Earlier this week Director Bryan Singer sent off the Tweet that sent the X-world buzzing: Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen would join the cast of X-Men: Days of Future Past. The new film is based on the classic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.
Uncanny X-Men #141 courtesy Marvel.com
In Days of Future Pastthe surviving X-Men of the future send Kitty Pryde (Rasputin) into the body of her past self to rally the X-Men of that era to prevent an assassination. The murder leads to an apocalyptic future in which mutant hunting robots called Sentinels rule North America and have killed or imprisoned all mutants and superheroes. A much older Wolverine leads the underground resistance movement and a final assault on the Sentinel Headquarters.
With this storyline we might see Halle Berry reprise her role as Storm, Daniel Cudmore as Colossus, Ellen Page as Kitty?
In All-New X-Men #1 Henry McCoy revealed that he’s mutating again and he may not survive the experience. Beast has been the heart, soul and moral compass of the X-Men. I was pleasantly surprised to see how Brian Michael Bendis is using the Henry to launch the new series. Henry thinks the key to saving the future of the mutant race lies in the past with the original five X-Men.
All-New X-Men #2 is out this week. How will Xavier’s original students react to seeing their future?
The first arc will conclude with issue #5 and Comics Newsarama has this exclusive first look inside the final chapter of the first storyline.
It does not look good for Dr. McCoy. How many times have we seen Beast watching over and trying to heal an injured mutant? The last time Hank mutated (in Grant Morrison’s New X-Men era) he evolved into his more feline appearance. What are Hank’s genes doing to his body now and can anyone help him? Will the X-Men turn to Mister Sinister or the Dark Beast (from the Age of Apocalypse) for help. When I saw this image I remembered Henry’s search for a way to restart the mutant race in Endangered Species.
All-New X-Men #5 courtesy Marvel
Cyclops continues his campaign to recruit new mutants for his cause. I can’t wait for Cyclops to meet his younger self and how will he react when learns Hank may be dying?
I was honored to be the special guest on my friendly neighborhood comic shop’s special edition videoblog dedicated to the new Marvel Now titles! The Zanadu Comics crew dubbed me Professor Marvel! Take a look and I’d love to know your favorite Marvel Now titles so far:
Thanks to Perry, Howard and Casey were having me as your special guest for and always great experience every new comic book Wednesday! Thanks to the Sam the man behind the cam! Disclosure: I will always love X-Men – it was my first book but I do read titles of the competition and I always welcome your indie picks!
Director Bryan Singer revealed Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will join the cast of X-Men: Days of Future Past.
“Thrilled to announce @ianmckellen118 & @SirPatStew are joining the cast of #XMEN #DaysofFuturePast #magneto #professorX More to come…”
Stewart and McKellen played Professor Xavier and Magneto in the first X-Men trilogy. Singer recently replaced X-Men: First Class helmer Matthew Vaughn as director of the sequel that will be based on the classic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.
Uncanny X-Men #141 courtesy Marvel.com
In Days of Future Past the surviving X-Men of the future send Kitty Pryde (Rasputin) into the body of her past self to rally the X-Men of that era to prevent an assassination. The murder leads to an apocalyptic future in which Sentinels rule North America and have killed or imprisoned all mutants and superheroes.
This storyline leaves open the opportunity for Hugh Jackman (and other members of the original trilogy cast) to join the cast since a much older Wolverine leads the underground resistance movement in the dark future.
This is UNCANNY, ASTONISHING news! I would love to see Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender in scenes together as the once and future Master of Magnetism!
In earlier tweet Singer officially welcomed back James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult to the film.
All-New X-Men #2 New mutants are popping up across the world. Cyclops has gone full-blown revolutionary. An X-Man travels back to a key point in the team’s history in hopes of saving the mutant race. How will the original five students of Xavier (including Jean Grey!) react upon seeing their future?
Arrow #1 Brand new adventures of DC’s crusader from the creators of the hit CW series and legendary Green Arrow comic creator Mike Grell.
Batman Incorporated #5 Bruce Wayne’s son is now the Batman? Bruce is in Arkham Asylum? Grant Morrison takes you back to the dark future he created in the modern classic Batman #666.
FF #1 Meet the new Fantastic Four? Medusa, Ant-Man, She-Hulk, and She-Thing take the place of Marvel’s First Family in a brand new adventure by Matt Fraction and Mike Allred.
Uncanny Avengers #2 The Red Skull committed one of the most shocking and heinous acts I’ve seen in comics – and now he’s more powerful than ever with a freakish new army and bizarre new weapon. Can Captain America, Thor, Havok, Wolverine, Scarlet Witch and Rogue stop more mutant acts of terror?
It’s Alive! Jason Aaron and Nick Bradshaw are mad scientists who may have created their most twisted issue yet with Wolverine and the X-Men #21.
It was supposed to be a new year of new beginnings. New mutants and the kids from Utopia joined the Jean Grey School. Storm agreed to join the faculty. The dream turns into a nightmare of monsters, clowns and circus freaks.
This week’s issue begins with the teachers gone. Troublemaker Quentin Quire knows this is too easy and suspects the teachers are testing him. The Hellfire Club continues their manipulation of Idie. I’m stumped as to why the villains have created a fake church and pastor to seduce Idie to their latest campaign of revenge against Wolverine and the school.
