SINGER TO WRITE ULTIMATE X-MEN

**MattBrady** · 02-10-2004, 09:33 AM

While details on Marvel’s Reloaded X-Men event are still trickling out at the pace of molasses, Variety revealed that X-Men movie director Bryan Singer would take a swing at a year’s worth of Ultimate X-Men along with screenwriters Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty.

According to the trade, the three will write a year’s worth of the series, before writing X3. Before UXM however, Doughtery and Harris will adapt Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game for film, with Wolfgang Petersen attached to direct.

The timing of the trio's run is unclear, as David Mack was previously announced to be the writer following current UXM writer Brian Bendis' run. When we spoke with Mack last summer, in his view, his run on the series was open ended. Additionally, Brian K. Vaughn was recently announced as writing a short arc in the series as well.

According to the most recent update (prior to this news) which came from Brian Bendis at the end of December, Brian K. (Runaways) Vaughan will step in and write issues #46-#49, with Mack coming on full-time with issue #50.

Vaughan has confirmed for Newsarama that his arc will still run for the above issues.

tralfaz · 02-10-2004, 09:41 AM

well waddya know

crazy

Christian Otte · 02-10-2004, 09:41 AM

Hmmm... how will this fit in with Bryan K. Vaughan and David Mack's story arcs?

Wee, first post!

Or so I thought.

Jeremy Williams · 02-10-2004, 09:42 AM

With a news like that, I don`t even care about the new New X-Men writer. Singer writing X-Men makes my day.

djshalope · 02-10-2004, 09:49 AM

this is kinda crazy - i hope it attracts a lot of new readers

pmpknface · 02-10-2004, 09:56 AM

WoW. That certainly is newsworthy! I'm already very intrested in his take on the mutants in this medium.

Fazhoul · 02-10-2004, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by djshalope
this is kinda crazy - i hope it attracts a lot of new readers

I don't see how it can NOT attract new fans. I know I'll be picking up the book for the first time when Singer's stint on the book begins.

e_galston · 02-10-2004, 09:59 AM

I can not wait for this to happen. If the movies are any indication of Singer's capablilities with the X-Men, i can't wait to see him write them.

Zeus · 02-10-2004, 10:14 AM

Am i the only one who isnt all that excited about this?

I mean, sure, he did a bangup job on the two movies...buuuut...i dont want Ultimate X-Men, one of my favorite books, to go to shit cause of some Hollywood types.

The Creeper · 02-10-2004, 10:46 AM

Interesting news.....It'll be weird to see him writing a comic.

LIEFELDISGOD · 02-10-2004, 10:47 AM

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!! Ender's Game: The Movie!!!!

Singer on UXM sounds pretty cool too...

Gregg Cummings · 02-10-2004, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fazhoul
I don't see how it can NOT attract new fans.

Are you referring to "new fans" that do not currently read comic books? If so, I don’t see how. People like us aside, the name Bryan Singer will mean very little. If the films themselves did not inspire people to purchase a X-Men comic book the director/screenwriter of the film will not.

The Ultimate line should have been based on the films. . .

Erik K · 02-10-2004, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zeus
I mean, sure, he did a bangup job on the two movies...buuuut...i dont want Ultimate X-Men, one of my favorite books, to go to shit cause of some Hollywood types.

Yeah, look at how Kevin Smith sent Green Arrow to shit.

Or how David Goyer really f*&@ed up JSA.

Bruce Jones is a screenwriter. Boy, his Hulk sure screwed everything up.

Gee, is the sarcasm showing yet? Gotta watch those Hollywood types when they get near your comics, I'm tellin' ya!

MicroZone · 02-10-2004, 10:57 AM

this could actually get me to buy this comic.

Jeffbot · 02-10-2004, 10:59 AM

That's really impressive. I wish he could have taken over New X-Men, as it's the only X title I read. May have to pick this one up, though!

Device · 02-10-2004, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gregg Cummings
Are you referring to "new fans" that do not currently read comic books? If so, I don’t see how. People like us aside, the name Bryan Singer will mean very little.

The Usual Suspects.

But I seriously doubt anyone that doesn't read newsarama or previews will even find out about this.

Drew Melbourne · 02-10-2004, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Device
But I seriously doubt anyone that doesn't read newsarama or previews will even find out about this.

Well, since the article above credits this as news pulled from Variety, I would assume that people who read Variety will also know about this...

LucasSiegel · 02-10-2004, 11:07 AM

Wow...I'm speechless. Should be bad ass though!

Kerouac · 02-10-2004, 11:24 AM

Quote:

I don't see how it can NOT attract new fans. I know I'll be picking up the book for the first time when Singer's stint on the book begins.

Well, I'm sure it'll preach to the choir and attract more readers (at least for a while) from within the industry. But I find it kind of doubtful that new people are going to be coming into my shop solely for this. I mean, if the movies didn't, I don't see why the movies' director writing a comic would.

Matt

scan2001 · 02-10-2004, 11:29 AM

Booyah! This should be interesting.

Erik K · 02-10-2004, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kerouac
Well, I'm sure it'll preach to the choir and attract more readers (at least for a while) from within the industry. But I find it kind of doubtful that new people are going to be coming into my shop solely for this. I mean, if the movies didn't, I don't see why the movies' director writing a comic would.

Matt

But didn't sales of trades in bookstores go up with release of the movies? Honestly, I don't know, and I'm sure someone could interpret the figures either way (whenever anyone interprets sales figures here, there are suddenly warring camps interpreting them differently).

I personally know of people who went to Barnes & Noble after seeing X2 and buying the paperback Marvel Masterworks X-Men and the Grant Morrison New X-Men and the Millar Ultimate X-Men trades. I think that the problem for new readers is the specialty comics shop. The motivation isn't strong enough. But in a bookstore, wouldn't a cover legend proclaiming "From the director of X-Men and X2" Catch the casual browser's eye?

ticknart · 02-10-2004, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy Williams
With a news like that, I don`t even care about the new New X-Men writer. Singer writing X-Men makes my day.

Why don't you care about who's doing New X-Men? Most of the stories Grant Morrison told were so exciting and different, for the X-men, that I was always happy to pick up the next issue. I've seen who'll be writing Ultimate X-Men for a while, so I was never worried about the quality, but Morrison (and his rotating group of artists) will be a tough act to follow, I just hope the new team will be about to keep the weirdness alive.

Hdefined · 02-10-2004, 11:33 AM

Oh SHIT!

Isn't that a snag. Well, being a good director doesn't necessarily mean you're a good writer, but it does mean you're a good storyteller, and he'll be having help apparently.

Hopefully it won't be more of "Wolverine and the X-Men", hopefully it won't be too editorially driven either. I want to see what these guys can really do if let free on the world of the X-Men.

Hot stuff.

gOgIver · 02-10-2004, 11:34 AM

This is better news than anything I read about in Lying in the Gutters today

gOgIver · 02-10-2004, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Erik K

Bruce Jones is a screenwriter.

I never knew that. What has Jones done screen wise?