X-TREME X-MEN ENDS IN APRIL

[MattBrady]

While Marvel has already announced that the X-Men franchise will be “Reloaded” in 2004, actual facts have been hard to come by – until now. While not going into much detail, Marvel has confirmed for Newsarama that X-Treme X-Men will end in April, with a replacement waiting in the wings.

The month will see two issues of the series ship, both written by Chris Claremont and penciled by Igor Kordey. Issue #45 will conclude the “Prisoner of Fire” storyline, while issue #46 will be a stand-alone finale issue, with the team facing a transition point in their lives.

X-Treme X-Men is consistently one of Marvel's better-selling titles, consistently landing in the Top 20 comics or above in any given month.

The series will be replaced by a new Excalibur series in May.

Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada confirmed the changes in the X-lineup for Newsarama, saying:

“We have a very solid strategy brewing with the X-Books which we have discussed with all the current and future teams. X-Treme doesn't quite go away, it morphs into another title but you'll hear about that soon enough.

”As for Excalibur, not all is as it seems. Chris had an amazing concept for the book and then he and I spitballed a bit and made it that much juicier. It will have some of the most unexpected happenings in the X Universe in a long time.”

[cyclopsfan]

Excalibur!!! ROCK ON!!!!! Maybe Salvador will finally get a regular monthly title!

[cyclopsfan]

I should have said in the first one, but will add now FIRST POST!!

[Phoenix_Tetsu]

Excalibur..... Captain Britan....cooool

Just one thing to make me feel happy ALAN DAVIS!!!!!!!!

[OM]

Originally posted by cyclopsfan
I should have said in the first one, but will add now FIRST POST!!

...Uh..budah-bee-budee-budee-buh-buh-big deal.

[Devil Dino]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

I hope this is the book that Alan Davis ends up on

[ParisCub]

But if Captain Britain is in the Avengers (as it is rumoured) who will be in Excalibur?

[NotAnIssue]

Good good news!

I tried a few times to get into the X-treme X-men series, but couldn't do it. I preordered the 4 Storm Arena issues, and am still waiting for the 4th part to come in the mail....but I wasn't overly impressed with the story (though Kordey's art was great)

But a new Excalibur??? Bring it on, Claremont!

Between DC's stepping up to the plate (finally!) and Marvel continuing what they started a few years back, 2004 is looking to be the best year in comics in a long long long time.

[Drew Reiber]

The series will be replaced by a new Excalibur series in May.

Due to this bit of news, I am thereby invincible for the rest of the day. Oh man, I so needed something good to get me through French Film. Elitist egomaniacal college professor = bad time.

Here's to hoping Sal lands on this book. He and Claremont are an amazing team.

[grphxkindaguy]

Originally posted by cyclopsfan
Excalibur!!! ROCK ON!!!!!

Ugh, why bother, unless Alan Davis has some involvement in it? The rest of the series w/o him was pure garbage IMO.

I find it ironic that they are cancelling X-Treme X-Men after I just dropped this title from my pull list over the weekend.

I don't intend to complete the series b/c I feel the new artist is *so* horrendous on it, and the last two storylines (coincidently, when Salvador left) have been awful as well. Its just not worth it, unless I come across it in the 50-cent bin.

[Yeah, but...]

Hmm. Very sorry to see XXM go, but at least CC will be writing the replacement book...

So, WHO'LL BE THE ARTIST???????

Funny how Lying in the Gutters and All The Rage didn't know anything about this...

[leez34]

I heard only bad things about X-Treme, but I never read it myself. Hopefully Excalibur will be as cool as it was for a while in the last series. My best friend loved it.

[Lex]

Man, Marvel is making all the right moves to get this hardcore DC fan interested lately. First, they start a bunch of new projects in March that all sound interesting to me. Then, they start "Marvel Age" and I'm really excited to start getting those trades. And now, "Reloaded" is sounding cooler and cooler.

Excalibur. Chris Claremont. I am so checking that out.

