Writer Charles Soule is rebooting Astonishing X-Men after it closed up shop in 2013. Expect to see the new title in comic book stores this summer.
Becoming a big-time Marvel comics writer is bound to be at least a little daunting. For Charles Soule, following up the work collected in the Astonishing X-Men series since the mid-1990s is a big deal. Said deal gets even bigger when you consider that the series hosted major creatives such as Joss Whedon, Marjorie Liu, Greg Pak, and Warren Ellis.
Soule, however, tries not to think too much about that. “You just put your head down and write your story and hope that it can stand next to the other books in the line,” he said in an interview with Marvel.
Still, he says that he’s going for an “epic” feel with real-world complications, including the consequences of a large superhero fight in the middle of London.
Writer @CharlesSoule lets loose with “Astonishing #XMen” this July! Details on https://t.co/2gXkrpswTj: https://t.co/wsUma9Y7TY pic.twitter.com/EDF2r7nLgz
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) March 9, 2017
Now, Soule will have the visual help of many talented comics artists. In fact, each new issues of Astonishing X-Men will feature a different top-tier artist, both on the cover and in interior artwork. The first issue, Astonishing X-Men #1, will showcase the work of Jim Cheung. Cheung is best known for his work on Young Avengers, Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, and Scion.
Other artists featured in the series are Ron Garney, ACO, Phil Noto, Greg Land, and Ramon Rosanas, with more yet to be revealed.
The series will feature many fan-favorite mutants, including Mystique, Rogue, Gambit, Archangel, Psylocke, and Fantomex. Astonishing X-Men will also include Old Man Logan, an alternate universe version of Wolverine who is, well, old and exceedingly grizzled.
Old Man Logan cover (Image via Marvel)
See, told you that you can’t keep Wolverine from turning back up, even in the aftermath of a comics event called Death of Wolverine. After all, in the world of comics, “death” is just kind of a suggestion. However, to be fair, it seems to be pretty insistent in the case of our reality’s Logan.
Anyway, it looks like Old Man Logan didn’t get the memo. It all shows that you just can’t keep a good mutant down. Also, it helps to have a few alternate dimensions lying around. Maybe next time they’ll use someone from that Marvel universe where everyone has beards.
Next: 20 Of The Best Wolverine Stories
In his Marvel interview, Soule seemed especially interested in drawing on the “soap opera” drama inherent in these characters’ relationships. “Many of them have dated each other, or have been in love triangles,” he said. “It’s just a feast of drama”. Though he’s been cagey about exact plot points or villains, Soule promises a wild ride.
Look for the aforementioned feast of drama in Astonishing X-Men #1, set to hit comics stores this July.