Tag: Brian Michael Bendis

All New X-Men: Mutant Teenage Dream

courtesy Marvel.com

  Brian Michael Bendis is leaving Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after a phenomenal run to mutate the Children of the Atom this November. All-New X-Men #1 by Bendis and artist Stuart Immomen is part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. The original five X-Men (including Jean Grey) will be yanked from their past into the present – it’s not the future they dreamed of.

  As a lifelong X-Men fan I wanted to share the latest on the big change coming to the franchise. The acclaimed writer tells Marvel.com AvX led to the new series but he’s had his eye on the X-Men franchise.

  “Avengers Vs. X-Men led to it. It was an idea that had been floating around the X-Office for a while and I’m still unclear where exactly it percolated. I’m a big fan of these kinds of stories, “Pleasantville” or “Peggy Sue got Married,” where a character faces the truth about themselves and what their life can mean versus what it does mean. They’re very interesting stories and the idea of the original X-Men seeing what the X-Men turned into is absolutely fascinating to me. When I first heard about it I was interested, but it never really stuck the landing or came about. I’d asked about it often, as a fan though, but it never found its home.

When we first did the AvX retreat here at my house, we were sitting outside talking after we finished and I said “I guess I should bail off of Avengers when this is done since I’ve been on it longer than anyone’s ever been on it and eventually I’ll have to leave.” Better to leave now than people going “Ugh, leave.” I wanted to make sure I left on a high note and then slowly the idea of everyone leaving their books began to percolate. I don’t want to put too much importance on it, but it created a domino effect where I was leaving Avengers and someone had to take it, so then they’re leaving their book and someone needs to take that, etc. Everyone has this opportunity to start this new part of their career with a strong take on a new book and with that comes Marvel NOW! It’s very exciting, especially to those of us who’ve locked in big gigs early on.

X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel

  Axel, Tom and everyone were at my house and told me if I was interested I should go to X-Men. I said I’d go if no one is doing the “Days of Future Now” [idea, as it was called back then]. At the time it was only me and Jeph Loeb who were interested in it and Loeb already had other commitments. Before AvX I was already [going to be] the writer of X-Men and it was interesting to write these characters in such dire straits. I knew that no matter how crazy it got during AvX that I’d be handling the fallout, which is always the best part.”

 Chris Claremont took us into a horrific future controlled by Sentinels in the classic storyline Days of Future Past. Bendis is calling his new book Day of Future Now. For the original five mutants the current state of the world is a nightmare.

 “There’s a line in my script, I think Bobby says it: “We used to remember ‘Days of Future Past’ being this mutant apocalypse, and on some level, other than the Jean Grey School, this is worse than what we thought it was going to be,” says Bendis.

 Fans were anticipating the return of Jean Grey but maybe not in this form. What does the arrival of the teens mean to the X-Men status quo?

 

X-Men Origins: Jean Grey courtesy Marvel.com

 “Yes, all five of them coming here create a new status quo. Even the simplest one, being Bobby discovering that he grows up to be rather normal, is a shock. It alters you. Jean coming back now is unlike Jean coming back before. This isn’t a reincarnated Jean, this isn’t a clone; this is Jean. She is coming here wide-eyed, but you also have to remember she’s coming into a world where she’s died. [It wasn’t] a great death, and I don’t want to spoil anything for AvX but she’s witnessed some things about her friends and loved ones that will make her feel wonderful, but also shock her to her very core and change all of her relationships. I’m thrilled and one of the biggest gets of bringing back the original five is that we get Jean. We’re not getting a version of Jean, we’re getting the real thing. She’s going to witness what has happened to the X-Men and what she’ll do to try and change that, especially at a time when maybe her powers aren’t at their fullest yet.”

  The cast of All-New X-Men will include more than the original five students but it’s a secret for now.

  “Yes. Fans of any team but particularly X-Men begin to do detective work to figure out who’s going to be on the team. I’d like to save some surprise for the fans, but know that not everyone is walking out of AvX in one piece. Those who do walk away in one piece will be part of this book. This book isn’t just going to focus on the experiences of the original five but how they change everything in the X-Men universe. There will be a lot of interaction with those who are around to interact with. I’ve already written quite a few issues and Stuart is on his third issue right now and it’s beautiful to look at.”

  One of my favorite elements of the Bendis Avengers era was how he brought back great characters like Luke Cage and Spider-Woman. Most of the X-Men are in one or more of the current X-titles but is there a character from the past about to make a comeback?

  “Yes, but like Avengers, I’m not going to step in front of it and announce it. I’m just going to let it happen and see if anyone agrees with me. With Spider-Woman and Luke Cage, I just slipped them in there and people liked it. I’m going to need to prove it with my writing beforehand. For example, I’m not going to announce “Maggot is now cool!” and expect people to love him. It has to happen in the writing and most of the time it discovers itself in the writing. I didn’t realize Spider-Man and Luke Cage would be funny together until I started writing them together. The same thing is starting to happen with the X-characters and I’m just going to let it come naturally.”

