"State of the X"
by Adam Martin

The X-Men, for years upon years, have been the number one selling comic franchise in the entire comic industry. Through solid characterization, hanging plot twists, respectable storytelling, and compelling social issues, the X-Men have gathered a fan following that soars throughout the comic world. The X-books did not reach such heights by mere luck, nor by fancy, trendy marketing. They reached success by producing top quality work, thanks mostly in part to Chris Claremont and the best artistic talent this business has to offer. From Byrne to Lee, the X-Men have never lacked an intriguing art team. The questions presented are these: Do the X-Men live up to the standards of the past? Do the X-Men deserve the number one spot in the industry? And can the X-Men keep a hold of the top of the charts? Let us take a look.

As mentioned above, the X-Men have a cast of great, likable characters. From the Marvel Universe favorite, the Beast, to the fearsome, mega-popular Wolverine, the X-Men have always had characters fans want to read about. In fact, the X-characters have been so popular and inspirational, the entire comic industry once tried to mimic the mutant success. With the onset of the Nineties, it seemed that there were mutants running everywhere. The problem with most of the rip-off characters was their lack of characterization, something the X-Men have always thrived on. Each member of the team was a three-dimensional creation, with realistic problems outside of their fictional genes. It seemed that the fans couldn't get enough of Claremont's characterizations, and the X-empire built itself upon character-oriented storytelling.

As of late, this characterization has vanished. Personal issues, relationships, and even conversation driven dialogue have taken a back seat to high adventure, fight scenes, and big, nasty villains conducting cliche after cliche. (This is the downfall of the entire comic industry, I might add, but that's a discussion for another essay.) The X-Men, once the leaders of characterization, have become exactly what their knockoffs have become. Too much of an artist's desire to tell a story through plots and splash panels, and a lack of in depth writing have tarnished the X-Men's status, and have driven the books into a state of mediocrity that the X-books used to rise above.

Let's move on to the plot twists and story telling. Back in the age of Claremont, the X-Men were always motivated and headed into somewhat of a direction. There were times when they took to offense, and there were times when they used a more defensive method of reacting. There were times when the team found individuality without Xavier, and there were times when Charles led them into battle. Most importantly, the X-Men always had a distinct identity. From Byrne's Cyclops and Jean centered tales to the time the X-Men hung out with Gateway in Australia, there was always a direction. There was always a preconceived threat against the team and a plan to move the books forward in an attempt to keep them fresh and exciting. New characters came and went, and old characters retired only to come back. When the plots started to lax, the X-Men would be turned over, reexamined, and started anew. The fans never knew what to expect out of the team of outlaws, and that made the book exciting to pick up month after month.

In recent days, the plots of the X-Men seem to be stuck in a Busiek-esque system of repetition. Look back at the last year of the X-Men: There were series after series of attacks, which sent the X-Men out of the mansion and into battle, without any fresh perspective of character or personality. It was just same ol', same ol'. It seemed as if the editors were saying, "throw in Magneto, let the X-Men fight some Acolytes, and watch the fanboys squirm to buy it." From the moment Kelly and Seagle lost creative control of the books, it became a series of fights after fights, with complete disregard to continuity, characterization, or even the motivations behind the story. From Cerebro to Magneto, the X-Men have done nothing but fight forgettable battles, without seeming to interact with each other. Editorial driven events have destroyed the continuity and individuality of the X-universe, and created a sloppy method of storytelling. Can anyone exactly tell me why Kurt, Peter, and Kitty decided to return to the X-Men? Can anyone tell me why the most of the team disbanded before the three returned? Can anyone address the issue of Gambit coming back to the X-Men after they left him for dead? The writers and editors of the X-books surely can't. They needed an event, and they completely disregarded continuity and plain common sense. To this writer, that is an insult to the fans who have followed this book, hoping for the X-books to once again become fun to read.

Who is to blame for this downfall of a once powerful title? Perhaps, there is no clear figure to point a finger at. Alan Davis, the current X-writer, seems to be trying to pull the X-Men out of the mess they have become, but he seems to have forgotten what made this title interesting. The "events" continue in there three or four issue format, and the X-Men continue to tread water. What motivates these characters? Better yet, WHO are these characters? It is time for Marvel to once again reexamine its flagship franchise and find out what works and what doesn't. Each character should be analyzed inside and out to find out who works and who doesn't. Why do these characters continue to protect a world that fears and hates them? Because Charles tells them so? Each individual on the team needs to be focused upon and explored. Personalities need to evolve and some need to be decided. (For instance, pick one of the ten different personalities thrown at Marrow and stick with it...the comic industry hasn't seen a character handled this sloppily since Rob Liefeld took on Captain America.) Basically, improvements need to made, and perhaps a complete overhaul of the books is necessary.

When looking back at the greatness of the X-books, a person can only hope that they can once again regain the quality that made them so popular. A book does not become spectacular without a solid base and a good creative team, and, unfortunately, the books lack both as of now. Some of the fans of the X-books have remained loyal despite poor reviews, and deserve to read a comic that is produced with the highest of quality. The fans deserve to read the comic that started entire trends throughout the industry. The fans deserve to read a book about mutants trying to live in a world that fears and hates them, while at the same time protecting that world from themselves. Events, gimmicks, and guest villains do not constitute the greatness that this book once possessed. Does the X-franchise deserve to tower over a number of better produced comic books available on the market today? The answer: Only the fans can decide that. But this columnist has a more direct opinion: Buy America's Best Comics, Warren Ellis' many titles, and The Savage Dragon instead.

Here's hoping the X-books improve and can become fun to read about once again.