CBR: Where The Hell Am I - Aug 24, 2011

[CBR News]

Jason Aaron discusses the challenges he's facing writing "Wolverine and the X-Men," finding individual voices when writing a team book with 14 distinct characters.


Full article here (http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=34070).

[Joe Franklin]

Wish he would have named more characters then Just Rogue being on the team(more spoilers please) .

But I am glad he said he will be eliminating the overdone southern accent. I live in the south, and we don't speak like that. Lol, ok, maybe a little? :biggrin:

[UltimatePeterParker]

Jason Aaron is one of my favorite writers. I haven't been this excited for the X-titles in twenty years. I'm confident he'll pull it off.

[Jackson Edge]

you should put some Doop up in this joint!!!

[maniacmatt]

you should put some Doop up in this joint!!!

That sounds drug related.

[Metal Sphere]

The main cast for the series numbers at least 14 and that’s only including the human ones who talk

What in the world... Are we getting some ETs on the team? Maybe they'll be chilling on/with Krakoa?

[santino27]

What in the world... Are we getting some ETs on the team? Maybe they'll be chilling on/with Krakoa?

I assumed that meant Lockheed, whether or not Kitty is also on the team.

[SJNeal]

Someone should send this article to a certain Avengers scribe... :cool:

[tridon]

Jason, I kid you not, if you were to consolidate all of your "Where the Hell Am I" columns into one collection and sell it, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[FatKidFromQueens]

He seems like a nice, humble guy who genuinely cares about comics and the quality of work he puts into it. I like him.

[DownInAHole]

I like Jason Aaron's stuff but I am a little sceptical about the title of this new book. Wolverine and the X-Men? For me the X-Men have always been at their best when the spotlight is spread around and evenly shared by the characters. I'm hoping that the rest of the cast will be featured just as prominently as, and sometimes more so than, the titular character.

[motteditor]

Someone should send this article to a certain Avengers scribe... :cool:

+1

I also agree with DowninaHole. If I'm buying this, and I honestly don't expect to at this point, it will be in spite of Wolverine. I have to admit this article didn't do much to make me think the book won't be Wolverine-focused. I'm glad Aaron said he's working on all the characters, but the fact that he's struggling makes me wonder if he's just going to sort of revert to focusing on Wolverine, as a character he's already familiar with.

I'm still planning to look at it in the store, but it's going to have to have a really good rest of the cast, with most of the focus on them, to get me to buy a book that seems so clearly focused on the most overexposed character in Marvel.

[LukeZwan]

This column has been a great boon to me as I've been working on my own books (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lukezwan/ezra-devil-begets-devil-1-a-supernatural-western-h). I've been wondering if Jason's uses less panels on a team book than on others. I should take a look at team books and see what the rule seems to be. Great advice on dialog for any book really, not just teams.

Also, that is an awesome cover to Wolverine and Xmen #2. I think I might have to add the book to my pull box.

[JuicyGoo]

Great article! Glad to know how much thought and care he's putting into creating an actual ensemble.

BTW, the title on my tab bar looked like "Where The Hell Am I Pooping". hahaha

[Jason Aaron]

I like Jason Aaron's stuff but I am a little sceptical about the title of this new book. Wolverine and the X-Men? For me the X-Men have always been at their best when the spotlight is spread around and evenly shared by the characters. I'm hoping that the rest of the cast will be featured just as prominently as, and sometimes more so than, the titular character.

Don't let the title fool you. This is not a Wolverine book with guest-stars. This is in every way an X-Men book.

[Jason Aaron]

If I'm buying this, and I honestly don't expect to at this point, it will be in spite of Wolverine. I have to admit this article didn't do much to make me think the book won't be Wolverine-focused. I'm glad Aaron said he's working on all the characters, but the fact that he's struggling makes me wonder if he's just going to sort of revert to focusing on Wolverine, as a character he's already familiar with.

I'm still planning to look at it in the store, but it's going to have to have a really good rest of the cast, with most of the focus on them, to get me to buy a book that seems so clearly focused on the most overexposed character in Marvel.

