You haven't read Eternals #1 yet? Yes, I know it's not Uncanny X-Men, but it comes out of the X-Office, so you know it's gotta rule. Eternals comes out today, so if you haven't already, RUN OUT AND GET IT!
...was the greatest sculptor of ALL TIME. Michael-whatever-his-name was a hack. So there!
Anywho, we don't just work on X-Men books here in the X-Office. We also do other cool stuff. For example, we're working on Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr.'s ETERNALS series. Check out a few cool pieces of art! As you can see from the pages this series runs the gamut from street level to the cosmos. It comes out on Wednesday!
Hello, dear X-Blog readers. The following is a letters page that ran in X-FACTOR #13. This was a launching point issue for us. It was self-contained and analyzed each member of the team and cast light on them in new ways. If you haven’t read it, you should. It’s very good. One of the best single issue comic books I’ve worked on in my five years at Marvel Comics.
If you’re an X-Men fan, I urge you to pick this book up. It’s different from the other X-Books, but is still true to the spirit of the line. I hope you enjoy it and this letters page. I chose this one to post because it generated more fan mail than any previous letters page. The fans of the series were OUTRAGED. Enjoy.
Peace out.
Andy
Welcome, my friends, to the lettercol that never ends. Peter David here, on behalf of Andy Schmidt—the Schmidternator, as we call him—welcoming Pablo “Picasso” Raimondi.Yes, we’re together again for the first time:The creative team that gave you MADROX, the limited series that garnered more “What a great book, why the hell isn’t it selling more?!?” reviews than any other title in Marvel history, has reunited for a new run of greatness.This issue is intended to be a good jumping on point, so if you’re a newbie, welcome.If you’re a long-standing fan, shove it into the hands of the uninitiated and urge them to come on board for the ride.Letters, as always, may be edited for length but not content:
Dear X-Central,
I would like to congratulate you on a wonderful cast of characters in X-FACTOR! I love the title and the writing and really love the new artist Renato Arlem. Please keep him around. I know as a second rate ”X”-book this title will always get second-rate writers, artist, inkers, and colorists. The sad thing is if you ever placed a first rate team on this title you would have incredible sales as well as a number #1 title.
Rafael Soto
(Via E-mail)
Well, Rafael, I think I speak on behalf of every second-rate creator on this book when I say…thanks…I guess…
Dear X-Factor Cronies,
Love your noir-ishness and other X-goodness that goes into making X-FACTOR a very interesting, funny and enlightening book. However, I have a bone to pick with you and it is to do with the scene setting of 1347 South Wales.
Mr David, you seem to have my fellow countrymen confused with another populous of the British Isles in that we Taff’s never, ever say “Aye”. For any reason. Whatsoever. It’s nice to have nasty bad guys with little moral fortitude come from my homeland, and the proliferation of Wales is in general a very positive thing. But to confuse Wales with Scotland is just plain old nasty. We’ve got the Rugby World Cup coming in 2007 for God’s sake! You trying to hex us? They wear blue, we wear red! ARGH!
John Meredit
Pontypridd, Wales
Well, John, while I do a considerable bit of research for each issue, little things are sometimes going to slip through.Then again, that’s what happens when you have a second-rate writer on the book, alas.
Dear X-Central,
I have recently gotten into the new X-FACTOR comics. I was wandering if it would be possible, to see an appearance by Havok and Lorna in the near future. Maybe in a case or something of the sort. I have a few more questions. Would it be possible to have Madrox and Rahne at least have a one night stand ? I think that it would be funny, if he did this before Monet and Terry find out about issue #11. Now for my final question. Is it possible to see Jamie and Guido joking around like in the good ol' days ?
Lance J. M.
(Via E-Mail)
Well, as you can see, Lance, Jamie is already busy dealing with the (literal) fall out of his involvement with Siryn and Monet.Something tells me now wouldn’t be the time to try and get it on with Rahne…whom I think he really sees more as a sister-type anyway.As for Jamie and Guido joking around, well…maybe once the dust settles.And Havok and Lorna won’t be showing up anytime soon; tragically, they’re too busy appearing in first rate X-Books.
