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Underground > Comic Books >

Is Grant's X-Men any good?

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06:30 / 26.01.02

Hi. Long time lurker, first time poster.

It seems to me that NXM is just considerably more subtle than much of Grant's past work. IMO, it includes some of the best writing of his career, at least as far as traditional narrative and characterisation are concerned. Grant's X-Men, far from being ciphers for his latest kooky idea, come across as well formed individuals. If you need examples check Scott's conversation with Jean in their bedroom. It would seem that in this comic people have emotions that are difficult to articulate. That kind of sophistication is a rare thing in today's comic marketplace. Also, did anyone notice that whisper of characterisation at the end of last months issue. Check out Logan and Cyclops as they wait for Jean and Emma's return. It's the little details that keep me interested.

I suggest that a few of you could do with rereading the whole thing from start to finish. Ask yourself periodically whether you're clear about exactly what it is Morrison is trying to do at any given point and on any given panel. Quite a few of my friends were rather non-plussed by their first reading of NXM. Many of them have since changed their minds. Try to get over your (understandable) prejudices and keep an eye out for the finer details.

A

10:31 / 28.01.02

I have to say I've been highly impressed by NewXMen so far.

This really wasn't the sort of title that Grant could just go completely fucking weird in. What worked in Doom Patrol just wouldn't work with the X-Men.

I think that the idea here was to create a comic that would appeal to the sort of people who like Grant's less mainstream work AND "normal" fans of the X-Men and superhero comics AND Jane and Joe Average, who know little of comics but liked the X-Men movie. It seems to me like he's succeeded on all counts.

Quitely's artwork is great, Van Sciver's is good, and the other guy has a good sense of layout but his art is just too ugly for this comic.

21:51 / 28.01.02

People who use the words 'sex' or 'sexy' when they think something is good should be shot. i'll do it.

Matthew Fluxington

21:56 / 28.01.02

quote:Originally posted by glassonion:
People who use the words 'sex' or 'sexy' when they think something is good should be shot. i'll do it.

Thank you. I've always thought that using the word 'sexy' to describe a comic book was a bit antithetical...

14:03 / 29.01.02

quote:Originally posted by glassonion:
People who use the words 'sex' or 'sexy' when they think something is good should be shot. i'll do it.

I would have to agree with this. There is too much talk of sex in the wrong area - here on Barbelith and in the world too.

I would like to say that Grant Morrison does write Xmen quite well. I would love to see Moore (Alan) do an x book in the end. I think it would be probably the best.

14:11 / 29.01.02

quote:Originally posted by Flux = Spec Bebop:

Thank you. I've always thought that using the word 'sexy' to describe a comic book was a bit antithetical...

Sorry guys but this is advertising jargon, and as such is here to stay.
Making a product sexy is making it desirable. Desirable sells.

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:16 / 29.01.02

<Spinal Tap>What's wrong with being sexy?</Spinal Tap>

No, but seriously, loosen up, peeps. Don't fall into the trap of thinking comics + sex has to equal dreadfully embarrassing fatbeadiness.

14:21 / 29.01.02

Please people. If this thread descends into the 'Jargon Wars' it'll be as if we've become characters in a badly written Jim Shooter maxi-series.

09:07 / 30.01.02

I can absolutely guarantee that Onion is only worried about the use of the word "sexy" as it applies to pretentious writing or indeed pretentious posting. He understands that Morrison is trying to add an adult complexity to NXM by adding a sexual component. How do I know all this? Put it this way, if he disagrees with me he's going to get a great big cussing!

19:32 / 03.02.02

Ok, thanks everyone. I've got a few issues and I've decided not to get anymore. Although what Grant is doing is great in the context of X-Men all in all it is still X-Men and it's embarassing reading shit with super heroes in. I stopped being a child about 5 seconds ago and i don't want to read this kind of stuff. I'll just wait until The Filth comes out.
Thanks everyone.

22:13 / 03.02.02

quote:Originally posted by 08:
I stopped being a child about 5 seconds ago...

Are you sure? Could have fooled me.

[ 04-02-2002: Message edited by: moriarty ]

shirtless, beepers and suntans

04:51 / 04.02.02

i posted this question some time ago on another thread, and i was told what the original poster was told: Grant's X-men is new, so fresh, so clean, etc... so i went to the Android's Dungeon and looked through the latest issue on the rack.

and i almost threw up! the art was awful. i'm talking second-to-last-issue-of-the-invisibles awful. it definitely was not Quitely. needless to say, i think leaving the store empty-handed was well worth having the extra $2.95 in my pocket.

so i don't know if it's actually worth $2.95 or whatever they're charging these days. but i still think the characters are stale like a McDonalds hamburger.

The Natural Way

11:30 / 04.02.02

I jsut don't get that. But I'll reserve any glib comments about fanboy cravings for clench fisted, thought bubble angst until you choose to explain yrself.

EXPLAIN YOURSELF, DAMNIT!

He ranted.

Matthew Fluxington

11:41 / 04.02.02

quote:Originally posted by the shirtless moron:

and i almost threw up! the art was awful. i'm talking second-to-last-issue-of-the-invisibles awful. it definitely was not Quitely. needless to say, i think leaving the store empty-handed was well worth having the extra $2.95 in my pocket.

