If any one writer has been steering the course of the X-Men franchise in the last few years, it's Brian Michael Bendis. Bendis built from the fallout of stories like Schism and Avengers vs. X-Men, exploring a world where new mutants are once again emerging and where the two X-Men schools are more divided than ever. He introduced significant new wrinkles by bringing the original five X-Men forward in time and then breaking the Marvel timestream beyond any hope of repair.

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Bendis' saga is coming to an end this May when he caps off both his All-New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men storylines in the pages of Uncanny X-Men #600. Most of Marvel's current X-Men books will end alongside that big finale. And while we know Marvel has several X-Men-themed Secret Wars tie-ins planned (including Old Man Logan, Inferno, and X-Tinction Agenda), the ongoing future of the X-Men franchise is very unclear at the moment.

5 Marvel Comics Bendis Should Write Next

Brian Azzarello

Jonathan Hickman

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Craig Kyle & Chris Yost

Gail Simone

Mark Waid

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Gerard Way

G. Willow Wilson & The Lumberjanes Writers

It's time for a new writer to come on board and take charge of the X-Men. We've picked out seven writers (and co-writing duos) who wouldn't just do well on an X-Men comic, but have the potential to guide and shape the franchise in the same way writers like Bendis, Jason Aaron and Matt Fraction have over the past decade.Read through our picks and let us know which writers you'd like to see tackle the X-Men in the comments below. Brian Azzarello used to be known mainly for writing gritty, sprawling crime dramas, most notably the long-running Vertigo comic 100 Bullets. Even when dabbling with iconic superheroes, the results are usually pretty grim, violent, and full of mature elements (Joker, Luthor, and his Before Watchmen books).That being said, we've been seeing other sides of Azzarello in recent years. His work on books like Spaceman and Loveless shows he can dabble in other genres. Meanwhile, his First Wave mini-series and his character-redefining work on Wonder Woman show that Azzarello doesn't always have to go dark when he tackles superheroes. Plus, his collaborative efforts on DC's weekly series The New 52: Futures End give Azzarello valuable experience when it comes to working in a high-pressure editorial environment with a lot of moving pieces. Always a plus when it comes to the X-Men.All of these qualities could make Azzarello the ideal writer to take over the franchise. Applying his crime sensibilities to the X-Men could re-imagine them into more of an organized family constantly warring with other factions of super-beings and trying to give SHIELD the slip. Fits the mutant MO pretty well, no?Like he did with Wonder Woman, Azzarello could deliver a run that pays respect to the defining elements of the characters but isn't afraid to push forward and make big changes. Ideally, that would in turn inspire the other writers helming the various X-books to focus more on creativity and diversifying the line. Of all the writers working at Marvel right now, Jonathan Hickman is the most sensible pick to take over the X-Men franchise. He already delivered a hugely influential run on Fantastic Four, and Secret Wars will be the culmination of his massive, intricate Avengers saga. Maybe the X-Men should be the next major stop on his tour of the Marvel Universe.A Hickman-driven X-Men franchise certainly wouldn't lack for ambition. Hickman is known for writing extensive notes, plotting out charts and weaving complex storylines that can take years to fully pay off. His comics always go big. And as we've seen from his Avengers run, Hickman isn't averse to collaborating with other writers to help flesh out his stories.Nick Spencer and Frank Barbiere have both been successful in adopting Hickman's style and fleshing out his characters on Avengers World. That close-knit collaboration could lead to a very cohesive X-Men franchise. It could even form the basis for a weekly X-Men comic that replaces some of the individual titles we have now.Hickman has dabbled with various pieces of the X-Men universe in the past, whether it was revamping Xorn in Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates or making Beast a key part of his New Avengers series. His take on these characters always stands out, and we'd be excited to see what he could do with the larger X-Men cast if given the opportunity. Hickman's X-books would take on a grander, more sci-fi-influenced tone, and that would be a terrific change of pace. Craig Kyle and Chris Yost are hardly strangers to the X-Men franchise at this point. This duo wrote New X-Men: Academy X, a series that is widely regarded as the best teen-focused X-Men series since Generation X. They brought X-23 into the comics and developed her into a tragic, compelling character. They changed the notion of what an X-Force comic could be when they revamped the team after Messiah Complex.At this point, it seems only fair to give this duo the keys to the kingdom. Kyle and Yost understand the X-Men. They're great at exploring the tension between humans and mutants and the challenges the younger, less experienced X-Men face in finding their place in the world. They know how to balance big action and hero/villain showdowns with character drama. And they're well-known for delivering great plot twists (sometimes at the expense of numerous mutants' lives).The only problem with this pairing is ensuring that Kyle and Yost have the time commit to steering the whole franchise. Both writers are heavily involved with Marvel's multimedia projects (including writing the script for Thor: Ragnarok). Even their latest collaboration on Amazing X-Men pretty rapidly transitioned into a Yost-only comic. But assuming both writers can find time in their busy schedules, this may be the time for them to tackle their biggest X-Men assignment yet. Gail Simone is more well-known for her DC and creator-owned work than her Marvel projects. But with the writer ending her exclusivity agreement with DC recently, the doors are open for her to explore the Marvel Universe in a bigger way.There are several traits that define Simone's superhero work. Her writing style is humorous and a little bit