The Faerber Factor
by Bull (Sandkings)

So March has come and with it, a whole new look and feel to the X-Books. And while everyone's hopes are hopefully high for the books, it behooves me to take one last look back. As I started to gear up for the new X-Rising and the return of Claremont, I found myself thanking the comic gods for a new direction for many of the books. Now, before I go off on this editorial, I would like to set the record straight about something: I liked Jay Faerber at first. I thought his work on Generation X was better than the book had been since it began. Of course, that attitude changed about half way through his reign. But, I do want to make it known that I did like Faerber at first and think that, on the right book, Jay will do a great job.

So, where do I begin when I look back at Faerber's run? I guess the first book I read by Jay was "What If #114: The Secret Wars 25 Years Later". Now, for those who haven't read it, the basic premise here was that 25 years after the Secret Wars, the Marvel heroes had never returned home. Instead, they had created a new world, had grown up, and had had children. By paring up couples like Wolverine/Storm, Captain America/Rogue (ala Carol Danvers), Hawkeye/She-Hulk, and Wasp/Torch...Jay created a new generation of heroes...the offspring of the originals. I think Jay really proved himself with this issue. And while not his most memorable work, it has always stuck out in my mind. In fact, these characters would later appear in Avengers Forever, so obviously they stuck in other's minds as well. When it was announced that one Larry Hama would be leaving Generation X and was to be replaced by Jay Faerber, I think everyone I know who read the book was rejoicing.

Perhaps, that was part of the problem. High hopes were placed on a man new to the Marvel Mutant Business. Regardless, most readers were pleased with Jay's beginnings on Generation X. His first issue (Issue 45) left some people questioning Jay, but he explained that he had to fit this issue into a certain domain, as Hama would be writing the next issue. Once Jay got the reigns to himself, he started off by getting rid of Gaia. Something I applauded him for (though some would disagree). Generation X sales started picking back up. Jay Faerber became known in the comic business and all was happy, right? Well after a few issues, people started noticing that Jay's writing was not quite what they expected. Understandable, when one thinks about how a writer can never please everyone.

The Good: Now, under Hama, Generation X had suffered and suffered hard, but Jay was presenting a fresh look. Introducing human students to the school, a few new background characters like Tristan, Adrienne Frost and Tom Corsi, and a few new villains like the New Sons. While not up to everyone's liking, Jay did improve things after Hama.

The Bad: I think my problems with Jay's writing really began about half way through his run. Generation X started getting a bit too many characters for my taste. Along with the core nine members, we also had Adrienne, Tom, Artie, Leech, Tristan, the St. Croix Twins, and guest stars like Colossus and Iceman. Obviously, books will have guest stars and secondary characters, this is part of life. But many were presented in ways so that the core members were pushed aside. Prime example: Penance. Character so messed up that it has taken Jay almost 20 issues to address. Again, I do not blame Jay for screwing Penance up, but often felt that he should have used her more.

Problem number two was bad characterization and bad art. The Dodsons were not popular at all, but again...not Jay's fault. The characterization; however, I do blame on Jay. Remember when Skin was in a gang? Remember when Jonathan was dark and brooding? Remember when Synch had a brain? Remember when Paige studied all the time? Now, I have argued with readers who have said that these are teen-agers and thus, subject to change. But under Marvel time, the Generation X kids would not change that quick. It takes some time to change to the degrees these characters changed. At first, I thought Jay just didn't understand these characters; then I read his work on New Warriors.

I think my biggest gripe with Jay is that he can't write teen-agers. Not a single member of Generation X seemed believable at the end of his reign. Sure, this is comics...they aren't supposed to be real. But, every comic that lasts has characters that we can relate to, characters that we believed in. Generation X lacked that. After issue 59, I stopped buying the comic. No offense to Jay, he just did not make the comic enjoyable. I stress the fact that not all readers will love a writer, so do not feel like I am Jay bashing. I can do that when I talk about the New Warriors. I don't think Jay failed with Generation X , but I can't say he succeeded either. I do hope he continues to write comics, but uses characters that he can handle. To me, Jay Faerber has shown me he can not handle the ones he has been using.

So what does the future hold? Well, that is uncertain at the moment. We have a new writer, a new plotter, new artists, and a much smaller team. I am looking forward to buying the first few issues of Generation X once again. As for Jay's future, he can currently be seen writing The New Warriors . Only time will tell if that book can pull itself out of its slump. Personally, I am not going to make the same mistake I did with Faerber. I don't think I have any expectations for the new Generation X writers. I don't want to build myself up again. But, I do hope that this Revolution helps the comic. There are some great characters in the book and it would be a shame to see them simply fade away.