Quite a while ago, I wrote about the end of the Exile comic book and the beginning of the New Exiles. In short, I stated how I was a big fan of the series and was saddened that it had come to an end. I did start reading the New Exiles from the first issue and it has proved to be a total disappointment just as I had anticipated.

So why is the new series bad and what made the old series great? Let me explain…

Where to start … the beginning of the Exiles was a bit rocky. I love reading “What if” type comics especially when they feature characters that I love, or characters that I love to hate. In general, I dislike time travel and dimension travel in stories simply because it is rarely done right. So when I first saw that the Exiles starred little-know (but great) characters such as Blink and Morph from what I assumed to be the Age of Apocalypse story arc I was ecstatic! Then I saw that the series would deal with dimension travel and I was immediately torn. Still, I decided to give it a shot and I don’t regret it at all!

They took dimension travelling and handled it better than any comic before it or since! There are a two rules to dimension travelling that, when not obeyed, really make a story seem shallow and contrived or straight out not believable. Here they are for your consideration:

1. Different yet too similar: If the principal behind another dimension is that one small event in the past was somehow different, the consequences of that difference should not be the only thing that changes in said dimension. Whoa, that was a mouthful wasn’t it? Basically what it means is that the Butterfly Effect should always be taken into consideration. If, in this alternate dimension, Cyclops dies in the first confrontation with Magneto (Uncanny X-Men issue # 1) , the absence of Cyclops in that dimension is not enough of a change! His early death would bring about many changes such as Magneto’s death at the hands of a darker and meaner X-Men, lack of faith in Professor X that leads to the sudden end to the X-Men, or if nothing so drastic, at least changes concerning his future son Cable’s existence etc…

An example of this that’s seen far too often is when a group travels to a considerably different alternate universes and finds a near identical version of their very same group that is different in some ways but has the exact same roster. Granted, this can happen depending on the dimension but, as was seen in the early issues of Excalibur, some writers see it as a rule. At the time, the roster consisted of Captain Britain, Shadow Cat, Phoenix, Nightcrawler, and Meggan. Every dimension they jumped to they would see alternate versions of themselves … sometimes even as a team! At the time I thought it was cool but I was really young. Rereading the same issues a little while ago, I couldn’t help but laugh. It might have been ok in the 80’s and early 90’s but that kind of writing simply doesn’t make the cut any more.

2. The same but wrongfully different: No, this is not the same point as above, it’s quite different. When a writer makes this most basic of mistakes they should be banned from writing anything that deals with dimension jumping. What mistake is it? It’s the mistake of creating a dimension so improbable that it’s laughable. This can range from the absurd such as a dimension where everyone is born wearing a top hat, to the inconsistent such as a dimension where Ghandi and Hitler are twin brothers.

The top-hat example is ridiculous because it defies all logic. Even in an alternate dimension, a writer who comes up with such a premise is going to make you laugh, whether on purpose or inadvertently. This is different than creating a dimension where the sky is red or humans have transparent skin causing their veins to show. Something like that can be accepted and is not a stretch in the least bit and can at least be explained by pseudo-science.

The Ghandi’s kinship to Hitler example is ridiculous but for a slightly different reason. We are who we are due to both nature and nurture. Basically, genetics and our environment play the biggest role in shaping our looks and our behaviours/personalities. How can one come up with a change to a dimension that can cause these two very different people to come out of the same womb at the same time while keeping both their looks, names, and personalities intact? Such a stretch can never be accepted by anyone who is sane of mind and yet these types of mistakes are common and even found in the New Exiles…

Be warned, from this point on everything is pretty much a SPOILER of the New Exiles, if spoiling a crappy plot is at all possible.

Since the first issue of the New Exiles until the writing of this post, the New Exiles have seen 2 1/2 stories in 8 issues. The first story sees the Exiles jump to a dimension where everything is screwed up. Rogue, one of the New Exiles, meets that dimension’s Gambit except he’s not like any other Gambit you know.

He looks almost exactly like Gambit except he’s also blonde and has Namor-like ears. You later find out that this dimension’s Gambit is the son of Namor and the Invisible Woman. To add to this, the Namor in this dimension is black skinned. I would have let the last one go but that’s just putting mould-covered expired icing on a mud-cake at this point. This is a classic example of “The same but wrongfully different“.

The second story has the other half of the Exiles jumping to a dimension that is part medieval fantasy and part futuristic. You heard right, the new story has dragons, knights, kings, swords, and magic side by side with mobile phones, helicopters, and wristwatches. Oh, did I mention that the crowned prince is in love with the Dragon he had set out to slay?

This isn’t only an example of bad writing (oh is it ever an example of bad writing) but also an example of both “Different yet too similar” and “The same but wrongfully different”.

Something caused magic to be widespread and people to still talk as if it’s the 15th century, yet technology has made a handful of ludicrous leaps while soldiers are still fighting with swords and shields? Also, somehow Wolverine exists in this dimension? My head is reeling! Any attempt the writers make of explaining this dimension’s existence will only result in them making more mistakes and uncovering other inconsistencies.

If this was simply a “What if” comic, then there’s no real problem since any changes are allowed in a non-canon book. But since the Exiles books are considered canon, and any dimension referred to in these books is meant to truly exist within the Marvel Multiverse, this is simply unacceptable.

The most shocking thing is that legendary writer Chris Claremont is behind the writing! Oh how the mighty have fallen! I hate to speak ill of the person who nearly single-handedly made the X-Men what they are today, but his current writing speaks for itself. Perhaps someone should make a “Comic book hall of fame” and retire Claremont before he further tarnishes his previously great track record.