Marvel: Debuting on May 29, Brian Wood's X-MEN has already gotten fans talking and readers ready for the team's next stage of evolution.
The team consists of heavy-hitters Storm, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Rachel Grey and Jubilee, a roster that's being brought to life in the opening arc by artist Olivier Coipel.
X-MEN #4 adds artist David Lopez to the title's creative team. Last year he provided pulse-pounding pencils to Wood's dynamic run on X-MEN and he’s also contributed to NEW MUTANTS as well as WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN. Following Lopez in the rotation will be UNCANNY X-MEN stalwart Terry Dodson.
We spoke with Wood about the action-packed artistic future of X-MEN.
Marvel.com: Brian, David Lopez previously collaborated with you on last year's X-MEN series. Was he a shoe-in for inclusion from the get go?
Brian Wood: I think it was always the plan and everyone's intention to bring David in as soon as possible. Certainly for me it was. I love David's work and it clicks just right with my words.
Marvel.com: Both Olivier and David are phenomenal artists who excel at drawing character emotion and action. But what makes them different? Is David's arc a story best suited for David Lopez, and how so?
Brian Wood: I always try and tailor the script to the strengths of the artist, so yeah, I'll have that in mind when I come up with ideas and write the actual scripts for David, just like I did for Olivier, and everyone else I work with. As far as what makes them different—I mean, I generally dislike comparing artists like that, but they are both proven, solid, amazing X-Men artists.
Marvel.com: Your previous run on X-MEN contained equal parts personal drama and high action. Will a similar balance be played out in David's new issues, or will it be heavier on one side?
Brian Wood: Well, ideally, we'll find the right mix. Action and drama is basically what the X-Men is as a concept. But this new series, this is designed to be a very action-heavy book, so what you'll probably see, comparing it to last year's X-MEN, is bigger, badder, and seriously amped up action alongside the drama and the interpersonal stuff. David's up to the task, I know he is!
Marvel.com: When picking artists for X-MEN, what has to be considered? Is there a unifying trait that Olivier, Terry and David all have?
Brian Wood: Being great? [Laughs] That's the most honest answer. Put together like that, this is a dream team. I missed working with Terry way back in 1999 when I came onto GENERATION X just as he was moving off it, and so I'm happy to finally get the chance to work with him.
Marvel.com: Is there one character in particular that each artist seems to have gravitated towards? Does one of their takes on one of the X-Men stand out as particularly exciting?
Brian Wood: It's hard for me to say since it all looks solid to me. I know from talking to Olivier at C2E2 recently that he feels pretty strongly about Storm, and I know David draws a killer Storm from working with him last year. Personally, I'm a big Jubilee fan so she's who I'm looking out for the most. Oh, also, Rogue! In my stories, I'm amping her up a bit, making her a total brawler, and I love how Olivier's drawn her in all these action scenes.
“For so long, my life has been out of control. Chaos and serendipity, wrapped in insanity. I have suffered, I have lost. Not just my life, but my very soul, my self. But no more. Now I know who I am.” – Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock, daughter of Otherworld, mutant, telepath, telekinetic, defender of the realm and, above all, X-Man.
3 comments:
Although IMO Coipel is the better artist among the three, I like David Lopez's and Terry Dodson's arts as well, so this is good news. This book will have many good artists, it seems.
"making her a total brawler" !!!! YEAH... Please Wood bring Rogue back.
Personaly I love David Lopez's art! I wasn't a big fan of his work a few years ago, but nowadays his style is quite similar to Frank Quitely's which is very good...
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