Dear X-Central, Several points I wanna comment on. First, There was a letter, by Christopher Goodnight. He said, and I quote "You took a throwaway character and made her the star of a series," talking of course about Layla Miller. Uh--hello? Don't you have that a little backwards there, Chris? Layla Miller played a ginormous role in HOUSE OF M! Furthermore she plays significantly a lesser role here with X-Factor. Peter, you don't think of Layla as a throwaway character do you?
M is becoming a favorite character of mine recently, whereas I hated her in GENERATION X.
Rictor, well... let me put it thisway: X-FACTOR needs more A-list characters if it's gonna work even in the current incarnation. Rictor has always been a secondary b-list character--and that was when he had powers! I hate his hair. Really I do. Remember when he had black hair and a mohawk? Ah the good old days. And of course mohawks are back the last few years, huh? Hmmm. I have to admit, Strong Guy killing that guy Buchanan--I really thought it was because of the phone call, so that was pretty predictable. Back to Rictor! As far as I'm concerned, Pietro can have him!! Maybe make an all new team of his own or whatever. I'd much rather have Ric's old buddy Shatterstar on this team! Not really too much of a fan of Shatterstar, but he doesn't really have Earth (or star)-shattering powers, so he fits the criteria, right? Angel/ Archangel, Moonstar and maybe Shatterstar are some of the more-A-list characters I'd like to see in this series! I know there's a new artist coming on after next month's story-arc Finale, and I thank you for that. But Pablo Raimondi?!? What, Carlo Pagulayan was busy?? I know you wanna set a mood for the noir of this book(which I could frankly do without altogether) but that's mainly done with the inking and coloring anyway, isn't it? This series deserves a better, more A-list artist!
Andrew J. Shaw
(Via E-mail)
Sorry, Andrew, but sadly enough, Rafael Soto has already made clear to us what a bunch of second-rate creators are running the show.For consistency’s sake, one would almost have to require that we’ve got B-list characters to match our lack of status.Personally, I happen to think Pablo is as good as artists get, and I’m hoping this issue proves that.
As for Layla Miller, I have to admit, I’m bewildered over any negative fan reaction to her debut in HOUSE OF M.The knock on her seemed to be that the series wouldn’t have worked without her, and therefore her presence was somehow weak, forced, or a deus ex machina.Curiously, “Pirates of the Caribbean:Dead Man’s Chest” hinged on the character Tia Dalma, the voodoo priestess, who was nowhere to be found in the first film.For that matter, Joss Whedon’s “Serenity” absolutely needed the character Mr. Universe in order to work, and he was nowhere in the previous thirteen episodes of “Firefly.”So I fail to understand why fans have singled out her introduction in HOM as somehow an indication of a weak story or contrived character.In any event, I’m glad you like what we’ve done with her.She’s developing quite a fan base.If this keeps up, she’ll be promoted to A-level and be removed from the book entirely, since we only have second rate characters and creators around these parts.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to curl up in a corner and go fetal until the next lettercol, where we’ll no doubt have even more compliments that make me want to hit myself in the face with a baseball bat.
Uh, Nick, you might want to wake up. Nick? --THE PEANUT BUTTER IS MINE, YOU--Oh.Sean.I must have been dreaming.Where are we? We followed that course you set, but I don’t think we’re in the Shi’Ar space. It looks more like we’re in a Blue Man Group reunion. That was LAST week, Sean.And we missed it. Thanks to you. I had mouth surgery! You know that! Excuses.Anyway, Chompers, let me just figure out where we are here… Hmmm.These specific constellations…that moon cluster.We MUST be in Kree space. And there’s that large sign with a picture of the Supreme Intelligence, welcoming us to Kree space. Not to mention that large bug ship wiping out their entire race. Maybe we should help? Whatever, Sean. Let the Kree fend for themselves.WE have letters to answer!