  In regards to accessibility, I’m hoping that this idea, though completely immersed in continuity porn, at its core is five new X-Men coming in and seeing the X-Men through wide eyes. There’s going to be a nice mix of continuity and accessibility. If you know the continuity it’ll all be there but if you’re coming in fresh with the five new X-Men, what fresher eyes could there possibly be? Hopefully, at least, it’s quite a balancing act since it’s literally a cast of hundreds of established characters that have web sites dedicated to them and hardcore fan-bases who have very specific ideas of what the character should or should not do and we’re going to touch on a lot of it.”

  I have to admit I was excited about but fearful of this idea. Bendis did plenty of damage of mutantkind with his Avengers run with Scarlet Witch declaring “No More Mutants.” The writer took inspiration from Charles Xavier in a message to X-fans nervous about the future.

  “As X-Men fans you should always remember that the X-Men are about acceptance and tolerance. I know that this idea is scary, but embrace Professor X’s ideas and be a bit more accepting and tolerant of the idea—and stop yelling at me. [Laughs] I think for fans young and old the best part is reading an issue and not knowing what’s going to happen after that. Just to have your fans sit back and enjoy the ride is fantastic.

For more of the Bendis interview by Brett White here’s the Marvel.com link.

By Editor

 Opinion: Every time a new writer is coming on board X-Men I have excitement and trepidation but I keep telling myself to remember how much Bendis made me love Avengers again and how he brought back Luke Cage and Jessica Drew to glory.

 

 

 

Bendis on All New X-Men

courtesy Marvel.com

  Brian Michael Bendis is taking on the original Children of the Atom after an epic era on the Avengers franchise. Bendis and Stuart Immonen’s All-New X-Men #1 debuts in November. The original Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake, Warren Worthington and Hank McCoy journey from the past into the modern-day Marvel Now!

  Bendis tells Comics Newsarama taking over X-Men was always in his mind.

  “Yes, but the whole time I’ve been at Marvel, there’s been someone steering the ship in a pretty fantastic way. When I took Avengers, I certainly saw the importance of a strong statement about the book. My friends and colleagues and people who I admire who have done well on the X-Men, or any book really, have come with a very strong statement. I wanted to make sure when the time came, that I had a strong position, something hopefully intriguing to fans and to people who hate me. [Laughs.]

  It’s a little different from other writers who have come into X-Men. Like when Ed [Brubaker] joined X-Men, he had never written the X-Men, or Matt [Fraction], or Grant Morrison — they had done so pretty cold. Whereas over the course of my time at Marvel — House of M alone — I decimated the X-Men, I brought Wolverine’s memories back. I’ve done a lot of big things in the X-universe without ever writing a technical “X-book.” Avengers vs. X-Men, and some other things I’ve been involved in, have affected the X-Men in a great, powerful way, which I’m proud of — but that does mean that I’m coming into the X-Men with some notoriousness attached. “That’s the guy who decimated the X-Men!” Some people weren’t reading House of M but were reading X-Men — all of a sudden they opened up a book and [mutants] were down to 200. “Who did this? That guy!” I know that there’s a bit of X-Men fans who see me coming and are nervous, and also I’m known for murdering characters — even though that’s not fair. So I know I’m coming into it with quite a reputation.  But on the flipside I’m coming to the X-verse, which is known across the comicsphere as the most dedicated fans, the loudest fans. So I’m diving in head first, whereas with Avengers I wasn’t prepared. [Laughs.] But I am now. On some level.

  When Bendis took over the Avengers he literally blew up Earth’s Mightiest Heroes so an X-Men fan may be concerned about how he kicks off his run.

  “I’m not blowing up the mansion or anything like that. I came in [Avengers], “I’m gonna blow up the mansion, and go crazy!” and some people really loved that, and some people were like, “Whoa, whoa!” It was tantamount to someone going on the playground and just knocking over your toys. You’re like, “I liked my toys, why are you doing this?” I didn’t see it that way at the time, but in retrospect — I wouldn’t have changed the story or anything, but I was shocked by some of the reaction, and then I went, “Oh, no, I get that. I literally just blew up the house on page three.”


What I am doing here is, I think, as big, but not as destructive. I think it’s additive, I think it’s emotional and dramatic. This idea has been floating through the Marvel retreats for a couple of years. Both [Jeph] Loeb and I would be looking at each other going, “That’s a great idea.” It never stuck to the wall. I literally asked Axel, “Where did that idea start?” It just inspired so many story ideas to me.”

Future X-Men (Rachel, Cable, Bishop) have gone into the present. This is a new twist on time traveling mutants.

