08.08.09
Posted in Starjammers at 5:28 am by Administrator
Here we go again… Marvel announced today at Wizard World Chicago that War of Kings is leading into another event called Realm of Kings, which is starting in November.
Cosmic Marvel writers Dan Abnett and Dan Lanning explained to IGN that there will be two mini-series: Realm of Kings: Inhumans and Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard, tie-ins with Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy and a one-shot prologue.
War of Kings ended with Vulcan and Black Bolt sucked into a hole in space, and Realm of Kings will deal with the fallout from that.
The question is how does it impact the Starjammers, who “walked away” from the situation in War of Kings #6. Will they stay and help with the hole in space, or go home? And can they even get home with all the destruction that’s been caused?
Hopefully there might be answers tomorrow at the X-Panel at Wizard World Chicago.
It’s so frustrating that it seems so close to Rachel coming home, but now another obstacle has been placed in the way.
Update: According to CBR’s recap of the Mondo Marvel panel, the panelists was asked about the X-Jammers returning home:
Will the X-Men Starjammers characters be returning to Earth? “Thaaaaat… would be telling,” McCann said.
It’s worth noting that X-writers Chris Yost, Craig Kyle and Jason Aaron are at Wizard World Chicago, were on the Mondo Marvel Panel and will be at the X-Panel tomorrow.
Update 2: No news about Rachel or the Starjammers out of the X-Panel on Sunday. Marvel did announce a S.W.O.R.D. series and a Dark X-Men series which Rachel’s alternate reality brother, Nate Grey, will return in.
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07.31.09
Posted in Starjammers at 6:00 am by Administrator
War of Kings is almost over, so it’s time to look to the future. Within the next few months, hopefully there will be news on what’s next for Rachel and the rest of the X-Men stuck in space.
Hopefully it means she’ll be returning home, since there’s been considerable speculation that she will be headed to X-Force. But so far there hadn’t been any concrete news, but here is a recap of what’s known so far.
Will there be a Starjammers mini-series or ongoing series spinning out of War of Kings?
I doubt it, but it probably one of the only viable options for Marvel.
According to cosmic writers and editors at Marvel, following War of Kings there are “stories” in the works and “talks” about mini-series, but nothing solid.
Cosmic Marvel editor Bill Rosemann told IGN that, “As has happened before, new stories will grow out of War of Kings….” and Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning added, “Each ‘event’ so far has a character or characters that have emerged to their own titles, Nova and Guardians respectively, War of Kings has given us an even larger cast of classic Marvel characters to explore and develop. Given the chance, we are more than happy to continue to do this in whatever format is available.”
Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada said in Cup o’ Joe on CBR: “There are talks of other titles – there definitely are – and of giving certain characters that haven’t had a title of their own, a shot at perhaps at least a mini series and maybe more. But once again, a little too soon to announce that. But there have been talks.”
At the Cup o’ Joe Panel at the San Diego ComicCon on July 25th, Quesada was asked about plans for DarkHawk following War of Kings, and he responded that there are plans, but it is too early to talk about them. He said within 6 weeks there would be cosmic news.
Last fall, Marvel’s CB Cebulski told fans at the Dublin Comic Con that the plan was for there to be Inhumans and Darkhawk series spinning out of War of Kings, but it all depended on sales and what fans wanted.
An Inhumans series would make the most sense, and the entire event seems like a launching pad for the Inhumans. However, the question is whether Marvel sees enough sales potential with either of them.
In terms of Darkhawk, it is highly unlikely that a Darkhawk series will be spinning out of War of Kings since sales of his two mini-series have been dreadful. The War of Kings Darkhawk mini-series and War of Kings Ascension (featuring Darkhawk) have sold less than Nova and GotG, and near the cancellation level for any on-going series. (War of Kings Ascension #3 only sold 23,680 copies, according to ICv2 and the War of Kings: Darkhawk mini-series sales averaged 24,645 according to Publishers Weekly.) So, any plans for Darkhawk would be as a member of an existing ongoing.
