Here we are at the end of our third Pitch Week and we have been witness to some amazing pitches. We just want to thank all our pitchers for spending so much time on these adventures, and you the readers for following along with us.
However, the time has come for results. We’ll start off with the Reader Vote. Now this was quite the battle with three major contenders for first place, but eventually one had to take the lead. Here are the votes:
1st place: Mutant Empire with 146 votes.
2nd place: Hellions: End Game with 123 votes.
3rd place: Sisterhood X with 67 votes.
4th place: Unrepentant with 40 votes.
5th place: X-Calibre with 25 votes.
6th place: Grave Of Oblivion with 13 votes.
7th place: Secret Genesis with 9 votes.
Now to the judges. Unfortunately our long-time job wasn’t able to get his review to us but luckily we asked two extra judges to take part; Justin Klinger and Christina Hamlet. We’ll start with Christina.
CHRISTINA HAMLET
This was really tough. All of the pitches were very different from one another and had very different feels. As a whole, I liked all of them. Each story is something that personally I would be happy to read. So for trying to “judge” I looked at it from the point of view of a pitch – How clear was the story, how well-motivated was the lineup choice (remembering there was a wild card) and if the book would draw in readers not familiar with some of the lesser-known characters. But all of these are winners, well done everyone!
Grave of Oblivion
This book jumps right into the dark. The story focuses less on canonical villains and more on corrupt heroes. The prelude sets up a sinister feel. The power sets chosen seem good for the theme. Tales of corruption and inner struggles are often interesting. As a story it could play well. The pitch seems to focus on the shadowy and the darkness, but not much on what it’s actually about. After reading it I know there are a lot of evil things being done by people, but not why these particular people were chosen, what the villain actually wants, or what the point of the pitch is. I do like the idea of Locus actually dealing with the psychological consequences of coming back from the dead, something that is all too often swept under. So, nice use of the wildcard there. I like the art that accompanies it, but I’m not sure how the designs and the story mesh together. Overall there are a lot of nice elements, but I’m not sure how it fits together as a full-on pitch.
Sisterhood X
This one builds on the current state of the Marvel Universe to establish its pitch. The motivation is solidly established. There are a lot of recognizable characters here, and Emma’s motivation/plan is completely workable with her past history. The visual elements are well-designed, individualized, but still similar enough to give a cohesive theme. There are a lot of characters, many of whom were members of previous Sisterhoods. The use of many of the major X-women as guest-enemies serves as a draw for potential readers, but also adds to the already sizable number of characters in the pitch. The first arc sets up a motivation and a target, but not necessarily a direction for the group or the book as a whole. Everything looks really good, but there is a lot going on. Firestar’s incorporation as a wildcard was well-executed, and her interaction with Emma is something I would definitely want to see.
X-calibre: The Damocles Foundation
I can tell that Loz and I have similar tastes, this book really appeals to me as an idea. Anyone that read the Marvel UK stories will recognize a lot of the elements of this pitch, bringing back a lot of fantastic characters that have been lost over the years, and rounding them out with a fan favorite in Selene. This pitch has an old-school theme that feels like classic villainy — a book that focuses on the selfish ends of the respective protagonists (antagonists?) It’s a pretty well fleshed-out pitch, but as the narrative continues it reads less like a villain book and more like a back-door Captain Britain revival. Which, hey, I’m okay with. Malice as a wildcard was incorporated very well, making her a central character. The issue by issue break downs show a clear direction for the first arc. On a personal level, I’d love to read this. As a pitch, while the story and character designs are solid, I wonder if there is enough to sell it to an unfamiliar audience.
Mutant Empire
The designs are impeccable and the characters are well thought out. The story as laid out has lots of elements of a solid book. I especially like featuring the impact of Genosha for several of the characters and the resurrection, retooling of many of the Hellions. I think the major drawback of this book as a pitch is that Emma Frost is the only classic or major character that is featured among a rather enormous cast. So I wonder at the ability of the book to draw in enough readers and also to manage the number of players. This would almost work better as a multi-book pitch with at least one “hook” character per book. I like the tag line. And yes, Empath’s beard is very important.
