Friday, February 28, 2020

Jonathan Hickman's Next X-Men Crossover Is 15-Part Mystical 'X Of Swords' Series


SyFyWire: After fan-favorite X-Men writer Jonathan Hickman mutated the comic series into two killer tales, House of X and Powers of X, he kicked off a whole new world for the ever-growing band of mutantkind in the Marvel comic world. Now, with some new books - like Giant-Size X-Men - flowing from his pen after the Dawn of X broke, the author's X-focused panel at C2E2 2020 broke down the future of mutantkind - manifesting as the next step in Hickman's grand X-plan: X of Swords.

The panel - which also featured Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski, Senior Editor Jordan D. White, and other X-men creators like Gerry Duggan, Tini Howard, Benjamin Percy, Vita Ayala, and Leah Williams - touched on plenty of other X-stories and their gorgeous covers, but Swords was the big draw.

The crossover storyline, which will affect the entire X-Men line, follows in the wordplay (letterplay?) tradition of Hickman's previous series, with another meaning referring to the Ten of Swords tarot card that symbolizes a destructive situation pinning down the subject - something that could be quite potent for a team of mutant superheroes.

The 15-part crossover led by Head of X Jonathan Hickman will show how ten mutants become the heroes that must defend their home of Krakoa. Armed with swords from all over the Marvel universe - past and present - they fight, slice, and stab towards mutantkind's ultimate, mystical destiny as this series looks to inform the future of the X-Men line at large.

In X of Swords, mutanddom society will be threatened “by powerful forces from the unknown,” according to a Marvel press release, and “ten mutants will rise up to defend their home. Arming themselves with legendary blades, both new and familiar ones from Marvel history, mutantkind will finally meet its mystical destiny.” Hickman will writing the “tentpoles” of the series alongside Exalibur scribe Tini Howard. Excalibur being both the current X-Men line’s magic-focused book, and the name of a legendary sword.

Captain Britain by Wilton Santos

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Excalibur #8 Preview

Excalibur #8
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Wilton Santos
Color Artist: Erick Arciniega
Cover by: Mahmud A. Asrar

The Story:
Hark! The Hunt for Truth!
Excalibur emerges from the woods with a journey before them.

In Stores: March 4, 2020

Thursday, February 20, 2020

X-Solicits for May 2020

Excalibur #11
Tini Howard (W) • Marcus To (A)
Cover by: Mahmud Asrar
Blood of the Changeling!
The Citadel has committed an act of war and Excalibur must respond. While they lick their wounds deep in Otherworld, Apocalypse takes steps toward his ultimate goal.


X-Men #11
Jonathan Hickman (W) • Leinil Francis Yu (A/C)
Empyre Variant Cover by: TBA
Days of Future Past Variant Cover by: Javier Rodriguez
The trees are killing the children!


Marauders #11
Gerry Duggan (W) • Stefano Casseli (A)
Cover by: Russell Dauterman
The Queen is Dead!
The Marauders…the Hellfire Trading Company…all of Krakoa is reeling from the death of Kate Pryde.


New Mutants #11
Ed Brisson (W) • Flaviano (A)
Cover by: Mike Del Mundo
Days of Future Past Variant Cover by: Javier Rodriguez
Helping young mutants in crisis ain’t all sunshine and rainbows — and recently, it’s been downright nightmarish. But maybe the New Mutants’ luck is changing...


X-Force #11
Benjamin Percy (W) • Joshua Cassara (A)
Cover by: Dustin Weaver
Red Dawn!
After taking on the Flower Cartel, Logan has brought back valuable intel to the mutant CIA. The non-treaty nation of Russia is working to undermine Krakoa — and may be aligned with Xeno. Beast wants Colossus on their side as the first drumbeats of war begin to sound.


Hellions #3
Zeb Wells (W) • Stephen Segovia (A/C)
Design Cover Variant by: Tom Mueller
Variant Cover by: TBA
Mas as Hell!
Krakoa’s resident rabble are up against the grand dame of the damned — the Goblin Queen, Madelyne Pryor! Talk about a return that could raise some havoc!


X-Factor #2
Leah Williams (W) • David Baldeón (A)
Cover by: Ivan Shavrin
Variant Cover by: TBA
Dark Marvel Variant Cover by: David Nakayama
Days of Future Past Variant Cover by: Javier Rodriguez
Dance of Death!
The team gets their first case — investigating the disappearance of a mutant dancer at a prestigious ballet academy…in the Mojoverse!


Children of the Atom #2
Vita Ayala (W) • Bernard Chang (A)
Cover by: R.B. Silva
Variant Cover by: Mike Henderson
Days of Future Past Variant Cover by: Javier Rodriguez
Breakout!
A local prison riot is quickly turning into an escape and the only ones who can stop them are a bunch of high schoolers?! The strangest teens of all are on the case! Guest-starring the Avengers!


Empyre: X-Men #1
Jonathan Hickman & Tini Howard (W) • Matteo Buffagni (A)
Empyre: X-Men #2
Gerry Duggan, Benjamin Percy & Leah Williams (W) • Lucas Werneck (A)
Cover by: Mike McKone
Plant people from outer space have come to Earth and, wouldn’t you know it, they just happen to be here when millions of mutants rise as undead creatures hungry for human flesh. The X-Men return to Genosha in a tale so crazy, it’s taking the entire writing crew of the X-Men line to tackle it!

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Excalibur #7 Art

Excalibur #7 Spoilers

Spoilers: At the Lighthouse, Betsy asks for Rictor’s help to bury the Sword of Might under the ground. Afterwards, Betsy heads to Otherworld to keep an eye on Jamie and talk to Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur is accompanied by Exodus and reveals that now every mutant can walk through the gate to Otherworld. Betsy lets him know that she doesn’t appreciate all the mystery, and as a token of confidence, Apocalypse offers her his Grimoire texts. Apocalypse explains that he is need of a multipart dimensional component that can act as a homing beacon between realms and tasks Betsy to retrieve the Warwolves to that end. Betsy encourages Jubilee to let Meggan babysit Shogo while they head to the London Zoo accompanied by Pete Wisdom in search of the Warvolves. At the Zoo, they find out that that the Warwolves where bought by Cullen Bloodstone. Excalibur reaches out to Cullen and proposes to buy the Warwolves, instead, he offers a hunt. The next day, Betsy, Jubilee, Rogue, Gambit and Rictor head to Cullen’s Summer Lodge in order to hunt the Warwolves. As Betsy and Rogue easily slay two of them using their mutant powers, Cullen decides it’s time to turn the tables and hunt mutants instead.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Excalibur #7 Preview

Excalibur #7
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Wilton Santos
Color Artist: Erick Arciniega
Cover by: Mahmud A. Asrar

The Story:
The Huntsmen and the Warwolves!
Excalibur faces an old foe - this time as the hunters rather than the game.

In Stores: February 12, 2020