Interview with Cullen Bunn: X-Men Blue: Welcome To Madripoor

[jmc247]

X-MEN: BLUE #6 sees our favorite mutants setting up shop on Madripoor, the super sketchy island historically populated by criminals, villains, and all kinds of shady characters. From the influence of A-list bad guys to the not-so-reliable justice system, we can think of more than a few reasons you might not want to make it your next vacation destination.

But writer Cullen Bunn has a different take—maybe Madripoor’s not such a bad place after all?

Marvel.com: Madripoor has a pretty much laissez-faire government, meaning plenty of cutthroat deals can go down…

Cullen Bunn: Sure, sure, but they throw the very best parties. I mean, look, do you want to go to the same boring old barbecue every weekend, or do you want to go the party where anything could happen? Yes, that “anything” might include getting held hostage by the Hand or some militant MGH dealers, but embracing excitement—that’s the Madripoor way!

Marvel.com: Because it doesn’t allow extradition, Madripoor basically operates as a haven for criminals. Though some of them may cut deals to help maintain the status quo, it still makes it a less than safe place.

Cullen Bunn: But every corner of Madripoor isn’t dangerous. If you can afford to hang out in High Town, you’ll be spending time with a much more civilized group of criminals.

And the X-Men live there now. Doesn’t that make you feel safer?

Marvel.com: As you mentioned, the Hand has historically had an interest in Madripoor—and you really don’t want to stick around when those guys get involved.

Cullen Bunn: Do we forget that the Hand have a sense of honor? They have a code. They are noble assassins and killers. You know how if you want to keep the spider population down, you keep wasps around? Well, the Hand is kind of like those spider-killing wasps. They help keep the population of other criminal elements down.

See? Glass half full…of ninjas.

Marvel.com: In its early days, a lot of pirates lived in Madripoor, and that tradition of lawlessness still impacts the way it operates today.

Cullen Bunn: That just means you don’t have the authorities breathing down your neck every time you want to jaywalk. People who live in Madripoor are free thinkers. They’re like artists who all live together to create a special kind of community. Yes, a good many of these “artists” work in a medium that involves crime. Some of them work in murder the way Rembrandt worked in paint. But let’s not get too judgmental.

Marvel.com: At various times, HYDRA, Magneto, and other villains have tried to use Madripoor as a base of operations, which has led to a fair amount of instability.

Cullen Bunn: Lots of villains have called Madripoor home, but now there are heroes like the X-Men getting in on the act, too. Not that the X-Men bring stability to their hometowns. They often only bring super villain attacks and building explosions.

But there are other groups who do want to see a little more stability in Madripoor, and they are working slowly but surely to do so. There’s this one group called the Raksha I’ve been hearing about a lot. They are making some waves with their efforts to shape things up in Madripoor. But I’m not really allowed to tell you much about them.

https://news.marvel.com/comics/65953...ome-madripoor/

[AbnormallyNormal]

Hmm kind of weird.... was this interviewer "in on the joke" or was Bunn just like... I don't know... being super evasive?

[Bart]

I thought the X-Men already set up shop in Madripoor so why does it say they do it in #6?

[Grey]

I thought the X-Men already set up shop in Madripoor so why does it say they do it in #6?

I think the solicit isn't meant literally.

We know xmen are living in madripoor but we haven't seen their day to day lifestyle in the city and how they interact with the culture. I believe "setting up shop" just means we get to see them actually living in madripoor and how those interactions go rather than just having a base there where they operate.

[Ambaryerno]

So I guess he's ignoring how Tiger Tyger more or less controls the island and has been reforming it? Hell, an entire arc of All-New Wolverine just had a gang war between Jessán and Kimura over that very thing as a significant element of its plot.

[Dthirds3]

So I guess he's ignoring how Tiger Tyger more or less controls the island and has been reforming it? Hell, an entire arc of All-New Wolverine just had a gang war between Jessán and Kimura over that very thing as a significant element of its plot.

Your assuming other writers acknolag/rember that she is wolverine.

[Vegan Daddy]

Bunch of suburban white kids living in Madripoor. Sounds good.

[Ambaryerno]

Your assuming other writers acknolag/rember that she is wolverine.

Jessán's control of Madripoor goes back at least several years IRL and has been mentioned in several books, it's not just an ANW thing.

[Grey]

So I guess he's ignoring how Tiger Tyger more or less controls the island and has been reforming it? Hell, an entire arc of All-New Wolverine just had a gang war between Jessán and Kimura over that very thing as a significant element of its plot.

In anxm volume 1 madame hydra "controlled" madripoor mystique tried to buy it from her.

I don't think writers are able to keep up with all the things the different writers do. Personally I've never heard of tiger tyger. Guess it depends what books you read?

[MarvelMaster616]

Good interview. Really looking forward to seeing Cullen Bunn take the O5 to some exotic locations. Unlike the cast of X-men Gold, he's got the O5 all over the place. Since Magneto is not on good terms with the rest of the X-men, that makes sense. And a place like Madripoor means the O5 are bound to encounter all sorts of crazy crap that they just won't find in New York. It'll be real interesting to see how someone like Polaris will affect that.

Can't wait to read more. Four issues in and Bunn has already set a high bar for himself. I hope he continues to match it.

[Shambles]

Looks like the comic book version of that racist No Escape movie

https://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/u...x6-600x930.jpg

[ExodusCloak]

The interviewer asked some really dumb questions. What was the point of this? The line the X-Men are moving to Madripoor sums everything up anyway.

[Ambaryerno]

In anxm volume 1 madame hydra "controlled" madripoor mystique tried to buy it from her.

I don't think writers are able to keep up with all the things the different writers do. Personally I've never heard of tiger tyger. Guess it depends what books you read?

This is what Editorial is supposed to be doing.

[RAWRlrus]

This is what Editorial is supposed to be doing.

We've seen recently that editorial doesn't necessarily care about continuity if it allows a story to be told (IvX).

[Jackraow21]

Looks like the comic book version of that racist No Escape movie

https://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/u...x6-600x930.jpg

Reminds me of 'Big Trouble in Little China.'