LOOKING INTO THE NEW X-FORCE WITH CHRIST YOST AND CRAIG KYLE

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Spoilers for Messiah Complex ahead.

Last week, the new X-Force team was unleashed on the last page of Uncanny X-Men #493.

This week, the team, led by everyone’s favorite Canadian, Wolverine, will be on the hunt for Cable and the baby in X-Factor #26.

While we’re only still in the middle act of the epic Messiah Complex crossover, it has been public knowledge that there is a new X-Force series by the creative team of writers Chris Yost and Craig Kyle and artist Clayton Crain.

Now, as fans and readers of Yost and Kyle know, they are no pushovers when it comes to showcasing their own style of comic book writing. Collectively, they have killed off most of the next generation of mutants in New X-Men and the duo certainly didn’t pull any punches when they chronicled the early days of Wolverine clone and current X-femme fatale X-23 in the Innocence Lost and Target X minis.

As one of the two new X-titles announced post-Messiah Complex (well, technically, three if you count X-Men: Legacy which is actually a renamed “Adjectiveless” series), X-Force looks set to be another “no holds barred, anything goes” series when it debuts in February.

We spoke with both Yost and Kyle about crossovers and makeovers. Also, find out why they are having a bloody good time writing the new X-Force.

Newsarama: Editor Nick Lowe has publicly cited X-Cutioner's Song as one of his favorite X-Men crossover stories. What about you guys? What're some of your favorite stories?

Chris Yost: Fall of the Mutants! Not technically a crossover, but each of the three books had some awesomeness going on there. Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen, the X-Men sacrificing themselves on live TV to save the world, the death of Cypher... I also liked the X-Men/Avengers and X-Men/FF mini-series from back in the day.

Craig Kyle: I don’t have any one crossover I can look to and say that’s my favorite… I love Secret Wars but that’s not the same thing. There are a few stories in the Uncanny X-Men Annuals that I’ll never forget. Like, UXM Annual #9, where the X-Men and New Mutants go to Asgard. I loved seeing all of the X-characters mixed in with all the Asgardians, not to mention seeing everyone drawn by Art Adams. I also loved UXM Annual #10, when the X-Men become the X-Babies, the New Mutants get new costumes and everyone must face off with Mojo. Again, this issue was drawn by Art Adams (hand’s down my favorite X-artist!!!) so that’s all it really takes for me to love a story. What was the question again?

NRAMA: So, you guys didn’t like the idea of crossovers back then? Did you have any problems with them? Why did they work? Why did the fans grow weary of crossovers?

CK: I can’t speak for too many people about the success of previous crossovers but I think crossovers, like all comics, appeal to different people. Sure, you have some events and titles that appeal to a wider demo but at the end of the day it’s all subjective. What I like about our event, is it has a real purpose and more importantly, it’s a good story. The Editors knew what they wanted out of the writers when we sat down with them and by the end of the X-Summit, I think everyone brought more ideas to the table than anyone expected. So I think (hope) the fans reading the books now will be very satisfied with the conclusion [of] Messiah CompleX. And when we’re finished with the saga the X-Universe will be more focused, more diverse and a richer place to pull great stories from. Looking at the talented folks working on the books now and those just coming into this world, I think we’re going to be in for a great ride over the next few years. I know Chris and I are going to do our damndest to bring you the best comics we’ve ever written yet!

CY: I never particularly had any problem with the crossovers, even when they went the ‘every summer, just because’ route… I was getting all the books anyway. But right now, I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what some of them were actually about. And I think that’s when the burnout started. Crossover for the sake of crossover, versus story and character. And that for me is what people are responding to in MC.

NRAMA: According to the press releases, the early chapters of Messiah CompleX have sold out of their initial print runs and are being re-offered as second prints. Are you guys surprised at all?

CY: I'm surprised when our stuff doesn’t sell out.

CK: No, I’m not. I think retailers were cautious about how many copies they committed to until after the event began. Sometimes the fans need to get a taste of what you’re selling before they’ll sign up for the series. Obviously once people saw what they we’re getting they trusted us enough to get invested for the run.

NRAMA: In your opinion, what makes Messiah CompleX such an engaging story for today's readers?

