X-Men 2021 project continues!

Previously: House of X/Powers of X ⭐⭐⭐

Hickman continues to do the same thing here in this first volume of the X-Men flagship title as he did in House of X/Powers of X. He's a fantastic ideas man, but his writing when it comes to the personalities, emotion, and intricacies of the actual relationships between all these characters just isn't up to par. He writes the X-Men as though he's writing this title in a vaccuum, as though there isn't half a century of history of these characters and this world.

Yes, he does include some big beats that call back to previous stories - Magneto will NEVER forget Genosha, at least he keeps that part of the character alive - but only in service is the larger story. He does nothing to show any sort of character work or relationships between these characters.

I do have to say that some of this, especially the dinner with the heads of state issue, is pure delightful wish fulfillment for long time X-Men fans. Mutants have been pushed to the brink time and time again and finally they are taking NO SHIT anymore, and are putting the world on watch.

This doesn't really work as a whole volume for me, either; it felt like 6 single issues put together with none of the storylines running through to the next issues. What was going on with the old horticulture ladies? Great dinner with the heads of state issue, now what? What's going on with X-23 and the gang that went into that vault, and why do they have to?

I hope all these questions and storylines come together in some cohesive way in this series, because right now it feels like Hickman has a ton of ideas he wants to work out, but isn't necessarily putting them together in a way that makes sense.

I'm also hoping the other titles that AREN'T written by Hickman delve more into the actual characters and personalities and relationships and emotions of the mutants on Krakoa, because lord knows Hickman doesn't seem to care about that.