subversive.She's great at taking iconic female characters and presenting them as funny, flawed, but still heroic figures. Considering that the X-Men franchise is one of the few in comics that actually has a respectable number of female characters, she'd be right at home. But that's not to say she doesn't write strong male characters as well.Looking at projects like Secret Six, Simone works best when she's dealing with misfits and oddballs who find a weird sort of family together. That pretty much sums up the X-Men right there.Simone would be great at exploring the dysfunctional family angle to the X-Men and the struggles these characters face in connecting with each other and the wider world they're trying to defend.Simone already delivered a short but enjoyable run on Deadpool. The time has come to let her explore the rest of the X-Men in all their quirky glory. As long as Mark Waid has been a major name in superhero comics, it's almost surprising that he hasn't been tapped to write a lengthy X-Men run by now. Waid has tackled a number of major Marvel franchises over the years, (Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Hulk), in addition to his extensive DC work and his various creator-owned titles.These days, Waid is in the process of wrapping up a tremendous run on Daredevil, one which has seen the Man Without Fear embrace his swashbuckling roots while still battling the darkness that plagues his life at every turn. Sure, Waid will still have S.H.I.E.L.D., once Daredevil wraps, but that leaves some room on his plate for another Marvel property.Looking back at his extensive resume, it's hard to find a bad Mark Waid comic. They all ooze with passion and energy. Waid clearly knows his stuff. He's a walking encyclopedia of comic book continuity and trivia. But he never lets his work get bogged down by continuity.His Daredevil run is proof enough that he's able to build on a character's history while still making the book accessible and engaging for newcomers. Or look at his Legion of Super Heroes series, where Waid successfully juggled one of the largest superhero casts in comics. As continuity and character-heavy as the X-books can be, this is definitely a point in Waid's favor.As with Kyle and Yost, there is the issue of whether Waid has the free time to commit to steering a whole franchise. Waid also oversees the digital comics publisher Thrillbent. There's also the fact that most of his recent Marvel work has tended to be of the standalone variety, shying away from most of Marvel's larger crossovers and events.But Waid also has plenty of experience working on continuity-focused projects like 52. If the desire is there, he could be just the writer to revamp the X-Men and make them fun and accessible again. Gerard Way made his reputation as the lead signer for My Chemical Romance, but as comic fans eventually discovered, Way can also write a pretty mean superhero comic. Both of his Umbrella Academy mini-series were great reads in the vein of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. And given the similarities between the Doom Patrol and the X-Men, it's not a stretch to imagine Way writing a great X-Men comic, too.The similarities to Morrison's work aren't intentional. Way has cited Morrison as a major influence on his writing. He's a writer who knows how to write dysfunctional heroes and sci-fi weirdness. Both of those qualities fit the X-Men franchise like a glove.We're not looking for Way to come in and simply regurgitate what Morrison did with New X-Men in the early 2000's. We are, however, keen to see the X-Men books become less superhero-oriented for a change and strive for something different. Maybe the best way to do that is to look outside the usual pool of creators and to someone like Way, who has comic book know-how but a different perspective on storytelling.It goes without saying that having Gerard Way become the primary X-Men writer would be a huge coup for Marvel and a great selling point for fans who might not otherwise dabble with the X-Men. Way's various other projects (both in music and comics) might prevent him from taking on such a large role.On the other hand, the members of My Chemical Romance going their separate ways gives him a certain degree of freedom he might not have had a few years ago. For our final pick, we're not focusing on one writer, but a group of them. We think a tag-team effort from Ms. Marvel writer G. Willow Wilson and the co-writers of Lumberjanes (including Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, and Noelle Stevenson) could really do wonders for the X-Men franchise.There are several key elements linking Ms. Marvel and Lumberjanes. Both projects have done amazingly well since their debut last year. Ms. Marvel has outsold all expectations (while supposedly doing even better digitally), while Lumberjanes quickly evolved from a mini-series to an ongoing when Boom! Studios realized the hit they had on their hands. Both comics revolve around teen female characters but appeal to a wide range of readers. Both feature protagonists dealing with both mundane challenges and larger-than-life enemies. Both feature a fresh, exciting tone without trying too hard to be hip. All of those qualities could benefit the X-Men books. A franchise that focuses so heavily on characters who are different and fight a losing battle for equality should have a broad appeal.

Why Ms. Marvel Is the New Spider-Man

Of this group, Wilson is the only writer with direct experience writing the X-Men (though Stevenson is also enjoying a growing presence at Marvel this year). Perhaps no one writer is positioned to take over the X-Men franchise right now. But together? That's another story.We'd love to see what this less traditional group of creators could do with the X-Men. Having more female creators involved with the franchise would be nice, but it's about more than that. Wilson, Ellis, Watters, and Stevenson know how to craft compelling, humorous, relatable characters dealing with problems both big and small. They're able to strike a chord with a lot of readers who don't necessarily find much appealing in mainstream comics. With four of them taking the reins of the franchise, they could easily produce a weekly X-Men series. Why not turn the X-Men franchise over to this quartet and see what they can accomplish?

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter , or Kicksplode on MyIGN