So, it's been announced that Chris Claremont is to return to the X-books and write an alt-universe X-book that will pick up from where he left off in 1991 with X-men # 3. Cute.

And I'm looking at forums, the same places I usually despair at morons not giving anything new a chance and all I'm seeing are people who think this is a good idea. Are you all insane?

So many reasons why this is a bad idea. Let's go through a few really obvious ones first of all.

1) There was a REALLY good reason why Chris was kicked off the X-books in the first place.

2) The x-books were not in particularly good shape in 1991.

3) We've done the alternate universe schtick in the x-books already and much better- Age of Apocalypse and the much under-rated Factor X.

4) Claremont has already returned to the X-books at least twice and both times he was at best mediocre.

5) At best it will be a confusing albeit slightly charming and amusing gimmick- at worst it will be a confusing and crap series that will lose more readers than it brings on board.

6) George Lucas. That's right. Yeah, see, now you're seeing my point(s).

Chris Claremont wrote some tremendous stuff back in the 1970's and 1980's. And then he wrote some really awful stuff. I mean really horrible. Dreadful. Also, Chris is a bit of an arrogant jackass who doesn't like other writers messing with 'his' characters and who reacts badly to change.

Another huge reason is that Chris simply can't hack it anymore in the current marketplace. Compared to the new level of talent in the industry such as Robert Kirkman, Warren Ellis, Matt Fraction, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, just to mention a handful, Claremont is just apallingly out of touch and not interested in varying his tired old windy dialogue routine.

Nice idea, Joe but I wouldn't bet your kid's scholarship fund on the longevity. I give it about 12 issues, possibly as far as 25 issues but don't see it going any further than that.