CK: Well, creatively you have guys like [Mike] Carey, [Ed] Brubaker and [Peter] David writing the series… You have [Billy] Tan, [Humberto] Ramos, [Scott] Eaton, [David] Finch, [Chris] Bachalo, [Marc] Silvestri and other amazing artists illustrating the series. And for me, any of those guys are an excellent reason to pick up a book. But even with all of those talented people involved, I think you have a journey worth reading. I truly believe there is something for every X-fan in this story.

CY: Yeah, there’s stuff coming… you really haven’t seen anything yet. You don’t know what this story is about yet. And when the reveals begin happening, they happen on such an emotional level. If you care even in the slightest about these characters, this story will pull you in and hold on tight.

NRAMA: How much do you think you've matured as a writer after having been involved in planning and developing this latest crossover with other fan favorite and accomplished writers like Ed, Mike and Peter?

CY: I prefer to think that Ed, Mike and Peter have de-matured after being involved with us. In all seriousness, this was our first big crossover, and it was great to work with writers who've experienced it before. The process was amazingly smooth, and it was great to bounce ideas off each other. We got an amazing amount of work done the couple of times we all met together, and everything kept flowing via email and phone afterwards. It was really well coordinated.

CK: The only crappy part of this crossover is working with these guys… I mean, Brubaker alone took home 2 Eisner’s this past year. It’s much less stressful if everyone else around you sucks but sadly, Chris and I are the ones who need to prove ourselves in this event.

As far as how much we have matured, I think like in every book we do, we learn new things and find better ways to tell good stories. Specifically, the collaborative process in this event has worked really well for us. We all know what everyone else is doing, so there’s no guesswork. Also, you have the previous writer’s story to help propel the events in our issues. Working with so many talented people has been the real highlight for us on this project.

NRAMA: As I understand it, the idea for X-Force came from Chris at an X-Summit during the early stages of Messiah CompleX, right?

CK: No. Chris is a lying, liar who lies… He said that somewhere as a joke and now I have to put up with his ego… Please don’t give him any free credits. Me, you can give free credits too but him, not so much. In truth, I want to say [Executive Editor] Axel [Alonso] and [Editor-in-Chief] Joe [Quesada] put the idea out to the room and then the entire group helped shape it for the event.

CY: While answering these questions, I came up with a new character called ‘Spider-Man.’ I think people will dig it.

NRAMA: How… original. Okay, moving on then, you guys had only written New X-Men and X-23 comics. Why did you think that X-Force was the way forward for the X-franchise post-Messiah CompleX?

CY: Desperate times call for desperate measures. Mutantkind is an endangered species, and there are a ton of enemies still gunning for them. The X-Men have to respond, they can't simply wait to be massacred yet again. X-Force is part of Cyclops' change in leadership. He's being proactive, and he's solving problems. As much as he may have abhorred Wolverine's methods in the past, he can't afford it anymore.

CK: I thought when Chris said, “Desperate times call for desperate measures”, he was talking about us being hired to write the book… Phew.

Chris covered the reason why this team needed to be formed and I think we brought much of that same idea to New X-Men when we took over. Our kids were the most vulnerable and lost most of their friends to the villains out in the X-Universe… They paid with the loss of their innocence and the loss of their lives. We have reached a point where the X-Men are done being victims in this war and they’ve learned that striking back isn’t enough… Sometimes you have to strike first!

NRAMA: The new X-Force was formed within the pages of the 13-part Messiah CompleX. Why are Wolverine, X-23, Warpath, Caliban, Wolfsbane, and Hepzibah chosen for the mission? What makes this team of conflicting personalities perfect for this particular mission?

CK: Wolverine isn’t a natural leader but he will be forced into this team by the choices of others… And if he doesn’t take charge of this team, they don’t have a chance. X-23 has hit a crossroad in her life, she came to the X-Men looking for normalcy but has done just as much killing with them as she did when under the control of her creators. The little bit of honest humanity she has known so far, has caused her more confusion and pain than anything else… Now she has to decide between hope and acceptance. Hope that someday she might acclimate to being a normal person or acceptance to the fact, that she is and always will be a living weapon. I can tell you right now it doesn’t look good for her… I’ll let Chris talk about Rahne and Jimmy.