Nick and Sean, Just picked up my copy of UNCANY X-MEN # 478 and I wanted to give you guys a quick thumbs-up for the excellent job. Four issues in, I'm starting to get over the weirdness of Ed writing a sci-fi space opera mutant story. It's just so different from what I'm used to seeing from him, that I couldn't judge the work on its own merits. I got the same feeling when Bendis took over AVENGERS. Now that I'm getting over that bit of oddness, I can wrap my head around the developing storyline. So far, I wouldn't say this is Ed's greatest work or anything like that--but it’s probably just as solid as his CAPTAIN AMERICA or Sleeper runs. Billy's art is improving. I'm particularly impressed by 478’s cover. The interior art wasn't too shabby either. When I first saw Billy's pages, I pegged him as a poor man's David Finch. But I think that might be a bit unfair. I can even see some aspects of Billy's art that exceed David's. Oh, and I just wanted to give a quick THANK YOU to whoever came up with the nod towards Annihilation. I'm not a continuity guy or anything, but as someone who's also picking up Annihilation, I really do appreciate how this all ties in. The Shi'Ar can't help the United Forces because they're busy with Vulcan--and because he took out their star gates! Beautiful! Butch Mapa
Hey Butch. Thanks for noticing the Annihilation nod. We totally had that all set up and wasn’t a coincidence at all. Yeah… Speaking of coincidence… look who we just found, ANNIHILATION editor, Andy Schmidt!I almost didn’t recognize you, Andy. Nick, you idiot, I’ve known you for over four years and now I work with you in the X-Office.I don’t know how I got out here into space, but it’s good to see familiar faces. Even yours. Blah blah blah, YOU TALK TOO MUCH!Hand me another letter, Sean. This letter is dripping with vitriol, let’s read it.
Dear Marvel: When will Mr. Brubaker leave UNCANNY X-MEN? I'm tired of seeing Professor X as an incompetent, ineffectual loser. Sure, I can see the real Charles Francis Xavier in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, but that's only a limited series. Xavier wasn’t useless when he was powerless during and after the fight with Onslaught or when Stripmine's neutralizer nannites left him temporarily powerless in Excalibur v.3, # 5-7--and he was a paraplegic at the time! Sheesh! Ann Nichols Sierra Vista, AZ
Xavier is hardly incompetent or ineffectual, Ann.I think you’ll see that as the story progresses.One of my favorite things about Xavier is what a complex character he’s been since Stan and Jack first created him. Nick, yesterday you said your favorite thing about Xavier was his interior design-sense. And I remember you telling me your favorite thing about Xavier was his choice of turtlenecks. And I remember there was a raccoon in the escape pod, Schmidt.Can you go check that out? Uh, I guess.Do you want me to answer any letters? TAKE CARE OF THE RACCOON!Then you can worry about letters.Sheesh! Jeez, Andy needs to just take care of raccoons and leave us alone.
Dear X-Mail, It's hard not to compare this title with what Mr. Whedon is doing over in ASTONISHING X-MEN. And it's probably not fair, either, but I can't help but thinking this title is falling short so far. Issue 477, for instance, was all about Vulcan. This just didn't work for me. Not only were all the X-Men characters missing, I suppose I just wasn't interested in Vulcan. Bad guys should be unique in some way, and Vulcan's portrayal just doesn’t do it for me. I appreciate how hard it must be to write this title, but I just felt disappointed. Vulcan was so shallow. I don't even hate him. Please make Vulcan unique. Make his revenge motive more complicated. Add in some character tension within himself. Is there some way you can elicit some sympathy for him from us? Give Vulcan some conflicting emotions. You set up his entire motivation to kill the man who hurt him, Emperor D'Ken, but he's dead. And when Vulcan learns this... and he just murders some innocent worker and decides to go on and kill the rest of the Shi'ar. That's not good enough. This is X-Men. No... this is UNCANNY X-MEN. If you want to devote an entire issue to one villain, and an entire run of 12 issues to one villain, then you need to step it up a notch. I'm sure it's not easy, but you have to find ways to make Vulcan more complex, more interesting. And I think the way to do that is through two techniques: 1) Detail. Gives us more detail about him as a unique person, some interesting tidbits about his personality, what food he likes, what shoes he wears, etc. These small pieces will make him more alive to us, instead of some cliché villain. 2) Give him conflicting emotions. Give him two conflicting wants. Obviously one of his wants is revenge (as weak as that is). Now give him a conflicting emotion, a conflicting want. Perhaps Revenge Vs. Justice.And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can create a ton of conflicting motivations between him and the X-Men as well. In short, make us believe Vulcan is a real character. I started by mentioning ASTONISHING X-MEN. Read through that. Don't copy the story. But do pay attention to the characterization. The interplay between both enemies and friends. Anyway, you get the idea. Good luck, and I'll be buying and watching the entire 12 issue run! Jason F. Smith Dogstar Industries, Inc.
