GIANT-SIZE X-POSITION: The "Uncanny" Brian Bendis - Part 1

[Mr. Holmes]

Makes sense for the 50th annivarsay to be september cant wait for that i hope its a huge crossover story.

God that would make my return to reading X-Men very short lived.

[Psyknight]

This interview had some really interesting questions.

[Confuzzled Mutie]

needs more Dazzler.

I have never submitted an X-Position or writer question on CBR. Where do we post/submit our questions for these columns?

ETA: Nm, found the thread. Turns out nobody knew Bendis would feature Dazzler in UXM when they posted these questions, hence the severe lack of Ali.

[Spidey Sense]

back, nutty-rice.

Remender really is the Oedipus King of funny ass slung. Well, minus the patristab.

[semicyon]

Except those examples show hoe out of touch with the X-Men comics he is. Scott and Emma were never supposed to be "the best couple." That's a misconception on Bendis' part. I have no problem with him not giving out details, but he really needs to learn how to interview better because he sounds exactly like a pundit on Fox News, trying to say something, but actually saying nothing important. Also, this "not pure mutant" vs "pure mutant" really shows Bendis has no idea about X-Men mythos.

An X-Gene activated at puberty is was makes a mutant a mutant, even so, most mutants before M-Day and Decimation had either one or two human parents. Take the Guthrie family; Ma Guthrie and Pa Guthrie are both humans, normal everyday flatscans. However, almost all of their children, which is a lot [at least 6-two not being mutants], were born X-Gene positive. How does that make you more of a mutant than say someone with an active X-Gene from the Phoenix.

And before you say "The Phoenix did blah blah blah" The X-Gene was artificially created by the God-like beings called the Celestial. Which means the X-Gene and mutants are not natural, they were genetically engineered by these beings and placed on Earth. Yes, this is canon and not made up, go research it.

I'll let Emma slide because it's obvious he understands her character about as much as Matt Fraction did, and it's hopeless to even go there.

Is it a misconception on Bendis' part that Scott/Emma weren't supposed to be "the best couple" or is it a misconception on the part of readers of this interview about what he meant when he said that sentence? The dynamic between them was interesting *because* it was problematic, eye-opening and/or destructive for both. Emma continued to lie despite their promises to be open with each other after Utopia X and Scott abandoned their partnership, just like all the other women before her, for his obsession with the mutant cause. That's hardly the behavior of the "best couple in the world"... but it doesn't say that they can't still be in love with each other or end up together. If they are going to work out in the longer run, it won't be as "perfect" as Scott/Jean was before the Apocalypse-possession messed things up.

Bendis just teased the term "pure"... he didn't explain what that meant. Assuming you're right in the interpretation, it's not a silly idea to explore. Yes, I know about the Celestial involvement with the human genome. The great thing about prejudice is that it doesn't need to make sense. People hating mutants because their powers typically come out at puberty but don't hate the Fantastic Four or Avengers doesn't make a lot of sense. As an Asian, for example, I've seen prejudice between the American born, the foreign born and those who emigrated to the US early. In a Hebrew class we talked about the tensions within the Jewish community of those who have various levels of adherence to traditional ways. There's this weird fallacy that some minorities have that as victims of oppression, they cannot be oppressors themselves to their own seeming community. As America becomes increasingly more racially mixed, the simple black and white mentality of race (pun semi-intended) is less reflective of what the average kid will face day-to-day. Bendis, as a Jewish man with a mixed race family has a lot of personal insight into this that I hope he brings to his stories.

But, completely agree that Si Spurrier is a MUCH more entertaining interviewee. :)

[remydat]

I had a Professor in University that answered questions and lectured just like Bendis. That is to say, Bendis doesn't know anything and says to read the book. My professor's similar response was "take my other class." This wasn't much of an X-Postion other than Bendis promoting his book with the same answer: "take my other class." His only answer was "read the book!" and I felt he had zero knowledge of anything X-related outside of the Fox X-Men movie Franchise. What a waste. When someone says: "gee that's a good question" or "very good question" it immediately means that person has no answer to give or knowledge of the material and is filling time in order to cop out something. It's used a lot on Television talk shows and especially by News Broadcast pundits.

This book has no future; however, Bendis is running the show and more power to him, despite my protests and dislike of his writing style.

It has only been one issue. Do people really expect in depth answers to questions that obviously will be answered in the book?

[fod_xp]

let's dial it back, nutty-rice.