Wolverine and the X-Men #21 courtesy Marvel
We soon learn where the teachers have gone! Logan, Kitty, Storm, Beast, Bobby and Rachel are willing star performers in a wickedly bizarre circus owned by…Frankenstein. Yes, that Frankenstein. I can’t help but remember when the X-Men were hypnotized into becoming circus stars by Mesmero way back in the Chris Claremont & John Byrne era. This sideshow is even freakier and with a supernatural twist happenning to the audience. This Murder Circus is part of Frankenstein’s revenge against one of Aaron’s newest characters. in The final panel pits is monster against victim and X-Men fighting their own students.
Jason Aaron continues to masterfully spin several storylines and give multiple characters memorable moments. Nick Bradshaw continues to impress. You are watching the birth of a major art superstar. If you were knocked out by Bradshaw’s Planet Sin casino scenes in previous arc wait until you seen his Murder Circus. The creative team pack so much on the pages – watch for a hilarious Doop cameo – but it never feels stuffed. Wolverine and the X-Men remains the X-book delivering the most fun and surprises every issue. Come on. Wolverine transformed into a clown? You know Frank’s in for a world of hurt!
If this turns out to be true – the Force is with us! Disney and Lucasfilm are recruiting from the X-Men movie franchise and bringing back what you could call a Jedi Master of writing from the Lucasfilm family.
Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg have signed deals to write installments of the new Star Wars trilogy according to The Hollywood Reporter. The team will write and produce but the exact responsibilities have not been divided yet.
Kinberg is writing X-Men: Days of Future Past and produced X-Men: First Class and co-wrote X-Men: The Last Stand.
Kasdan co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Still no word on how the new stories will play out. I’m still rooting for Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire book trilogy may be a story element for the new trilogy.
X-Man, Avenger, Mentor, Headmaster, Lover, Killer! Wolverine is a hero with many titles and star of many comic book titles!
Paul Cornell returns to Marvel with a brand new Wolverine series premiering in March 2013. The legendary Alan Davis will be the artist on Logan’s new solo book. Cornell talked with Marvel.com about his return to the House of Ideas and his take on the fan favorite X-Man.
“This is the series that gets into what makes James Logan tick, that shows him being, as he puts it, “a regular guy,” interacting with civilian friends of his in New York City. The most amazing thing about James is that he’s been alive so long, gone through so many extraordinary things, is such a strange being, but holds on—very hard—to being a guy who likes to hang out in bars with good company, who can run a school, who’s a decent, civilized man. Most of the time. No vampire alienation and boredom for him. He’s a man of the people. I’m going to poke that and see what happens.”
The challenge for any new writer is Wolverine’s history of iconic stories by specific writers (Weapon X, Old Man Logan). Cornell explains his big influence and how he will stake his claim in the Logan legacy.
“By looking hard at who he is, dealing with him in the here and now, exploring that voice I’m so fond of. Why does he call people “bub?” That’s now a tic that’s peculiar, that says something. I’ve been a Dad for four weeks now, and it occurs to me that James is the super hero I would be most comfortable in handing my child to. You know he’s going to take care of him, you know he’d be willing to just about die to do it, that while he’s got him, nothing is going to hurt that child. That’s what we’re going to get into: James the determined, bastard hard defender of innocents. I’m an enormous fan of Chris Claremont. I think his contribution to comics is just gigantic, that these days he’s enormously undervalued, to a degree that just staggers me. I’ll be drawing on the love of this character I felt from my childhood, and that means drawing on my own inner Claremont.'”
Wolverine: Weapon X #1 cover by Alan Davis courtesy Marvel
Cornell teases the first arc of the new series:
“James is involved in a hostage situation in the heart of New York, which spirals into an action-movie chase with him pursuing…he has no idea, and neither do we. It’s something absolutely disciplined, ruthless, and absolutely unconcerned with harming innocents. James has to do something not very nice in front of one such innocent. He’s damned if he’s going to let it happen again.
Cornell revealed he will explore the humanity of Wolverine:
“He’s one of the few super heroes who one could have a drink with. And he really should be a lot weirder. So there’s something going on there. I’ll also be examining the consequences of some recent decisions he’s made, but that would only be obvious for those who’ve been following the character lately. You can start with this first issue, not knowing anything, and absolutely know who he is, and what he does. It’s kind of a continuity-free first issue, from which we’ll gradually move to bring in wider aspects of the universe.”
Cornell reveal he’s creating a new villain and new supporting cast members (police officers, bar owners) for Wolverine’s NYC stomping grounds.
Cornell made comparisons between the X-Man and a certain caped hero of the competition when explains Wolverine’s role in the Marvel Now.
“I want it, and him, to be central. I want other titles reacting to what happens here. It’s an accident of history that WOLVERINE as a title has often been following what happens in other books, rather than originating the direction of the character because the title started so late. A new number one gives us the chance to change James’ standing a little, to make him as obvious a lead as Batman is, not just the eternal supporting character.”
Wolverine Annual #1 courtesy Marvel, a Comic Book Resources exclusive
Op/Ed: Alan Davis is on my list of (I MUST MEET THEM) comic book creators! In fact I could program an entire Alan Davis Comicon based on this amazing career which includes X-Men, Excaliburruns as writer/artist and artist with Chris Claremont writing.
Alan Davis recently brought back his ClanDestine in several Marvel Annuals including Wolverine, drew Ed Brubaker’s final volume of Captain America, If you can get your hands on his Wolverine graphic novel Bloodlust– grab it!
For Cornell’s entire interview here’s the Marvel.com link.
