Marvel Debuts First Teaser Cover Images For Marvel Legacy

Yesterday, Marvel Comics promised an announcement that would change the face of comics. Today, ComicBook.com has your exclusive first look at what that looks like. Marvel has debuted 6 teaser images with only the text “MAKE MINE MARVEL” with “MARVEL LEGACY – Fall 2017.” The images when placed side by side clearly harken all the way back to Marvel’s beginnings. The Astonishing X-Men variant is pencilled by John Cassaday.

In a previous announcement, Marvel Editor In Chief has described Marvel Legacy as the following:

“A new initiative that will take things back to our iconic history, with a firm eye on the future, Marvel Legacy will present stories that remind everyone — newcomers and longtime fans alike — why Marvel stands as the premier name in fiction.”

Given by the look of the covers, Marvel wants to invoke some very key moments of it’s history and re-introduce those concepts for its new, larger audience.

Marvel Legacy is set to kick off with a 50-page one shot by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic that will set the tone of what the new Marvel Universe will look and feel like. Then, fans can expect some new and surprising creators to be on the company’s top books.

Astonishing X-Men #1 Adi Granov Variant Cover

Astonishing X-Men #1 John Tyler Christopher Variant Cover

Astonishing X-Men #1 Lettered Preview

A First Look at “Astonishing X-Men” #1, Plus A Chat with Writer Charles Soule and Editor Mark Paniccia

Multiversity Comics: On July 19th, “Astonishing X-Men” launches from Marvel. This series is quite different than the “X-Men: Blue” and “X-Men: Gold” books that are currently out, going for a larger scale and a unique creative approach. Each issue, writer Charles Soule will be joined by a different superstar artist – folks like Carlos Pacheco, Mike Deodato Jr., and Ed McGuinness – to tell this huge X-story in a unique way. The series will launch under the inimitable pencil of Jim Cheung, and we are thrilled to share an exclusive first look at his interior pages for “Astonishing X-Men” #1. In addition to that preview, we were able to have quick chats with writer Soule and series editor Mark Paniccia about how the series came about. Final order cut off is June 26th, so make sure you pre-order the book at your local comic shop, and keep reading below for the preview and interviews!

“Astonishing X-Men” #1 launches very soon. It has an eclectic mix of X-Men characters. Can you talk about this mix of characters and what we can expect from them?

Charles Soule: Well, each character in the cast is very distinct, I’d say. They all have dark sides, and they all have history with each other. The book will use that history in a very particular way, almost as weapons. I know I’m being a little vague here – let me start over. Psylocke, Old Man Logan, Mystique, the rest… they’re all icons in their own way, each with huge moments and influential storylines from X history. I’m writing them that way – larger than life, but of it, too. They’re all sort of conscious of their role in the history of the world, the X universe and the Marvel universe – not in a meta way, but literally. They’re old soldiers, and they know it.

The current X-Men books are really varied and the characters are spread out in very different ways. Some of these characters (like Old Man Logan) are already involved in other team books. Could you talk a bit about how this series fits into the current landscape of the X-Men titles?

CS: “Astonishing” doesn’t contradict anything else (as far as I know), but it’s also somewhat in its own basket as far as the storytelling. The story’s enormous, both within the world of the book and its implications for the X universe (“Astonishing” will “count,” in a big way), but it also happens extremely fast. Once Issue 1, page 1, hits, it’s go go go – no rest for the X.

What will make “Astonishing X-Men” stand out?

CS: The tone feels different to me. This book is designed from the ground up to tell a very particular story. I know exactly where it’s going and why, and everything we see in the book serves that story. So, maybe it’s a little leaner, a little meaner? Or maybe a lot leaner and meaner. I’m not playing it safe with the cast, that’s for sure. I’m known in the X universe as something of a contract killer (after Wolverine, Cyclops, Madrox, etc. that’s probably at least a bit fair to say.) I love the X-Men, but I don’t think you can treat them with kid gloves, either – and this book holds to that principle 100%.

You’re working with a lot of artists on this book. Can you talk about any challenges and rewards with working with so many artists on one series?

CS: Every issue is drawn by one of the very best in the business. Not that all the X books aren’t like that, but this one in particular – just to start off with Jim Cheung on interiors is a huge treat. And then to move from that to Mike Deodato Jr… and Ed McGuinness… and so on. It’s fantastic. It’s reassuring to know that whatever the story needs will be beautifully executed on the page. That said, my recap page at the start of every script is getting longer, as I explain to each new artist what’s happened previously and what they might need to know. That’s not such a bad thing, though – it keeps me on track too. Man, this is a pretty book.

Mark, there are a bunch of X-books on the market, with different teams, different tones, and different purposes. How would you describe your goals for “Astonishing X-Men?”

