X-Men Red

X-Men Red

When I think about X-Men, I’m thrown back to summer holidays spent with my cousins Elizabeth* and Marcus* where we would recreate the cartoons with action figures. A mishmash frenzy of the 1992 Animated series, 2000 X-Men Evolution and whatever tie in merchandise from the Fox X-Men movies. I also think about my uncle Guy*, and his expansive collection of X-Men comics, collectables, and artwork. Myself, uncle Guy, my cousin Tom* and lately my wife Sophie**, form a little pocket of nerdom in family events, spending hours discussing the trials and victories of Marvel’s mutant-kind.

X-Men makes me think about family and that’s not a coincidence. The X-Men is all about family, both by blood and through choice. The mutant metaphor explores acceptance and rejection for any minority within the eyes of their direct relations, their peers, and further into the global societal scale. It asks us to consider what does it mean to be different? Do those differences define us? Does it allow others to label is? And how should we act when labelled? This has allowed the X-Men to endure across generations and across the world, because there will always be those who fear the other. To me, the X-Men may be the most powerful tool in Marvel’s arsenal to tell important stories.

On the other hand, when I think about X-Men Comics specifically, I think it’s a mess. There are a few iconic images, moments and stories that remain untarnished. Little nuggets of amber encasing precious snippets: Colossus’s sacrifice against the legacy virus, Logan and Kitty against the wall of wanted posters, Marvel Girl declaring she is the Phoenix, even the Demon Bear I hold dear. But the rest of it? Madness: A spaghetti tangle of deaths and rebirth cycles, retcons, time travel, secret siblings/offspring, cosmic or dimensional lunacy. I find a lot of it to be gibberish of the highest order. I’m not saying it’s not endearing. If you have the mental agility to remember all the loops and curls of the main players, or enough knowledge to point out what’s important or what can be ignored, I’m sure it’s very rewarding. I don’t have the stamina for it.  

*Hi guys if you’re reading this.

**Soph, as a supportive spouse you’re obligated to read this.

What am I reading? X-Men Red: The Hate Machine (issues 1-5 and annual 1) and X-Men Read: Waging Peace (issues 6-11). Written by Tom Taylor. Illustrated by Mahmud Asrar, Carmen Carnero and Rogé Antõnio.

What’s it about? Jean Grey is back. Not the phoenix, but good old fashioned omega mutant Marvel Girl. But she’s returned to a world she doesn’t recognise. Misinformation and ignorance flows through media and technology, throwing fuel on the fire of hatred across the globe. With Scott dead, and Charles gone, its up to her and here nearest and dearest to do something about it.

What’s good about it? I said it before in the review for All-New Wolverine, but Tom Taylor knows how to make enjoyable hijinks. The story moves along at a clip. The banter between these long-established characters is genuine and in keeping with their tone and ideals. It’s the classic camaraderie that cements any good X-Men team.

This is probably where the mutant metaphor is at its thinnest. I wouldn’t even say it’s a metaphor but rather a simile. As in other stories, such as Days of Future Past, the comparison between the X-Men and their foes and their real-life counter parts is so blatant that the message can’t help to be rammed home. Political agendas will rely on stoking cultural unrest to remain in power and use the general populace to wipe out the undesirables for them. It’s a sad story that unfortunately repeats itself. But seeing it on the page is always worth a read.

In the UK right now, the Conservative Government is doing just that. If anyone reading this supports the whole “Stop the Boats” drive and believes the narrative that asylum seekers should be displaced further and sent to borderline work camps in central Africa, listen to me now: You are being lied to. The recent bill is illegal and contradicts numerous internationally recognised fundamental human rights. It is the exact opposite of what being British means. The UK was one of the founding powers that defined the very same human rights act that this bill breaks. They are doing it to scare you into keeping them in power and furthering their own personal gains from this abhorrent project. If you don’t believe that, please read further by yourself. Education and empathy are the only tools we can use to counter this propaganda.

These defining traits of fascism hang on the wall of the U.S. Holocaust museum. Hand on heart, how many can you count the current Tory government being guilty of? By my count it's eleven.

P.S. If you don’t want to see the other side of the story, if you just put your head in the sand or chant along with the disillusioned crowd of proud boys, get the hell off my website. You’re not welcome here. There are no bystanders for intolerance, only accomplices.

What did I struggle with? Putting aside that moral of these stories aligns to my own beliefs, I think there is a lot wrong with these books.

Firstly, the art: It’s unremarkable. None of its bad, or dull, its just cookie cutter Marvel house style. I don’t feel any personality in it. There are no real standout images from it. After reading I remember what happens, but I don’t remember what it looks like, which is a big problem in a visual medium for me.

Secondly, what’s going on: What death is Jean coming back from this time? Why is Cyclops dead? Where is Professor X? Who is this villain? Why is that island abandoned? Like chuff to I know what’s going on. Usually there might be some notes in margin, or a foreword in the trade paperback, or some on-the-nose dialogue to point you in the right direction. No clue. As I said in the opening of this review, X-Men gibberish… I couldn’t even tell you the difference between this title, X-Men Red, or the ongoing titles of X-Men Blue and X-Men Gold…

Thirdly, Trinary: Trinary is a new Indian mutant Taylor invented for these stories. She is a technopath with the ability to control and communicate with all levels of gadgetry. From tiny nanites to enormous sentinels. We get introduced to her in an Indian mutant handling facility after she is betrayed by her father. That’s all we know about her… She calls herself Trinary, she’s from India, her dad hates her, and she can talk to computers. The lack of a human name, alter ego, back story, or any real weight of her heritage on the story proceedings is baffling to me. There’s no reason why the character of Trinary couldn’t be a trans person from Japan, or a homosexual of colour from Mexico, or an Icelandic Jewish amorphous blob. If her character is no more than a place holder for a power set to function as a plot device, what are you trying to tell me by giving her the mirage of representation?

India has a rich, vibrant, and ancient culture. It could easily have been used to develop her character further. Give her some depth. Give her some flavour. But instead, she’s just a mechanism in a sort of saree inspired costume. Why? What do you want me to take away from this? Because all I can think is that in the eyes of this story, being purely a mutant, denouncing all things from your former life before powers, is the only way to achieve the goal of global acceptance… and it’s just not. I feel it’s the opposite of what X-Men is about.

I’m all for living your truest life but I don’t think that usual comes at the expense of your history. In fact, it is your history that informs you of what your truest life is. Consider Trinary’s teammate, Nightcrawler. Kurt Wagner was raised in Germany, a devout Catholic who resembles the devil, with the power to teleport through small interdimensional portals, with the iconic onomatopoeia of “Bamf”. Nightcrawler talks with a German accent. He uses idioms from his father-tongue. He knows he looks like the antithesis of a good Christian, but he embodies the teachings of the bible by baring his visage as a penance whilst trying to do good. He is also, very clearly, a logistical tool for the author to use in their story. He is the entire package of history, conflict, and story engine. Trinary is only the later. It’s not interesting and confuses the message. Being in the X-Men requires you to be both human and mutant. Empathy and understand must work both ways. Otherwise, the goal isn’t acceptance but segregation.

Would I recommend? As a fable, as a warning wrapped up in colourful daring-do, I think people should read it. It has a lot of cool ideas within it that keep it fun. It’s irritated me that the analogy has gotten so transparent for the message to become seen, but media literacy isn’t what it once was.