AiPT!: Anticipation for the first major event of the Dawn of X era is at an all-time high, so we at AIPT are proud to bring you this eXtra-large (and ridiculously fun) X of Swords-focused interview.
AIPT: There are a few cases where new writers are jumping onto series or co-writing chapters. How did this idea to mix it up come about and how did those who step into new roles for X of Swords find it?
Jordan D. White: This whole thing has grown out of the story we wanted to tell–it started when the track Jonathan had laid down early on dovetailed with where Tini was going in Excalibur, and when that fusion was brought to the whole group, everyone had ideas to pitch in as to where it was going. There are ideas from all sorts of folks that ended up in other people’s issues, everyone is giving notes and pitches for one another–it’s a very generous collaboration and I think everyone is into it.
AIPT: In the Dawn of X, you had to decide which mutants would sit on the Quiet Council. With X of Swords, you had to decide who the 10 sword-wielding mutants would be. What was the process behind selecting these characters like?
Jordan D. White: I am trying to think if there were a lot of people suggested that DIDN’T end up as Krakoan swordbearers, and I can’t think of many. It was at our C2E2 summit that we made the final list, taking all the ideas and locking it into the 10 swords we ended up with. I can think of one or two that I thought were going to be on there that were not… but there were good reasons, either for the people we ended up with or to NOT include some of the ones we did so we could use them otherwise.
AIPT: X-Fans love a good soap opera. Can we expect some romance in-between all the sword fighting?
Ben Percy: There’s plenty of emotional drama mixed into the mayhem. I can’t share anything too detailed, but there’s a lot of angles on… marriage in this thing.
AIPT: I’m not sure if you all know this, but Betsy Braddock has some very passionate fans who especially care about her relationships with her fellow mutants. Can we expect interactions between Captain Britain and both Storm and Cypher?
Jordan D. White: Well, they are all in this together. All three of them have big things happen to them in this series as a result of the battle they take on together, but we’re not spending that much time on their history compared to moving them forward.
Tini Howard: Betsy is on a weird personal journey right now, and those can be lonely. If it feels like Betsy spends a lot of time alone, hurting, and on missions, and precious little time allowing herself to be comforted and soothed by the people closest to her, well–that’s the Betsy we’ve always known.
AIPT: X-Fans are concerned that X of Swords cover art suggests only a small group of characters play key roles in this event. Is it safe to assume they shouldn’t judge an event by its covers?
Jordan D. White: Only X-Men fans see 20 characters fighting with swords and ask why so many characters were left out. 😛 There are a LOT of characters in this crossover, and more than just the swordbearers are important to it.
“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.
8 comments:
Wow, the question about Betsy is... odd. And so are the answers to it.
Anyway, glad to know that the swordbearers aren't the only important X-Men to this event. As for its structure, I'm curious. Hickman always seemed to be the kind of writer who works better on his own (I mean, we all remember AvX, where he shared writing duties with four other great writers - then again, it feels there was some heavy editorial interference after the first five issues), but the X-overs with each chapter written and drawn by a different team are a tradition with the X-Men and they have provided some fantastic stories, like Inferno, X-Tinction Agenda, Messiah CompleX and Second Coming (even Battle of the Atom had a good first half, before the severe quality drop in the second half).
Hopefully this event will be a good one. HoX/PoX is amazing, so they have a big challenge in order not to let us down.
By the way, this weekend I found my old comic books with the Second Coming story and it actually aged pretty well. I remember being bothered by the middle of the crossover having too much dialogue and Hope spending much time angsting, but it didn't bother me much now. And it was great to see how many plot threads from both Kyle & Yost's and Fraction's stories were tied together and resolved on it.
Betsy for council all the way she can't have nice things though. The interview was a meme c'mon. Giveaways are no-nos the form they are served is measure.
''If it feels like Betsy spends a lot of time alone, hurting, and on missions, and precious little time allowing herself to be comforted and soothed by the people closest to her, well–that’s the Betsy we’ve always known.''
Nay that's somebody else.
@FSaker Messiah Complex redeems Beast. He tried to find a cure for Wandatis and is so glossed over. Bishop was done poorly the way his treason was quick and flatfooted. It is the best opening act to a trilogy in the way of action and chills.
@Kiki M. Ishola, yes, Messiah CompleX is a great story as well. But yes, I don't like how Bishop was turned into a monster (though his true vile acts were only committed after this event, in Cable's solo book).
Nevertheless, it's a nice crossover, and so is Second Coming. And yes, there's Messiah War and it's also great (it's surprising how it gets all the 1990s "edgy" characters and gimmicks and still come out as a good story with substance), but since it only involved two books and had few repercussions, I prefer to focus on the other two parts of the trilogy.
@FSaker Swierczynski used the 90 corniness like a mature writer. Messiah War is adult Liefeld write a story only he never did and hasn't grown up. Vanisher got the best treatment. Wish it was the norm in comics for useless villains and heroes. My two cents and I cheered for Vanisher and the Terminator energy.
Stories like these have us hooked cause they're not half @ssed. Despite me drawn less to time travel and shootouts. Bishop was a jerk but he had his reasons. A flaw I liked in the creation of Psylocke by Mojo. Betsy had a purpose to double down as a hero cause Mojo made her do bad things. Plus her kill thirst was all Spiral torture not the Nicieza retcon which robbed us of the good stuff. Bishop did the thing he thought it was best for the future and knowing how messed up time travelers are it's normal. Jerk Bishop could be shout out to the traitor mystery before the Onslaught surprise.
@Psi girl, is there any place that has all the e-mails of the comics, editors, or author's? I would love to ask to comment on their take of Betsy.
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