Unrepentant
Okay, you kill Longshot off the bat, so points there. And I like the back door restoration of Betsy to her original body, someone’s been reading my diary. This pitch relies heavily on foundational characters, a highly-recognizable cast will draw readers, but this one runs the risk of sticking to the usual suspects. The use of Deadpool was a bit random, and I wondered at his addition. The wildcard Zero fit in well in terms of motivation, but he wasn’t used to any great extent as a major character, more as a warm body. The use of the adversary as a surprise hook was pretty good. Of all of them, this seems like the most classic feel of a book. And I think probably one of the ones that’s most likely to be successful as a pitch due to the mix of recognizable and new characters.
X-men: Secret Genesis
This is a brilliant idea. This pitch pushes high-profile villains without needing to corrupt heroes to embed itself in the X-universe. It highlights Mystique and Sabertooth, a solid draw with the villains. It brings Destiny (the wild card) back in a way and offers a way to flesh her out. It’s like an X-men origin story showing the dark side of how the team came to be. And I like the idea of Sinister having his hooks in Xavier’s history much like he did many other families. This book gives a lot of potential for covering back histories, exploring Mystique and Destiny’s relationship as well as Mystique’s ties to Sabretooth and Xavier. Marko and Xavier are two characters that had a profound impact on Charles Xavier, but have not been really characterized as people themselves, so that’s another rich field of potential. This pitch isn’t as sexy or dramatic as some of the others, but it incorporates the wild card very well into the central story, gives a good mix of villains to explore the nature of “villainy” and has lots of potential for seeing the good and bad in humanity through well-known and lesser known flawed characters.
Hellions: End Game
This reads as much like a story as a pitch. It has good motivation and a well thought out arc. The use of Selene was integrated well into the resurrection. The wildcard Astra was there, but not used to any great extent. Old fans of the new mutants would be drawn in, and I think the story itself would keep people engaged, but there are no regular “stars” to the book, so it might be a hard sell to new readers in that respect. I also like some of the designs and the art is beautiful, but I’ve never been a big fan of stock uniforms on a team of independently-minded characters. And those colors are not flattering in print.
I think the resurrections and the enhanced abilities are fantastic, and it makes good use of the Hellions, many of whom had serious potential, but were ignored while they were alive. These revamped versions have great potential and build-up.
Summary:
Choosing a winner is hard. Even choosing a favorite is hard. Hellions: End Game and Grave Oblivion read like horror novels I’d like to read. X-Calibre appeals to my personal tastes. I like the idea of an all-female line up of the Sisterhood, which features several personal favorites. Mutant Empire has the making for an excellent multi-series run. And Secret Genesis and Unrepentant explore areas and bring back characters that I’d love to see again. Judging purely from a standpoint of series potential and likelihood of a successful comic book pitch I would have to go with X-men: Secret Genesis. But I would love to see any of these books in print. Really well done, everyone!
JUSTIN KLINGER
Here’s my judging feedback for Pitch Week. Thanks for allowing me to be part of this, it was really fun, and I was legitimately impressed by all the entries. Here goes:
1. Grave of Oblivion
What worked – Really bold choice using Kitty, a character that is a hero through and through, as a villain. Other pitches used either established villains, or at least morally grey characters, but this had something interesting to say about corruption, and how no one is immune. This pitch had a different feel than the others – it almost came off as horror, instead of basic superhero comics. I love books that don’t just fit in the expected “box” or genre. Finally, I felt the use of the wild card, Locus, was well done. She certainly isn’t the first example of a resurrection in x-history, but her motivation of revenge feels very honest and believable.
What didn’t – As much as I loved the dark, twisted feel of this series, it’s hard to see how this would fit in the regular x-universe. It felt more like an Exiles/What If/alternate universe story. While I love those types of stories, by their nature, they don’t seem as integral to the 616 world I know and love. Additionally, I’m not in love with the idea of having so many characters with the same powerset of teleportation. Part of what makes X-Men exciting for me is the variety of powers.
2. Sisterhood X
What worked – The idea of a sisterhood has been tried a couple times in the x-books, without truly living up to its promise. This concept feels more exciting, with more potential lasting impact on the X-Men. Using Emma (whose design is ON POINT) as the main character is an excellent idea. She is a complex enough character that even if she is acting in villainous ways, you can still understand her point of view and relate to her. Her whole, “well if they think I’m bad anyway, I might as well use it to my advantage” is SUCH an Emma way to handle things.The team that she has selected are interesting and powerful on their own, make sense from a story perspective (with one exception, see below), and promise a lot of exciting drama and character dynamics. The use of Firestar/Scornfyre, and her relationship to Emma, is truly inspired. I also approve of the use of Lady Mastermind in literally any story.
