Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins are the next creative team on Astonishing X-Men starting with issue #48. Marvel announced the changes today in their Next Big Thing presser. This will be Liu’s first official team book. The lineup is Wolverine, Warbird, Northstar, Gambit, Iceman, Cecelia Reyes and Karma.
“We’ve got Northstar moving back to New York and he’s going to be living with his boyfriend, Kyle,” Liu said. “Another side of it, we’ve got characters like Cecelia and Gambit circling each other and [Gambit] moving into his own apartment in Westchester.”
Liu’s first issue will settle in the team and introduce the villains, the Marauders. Liu has added the Vanisher and Chimera to the Marauders, but did not comment on the rest of the current team line-up. The Marauders were last seen in Messiah Complex. Chimera was part of the Sisterhood of Evil Mutants. Vanisher was a uwilling member of X-Force. The Marauders have always worked for Mister Sinister but Liu confirmed Sinister will not be part of this storyline. No word on who is pulling the strings on this incarnation of the mutant mercenaries.
I’m excited to see Northstar back with the X-Men. You may have read my post on why Jean Paul should join Logan’s school. Seeing Cecilia and Karma on board is a thrill too. Warbird is a Shiar bodyguard to Kid Gladiator who just joined the Jean Grey School in Wolverine and the X-Men.
I’m a huge fan of Liu’s previous work on NYX: No Way Home, X-23 and Daken: Dark Wolverine and I’m eager to read what she will do with a larger cast in a new corner of the X-Men universe.