“Entire New World” For X-MEN After SECRET WARS?
Today, Comic Book Resources posted their weekly “Axel-In-Charge” column. The column is a discussion with Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso about the weekly happenings inside Marvel Comics. At the end of each interview, Alonso answers questions from the CBR Community. Sometime Alonso sprinkles in teases and clues for future storylines and characters.
Today, Alonso gave a very un-cryptic answer to a question regarding the future of the X-Men beyond the summer (you can read the full article here). Alonso’s response was,
The X-Men office is taking the opportunity of “Secret Wars” to build an entire new world for the characters — to create a shared universe within the X-books that’s set off by a huge event/incident/surprise. At that point, they’re going to introduce a new team that feels unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’ll be… “extraordinary.”
Well then. Forget about what might be the incident that causes this new world. My first thought is this is proof that alternate worlds/universes will exist after Secret Wars. So will the Marvel Universe be one hodge-podge of all universes smashed together, but mutants/X-Men will be off on their own?
Second thought is this won’t quell rumors that Marvel is going through all this trouble with Secret Wars because they want to have the movie properties they control in one world, and the ones they don’t (X-Men, Fantastic Four) off by themselves.
“A shared universe within the X-books” goes against everything Marvel has been promoting regarding synergy among its publishing line. For decades the X-Men were basically off on their own, doing their own thing, and on the top of the sales charts. Ever since Marvel Studios started, Marvel has wanted to cross-pollinate everything. Spider-Man and Wolverine join The Avengers. Cosmic side of Marvel Universe interacting more with Earth, and vice versa. But now it sounds like they are going against that.
One positive is hopefully this streamlines the X-books and brings more cohesiveness across the board. One clean vision for mutants and the X-Men, without having to worry about being compared to the new kids on the block, Inhumans.
What are your predictions for what this means for The X-Men? Let your voice be heard in the Comments section below.
Timdogg
#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE
