more accurate path. Talk to me about it in another year.

If you're reading, Mimick, thanks for the thoughts. I actually do appreciate them. But be warned - I'm not going to be nice, and if I think creators who are better than something they're working on, I'm going to mock them. If that makes me mean-spirited, so be it.

Man, if you honestly think New X-Men is "out and out weirdism," I'd hate to see your readction to Flex Mentallo. That'd probably be even more embarassing to watch.

Which rock have you been living under for the past century?

You're giving very little credit to us, and even less credit to the audience these works are directed towards.

For all his "weirdness", New X-Men was probably one of the most reasonable things Morrison has written yet. It works perfectly well with the bizarre mutant ménagerie and plots available to the universe. To most people, it wasn't a problem.

Really? Who are these modern readers who believe in the possible existence of high-flying, eyebeam-blasting mystery men? Please tell me they're properly sedated.

Morrison’s clear out and out weirdism is way too far out their comfort zone and understanding for which is why he putting him on a book like X-Men won’t sustain it

Well, far be it for me to contradict "modern readers," but I seem to recall sales jumping during Morrison's run - which seems to imply that someone was reading it. And as far as Morrison not being able to sustain a book like X-Men, he wrote what - forty issues of that comic? That's one of Morrison's longest stretches on any title, and nothing to sneeze at in today's "twelve issues of Hush and we're off to something else" era of creative commitment.

I loved Claremont's run and I have read very little of Whedon's run. Two issues in fact and while it does remind me of the Essentials I read. It isn't the same thing. Every one has their own taste. I hate a majority of Morrison's work because its phoned in while he is high on something. I grew up on the Stan Lee's work and the like. Like them I didn't like his portrayal of the X-Men and found it to be a bastardization of what the X-Men stand for. That's why I spit venom when I speak his name. The theme behind the idea of the X-Men was obviously lost on Morrison.

As for AXM it is far from groundbreaking. It isn't the best X-Book out there. All it is is a comfort zone for the readers who were disgusted with Morrison's run. I am such a reader and I think it and the X-Franchise as a whole is getting low-balled so people can beg Marvel to bring Morrison back to further ruin the franchise is terrible crime.

I have nothing more to say on this.

Say what you will about New X-Men; at least Morrison wrote them as human beings, not as bland excuses for "witty" one-liners (This does not equal characterisation) which barely manage to be any different from his previous characters in his one-trick pony TV series and comic endeavours.

So rude!

You must've missed the part where I said I worship at the altar of Joss Whedon. And Milligan is one of my favorite writers, I just think he's had trouble with some of his most "mainstream" work, is all. ...Claremont, okay. But I'm sure he's a cool dude.

If none of you like X-Men don’t read the book! Its that simple. Go to DC where Morrison is super stroking Superman back to Jesus levels and ruining the DC Universe in his new cushy editor position.

Well, I'm NOT reading the X-Books, you see. I gave up on them.

And, well, whatever. While this little discussion has been, er, interesting, let's move on to something new, then. I'd rather not spiral down this road and get too bashy.

Very funny. I know who are so don't even try that BS with me. The whole point of what Marvel is doing is trying is to create a medium for differing perspectives of the real world and the Marvel Universe. Hence they are trying for stories that come as close to realistic as possible. Is it flawed trying to ground stories they should float on the clouds? Maybe. But its not for us to decide. We can only pass on the book for something better or give it a try.

Greg: Sheesh - doesn’t anyone have a sense of humor anymore? I don’t have to be neutral at all - if something doesn’t work, it doesn’t work - for me, at least. And from what I have heard, at least from Quesada, he does think like this, way too often.

Except your far from being humorous.

Bill Reed: You had a point? Aside from obviously ripping into creators you don’t like and calling us all idiots.

Milligan is very hit-or-miss; I could tell from the start X-Men would be “Bad Milligan,” and I have a feeling editorial interference was really bringing his work down; he’s probably too “weird” for the “mainstream.”