Hi, Jason. With you watching, I feel much better. Your concerns about Vulcan are valid, but hopefully this Vulcan-focused issue helped a bit. It had some good insights into Vulcan’s psyche, right?And sorry we didn’t get around to his preference on shoes, but from what I’ve heard, Vulcan loves a good sandal. You know who else loved sandals?Andy Schmidt. Yeah, he really did. Man, what was his deal… Wait, Andy’s not back yet from that escape pod? I wonder where he is… If my calculations are correct…I’d imagine Andy and that escape pod are getting pretty close to that weird Kree planet. YOU SHOT ANDY OFF IN THE ESCAPE POD?! LETTERS, Sean.Letters.And set course 22B-F2. Hey, I got Bingo!
X-Mail, Just got done with UNCANNY X-MEN 478 and I wanted to thank everyone on the team for bringing back the comic I fell in love with as a kid. I'm 32 and to be honest, I have been away from the comic world for about 16 years now. Now I've tried to pick up some storylines from time-to-time but nothing has pulled me in. Something has always been missing. I grew up to an X-Men that wasn't just smart in it's mirroring of reality, both social and political, but had some attitude. You have found that attitude and restored it to my X-Men. I grew up during a time when an issue was dedicated to nothing but Wolverine & Sabretooth kicking the snot out of each other with no words at all. And a time when Colossus snapped the neck of one Marauder and warned Harpoon to "Make peace with your gods, little man, for you are next". The X-Men were the good guys that walked that fine line and you felt it. I wasn't sure when I saw the line-up you were taking on this Shi'Ar story line, but it’s awesome! It reflects, in so many ways, the team I grew up loving. Please keep it coming as I need something worthwhile to pass the time in the studio and on the road touring. And what’s better than being able to fall back into one of the greatest comic lines ever, with a team in place bringing back the good old days, and not just rehashing them. Ryan McCombs
Wow!Hey, kids, a letter from Drowning Pool lead singer, Ryan McCombs! Do they make that Punk rock music?Music has sure gone down hill since the Starland Orchestra broke up.Anyway, as soon as we get going, Sean, I want you to get me on the communicator with Empress Lilandra.We need to chat. Didn’t she get a restraining order on you, Nick? Ah, but I had a mustache back then, Sean.She’ll never know it’s me.Warp 5, at once!See you next month, readers!
From the UNCANNY X-MEN #479 Letters Page.
SEAN! Change course two degrees north-by-northwest.
Nick, this is space. There is no north.
Sit on it, Sean. I convinced the ship’s security guards that I was the actual captain of this ship. We may not have much time and we need to get to the Shi’Ar home world so I don’t miss my date with Deathbird.
Nick, for the last time, you’re not dating Deathbird. She sent Valentine’s Day cards to everyone that year. It didn’t mean anything. Plus she’s in prison.
I likes me some caged meat.
That’s awful. Could we just answer some letters? Please.
Fine. Warp one, engage!
Dear X-Mail,
I had to put down my new Pirates Magazine premiere issue to finish reading UNCANNY X-MEN 477. It's hard to believe Vulcan was once an X-Man who carried the name Summers. He is definitely no longer an X-Man; he is a man on a mission, a man seeking vengeance, and his ordeals throughout his life make him bitter. With vengeance, comes hate and hate creates evil. It's interesting how the Shi'Ar vessels were the only ones that could activate the stargates. Apparently these stargates are not for everyone's entry and exit. Vulcan, at some point in time, could become godlike and become an entity that will be feared throughout the universe. He needs to take off his X-Man belt.
