Age of X-Man: Alpha #1

[cyberghostface]

“It’s not a dystopia, it’s actually the opposite. It’s ‘What do we do after we’ve won?’ What is the X-Men’s purpose when they’re all united and they’ve beat hate?” -- Zac Thompson

Comments

[matrix_dragon]

... doesn't look like a utopia to me.

[lordultimus]

"It's not a dystopia, it's just a place where love is forbidden and people are born in hatcheries without parents, and anyone who disagrees is erased 1984 style!"

(I mean, I guess one man's utopia is another man's dystopia, and Nate THINKS this is utopia...)

[mastermahan]

It looks like every fictional totalitarian dictatorship ever.

Not sure what the reasoning for this love ban is. It's not like Nate is aromantic - the guy used to make out with his mom's clone.

[cainofdreaming]

He might not have the best romantic experiences. I mean, the mom thing yes, but there's also the death/negativity eating Threnody. Between those two his views might be somewhat influenced.

[jlbarnett]

passionate emotions can divide people if things go wrong? Do as little as possible to ignite strong feelings?

[icon_uk]

it's just a place where love is forbidden and people are born in hatcheries without parents, and anyone who disagrees is erased 1984 style

The erasing might be "1984", but everything else you've described is "Brave New World"

[lordultimus]

I was only referring to the erasing when I said 1984. Poor phrasing, I guess.

[katefan]

The "love cops" kind've remind me of that Christian Bale "gun fu" movie Equilibrium.

It's kind've hard at this point to come up with something original, not after House of M, for example. I guess the "no love" idea was their way of putting what they thought was an original spin on things? Not saying it was a good spin by any means; love is a natural part of many people's emotional make up; we all love something or someone. Remove love, remove passion and honestly what is there to live for?

[wizardru]

Why is this 'utopia' modeled off of a 1950s gas station poster of reality? It's kind of jarring. I get that visually, it's supposed to evoke that imagery, but it feels...off. Like, in the Justice League/Doom Patrol cross-over, it worked because of the history of that imagery. Here, it feels...like it's ignoring a lot of that time periods awfulness (or maybe it's intentionally trying to trade on it, which I guess works, as its definitely evoking a 'false utopia' vibe).

[icon_uk]

I get the sense that's exactly what they're going for.

Trading on nostalgia for "simpler, happier" times and all that rot.

[kirayoshi]

I think it's supposed to feel off, like a kind of "Good Ol' Days" that never really happened in real life. Basically "Brave New World" meets "Pleasantville".

[lordultimus]

I don't think people nowadays feel nostalgic for the fifties so much as they feel nostalgic for the fictional realities presented in the fifties (in other words, they feel nostalgic for Lucille Ball as opposed to Dwight Eisenhower).

[laceblade]

Agree: as a millennial, visual invocation of the 1950s feels creepy to me, and makes me think of Stepford Wives.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I'm really surprised/disappointed that it's not Back to the Future.

[jlbarnett]

if you actually look back in the US at least the 50s had a lot going for it

[kore]

Yeah, I don't have warm and fuzzy feelings about the fifties -- the reality or the TV shows.

[silverhammerman]

It's especially weird given how the X-Men and mutants in general have so frequently been used to represent marginalized communities, the kind who really wouldn't have much reason to be nostalgic about the 50's. Marvel has spent a few years running from the mutant metaphor at this point, but I think that disconnect has to be deliberate.

[jlbarnett]

well maybe that's it. They've won so they no longer have to run from it, they can embrace it

[mizerous]

Until Marvel err the Status Quo sends them back.

[laceblade]

Right now I'm in the middle of 1989 X-Men/related content, but ending an issue by quoting LeGuin's Dispossessed is a huge hook, and I'm ready to go get this right now!

[hyperactivator]

This is all Mr. Sinister. It reeks of his brand of eugenics. He's the one who made Nate and he's the one controlling him now. Pinocchio been restrung and his master is using him to create a world where he is in complete control of everyone's genetics. Which is Mr. Sinister's dream. Not Nate's.

[valismedsen]

Wow! Nice theory!

[kore]

Did they SERIOUSLY just quote Le Guin in this piece of --