The reviewer and yourself ripped into the current X-writers just because they won't rub you the weird way like Morrison does. So why should I show respect for Morrison when the Reviewer and you yourself among almost everyone who posted in this faux review has shown nothing, but disrespect to the current X-writers. If none of you like X-Men don't read the book! Its that simple. Go to DC where Morrison is super stroking Superman back to Jesus levels and ruining the DC Universe in his new cushy editor position. No one is forcing you to read what you don't like. There is no laws making read what you don't like and frankly no one wants to hear you complain.

First of all, I agree very much that the story was fanboy writing. I have no problem with /a little/ fanboy writing. Kitty Pryde joining the team made sense. The return of Lockheed... a begrudging okay. The return of Colossus? That's where you lost me.

If a character is going to return from the dead, don't treat it like the Pearly Gates have a revolving door. Comparison: Kevin Smith on Green Arrow. It had its flaws, but it essentially went like this: Ollie's back, why? The entire storyarc was about how it happened and what the price was. Also, Geoff John's Hawkman return foreshadowed for several issues, cleaned up continuity, and established reincarnation consistant with his Egyptian background. Colossus seemed just as it was, "Open door number three and Colossus is there!" Insert two lines about mistaken identity and move on.

The "fastball special" earned more of a groan than a cheer from me. Maybe I have no love for nostalgia or comic book hokiness.

Ord was pathetic. He was a major distraction from the plot (such as it was) who reminded me of an interdimensional slaver from Christ Claremont's "triumphant" return to the X-Men. At that moment I thought "Uhh... does Joss Whedon realize he doesn't need to write for a makeup artist?" Ord seemed like someone from Buffy or Angel inappropriately inserted.

The cure plot: I don't care that it was done before (not only in the comics, but also in the cartoon). I /do/ care that Beast got his fur from a bungled attempt to cure himself in the first place (which was never addressed), but mostly, it wasn't followed through. An ethical question was raised, toyed with a little, but it was overshadowed by Ord, Colossus, and the renegade SHIELD agent.

Finally, I'm one of the few who liked "Danger" more than "Gifted." I think that the villain (while not great) was much better than Ord, I don't think it was playing "fan service." It had some great ORIGINAL moments like Cyclops going all out on a Sentinel, Xavier driving a big rig, and foreshadowing of the Hellfire Club. However, the first issue made me desperately wish Whedon was writing the Fantastic Four instead.

The good: Characterization and dialog (i.e. Wolverine to Johnny Storm, "I like beer," and "I'll make you obsessed with his art. I mean, sexually.") Danger Room gags including the children's play room and the tiny Hawaii.

The bad: Plot. Villains. Fan service. If Whedon overcomes these problems, he'll be trully astonishing.

I was thinking the same thing, Greg. If these guys get so worked into a tizzy over what you said, what're they gonna do when I actually start cutting loose at this new location?

You had a point? Aside from obviously ripping into creators you don't like and calling us all idiots.

I don't care if Morrison isn't writing the X-Men anymore. I don't follow characters. He told the story he wanted to tell, and I liked it; that's all that needs to happen.

Milligan is very hit-or-miss; I could tell from the start X-Men would be "Bad Milligan," and I have a feeling editorial interference was really bringing his work down; he's probably too "weird" for the "mainstream."

And you just proved my point for me. Your just whining because Morrison isn't still writing an X-Book and people hated Milligan's run on Adjectiveless X-Men (though I thought Milligan's run was interesting)

Evan Waters: Frankly I find the whole first bit of the review rather immature- just because one doesn’t like the work doesn’t mean one can presume to know exactly what was on the minds of the people who created it, and shoving words in their mouths to show what stupid fanboy hacks they are is rather cheap IMO.

Agreed. I thought reviewers were supposed to be neutralist and say what they like and didn't like. Not tearing down writers because their work doesn't appeal to them.