Tuesday, December 15, 2015

X-Solicits for March 2016

Uncanny X-Men #4 & 5
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art & Cover by: Greg Land
Issue #4
• Mutantkind is teetering on the brink of extinction once more! While some mutants seek refuge, others are eager to fight for their species' survival.
• And in the case of the UNCANNY X-MEN, that means taking the fight to those who would hasten mutant kind's decline!
• But are the X-Men biting off more than they can chew when they try to hunt down the DARK RIDERS on their own turf?
Issue #5
• The final confrontation between THE UNCANNY X-MEN and THE DARK RIDERS!
• One X-Man is dead and the world's deadliest team of mutants is eager to deliver retribution. But what price will they pay to exact their revenge?


X-Men '92 #1
Writer: Chris Sims & Chad Bowers
Art by: Alti Firmansyah
Cover by: David Nakayama
Hip-Hop Variant by: Afua Richardson
Action Figure Variant by: John Tyler Christopher
Variant Cover by: TBA
The X-Men of the 90s are back! Continuing from the hit Secret Wars series starring the X-Men of a more EXTREME decade. With Cassandra Nova defeated, the X-Men have taken in all the young mutants she had rounded up and are officially reopening the Xavier School for Gifted Children...but being responsible won't stop them from having crazy adventures! Especially when Omega Red shows up with the (Formerly) Soviet Super Soldiers!

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Only The Strong Will Survive The "Apocalypse Wars"


Marvel.com: This Spring, one of the X-Men’s greatest foes wages a cataclysmic battle on three fronts. Marvel is pleased to announce Apocalypse Wars, three blockbuster stories taking place across the three can’t-miss X-Men titles!  

“In the same vein as the classic event Fall of the Mutants, Apocalypse Wars is a thematic crossover that sees each of the three X-Men titles telling an Apocalypse-centric story organic to its own mission statement,” says Editor Daniel Ketchum. “Because it’s not a single tightly-knit storyline, each creative team has the breathing room to tell their unique version of an Apocalypse story that will have lasting consequences for their cast of X-Men.”

It all kicks off this March in EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #8, as Jeff Lemire and Humberto Ramos take you into the distant future! Mutantkind is an endangered species once more. What better way to ensure your people make it to tomorrow…than to skip right to it? As the mutant race’s last hope is jettisoned into the time stream, it’s intercepted by one of their most formidable adversaries: Apocalypse. Now, Storm and the Extraordinary X-Men must race into a perilous and deadly future if they are to have any hope of reclaiming the present!

Then in April, Cullen Bunn and Ken Lashley bring the Apocalypse Wars to Magneto and his squad in UNCANNY X-MEN #6. There is something wrong with Archangel. Aim him at his target and he will destroy. Beyond that, he is little more than a lifeless drone. And it’s time Psylocke got to the bottom of why. What really happened to put him in this state? Only one thing’s for sure: her quest to uncover the truth will lead to a lot more than she bargained for…

Finally, in May, ask yourself – can you change your fate? As the young X-Men strive to shirk the legacies left to them by their older counterparts, they’ll crash headlong into Apocalypse Wars in Dennis Hopeless and Mark Bagley’s ALL-NEW X-MEN #9!  Their uncertain future hangs heaviest on young Evan – also known as Kid Apocalypse. Is he destined to become a genocidal madman like his namesake? Or will he rise above? He will be tested like never before, and truth will shock you!

One of their most dangerous adversaries has returned, to strike at the X-Men from three sides. Don’t miss the start of Apocalypse Wars when it comes to EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #8, UNCANNY X-MEN #6 and ALL-NEW X-MEN #9 this Spring!

Friday, December 11, 2015

Bunn's "Uncanny X-Men" Wade Into The "Apocalypse Wars"


CBR: Why is Archangel alive and a member of Cullen Bunn and Ken Lashely's January-launching "Uncanny X-Men?" What persona is in control of his body? And what does his return mean for his teammates? These are some of the questions Bunn and Lashley will tackle in April when they kick of the second arc of the series, which is part of the recently announced "Apocalypse Wars" storyline.


CBR News: This spring, the X-titles will kick off a new publishing style event dubbed "Apocalypse Wars" with the second arc of each of the three core X-Books. How would you describe this crossover event?

