Marvel.com: As the dust settles on the Marvel Universe, who will fill the Avengers-sized void left in Armageddon’s wake? The answer lies in Maximum X-Men #1, where writer Christopher Yost and artist Tony S. Daniel assemble an all-new X-Men team that will step up to the plate as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Led by Storm, the elite team brings together mutant Avengers and X-Men mainstays to stop a full-on invasion from the Negative Zone.
Dubbed “The Avenger Situation,” the series’ first arc pulls no punches as the X-Men battle hordes of inter-dimensional invaders. Get an exclusive first look at Maximum X-Men #1 with the lettered preview below and read on as Yost and Daniel tease what’s in store for the upcoming series!
MARVEL.COM: Tell us more about the mission statement of the Maximum X-Men team in a post-Armageddon world.
YOST: It’s a much harder world for Super Heroes after the explosive events of Armageddon. And while Wolverine’s got his team of street-level heroes, the days of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor seem to be over. So, who steps up to fill the void they left behind when world-ending threats arrive?
The 1984 Secret Wars series was foundational for me. And one of my favorite moments in it was when the X-Men volunteered to deal with Galactus as Captain America and the rest of the heroes went to take down the various super villains. And I loved that. In my mind, that’s what Maximum X-Men is, the X-Men reminding the world they’re heroes. It’s not about mutants or humans; it’s about saving the world.
MARVEL.COM: Storm is the leader of this X-Men team. What parts of her character do you hope to explore in this role as Maximum X-Men unfolds?
YOST: Storm’s led the X-Men before. She’s been a thief, queen, sorceress, and a goddess even. The hope here is to fuse all those things together into a kind of Maximum Storm. If you read my X-Men: Worlds Apart (2008) mini-series, you’ll get a pretty good idea of what I think of Ororo. She does not compromise.
MARVEL.COM: Maximum X-Men enlists many mutant heroes. How did you decide who made the cut for this roster?
YOST: Tom Brevoort and I talked about the team and what vibe we were going for. Classic Claremont/Lee era is where we landed. Characters like Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Psylocke, Bishop, it feels like classic X-Men. Adding in a few new additions and some of our favorites like Firestar and Justice, and even introducing a new character in issue #2. We wanted a good mix of powers and personalities and I’m excited to be able to write this team together.
MARVEL.COM: The roster assembled in Maximum X-Men packs quite the punch. Were there any characters whose powers you were excited to show off with your art in this first arc?
DANIEL: There are so many of them, it’s a bit hard to say just one. I’m just drawing most of these characters for the first time, save for Wolverine, who I’ve been able to get a couple variant covers for in the past. But I’m loving Storm’s effects and her flowy hair, the billowing cape and electricity around her. She’s been fun.
I also am having a wonderful time drawing Betsy. We’re seeing a lot of her butterfly effects throughout the issues, and she has that sword and shield. I think I’ll work in her staff at some point, it’s too cool not to. I’m having a ton of fun with everyone though; I couldn’t be more excited to work on these characters with Christopher.
MARVEL.COM: What was it like working together on Maximum X-Men?
YOST: It’s a dream come true. Tony’s so excited to be on X-Men, and that excitement is coming through in the pages. This was always meant to be an action book, and the first two issues are basically nothing BUT action… and Tony is delivering in a way that makes me literally giddy. Just you wait.
DANIEL: I’ve been a fan of Christopher’s for some time. He thinks so big, and so cinematically, it’s fun to read and work from his scripts. He’s a very visual writer. Every description, to me, it’s as if I’m working with a writer/director, I can see what he’s trying to convey clearly. A lot of his scenes read like a big-budget movie; his action scenes are very large and epic. But his quiet scenes have a lot of movement in them as well. It’s as close as I’ve come to drawing a movie. It’ll be worth all the work we’re pouring into this series, and I think fans will be excited to see what’s in store!
Check out the lettered preview for Maximum X-Men #1 above and pick the issue up at your local comic book shop on December 2.
“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.
1 comment:
The writing and action is fun so far! Not surprised this is Yost after all. I hope this book is a hit! It’s gotta do better than at least United right?
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