“Krakoa!” was the shout of the man in the row behind me. He didn’t have a suggestion. He wasn’t necessarily pro-Krakoa or anti-Krakoa. He just needed a word to express his enthusiasm for everything “X-Men” has been for the last 12 weeks, and everything is might be in the future. “Krakoa!” he shouted over and over again. And you know what? I really feel that guy.
Mutantversity went to the ‘Dawn of X’ panel at New York Comic Con. A lot of other comic book websites have dutifully reported on the news, such as the fact that we will be getting a new solo “Wolverine” series in 2020. And I will definitely mention those announcements here. But I will also fulfill my obligation as your designated X-Pert and wildly speculate, reading into the tones and body language of everyone on stage. If HOXPOX has taught us anything, it’s that everything is a clue, and any mystery can be solved.
The panel was ostensibly led by Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski. Since coming on, Cebulski has made a lot of good decisions. He helped usher in this new era of “X-Men” for one. He added legacy numbers to the fronts of books, I like that a lot. But he hasn’t been above criticism, and I don’t think it’s a reach to say that he wasn’t the main source of exuberance on the stage.
That would be “X-Men” editor Jordan D. White. With a haircut that can only be described as Tintin by way of Sam Elliot, White was the defacto star on the stage. He’s got that patented Marvel comics carnival barker charm, and a lot of patience. That’s important when you are fielding fan questions at comic conventions, because those fans can be a lot.
Similarly charismatic was Tini Howard. She was clearly losing her voice, but that didn’t stop her from having lots of fun stuff to say. Howard has got long time fan bonafides, and when she talks slashfic and cosplay, you know she’s speaking from firsthand experience. Comic cons really seem like her element.
They were joined on stage by Ed Brisson and Ben Percy. The two of them were quiet, which makes sense to me. I get the feeling that you don’t get a job writing comics because you dream of being on stage in front of 2,000 rabid X-fans. But when they did speak up later in the panel, they left quite an impression. They were also briefly joined by Gerry Duggan and Jonathan Hickman via a per-recorded video.
X-Men
Since this was the ‘Dawn of X’ panel, it was organized by book. There wasn’t a whole lot of new information given, hence our wild speculation. They opened with pages from Jonathan Hickman’s “X-Men” #1 (for a reminder of what these books are all about, look at this earlier Mutantversity entry about that very thing). In these pages, we see what looks like a flashback in which Professor X gives Scott his ruby-quartz glasses.
A lot of fans have been wondering why certain X-Men have certain injuries. If Scott’s lack of control over his powers was due to (at least in part) a head injury, why can’t that be erased when he regenerates in a Krakoa pod? I can think of a lot of possible answers, but the fact that his glasses play such a role in the first issue makes me think that we are going to get a definitive answer.
White was adamant(ium) that this was a series about every single X-Man, and he showed that off with covers of upcoming issues. I spotted Armor, Storm, Mystique, and the Autumn Council of Krakoa, (which includes Professor X, Magneto, and Apocalypse). Throughout the panel, there was quite a bit of Armor, which is great, because she’s become one of the most prominent mutants of her generation.
The Autumn Council cover was great because it showed those three gentlemen in suits. Big Apocalypse was looking pretty dapper. White told everyone that this was an issue where the Council heads to the Davos Economic Summit, and assured us that Hickman was capable of making something like that interesting. I read “Black Monday Murders,” so I have no doubt. You disrupt the global economy with some world shaking mutant flower drugs, you best have an issue of political intrigue dealing with the fallout.
Continued belowThey were also coy about the Mystique cover. But having read the most recent issue of “Powers of X,” we now know that Mystique is being done dirty by the rest of the council. Considering her proximity to the duplicitous Mister Sinister, I imagine this issue will plant the early seeds of her eventual betrayal.
