Post by D. Golightly on Dec 10, 2008 11:02:07 GMT -5
We've spoken with Neil Gow about his new Ultimate title in M2K's Alternate Branch, now let's pick the brain of our other new author, Kenn Beck. He's already finished the first four issues of ULTIMATE X-MEN, with the first issue now available online.
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M2K: What made you want to write Ultimate X-Men?
Kenn: I have always been a diehard X-Men fan. When I heard there would be a chance for me to write the X-Men but give them my own unique spin, I couldn't resist. Imagine being able to tell George Lucas how you thought Star Wars could have been even better. I heard about this site from Meriades Rai, who told me there were some open titles, and I saw my chance. Part of what made me want to write for Marvel 2000 was the quality of the writing already established here. I am in good company, which helps keep the bar high for my own writing. And the web design is tight. I like a website that is easy to look at!
M2K: The mutants you start with aren't Xavier's original crew. In the first issue you focus primarily on two mutants that didn't come along until much later in the 616 series. Why did you begin this way?
Kenn: The X-Men started as a book about teenagers with strange powers, but once it gained all its popularity and edge, it lost a little of its innocence. It regained that a little with Kitty. She was the character that the young readers could all relate to, the nervous kid who wants to be able to disappear. She brought the book back to its roots, and gave it a human face. As such, she has always been the natural narrator character in my mind. And I have always liked the doomed relationship that she and Peter shared. The two of them being on opposite sides of the conflict, two young lovers torn between duty and romance... it's a classic story.
M2K: Who's your favorite X-Men character?
Kenn: Colossus, hands down, since day number one. The powers are awesome, but even better is the truly tragic figure he cuts. The quiet farmer with the heart of a poet, the gentle soul who can flatten a building with a single punch. He's so torn, so lost, so passionate in
his beliefs.
M2K: What villains can you tease us with?
Kenn: Obviously, Magneto will be a big part of the story, though I don't know if you could classify him as a villain. He and Charles will have a very similar rivalry to what they have in 616, but their difference in ideology is not as clearly delineated in terms of good and evil. Magneto would view Xavier's experiments as the desecration of the human form granted by God, so he'd think of that as evil. But there will also be clear cut villains, like Wormwood. I also have plans that some could consider Sinister... (hyuk hyuk)
M2K: When people see the word 'mutant' associated with anything Marvel, they typically know what to expect. How does your Ultimate X-Men title stand out?
Kenn: In Ultimate X-Men, being a mutant works differently. Anyone who has an ability that stretches beyond the norm is potentially a mutant. Musical prodigies, Olympic level athletes, gifted academics, brilliant tacticians, any of them could potentially possess a certain key element in their person. Some call it the X-Gene, some call it Magickal Affinity, some call it Divine Essence, but they are essentially the same; there are people who can unlock their vast hidden potential and gain great power. Some achieve it through prayer, some achieve it through chemical therapy and experimentation, and some achieve it through arcane study and meditation. Science can allow a young girl to "Quantum Tunnel" through solid material, while magic can transform a simple farmer into a golem of steel. Technology and chemical treatments can help a young man manipulate the molecular vibration and lower the temperature of anything around him, while prayer and belief can allow a priestess of the Mother Goddess to call upon the power of the storm to serve her will. A mutant may go their entire life without ever unlocking their powers, but once they find the path that is right for them, they can potentially become one of the most powerful beings on the planet.
M2K: Are there any famous X-Men storylines, such as Dark Phoenix or Days of Future Past, that you're going to stay completely away from?
Kenn: Nothing is off limits, as far as I'm concerned. It may not be what people expect, like my take on the Brood might not have anything to do with aliens, but they will recognize the elements.
M2K: What would you say to encourage someone that hasn't been an X-Men fan in the past to get them to read this series?
Kenn: The freedom of an Ultimate line allows me to push the limits and offer a vantage point that you may not have ever thought of. This ain't your daddy's X-Men!
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M2K: What made you want to write Ultimate X-Men?
Kenn: I have always been a diehard X-Men fan. When I heard there would be a chance for me to write the X-Men but give them my own unique spin, I couldn't resist. Imagine being able to tell George Lucas how you thought Star Wars could have been even better. I heard about this site from Meriades Rai, who told me there were some open titles, and I saw my chance. Part of what made me want to write for Marvel 2000 was the quality of the writing already established here. I am in good company, which helps keep the bar high for my own writing. And the web design is tight. I like a website that is easy to look at!
M2K: The mutants you start with aren't Xavier's original crew. In the first issue you focus primarily on two mutants that didn't come along until much later in the 616 series. Why did you begin this way?
Kenn: The X-Men started as a book about teenagers with strange powers, but once it gained all its popularity and edge, it lost a little of its innocence. It regained that a little with Kitty. She was the character that the young readers could all relate to, the nervous kid who wants to be able to disappear. She brought the book back to its roots, and gave it a human face. As such, she has always been the natural narrator character in my mind. And I have always liked the doomed relationship that she and Peter shared. The two of them being on opposite sides of the conflict, two young lovers torn between duty and romance... it's a classic story.
M2K: Who's your favorite X-Men character?
Kenn: Colossus, hands down, since day number one. The powers are awesome, but even better is the truly tragic figure he cuts. The quiet farmer with the heart of a poet, the gentle soul who can flatten a building with a single punch. He's so torn, so lost, so passionate in
his beliefs.
M2K: What villains can you tease us with?
Kenn: Obviously, Magneto will be a big part of the story, though I don't know if you could classify him as a villain. He and Charles will have a very similar rivalry to what they have in 616, but their difference in ideology is not as clearly delineated in terms of good and evil. Magneto would view Xavier's experiments as the desecration of the human form granted by God, so he'd think of that as evil. But there will also be clear cut villains, like Wormwood. I also have plans that some could consider Sinister... (hyuk hyuk)
M2K: When people see the word 'mutant' associated with anything Marvel, they typically know what to expect. How does your Ultimate X-Men title stand out?
Kenn: In Ultimate X-Men, being a mutant works differently. Anyone who has an ability that stretches beyond the norm is potentially a mutant. Musical prodigies, Olympic level athletes, gifted academics, brilliant tacticians, any of them could potentially possess a certain key element in their person. Some call it the X-Gene, some call it Magickal Affinity, some call it Divine Essence, but they are essentially the same; there are people who can unlock their vast hidden potential and gain great power. Some achieve it through prayer, some achieve it through chemical therapy and experimentation, and some achieve it through arcane study and meditation. Science can allow a young girl to "Quantum Tunnel" through solid material, while magic can transform a simple farmer into a golem of steel. Technology and chemical treatments can help a young man manipulate the molecular vibration and lower the temperature of anything around him, while prayer and belief can allow a priestess of the Mother Goddess to call upon the power of the storm to serve her will. A mutant may go their entire life without ever unlocking their powers, but once they find the path that is right for them, they can potentially become one of the most powerful beings on the planet.
M2K: Are there any famous X-Men storylines, such as Dark Phoenix or Days of Future Past, that you're going to stay completely away from?
Kenn: Nothing is off limits, as far as I'm concerned. It may not be what people expect, like my take on the Brood might not have anything to do with aliens, but they will recognize the elements.
M2K: What would you say to encourage someone that hasn't been an X-Men fan in the past to get them to read this series?
Kenn: The freedom of an Ultimate line allows me to push the limits and offer a vantage point that you may not have ever thought of. This ain't your daddy's X-Men!