After a series of extinction level events for the X-Men, Marvel’s favorite mutants are returning to comics in full force next year, with seven new comic books scheduled for 2017. Marvel editors Mark Paniccia and Daniel Ketchum recently explained the significance of each of their new books.
It’s been a long time since Marvel published so many mutant-centric books in one wave. Things seemed really touch-and-go for a moment after the current arc introduced the Terrigen Mist, a mutant-exterminating gas that led many readers to actually fear for characters like Jean Grey, Magneto, Wolverine, and Storm. Turns out those troubles will be behind the X-Men when Marvel follows up their “Inhumans vs. X-Men” event series this fall with seven new comic books: Jean Grey, Iceman, Cable, Weapon X, Generation X, X-Men Blue, and X-Men Gold.
Paniccia and Ketchum highlight how the new “ResurrXion” series of X-Men books returns the characters to their classic tone of big adventures, big powers, and dramatic romances. That’s a tall order, given that the X-Men books have felt sidelined in recent years to teams like the Avengers and the Inhumans.
“When I was first introduced to the X-Men as a reader back in the [Chris] Claremont/[John] Byrne days, I was always on the edge of my seat,” Paniccia told Marvel. “I want readers to feel like they are on that same emotional roller coaster that made me come back month after month. I want to tap into that same creative energy that had us feeling what the characters were feeling, rooting for your heroes and cheering them on during battles where you thought they had no chance.”
While the solo books are pretty much self-explanatory, introducing solo adventures for Jean Grey, Iceman, and Cable who Paniccia and Ketchum explain were singled out for their unique potential for interesting stories, the two editors shared some new details about the team books (Generation X, Weapon X, Blue, Gold).
Generation X will focus once again on the Xavier School of Gifted Youngsters, introducing new mutant students to school life and classic X-Men adventures. Meanwhile, Weapon X is being sold as one of the “darkest” books about the X-Men, with Paniccia and Ketchum encouraging creators to really push the envelope in terms of age rating.
Meanwhile Blue and Gold are two different X-Men team series, each focusing on a different team of “All-Star” X-Men. The lineup for these teams haven’t been revealed yet, but Marvel is promising old favorites and heavy hitters leading the X-Men once again.
Each of these books is scheduled for release Spring 2017.
