Nicieza X-Force returns in September!

External Since: Feb 28, 2004 Posts: 912

Samy Merchi <samy.DeleteThis@iki.fi> wrote in
news:Xns94B3C2CDD8499samyikifi@130.232.1.14:

> Fabian Nicieza is returning to X-Force in September, for a limited
> series. The art for the series will be provided by Rob Liefeld.
>
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.newsarama.com/pages/Marvel/X-Force.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.newsarama.com/pages/Marvel/X-Force.htm</font</a>>
>
> Now, I know a lot of people have very strong opinions regarding the
> art of Rob Liefeld. I urge each and every one of you to consider,
> however, the following:
>
> If this limited series sells well, it may well become an ongoing.
>
> Fabian Nicieza has a better track record at staying on a book than Rob
> Liefeld does.

You definitely echo my thoughts on this one, Samy. Whatever bad stuff
there is to say about Liefeld's work, he still created what was one of
my favorite action books of the 90's, and he definitely improved the New
Mutants over what it had been under Simonson/Blevins. Besides, it's
easier to keep him focused on a limited series than an ongoing. Plus,
it's nice to see FabNic getting some more work from Marvel.

> The future of the New Mutants/X-Force family of characters is in many
> ways hinging on the sales of this limited series.

When you consider how disappointing New Mutants is on this front, we
could definitely use a book like this.

> If you are content with watching said family make occasional guest
> appearances in the X-Men books, using as background fodder, cheap
> kill-off material and inept cameos that the 'real heroes', the X-Men
> have to save from all kinds of threats -- well, then, don't buy
> X-FORCE in September.

I'm still a little upset about Risque's fate, but only because I loved
the way she and Jimmy interacted. *sigh* Now, if only they could get
Tabitha away from Weapon X... And, hell, Siryn's busy doing NOTHING
right now.

> But if you miss the family having a book of their own? Some place
> where *they* get to be the stars, overshadowed by *no one*. If you
> love Sam, Roberto, Shatterstar, James Proudstar, Domino, Deadpool...
> If you love any of these... This is the family you will be supporting
> if you buy X-FORCE in September.

Frankly, I'd love to see Sam, Bobby, Shatterstar, and Warpath together
again. I was disappointed when JFM wrote Shatterstar out of X-Force,
because I thought he would have worked fine in "On the Road". Then
again, I just wanted to keep Shatterstar around. Oh, and I didn't much
care for the "happy, fluffy" James that most recently appeared in NXM.
However, I'm assuming we'll find out why James and Feral were able to
work together without trying to kill one another. (Less concerned about
Thornn, but that's an issue, too.)

> If the limited series sells well, it may indeed very well become an
> ongoing series, and quite possibly even with Nicieza teamed up with
> another artist.

A Fabian/Pollina team could be really nice. In fact, just thinking
about that makes me quiver a bit. Smile

> If you buy X-FORCE in September, you are investing money in making
> sure that the New Mutants/X-Force family of characters will have a
> book of their own again. Somewhere that we can see them every month. A
> place where we can meet our old friends and watch them develop further
> under the hand of Fabian Nicieza once more. The man who made Sam a
> capable leader. The man who made Shatterstar more than just a guy with
> swords. The man who made James Proudstar more than a Hellion. The man
> who basically created Cable and Domino both. The man who made Roberto
> into Reignfire. The man who created Feral's entire backstory. The man
> who wrote the amazing 'Without A Cable' arc in X-FORCE #19-25 where
> Sam had to really assume the duties of a leader in the wake of Cable's
> death. The man who brought Dani Moonstar back from Asgard because she
> wanted to save her friend from darkness. The man who wanted to do lots
> of things with X-Force still, and who was paving the way for all of
> that during Age of Apocalypse, but got abruptly replaced with Jeph
> Loeb.

Did we ever find out why that happened? It did seem rather abrupt,
since Fabian seemed to be in mid-story. The assumption would have been
that things would pick up post-AoA, but that obviously didn't happen. I
know Fabian's out there, so...any comments?

> The members implied by the promo art to be in the limited series are
> as follows: Sam, Jimmy, Shatterstar, Cable, Domino, Feral, Caliban.
> But remember, if this becomes an ongoing, then *this* book will be the
> home for the entire New Mutants family. Considering the past run
> Fabian Nicieza had on X-FORCE, I would find it extremely unlikely that
> he would not end up using other characters from the family as well,
> should the book become an ongoing. Remember that. Buying this book
> means increased odds of seeing Dani Moonstar, Xi'an Coy Manh and Rahne
> Sinclair. Buying this book means increased odds of seeing Warlock,
> Hope and Psimon. Buying this book means increased odds of ever seeing
> Illyana Rasputina again.

Actually, buying New Mutants/Academy X increases your odds of seeing
Dani, Shan, and Rahne, but I'm guessing you don't expect that book to
survive. However, *if* Liefeld sticks around, we do know he had at
least some interest in Illyana returning (since he showed her in at
least one pin-up, and she was in the X-Force Annual). It would depend
how her return happened, especially since I'm overall not a huge fan of
resurrections.

> I will be buying ten copies of each issue. And that is not hyperbole.
> I will literally be buying ten copies of each issue.

Then make sure you pre-order them. Marvel responds less to customer
sales as they do to store orders.

External Since: Feb 28, 2004 Posts: 912

yu239006.RemoveThis@yorku.ca (Peter Dimitriadis) wrote in
news:c3kn53$qbh$1@sunburst.ccs.yorku.ca:

> Samy Merchi (samy@iki.fi) wrote:
> No comment on X-Force itself. They've never really done anything for
> me, though I didn't really read it much, I was annoyed at Cable and
> New Mutants being dismantled for it. Nicieza's done some work I've
> liked before though, with the likes of Psi-Force, so I'll probably
> give it a shot for that. However...

New Mutants had already kind of lost its way when it left the school. I
think turning them into X-Force actually gave them a purpose they hadn't
had since Claremont left. (OK, technically a bit later, but I never
cared for those Simonson issues.) I'm not sure how Cable was
"dismantled" since Liefeld created him in the pages of New Mutants,
turned him into their leader in the same book, and then proceded to use
him in the book that came out of it. And Psi-Force _was_ great. It was
my favorite of the New Universe titles.

>: It can happen again. It can all come back. We can go home again. The
>: family is without a home right now, with their eviction from NEW
>: MUTANTS (vol.2.) as the book turns into ACADEMY X, and the New Mutant
>: tutors are replaced by Scott Summers and Emma Frost. The family, the
>: characters that we love, may fall into limbo again, for *years* to
>: come, even *decades* if we do not take action *right now*. Show your
>: support for the family. Give them a home again. Give them an ongoing
>: book to call their own once more. You can make a difference.
>
> I'm reasonably sure that the New Mutants tutors are not being replaced
> by Scott and Emma. If anything, Xavier (who had a supporting role in
> the new Mutants Vol 2) is being replaced by Scott and Emma, who are
> becoming supporting characters (as the headmasters of the school).
> From everything I've heard, Dani, Shan, and Rahne are all still going
> to be in the book when it switches over. The creators have discussed
> upcoming plans for the characters beyond the current arc. Have you
> heard something specific to the contrary?

Yes, this is so. Scott and Emma are being featured in Astonishing
X-Men, so I'd think they will only have a supporting role in Academy X.