Charles Soule Twitter Q&A

Will this series be big and overarching or quick 2-3 issue story arcs?

Soule: Astonishing X-Men is big and overarching. Builds and builds. Think like a season of Game of Thrones.

Will Dr. Doom make an appearance?

Soule: You may have to look elsewhere for that particular pairing - but the villains here are great.

Is there a Weapon Plus arc as Fantomex is on the team? Which character on the team is your favourite?

Soule: Nope re: Weapon Plus. I'm enjoying Psylocke a lot.

Will it feature any Inhumans?

Soule: Not so far, but not impossible.

Will it tie-in with Secret Empire?

Soule: Nope.

Will any aspect of Psylocke's past come back to haunt her? I mean other than her arch enemy Shadow King.

Soule: Astonishing is extremely forward-looking. Not much dwelling on past stories. The idea is to take this cast to new places.

Will there be non X-People showing up?

Soule: Yes. A big part of the story involves the X-Men interacting with the non-X world.

What would you say is the most innovative thing you've done with this book?

Soule: I'm not sure if it's "innovative," but I'm working a lot on pace. Intense, intense, intense.

Are there any particular runs of previous X-Men you'd recommending reading before this run of Astonishing?

Soule: The book is designed to be picked up cold.

Who is the big bad?

Soule: Shadow King is a significant presence.

What sort of X-Men Villains can we hope to see pop up? Other mutants? Evil people people? Maybe other heroes villains?

Soule: All of the above.

Will adult Beast join the team?

Soule: Wait and see!

What can you tell us about Rogue? How are you handling her return to the X-Men?

Soule: She keeps busy.

Will there be anything in Astonishing that we read in a few years that "Soule has been planting the seeds to this for years" ?

Soule: There's a thing. I just haven't decided if I'm going to pull the trigger on it here or not.

What kind of themes are you looking to explore in it?

Soule: Identity.

How would you sell this to someone like me who is interested in the X-Men but not necessarily a diehard fan? What will pull me in?

Soule:The accessibility of the story. Grabber from page 1, and all you need is to enjoy reading good comics.

How much of the last 8 years or so are you incorporating into your portrayal of Bishop?

Soule: Specifically from Messiah Complex, etc? Nada. Sam Humphries' Uncanny X-Force handled that masterfully. Bishop, in Astonishing, is a hero.

Is each arc going to be standalone? If it's not a continuous team, will we be able to start any arc with a team we like and not be confused?

Soule: It's not a team, it's a cast, and it's largely consistent throughout. I suggest you start with Astonishing X-Men #1 and never, ever stop.

How do you handle timelines? Esp re: the quantum Marvel universe. 

Or, what does time (see: fabula) mean to you when creating stories?

Soule: Great question. Like sand through the hourglass. Lotta days, lotta lives.

Will we see anything do with the World? Fantomex was messing with it last in IvX.

Soule: Nope.