Really? Name calling? Didn't we lose some posters over inappropriate name calling. Just saying. I'd hate if you were lost, too. Especially before we get to battle it out over Hickman's New Avengers.

[remydat]

Except those examples show hoe out of touch with the X-Men comics he is. Scott and Emma were never supposed to be "the best couple." That's a misconception on Bendis' part. I have no problem with him not giving out details, but he really needs to learn how to interview better because he sounds exactly like a pundit on Fox News, trying to say something, but actually saying nothing important. Also, this "not pure mutant" vs "pure mutant" really shows Bendis has no idea about X-Men mythos.

Did Bendis say they were suppose to be the best couple? He made a joke hence the [Laughs] that came after. If two people got married for money and I know they got married for money but when someone asks a question about it, I say they were not the best couple and then I laugh, that does not mean I think they were together with the aim of being the best couple. It means I was joking.

An X-Gene activated at puberty is was makes a mutant a mutant, even so, most mutants before M-Day and Decimation had either one or two human parents. Take the Guthrie family; Ma Guthrie and Pa Guthrie are both humans, normal everyday flatscans. However, almost all of their children, which is a lot [at least 6-two not being mutants], were born X-Gene positive. How does that make you more of a mutant than say someone with an active X-Gene from the Phoenix.

And before you say "The Phoenix did blah blah blah" The X-Gene was artificially created by the God-like beings called the Celestial. Which means the X-Gene and mutants are not natural, they were genetically engineered by these beings and placed on Earth. Yes, this is canon and not made up, go research it.

I'll let Emma slide because it's obvious he understands her character about as much as Matt Fraction did, and it's hopeless to even go there.

It doesn't matter that the Celestials created the gene thousands of years ago. A mutant pre-Phoenix was a mutant because of the X-gene that has been passed down for thousands of years since the Celestials first came. From their perspective, that is natural because the tampering that caused them to develop the gene happened millenia ago. The Phoenix changing people who would otherwise have never been a mutant into one can easily be seen by others as not pure by other mutants because they basically gained their mutant status overnight.

This would be like someone saying an American shouldn't oppose illegal immigration because unless they are Native American there family were originally immigrants once and thus they are precluded from considering themselves more American than the dude who just showed up in America today and declares himself an American.

[fod_xp]

This book has no future; however, Bendis is running the show and more power to him, despite my protests and dislike of his writing style.

There was a reason I italicized and underlined that particular portion of that sentence, and I think people are letting their tempers flair before they let it sink in what that critical part is conveying.

Again, Bendis is running the show and more power to him, despite my protests and dislike of his writing style.

Going for the hyperbole on this one. What I am saying is He should get his run on X-Men and write it the way he wants. The "more power to you" is a quote from Katherine Hephburn from Desk Set when she is drunk and encouraging her drunk co-worker about picking up guys.


For context, if you are wondering what kind of context and tone I am placing behind those words. It's positive.

I may not like Bendis' writing style, or his handling of the X-Books, but he is the current X-Writer, and regardless of my opinion and critique of his work, I think it's fine and dandy that Bendis gets a run on the X-Men, and I say good luck to him and have a long prosperous tenure on the book. I'm still going to post my opinions and critiques, but at no point do I feel he should be taken off the X-Books for any thing he writes. It's his turn to write the X-Men franchise, and while I may not like it, I have no ill will towards him personally as a person. I just don't like his work; HOWEVER, he still should get a fair shot and write the X-books the way he wants to. I am merely expressing through honest, and sometimes satirical, comments my critique.

Did Bendis say they were suppose to be the best couple? He made a joke hence the [Laughs] that came after. If two people got married for money and I know they got married for money but when someone asks a question about it, I say they were not the best couple and then I laugh, that does not mean I think they were together with the aim of being the best couple. It means I was joking.



It doesn't matter that the Celestials created the gene thousands of years ago. A mutant pre-Phoenix was a mutant because of the X-gene that has been passed down for thousands of years since the Celestials first came. From their perspective, that is natural because the tampering that caused them to develop the gene happened millenia ago. The Phoenix changing people who would otherwise have never been a mutant into one can easily be seen by others as not pure by other mutants because they basically gained their mutant status overnight.

This would be like someone saying an American shouldn't oppose illegal immigration because unless they are Native American there family were originally immigrants once and thus they are precluded from considering themselves more American than the dude who just showed up in America today and declares himself an American.

