The X-Line is getting a major overhaul this spring, as Marvel launches a whole new crop of comics. The initiative, titled ResurrXion, will see the arrival of new flagship series like "X-Men Gold" and "X-Men Blue" as well as team books like "Generation X" and "Weapon X." Additionally, a trio of characters will get their own ongoings: "Iceman," "Jean Grey" and "Cable." On top of all that, "All-New Wolverine" and "Old Man Logan" will continue slashing their way through villains with new storyarcs and -- in "Old Man Logan's" case -- a new creative team.
This week in X-POSITION, the X-Men editors Mark Paniccia, Daniel Ketchum, Christina Harrington and Chris Robinson answer your questions about "X-Men Gold," "Generation X" and "Jean Grey"!
CBR News: Welcome back to X-POSITION, X-Editors! It's been a while and we're glad to have you back. First up, we'll start with a question about the "Uncanny" cast from Weslley.
While I'm excited about ResurrXion, I am disappointed that Psylocke and Archangel are nowhere to be seen after all the amazing character development both got in Cullen Bunn's "Uncanny X-Men." Will we see them anytime soon?
Mark Paniccia: First, let’s give Cullen a round of applause for the work he (props to editor Daniel Ketchum as well) put into the series and the craft he invested in these characters. Second, Psylocke and Archangel are very popular but we need just one more e-mail asking for their return before we can seriously consider anything. ;)
Christina Harrington: These are two of my favorite characters, especially after Cullen’s run on "Uncanny." And after that great character development, I don’t think Archangel or Psylocke will stay off the table for long…
Daniel Ketchum: We have received so many e-mails and tweets about Psylocke and Archangel! Fear not: there is a concrete plan in place for the pair. You’ll hear about it very soon…
Next up, Ben has a Q about the larger mutant metaphor.
Will the X-Men still retain their civil rights roots? As a longtime X-Men fan, I think that the team's best stories ("God Loves, Man Kills," "Days of Future Past," Grant Morrison's "New X-Men") aren't really about big superhero brawls, but sociopolitical ideas involving race, religion, and sexuality... I just hope that even if they do go more "classic" superhero, that the message behind them won't be lost. Will that thought continue, and which books is it most evident in?
Paniccia: Those ideas were baked into the X-Men’s DNA from the very beginning, Ben. They’re what make them the most relatable characters in the history of comics and we would never abandon that core concept. We do want to lean into the superhero of it all, the unique power sets, the big battles, the action…all those things that make comics exciting and fun.
Harrington: It’s the most X-Men thing of all, to me, to have these characters dive into contemporary issues and really explore them -- with a more fantastical framing, of course. So of course those elements are going to be involved in these new stories -- they wouldn’t be X-Men stories to me without them. I think you’re going to find stories of this type across the line -- alongside some more traditional super hero tales, of course. We can do allegory…but we have to also do punching.
This time around, Anduinel gets the honor of asking this question.
Now that there are squads of students specifically training to be X-Men over in "Gen X," what are the odds of getting "New X-Men" relaunch down the line? Between the Kyle/Yost run, the Utopia era, "Second Coming," and "Schism," those kids have got to be the most over-qualified student class in X-Men history by this point (and possibly the most disillusioned with the X-Men's methods).
Chris Robinson: You’re gonna see every era of “X-Kids” revisited in the pages of "Gen X." From Glob Herman to Hellion to Pixie all the way back to original "New Mutants" cast members.
Ketchum: Chances of a "New X-Men" relaunch are slim, but as Chris mentioned, those characters haven’t been forgotten and will be turning up regularly in the "X-Men" titles already on the slate. Surge and Nezhno make appearances as soon as "X-Men Prime." The Stepford Cuckoos, Pixie and Graymalkin will show up in "Generation X." And Anole, Rockslide and Armor turn up in the first arc of "X-Men Gold." While they may not have a title of their own, they are still very much part of the fabric of the X-Universe.
Paniccia: And speaking of "Generation X" we have a little something special planned in "X-Men Blue." It’s gonna be really freakin’ cool!
Let's move on to the "X-Men Gold" portion of this week's X-PO, with a question from Bernie.
Will Nightcrawler finally be a significant character and not just a fill-in one? Will he go back to his true, lovable, swashbuckling self we love him for?
