Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Marvel Comics, X-Men | Tagged: gail simone, jed mackay, Ryan Stegman

More X-Men Relaunch Tidbits, Gossip And Mad Speculation

Bleeding Cool ran a bunch of X-Men gossip before the SXSW launch of the nine new books and... it worked out pretty well, didn't it?

Bleeding Cool ran a bunch of X-Men gossip before the SXSW launch of the nine new books and… it worked out pretty well, didn't it? More than I was expecting, truth be told. Since then, some other folk have also been posting X-Men gossip that… hasn't been as well received. But also comic vnok creators posting are from the upcoming relaunch. Starting with Ryan Stegman.

Ryan Stegman: The two pages from x-men one that we featured in the trailer announcing the new era of x men! by me by @JPMayer by @martegracia

David Marquez: Gambit Concept art for my upcoming UNCANNY X-MEN run with @gailsimone

Carmen Canero posting "Kate taking a nap #ExceptionalXMen"

With Ryan posting a bunch more sketches and pencils for his X-Men book with Jed MacKay. Gail Simone says "You guys are going to FREAK at @ryanstegman 's X-MEN art in this book, I kid you not. There's a page that I was just literally STUNNED at, written by the great @jedmackay , literally just took my breath away. "

Ryan Stegman: My goal with the x-men is to help restore the mutants to their rightful place atop the industry's sales charts. To me that's the healthiest the comic industry can be. X-men is for everyone…. Make these books extremely accessible. Individually.

There has been some commentary on how young Cyclops is looking, encouraging Group X-Men Editor Tom Brevoort to post as well. Tom Brevoort: Cyclops is Cyclops, not a younger version or any such thing.

Though Chip Zdarsky had his own take in his Substack newsletter. "It's heartening to see Ryan stumble upwards like this. Everyone seems to really dig his approach, though I have noticed some people say his Cyclops is a little too young-looking, but I don't see it:"

Ryan Stegman: Rest assured, folks. Cyclops is Cyclops in X-Men. Not teen Cyclops. Side note: I've learned that X-Men fans are PASSIONATE! Fun to be involved in something with fans like this.

X-News Media Group was asked "can you summarize everything you've hear about the books that only the titles were announced for?" replying "I'll do you one better, here's a comprehensive list of everything we know."

PHOENIX
Title PHOENIX refers to more than just Jean.
Other Phoenix Force users and/or exploration of the Phoenix Force itself.
Jean remains heroic, no heel turns.
PHOENIX will be the catalyst for the first cross-series From The Ashes era.
All 3 X-Men titles (UNCANNY X-MEN, EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN, X-MEN) will tie into PHOENIX.
X-FORCE, X-FACTOR, NYXs roles in the PHOENIX event are unclear.
Likely just non-important tie-ins.
STORM
Ororo running for U.S.A. Congress so that the Mutants still have political power after the dissolving of Krakoa and Arrakko.
W.O.C. Writer wanted by Brevoort.
WOLVERINE
Saladin Ahmed writing.
Greg Capullo on art.
Enemy of the State-type plot
S.H.I.E.L.D. has heavy involvement.
Larry Hama, Chris Claremont, Greg Rucka inspiration for Logan's characterization.
Captain America's role is smaller than assumed.
Nick Fury is part of the supporting cast for the first arc.
X-MEN
Main character from this book will have a budding romance with a main character from Ewing's EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN. Said to "make headlines." Likely a same-sex relationship that canonises previously assumed to be straight characters as queer.
EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN
Main character from this book will have a budding romance with a main character from MacKay's X-MEN. Said to "make headlines." Likely a same-sex relationship that canonises previously assumed to be straight characters as queer.
X-FACTOR
Tom Taylor in talks to write, not fully locked in yet.
Iceman leader.
Northstar or Shatterstar (communication was unclear) as a team member.
X-FORCE
Deadpool & Wolverine brand synergy.
Deadpool potential leader?
Undisclosed Wolverine family member as a team member.
NYX
Iman Vellani writing.
Kamala Khan as the star, in New York, maybe for college?
Laura Kinney subplot on the back burner, will potentially be used if Vellani has to leave the title to film a MCU project.
Correction: Arrakko will not be dissolved for now. Miscommunication between us and our source.

I was instantly dubious. But the big boys stepped up to comment.

Ryan Stegman: Haha. No… Kudos to whomever spent this much time on something with zero truth in it

Tom Brevoort: Care to put a little money down on this? #thehousealwayswins

So that scotches that one. To reiterate, this is all that Bleeding Cool has heard (or pieced together) that hasn't been confirmed.

X-Factor by Alex Paknadel
Phoenix by Stephanie Phillips
Wolverine by Saladin Ahmed and Greg Capullo
X-Force by Declan Shalvey

First, the codename of the new X-Men relaunch to take over from the Krakoan Age was Blue Moon. I wondered if this referred to the Blue Area on the Moon, Yondu's spaceship and a working title for the Fantastic Four movie, but I may have been overthinking it, and it was just that a chance to do whatever this is for the X-Men only comes along once in a blue moon. Secondly, the new X-Men era won't reboot Krakoa away, so don't expect the death of a remaining Moira MacTaggert clone to reset the timeline. I did suggest that an earlier version of Hank McCoy was being resurrected and that did happen.

Thirdly, Magik, Illyana Rasputin, sister of Colossus, was going to play a big role in whatever comes next. She had a big role in recent X-Men, but there has been no further indication that this is true. But we did unearth some negative feelings regarding Brevoort to Illyana, which, if true, suggested this was Brevoort challenging himself to find a way to reframe a character he hates as one he loves. Or a writer proving to Tom that the character was worth the effort. Which, yes, does sound like Gail.

Fourthly, I am to expect an "understanding" between mutants and Artificial Intelligence going into the post-Krakoan Age. And fifthly, a "back to basics" model for the X-Men, separate teams, the Mansion, etc etc,  but there will be a big new twist to separate the new way of things from the pre-Krakoan X-Men.

Which from the trailer seems to have the X-Mansion transformed by Charles Xavier and Persephone into a prison for an unknown Inmate X…

Though the betting game had X-Force and Cable co-creator Fabian Nicieza ask "I got $5 on you guys continuing to make new X-Force books that aren't what X-Force is supposed to be! And I'd be happy to be proven wrong! But I probably won't be. ;)

Tom Brevoort: "What is X-Force supposed to be, Fabe?"

Fabian Nicieza: "A proactive middle ground offered to young mutants to counter the "polarization" of Charles/Magneto. Fight first. Fight hard. Fight both sides equally as needed. "Adult Black ops X-Force" is to the concept what Ellis was to the Thunderbolts. Fudging around the edges of the DNA."

So probably not then. One thing we can report, also courtesy of Tom Brevoort's Substack is that "Legacy numbering on X-Titles: Yes, coming back. As are letters pages, in at least a couple of them."

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