Though the Hickman era of the X-Men has seen far more hits than misses, not every title seemed like a slam dunk from the jump. I’ve mentioned my reluctance to pick up Leah Williams’ X-Factor book (the error of that decision still haunts me), but I had similar thoughts about Zeb Wells’ Hellions series as well. It’s no fault of the creative team, mind you, as though I have a checkered history with the works of Zeb Wells, he has produced some bangers as well (with his New Mutants and Avenging Spider-Man books being standouts). It was more about the series’ hook (a sort of mutant Suicide Squad) and cast (the previous Kwannon book was bad, and each of the villains are D-list at best). While the concept failed to resonate with me, the book itself far exceeded any misconceptions I may have had about its potential.
Hellions: Lovable Losers
For the uninitiated, Hellions follows a team of reformed villains led by Havoc and Kwannon, running off-the-books missions for Mr. Sinister. Yet while this is like Krakoa’s 4th or 5th separate black ops team, what makes this book stand out is the general anxiety and social ennui of its central cast. Barring Havoc, these are castoff characters who have never been particularly valued, and they know it. It creates a relatable element to the characters that is equal parts comic and tragic, as these are characters who feel like they aren’t good enough — and that sentiment is often proven correct in the missions they go on.
Volume 3 begins after the team’s latest fiasco, wherein the Hellions liberated a young AI from a faux Cameron Hodge and the Right. They return to find Sinister mixed up in some Arakko business, revealing his long con that has snared Kwanon into a reluctant role as his lieutenant. Of course, it all blows up in their faces spectacularly, leads the team to make complete asses of themselves at the Hellfire Gala, and then culminates in a solo mission for Orphanmaker that ends up creating the most gut-wrenching and soulful moment I’ve seen in superhero comics in some time.
Strength of Character
While most of that sounds pretty bog-standard as far as Hickman-Era X-Men stuff goes, it is delivered with Wells’ eye for dialogue and a cast of lovable losers that endear themselves to the readers with every page. It’s bizarre to say this about a character who once had a horribly racist codename, but John Greycrow proves to be one of the more relatable entry point characters in modern comics. Like so many of us, he struggles with confidence issues, pines for a woman who doesn’t appear to reciprocate those feelings, and yet still tries to hype up his friends when they are down. Shoot, Greycrow is a guy who punched the military leader of his homeland right in the face to protect a teammate that he knows is facing a serious sentence. Yes, he’s still riddled with enough character flaws to not be too relatable (he is a cold-blooded killer after all), but this story has provided meaning and pathos to a character whose main role in the 35 years of his published existence has been “expendable henchman.” Seeing his third dimension makes us root for Greycrow, even though he’s an outright villain.
I can’t say, however, I’m particularly fond of the role that Havoc has fallen into in this series. Yes, he’s been psychologically manipulated in the past (joining the Genoshan apartheid state, following Madeleine Prior into goblin royalty, etc.) but recent years have revealed a far more resolute and in-control version of Alex, and frankly I prefer that. On the same end, Sinister’s reimagining as a foppish dandy who also is an inhuman monster (which I trace back to the post-Schism X-Men run by Kieron Gillen) is fun and good for some laughs, but I do miss the more mysterious and evil version of Essex, rather than the mischievous trickster he is now. I do really enjoy his dialogue, but I just found him more imposing in, say, the Inferno days.
Kwanon, Wildchild and Empath are not bad characters, per se, but they tend to recede into the background a bit. Which brings us to Nanny and Orphanmaker, the emotional crux of this book. Without going too far into things, the ending of this trade is moving in its sadness and sweetness, while still being horrifying — something that Nanny’s creators were certainly aiming for with the character. It’s a real “Of Mice and Men” feeling, though there is some comfort to be found in it. Again, I don’t want to spoil the emotional journey for anyone picking up the book for the first time, but I was left feeling conflicted about what I had read and loved it for that.
Something to Look At
The trade contains issues by three separate artists, yet remains a consistently good looking book. I personally prefer the pencils of Stephen Segovia, though Roge Antonio and Ze Carlos turn in fine work as well. As for the colors from Rain Beredo, they can be a mixed bag. The book looks its best when it’s bathed in vibrant reds and purples, but there are a number of sequences (some by design, and others I’m not so sure) that are just too brown to stand out. Likewise, the decision to color the childlike AI that Nanny liberates from the Right a spearmint green is just not ideal. It’s not a dealbreaker or anything, but it looks alien on every page.
Overall, Hellions by Zeb Wells Vol. 3 is good enough that I went out and bought the other two trades for the book so I could have the full scope in my collection, The maturation of characters like Greycrow and Orphanmaker will always be a highlight for me, but the denouement of the series is the real sticking point. Honestly, I’d love for Greycrow to get more shine out of this series. I’m not saying he needs to be on a mainstream X-book, but he could easily be a fun addition to, say, New Mutants, or whatever book they’re sticking Nightcrawler in.
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