Paul Dale Roberts, President Jazma Online!
Elk Grove, CA 95758
Vulcan’s bad behavior isn’t the only reason he should take off that belt, it just doesn’t work with the rest of his ensemble. But his vengeance is definitely leading to some dark times, Paul Dale. Oh, and if you were wondering what to get me for my birthday, Mr. Roberts (October 7th! Hint!), a subscription to Pirates Magazine wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I got you a subscription to Buccaneers Weekly three years ago and you never read it. I hate you, Nick.
Dear Sean,
I've just finished 475 through 477 and I think it's cool that we’re seeing the Shi'Ar again. It’s been too long. I love the artwork and the writing, but there are also some things that I don't understand:
1) Where did Professor X come from? I mean, I didn't know that he was back at all. Did I miss that?
2) Since when do Scott and Alex have another brother? (Okay...a little bit has been told now in issue 477), but still...leaves me with a big question mark.
The main reason why I ask is because there is a big gap (if we call it that) between issue 474 and 475, where this new saga starts. Nothing has been told or explained how and why we are crossing through the galaxy again with the Shi'Ar. I would be grateful if you can fill me in on this and perhaps point me out which series or issue I need to follow up on. But for the rest, keep up the good work!
Christian Kovac
Rotterdam, Holland
A letter addressed solely to me! Oh, happy day. Thanks, Christian. And the simple answer to both your questions is to read X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS! It was a mini-series written by Mr. Ed Brubaker that came out about a year ago. It explained the return of Professor X and the appearance of Vulcan. Pick it up, it’s a good read.
Sean’s right, for once. It’s a much better read than the drivel they print in Buccaneers Weekly. There used to be journalism in that rag. Now it’s just articles about bandanas. Next letter!
X-Mail,
I'm a huge fan of all the X-Men titles and read them religiously during the early to mid-90's, but stopped due to a lack of the green stuff. I picked up a copy of X-MEN a few months back and was re-hooked. I'm greatly pleased with the recent stories and artwork.
I have only one problem with what I've been reading: A lot of crazy things happened while I was away. These events are often referenced in the current books. Back in the day, when a character spoke of a past event, there were footnotes to lead the readers to the issues in which the events took place. I think that these footnotes would be very useful in current books.
For instance, when I first started reading again, a few months ago, I picked up an issue to find that Jean Grey was dead (again)! I have no idea when or how this happened. At the very least, could you point me to the books where I could find out about this?
Thanks, and keep up the good work,
Ben Serrette
So much has happened, Ben. Tell him, Sean!
Well, Nick, it’s pretty tricky to answer these letters and steer an intergalactic warship, but you seem busy over there looking at possible new haircuts. Sheesh! Anyway, Ben, we don’t really do footnotes anymore. Sorry, but if you want to get caught up, there are plenty of collections, handbooks and encyclopedias to answer all your questions. Your local comic book store owner can probably recommend a few. Joss Whedon’s first story arc on ASTONISHING X-MEN would be a great place to start. Oh, and Jean died in NEW X-MEN #150, by Grant Morrison and Phil Jimenez, just so you know.
Well, Nick, we better stop answering mail and concentrate on flying this ship. Oh wait, look, Nick, we’re getting a transmission from Mike Marts!
Sean, I replaced the receiver with a waffle iron, so we can’t really answer it.
Oh well, couldn’t have been too important.
See you next month, folks!