CY: Rahne is coming to this team for a very personal reason, something you’ll see in Messiah CompleX. She wants in on X-Force’s 2nd mission. She has to be there. Wolverine knows she doesn’t belong on this team, not for what they’re going to be doing. And Warpath will have his reasons as well. And whether he knows it or not, this is part of Warpath’s journey. I’m looking forward to the relationship between him and Wolverine, because it’s so reminiscent of the old Cyclops/Wolverine dynamic.

NRAMA: Fans realize that X-23 is a character near and dear to your hearts. So, how much will X-23 be changed by the end of the crossover?

CY: X-23 was slowly but surely learning about a life outside murder and violence. She had found a home, with friends that she could learn from and open up to. She was experiencing emotions for the first time, she even found a boy she liked. Cyclops is asking her to take two steps back.

CK: The success she will see in the crossover will speak to her failure in everything else she has done. Once this fight is over I think the only place she can go is X-Force.

NRAMA: Now, the first X-Force was more like a militarized incarnation of the 1980s New Mutants. The new one that the both of you are launching post-Messiah CompleX looks like a covert ops kind of set-up. Do you look to Rob Liefeld and past creators' work on the previous series for inspiration?

CK: Yes, and no. I think like all of the guys and girls working in comics today, we do what we do because we’re fans first. I love nothing more than the X-Universe… It’s where my first comic book came from and most of my favorite stories have been told. That said, I didn’t like every book and storyline. Chris and I find our inspiration from the characters and stories that meant something to us when we were growing up. Sometimes we need to do research in other series we didn’t read but that’s just to make sure we don’t unravel what’s been done before us.

CY: Unless we’re unraveling it on purpose.

NRAMA: Were there any particular stories from X-Force that stuck in your minds as you began working on the new X-Force series?

CY: X-Force was huge for me, I transferred into it from New Mutants which was probably my favorite series as a fan. I remember Cannonball standing up to Xavier, the whole 'closed fist, open hand' speech pretty vividly. Seeing the New Mutants grow up, seeing them change under Cable's tutelage... it was exciting. I also remember Cable and Domino taking a bath together.

NRAMA: What about you, Craig?

CK: None, really. I loved the New Mutants but when X-Force came along, I didn’t really get into it… it just wasn’t a good fit for me at the time. Most of my favorite stories come from classic Uncanny, early X-Factor and New Mutants and Jim Lee’s X-Men books. And obviously, I’m enjoying all the X-titles now as well.



NRAMA: From the promo images, it looks like the initial line-up for team when the first issue debuts in February will consist of Wolverine, X-23, Wolfsbane and Warpath. We can speculate on the fates of Caliban and Hepzibah but let’s focus on the first four, shall we? How significant are the players shown? What does each of them bring to the team post-Messiah CompleX? Again, they're not particularly team players to start with…

CK: Logan brings experience. He knows the line these kids are crossing and what you become on the other side. He’s also the guy who wants to go it alone, but has found himself babysitting. He’s not happy.

X-23 is a killer created solely for murder. She can kill without emotion and follow orders without question. She’s a perfect fit for this team but at what personal cost?

Warpath has stood in the shadow of his dead brother for too long. He believes deep down that the wrong Proudstar died and this is his chance to find out if he’s right.

Rahne is not a killer and should not be on this team… That said, she has a reason so personal and compelling nothing will keep her from joining them.

CY: And again, that’s the initial line-up. By the end of the first arc, it will already have changed.

NRAMA: From the previews, they sure didn't look like they're in agreement at all?

CY: That's pretty much the setup, and it's a nice reversal for them. Wolverine's finally got Cyclops agreeing with him and his methods, and now he's not so sure it's the right thing. If it was just Wolverine, that's fine... but it's not. Now Wolverine is going to feel the burden of responsibility, something he's certainly never sought out. You can expect Wolverine to clash with pretty much everyone, in exactly the opposite way you'd imagine. But he's still the Wolverine we all know and love. If not more so.

CK: Yeah, what you’re seeing in that preview is a lot of what you’re getting in the opening of our story. I think everyone will feel on character but you’ll find them in roles they’re not used to being in, which creates a lot of conflict… and fun, for us.