[Jack Burton]

Excalibur? But I like Nightcrawler as an X-Man! Also what about Captain Britain? Is Kitty a member? Damn need answers...HURRY AND SPEAK UP MARVEL!!!

[Yeah, but...]

Actually, I'm pretty sure Salva WILL be doing Excalibur. He was slated to do Uncanny, then Alan Davis got that one; it seems obvious that the deal was to give Salva another high-profile project. It was secret for a while, and now the secret is out. Of course Excalibur will be Salva's book.

[kingofcities]

Originally posted by Lex
Excalibur. Chris Claremont. I am so checking that out.

I think Lex summed it up for me here. I CANNOT wait for this book! And, like everyone else, I really hope they get Davis for this project too. Bring back Capt Britain, Megan, Rachel etc. I know it's from Extreme but I couldn't help but notice there was a Kitty Pryde pic in this piece too.

Seriously cheesing here.

Kent

[Somebody]

Phoenix_Tetsu:
Excalibur..... Captain Britan....cooool

Well, Austen's using a Captain Britain in Avengers, and Brian's off being King of Otherworld, so I doubt it

Phoenix_Tetsu:
Just one thing to make me feel happy ALAN DAVIS!!!!!!!!

Devil Dino:
I hope this is the book that Alan Davis ends up on

He's on Uncanny, he's confirmed as being on Uncanny, he's going to be doing Uncanny X-Men.

[Ace]

The early issues of Excalibur were really great, especially the Cross-time caper. I must have read those issues dozens of times.

This sounds good to me, espcially if it has the zany feel of the old book and can bring some of the great UK-based characters out of limbo.

Matt

[cyclopsfan]

Dare i say the return of colossus to the X- Pages????

[Snowspinner]

I'm guessing, what with the picture of the girl and the purple dragon, that Kitty Pryde will be coming out of retirement for this one.

Nightcrawler is in Uncanny, and so Claremont presumably could take him and put him in Excalibur if he's writing both books.

I hope not on Colossus. Not that he's a bad character, but he died so well, and I'd hate to see that undermined.

What I wonder is if Rachel Summers will be returning or not.

[mpg]

RIGHT ON!!

[cyclopsfan]

Originally posted by Snowspinner

What I wonder is if Rachel Summers will be returning or not.

It is little spoken of, but Rachel Summers is back in Marvel Proper. She had a stint towards the end of Cable before it went Soldier X. It wouldn't take much to bring her in. I wonder if a return of X-Factor is far behind?

[mdhprime]

Originally posted by Snowspinner
I hope not on Colossus. Not that he's a bad character, but he died so well, and I'd hate to see that undermined.

I agree. The way Colossus died was too good to have him come back.

I am psyched for Excaliber, but also sad to see X-Treme go. It focused on some characters outside of their traditional X-Men roles and was fun because of that. I hope the characters get re-integrated into one of the other X-Men books.

[Justin M. Campbell]

I wonder about the approach. Personally, while I can't see it happening, I hope they take the Warren Ellis/Ben Raab approach and use only British or Anglophile heroes.

Ideal Roster:
Captain Britain
Meggan
Wolfsbane
Pete Wisdom
Albion (From Marvel UK's Knights of Pendragon)
Black Knight

Supporting players:
Chamber
W.H.O.
The Avengers (IMHO, Excalibur were never the UK X-Men, they were the UK Avengers, so make them a branch of the Avengers, operating out of the Avengers UK embassy, keep Captain Britain in Avengers as their ambassador, etc.)

NONE of the tossier ideas from the books heyday(Including every superhero Alan Davis came up with[Yes, he's a great artist. Yes, that Galactus/Phoenix issue is one of my favorite stories EVER, but those were some bygod goofy characters])

Those are my ideas. Thoughts?
JMC

[Zeus]

I'm looking forward to the return of Excalibur, BUT, what's up with the "thong showing" Kitty Pride?