Marauders
This is easily the ‘Dawn of X’ book that I am most excited for, so naturally it was the one they showed off the least. They wanted to make two things clear through the pages they were showing off. Number one: Kitty kicks ass. Number two: Emma takes names. And damn those pages had both things in abundance. Captain Kate Pryde is phasing through fools, disarming them, and doing all sorts of glorious pirate nonsense.
The one interesting cover mainly featured Bishop. He was pointing one of his signature oversized guns at a mutant emerging from a golden Krakoa egg. And I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it was Pyro. Not only is he the most villainous member of the marauders, but I’d go so far to say that he is likely to be part of Mystique’s growing renegade faction.
Video Interlude
After introducing these first two books, we saw a video featuring Jordan D. White, Gerry Duggan, and Jonathan Hickman. The dynamics between White and Hickman need to be seen to be believed. White is Hickman’s boss, but their relationship is performatively adversarial. It’s like watching vintage Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Vince McMahon. White mentioned that they’ve been together at a retreat for a few days and Hickman grumbled. “I’ve been married 22 years, and I’d pick my wife any day of the week.” I sure hope so Mister Hickman.
You’ll also notice that Hickman almost never smiles. That being said, he warms up a bit when he’s talking about his books, which he takes very seriously. He’s a serious guy, and these silly characters seem very real to him. Duggan on the other hand I have met before, and he’s usually a jocular guy, but they seemed pretty beat from days of the X-retreat.
The three of them claimed the “Marauders is deepest into the mythology of the X-Men,” which sounds like the type of thing you’d say at a panel full of X-fans, so I wouldn’t read too deeply into that. A bit more interesting was the claim that “Emma is arguably the most powerful person on Krakoa.” They were talking in terms of political strength, and said that Emma controls three seats on the Council- her own, Shaw’s, and Pryde’s.
The Kate Pryde seat makes a lot of sense. While Kate is off doing boat adventures, Emma probably gets her proxy vote. Love that. But Shaw was always abusive and manipulative towards her that is, until Leah Williams’ eXcellent “X-Men Black” issue where Emma overthrows Shaw. Now that he’s back in the fold, it seems that he’s firmly in her pocket. I’d bet that will be an important dynamic to keep an eye out for with “Marauders.”
Excalibur
Once talk turned towards her book, Tini Howard was an endless font of positive energy. “I’ve written Thanos, Death’s Head, and now Apocalypse. I love a big mean man in cool tones.” Her genuine enthusiasm was impossible to fake. “Excalibur” is filled with her favorite characters. Howard seems excited to continue the good work with Betsy that Leah Williams (there she is again) was doing in “Extremists,” plus Rictor, Gambit, Jubilee, and Rogue. Then there is Apocalypse, who I gathered she didn’t start out as excited about, but then found her angle: can Apocalypse learn to share?
The most provocative cover featured Apocalypse standing over a nude Rogue, who is covered in Krakoan vines. My immediate thought was that he was helping to rebuild her without her weakness, so that Rogue can finally control her powers once and for all. I saw some other interpretations that he is acting as OBGYN for the Rogue and Gambit baby. After all “Make More Mutants” is a law of Krakoa. Either sounds cool to me. It’s nice to be so confident in Howard that I don’t feel a need to worry about a story idea that might feel weird in the hands of other creators.
Continued belowOther than that, the book is still pretty mysterious. The classic “Excalibur” lighthouse is now a Krakoa portal, and the book promises to have the sexy sitcom feel of the original Claremont/Davis run. But Howard is not Claremont or Davis, she is just thoroughly herself. “Girl with swords,” she concluded, “it’s the mood.”
X-Force
Wow. Wow wow wow wow. Ben Percy’s voice… is just wild. I’ll try to describe it with words, but I doubt I can do it justice. It’s low. Maybe baritone, maybe dipping into bass. Really low. He’s got a bit of what I thought was an Alabama twang, but the dude is from Oregon. And the words he chooses, oh man. He sounds like a “G.I. Joe” general. He talks in all-caps barks.
