X-Men Monday #116 - Al Ewing Talks and We All Listen

[Devaishwarya]

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/07/26/x-...ing-interview/

The best XMM interview in forever...or at least, since Si Spurrier's.

He really, really knows his stuff. And showed that vast range of knowledge in his thoughtful and insightful responses.

A high-light for me is the following:

AIPT: Going back to this week’s S.W.O.R.D. #7 — X-Fan @ororoswind said this will be the first time you extensively write Storm. Can you talk about your relationship with the character and what you were the most looking forward to exploring? What are some of the key defining traits of the character you hope to bring forward with your portrayal of the new Regent of Arakko?

Al: If I tell you that my first exposure to Storm — and a whole bunch of other Marvel Heroes — was in the U.K. reprints of Secret Wars, the original, that should date me pretty exactly. (And those British reprints barreled right into the sequel, so it’s where I got my love of Spider-Man teaching cosmic entities to defecate.) Real U.S.-sized American comics were harder to get hold of then, so by the time I got into Claremont X-Men and got what I’d consider my proper introduction to the character, she was powerless and beating up Cyclops in the Danger Room. And I don’t care what retcons said about that fight later — Storm won it hands down, no mitigating circumstances or “oh, subconsciously Cyclops blah blah blah.” I read it with my own two eyes. I was there. Storm won.

Now, obviously, those unpowered days are long gone — I’m thinking up new weather stunts for Storm daily and taking suggestions from other X-Office members on cool things she can do with her powers. (And some old classics — I do enjoy the occasional judiciously applied bolt of lightning.) I want to stress that I am writing a very powerful version of Storm, with the goddess cred she got from the Black Panther run, so fans don’t panic too hard when I say that my core sense of the character springs largely from that particular issue and time period — the strength of will she showed to not just be in the X-Men with no powers, but to lead them. I can’t really express how cool that was, and how cool it made the X-Men seem, that the actual, factual all-caps LEADER OF THE X-MEN had no mutant powers at all, but was still unquestionably the best person for the job. She’d proven it, they all knew it, end of story. It’s not just informed how I think of Storm, it’s informed how I think of all superheroes — that they’re so much more than the powers.


To reiterate for the nervous — Storm is absolutely going to be using her incredibly powerful weather manipulation abilities in various exciting and visually satisfying ways. But I plan to do the best job I can on all the other stuff, too.

...and that we're going to be getting more Arakkii!!!

Storm Doom S 07 art.jpg

[Devaishwarya]

And this...

We’re going to be fleshing out the Arakkii. I have pretty much the entire next year planned ahead, and that’s going to involve some big shifts in things — but I can promise that we have no plans to move backward, or shuffle the Arakkii off to the sidelines. We’ve got big plans for them, and I’m personally doing a lot of planning work on that front even as we speak.

So saith my new God of the Cosmic Realms

[Omega Alpha]

Deep down, we always knew George Clooney was a raccoon.

[Jackraow21]

Good $#!t. Love Ewing’s interviews. Can’t wait for his take on OG Cable, and really hope we get some news about the character’s future after Cable: Reloaded soon. My fingers are crossed that he’s staying in space under Ewing’s pen. I’m guessing we’ll here more after this week, as they didn’t want to spoil the ending to Duggan’s Cable series.

[JB]

And this...

We’re going to be fleshing out the Arakkii. I have pretty much the entire next year planned ahead, and that’s going to involve some big shifts in things — but I can promise that we have no plans to move backward, or shuffle the Arakkii off to the sidelines. We’ve got big plans for them, and I’m personally doing a lot of planning work on that front even as we speak.

So saith my new God of the Cosmic Realms

Absolutely phenomenal. And I loved everything he had to say about Storm. My body is ready.

[Devaishwarya]

Absolutely phenomenal. And I loved everything he had to say about Storm. My body is ready.

IKR!? My excitement is off the charts. My Mind, Body, and Soul and those of all my past lives are ready. I am LIVING!

[Uncanny X-Man]

I couldn't be more excited for Al Ewing's SWORD and whatever it might turn into in the future. Also very glad to hear he's not going anywhere and has at least another year's worth of stories planned. Ororo truly has landed in the most capable hands and I'll be loving every minute of it!

[Stormultt Divine]

And this...

We’re going to be fleshing out the Arakkii. I have pretty much the entire next year planned ahead, and that’s going to involve some big shifts in things — but I can promise that we have no plans to move backward, or shuffle the Arakkii off to the sidelines. We’ve got big plans for them, and I’m personally doing a lot of planning work on that front even as we speak.

So saith my new God of the Cosmic Realms

Perriooddd!!

Planet Arakko not going nowhere lols

[Jackraow21]

I actually think the Martian… er, Planet Arakko backdrop could be fertile ground for some fun stories. Bar fights involving Arakki mutants and aliens, for example.

[Exodus]

now that the Mutants finally became the Inhumans, I'm wondering how Inhuman fans feel about it?! Will there ever be a place for the Inhumans again in the Marvel universe after Hickman's X-Men?

[Devaishwarya]

now that the Mutants finally became the Inhumans, I'm wondering how Inhuman fans feel about it?! Will there ever be a place for the Inhumans again in the Marvel universe after Hickman's X-Men?

Space is vast. It's at least bigger than the continent of Africa so...As a fan of the Inhumans (long before Fart-Cloud Attacks!) I'm sure they can find a spot to exist along-side the mutants in space...if a writer wanted to bring them back. It's not as if the Kree and Skrulls have to take seats way to the back now that the mutants have expanded their borders.

Glibness aside...I really do miss them and want them to return to comics but under better management and direction.

As I say that...I would LOVE it if we had a few Inhumans added to the Keep's roster, as a way of re-introducing the characters.

[jwatson]

now that the Mutants finally became the Inhumans, I'm wondering how Inhuman fans feel about it?! Will there ever be a place for the Inhumans again in the Marvel universe after Hickman's X-Men?

Now that the inhuman royals are no longer royals this inhuman fan is hoping that Attilian strikes a deal with the Queen of Sol and Planet arrako becomes their new home. With only Arrako there there is more than enough room for inhumans to finally have a place, a bonus would be arrako plants being able to help inhumans undergo safe terrigenisis.

[JB]

Perriooddd!!

Planet Arakko not going nowhere lols

Amen!
Boop

[Master of Sound]

I liked this interview a lot

[Kingdom X]

Give this man two X-books. A lot of other writers can take notes on how to keep their titles fresh and make the most out of this status quo.