While X-Men: Kingbreaker didn’t sell all that well for an X-book, it did outsell current cosmic Marvel books Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy despite the 3.99 price tag. It averaged sales of 33,216 copies an issue according to Publishers Weekly. But would Marvel want another X-book, especially a low selling one?
It seems the intent was to launch new series out of War of Kings with little respected characters like the Inhumans and Darkhawk and reinvigorate them the way DnA have done Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy – which launched out of Annihilation.
Then, would they really want to launch another X-books which X-fans would want as part of the X-verse, not part of Cosmic Marvel?
Joe Quesada did mentioned in Cup o’ Joe on CBR that there will be new X-books launching in November. That likely includes the new Dark X-Men book, and possibly other previously announced books such as the delayed Sex & Violence mini-series.
Return to the X-books?
There’s been no direct news about Rachel returning to X-books, other than speculation.
At HeroesCon in June, Fraction said that Alex and Lorna would not be in Uncanny:
Might Havok and Polaris return to the X-Men? Fraction said that while he doesn’t have any specific designs for them, others might.
That doesn’t exclude Rachel, but it suggests that Uncanny won’t provide some sort of conclusion to the Vulcan storyline that left the three in space in the first place.
What’s Next?
Hopefully there should be an announcement in the next month about post-War of Kings plans, but it remains to be seen if that will include anything related to the X-Men.
There wasn’t any news out of the huge San Diego Comic Con, which was to be expected since that seemed a little early. It’s also in the middle of convention season where Marvel needs to spread out their announcements over several months.
The last issue of War of Kings comes out August 5, 2009, which is right before the Chicago Comic Con (fka Wizard World Chicago).
That’s the first convention where an announcement about “what’s next for the Starjammers” could come, since Marvel wouldn’t want to spoil the outcome of the last War of Kings issue to its release.
Chicago Comic Con is August 6-9, so that’s after War of Kings #6, but before Guardians of the Galaxy #17 in late August and the War of Kings: Who Will Rule epilogue which comes out September 2nd. So, the announcement might not be until after that.
Fan Expo Canada is August 28-30th in Toronto and Marvel will have a large presence there. So, if there isn’t any news in Chicago, it might come in Toronto.
If any Rachel fans are in attendance at those conventions, make sure to ask about any plans for Rachel, Alex and Lorna. Hopefully we can get some answers about what’s next for them sooner rather than later.
It’s been a long wait for them to return to X-books, and hopefully we’re in the homestretch now.
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06.07.09
Posted in Cable at 6:03 am by Administrator
Rachel was included in the Messiah War Sourcebook, a guidebook to all the characters involved in the Messiah War event and Cable’s backstory.
Hopefully Rachel’s inclusion is a good sign that she may be included in the third part of the Messiah trilogy and that Cable’s backstory related to Mother Askani isn’t going to see any major retcons.
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02.17.09
Posted in Collectibles at 6:08 am by Administrator
Finally, the Marvel Girl & Cyclops Marvel Super Hero Squad figure set is hitting stores in the US. I found it in my local Target today, and more and more are starting to show up on eBay.
It was originally due out last year, but was delayed due to retailers not stocking as many toys for the holidays because of the recession. Finally, it seems like they’re finally shipping now. So, start looking for it at a store near you!
Also, today Cartoon Network announced that it will be airing a Super Hero Squad cartoon later this year. The only female character in the promo artwork is Ms. Marvel. Hmmm…., they could use another female character…. maybe a marvel girl 
.
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02.04.09
Posted in War of Kings at 11:59 pm by Administrator
Just an FYI, I’m no longer going to be doing War of Kings updates. Even though Rachel will be in it, her role appears rather limited and it seems like a waste of time covering it.
Space stories just aren’t my thing so I have very little interest in what is going on in WoK besides Rachel.
The site will be covering any news about Rachel’s potential return to earth or anything Rachel related in the earth based X-books.
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01.17.09
Posted in War of Kings at 4:20 am by Administrator
War of Kings writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (DnA) are once again on the interview circuit, and there were several WoK related interviews this week, along with preview art from War of Kings.
