As of this month’s X-Men #35, Krakoa has magically blipped out of this plane of existence, like Poochy returning to his home planet. The Great Reset button has been hit. Kieron Gillen is gone. Al Ewing is gone. Gerry Duggan is gone.
Apart from some Blood Hunt tie-ins and Steve Foxe and Netho Diaz’s Heir of Apocalypse mini, the X-line will lay fairly quiet for a few weeks until the “From the Ashes” era begins in earnest next month with a new X-Men #1, at which point we will begin to see what a whole new crop of writers has to say about Marvel’s mightiest mutants.
But who are the writers taking over X-Men, Uncanny X-Men and Exceptional X-Men, the three new tentpole series of this new line? Not that they’re strangers — each has been writing for Marvel for quite some time, and in one case decades. But what can their past work teach us about how they might handle the X-Men?
We asked our team to come up with some recommended reading for incoming X-writers Jed MacKay, Gail Simone and Eve Ewing.
Jed MacKay
Black Cat Vol. 1 #1-12, Annual #1, 2019-20 (Potentially also Black Cat Vol. 2 #1-10, Annual #1, Giant-Size Black Cat: Infinite Score and Iron Cat #1-5)
Art by Travel Foreman, Michael Dowling, C.F. Villa and Kris Anka; colors by Brian Reber; letters by Ferran Delgado
Jed MacKay is known for a lot of things in his writing, but chief among them is his character work. Finding the ways to mine the depths of any character, bursting them onto the scene, and making even the most underused characters into something special. One of the first places this was seen by the masses was the years’ worth of Black Cat issues he wrote, taking Felicia Hardy from the “Spider-Man’s sometimes girlfriend” space she had been shoved into over the years and making her a star — just as she always should have been. If his X-Men run can tap into even half the power he gave Felicia, fans could be in for something special.
— Scott Redmond
Buy Black Cat by Jed MacKay Omnibus here.
Doctor Strange (Death of Doctor Strange #1-4, Strange #1-10, Doctor Strange Vol. 6 #1-present)
Art by Pasqual Ferry, Andy MacDonald, Juan Gedeon and Danilo Beyruth; colors by Matt Hollingsworth, KJ Diaz and Heather Moore; letters by Cory Petit
Jed’s new X-series features Cyclops, a character who is (inaccurately) seen as “boring” or a “personality-less Boy Scout” by far too many still. Another character who many have assumed at times is a cardboard cutout is one Dr. Stephen Strange. While Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo revived the character’s solo career years earlier, MacKay has given Strange’s world a deeper, shinier, more character-rich focus by killing the character, putting the spotlight on his neglected (by the publisher) wife Clea, bringing him back better than ever, and giving Wong a great new role. Put a character who readers dismiss in MacKay’s hands, and you’ll be stanning them in no time.
— Scott Redmond
Moon Knight (Moon Knight Vol. 9 #1-30, 2021-24, Vengeance of the Moon Knight Vol. 2, 2024-present)
Art by Alessandro Cappuccio and Frederico Sabbatini, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, letters by Cory Petit
MacKay & Co.’s Moon Knight offers something that’s become increasingly rare at Marvel, where limited series and constant reboots have become the norm: a lengthy run on a B-list character with a consistent, talented creative team doing what all the best long-running serialized stories do — tell an emotionally complex, action-packed, deeply involving, visually distinctive story in which everything builds to something and matters. Simply put, whether you’ve previously been a Moon Knight fan, if you’re a fan of superhero comics’ unique brand of long-form storytelling, there’s a good chance you’ll find lots to love in this series.
Cappuccio’s breakout artistry helps nurture an exciting new playground for Marc Spector and his allies in the form of the equally grounded and utterly fantastical Midnight Mission. There’s also a compelling supporting cast mixing exciting new creations, like the vampiric receptionist turned teammate turned hero Reese, and extant B- and C-list compatriots who seldom get a chance to shine but become utterly dazzling under the auspices of this creative team. (In particular, every moment we get to spend with MacKay and Cappuccio’s Tigra is an absolute delight.) And while Moon Knight Vol. 9 comes to a suitably climactic conclusion, the story continues in Vengeance of the Moon Knight, which retains Cappuccio as the regular penciler and features Reese taking the lead. You may have heard someone say X-Men is a soap opera; Moon Knight proves MacKay’s got the chops to write a good one.
— Anna Peppard
Buy Vengeance of the Moon Knight #5 here.
Avengers (Avengers Vol. 9 #1-present)
Art by C.F. Villa, Francesco Mortarino and Ivan Fiorelli; colors by Federico Blee; letters by Cory Petit
If Storm becoming an Avenger is any indication, we’re in for a brand-new era of cross-franchise synergy the likes of which the Krakoan era never knew. Another indication is the fact that MacKay will be concurrently writing Avengers and adjectiveless X-Men. No longer are the Avengers office and the X-office two households, both alike in dignity, bearing ancient grudges that break to new mutinies (though depending on the outcome of the ongoing Blood Hunt crossover, civil blood might continue to make civil hands unclean).
