Friday, October 6, 2017

NYCC 2017: Marvel Legacy X-Men Panel

NYCC: Hot on the heels of news of new Rogue & Gambit and Legion titles, Marvel's X-Men creators come to New York Comic Con for a Friday afternoon panel. Editor-In-Chief (and former X-Men line editor) Axel Alonso is scheduled to be joined by writers Matthew Rosenberg, Ed Brison, and Charles Soule to talk all things X.

Astonishing X-Men: Charles Soule said he wanted Astonishing X-Men to be a story that feels like it is grounded in the real world - even though parts of it take place in the Astral Plane. He remarked that not everyone might make it back from the Astral Plane.

According to Soule, the whole point of the book is to bring Charles Xavier back as a living character in the Marvel universe. Don’t expect him to just stay as an astral figure as we have seen in recent issues.

The reason he comes back is different than anything we have seen before. It is meant to happens first in Astonishing X-Men #6 and #7.

In January, Astonishing X-Men #7 will start a story called "A Man Called X." The story is very much about Charles Xavier, and presenting him in a different way.

Axel Alonso also confirmed that Professor X will definitively return - probably in Astonishing X-Men.


Phoenix Resurrection/Jean Grey: Matthew Rosenberg said that Jean Grey is the heart of the X-Men. "Whenever Jean is there, there's hope." He explained that the story is about Jean's relationship with the Phoenix Force.

Rosenberg said that the Phoenix Force we've seen in every story is the same Phoenix - even though the hosts may change.

Editor Darren Shan spoke about Jean Grey #8, in which starts the story in which young Jean must enter the mind of Emma Frost to find the key to the Phoenix Force.  The story will revisit themes from Grant Morrison's New X-Men. In Legacy, Young Jean will finally encounter the Phoenix Force. Jean Grey #11 will feature new clues to the nature of the Phoenix Force.

Axel Alonso told a fan who asked about what would happen with the young X-Men now that some of the older versions were returning. "That's exactly the story," he explained. "All bets are off."


Rogue & Gambit: The series will be written by Kelly Thompson (Hawkeye) and drawn by Pere Perez (Deadpool vs. The Punisher), with Kris Anka providing cover art. The series will run for five issues beginning in January 2018. Alonso teased it could go beyond the five planned issues.

Shan said that Gambit & Rogue are Kelly Thompson's favorite characters. She re-read every Rogue and Gambit story in preparation for the series.

"The goal here is to tell a Rogue and Gambit story that has never been told before," said Shan. "It's a fun action/adventure comic."

Shan was coy about whether Gambit and Rogue would get back together as a couple - an idea the audience seemed to like.


Legion: Written by Peter Milligan and drawn by Wilfredo Torres. Marvel confirmed it'll also be a five-issue miniseries rather than an ongoing book. The series will debut in February 2018.

In the upcoming Legion series, one of his many personalities is consuming the others, leading him to visit a psychotherapist, who he brings into his head to help solve the problem. Legion's many personalities will team up to fight the dark personality.


X-Men Gold: The original X-Men return in X-Men Gold Annual #1 by Leah Williams and Marc Guggenheim in January, with an Alan Davis cover.

Meggan is holding a baby on the cover, prompting rumors that it may be her and Brian's son/daughter and Psylocke's nephew/niece.


X-Men Blue: Poison X. A huge crossover between Venom and X-Men: Blue, the original time-displaced young X-Men.

It will begin in the X-Men: Blue Annual. And the whole of the rest of the crossover will ship in February as the X-Men kidnap Venom.


Rumors

Astonishing X-Men — it may be a maxi-series destined to end with issue 12, dealing with its own storyline regarding the Shadow King and a possible return of Professor Xavier, but this is now rumored to be the title that sees Wolverine return.

Uncanny X-Men will return as a series after Phoenix Resurrection finishes, also in 2018. This may be the rumor most in flux. It might mark the moment that ResurrXion moves on.

New Mutants will return in April or May. The X-Men: New Mutants movie makes this a bit of a no-brainer.

2018 Event — The next big X-Men event will be focused on Legion. David Haller will provide the focus for whatever big X-event is to come in 2018.

No comments: