On Claremont, the X-Men, the Exiles, and Loss

When it comes to comics, my favorite team that isn’t the Mighty Mutanimals will forever be the X-Men.  The title didn’t start perfectly, no. Few of the early tales would I call “classic”.  But with the launch of the “All New” team… or as I call them, the “International Team” the book moved in bold new directions.  Over the years it was the direction of Chris Claremont that made the book eternally iconic.

“Iconic” is not what comes to mind when I think of the current X-Men. 

Matt Fraction’s current run isn’t good enough to make my pull list, the eternal crossover events are shameless and lack emotional pull.  While there are a few runs I’ve enjoyed over the past decade (Scott Lobdell, Joe Casey, and of course the “Astonishing” run from Joss Whedon), overall I’ve been pretty distraut over the status of the book.

So I started reading “Exiles”.  A book essentially about X-Men from alternate universes, and a book where life and death was a big deal.  Characters you cared for were lost, “what if’s” were explored, and a strong team book was on display.  As time went on, plots became convoluted… but it took seventy-some issues for the book to really faulter. 

Then Chris Claremont came to the book.  Having recently run through a large section of “X-Treme X-men” on Digital Comics Unlimited, I should have known this spelled bad news.  “X-Treme” had started at an amazing pace, with a great cast… and then gotten horribly bogged down with uninteresting new characters and too many lose plot threads.  “Exiles” relaunched after ten issues under Claremont as “New Exiles” because trash.  While Exiles had always been great for it’s rotating cast, Claremont quickly brought in his new crew and left the to stay for too long– the whole while trying to pump the book with “mystery”.  “What’s the MYSTERY behind this different ‘Cat’ Pryde?  This male Mystique?  The actual 616 Universe Sage?!?”  It would seem fans of the book agreed– as the title is being cancelled with issue 18 of “New Exiles”.

New York Comic Con brings announcements and questions.

“Exiles” is relaunching under the original title and some guy named Jeff Parker.  Will he have gotten the memo on how to write X-Men: Sliders Edition?

Meanwhile, Chris Claremont and shit artist Tom Grummett (sorry… I just hate everything about his characters… he has a career in illustrating bad children’s books just waiting for him) are announced to be working on a book called “X-Men Forever”; the concept is to continue the “X-Men” (no “Uncanny”) story Claremont started with the first three issues (including that “X-Men #1″ I know you have a copy of) with Jim Lee.  Other than the fact that Tom Grummett is like the anti-Jim Lee, this frustrates the shit out of me with curiousity.  The first three issues of “X-Men” are three of my favorite issues ever.  Claremont gracefully reintroduces iconic characters, fully aware of their status, and then “closes” things with a tip of the hat to his many, many years writing the characters.  It is as well crafted a story as one may ever see in mainstream comics.  What would Claremont have done at the reigns of the lead title if time had allowed?  How might he have shaken the status quo?

So what books should get a chance?  What should I spend my coin on?  Especially when, no doubt, all of these first issues will be carrying the Marvel “$3.99″ exploit price on any book of any consequence?

I know Marvel doesn’t give a shit what I blog about.  They have such disdain for ANYONE who might voice their opinion on the internet that they feel the need to offer up non-stop slander on the issue everytime they appear at a convention.  But I still beg– give the X-Men the flagship they deserve.  Go the route of Spider-man; nix the crossovers, and give us the very best available on the book three times a month.