Thoughts on X-Lives of Wolverine/X-Deaths of Wolverine

[andraste]

1. Wow, that was really stupid! Which is about what I was expecting - no idea why they handed the next chapter of all this over to Benjamin Percy, of all the current x-writers, but here we are.

2. ... I actually sort of liked it. And this version of Moira. I can see why the people who loved the human geneticist have been upset since HoXPoX and are more upset now, but I have to admit I find the undead cyborg who skinned her ex-boyfriend to get back onto Krakoa a more interesting character. And oh boy I want to see Charles attempt to explain all of this to poor Banshee, one of these days.

3. Also I desperately want a real throw-down between Erik and Moira. (Optionally, alien zombie Lilandra crashes the party while Charles sits in a corner and facepalms and Amelia laughs her arse off in the background.)

4. Charles's family tree and timeline are now even more of a mess. I am not sure Benjamin Percy knows what a timeline is, actually.

5. I will be happy to see Beast try to overthrow the Council if it means that his character arc actually goes somewhere. We've been doing this for years, let his descent into Hell pay off somehow! Watching him say and do evil things and never actually accomplish anything is boring. Charles and Erik (and Moira!) being morally questionable has been so satisfying lately; I wish Hank the same sense of purpose.

Comments

[marcelo]

2.The more I've thought about how Moira has been recast as an almost Doylean character (well, trying to be), the more I like how the idea framed the circular nature of mutant narrative --- and how underrated she is even by people who knew about her lives. Also love how her relationship with mutanthood has always been rather complex. Finally snapping and saying fine, then AIs it is, you $(*&# is slightly funny and not entirely out of character when you think about everything she has done. The way Destiny (and Mystique) and Moira hate each other so so so much, and how much this has ended up influencing reality itself, is impressive (and clever retroactive nominative determinism from Hickman).

5. Beast's arc has been painful for me. I very much loved 90's cartoon Hank (and the fanfic from that era), and seeing this version of him is very sad. But I agree that his moral descent would be more interesting if he at least were competent at it. I'd even settle for self-awareness of how much he's not cutting it.

[andraste]

The more I've thought about how Moira has been recast as an almost Doylean character (well, trying to be), the more I like how the idea framed the circular nature of mutant narrative --- and how underrated she is even by people who knew about her lives.

Nobody else is in such a good position that it is just the same damn thing over and over for the mutants, even more than most superhero comics characters. No wonder she wants to jump ship. You know, it's a shame she didn't get to have a talk with Apocalypse, since nobody else on the island is remotely old enough to get where she's coming from.

Also love how her relationship with mutanthood has always been rather complex. Finally snapping and saying fine, then AIs it is, you $(*&# is slightly funny and not entirely out of character when you think about everything she has done.

I feel like all the people who say this came completely out of nowhere have forgotten she raised her mutant son in a maximum security cell and didn't tell anyone he even existed. Also, I feel like 'screw you all, I'm siding with the Sentinels!' is a position hitherto unrepresented among the major players of mutantdom. (I don't feel like Cassandra Nova really counts, given her alien origins. But she and Moira should call each other.)

Beast's arc has been painful for me. I very much loved 90's cartoon Hank (and the fanfic from that era), and seeing this version of him is very sad. But I agree that his moral descent would be more interesting if he at least were competent at it. I'd even settle for self-awareness of how much he's not cutting it.

In theory I don't mind that it's Hank's turn to go down the dark path since Jean and Warren and Scott have all had their turn, but in practice it's just really bad and seems to be going nowhere. He should say some of that 'the Council isn't ruthless enough!' nonsense where Magneto/Mystique/Destiny/Exodus can hear him and see how that turns out ... (Sinister would just laugh at him.)

[marcelo]

I feel like 'screw you all, I'm siding with the Sentinels!' is a position hitherto unrepresented among the major players of mutantdom

Recently, there's Brand "screw you all [mutants and Sentinels] and your silly one-street town feud, I'm going to run the whole thing so you stop embarrassing me in front of the galaxy."

You know, it's a shame she didn't get to have a talk with Apocalypse, since nobody else on the island is remotely old enough to get where she's coming from.

That'd be an *awesome* scene. And if I recall and understood those panels correctly they were married in one of her lives, so there's every chance she knows him quite better than he might expect.