Nick and Sean
Zzzzzzz-wha? Where--? Well, this is strange. The last thing I remember is Sean Ryan and I designing our Empty Nest chess set and then…waking up on these really comfortable pillows. What’s this—why hello, ladies. No need for alarm. I just woke up—no, I was about to ask you the same thing—mine are completely natur—I’m a spaceship?—I’m not a spaceship, I’m ON a spaceship?—No, my name is Nick Lowe and I just woke up with nothing but this bag of fan mail, which I should probably try to answer. Why, yes, it is MY fan mail…
X-Mail,
I just finished reading UNCANNY X-MEN #477, and I must say I am HOOKED! Until recently I had never followed the stories told in UNCANNY X-MEN, only that of its sister titles of ASTONISHING X-MEN and X-MEN. However, with the launch of the new creative team I decided to give the book a shot, with much thanks to the tiny headshots depicting some of my favorite X-characters currently featured in the Uncanny lineup! So here are a couple of questions/comments regarding this great new cosmetic addition
1. Whoever pitched the idea to bring back the tiny head shots deserves a raise. I picked up the book. A new reader discovered the great UNCANNY X-MEN.
2. Any chance we will be seeing the tiny headshots appear on other X-books, such as EXILES? I mean, with a team that constantly contains a fresh lineup of heroes, why not!
Thanks for your time, and consideration!
Erich Hartsig
Thank you for the compliments, Erich. The headshots were the brainchild of Senior X-Editor Mike Marts. (Well, he got it from a suggestion I gave him to put my headshot on every cover!) As for your second question, don’t be surprised if you start seeing them on other X-titles. That is, if Mike Marts has HIS way. Now, if I have MY way, I’ll find the bridge of this ship and have the Captain turn this ship around and take me home.
X-Mail,
I haven’t missed an issue since issue #199. The new creative team rocks and I’m very excited to venture out into space with my favorite mutants.
It's been a while. (Issue #342) The third Summers brother has haunted me for quite awhile. And although I'm enjoying the character of Vulcan, it is not what I have been anticipating all these years. Brubaker—this Vulcan guy is interesting, just know some of us guys are waiting for a BIG payoff! And as always, make mine X- Men!
Todd C. Herbst
Thanks for the letter, Todd. It’s always good to hear from you. We’re glad you’re still on board. Take it from me, Bru has some big plans for Vulcan that you won’t expect or believe. Neither will the Shi’Ar. I wonder if the captain of this ship will be expect-ing me? (Nice segue, right?) Ah, the bridge. Excuse me, Captain? Hello? Hmm. He must be visiting that lovely harem room. Maybe I can steer this ship myself. I wonder what this button does…
Mike, Nick & Sean,
Thought you guys might like to hear some initial thoughts on Bru's UNCANNY X-MEN. Let me preface this by saying I haven't read UXM in a few years, and haven't read DEADLY GENESIS either, although I've got a rough idea of the story from Vulcan's Wikipedia page.
In a nutshell...pretty good.
Quick digression—I can't believe the Shi’Ar zombies targeted Lorna before Rachel. Is she really that powerful? Wow!
Oh, and has Alex met Vulcan?
I'm intrigued by the lineup, because it’s so odd. Alex and Lorna could be the Scott and Jean of the group, except Lorna's kind of unstable (i.e., interesting). Rachel has a vendetta, and she's a ticking time bomb. Ed is obviously fond of Warpath, so I'm hoping he'll have lots of "moments," like Wolverine during the Claremont days. Darwin is new to me, so I’m curious about him and his abilities. Charles, of course, is the one moving the team to action. Only Kurt seems off, it seems like he's only around to fight the good fight (nothing wrong with that!)
I'm a big fan of the Imperial Guard and the Starjammers, so I really can't wait for the rest of this epic!
And BIG thanks for the bonus insert of the Shi’Ar ship. Unexpected, but any extra content (to reward those of us who aren't trade-waiting) is highly appreciated.
Butch
Glad you’re liking the new story, Butch. Bru and Billy are pulling out all the stops. Vulcan and Alex met at the climax of DEADLY GENESIS and Lorna’s new power levels are surprising everyone. We’re also really glad you enjoyed the Shi’Ar ship schematic. We had a lot of fun putting that together with Eric Kachelhofer. Now, if only I could find the schematics of this ship before something happ—AAAAHHHHHH!!!! Oh, dear. I seem to have crashed into another spaceship. What are the odds? Wait a second. Who’s that coming out of the hole between the ships. SEAN?! Nick?! I’m so glad I found you! I’ve been wandering in this creepy ship for weeks. By the way, do you know what “Liberate tutemae ex inferis” means? It’s everywhere on this ship…Why is your face covered in cartoonishly big lipstick marks? Save your questions for next month, I think security is on its way. RUN!
