X-Men: Schism

[Steve!]

I think it's a little premature to really say what the split is, because it's really only been hinted at so far. If the issue presented was the actual rift, Wolverine (at least to me) comes off as fairly naive.

It just doesn't make sense that he'd come from that angle, especially at this point in time in the X-Men's history. Sure kids should be kids and they shouldn't be on the front lines, but this isn't exactly a normal situation. The kids in question are totally super-powered (for the most part), but in most scenarios their targets and are going to be on those front lines whether they like it or not (and whether their "guardians" like it or not). I feel like this is something that Wolverine would side with and in fact has argued for in the past (granted, I'm not a stickler for drudging up old continuity). And I get that the line might be Wolverine doesn't want kids to have to make life and death decisions that he has/had to, but I'm not really sure he's in a position to really make that choice. If you're a 16 year old kid and you've witnessed a bus full of your friends and classmates blow up, your innocence is not only lost but that might not even be a blip on your radar anymore (and that was when they were in somewhat of a safe haven). Relative normalcy gets thrown out the window at that point.

Cyclops on the other hand is on the right side of his characterization (at least to me), considering that the role the mutant children are in now is basically his life. It was something he had to cope with from about age 16 on, and thus this something that he believes in.

It just feels like they're shoehorning Wolverine into a role opposing Cyclops. What strikes me as odd, is there's a much more likely character to oppose Cyclops in Emma Frost. She's been on the opposite stance of where Cyclops is standing several times (and it's a core part of her character).

It might seem like I dislike the mini-series, but it's actually impressed me and gives me faith in Jason Aaron that I'm enjoying it as much as I am. While I don't necessarily believe in the crux of the split, he's a great job of making at least the emotion behind the tension between Cyclops and Wolverine palpable.

Another thing that bothers, and this isn't really about the mini-series, this is something they should've been building in the 15 or so issues that have come out since Second Coming, but they've sort of dropped the ball there (or didn't plan it until later in the game). Since M-Day I've thought they've done a good job in creating the events as Messiah Complex, Second Coming, and now Schism are all solid, but it's just the stuff in the middle that's lacking.

Sorry, if I repeated myself from earlier in this thread, but I'm drained and didn't feel like looking back through my past replies here.

[winnr]

(09-03-2011 02:21 AM)thechrishaley Wrote:  Is he anything like regular Nightcrawler or is he like a huge jerk or something (what a twist!)?

Nah he's good too. 616 Wolvey wants to hug him every time he speaks. I don't really think there's that much of a difference, but I haven't read enough X-Books featuring him to really tell.

But it's definitely worth catching up on Uncanny X-Force if you have the slightest interest in any of this, it's a great book.

[themonkeybar]

I don't know, Wolverine joined the X-men because he believed in Xavier's dream and he does allude to the fact that they used to be teaching the kids not just training them; they were a school not an army. I can see Wolverine thinking that the reason he does what he does is so that the next generation won't have to and therefore he'd put their protection first.

[Thomas Is Awesome]

(08-29-2011 05:47 PM)thechrishaley Wrote:  And I cannot commend the three-dimensionality of Cyclops and Wolverine's relationship enough.

This like crazy, man. He has totally sold me on their dynamic, man. I love them together like this.

[theotherjeff]

I have been consistently impressed with how Aaron is handling this. It feels like 'Civil War Done Right' in a way. I feel like the split between Wolverine and Cyclops (at least to the point we've seen it develop so far) is really organic and I haven't seen a writer nail the Scott/Logan dynamic this way since maybe Morrison's Assault on Weapon Plus.

I don't know that Wolverine is being overly naive, since I don't think his argument is 'Idie shouldn't be a superhero'. It's explicitly 'a twelve year old girl shouldn't be asked to commit murder, especially when she's already a little messed up in the head already.'

[deebeemonster]

(09-03-2011 10:07 AM)Steve! Wrote:  I think it's a little premature to really say what the split is, because it's really only been hinted at so far. If the issue presented was the actual rift, Wolverine (at least to me) comes off as fairly naive.

I disagree. Wolverine has always had a bloodthirsty edge but he fights it. It's not something that he jumps into as he feels it's more of character flaw than a benefit. One that he obviously uses from time to time, but he doesn't ever seem to enjoy it. It's just that he can't fight it and sometimes it's the only thing that will keep him alive.

Now if you read any issue where Wolverine ever has to deal with children (kids, teens, come the demon Etrigan) either following him or being around him when he has to be bloodthirsty it is always something that he has hated and fought against.

One major example is (yes I'm pulling up continuity here, but proving a point - mainly that Wolverine has always felt and acted this way or rather been written this way) back in X-Men 205. It was a stand alone solo issue featuring Wolverine (and written by Chris Claremont). Wolverine is messed up after a fight with Lady Deathstrike where he runs into Katie Power from Power Pack. She helps him by hiding him and giving him time to heal, during which he is still having to fight off and run away from Lady Deathstrike and the Reavers. He has an extremely heart felt moment with the child where he tells her to run. She wants to protect him, but he tells her that the best way to do that will have to have her do the hardest thing, and the bravest thing... to run away.

Now, this is just one example, but with Wolverine it's common for writers to pair him with kids like Kitty Pride and Jubilee. It's not naive for Wolverine to be adamant against children committing bloodshed. He's always been that way.

Scott Summers, a man who isn't a killer, suddenly thinks that children spilling blood to protect their species is ok, would never sit right with Wolverine. Wolverine knows that yes, you just saw a bus full of your friends blow up, but to seek violent revenge for that only lies the darkest of paths. And that isn't something that we've seen Wolverine fight against just with kids, he does it with himself all the time.

Hell he does it in Uncanny X-Force where the whole goal is to kill.

See that's the really interesting thing about Wolverine. He's a man who's the best at what he does, and he doesn't particular enjoy it. If he was just about bloodshed and revenge and violence he'd be a supervillain. Which is why he would never side with children murdering people.

[Rae]

Waitasec. I just googled this, and--did Land not draw any of it? I might actually be able to buy an X-book again!

[deebeemonster]

(09-06-2011 11:39 PM)rae Wrote:  Waitasec. I just googled this, and--did Land not draw any of it? I might actually be able to buy an X-book again!

No, they're having 1 fantastic artist draw 1 each issue individually.

[BIGREDROBOT]

(09-06-2011 11:47 PM)deebeemonster Wrote:  

(09-06-2011 11:39 PM)rae Wrote:  Waitasec. I just googled this, and--did Land not draw any of it? I might actually be able to buy an X-book again!

No, they're having 1 fantastic artist draw 1 each issue individually.

And also Adam Kubert.

[deebeemonster]

(09-07-2011 02:18 AM)bigredrobot Wrote:  

(09-06-2011 11:47 PM)deebeemonster Wrote:  

(09-06-2011 11:39 PM)rae Wrote:  Waitasec. I just googled this, and--did Land not draw any of it? I might actually be able to buy an X-book again!

No, they're having 1 fantastic artist draw 1 each issue individually.

And also Adam Kubert.

Whatever, he did a fantastic job in Wolverine/Spider-man.
Better him then Andy!