What didn’t – I may be biased, in that I think the character of Maddie Pryor has been done SO dirty by Marvel, and she deserves a redemption story line, but I find it hard to justify her inclusion here. While she is powerful, she seems too much like a ticking time bomb. I feel like, especially considering the unpredictability of people like Spiral, and Emma already taxing her mutant abilities and concentration keeping some of the others in line, including Madelyne is asking for trouble, and Emma wouldn’t be THAT incautious.
3. The Damocles Foundation
What worked – There are a bunch of characters from Marvel UK and Excalibur/Excalibre from the 90s that are so fascinating, but never really got a chance to shine. Love seeing that I’m not the only one to consider this a massive wasted opportunity. The creator did his homework as well- deep cuts like Saturnyne taking that DNA sample? Awesome. Feron ending up as the Big Bad was something I did not see coming, but worked really well (THAT is how you use a wild card pick like Malice). The idea of seeing that playing out in a comic really excited me.
What didn’t – I do think it’s a lot to ask of even longtime, dedicated x-fans to accept and follow a title led by an obscure (but awesome!) character like Emma Steed. There are definitely examples of teams filled with D-listers that worked (basically any Peter David X-Factor incarnation), but at least those characters had small but loyal followings- the characters here are all virtual unknowns. It’s a really hard sell to get the reader to care about them, especially when they’re all unrepentantly evil. Also, the objectives of the team feels very busy. They want British domination! But also to control reality! And beat their enemies! And also bloodstones. I think just focusing on the Bloodstones as the main “hook”, everything else would fall into place. Finally, Selene’s motivations feel murky for me. While I can see her desire for power and another source of sustenance, I think she likes feeding and killing. It isn’t just for survival, she’s a predator.
4. Mutant Empire
What worked – More than any other, this feels the most epic in scope. It calls back to ideas like X-Corp and the Avengers Initiative, both of which I loved at the time, and wished they were explored even further. Additionally, these are hands down the best character designs across the board. Every single character is just a pleasure to look at. The cast in general is very exciting- the x-universe is sprawling, and it is refreshing to see the focus on someone other than the typical top 20 or so mutants. The ones selected don’t feel random, but well thought out- characters that were either forgotten or disenfranchised by the X-Men and their dream. It’s an interesting concept to explore- as nice as the X-Men’s dream is in theory, they have a looooooong history of only looking out for themselves and not the greater mutant population. This has the potential to set up the X-Men as the villains. It’s a bold idea, and frankly one worth considering.
What didn’t – In general, while I loved how thought out this was (even down to upcoming story arcs), it almost felt like a rough draft. There were some scenes that didn’t quite make sense- the Madrid summit was particularly confusing. Also, using Scaleface to nudge Nimbia to explode the helicarrier just to send a message felt like a pretty convoluted plan. For Emma etc to put together such a complex and efficient fighting unit, this plan seemed like a recipe for disaster. The character of Cortex feels underdeveloped. Also, once he is killed, the book doesn’t really have a villain/antagonist. That could be a problem. Other nitpicky things – Emma being shrouded in mystery feels unnecessary – I think the reader would figure out she’s the puppet master wayyyy before she’s revealed as such. Also, based on their history, not sure Emma would put Empath in a position of power, and also not sure how loyal her resurrected Hellions would be to her. Also, not sure why the teams are separated into color coded units when strike forces seem to blend people from each unit.
5. Unrepentant
What worked – The lineups of each team were really fun. I especially love the twisted Outback reunion of Havok, Dazzler, and armored Betsy- Alex and Ali had a super fun flirtation/rivalry during that era, and the “romance” here between their evil selves is a fun callback. Also, finding a Psylocke clone in Sinister’s labs is made me think duh, why hasn’t that actually happened in the comics? Smart. Also, liked how Revanche is revealed to be the Adversary- good plot twist using a very formidable villain to force the teams to work together.