  “Yeah. I’m a big fan of “Days of Future Past.” I think it’s one of the greatest imagination-inspiring storylines — the idea that your future is going to be hell on earth. If the original X-Men saw what was going on at Marvel today, this is worse than “Days of Future Past.”

  Fans always say, “Oh, I wish Stan Lee was still in charge, things would be different.” Joe [Quesada] would point out that that’s not true. Stan was changing the Marvel Universe so quickly, much quicker than we do. Tearing up tracks, switching the Avengers, and blowing up the X-Men, and he was the first guy to do this. If Stan Lee was still in charge, you wouldn’t even recognize the Marvel Universe. So that idea inspired, “what would it feel like if characters from the Silver Age saw the Marvel Universe today?” I did a little bit of it in Avengers, in the Kang storyline. It’s obviously inspired a couple ideas in my work.


There’s something about Jean Grey, there’s something about those original five being such idealists, coming here and seeing what those ideals turned into for good or bad, and deciding to fight for them. I couldn’t get it out of my head. Inside that idea is a bunch of different ideas. The idea itself is the headline-grabber, but what people have to look forward to inside the story is much more. It’s a much more emotional story involving all of the X-Men, and that’s what’s going to be coming in future issues.”

 For the entire exclusive interview here’s the Comics Newsarama link. So how will the rest of the X-Men family and titles change? Stay tuned.

Opinion: One of my favorite elements of the Bendis Avengers era is the revigoration of classic characters like Spider-Woman and Luke Cage and newer creations like the Hood and the Sentry. I’m very curious to see how the X-Men will mutate under Bendis.

By Editor

 

Marvel Reveals “Daredevil End of Days” with Creative Dream Team

  Marvel announced Daredevil: End of Days coming this October with the promise of more to be revealed at Comic Con. The book’s creative dream team is Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack writing with Klaus Janson and Bill Sienkiewicz on art.

 

Daredevil End of Days courtesy Marvel.com

  “This takes place in the not-too-distant future and we get to see what the Marvel Universe may look like. In the vein of Daredevil, it’s a more realistic future. In the very first issue, some very large things happen, including Daredevil’s very public murder, which sends Ben Urich on his final assignment, once again telling the story of Matt Murdock,” said Bendis 

 “This is the Daredevil all-star team, but in order to get everybody together, we needed to dance between the raindrops. We think it’s worth the wait. It’s beautiful,” Bendis explained. 

  “We wanted to get a lot of people associated with Daredevil through the years together on one book and use it as the culmination of our passion for this character. We see almost every character who has been associated with Daredevil through the years as well,” Klaus Janson added.

 

Daredevil End of Days #1 courtesy Marvel.com

  Although set in the near future the creators reflect on the retro cinematic feel of the project. 

 “The idea of doing a ‘Mean Streets’ version of Daredevil, with all the characters we love and loath, ups the excitement factor for me as a fan,” said Bill Sienkiewwicz

“This is like 70’s film. Even though it exists in the near future, it has an old style New York City grit to it,” David Mack added.

  Mark Waid’s current tone is more heroic and upbeat so this project may be a shocker to new readers.

  “Our book will be dark and violent and shocking to people who followed our runs on Daredevil. To people reading Daredevil now, it will be doubly so. This is not Mark Waid, who is doing a phenomenal job. I was trying to shock readers of our stuff!” explained Bendis of the tone.

 

Daredevil End of Days courtesy Marvel.com

Bendis and Mack delve into Matt Murdock’s past and supporting cast.

“Just about every major girlfriend and every rogue of Daredevil plays some role in the story,” says Mack. 

  “You’ll see how all of Matt’s interactions with women affected them 10 years down the line,” adds Bendis. 

Daredevil End of Days courtesy Marvel.com

  “One of the more intriguing characteristics of this project is the little glimpses of the Marvel Universe in the future. They’re not in your face, but they’re around the corner. I find that as important a part of the story as the main plot. My curiosity is always piqued,” says Janson.

 “You get the story from Ben Urich’s point of view, so you get the story from his point of view as far as what characters he encounters. One of my favorite pieces Klaus and Bill have done thus far is of Nick Fury,” adds Bendis.

  “Daredevil has been a comic that has always enable a lot of experimentation by very different artists. There’s something really interesting about the character that allows for a lot of interpretation. With this project we’re trying to let all the different styles shine in service of the story,” says Mack 

 

Daredevil End of Days courtesy Marvel.com

“In life, Daredevil had questions he could never answer, itches he could never scratch. Some characters get to a point where they’re ok, but Daredevil is not like that. He’ll never get over what happened to his parents, he’ll never save enough people. His battles with forces of nature like Kingpin, Bullseye and Elektra force him to become a force of nature. To give it 10 years and see the fallout of that is very interesting to write about. Also, we’re not getting it from Daredevil’s perspective, we’re getting it from perspective of somebody who may be willing to dig deeper than Matt even would have,” says Bendis 

For more quotes from the creative team here’s the Marvel.com link. Daredevil End of Days #1 arrives in October.

