X-Force #23 Preview

COVER BY: Clayton Crain
WRITER: Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost
PENCILS: Clayton Crain
INKS: Array
X-FORCE has a new mission: KILL SELENE. As Utopia burns, Wolverine and the team heads to take down the Black Queen and rescue one of their own, but they have no idea what they're in for when they arrive on the shores of Necrosha. The biggest X-Force story yet continues as Selene's Inner Circle begins to tear itself apart, and the truth about Wolfsbane is finally revealed. PART FOUR (of SIX) Parental Advisory …$2.99
IN STORES: January 27, 2010 

Advance X-Solicitations, April 2010

NEW MUTANTS #12
Written by ZEB WELLS
Penciled by IBRAIM ROBERSON
Cover by ADI GRANOV
Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT
by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
SECOND COMING, CHAPTER THREE
Fall of a New Mutant?! The X-Men are hot on the trail of Cable and Hope and meet Bastion’s forces head-on, in the form of Bastion’s capo William Stryker and his Purifier army. Stryker’s forces score one casualty early, but who wins the battle? At the same time the New Mutants are hitting Bastion’s second-in-command, Cameron Hodge. But going up against Hodge and 100 of his soldiers is way out of their league and one of them won’t walk away from it.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

UNCANNY X-MEN #523
Written by MATT FRACTION
Penciled by TERRY DODSON
Cover by ADI GRANOV
Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by MIKE PERKINS
SECOND COMING, CHAPTER TWO
The race to find Cable and Hope is on, but who will get to them first? Will it be Cyclops and the X-Men or Bastion and his mutant-hating cabal? Cyclops isn’t waiting for the answer to that as takes the fight directly to Bastion with the New Mutants!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

X-FORCE #26
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Penciled by MIKE CHOI
Cover by ADI GRANOV
Variant Cover by DAVID FINCH
RIP VARIANT by TBA
IRON MAN BY DESIGN VARIANT by TBA
SECOND COMING, CHAPTER FIVE
As the X-Men make their desperate attempt to get Hope to Utopia, the battle will cost them one of their own.  Nothing will ever be the same.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99





X-MEN: PIXIE STRIKES BACK #3 (of 4)
Written by KATHRYN IMMONEN
Penciled by SARA PICHELLI
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
The illusion of high-school reality comes crashing down on Pixie, X-23 and the other X-Girls and it’s not pretty. They’re being held by a demon king who, shockingly enough, doesn’t have their best interest at heart. The X-Men are coming to save the day, but will it matter? The secret of Pixie’s parentage is out and no one will ever look at her the same way again.
32 PGS./Rated A …$3.99

Making of X-23

This is interesting. Visit this link to see how a X-23-statuette is made.

   

Pixie: Making it on Her Own

COVER BY: Stuart Immonen
WRITER: Kathryn Immonen
PENCILS: Sara Pichelli
INKS: Array
COLORED BY: Christina Strain
LETTERED BY: Robert Steen
THE STORY: Pixie, X-23, Armor, Mercury and Blindfold face a new kind of hell: high school! Things get even worse when Pixie’s mother shows up on Utopia demanding to see her daughter. Discover the truth about Pixie, inculding the answer to something even SHE doesn’t know: the identity of her father- one of the most dangerous X-Villains ever! Rated A …$3.99
IN STORES: February 10, 2010
One of the X-Men's youngest members flies into her first extended solo adventure with X-MEN: PIXIE STRIKES BACK #1 on February 10, from writer Kathryn Immonen and artist Sara Pichelli. The four-issue limited series will take Pixie and her teammates Armor, Mercury, X-23, and Blindfold and send them to any teenager's nightmare: high school. But according to Immonen, all may not as it appears.
"How can I break this to you gently-it's not actually a real high school," the writer informs us.
"From Pixie's perspective, everything is super perfect. From everyone else's, the exact opposite of super perfect, but it's hard to fight back against something you can't see or control. And that's all I'm going to say about that!

The story will also explore the relationships Pixie and her fellow teammates share in a new light.
I'm really keen, in this story, to take a hard look at what these girls mean to each other," explains Immonen. As teammates certainly, but maybe more importantly as friends and almost sisters. And Pixie's going to have a lot to answer for by the time we're done. She's proved herself pretty easily to them all the way along. It may not be so simple for her from here on in."
It's got mutants and magic! A demon from the past! Nefarious plans! Stabbings! Very scary school nurses! Girls talking in bathrooms! And Sara Pichelli and [colorist] Christina Strain are knocking it all right out of the proverbial park!" Source

Nation X #2 Preview

COVER BY: Dustin Weaver
WRITER: John Barber
C.B. CEBULSKI
Becky Cloonan
Tim Fish
PENCILS: Becky Cloonan
Tim Fish
INKS: Array
THE STORY:
IN THIS ISSUE: Jubilee returns to the X-Men, Gambit has trouble adjusting to life on Utopia, Northstar deals with the distance that island living necessitates and No-Girl has to save all the X-Men from a foe living right under their noses. Part 2 (of 4) Rated A …$3.99
IN STORES: January 13, 2010 

X-POSITION: Craig Kyle and Chris Yost

Nice interview with our beloved writers. Have fun! Source.