Cullen Bunn: "Apocalypse Wars" is more of a thematic crossover, with each of the core X-Books featuring an Apocalypse-centric tale. There might be a little connective tissue between the three titles, but the stories will stand on their own.

Apocalypse has been a significant part of the X-Men's world since the 1980s and you're a long time X-Men fan. What was your initial impression of Apocalypse, and ultimately, what do you feel En Sabh Nur and his related characters have added to the X-Men mythos?

I was a huge fan of Apocalypse from his very first appearance. He's always ranked fairly high, not only as one of my favorite X-villains but as one of my favorite super villains, period. He's a force of nature, a villain who is one of the very first mutants, who has on numerous occasions wiped the floor with the X-Men. I love how his mythology has changed and expanded over the years, making the X-mythos as a whole seem all the more epic. I'm excited to be adding to those tales in my own way.

Your story focuses on the cast member with the biggest ties to Apocalypse: Archangel, who is making a mysterious return after being seemingly destroyed in "The Dark Angel Saga" storyline from Rick Remender's "Uncanny X-Force" run. What made you want to bring the character back?

For years -- long before I was ever writing for Marvel -- I would daydream about the team I would want to use if I was writing "Uncanny X-Men." That fantasy team I was developing changed a lot, but Archangel was always a part of it. I've just always liked that version of the character.

Archangel will be the center of quite a bit of mystery in the first arc of my run. In the "Apocalypse Wars" story, I'll reveal how ended up back in this form and how he ended up on the team. The big question, of course, is if the Dark Angel persona is still alive and well.

What can you tell us about Archangel's personality and role in "Uncanny X-Men" leading up to this story?

Not to be a stick in the mud, but I don't want to reveal anything about Archangel until the first issue comes out! All I'll really say is that he's back to being the blue, metal-winged, featherblade-hurling figure we know and love -- sort of. Almost as soon as Archangel appears in the first issue of the series, readers will realize that something very important is different about him. Those differences will be explored in the Apocalypse arc.

"The Archangel problem" is something that is on the minds of each and every one of the X-Men. Some of them have seen firsthand how bad things can get if Archangel goes off the chain. Magneto and Psylocke in particular are very concerned by the possibilities. They are watching for signs of dangers to come. When they receive a message that hints at a possible dark future, they race to uncover what few clues they can find before the apocalyptic shoe drops.

Psylocke, was romantically involved with Archangel and was the one who destroyed him in the "Dark Angel Saga." Her ex-lover Fantomex also played a significant role in that story. How big of a role will they play in this tale?

Psylocke and Fantomex play a huge role in this story -- and it is not as a power couple. The dynamic between them is icy, to say the least. In fact, many readers have asked me if we're ever going to see Psylocke and Fantomex go toe-to-toe. Well, this arc will provide the brawl they've been waiting for. There's a lot of anger and bad blood between Psylocke and Fantomex, and it comes to a head in a confrontation I've listed in early outlines as one of the most vicious battles we've seen in the Marvel universe.

What other faces will we see in "Apocalypse Wars?"

Clan Akkaba is at work in this story, and you can't really have a proper Apocalypse story without the Four Horsemen, so we'll be meeting a new incarnation of those villains as well.

But that's not all!

In addition to the Apocalypse story, this arc will also provide a secondary tale featuring the return of a fan-favorite villain who has some familial ties to one of our X-Men!

The X-Men's battles with these characters will be depicted by Ken Lashley, whose action scenes just crackle with power and emotion. What's it like working with Ken?

This is a pretty dark story, but with lots of super heroic overtones, and I can't wait to see what Ken does with this diverse group of characters and locales. He drew one of our fantastic variant covers for issue #1.

I'm happy to report that Greg Land will be part of our art team for this arc as well. He'll be providing covers.

Finally, we've talked about what your "Apocalypse Wars" arc means for some individual members of your team, but what can you tell us about what the story means for the "Uncanny X-Men" as a whole? What sort of challenges is the team facing when your story begins? And how would you describe the group's overall dynamic? Are they gelling as a team by this point?

This is a story that will really shake things up for this team -- and I wouldn't say they will be gelling all that well to begin with. The Uncanny X-Men will not be the same going into this story as they are coming out of it. We'll be looking at a major shift in the team dynamic, and some significant changes for two of the characters.