So when he was talking “X-Force,” he was covering a lot of things we’ve heard before. It’s going to be about the Krakoan spy agency, with half the team dealing with intelligence and the other half doing wetwork. Or, in Mister Percy’s own choice words: “YOU HAVE THE HEAD… AND THE FIST!” He smiled when he saw the reaction he was getting. He knows what he sounds like.
There were a few big reveals. One was a look at Forge’s armory. Percy said that he loves Forge, and I believe it. Now he’s dealing in biotech. There were organic ray guns and a robot-mecha-walker suit made out of organics too. It ruled. Also, we saw Jean Grey wearing the Cerebro helmet. Percy implied that something happens to Professor X, and all of that sounds like a killer hook. “X-Force” was the book that I needed the most convincing about, and consider me very convinced.
New Mutants
After the cartoonish insantiy of Percy, Brisson was a bit more like what I would expect. He’s quiet, but passionate, and deeply excited about The New Mutants. “Bobby misses Sam,” he said, in way of describing the plot of the first arc. Not “Sunspot and the team are searching for Cannonball.” Brisson thinks about his characters as people with emotions.
They showed off a bunch of art, and it was stunning. There’s no ‘Dawn of X’ book with bad artwork, but Rod Reis is joining at mighty pantheon of artists and definitely holding his head high. It’s not derivative of anyone’s work, but you wouldn’t mistake it for anything other than a “New Mutants” book.
Preview highlights included an issue starring Armor and Glob, who formed a really fun friendship in ‘Age of X-Man.’ That’s when Brisson dropped the biggest bombshell- while the traditional New Mutants are the core of this book, this is the series for all young X-kids. He promised Generation X and Academy X kids, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see characters from the Five Lights or the Bendis era. My biggest disappointment with ‘Dawn of X’ was the neglect of characters created after the 80s, but they will find a home in this book. That means a ton of Blob, plus an issue of Boom Boom. Hell yeah.
Oh and Glob gets stuck in Nebraska, which X-Fans might remember as the location of the orphanage Scott Summers grew up in… and also the secret laboratory of Mister Sinister! That sounds like my kind of powderkeg.
Fallen Angels
Jordan D. White introduced this book, and described it as the series of characters who are “not comfortable on Krakoa.” To start that will include Laura Kinney, Cable, and Kwannon. One of the big criticisms of HOXPOX is the zealous culty atmospehre of the mutants on Krakoa. Not everything is kosher, but no one seems to be voicing concern. This book is the place to address those concerns whether its about body autonomy, secret conspiracies, or old grudges. Professor X is ready to forgive all his enemies, Kwannon not so much.
The cast isn’t just going to be limited to those three though! We found out that in issue #5, the team will be joined by none other than Husk and Bling! I don’t know if those two are about to become outcasts, but those are the kind of deep cut misfits I want to see in a book called “Fallen Angels.”
Continued belowThe panel ended in the traditional Q+A, where fans asked about their favorite characters. Blink isn’t going to be in any books right now, but she’s alive and safe on Krakoa. Molly Hayes is still going to be in “Runaways,” but she has a choice to make regarding her mutant identity. No-Girl can finally be given a body and live her life in peace. Anole’s arms have been drawn wildly differently as art mistakes, and not because of some deep mystery.
One question made the panel squirm a little bit, regarding Franklin Richards. They didn’t confirm or deny anything, but its clear that Franklin remains a big part of Hickman’s master plan. I’d go so far to predict that a solo Franklin book is in the works, maybe as soon as the 2020 set of books.
And speaking of Wave 2, they ended the panel by announcing a new “Wolverine” solo series, written by Ben Percy and drawn by Adam Kubert. I went in the panel not feeling strongly about Percy’s books one way or the other, but his crazy energy infected me, and now I can’t wait. Wolverine gets to be the head and the hammer! By the time we were all filing out, we all wanted to shout, “Krakoa!” That was all there was to do really.
