Marvel.com: Series writer Charles Soule keeps throwing curveballs at his Astonishing X-Men team. And they might not be ready for the latest twist heading their way.
When Part One of the new storyline “A Man Called X” begins with Astonishing X-Men #7, the merry mutants must reckon with a resurgent—and slightly unfamiliar—Charles Xavier. Written by Soule with art by Phil Noto, this epic tale starts with a bang.
We caught up with Noto to discuss teaming up with his Poe Dameron partner on a different series, getting to know a few mutants better, and developing a new look for Professor X.
Marvel.com: There has been an all-star lineup of artists contributing to this run of Astonishing X-Men so far. What most appealed to you about joining in on the fun?
Phil Noto: I was flattered to be included with those artists in the lineup. It’s also been awhile since I’ve worked on an X-book, so that appealed to me.
Marvel.com: This book contains a pretty eclectic group of X-Men. Did any of them offer a surprising challenge when you started digging into the issue?
Phil Noto: Well, I’ve drawn most of them in one form or another—except for Bishop. I think this might be my first official Bishop work, which has been fun because I’ve been a fan of the character since the old X-Men cartoon. Other than a few costume changes with Gambit and Rogue, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on them.
Now, creating a young Xavier definitely felt like a bit of a challenge. He’s more cocky and laid back than his future self. He’s also walking around. I just tried to make him read as X as much as I could, and I think it worked.
Marvel.com: What’s it like shining the spotlight on Professor X this way?
Phil Noto: It was fun to do a Professor-centric issue. I’ve never really spent much time drawing him. And the way Charles has written this new incarnation of Xavier is very cool!
Marvel.com: What can you tell us about the threat Professor X and his team find themselves up against as “A Man Called X” begins?
Phil Noto: After the defeat of the Shadow King, London remains swarming with psychic zombies, with Bishop being one of them. Suddenly, a young Xavier appears—dressed as Fantomex—and tells the team that it’s cool, that he’s got it under control. Next thing you know, there’s a crazy green sun, which can’t be good. Don’t want to spoil more than that!
Marvel.com: You’ve worked with Charles Soule before—how has your collaborative relationship evolved over time?
Phil Noto: Charles and I go way back. We did a Thunderbolts issue together years ago. Working on Poe Dameron with him has been a delight. From planning out the initial story and characters to doing the book together, we definitely have a good rapport. It’s nice to have that kind of relationship with a writer. I usually instinctively know what he’s going for on the page. If I have any questions about something, I can just text him. I think we make a pretty good team!
Writer Charles Soule and artist Phil Noto’s ASTONISHING X-MEN #7 drops on January 3!
“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.
6 comments:
To be honest I don't like the way Noto draws Betsy. She isn't a lean Japanese woman. More a short white girl with purple hair. Even in her British days she was not short. She was a 5'11" model.
Noto is one of my big favorites, if not my favorite contemporary drawing artist. So this is great!
The two best Betsy artists are Alan Davis and Marc Silvestri in that order. They render both versions beautifully.
This means we have Xavier in Fantomex body, right? Only his mind in his body??
Are Xavier and Fantomex two separate entitites or just one in the same body?
If they are different entities, what happened to Fantomex?
So I"m confused, does the Fantomex body now have the face that young Xavier had or is that Fantomex's face? I don't recall ever saying Fantomex's real face to be able to tell the difference?
Regarding to the first comment, what are you talking about Erik. Phil Noto has done a phenomenal job in drawing the iconic version of Psylocke since Uncanny X-force. Youu also need to check your X-men history,because her body was swap from a British woman to a Japanese assassin.
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