Coming out of this arc, after facing an all new new incarnation of Akkaba and the Horsemen, the group will be facing yet another new version of a classic X-antagonist: the Hellfire Club.

Extraordinary/Uncanny X-Men #1 J. Scott Campbell Store EXCLUSIVE Cover



PRE-ORDER! Order your copy of Extraordinary X-Men #1 and Uncanny X-Men #1 connecting covers featuring artwork by J. Scott Campbell! A JSC Marvel EXCLUSIVE! Available in full color by Nei Ruffino or Black & White line art covers. Signed and unsigned copies are available.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE | Official Trailer

Thursday, December 10, 2015

#tbt: Uncanny X-Men #256


#tbt: Uncanny X-Men #256 – In Hong Kong, Matsuo Tsurayaba approaches the Mandarin with an offer of an alliance between his organization and the Hand, a ruthless clan of assassins. Matsuo's deal is for the Hand to help the Mandarin build an empire unparalleled by any in the past, in exchange for gainful employment in its service. To begin their alliance, Matsuo offers a gift; that of an ultimate assassin. This assassin is the long missing Psylocke, who has emerged from the Siege Perilous amnesiac and found by the Hand. Her body has been transformed into an asian one. Written by Chris Claremont and Art by Jim Lee. Read full summary here.

Friday, December 4, 2015

"Uncanny X-Men" Debuts New Covers

"Uncanny X-Men" #2 cover by Greg Land; #2 variant by Kris Anka

Marvel Announces "Apocalypse Wars" X-Men Event


CBR: It looks like 2016 is going to be a big year for Apocalypse. The longtime X-Men villain will pose a major threat to the mutant team in next year's "X-Men: Apocalypse" film and, as revealed during a panel at Brazil's Comic Con Experience, the immortal Darwinian supervillain will also return to the pages of the X-Men comics in an undisclosed capacity as part of a new event.

During a presentation at the convention, Marvel talent manager Rickey Purdin announced "Apocalypse Wars." The event will run through the three main team books in the X-Men line: "Extraordinary X-Men," "All-New X-Men" and "Uncanny X-Men".

CBR can confirm the "Apocalypse Wars" report. The villain himself last appeared in 2014's "Avengers vs. X-Men: AXIS," although a number of characters tied to the villain star in the new X-Men books. Kid Apocalypse is a member of "All-New X-Men's" teen team and Archangel, a character heavily influenced by the villain, is returning in the pages of "Uncanny X-Men."

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer Description Surfaces


ComicBook.com: Italian film site Cinefilos has posted a description of the first full trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse, which was reportedly shown at the Italian film industry summit CinemaDays Sorrento.

We ran Cinefilos’ description through Google translate, and then adjusted for common sense. Here’s what we believe the trailer describes:

"The trailer opens with Jean Grey waking from a nightmare. She tells Professor Xavier something along the lines of, “I have seen the end of the world. There was only death.” 

There’s a montage of footage of the young mutants at Xavier’s school, followed by a scene of Moira MacTaggert telling Xavier that they’ve discovered a god-like mutant who may be the origin of the species.

Cut to a shot of an intimidating hooded figure being followed by Psylocke and Storm. They search for mutants, and the hooded figure lists the many names he has been known by over the centuries. He says that the world needs to change, and be remade by mutants. The three of them find Magneto. Magneto asks, “Who are you?” The figure pulls down his hood to reveal the face of Apocalypse.

There’s a montage of the destruction caused by Apocalypse.

We see a shot of Xavier looking frightened. Either he or Jean says, “It can control all of us.” We’re shown two opposing groups of mutants (likely Apocalypse’s Horsemen and Xavier’s students and/or allies). Apocalypse sends a burst of energy through Xavier and his wheelchair, and Jean screams.

There’s a slow motion scene of Quicksilver running through the hallway leading towards Cerebro.

Mystique tells Xavier, “I came to fight.”

Professor X enters the Cerebro chamber, and his eyes become black. He says, “I’ve never felt like this before,” and is possibly possessed by Apocalypse.

The final shot is of a bald Professor X."

It sounds pretty much the same as what was shown at San Diego Comic Con, so it seems we may be getting a polished version of that footage debuting in front of Star Wars: The Force Awakens this month. There could still be small alterations – sometimes things change between domestic and international releases – but it will probably be pretty close to what we’ve translated from Cinefilos’ description.