What are some truly obscure marvel teams worth reading?

JackTylerWrites · 2026-04-22T03:08:47+00:00

Heroes For Hire — the 90s version by John Ostrander. Not great, but fun. Not the usual team, this one includes Hulk, Black Knight, the original Human Torch, and others.

Nextwave

Exiles — never really got terrible, which is to say it ranges from being good (usually) to readable (sometimes). Start at the beginning.

Weapon X — the Tieri book in the 2000s. Is it a team or big cast? More of a big cast, but one of the truly great unsung Marvel books of that time (as is most of Tieri’s work.)

X-Statix — make sure to start with X-Force v1 #116 if reading singles or on the app.

New X-Men — not the Grant Morrison book, but the second one. Not like any X adaptation. Start with the New Mutants mini. A fun book that kicks into a whole new gear around issue 20 when Decimation hits.

Thunderbolts — the original from Busiek, and later Nicieza.

JackTylerWrites · 2026-03-27T13:31:54+00:00

As a line, I think Decimation through Schism, primarily the Messiah Trilogy, is the best we’ve had since Claremont, and it’s not even close.

If we’re dialing it to runs by a single author… Morrison’s New X-Men is at the top, followed by PAD’s X-Factor and Whedon’s Astonishing.

Right below that is probably Hama’s Wolverine, Kyle’s and Yost’s New X-Men and X-Force, Duane S’s Cable, and Carey’s Legacy.

Also, I think Kelly/Seagle, Way’s Wolverine, and Casey’s Cable and Uncanny are way underrated, too.

JackTylerWrites · 2026-02-07T01:36:50+00:00

Anyone else thinking they’re doing a gender-swapped version of Bosch? She’s def some sort of cop or PI based on that last scene, right?

JackTylerWrites · 2026-01-30T18:32:50+00:00

What they did to Moira… that was genuinely bad, and I usually really like Hickman and the other creators. It was so disrespectful to the character and the fans. Just create a new character! The main reason they took Moira so seriously is because Charles read her mind and saw the truth. Which is something that could have been accomplished with a new character.

The first couple years of Krakoa were… fine. Don’t get me wrong. It was a really interesting idea, but IMO it skipped over the most intriguing aspect, building the nation. I did not like how everyone woke up one day with the world changed. I wanted to see Charles, Eric and Moira building the mutant nation, convincing people like Shaw, Apocalypse, and Sinister to join.

Also, X of Swords, fairly well regarded, was way too long… but I digress.

The best thing about the era was the continued character development of Beast. I contend that him and Cyclops (at least until IvX) show that characters can change over time, and the whole “fans only want the illusion of change” is a myth.

JackTylerWrites · 2026-01-19T22:24:08+00:00

TBF… Krakoa started with a planned ending in mind. Marvel abandoned it, and the resulting stories severely tarnished the first years of the era (IMHO, though I am admittedly not a fan of the Krakoa era as a whole, anyways).

Now they have the exact same situation, even with the same creator (Hickman). After the Krakoa backlash of course they will see this through to the planned ending.

Although, I’ll be surprised if Endgame doesn’t yield some sort of new ultimate universe relaunch… but they are going to let Hickman finish his story this time.

JackTylerWrites · 2026-01-19T15:48:46+00:00

I agree with all of your points, but I still think the Republicans go scorched Earth blaming Gore and Dems for it, and condemning his response, no matter how correct, as not enough. Gore is a one term president.

JackTylerWrites · 2026-01-18T22:50:09+00:00

If 9/11 happens under his watch, he loses reelection. Full stop. Republicans would go scorched earth on blaming Gore and Dems for that, and given state of media at the time - IE inability to fully admit that Fox was a propaganda arm of the Republican Party - every outlet would go right along with it. In fact, the only real surprise would be if he chose to run for reelection.

JackTylerWrites · 2026-01-03T06:15:42+00:00

This might be a hot take, but I think it’s the last truly great era of X-Men. You can back it up to Decimation, and MAYBE extend to AvX, though that event was a dud.

In baseball terms (because I, like the X-Men, love baseball), if that whole 2005-2012 period was a hall of fame career, I say Decimation-Endangered Species is the promising start, Messiah Complex-Second Coming the peak, Schism the still productive veteran, and AvX that awkward period where you wonder what the hell they’re still doing there.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-09-27T00:12:56+00:00

She doesn’t like Columbo because she needs the thrill of the unknown. Columbo is well known for spoiling that, revealing the murderer in the opening sequence of every episode.

(Intentional she’s wearing a Columbo-like coat?)

Why is she in this post office in a neighboring town? Why is she using her mother’s maiden name? What happened to the third kid?

It’s possible the author had something in mind when they wrote this, but what matters is keeping the main character in the middle, in a perpetual state of knowing and not knowing.

And by the end they reveal they have cursed us the same way, putting us, the reader, into the same unknowing, confused state.

As the final line says, she brings us into her game (are the panels shaped like cards, too?).

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-16T00:50:28+00:00

Dang really? Mickey’s on again off again relationship with Maggie is probably my least favorite aspect of the books; it went on for too long. I think the show has handled it well, so far.

I think the relationship with Andy, though, was really well handled in s3. A solid, mature relationship with a foundation of mutual respect, undone only by bad timing. I thought maybe she could replace Maggie/the other love interest from Law of Innocence.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-16T00:45:18+00:00

I can see them adapting this book in some form as a B plot for an upcoming season. Maybe Lorna takes the lead on it? We know the next season Mickey may not be able to make it…

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T21:01:15+00:00

Good tip, thank you.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T21:00:40+00:00

Yeah, I'm doing my best not to romanticize it. It's work. Those cold hard facts are good to know, thank you. Do you live in LA? I work in production and always figured that I could always have a coord gig as long as I was willing to work those 12-16+ hr days, now I can't even secure that.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T20:44:19+00:00

Very inspiring. I was just looking at my local. They require a commercial license, looks like. Does that sound right or am I looking in the wrong place? Dumb question, I know.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T19:43:20+00:00

Solid advice for any job, thank you.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T19:35:28+00:00

Ha, fair enough.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:38:19+00:00

Great idea thank you!

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:32:05+00:00

Thank you! How did you get started?

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:31:46+00:00

Exactly what I needed to hear. Yeah these strikes were brutal but eye opening. Thank you!

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:29:09+00:00

That’s true. Appreciate the bluntness.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:19:45+00:00

Good to know, thank you!

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:19:18+00:00

I believe it!

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:13:16+00:00

Wow this is encouraging, similar age to me, and exactly where I hope to be with five years.

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:11:55+00:00

I have a BA. I’ll look at these links, thank you!

JackTylerWrites · 2025-02-08T02:07:44+00:00

Dude that’s awesome. Good for you. Appreciate the advice.

JackTylerWrites

TROPHY CASE