Geez, you weren't looking at the annual, were you? The one drawn by Leinl Yu?

That would explain everything.

Re: the characters

I've been with the X-Men since I was a kid, on and off. The way Grant writes the characters, they may as well be his own creations. If they don't grab you, it's either yr own prejudices, or it is his fault.

18:38 / 04.02.02

I think it's me, not Grant. I just can't stand superheros. not even 4 Morrison. Me me me.

The sundance kid

19:01 / 04.02.02

i have trouble ignoring the fact that this is morrison doing his interpretation of x-men:the movie. some of the details are nice, and that's what keeps me reading the book, but the black leather and school setting take me back to the sad place that is bryan singer's downfall(oh shit, that was apt pupil!). marvel is trying to use the film's themes to rebuild the x-franchise. anybody see x-men:evolution yet...what the fuck?

A

11:36 / 05.02.02

quote:Originally posted by rory borealis:
i have trouble ignoring the fact that this is morrison doing his interpretation of x-men:the movie. some of the details are nice, and that's what keeps me reading the book, but the black leather and school setting take me back to the sad place that is bryan singer's downfall... marvel is trying to use the film's themes to rebuild the x-franchise.

Well, yeah, there are certainly elements of the movie in NEWXMEN, but the X-Men movie was drawing quite a bit (including the black leather) from the Matrix, which was was drawing quite a bit (by which i mean "using it as a fucking shopping list for ideas") from the Invisibles, so it all seems to fit together quite nicely.

Apart from that, both the movie and NEWXMEN seem to be designed to make the concept of the X-Men actually make sense to people, and the whole "wow, i seem to have fantastic mutant powers, i think i'll put on a garishly coloured skin-tight body stocking and fight evil" thing doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense.

19:31 / 02.03.02

Just re-read "E is for Extinction." Random observations:

1. The speech about the X-Men not wearing silly outfits anymore seems rather out of place, since Scott, Jean and Hank still have gigantic "X" monograms on their chests. I'm glad they minimized the silliness of Logan's hairdo, though. Everyone looks fantastic, except for Emma, who looks ridiculous.

2. I'm glad that Marvel's ditched the attitude of "You must buy every back issue from the past twenty years to understand what's going on," but...One minute, Morrison is explaining obvious things as we go along for the benefit of new readers ("Sentinels hunt mutants"), and the next, he's glossing over all sorts of important details. Nova marches corpses around with her thoughts and Trask doesn't wonder if she's not a human? Where exactly is Genosha located? How did the wild sentinels adapt to their environment, what were they made out of and what happened to them after they wiped out Genosha? Exactly why didn't the sentinels notice that they had missed Emma and why did she suddenly decide to stay at Xavier's? And so on.

3. How many comic books contain monster body counts? The scenes from Watchmen and Miracleman have been re-enacted in both New X-Men and Authority. It's the same old stuff, over and over...but it's what we like, innit? It's no longer enough for a comic book to have a cool character or two. Comics either have to be incredibly clever or way over the top, and I don't think the former is a viable option with an X-Men title.

4. I hope Magneto stays dead; honorable foes are cool the first time, but their novelty value quickly wears off. I'm not looking forward to another Dark Phoenix storyline, either. I'd like to see somebody else go bonkers, for once...what if Scott snapped? I can see him deciding that no mutant should ever suffer pain, and begin killing everyone who was in the slightest bit miserable. Can't you just picture him saying, "Jean, I'm so sorry"...and then slitting her fucking throat? Now that's what I call a plot twist...

20:16 / 02.03.02

Sorry to disappoint you, but it seems that Magneto is alive and kicking. Over in the latest(?) issue of Uncanny X-men, Chamber came upon Magneto, Toad, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

Matthew Fluxington

20:35 / 02.03.02

Um, that's not really Magneto and the Brotherhood. Just so you know.

20:49 / 02.03.02

But..but...they look like the Brotherhood.

Did that lady in the tube mess with Jono's head somehow?

Geez, next thing you know, people'll be telling me that Xavier has had his body taken over by an evil twin nobody knew about.

11:26 / 03.03.02

Maybe Cassandra Nova could start a splinter group of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants called the Brotherhood of Evil Twin Brother Mutants.

No, wait...the Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Evil Twin Brother and Sister Mutants.

A

11:33 / 03.03.02

The Siblinghood of Non-Conventional-Morality-Oriented Twin Differently-Super-Powered Persons?

(damn, couldn't think of a pc euphemism for "twin". i'm losing my perspicacity! {and probably my ability to spell "perspicacity}).

12:02 / 03.03.02

Cassandra Nova: "To me, my . . . er . . . Siblinghood of . . . um . . . Non-Conventional-Morality-Oriented . . . uh . . . Product of Post-Conception Mitosis . . . emm . . . "

Cyclops: "Let me end your pain." (Frrzap!)

Our Lady of The Two Towers

13:32 / 03.03.02

quote:Originally posted by Trijhaos:
Sorry to disappoint you, but it seems that Magneto is alive and kicking. Over in the latest(?) issue of Uncanny X-men, Chamber came upon Magneto, Toad, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

I hope he cleaned up afterwards...

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