In an interview with IGN, DnA talk about how the X-Jammers will get involved in WoK and reveal that they will be in the Guardians of the Galaxy WoK issues:
IGN Comics: While we’re on the subject of tie-ins, I wanted to ask about the Starjammers’ involvement. Principally this storyline seems to be a dispute between the Shi’ar and the Inhumans. How will Havok’s team be involved, particularly once the Kingbreaker mini-series wraps up?
DnA: They’re involved in a major way. Polaris’s family ties to the Inhuman Royal Family will carry them into the fight, and their involvement will play out through the main series and through the Guardians issues.
IGN also has several pages of preview art (pencils only) from War of Kings #1, including a page that includes Rachel in one panel and the cover for War of Kings #2.
DnA were in the X-Position hotseat this week, and the Starjammers and Rachel were mentioned:
1) Will the Starjammers interact with any of the cosmic crew? Getting Ch’od and Rocket in the same room just sounds golden.
DnA: The Starjammers and Guardians of the Galaxy will be undertaking a mission together so the chances of some fur flying are high!
2) Any possibility of Rachel Summers staying in space and joining the Guardians? The Phoenix Force has always felt like it belongs more in the cosmic books than the X-books, and it would certainly lend them some valuable power. And let’s face it, the team could use more women.
DnA: We’re going to talk to editor Nick Lowe about that right now!
1) As a huge fan of the Starjammers (particularly Polaris), I, like many other fans of these characters, are excited and grateful to know that after nearly three years, the Shi’ar storyline is finally heading towards its big ending with “X-Men: Kingbreaker” and “War of Kings.” However, it’s unclear to us what kind of role the Starjammers will play in the event. Will they have more of a main role, or will they be supporting characters?
They are definitely front and center and play a significant role in the course of the story.
War of Kings editor Bill Rosemann filled in for Joe Quesada in My Cup o’ Joe on Myspace.
JM: War of Kings is another book on your plate. Whereas I think it’s clear this doesn’t hit the marquee value of a Secret Invasion or World War Hulk, this is a pivot point in the Marvel Universe, right?
BR: Definitely. The very cool thing about this is that our bosses basically said, “Hey, you know these Shi’Ar toys in the Marvel toybox? You wanna play with these?” And we said, “Yeah! Would love to! That’s cool!”
So we took two expanding empires—the Kree and the Shi’Ar—heading toward each other, with the central notion of “What happens when these two huge kingdoms collide?” I would say it is as big as Secret Invasion to the Marvel cosmic junkies—this is our Super Bowl. But War of Kings also has a lot of appeal to fans of the Marvel Universe period. X-fan who like the Shi’Ar? They’re here. Fans of the Inhumans? We have them. You’ll see characters like Blastaar, Darkhawk and others pop up. So there will be some great opportunities for people who haven’t sampled the cosmic books to check this out. We’re treating it as a big tentpole event.
And when Dan and Andy sat down with Joe Quesada and Tom Brevoort and all, we decided that we would only tell this story if it legitimately changed the Marvel Universe. It’s gotta move things forward. And Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning absolutely wanted to do that. They have a very clear vision of where they see the Marvel cosmic universe going, and how it will affect the “mainstream” Marvel heroes. And here we are.
It also included the same War of Kings preview art IGN has.
In addition, War of Kings Saga is now online for free at Marvel Digital and Marvel has updated the War of Kings official site with new graphics.
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01.15.09
Posted in Starjammers at 6:33 am by Administrator
CBR has posted a seven page preview for X-Men: Kingbreaker #2. Rachel appears in the seventh page, which the unlettered version was included in the Chris Yost X-Position a few weeks ago.
Interestingly, on the recap page, Rachel is called Rachel Summers. I think this is the first time she’s been called that in an X-book in since Uncanny X-Men 472.
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01.07.09
Posted in Miscellaneous, War of Kings at 6:34 am by Administrator
Today there were several Rachel related comics out today.
Rachel continues to be a character in the back-up story, The Sentinels, in X-Men Noir #2.
Rachel does not appear in Secret Invasion: War of Kings. The issue is mainly about the Inhumans and Skrulls, and Vulcan only appears in a few pages at the very end. The Starjammers are not in the issue nor mentioned.