Mark Paniccia: Yes, each book has its own voice, characters and stories to tell. We’ve literally got something for everyone. We’d been wanting to publish the “Astonishing” title for a long time–cut to Charles and a pitch he had for an X-Men story that was so rich with big ideas and concepts that it was hard to turn down. But where could it be told? We already had two flagship books–“Blue” and “Gold”–up and running. And Charles had some BIG things that happen and effect the X-Men universe. So “Astonishing” was born. It gives you a finite story with big reveals, takes you to almost every corner of the X-Men world and is drawn by some of the best artists in the industry.

The process of editing is something that a lot of fans don’t know a lot about. Walk us through your role in the creation of this book – were you involved with helping to find the talent on the book? What do your responsibilities look like on a month to month basis?

MP: We workshopped some of the elements of pitch with Charles, things that allowed him to use certain characters and give the reader more bang for their buck. He had originally pitched this as a limited but it had the potential to be a maxi-series. Once we got the beats down we looked at staffing this on the art end. Who would be best for each issue and who was available. It’s challenging to create a schedule for 12 different artists, to figure out where they will have time to break from their prior commitments or before they start a new project. So there is a lot of tracking and checking in and coordinating involved. But we’re working with such great artists that it’s a lot of fun too.

How does the X-office work, in terms of what characters are available for what series? Are there turf wars over who gets Nightcrawler?

MP: This is one of the hardest parts of the gig, keeping track of all the characters. We share scripts with the writers and we have a chart but the X-world is very big and we just do our best at sharing.

What’s the one or two sentence description for this book – why is this the X-book people should be picking up?

MP: It’s big in scope and scale and will impact the world of X in a way no one is expecting. And it’s drawn by a murderer’s row of great comic artists.

Complete this sentence: By issue #10, the series will have changed in this key way:

MP: We’ll be out of the Astral Plane but not out of danger and there will be an exciting new player in the game.

To end on a lighthearted note, one of our former contributors was, hands down, the biggest Maggot fan in the world. Is there any chance we’ll get a Maggot appearance anytime soon? I know one dude in Las Vegas who would lose his mind if that happened!

MP: No Maggot in the near future. Sorry.

X-Solicits for September 2017

	Astonishing X-Men #3 Charles Soule (W) • Ed McGuinness (A/C) Variant Cover by: Simone Bianchi Variant Cover by: Dale Keown Character Variant Cover by: Alan Davis Villain Variant Cover by: Sanford Greene Venomized Magneto Variant Cover by: Francesco Mattina • Shadow King Showdown! The X-Men continue their fight against the Shadow King! But when Old Man Logan loses himself in the Astral Plane and Shadow King’s illusions, will he ever find his way back to his teammates? And what other horrors await our team? • Brought to you by the incomparable ED MCGUINNESS and eXcellent X-Men scribe, Charles Soule, Astonishing X-Men continues to be the X-Book you can’t afford to miss.
	X-Men: Blue #1 Cullen Bunn (W) • Giovanni Valletta (A) Cover by: Arthur Adams Rock-N-Roll Variant Cover by: Daniel Acuna • Now you see Beast…Henry Mccoy is known for a lot of things–his persona as the X-Men BEAST, his massive intellect…and now a penchant for MAGIC. But where did Hank learn this new-found skill? And will his teammates still want him around once the secret is out in the open?
	X-Men: Blue #12 Cullen Bunn (W) • Douglas Franchin (A) Cover by: Arthur Adams • …Now you don’t! While Hank continues to struggle with his newfound magical skill, Jimmy Hudson struggles with a challenge all his own… Will Jimmy be able to regain his memory with the help of his new friends? And will he like what he finds if he does?
	X-Men: Gold #11 Marc Guggenheim (W) • Lan Medina (A) Cover by: Dan Mora Rock-N-Roll Variant Cover by: Mike Del Mundo Venomized Omega Red Variant Cover by: Clayton Crain • Soviet scourge Omega Red has returned! But what does his return have to do with the reappearance of a relative Colossus and Magik thought long lost? Can the X-Men trust Anatoly Rasputin to help put Omega Red back in the grave? Or does he have ulterior motives for calling upon the X-Men?
	X-Men: Gold #12 Marc Guggenheim (W) • Luke Ross (A) Cover by: Ken Lashley • While on a mission to apprehend the latest incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the X-Men discovered a villain amongst their number who was a complete mystery. Little did they know, the alien KLEEVUS was on a mission of his own! Now, they’re on the verge of discovering Kleevus’ true nature…but will it be too late?

New Psylocke Statue

Iron Studios has announced a new Psylocke statue. The product is about 19 cm high and is expected to hit the market on the second half of 2017. Cast in polystone and hand painted, the statue is a limited edition and includes an extra head, exclusive to Concept Store, depicting Psylocke with the Crimson Dawn mark. The suggested price is R$339,99 (U$122,00).

Astonishing X-Men #1 & #2 Art Preview

Astonishing X-Men: All-Star Team

Marvel.com: A surprising rag-tag group of X-Men bands together to save our world from a new threat with results—dare we say—astonishing.