Huh, wha--?! What happened? Where are we?! A second ago Nick and I were making homemade ice cream and the next moment—am I in space?! Oh, my gosh! How’d that happen? And where’s Nick? This is all very strange…hey everyone, Sean Ryan here, and I appear to be in some dark, scary spaceship! To distract myself from thinking about a leprechaun attacking me, why don’t I answer some of your letters? Onward!
Dear X-Mail,
Hey, just wanted to drop a quick thanks for a great job on UNCANNY X-MEN #475. I'd really come to love Chris Claremont's take under the current editorial team at the X-Office. His work with Chris Bachalo will stand as some of my favorite X-Men stories. I'll miss that creative lineup from this title, but I am really enjoying issue #475 with Ed Brubaker and Billy Tan! It’s a great intro issue which does more than just set things up, it also advances the characters. Can't ask for much more, in my opinion.
Nick Marino
You’re right, Nick. You can’t ask for more than that. Yes, we’ll miss both Chrises dearly here on UNCANNY X-MEN, but don’t fret, young man…Mr. Claremont is recuperating and will be back in full force soon on both NEW EXCALIBUR and EXILES, and Mr. Bachalo has moved over to X-MEN, with writer Mike Carey.
Dear X-folks,
I don't write in much, but I wanted to put my two cents in on this latest "new era" and issue #475. As a 20+ year reader of UNCANNY X-MEN, who's seen the book go through many changes and many writers, I always get nervous anytime a new writer comes in and starts changing and reinventing things.
But my fears were greatly diminished by the absolutely fabulous reappearance of tiny headshots in the upper left-hand corner of the cover! The longtime fans greatly appreciate that! Please keep the little heads!
I hope Brubaker sticks up for my favorite character, Rachel Summers/Grey. With Claremont gone, I'm afraid Ray is going to get killed off or sent back to character limbo after this whole Shi'Ar arc is finished. I hope Brubaker can do Rachel justice, and show at least some continuity in her character.
Stacia Robbins
Put all your fears to rest, Stacia! All of them. Headshots are here to stay, as well as Marvel Girl. Ed’s got some absolutely wonderful stuff coming up for Rachel. Do I smell romance? No wait, that’s me. God, how long was I out for? I smell terrible.
X-Mail,
I just read UNCANNY X-MEN #475 and I must say—I am impressed. First of all, it was wonderful to see Warpath in the pages of UNCANNY, and I am excited about the new lineups.
So here are a few questions/comments:
1) Any chance we can get Wolverine to make an appearance in UNCANNY?
2) After this storyline, will this team stay together, or will there be a change?
3) Please bring back Jean Grey!
4) I really like the fact that religion is a part of Nightcrawler’s character. I know you guys shy away from specific religious stories, but it would be awesome if you could explore this part of Kurt’s character a little bit more. As an active member of the LDS Church (Mormon), I find it interesting that there are similarities between Mutants and Mormons. Both are misunderstood and there are many untruths floating around. Both pasts have seen oppression and persecution, and both try to stand for something more than just worldly stuff. It would be really cool to see a Mormon Mutant...hopefully an X-Man...maybe someday...
Chad Ewell
Dallas, TX
Thanks, Chad. Glad you’re liking the new stuff.
1) Sorry, no Wolverine. He didn’t make the cut. But you can still catch Wolverine in WOLVERINE, WOLVERINE: ORIGINS, ASTONISHING X-MEN, and NEW AVENGERS.
2) The team will be…too early to tell, I think. The story line is twelve issues, so anything can happen!
3) I’ll see what I can do, Chad. But I wouldn’t hold your breath about Jean coming back. Actually, I would advise you not to hold your breath about anything. It’s not safe.
4) A Mormon X-Man? Hmm…I like it! We’ll see what we can do!
Well, folks. I have to find Nick…this spaceship I’m in is uber-creepy! See you next month…I hope.
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