What didn’t – While this was a fun idea, I kept on thinking to myself, I wish I knew what the cataclysmic event that took out the other X-Men was! It kinda felt like you buried the true story here. Also not sure of the overall purpose of Malice’s tam- just to create general chaos? To track down the remaining, scattered X-Men? Why? Also, not a huge deal, but Excalibur has always been the British team- why are they operating on American soil so much, except for the sake of the plot? I feel like this team and Freedom Force could be merged and streamlined for a tighter story.
6. Secret Genesis
What worked – This was an ingenious way to use villains as the main characters, by doing a prequel and meeting them before they truly became villains. Mystique (while sometimes overused) is an endlessly fascinating character, and seeing her in this time period environment showcases yet another side of her. The thought that went into the character designs (like Victor’s visor, the evolution of Destiny’s hair was remarkable- I appreciate that even the costuming is used to tell a story instead of simply looking cool. This pitch made me realize that I’m surprised this era of X-history has never really been explored. It’s been hinted at, but deserves more attention.
What didn’t – Perhaps the reason that this era has never been explored is that retcons are so ripe for disaster unless done perfectly, especially when we’re talking about essentially writing the prologue to X-Men. Many of these characters (Raven, Victor, Sinister) have been around, and interacting with each other for years, and none of this has ever come up in a conversation or thought bubble? Deadly Genesis (which by and large I actually enjoyed) suffered from this as well- it tweaked with storylines, characters and history that is known SO well by fans, critics were able to pick up on every little thing that didn’t mesh with established continuity. A retcon or flashback event needs to be as seamlessly streamlined into what we already know in order to work.
7. Hellions
What worked – Before I forget, having the recommended reading list was a really nice touch. As someone who loves holding grudges and seeing people getting what’s coming to them, I am a huge fan of revenge stories. And honestly, the Hellions deserve one. Seeing Tarot take such a strong, ruthless, leadership role was jarring at first, but made sense in the context of the story. The use of Mothervine (a concept I rather like, in general, though I was kinda just over X-Men Blue by the time it was introduced) is really well done here- everyone’s extra powers are very well thought out. Also love the updated Hellions uniforms. Catseye is a particular favorite. The big fight at the end is really well choreographed- I could easily envision how it would unfold on the page, and I was DEFINITELY left wanting more with the Emma/Angelica showdown cliffhanger.
What didn’t – The Games master’s pawns. They felt suuuper random. I’m all for deep cuts when using characters, as long as there’s a logical reasoning for their inclusion. This just… wasn’t. Also, not sure that Firestar’s power issues justify her teaming up with the murderous Hellions. Angelica’s pretty much always been a stalwart hero even when facing adversity (hell her powers were giving her cancer at one point). Even with the X-Men gone (again, I kinda want to hear THIS story, too) wouldn’t she reach out to her friends/allies in the New Warriors or Avengers for assistance?
As far as my vote – This is… significantly harder than I thought it would be. Frankly, I would read every one of these if they existed. My criteria for my ultimate choice was:
The pitch presented a new and interesting concept that I haven’t quite seen explored in the x-books.
The pitch felt like it could fit in with the current x-landscape and have real, high stakes consequences, and
The book felt fully realized and fleshed out.
I finally narrowed it down to Sisterhood X and Mutant Empire. Both fulfilled the second criteria very well- I think they would both fit in the current and future x-line and make lasting impact. Sisterhood X felt much more polished, fitting the third criteria. This book could be published virtually as is today, and frankly, I am surprised Marvel doesn’t actually have something almost exactly like this cooking (maybe X-Men Black is just that, with Magneto and a brotherhood instead of Emma’s Sisterhood).
Conversely, Mutant Empire still felt like it needed to go through several rounds of editing before it was fully baked. That being said, I think the potential for Mutant Empire is MASSIVE, and the scope is epic- it feels like it could be a major event, instead of just an exciting storyline.
I also think, more than any other, exploring the idea of the X-Men as negligent, and the failures of Xavier’s dream (especially in light of the wreckage caused by Schism, AvX, IvX, etc) is important, hasn’t quite been done before from this angle, and is worth telling. My final vote: Mutant Empire
So there you have it. Congrats to all the pitchers. It was a lot of fun.