Writer Charles Soule’s new series, ASTONISHING X-MEN, hits on July 19 and it boasts double the drama, triple the mutant action, and a roster of artists to rival that of the characters. But let’s get one thing straight; you won’t find a typical X-Men story within the pages of this book. Why, you ask? We talked to Charles Soule to find out just what makes this title so different.

Marvel.com: Can you set the scene for us? What’s going on as this book kicks off?

Charles Soule: ASTONISHING X-MEN begins with an attack on the world’s psychics, both super hero-types and not. It’s vicious, and quick, and things are looking terrible from page one. We pick up the main thread of the story in London, where one of these attacks is taking place. Psylocke is at ground zero, and sends out sort of a psychic distress call to anyone nearby who might be able to help. A group of X-Men arrives to see what they can do…and we’re off.

Marvel.com: How does this book differ from other “team” books?

Charles Soule: Well, it’s not a team, really. This isn’t a group of X-Men with a mission statement and headquarters. It’s a cast of super-powered people, all of whom have been involved in questionable things in their past, coming together to try to solve a problem. Mostly, I’m writing it like a novel, or maybe a TV show; different characters have different arcs, and are more or less prominent at different times. The whole book is something like a puzzle box, with many layers of reveals; it’s not a “villain of the week” thing, really. It’s one huge story, with a lot of pieces that are all moving quickly, which start to link up or latch together as the story continues. It’s just…intense, I’d say. Focused and fast.

Marvel.com: Roll call! Give us a run down of the cast and what each member brings to the table.

Charles Soule: Psylocke, Logan—Old Man version—Rogue, Gambit, Fantomex, Mystique, Bishop, Angel. They all have their strengths as characters, but what I like about them is that they’re all sort of compromised, in a way. They all have dark moments in their past, secrets, strange interactions with the rest of the cast. Makes for some fantastic soap opera, which in turn gives real emotion and stakes to the action beats—that’s what you want, I think.

Marvel.com: What brought this mismatched group together and what’s the chemistry like? Any tension to deal with?

Charles Soule: The chemistry is interesting. Psylocke had relationships with both Fantomex and Angel. Fantomex has gotten together with Mystique before. Rogue is—sort of—Mystique’s daughter. Gambit and Rogue are one of the biggest romantic couples in X-land. Angel has a dark alter ego that he’s trying to work to deal with, the Archangel. Bishop was once a genocidal murderer—he was redeemed, but you know, still. And of course, back in his home dimension, Old Man Logan killed every last one of them. So yeah…there’s some tension.

Marvel.com: What is the biggest hurdle facing our heroes and what might they do to clear it?

Charles Soule: The main villain when we begin the story is a longtime X-Men foe: Amahl Farouk, aka The Shadow King. He’s an incarnation of evil and darkness that lives primarily on another dimension called the astral plane. He does manifest in our world from time to time, and he tends to do nasty things like possess people and use their bodies, or drive people mad. He’s a true X-Men “Big Bad;” the first “dark” mutant Charles Xavier ever met, back in the day, and the reason he started the Xavier Institute, to train up mutants to fight similar threats. The astral plane is sort of the Shadow King’s domain, and it’s a place where reality can warp and shift depending on the whims of the people inside it. Amahl Farouk tends to use that quality of the astral plane as a weapon, throwing people into their worst fears. He’s a tough foe.

Marvel.com: Where are the rest of the X-Men?

Charles Soule: As I’ve mentioned, the book moves very, very fast, and most of the events in the book take place before the other X-Men have a chance to get involved, or even get to where things are taking place.

Marvel.com: Do you have any favorite moments in the series so far?

Charles Soule: Every issue is being drawn by a different superstar artist, from Jim Cheung on #1, to Mike Deodato on #2, to Ed McGuinness, [to] Carlos Pacheco, and many more. I’m writing to each artist’s strengths, and making sure that they each get to do something sort of self-contained. Issue #3 is sort of a Wolverine-centered story, for example. They all delve into a lot of X-Men history and legacy, too—so that’s been fantastic, just seeing how all these artists approach this stuff. As far as specific moments, there’s a double-spread in issue #5 that I cannot wait to see. Should be incredible.

Marvel.com: Is there anything else you can tease about what’s in store for our heroes? Any surprises headed our way?

Charles Soule: Absolutely: there’s something big about this series that I haven’t discussed anywhere at all yet—and Marvel’s been great about working with me to make sure we keep a lid on it. There’s a key element to this book that I think will have people very excited, but I think it’ll be best for fans to discover it in the book itself. My Twitter feed should be interesting that day, for sure.

Start watching all the awkward group tension and surprise battles unfold in ASTONISHING X-MEN #1, written by Charles Soule with art by Jim Cheung, out July 19.

Astonishing X-Men Retailer Variant by Philip Tan