WEAPON X-MEN goes on sale this week by Joe Casey and ChrisCross and it is definitely not to be missed. While every comic is someone’s favorite and hits a certain sweet spot that bumps it to the top of your reading list, Weapon X-Men has possibly some of the broadest appeal.
You don’t need to be steeped in X-Men lore to enjoy it but little touches can make it even more fun for those who are. If you’re looking for the “next thing” after seeing “Deadpool and Wolverine”, this is the book you need. If you love action but not the mindless sort, the kind with a strong, well thought out plot and great dialogue, you’ve found it. And, if you’re just a fan of the Marvel Universe or all things X-Men, Weapon X-Men will more than satisfy your craving.
With all that in mind, we want to make sure that no one misses out on this before the first issue sells out so we spoke with writer Joe Casey to bring you the inside scoop in this interview:
Impulse Creations: How would you describe Weapon X-Men and what sets it apart from other X-Men titles?
JOE CASEY: WEAPON X-MEN is a new mutant team book set dead center in the greater Marvel Universe. That means the typical “mutant issues” often seen in other X-books aren’t really the conceptual focus of our series. It’s bigger than that. We’re really swinging for the fences, and we’re just hoping that there are plenty of readers -- lapsed or otherwise -- that are willing to check out what we’re up to. It’s exactly the kind of superhero comicbook reading experience they just might be missing right now. Each month, every issue, it’s a pure popcorn thrill ride. In fact, we’re putting everything we have into making WEAPON X-MEN as kick ass as it can possibly be.
IC: Is this a story you've been kicking around and developing for a while or is it something that sprung forth as the Krakoan Age came to a close?
JC: The truth is, I pitched this book to Marvel in spring of 2023. The name, the concept, the initial roster, everything in a tight, little package. It was initially meant to be part of the direct follow-up to the Krakoan stuff, but the subsequent, editorial transition that occurred in the X-office ended up delaying things for a few months. In any case, we’re here now and the goal is to deliver big concepts, big stakes and hopefully a big impact. I’ve given WEAPON X-MEN its very own category… I call it Blockbuster Comics. Once again, it’s time to show movies and video games exactly how it’s done.
IC: The members of this team tend to not be great team players as they have a habit of going off on their own. How would you describe their team dynamic here?
JC: The original tagline of my pitch was (and remains): They’ll save the world… if they don’t kill each other first. So, their dynamic is… tense, to say the least. To start with, there’s the “big three”. The bona fide movie stars. Two of which -- Wolverine and Cable -- I’ve written before. They’re obviously both alphas, so there’s always going to be a bit of unspoken drama there. But they’ve also been through so much, both separately and together, that they’re not going to fight over who’s the top dog. Both of them realize that the two of them need to be there in equal measure if this team is going to work. In other words, they’re grown-ass men and -- being a grown-ass man myself -- I try and write them that way.
Obviously, Deadpool is a real trip. As you might expect, he provides the real “meta” aspect of this series, the one who’s able to comment on events as they’re happening in the same way that a Marvel fan might. That gives the stories a whole new dimension that ends up being really fun. Chamber is a character I’ve always had a soft spot for, which is why I made him an official X-Man when I wrote UNCANNY X-MEN back in the day and why he’s a part of this team now. He’s looking for a place to belong. Finally, there’s Thunderbird, the “forgotten X-Man” who’s personal circumstances end up being a significant driver in our first batch of stories. For those who might not already know, Thunderbird has been dead for the entirety of modern X-history. That’s fifty years of published comic books. He’s missed out on a helluva lot and he knows it. He’s desperate to prove himself to be the hero he feels he was always meant to be. That’s actually the first main subplot of the series, and it comes to a dramatic head in issue #5.
IC: X-titles often feel like they exist largely in their own sub-section of the Marvel Universe but you have a reveal at the end of the first issue that suggests you may be going in a different direction with this book. Without spoiling too much, can you say where you see Weapon X fitting and what kind of threats they'll be dealing with as the series progresses?
JC: I really feel like we’re painting on the largest possible canvas here. Because where most X-books stay in a certain lane, operating almost exclusively within a more mutant-centric jurisdiction, in WEAPON X-MEN we’re dealing with the entirety of the classic Marvel Universe. In that respect, we’re presenting certain elements and classic locales -- like Hydra Island in issue #2 -- in a way that makes them feel brand new. I think issue #3 is going to be a really big deal, the debut of a major new Marvel villain: the terrifying Weapon Exile! And I’m super-psyched to bring back the one and only Red Ronin to the Marvel Universe -- after a long absence involving the character’s licensing rights -- that’s actually a sequel to the classic Avengers #197-199.
We know you’re ready to dive right into that first issue now but we’ve got an even better deal for the biggest fans as we’re offering sets of the first three issues, all signed by Joe Casey!
Choose the signed sets, the individual issues, or grab both so you can read now and treasure the signed copies after issue #3 is released. The choice is yours but the only wrong choice is to miss out!
Order in-stock issues!
Preorder upcoming issues!