Anyway, MacKay’s Avengers is a new-reader friendly book, pairing well-known characters (Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch and the Sam Wilson version of Captain America) with suitably bombastic spectacles courtesy of regular artist Villa. While MacKay engages in the usual worldbuilding and pulls from other books, this is a comic you can pick up and enjoy with minimal knowledge beyond a general sense of the main deals of the book’s iconic cast. MacKay also centers Carol Danvers as the rightful leader of the squad while doing some valuable reparative work on the character and the team’s militaristic tendencies; a notable scene from the series’ debut issue has Carol describing the Avengers as firefighters, not cops.
Here’s some of what Armaan Babu had to say about MacKay and Villa’s approach to this megawatt team in our review of issue #1:
“Superhero comics can often take themselves a little too seriously. The pain and burden of responsibility, the gritted teeth in the face of overwhelming odds, the constant push to give 110% in every panel or the world is doomed. It’s refreshing to have a moment with someone who looks at the whole thing with a sense of wonder, optimism … and a sense of fun.
“We get the sense, very early on, that this is going to be a fun comic. Big, world-threatening stuff is going to be happening — but it’s going to be fun.”
— Anna Peppard
Gail Simone
Domino Vol. 3 #1-10, Annual #1, 2018-19
Art by David Baldeon and Michael Shelfer, colors by Jesus Aburtov et al., letters by Clayton Cowles et al.
Simone isn’t a newcomer to the X-world. Pre-Krakoa, she penned a 10-issue Domino solo series, followed by a five-issue team book, Domino: Hotshots, that broadened Neena Thurman’s horizons into the wider Marvel Universe, from a rescue by Spider-Man to a meeting with the Celestials. And it was fun! Domino partners with fellow lady-mercs Diamondback (Captain America’s snake-themed ex-girlfriend) and Outlaw (a Simone creation from her early-2000s run on Deadpool/Agent X) on a series of adventures, briefly operating out of a commandeered gambling riverboat. Truly, it was a book Rogue would have felt right at home in.
Baldeon’s art gives the series a sense of playfulness, as Simone explores what Domino is like away from the big, macho mutants with the guns and claws. It’s also fun watching Baldeon evolve from this to Gwenpool Strikes Back to X-Factor. Not written by Simone but also worth reading is a story from the Annual by Leah Williams and Natacha Bustos in which Domino and Nightcrawler run a support group for mutants with visible mutations.
— Dan Grote
Action Comics Vol. 1 #827-835
Art by John Byrne, Nelson DeCastro and Alex Sinclair
If you’ve ever worried about a writer best known for their humor doing a back-to-basics run on an iconic superhero title, just look at Simone’s run on Action Comics. It’s remarkable how much it mirrors the pitch for her Uncanny X-Men. After Chuck Austen’s run on Action Comics was DOA, Simone took up the baton with veteran Superman artist John Byrne.
In their brief time before Infinite Crisis, the team crafted a Superman story that was equal parts timeless and modern. She wrote a complex and expansive supporting cast, created new spins on villains, brought others out of limbo and even introduced one prominent antagonist into the main DCU. Never did the stories seem backward-looking or nostalgic. Instead, this was a Superman for everyone, and that made it a lot of fun to read.
— Tony Thornley
Secret Six — Villains United #1-6, Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special, Secret Six Vol. 2 #1-6, Secret Six Vol. 3 #1-36
Art by Nicola Scott, Jim Calafiore, Dale Eaglesham and Brad Walker
While Simone’s runs on Domino and Agent X featured expansive and well-defined supporting casts, those were at their core solo books. Her run on DC’s Secret Six, though, was a full-on team book. Focusing on a group of former/kind of/still-absolutely villains working as mercenaries, Secret Six blends Simone’s signature humor with philosophical musings on morality, lots of intense fight scenes and deep character work, all things that X-fans are into. And while the roster of the Six changes from their introductions in the run-up to Infinite Crisis through the end of their pre-New 52 ongoing (There’s a New 52 volume that is OK, but doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original), the main cast all have X-character analogues.
