X-Men Monday #247 – Ann Nocenti Talks ‘Giant-Size X-Men’ #1

[JB]

https://aiptcomics.com/2024/04/15/x-...ti-giant-size/

AIPT: Since you mentioned it, X-Fan Hakka84 wanted you to know she loved your Marvel Fanfare “Chiaroscuro” story. She said it’s a jewel and, in her humble opinion, one of the best stories made with Warren (even if he’s not even the main character and doesn’t speak!). It doesn’t suffer the passing of time nor the weight of an ever-evolving canon. It stands alone, you don’t have to know all the canon to understand it, and whenever you pick it up — no matter what’s happening in the X-Universe — you can enjoy it.

Ann: It’s one of my favorite stories I’ve ever done — it’s up in my top 10. You know, when you have a long career like I do — 40 years of comics — you definitely have a bunch of stinkers. You have a bunch of stories where you just were like, “Oh my God, what was wrong with my brain that day?” But this is one of the handful of comics that I did that I think are really, really good. So I love that story. Thank you for that comment.

AIPT: And now Hakka84’s question: Is there a trait of Warren’s you find particularly interesting from an author’s point of view? Also, which one of Warren’s two facets do you prefer — high-flying Angel or metal-winged Archangel?

Ann: I think the beauty of some superheroes is the odd resonance between what they look like and who they are. Angel looks like an angel, which means if you saw him walking down the street, you’d be rippling with all kinds of religious, haunted, otherworldly thoughts. But then, in reality, he’s kind of arrogant and raised wealthy. He’s definitely a bachelor. He was always played the way Tony Stark was played, as someone who had lots of girlfriends. So there’s a resonance there. Whereas, with Spider-Man or Wolverine, the personality matches the look. He looks like an angel but he’s no angel.

So I love that tension, and I was able to play with that in that first story because he doesn’t speak. The old lady can see him as the angel she wants to see him as because if he had opened his mouth even for a minute, she would’ve been like, “He’s no angel.” I love that Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson did the Archangel thing because that is the mirror image in the angel mythology. It’s the fallen angel. So I think both of those sides of Angel work really well together because the mythology of an angel has both sides.

In the story, there’s the conceit that Maze knows all this about him. So in the “Truth or Die” game, she just keeps needling him about things that have happened in his life to get him to tell the truth about who he thinks he is. He’s been a hero and a villain and everything in between. So, is he going to tell the truth as to what his real nature is? It’s kind of creepy. It’s as creepy as if somebody said to me, “Hey, Annie, are you a hero or a villain?” I would go, “I don’t know. Both? Neither? I don’t know.”

AIPT: X-Fan Til is very much looking forward to Giant-Size X-Men and wanted to know how you think Warren views his place with the X-Men?

Ann: I mean, he’s a legacy character. He’s one of the originals. When you think of the energy of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee and the ‘60s, it was a wide-open field. When you think of it now, every cool animal or icon has been taken up. Back then, it was like, “Oh, a beast, and a guy with ice, and a guy who can stretch his limbs.” I think Angel was kind of a natural part of that early ‘60s enthusiasm. What can we throw in the pot? The characters eventually get defined by their skill set. You know, he can swoop in and that’s his basic skill — he can fly up and swoop in.

But the wings are cumbersome. So, you know, there’s always that behind-the-scenes detail of how he walks around in a hoodie. Do those giant wings have some telescoping ability to turn into nothing? To me, I think that he would never feel like he was the center of the story because of being born wealthy and also the cumbersomeness of his wings.

So in terms of how he views his place within the X-Men, he probably feels like an appendage. He probably doesn’t feel like he ever got center stage. He’s literally a wingman.

This week's eXclusive preview images are lettered pages of the upcoming Giant-Size issue!

[JB]

[gambitxremy]

Jeff Parker’s x-men first class is canon!!!!!
Angel dated Wanda!!!!

[danielsan52]

I wish Ann would use some of the many mutants she created.

[NewMutant]

How is he alive after Dark X-Men?

[H-E-D]

Candy dressed like the Hidden Years, Wanda from First Class… Annie Nocenti with the continuity flexes.

[Til]

My question got picked! Ann's answer pretty much aligns with how I imagined Warren would feel.

[Thievery]

Jeff Parker’s x-men first class is canon!!!!!
Angel dated Wanda!!!!

I wish that First Class still wasn't cannon.
Not to much harm done, though.

How is he alive after Dark X-Men?

The comic may take place before Dark X-Men. There's a reference to mutants being placed in camps. I don't think that is part of the upcoming changes to the X-Men line.

[Master of Sound]

How is he alive after Dark X-Men?

The Five are still around, however, I think this is a story of the past.

[Askani's Flame]

The Five are still around, however, I think this is a story of the past.

It's a current story so I'm hoping we see how he was resurrected.

[H-E-D]

I’m expecting to see a last wave of resurrections before the era is over. After all, Quentin Quire is currently a decapitated head, but he looks intact in the previews for McKay’s book. I don’t see them leaving Warren dead.

[Hakka84]

Hm... I'm conflicted. I at the same time like and dislike Ann Nocenti's perception and idea of Warren. Still, it's a new approach to the character, so who knows. For now I'm still eager to read the story.

[Frontier]

I hope for the best from this one .

[JB]

Chris Hassan on X:
https://twitter.com/ChrisAHassan/sta...69172053979414

Really eXcited about this. #XMenMonday



Oooh. I wonder if this will be questions about dropped plots that he was asking people to submit.