Do you plan on leaving any drastic changes to make a big exit on your excellent run?
 
Yost: Before our run is over, the cast will change.
Kyle: Yes, quite a bit - from top to bottom. 

Are there any X-23/Hope scenes planned in either "X-Men: Second Coming" or "X-Force?" Hope seemed to form some sort of attachment to Laura, and they need to meet up again!

Yost: That will be touched on soon, if not already. In the pages of "Cable," there is a scene where Hope mentions Laura by name. And if it's not out yet...spoiler!

 Any news on that third "X-23" miniseries?

Kyle: For now, that story's kind of on hold. There's lots of stuff coming with X-23 in the future, so for fans of her, there's wonderful surprises on the way. As for Chris and I writing that third story? For right now, that's been put on ice. We've had a lot of success and a lot of happy fans with the first two minis, and the last thing we want to do is put out one that is half-cooked.
 Chris and I are up to our eyeballs in work right now, so to do that kind of final chapter of our work with her - the timing isn't right. If we can't give it our best, we're not going to do it halfway. It's something Chris and I would love to do, but I wouldn't look for it in the near future...unless Chris goes behind my back and does it without me.
Yost: I've already started it.

Kyle: [Chuckles] Look for it in 2010!
Yost: January 2010.
Kyle: Can I at least get a copy?
Yost: No.

How about "X-Force: Sex & Violence?" Is there a release date for this yet?

Yost: It's not on the schedule yet, but issue #2 is pretty much wrapped. Or, if not, it's close. And I know we say this every time, but - ohmigod! It is spectacular.
Kyle: When it does come out - and I think it will probably hit before we're out of the series - it will be worth the wait when it hits the shelves.[...] It's going to be a beautiful and twisted and screwed up and dark and funny and sexy andeverything kind of book.

Awesome X-23 VS Lady Deathstrike Diorama

The latest to join the line of Marvel collectibles is the X-23 VS Lady Deathstrike Diorama. This dynamic scene depicts two of the Marvel Universe's most furious mutant sirens in the heat of battle with claws bared. The X-23 VS Lady Deathstrike Diorama is cast in heavyweight, high-quality polystone, then hand-finished and hand-painted to exacting standards. Each piece is individually painted and finished, each with its own unique quality and detail that is the trademark of a handcrafted product. The X-23 VS Lady Deathstrike Diorama is the perfect addition to any Marvel display. Watch the video presentation.

Advance X-Solicitations March 2010

NATION X #4 (of 4)

Written by PETER MILLIGAN, ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA, JOE CARAMAGNA & IVAN BRANDON
Penciled by MIKE ALLRED, NIKO HENRICHON, HARVEY TALIBAO & RAEL LYRA
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
All the pieces fall into place as this final issue concludes with a bang!  Namor has never taken orders from anyone before, so why does he take them from Cyclops? Where does Emma get all those Jimmy Choo's? And when a mystery strikes Utopia, who does Cyclops send to solve it?  DOOP!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99 

X-23 #1
Written by MARJORIE LIU
Pencils and cover by ALINA URSOV
X-23 has spent her short life being used by those in power, from the military to the X-Men. But when she is forced to confront a being who can control her life with nothing but a thought, will X-23 finally learn how to fight -- not for others, but herself? Guest-starring NYX!
48 PGS./One-Shot/Parental Advisory …$3.99

X-FORCE #25
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST & CRAIG KYLE
Pencils & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
NECROSHA ENDS HERE!
Everything Destiny foretold has come true. The Black Queen has become the Dark Goddess, but X-Force's mission stands...KILL HER. But how do you fight a god with claws, knives and guns? And how many members will X-Force lose before the fight is over? PART SIX (of SIX)
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

X-MEN: PIXIE STRIKES BACK #2 (of 4)
Written by KATHRYN IMMONEN
Penciled by SARA PICHELLI
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
X-23, Armor, Blindfold, Mercury and Pixie are stuck in a nightmare high school and they can't get out.  Who is the person responsible?  Could it be Pixie's father?  And who is he? Here's one hint—Hellfire.
32 PGS./Rated A …$3.99

Source

X-Force #22 Variant Cover

X-23 One-Shot in March!