NRAMA: They're obviously on some kind of a mission following Messiah CompleX. How much time has passed since the end of Messiah CompleX by the time the first issue rolls around?

CK: Not much time has passed at all and although a lot will been dealt with by the end of Messiah CompleX, there are loose ends that must be tied up.

CY: And by ‘tied up,’ we mean ‘killed.’

NRAMA: How will X-23 be evolved by the time the first arc ends?

CK: Laura’s arc will take more time than the first six to be resolved. I see her as a slow burn in this series. The choices she has to make combined with the actions she’s taking will weigh heavily on her cloned soul… She’s in for a very tough ride.

NRAMA: And speaking of Cable, he's back. He has the baby. And the X-Force has been sent after him… Will he have a role in the series?

CY: Too soon to say.

CK: If it means you’ll buy more copies of the book, “Yes!” He’s in every page of the first issue… Although, he was hiding in the preview pages, so you have to look really hard to find him.

NRAMA: Hardy har har. Anyway, Chris, you're also writing X-Men: Emperor Vulcan, which reaches its star-shattering conclusion in January. Will the events in the 5-issue limited series play into the new X-Force?

CY: Only in the sense that what Havok, Polaris and Marvel Girl do in the Shi'ar Empire will determine the fate of all of humanity, and possibly the universe. So in that regard, yes. On a 'will we see X-Force in space' kind of way, no.

NRAMA: Wrapping things up, the new X-Force looks set to be an all-out action team book. What does Clayton Crain bring to the series with his art?

CK: Clayton is amazing! He brings a rich cinematic feel to the story. Chris and I keep saying how lucky we have been in comics when it comes to artists and in X-Force our luck has continued. Clayton has a dark gritty edge that this series demands but he also has a wide range of talent allowing him to play any mood with the same level of ease. We’re blown away by what we’ve seen so far and the action scenes are just incredible. So rest assured if you hate the writing, you’ve still got 22 beautiful reasons why you should buy this book.

CY: Seriously, his pages are unreal. There’s one page where I literally gasped, and I knew what was coming. But it was just so visceral. You are in for a bloody, bloody treat.

NRAMA: After New X-Men, I am sure bloody is now a crucial ingredient in all your stories, guys. Lastly, any parting thoughts?

CY: If you've ever wanted to see the X-Men unleashed, this is it. X-Force is going to some dark, dark places, and no one is getting out without some blood staining their souls. And at the same time, if you're a fan of the larger X-Universe and the history and characters therein, there's a lot to like here. Craig and I are big X-fans, and in New X-Men we brought in Stryker, Nimrod, Selene, Weapon X, Belasco... and in X-Force, we've got a lot more planned.

CK: We’ve graduated high school and are moving on to a title that really suits our best story telling chops and connects us to everything we love about the X-Universe. The best part is we only had to kill 47 (possibly more) kids to get it. Thanks, Marvel!

[JPGubicza]

A New Mutants series ends and X-force begins... It must be 1991 all over again. Count me as excited for this one...

[Big Red]

Why did they pick a lineup in which everyone's powers are so similar?

[Big Red]

Originally Posted by JPGubicza

It must be 1991 all over again. Count me as excited for this one...

With almost every team member having blades or claws, maybe it is 1991 all over again.

[Marcimus]

Really enjoying New Mutants right now. Definite old school New Mutants feel. Love the relationships between the characters. Wish they had kept Medina.

[Grievous]

it's like this,

anyone who knows me on these boards, knows i am not a hater,

never a hater,

i was so looking forward to an x-force comic,

but everybody has claws?

what the holy hell?

why does everybody need to have something sharp in their hands?

who is the brains on this team?

[hlbimage]

Why in the world is Wolverine in every team series?

[The Mirrorball Man]

Originally Posted by Big Red

Why did they pick a lineup in which everyone's powers are so similar?

Well, it works for Green Lanterns.

[porkstore]

I just feel very underwhelmed by this new X-Force. I would love to have new x-men continue forever.

[Spyderco]

Originally Posted by hlbimage

Why in the world is Wolverine in every team series?

Because he's Wolverine. Duh.

[Grievous]

Originally Posted by The Mirrorball Man

Well, it works for Green Lanterns.

sorry dude,

that juts doesn't hold up.