- Scandal Savage — a deadly, blade-wielding, super queer lady fighter (Callisto)
- Catman — A savage, animal-themed badass (Wolverine)
- Deadshot — A morally ambiguous marksman (Greycrow)
- Ragdoll — A bendy contortionist with a truly bizarre sense of humor who is the heart of the team (Nightcrawler)
- Bane — A morally conflicted muscle man (Colossus)
- Jeanette — An honest-to-the-Morrigan banshee who dresses in sexy corsets and has a dry sense of humor (Emma Frost with a side of Siryn)
Other members who float in and out, or betray the team, or die include Cheshire of Young Justice fame, Bat rogues Mad Hatter and Harley Quinn, a young mystic named Black Alice ( filling the ever important newbie slot) and King Shark. Yes, the shark guy from The Suicide Squad and the Harley Quinn animated series. If you’re missing your Pogg Ur-Pogg fix, ol’ King Shark is the next best thing.
— Matt Lazorwitz
Buy Secret Six by Gail Simone Omnibus here.
Eve Ewing
Champions (2020) #1-5
Art by Simone Di Meo and Bob Quinn, colors by Federico Blee, letters by Clayton Cowles
Hated-and-feared is the de facto status quo for the X-Men and mutants as a whole, apparently kicked up to even higher levels with this new era. Ewing is no stranger to writing characters dealing with public hatred while dodging misbegotten legal systems out to get them. Funny enough, she’s also no stranger to books featuring young characters in these roles. Enter the Champions! In 2020, Ewing helped relaunch the young hero team under a status quo that saw youthful heroes being outlawed and hunted by authorities. Their mission was to be heroes for the world, even if the world didn’t want them. Sound familiar?
Ewing had a good handle on the characters, their situation and writing youth. Along the way, she worked with Quinn, who dabbled in the X-side of things during the Krakoan era on Way of X. She even wrote Ms. Marvel, back before corporate synergy turned the character into a mutant and X-Men member. Making things even more web-like, the X-Men (in the form of Kate Pryde’s Marauders) guest starred in the book. Clearly it was all fated to be.
— Scott Redmond
Black Panther (2023) #1-10
Art by Chris Allen, inks by Allen and Craig Yeung, colors by Jesus Aburtov, letters by Joe Sabino
“Ewing’s done a yeoman’s job of (re)humanizing the character: His time in the city named after his father has been redemptive, both for his soul and for the people who feel like they’ve been forgotten. Ewing’s use of a post-industrial city in an advanced society clearly mirrors many of the issues rust-belt communities (near her native Chicago) deal with: petty crime, disconnects from both help and consequences. T’Challa’s presence here, then, had the opportunity to be redemptive not just for him, but for his community. … We see characters move, live, cry, emote. We see that actions have reactions, and we see those reactions have an emotional effect on the characters. Even in this last issue — where a spirit of vengeance (not that one) devourer of souls named Kuvu’ma looks to take T’Challa’s soul as payment for a perceived wrong committed by his great-grandfather — the banter is thoughtful and meaningful, balancing action and emotional depth.”
— Jude Jones (in his review of Black Panther #10)
Buy Black Panther by Eve Ewing Vol. 2 here.
Monica Rambeau: Photon (2022-23) #1-5
Art by Luca Maresca, colors by Carlos Lopez, letters by Clayton Cowles
“I don’t think I ever truly reckoned with how powerful you are, but then again, I don’t think you did either.” This one sentence from Ewing’s Photon series sums up how she gradually has Monica Rambeau realize her own worth as a hero and a person. It is not only a testament to Monica’s comic book history, but also her potential. She is shown as a daughter, cousin, friend and more. Not to mention the practical and creative application of her powers in and out of combat. Ewing gives Photon a long overdue spotlight that allows her to shine brilliantly.
— Latonya Pennington
Buy Monica Rambeau: Photon here.
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Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
Scott Redmond
Scott Redmond is a freelance writer and educator fueled by coffee, sarcasm, his love for comic books and more "geeky" things than you can shake a lightsaber at. Probably seen around social media and remembered as "Oh yeah, that guy." An avid gamer, reader, photographer, amateur cook and solid human being.
Anna Peppard
Anna is a PhD-haver who writes and talks a lot about representations of gender and sexuality in pop culture, for academic books and journals and places like Shelfdust, The Middle Spaces, and The Walrus. She’s the editor of the award-winning anthology Supersex: Sexuality, Fantasy, and the Superhero and co-hosts the podcasts Three Panel Contrast and Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow!
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.
Matt Lazorwitz read his first comic at the age of five. It was Who's Who in the DC Universe #2, featuring characters whose names begin with B, which explains so much about his Batman obsession. He writes about comics he loves, and co-hosts the creator interview podcast WMQ&A with Dan Grote.
A proud New Orleanian living in the District of Columbia, Jude Jones is a professional thinker, amateur photographer, burgeoning runner and lover of Black culture, love and life. Magneto and Cyclops (and Killmonger) were right.
Find more of Jude’s writing here.
Latonya Pennington
Latonya Pennington is a freelance contributor whose comics criticism can be found at Women Write About Comics, Comic Book Herald, Newsarama and Shelfdust, among others.