Rachel and the Starjammers are in the War of Kings Saga, a free comic that recaps the major comics that lead into War of Kings. There is no new material in the comic, and it’s funny how Marvel avoids saying Rachel Summers or Grey by calling Rachel only Marvel Girl throughout the whole issue.
If you didn’t get WoK Saga at your local comic store, it likely will be put online for free prior to the start of the event.
Also, Rachel’s “niece”, the Messiah Baby/Child, received a name in Cable #10.
War of Kings writers Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett will be answering questions on X-Position next week. Check the bottom of this page for how to submit questions.
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12.26.08
Posted in War of Kings at 1:41 am by Administrator
Kingbreaker writer Chris Yost was in the X-Position hotseat this week.
He was asked about whether or not the Shi’ar can still track Rachel through the Deathmark, something Rachel fans have been speculating about for a while now.
Question: Also, will certain things be clarified in this series, such as Korvus’ mysterious sword and Rachel’s attachment to this unique (if not inferior) form of the Phoenix Force? Or Rachel’s Deathmark on her back? Whatever the answers, you should be congratulated on the job you’ve done so far…
Yost: I cannot comment on this “Phoenix” stuff you talk of. I assume Rachel’s Deathmark is still in place, and that’s how the Shi’ar are chasing them across space. The Death Commandos have been hounding them since the end of “Emperor Vulcan.” The X-Jammers are on the run, they keep moving. Does hiding out by a power source like the M’Kraan crystal mess with the Deathmark signal? Maybe.
The article also includes some excellent preview art from X-Men: Kingbreaker #2 which features Rachel in a new X-Jacket.
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12.20.08
Posted in War of Kings at 5:05 am by Administrator
Here’s a run-down on this week’s news about War of Kings.
My Cup O’ Joe #36 has some preview art from Secret Invasion: War of Kings, along with some hype for the event (although, absolutely no mention of the Starjammers).
Marvel released a trailer for War of Kings, which shows some of the previously revealed covers and preview art. Rachel is shown on the Kingbreaker #2 cover, but that’s it.
Marvel also has an interview with Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (DnA) about the Inhumans and War of Kings, and Vulcan is mentioned (no Starjammers).
Newsarama has an interview with DnA about War of Kings, and the Starjammers and Kingbreaker are mentioned, but not entirely good news:
NRAMA: Since you have the Shi’Ar showing up, are you having to coordinate this with the X-Universe at all?
AL: Yes, we’ve been coordinating with the X-Men office, and we’re actually coming out of the X-Men: Kingbreaker mini-series that’s putting the pieces from their side of the story in place. It won’t involved the X-Men directly, but we’ll deal with the cosmic side of the X-Men, including Vulcan and the Shi’Ar and the Starjammers. Obviously, they’re fundamentally tied up with the X-Men side of the universe, so we had to get permission and work closely with them. And previously, they weren’t included because they were tied up with the X-books, so this was great for us. It’s great fun to finally feel out that side of the cosmic universe that we hadn’t dealt with as far as logical galactic players on that sort of scale.
NRAMA: With all of the stories that are setting up War of Kings, from Secret Invasion: Inhumans to X-Men: Kingbreaker to the stories in Nova and Guardians, is War of Kings something that a newcomer to the Marvel cosmic universe can understand with Issue #1? Or should they start with the Secret Invasion: War of Kings one-shot?
AL: Absolutely, they can pick up the Secret Invasion: War of Kings one-shot, because it really does set the scene. Obviously, when writing something like this, you’d like the readers to be engaged enough with the stories we’re telling that they want to pick up every book. But we’re realistic enough to realize that you can’t burden someone with that, because you can actually alienate people. So if they want to pick up the Kingbreaker mini-series, they’ll get an extra piece from that side of things. It’s kind of supplemental reading that helps flesh out and round out the entire story. But it’s not necessary.
Calling Kingbreaker “not necessary” isn’t exactly promising… I can understand DnA wanting to do a self-contained story, but it’s becoming more and more clear that this is really a Cosmic event and the Starjammers are minor, supplementary characters.
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