Revanche: Kwannon/Psylocke II appreciation 2019

[The Quiet Councilor]

Fingers crossed my friend. Fingers crossed. Because honestly with the exception of some of the vocal fans. I don't see the necessity of the change.


I don't see what the current incarnation of Betsy Braddock/Captain Britain is doing that couldn't be easily fulfilled with Emma Frost, Polaris, Rogue, Sage (she's back right?) Wanda or even X-23 (now that she's been aged up). She's just another white woman who lives a relatively charmed existence. Yawn.

I just find the notion that you can only relate to someone with your background or skin colour silly. Character is what should count. I was first introduced to Asian Betsy under Nicieza and I loved the character. How she went through hardships and had to put her life together again. She was and probably remains one of my all time favourite super heroes. Blend of a warrior and lady like refinement.

By your own logic, Betsy never should’ve been race-swapped in the first place. Good thing they rectified it.

[CRaymond]

There’s more equity potential with a psychic Asian assassin in the X-Men than there is a otherdimensional magical twin telepathic export from Marvel UK. I like Betsy Braddock, but once you sever her from the 90s Psylocke brand, she’s pretty much adrift.

X-Men are rife with psychic women and families with old money. We have Emma who’s just a tower of a personality, Jean who’s everyone’s Betty and Carrie.

What X-Men don’t have is enough authentic Asians. Jubilee’s great but she’s a banana.

[powerpax]

I was first introduced to Asian Betsy under Nicieza and I loved the character. How she went through hardships and had to put her life together again. She was and probably remains one of my all time favourite super heroes. Blend of a warrior and lady like refinement.

I despised Nicieza's run on X-Men and especially what he did to Betsy, but to each their own. I'm happy to let Kwannon try to find her own place and identity with the Psylocke moniker, but in 25 or so years the Nicieza retcon and that entire awful story has never justified its existence to me. The only saving grace I can see to it is that now, decades later, it may enable an Asian mutant to find a built-in place in the books.

[powerpax]

There’s more equity potential with a psychic Asian assassin in the X-Men than there is a otherdimensional magical twin telepathic export from Marvel UK. I like Betsy Braddock, but once you sever her from the 90s Psylocke brand, she’s pretty much adrift.

The "Asian assassin" brand didn't exactly keep her on the A-list for the latter half of the '90s as Warren's arm candy and pinup fodder, or for much of the 2000s. We've discussed this before. I'm not worried about Betsy. I'm much more concerned about whether they can create a character out of nowhere from whole cloth for Kwannon after almost 30 years based on nothing but one of the most unpopular retcons in X-Men history.

Don't get me wrong; I want it to work. I'm very intrigued by Bryan Hill and Fallen Angels. But if it doesn't Betsy isn't the one who will take the hit IMO. YMMV.

[CRaymond]

I despised Nicieza's run on X-Men and especially what he did to Betsy, but to each their own. I'm happy to let Kwannon try to find her own place and identity with the Psylocke moniker, but in 25 or so years the Nicieza retcon and that entire awful story has never justified its existence to me. The only saving grace I can see to it is that now, decades later, it may enable an Asian mutant to find a built-in place in the books.

I'm with you. It was sloppy and ugly and unnecessary. From everything I've read, the Asianification of Betsy was supposed to last an arc only, but the reception to Jim Lee's art meant they decided to keep it around longer, and longer, until people forgot the plan was to undo it. And here we are. A million-dollar Capcom sprite that was never meant to be. It's not NARRATIVE equity, it's merchandising equity. Captain Britain/Excalibur/Alan Davis is important to me, but it's never been important enough to Marvel.

The "Asian assassin" brand didn't exactly keep her on the A-list for the latter half of the '90s as Warren's arm candy and pinup fodder, or for much of the 2000s. We've discussed this before. I'm not worried about Betsy. I'm much more concerned about whether they can create a character out of nowhere from whole cloth for Kwannon after almost 30 years based on nothing but one of the most unpopular retcons in X-Men history.

Don't get me wrong; I want it to work. I'm very intrigued by Bryan Hill and Fallen Angels. But if it doesn't Betsy isn't the one who will take the hit IMO. YMMV.

Excalibur and Fallen Angels are the only DoX books i'm collecting, specifically because I want Hill and Howard to stick the landing. This is the comicbook business equivalent of conjoined twin surgery.

[powerpax]

It's not NARRATIVE equity, it's merchandising equity. Captain Britain/Excalibur/Alan Davis is important to me, but it's never been important enough to Marvel.

That's all true. But the fundamental difference is that Betsy has an existing beloved character. Almost 30 years later Kwannon is just now potentially getting one. That is a profound weakness in 2019, especially when the only thing to hang a new character on is an old costume. I'd be much more concerned for Betsy's future if Kwannon had any kind of existing background or fanbase. But IMO the look/merch is not enough to keep her afloat solo if people don't take to the book. It might have been 20 years ago, not today, not with how the books are presently run. Marvel isn't going to take the shot today to nuke Betsy if things get tight. IMO she is secure. I already lived through the worst it could get for her, it went by the titles "New Exiles" and "X-Treme X-Men". Worst case, Betsy likely gets the name back and Kwannon is rebranded. But hey, I could be wrong. And again: I don't think it has to be a competition. I think they both can work and I want Kwannon to survive.

[Killerbee911]

great cover

[CGAR]

Itll be interesting to see what happens in the first issue. It seems like the writer is writing Kwannon as being in Betsy's mind the whole time Betsy occupied Kwannon's body. Although it kind of clashes with what was done previously it makes sense with what happened in Mystery in Madripoor. A piece of Kwannon's psyche was still there that's how she was able to take her body back.

Also that Ben Oliver cover is pretty awesome.

[crimsontt]

we need a kwannon like a butterfly blog so badly. So many great images of psylocke not being collected in our online memoir

[CGAR]

Where the Kwannon super fans at? Make a blog.

[Flameworthy]

Even though I despise that costume it's great that Kwannon is being drawn Asian and I'm glad they're sticking with the black hair for her to differentiate her from Betsy a little.

[butterflykyss]

I'm so excited for kwannon aka psylocke. I'm curious what powers she will have and how she will be characterized. also how does what this book she will be in ties back to krakoa.

[CrystaliaArmadia]

Fingers crossed my friend. Fingers crossed. Because honestly with the exception of some of the vocal fans. I don't see the necessity of the change.

There is a necessity though. If somehow Peter Parker got killed and he took over the body of Miles Morales, and then the black character image of Miles Morales started calling himself Peter Parker, don't you see how problematic that would be? We're in 2019 and this change was necessary whether people liked it or not. For both Kwannon and Betsy.

[butterflykyss]

https://www.newsarama.com/47765-psyl...1-preview.html

(W) Bryan Edward Hill
(A) Syzmon Kudranski
(C) Ashley Witter

Psylocke finds herself in this new world of Mutantkind unsure of her place in it… but when a face from her past returns only to be killed, she seeks help from others who feel similar to get vengeance. Cable and X-23 join Kwannon for a personal mission that could jeopardize all Mutantkind!

[butterflykyss]