After making and changing mutant history Brian Michael Bendis announced he’s leaving the X-Men with a giant-sized Uncanny X-Men #600.
Bendis brought the original students of Xavier into the present in All-New X-Men and Cyclops started a revolution in Uncanny X-Men.
As the Children of the Atom feel the fallout from Professor X’s greatest secret – Bendis will exit just before Secret Wars.
The acclaimed writer explains why this was the time to leave:
“Over the course of the last few years, I will have written almost 90 issues of X-Men. That’s a good run! One of the best parts about being on X-Men was that I knew I was never going to hit Chris Claremont’s X-Men record, so I was free of whatever that is that drives such a thing,” Bendis exclusively told Comic Book Resources.
“Last year, we were planning everything out, and boy, “Uncanny” #600 came like two weeks before “Secret Wars.” So I thought, “That’s interesting! Let’s make the most out of that!” I can’t say too much other than what a perfect thing for the X-Men to have an anniversary issue just before “Secret Wars!”
Then at the same time, we were putting together a plan for things. I had gone up to the Marvel offices separate from the usual Marvel retreats. I sat in a room with everybody and went over some stuff. There were a couple of things that had been offered to me over the years that I couldn’t do because I didn’t have time or it wasn’t the right time. These couple of other things, though, are really starting to cook in my head creatively. I really want to do them, but I can’t do everything.
Then it was just like, what better place than “Secret Wars” to wrap things up on X-Men? You started with “Avengers Vs. X-Men,” and you wrap it up with “Secret Wars.” This is going to serve as a great launching pad for the next things that I wanted to do, which I really, really want to do. And as much as I really, really want to write X-Me,n I really want to do these things, too!
So it was like, “Okay, you’ve written X-Men. Now you can let go of it and do this other thing.” It really did line up in a nice way. When things line up like that, you don’t want to let go of them.
So that’s it. I’d like you to open this article by saying the reason I’m leaving the X-Men is Marvel is killing them all, or turning them all into Inhumans, and either I got on board with the program or I was out! So I’m out! Because I WILL NOT ALLOW THE TRAVESTY OF WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE X-MEN DURING “SECRET WARS,” where you find out they were all Magneto’s children the whole time and that Magneto was the first Inhuman! I didn’t want to be part of all it. So I’m excusing myself.
[Laughs] No matter what we say in this article, there will be conspiracy theories. Reactions of, “AH HA! HERE IT COMES!” There’s a lot of conspiracy about the X-Men, for some readers. No matter what I say, there’s going to be a part of the audience here who will think that this is part of whatever it is they think Marvel is trying to do to the X-Men.
That’s not the case. I know my departure is not going to help the paranoid people who think the X-Men’s days at Marvel are numbered. That’s not what this means. I know you’re not going to believe me, but I wish you would. If you knew me on a personal level, you would know that I don’t fib. This is because I’ve done my X-Men, and there are these other things that I want to do more. I would love to do both, but I can’t do both. I’ve already done the X-Men now, so I want to do this other thing before I die.
It’s a very good time with me and Marvel. I’m enjoying it a lot. The projects in front of me for the next year or so are creatively fulfilling and challenging. I like that come next year, my creative portfolio will look completely different than the one I had five years ago. That is very interesting to me.
For more of his interview here’s the CBR link.
Dazzler’s dramatic makeover, the return of Jean Grey, the Kitty Pryde & Star-Lord romance, Eva Bell aka Tempus, X-Men vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. – what was your favorite story element from the Bendis run? G
Uncanny X-Men #600 arrives in May.
By Editor