Green Lantern's might all use the same weapon, a powerring,

but in fairness they are an intergalatic police force

and even at that,

compare the characters Honnu, Guy Gardner, Hal jordan, Salaak, Kilowog, Sodam Yat and john steward and you will see vastly different personalites and different fighting styles and intelligent levels,

Honnu doesn't even have to use his ring,

Guy Gardner is an excellent leader, check dave gibbons first story arc of GLC. guy shows great leadership skills fighting the spiderguild when OA is overrun with them and the rookies are running scared.

[The Mirrorball Man]

Originally Posted by Grievous

Compare the characters Honnu, Guy Gardner, Hal Jordan, Salaak, Kilowog, Sodam Yat and John Steward and you will see vastly different personalities and different fighting styles and intelligent levels.

Sounds exactly like X-Force to me.

[Chief Jon]

Originally Posted by Big Red

With almost every team member having blades or claws, maybe it is 1991 all over again.

The similarity we should be paying attention to here isn't the blades and claws, it's the common ability and talent as trackers/hunters that I see as relevant. Of course I could also point out that sharp things kill quietly and they DO kill.

[si, rodrigo]

Originally Posted by Grievous

it's like this,

anyone who knows me on these boards, knows i am not a hater,

never a hater,

i was so looking forward to an x-force comic,

but everybody has claws?

what the holy hell?

why does everybody need to have something sharp in their hands?

who is the brains on this team?

During the crossover the fact that they have claws is a coincidence. Cyclops sent the trackers after Cable.

In the book itself, well you have to wait. They just said that each character will have a reason to be on the team. They've also said that the roster will change by the end of the first arc.

[Grievous]

Originally Posted by The Mirrorball Man

Sounds exactly like X-Force to me.

I'd rather not go back and forward with this,

basically,

i was looking to an x-force book,.

now i am not,

i'll jump out of this thread now because it is not fair on all the people who love this news.

[Chief Jon]

Letting the speculation begin I hope that Hepzibah and Caliban make it through Messiah Complex okay. Caliban has been through so much over the years it would be nice to see things go better for him rather than worse.

[SuperginraiX]

Originally Posted by hlbimage

Why in the world is Wolverine in every team series?

It's a Secret Invasion.

[Samy Merchi]

Well, I'm glad that they at least acknowledged that Rahne's personality is completely against this sort of thing.

...still, this has very few of the characters I actually want to see under the title of "X-Force"...just a boring team from scratch, recycling the name I love.

And for god's sakes, the X-universe has so many good characters in limbo, and they put *Wolverine* in *more* spotlight? How about spotlighting some of the better characters languishing in limbo!!

Wake me when we get a book for Sam, Dani, Roberto and the rest.

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by Samy Merchi

Wake me when we get a book for Sam, Dani, Roberto and the rest.

That would make me a very happy boy.

[Ace]

I uh.. actually remember that Cannonball/Xavier talk really fondly too.

But this I am not looking forward to. The last thing we need is more doom and gloom and blood and guts and claws. You couldn't get any further away from what I wanted out of the X-Books than this, unless of course it didn't have such skilled writers as Yost/Kyle on it. At least it should be good, even if it's nothing I want at all.

I'm really hoping the NXM kids end up in X-Men: Legacy written by Carey. He'll do good by them.

[kingofcities]

Originally Posted by si, rodrigo

During the crossover the fact that they have claws is a coincidence.

It's fiction. A writer conceived of putting these characters in the same place at the same time. It's not coincidence, it's by design.

[Martel]

So is Logan going to quit the New Avengers? He doesn't seem to be getting along with them in any event.

[WildcardZ]

If Kyle and Yost can do on this book anywhere near what they were doing on New X-Men, this series will be great. Trackers, hunters, and characters with potentially very violent powers. 2 of them are former weapons and healers. Team makes a lot of sense for a covert ops mission.

[coolmvm]

Now this is a slasher comic that I can agree with.

[von Doom, M.D.]

While I admit that I don't read X-titles, and in fact loathe any and all mutant characters, I just can't help but think this new X-Force is a limited concept. They're, essentially, the Black Ops team of the X-Men, but how many times can a story come up where they are necessary? I guess this is just going to be a test for the writers to make it work.