Cover by Dustin Weaver
Today we’re taking part in a special press call with Marvel Comics, talking with Marjorie Liu (X-23), Mike Perkins (The Stand) and editor Nick Lowe about the future of Astonishing X-Men, starting with #48.
Lowe explains that Astonishing X-Men will be on the Wolverine side of the Regenesis divide.
The roster: Wolverine, Warbird, Gambit, Northstar, Ice Man Cecilia Reyes and Karma. If you’ve been reading Liu’s X-23, her sultry take on Gambit will be well-familiar.
In the opening issue, the overall theme is transition and life change. Northstar is relocating to New York to live with his boyfriend Kyle. Lowe points to Northstar and Gambit as two major characters to watch with the opening storyline, a plot the creative team is careful to keep mostly under wraps.
The threat? The Marauders, including two new members: The Vanisher and Chimera–whose power involves telekinetic dragon constructs.
Asked about the involvement of the Marauders, Liu points to their long history as a menace to our merry mutants. Perkins refers to them as “visual dynamite.”
If the post-Schism status quo’s got you down, rest assured that the divide won’t be a major conflict in this particular series. While Wolverine and the X-Men focuses on the school and the separation from Cyclops’ faction, Astonishing X-Men is off in its own corner as a more adult action-oriented title. No pencils. No books. No more teachers’ dirty looks. Lowe stresses that it’s not a MAX title, but it will be a sexier and more violent title.
The opening scene involves a brutal and bloody battle between mutants. From the sound of things, this may be a Danger Room scene. Perhaps involving the new tech Logan unveiled in Wolverine and the X-Men.
Liu revealed that she original planned to include X-23 on the team, but given Wolverine’s mandate against involving children in field combat as well as the girl’s move to the west-coast based Avengers Academy, this element was ultimately scrapped.
Liu and Perkins amaze and astonish starting with Astonishing X-Men #48 this March.
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
I’m in. I’m in loved X-23. excited for this!
Love it love it love it . Im a fan of liu eork on x23 and black widow and im glad perkins is back
i ment work
oh look. it’s wolverine. agaaaaaaain.
I hope I get to learn more about him as a character, i’m glad they’re finally making use of him :)-
Interesting team….not sure if it’s ‘ongoing’ interesting for me but definitely a trade interesting. Also, nice to see Liu is going to keep working at Marvel. She has become a very good, underrated X-writer so putting her back on a book was the right move to do.
Not really thrilled by the cast but Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins sound really promising… dammit!
I keep doing this to myself. I hear marvel announcing their next big thing…all it ever seems to be is a new spider-man or wolverine book.
I don’t know if my tastes have changed or if Marvel just isn’t trying anymore, but I am all DC/Image now a days. Where do I hand in my marvel zombie card
…sorry I don’t mean to be negative
i’m with you.
To be fair, they’re announcing a new arc/creative team on a book that has always featured Wolverine.
Marjorie Liu is a great writer and deserves more notice. Glad to see her get another book.
Oh? I get to see Mike Perkins art back on a 616 Marvel story? Thanks, Marvel editorial.
Did anybody read any of Liu’s novels? I wanted to try one out but I really can’t stomach the covers…
I have her book, The Fire King, sitting in my vast ‘to read’ pile. I’ve heard some good things about her prose work.
Is Storm Captain Britain now? I’m really down for more Marjorie Liu. The possible deal-breaker is Gambit.
I think you’re talking about Warbird in this image. That’s the Shi’ar character from Wolverine and the X-Men #1.
I hate that Marvel cancels alot of the titles I like, but at least they seem to treat their creators right. It seems when they cancel a book that had alot of fanfare and praise, they put the creator on a book that can’t possibly fail (ex: Jeff Parker). It’s good to see that Liu is going to continue with the X-side of the Marvel U, as her stories are always entertaining.
Is Warbird a renamed Deathbird or a new character? Love this team roster. I hope they keep these character for a while and just flesh it out. Oh! And Marauders? Sold!
Lowe said she’s not the Ms. Marvel character. This is the Shi’ar character who appeared in Wolverine and the X-Men #1.
This arc looks to be more interesting than the stinker they have going on now.
Yes one of my favorite writers will be back again. I loved her work in X-23 and Black Widow, this will be on my pull list asap.
I am trying to care..but I am not as excited for this as I am for the other X-men titles. Wolverine and the Xmen is just fun! This doesn’t sound like it will be in that same vein…
I don’t mind multiple X-Men titles, but does everyone need to feature the same members?
Not be reading astonishing for ages but I’ll definately check it out for this. Would be cool if either this set up is kept or if the book became a sort of ‘x-universe presents’ title, variously focusing on different mutants on each side
Northstar, YES!