Again, my only real criticism here is Bendis isn't very engaging or charismatic at these interviews. He doesn't captivate the readers and entertain the way someone like Si Spurrier or Brian Wood do in their X-Positions.

[remydat]

,
Again, my only real criticism here is Bendis isn't very engaging or charismatic at these interviews. He doesn't captivate the readers and entertain the way someone like Si Spurrier or Brian Wood do in their X-Positions.

And I didn't comment on the above criticism. I commented on things I thought were inaccurate when you were stating the above criticism.

[Lars C]

Good interview. So far I'm trusting where Bendis is going with those two X-books, he might even be the closest we will get to Chris Claremont in some strange way. I like that Bendis acknowledged Claremont and that he commented that Wolverine is on "every team" was kinda fun. Sure, he could be more charismatic, but I think he's taken a somewhat careful approach to entering the x-verse, letting his book speak for themselves more than anything else.

[fod_xp]

Did Bendis say they were suppose to be the best couple? He made a joke hence the [Laughs] that came after. If two people got married for money and I know they got married for money but when someone asks a question about it, I say they were not the best couple and then I laugh, that does not mean I think they were together with the aim of being the best couple. It means I was joking.

It wasn't very funny because it was a forced joke. Those are never funny or clever, just groan inducing. Again, it was made in obvious jest, but it wasn't funny.

It doesn't matter that the Celestials created the gene thousands of years ago. A mutant pre-Phoenix was a mutant because of the X-gene that has been passed down for thousands of years since the Celestials first came. From their perspective, that is natural because the tampering that caused them to develop the gene happened millenia ago. The Phoenix changing people who would otherwise have never been a mutant into one can easily be seen by others as not pure by other mutants because they basically gained their mutant status overnight.

What? If you have an active X-Gene, then you are a mutant, regardless of the originator. Even if it meant some Cosmic force of life, death, and rebirth created and enmeshed an active X-Gene into your DNA sequence, you are a mutant. This half-blood angle is really forced.

This would be like someone saying an American shouldn't oppose illegal immigration because unless they are Native American there family were originally immigrants once and thus they are precluded from considering themselves more American than the dude who just showed up in America today and declares himself an American.

Actually, yes. An American shouldn't oppose illegal immigration unless they are Native American. Do you realize the mass genocide, forced imprisonment, and inhumane treatment "Americans" did to the Native Americans. As a History Major, what you just posted is the blatant truth. Every single non-native American had their land seized, stolen, and taken from them, and then dumped in shit hole reservations, which are essentially internment camps for Native Americans. Hell, the US stole New Mexico, Arizona, and California in a War the US started with Mexico. This particular argument is invalid as, yes, current day Americans need to check their attitude when it comes to illegal immigration. The United States of America was bought and stolen from Native Americans without any concern for their opinion or culture. "Americans" used illegal immigrants for manual labor in constructing buildings, railroads, and such. Private industries bought illegal immigrants to do the work, had them enter into indentured servitude as workers, and not worry one iota if any of the workers died because no "Proper Anglo-Saxon American" cared about Chinese men dying while working on the Transcontinental Railroad, for example.

[Rotis09]

Cyclops and Emma as a couple have run their course. He should opt for celibacy at this stage.

CELIBACY IS NEVER THE ANSWER!!!

But seriously as much as I loved the Scott/Emma relationship, I would love to see how Scott handles being truly single for the first time in decades. Since this is such a transitional period for him I think he needs to be alone to figure out who he is sans Jean/Madelyne/Emma.

P.S. Marvel with a Cable led series and a Cyclops led series, young Jean in the modern world, Rachel being a major player now in X-Men, and Hope being with Cable, now would be an amazing time to bring back Madelyn. Like amazing. Please I beg of you, use Madelyn as a giant manipulator and f*ck with all their heads.

[Godlike13]

Remender really is the Oedipus King of funny ass slung. Well, minus the patristab.

Haha, the best part is the drool.

[DarKHard]

so in the majority of MU public eye cyke is the "hero" that brings peace and world order kind of things and he's been thrown to jail because of that,this...doesn't look good for them,aren't they supposed to be feared and hated not living like a celebrity(that's the avengers role!)lol,then what's with the purpose of uxm?the "public" already accepted them,the "dream" had been fulfill

also LMAO at the wolvie press conference,that dude just seems like he hold some kind of grudge for cyke.

and for emma and cyke,nah they're just "bent not broken"