"Rage Against the (Marvel) Machine"
by Sandkings

The Rage Against the Machine begins very shortly. Many readers of the X-Men comics have been looking forward to this story line ever since Marvel let the news slip with the cover of issue 371. The gimmick: three characters get their own comic after being introduced/re-introduced in the X-Men comic. X-51, Warlock, and Deathlok all make their way into Marvel's monthly books. However, only one of these will be an "X" title as Doug Ramsey and Warlock both merge together in the body of Douglock, who gets the memory of the two deceased New Mutants. However, this new Warlock title is only one of the new X comics coming out this summer. Also joining Warlock is Bishop, who surprisingly gets his on-going comic. The Children of the Atom mini-series also begins as a re-telling of the original X-Men, set just before the first X-Men comic came out. Also joining the X line will be X-Men-The Hidden Years, which features the older team in new situations. Sounds great doesn't it?

Well, this reader is a bit perplexed. After canceling titles like X-Factor and Excalibur, I find it surprising that Marvel would give us three new on-going titles. In reality, it is understandable. The bottom line is that the "X" sells. However, one would think that Marvel would try and develop a new series rather than two re-tellings and two comics featuring characters that half the readers don't seem interested in.

"Warlock" sounds very interesting since I was always a fan of Warlock. Doug had died just before I started reading the New Mutants, so I was never that close to his character, but Warlock I loved. When Marvel gave us Douglock, almost every reader assumed he would turn into Warlock some day. After all, in many of the "future glimpses" of the New Mutants/X-Force, Warlock was shown, even after he was dead. So now, Warlock is coming back as a mix of Warlock and Doug. Personally, this is very interesting, but can this really last as an on going title? Time will have to give us that answer.

"X-Men-The Hidden Years" seems the most interesting of the bunch. John Byrne gives us a new title featuring the original team in fresh stories set in the past. People have been calling for the originals to get back together in some way, shape, or form. This is perhaps the best of both worlds. We have characters we know and love in stories we have never seen. I see this title doing the best out of the 4 new titles this year will give us.

"Children of the Atom" is a brief story that, from what I have gathered, features the original X-Men in the months before they became the "X-Men" (keep in mind that I could be misinformed on this one). This could be an interesting concept and I hope it does well. Sometimes, the mini-series that Marvel gives us work and sometimes they don't. When it comes to the X-Men, though, I have been very disappointed in their mini-series. The Bishop, Rogue, Storm, and Domino series all come to mind. Hopefully, this one will change my opinion.

Lastly, we come to "Bishop". After staring in Team X 2000, which I gather did not do well, Bishop gets his own on going series. This one has me baffled. Marvel seems to think anything with an "X" will sell. In my opinion, Bishop has always been a two-dimensional character, at best. After the "X-Traitor" storyline was resolved in Onslaught, many readers have asked "Is Bishop still needed?". I have no problem with Bishop being an X-Man, but getting his own series seems ludicrous to me. I can not see this one doing very well. Yet, Bishop gets a title when other characters, that many readers love, are left in the proverbial Limbo.

So, when this story line is done, we have three new titles and one mini-series?.BUT WAIT! There's more!!! Astonishing X-Men begins after "The Shattering". Also starting is another mini-series: True Friends focusing on Kitty and Rachel Summers. Phew! Keeping count? That's three mini-series, 3 new titles, and ten regular titles (including Deadpool) The final count: sixteen X-Men books at one time. SIXTEEN!?! How did this happen?!?! It comes down to the fact that the "X" has the Midas touch for the moment. However, Marvel is trimming the fat of all the other books to make the room for these comics. Take the Nova series for example. After two issues had been released to the public, Marvel announces that, after issue seven, the comic is most likely done for. Catch that? After TWO ISSUES, Marvel is already planning to cut a book! Yet the X-Men family has sixteen books at once. I have a feeling that Marvel will be it's own downfall with this madness. But, hopefully these six new comics will be good. Not to mention Deathlok and X-51. Let's not forget them, either. Astonishing X-Men, Warlock, Bishop, X-Men: The Hidden Years, X-Men: Children of the Atom, and True Friends. Phew, makes my head spin.