The news that absolutely made my day! I can't even describe how thrilled and happy I am!

As a member of both X-Force and the X-Men, X-23 calls the X-Men's island of Utopia, which floats off the coast of San Francisco, home. However, come March, she'll return to the mean streets of New York City in the "X-23" one-shot by writer Marjorie Liu ["NYX: No Way Home," "Dark Wolverine"] and artist Alina Urusov ["Young Avengers Presents," "X-Force, NYX"]. CBR News spoke with Liu about the special, which is part of Marvel Comics 2010 year long "Women of Marvel" celebration.

Marjorie Liu: Unlike Daken, Laura was raised in a lab, brainwashed, under constant supervision (receiving some kindness from her surrogate mother), and then later abused sexually - after which she eventually found her way to the X-Men. Logan, I'm sure, was the first male role model in her life who treated her decently, and with affection. All this, and she's still a teen.[...] I don't think it's just being with the X-Men that has given her that streak of compassion - she showed a willingness to help others when she was with Kiden. [...] The abused don't always become abusers. Some rise above their circumstances, and become better for them. Others, not so much.[...] Despite the fact that she's powerful, dangerous, and ruthless, Laura is, still, just a kid. Okay, maybe I shouldn't say "just a kid," but she's a young teen girl who has been through hell. Raised in lab, then pimped out as a whore, now used as a killing machine for the X-Men. She's spent her entire life being used - mostly by men in authority - and she's just beginning to realize what that means, and what a mental trap she's found herself in: this odd circle of power and powerlessness that she keeps returning to.[...] 


What is X-23's physical and emotional state when the "X-23" one-shot begins?
Marjorie Liu: Laura's emotional state, at the beginning, is...introspective. Physically, she's fine - but isn't she always? It's her mind and heart that need bolstering.

Power and powerlessness, the cages we put ourselves in without realizing it, the strength it takes to stand up for ourselves when people are hurting us – not physically, but mentally. Friendship, love, hope - I tried to cover all the bases for Laura!
As for the plot, it's rather simple: Laura and Logan come to New York to help an old friend of his (Jubilee, as a matter of fact), and Laura picks up Kiden's scent. She follows it, finds them - and someone else finds her. Someone very powerful, who wants to control her life. Something, unfortunately, that she's all too familiar with. [...] The greatest enemy one ever faces is one's own self. With Laura, this is taken to a much deeper level, with higher stakes. She must take that first step in becoming her own person, or else risk losing her identity altogether.

Kiden and the other kids of NYX first met Laura when she was at her very lowest. She was being used as a whore, and her mind had truly shut down. Her body was just a thing for men to use. She didn't even think about it or fight her treatment.
But Kiden's friendship brought her, for all intents and purposes, back to life. It made her wake up. And the thing about Kiden and the others was that they didn't want anything from her. Not one thing, except to help and keep her safe. That would have been something Laura had never encountered.
They were the first people to show her true friendship, and that's not something she can ever forget. So there are a lot of hard emotions for Laura when she encounters Kiden and the others - and, as with the first time she met them, their presence will make her rethink the circumstances of her life.

What do you feel the book's artist, Alina Ursov, brings to the comic?
Alina is fabulous. I can't say enough good things. Her art is fluid, delicate, with just the right mix of strength and beauty. Truly, it's a joy working with her. She was the artist who was originally intended to draw this one-shot, and I'm thrilled that's still the case.
Is X-23 a character you'd like to revisit again someday? Do you have any ideas on where you'd like to take her next?
I loved writing her, so sure! I suppose I'd like to carry on exploring some of the themes and issues raised in this one-shot.

Source

X-Force #22 Preview

COVER BY: Clayton Crain
WRITERS: Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost
PENCILS: Clayton Crain
INKS: Array
THE STORY:
The unthinkable happens as NECROSHA continues! Selene's actions on Genosha have changed everything, and while the X-Men were desperate to save their species...this isn't what they had in mind. But as the siege by dead mutants continues, things get even deadlier with the arrival of Selene's very much ALIVE Inner Circle at the X-Men's headquarters. With Eli Bard in tow, WITHER, MORTIS, SENYAKA and BLINK have come for one thing, and anyone who gets in their way will die. PART THREE (of SIX) PLUS - A CABLE BACKUP STORY! Parental Advisory …$3.99
PRICE: 3.99
IN STORES: December 16, 2009