Robinson: Yes!
Ketchum: "X-Men Gold"!
Paniccia: One of my favorite X-Men!!!
Maestroneto has a major question about one character's costume.
Jokes about fashion sense aside, will Kitty ever get a unique costume again that isn't based on a training suit? The last time was in the mid-'90s and I'm disappointed that her Excalibur-inspired costume from "GotG" didn't make it to ResurrXion. Since Guggenheim's pitch is that Kitty is all grown up, it's a little bit weird that she looks about ready to join the New Mutants.
Ketchum: Is there really anything wrong with taking the Steve Jobs approach after years of wearing every color and accouterment under the sun?
Truth be told, we didn’t reinvent the wheel with Kitty for "X-Men Gold," because that classic X-Men uniform really said it all: This is a return to form. Kitty is the quintessential X-Man, the student who rose through the ranks and has stared down every evil, and yet is perhaps still the most stalwart believer in Xavier’s dream. Could the Xavier School’s finest student really wear anything else?
Not to mention, remember when Kitty first tried to take on an individual costume, but Xavier made her change back to the training uniform because a unique look had to be “earned”? I LOVE the idea that Kitty took that restriction and then turned the rules on their head…and now owns that training uniform look. That’s a great message in itself, I think…
Paniccia: I echo Daniel’s sentiment. And ["X-Men Gold" writer Marc] Guggenheim’s vision for Kitty (both as a character and stylistically) comes from the heart. Which is, in my humble opinion, where the best X-Men stories come from.
And here's a question from Purplevit about everyone's favorite Ragin' Cajun...
Gambit wasn't a part of any ongoing for years and appeared only as guest star. Can we expect Gambit to join any teams in 2017?
Robinson: I think you’re gonna wanna see the cover to "X-Men Gold" #4, Purp…
Paniccia: And there’s some place else he could be popping in the summer. Shhhhh.
Now we're in the "Generation X" portion of this week's Q&A, with a question from madroxdupe.
Any plans for a reunion of sorts? I grew up on this book, and I have to say, I’m disappointed it’s not like the New Mutants relaunch from several years ago with the OG members coming back.
Paniccia: I’ll let Daniel speak to that but Christina Strain is writing an X-Book!!!!!!!!!!!! She is one of my favorite people in comics!
Ketchum: "Generation X" was actually the first series I followed from issue #1, so it holds a special place for me as well, madroxdupe! And you better believe that writer Christina Strain and I have talked about how important it is that this book be both the story of a new generation of mutants as well as the return of the original cast. Issue #1 actually opens on Jubilee and Chamber, and the reunions continue from there…
And here's a question from The Big G about the student body.
We know "Gen X" will showcase the "Oddballs" of the X-Students, but how much spotlight will the students actually training to be X-Men get?
Ketchum: Did Anduinel put you up to asking this question, Big G? Ha.
"Generation X" writer Christina Strain and I were actually just on the phone yesterday talking about how 20 pages per issue just aren’t enough. We would love to give lots of screentime to all of the kids! But with a main cast of relatively new characters who have stories of their own to be told, we probably won’t be able to devote too much time to those students we’re already pretty well-acquainted with. But we promise to do our best to not let them languish in the gutters!
Paniccia: Have I mentioned that Christina Strain is one of my favorite people in comics.
And we close this week with a question focusing on "Jean Grey" from Chandler.
I really miss Emma Frost. Specifically, I miss the interactions between young Jean and Emma...even the Cuckoos. I believe Emma was able to push Jean to try new things making her more than she had ever been before, with exception of the Phoenix Force. Are there any plans to have Jean interact with a Emma or the Cuckoos?
Ketchum: Has everyone read the end of "Inhumans vs. X-Men"? Without giving anything away, that series leaves Emma in a very different place than she’s been for the past few years. Needless to say, there are big plans for Emma. I wouldn’t rule out a run-in between Emma and Jean, but Emma has some bigger fish to fry in the immediate future…
Paniccia: Emma has such a rich history with the X-Men that it’s hard to imagine a world without her. There is something sizzling in the kitchen. You’ll hear about it soon.
Special thanks to Mark Paniccia, Daniel Ketchum, Chris Robinson and Christina Harrington for taking on this qeek's questions! This two-part X-PO will conclude next week with more ResurrXion talk.