This Modern X-Men Classic Isn’t as Great as Fans Want It to Be

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The X-Men are a major part of Marvel Comics, and for a long time, their comics were the publisher’s most successful. A recent attempt to boost sales with the 2024 “From the Ashes” relaunch initially worked, but was quickly overshadowed by DC’s Absolute line of comics. Since then, X-Men titles have struggled, with several books being cancelled and previously popular series like Wolverine experiencing significant drops in sales. This is a dramatic shift for the team, especially considering how recently a new direction for the X-Men became a dominant force in the comic book industry and maintained that position for an extended period.

As a huge comic fan, I’ve been thinking a lot about what Marvel did with the X-Men a few years ago – what everyone calls the Krakoa Era. It was the first time in ages they really put their top creative talent on those books, and it worked. The X-Men comics flew off the shelves! There’s even evidence that those sales are a big reason Marvel weathered the 2020-2021 pandemic as well as they did. It’s undeniable how successful those books were, and it all started with Jonathan Hickman’s House of X and Powers of X, with incredible art by Pepe Larraz and R.B. Silva. Many consider those two series to be among the greatest X-Men stories ever told. But honestly, I think it’s time we had a real conversation about the issues with the story – problems a lot of us overlooked when they first came out.

SPOILERS for House of X/Powers of X

House of X and Powers of X Ignored the X-Men’s History More than It Honored It

Let’s talk about the issues with the story, and it’s best to start with Moira MacTaggert. The revelation that Moira was a mutant was a huge shock in HoX/PoX. I remember the massive reaction from fans when it happened; I actually reviewed HoX/PoX early and wrote extensively about why it felt brilliant at the time. But now, looking back, the twist undermines the X-Men by taking away one of their most significant human connections – someone who, despite being harmed by mutants, still dedicated her life to helping them. While making Moira an immortal strategist was initially interesting, it ultimately felt like a letdown and diminished a crucial character.

Jonathan Hickman’s time writing X-Men didn’t quite live up to expectations, and I believe the issues started with HoX/PoX. A major problem throughout his run was a disconnect from the established personalities of the characters, prioritizing his story ideas over who they actually were, and this became apparent early on in HoX/PoX. While he portrayed characters like Xavier and Magneto well on the surface, his interpretation felt limited, reducing them to simplistic leaders who consistently made predictable errors. Many other characters felt emotionally distant and underdeveloped. Hickman’s writing often seemed to overlook the inner lives of the team, and while there were moments of happiness, it was rare to feel like a character was truly behaving authentically. The scene with Nightcrawler and Wolverine’s supposed deaths was probably the only time that really resonated.

Let’s talk about the recent changes to the X-Men, specifically the end of the Krakoan resurrection storyline. While the idea was initially groundbreaking and really shook things up in mutant comics, especially in House of X, it often felt like shock value was the main goal. Looking back at House of X #4, the strongest parts are really just the artwork and those surprising moments – like the Nightcrawler/Wolverine scene. It wasn’t about compelling action, just about surprising readers. And while the Krakoan resurrection concept itself – Hickman created a clever system with the Five – ultimately became a problem. Death already lacked impact in comics, and the Krakoa era made that even worse. Even if the intention was to satirize the way death is handled in comics, it went too far and ended up becoming a joke in itself.

The informational pages, particularly in HoX/PoX, were initially engaging, but ultimately detracted from the storytelling. While common in writer Jonathan Hickman’s work – similar pages appeared in The Nightly News and Pax Romana – they sometimes felt like an easy way out. Instead of creatively weaving important details into the narrative, these pages simply presented exposition directly to the reader. They became a defining feature of the X-Men comics during the Krakoa era, and while Hickman used them best, that actually highlighted the problem – others, like Gerry Duggan, shouldn’t have tried to replicate them. In retrospect, many elements we loved about HoX/PoX ended up becoming weaknesses throughout the series.

The Krakoa Era Was Never Going to End Well and That Was Obvious from the Beginning

I really enjoyed reading House of X/Powers of X, and I’m not alone – many X-Men fans feel the same way, and with good reason. After years of feeling neglected by Marvel, the X-Men comics finally felt fresh and important again. It was exciting to get such a large-scale story from Jonathan Hickman, a highly respected writer. But looking back, it’s clear that HoX/PoX had issues that were present from the start, but we overlooked at the time.

Many fans feel the Krakoa era didn’t live up to its initial promise, and that the beginning was much stronger than how it ended. While the start wasn’t perfect, it was still better than what came later. Looking back, it seems this outcome was almost unavoidable. Despite how much we loved House of X/Powers of X, it had significant flaws from the start – flaws that ultimately shaped the entire era. It remains a crucial and recommendable series, but it’s time to acknowledge its problems and view it more realistically.

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2025-11-30 22:12