By Editor

Marvel NOW! All-New X-Men

Marvel NOW! image by Joe Quesada courtesy Marvel and EW

  One of the most controversial elements of the Marvel NOW! relaunch is the return of Jean Grey and a new X-Men book by Brian Michael Bendis. Regenesis was just a year ago in which Uncanny X-Men was relaunched with a new #1 and Wolverine and the X-Men debuted. Now the man who reshaped and guided the Avengers franchise for 8 years is taking on the Children of the Atom. This is the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, Iceman)from the 60’s transported to the present day. These teens do not like what they say.

“The X-Men is a tough nut to crack,” Brian Michael Bendis tells Entertainment Weekly. “It’s the Robert Altman movie of comics. There’s thousands of characters, all of which have a website dedicated just to them. I wanted to make sure I had a take that was unique.” So when it came time to plan for Marvel NOW!, Bendis — who’s been Marvel’s go-to Avengers guy for close to eight years — remembered an idea that had been floating around the Marvel writers’ retreats for a long time. “It was about the original X-Men. If they saw what the Marvel universe was now…well, it’s so much worse than the Days of Future Past that they’re always worried about. This would scare the crap out of them.”

  Jean Grey in all her incarnations is one of the most beloved characters. It was a question of when she would come back from the dead (again.)

Jean Grey image by Joe Quesada courtesy Entertainment Weekly

  “It’s the one thing X-Men fans have always asked for is: They want Jean Grey back. But they want Jean Grey. Not reincarnated Jean, or the ghost of Jean. Well, you’re getting Jean back. And Jean is gonna be looking at a world that rattles her.”

  Stuart Immonen (New Avengers, Fear Itself) is the artist on the title debuting in November. For more of the Bendis interview here’s the EW link.

 By Editor

New Avengers #25 The Dragon and the Firebird

New Avenges #25 courtesy Marvel

  New Avengers #25 is nothing like I expected and I loved it. It’s one of the most beautifully drawn stories that really made me feel awe inspired. Mike Deodato, Will Conrad and Rain Beredo’s art is lyrical at perfect moments and the Phoenix images are majestic.

  This is not your typical superhero story in fact there are no super heroes in it. Brian Michael Bendis unveils a folk legend come to life. Centuries in the past the ruler of Kun Lun dreams of the Phoenix and a red-haired girl rising to fight the destroyer with a dragon avatar. As the force moves to Earth, the hidden Phoenix connection to Kun Lun will draw Avenger Iron Fist into the cosmic conflict.

  I’m intrigued to see where Bendis will take this AvX side story and I’m eager to see the Danny Rand and Hope Summers relationship evolve. I could marvel at the art for hours like I was in a gallery. Deodato, Conrad and Beredo created a masterpiece.

 

Avengers Assemble: Black Widow and Hawkeye Preview

Avengers Assemble #1 preview art courtesy Marvel.com

  Even with powerhouses like Thor, Hulk and Iron Man you need some heroes that can be your stealth operatives. Earth’s Mightiest heroes have expert archer Hawkeye and superspy Black Widow. Avengers Assemble by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley is a new series to get you primed for Marvel’s The Avengers on the big screen.

  Clint and Natasha are extraordinary people but they don’t have the powers of Cap, Iron Man, Thor or Hulk. Marvel.com revealed new preview art plus Bagley revealed how he’s making sure the non-powered Avengers never get lost in the background. 

  “Hawkeye is the cocky buccaneer of the team—always has a smile on his face and is ready at a moment’s notice to write a check his butt can’t cash,” says Mark Bagley. “Natasha has earned her place on the team and [writer] Brian [Michael Bendis] will treat her thusly. She certainly isn’t going to be the ‘chick’ character.”

  Avengers Assemble #1 hits stores March 14th.

AVX Zero Art Preview: Scarlet Witch in Action

 

Avengers Versus X-Men preview art by Frank Cho courtesy Marvel.com

  The biggest superhero war in comic book history is declared this April. The Phoenix Force is racing to Earth in search of a human host. Will it be mutants Scarlet Witch or Hope Summers?

Avengers Versus X-Men #0 preview art by Frank Cho

  Marvel revealed preview art by Frank Cho from Avengers Versus X-Men #0 showing the Scarlet Witch in action against Modok in front of The White House.

 AVX #0 is written by Brian Michael Bendis and Jason Aaron and hits stores March 28th.

  Don’t forget to see how Magneto’s daughter makes her return – Avengers: The Children’s Crusade has two more issues as Wanda’s sons fight Doctor Doom to redeem the Scarlet Witch.

  For today’s official presser here’s the Marvel.com link.