See above. This is a true team book. And I suppose "struggling" was the wrong word for me to use. "Wrestling with" would've been better. My point was, it's more work than most of my other books, but I'm not struggling to get it done. I'm having a blast.

[Jason Aaron]

This column has been a great boon to me as I've been working on my own books (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lukezwan/ezra-devil-begets-devil-1-a-supernatural-western-h). I've been wondering if Jason's uses less panels on a team book than on others. I should take a look at team books and see what the rule seems to be. Great advice on dialog for any book really, not just teams.

Also, that is an awesome cover to Wolverine and Xmen #2. I think I might have to add the book to my pull box.

Thanks, Luke. Yes, I have indeed been trying to write in fewer panels. For SCALPED, the typical page is probably 6, maybe even 7 panels. With WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN, I'm trying to get that down to 4 or 5, because there's so much going on in each panel.

[infernohara]

Thank you Mr. Aaron!! I really hope you develop Polaris into a great character........I saw what you did there!

[motteditor]

See above. This is a true team book. And I suppose "struggling" was the wrong word for me to use. "Wrestling with" would've been better. My point was, it's more work than most of my other books, but I'm not struggling to get it done. I'm having a blast.

Well, glad to hear it won't be a Wolverine book. I'm curious to see what the cast is, since that'll probably determine whether I buy it more than anything else, but like I said, I'll give it a look. I'm glad to hear it's a real team book and not just more Wolverine, who's probably become my second least-favorite character in comics after the last decade of ridiculous overuse.

[DownInAHole]

Don't let the title fool you. This is not a Wolverine book with guest-stars. This is in every way an X-Men book.

Thanks for the clarification. I don't think I am the only one that was a little confused by the title and it's great to hear that the other X-Men will also be featured players in the book.

[Imraith Nimphais]

You were not the only one DiaH...I am most assuredly anti-Wolverine anywhere else but UXF...and it is certainly one of the reasons why I will not be buying this book. (The main reason being Bachalo's art...*vomits*)

That said...

As vocal as I have been elsewhere about Mr. Aaron's premise as regards to Schism and the main players involved, reading that column has reminded me why I greatly respect his abilities as a writer. And while I would have loved him on an X-title much sooner...(pre issue 500)...I truly wish him all the best with WatXM.

[charlesjbaserap]

Marvel had said that there was no coincidence that Schism and Fear Itself were ending at the same time, but will we find out how the two line up?

The reason I ask is because it appears Colossus will be all powered up post Fear Itself after getting Juggernaut's helmet in the latest issue of Uncanny, but in Schism he appears very much without it.

It makes it seem as if the Uncanny X-Men Fear Itself books happens AFTER Schism, but with 2 issues left of the latter, maybe that'll all shake out.

In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing the new book. I spoke to Mr. Aaron briefly at the Baltimore ComiCon over the weekend and told him that I've been collecting for over 25 straight years and no writer have ever made me want to get a monthly Wolverine book until Wolverine: Weapon X started up and I gave it a shot and after the Astonishing Wolverine/Spider-Man mini and what I've seen on Schism thus far, October can't get here fast enough!

[Robodojo]

Now compare that to a badly written team book. I won’t name names, but I’m sure you can find one. The characters tend to blur together. They speak with the same voice. While they may sometimes fight about things, their perspectives aren’t always discernible. They’re not substantial enough to stand apart. They’re built on fluff, not bedrock....and yet if you place Wolverine and Spider-man on a team book such as this, it'll be an industry juggernaut regardless of its merits.

Style 1, substance 0.

edited to add: going to buy Wolverine & the X-men based soley on what Aaron wrote in this piece

[Hi-Fi]

I'm really happy that you'll be handling Rogue, Mr. Aaron. I loved every special guest appearance you've written for her in Wolverine. One of my favorite relationships from the classic X-Men era is the Logan/Rogue friendship, so I'm pretty pumped about this.

Hope to see a lot of beer and pool involved!

[DownInAHole]

I'm really happy that you'll be handling Rogue, Mr. Aaron. I loved every special guest appearance you've written for her in Wolverine. One of my favorite relationships from the classic X-Men era is the Logan/Rogue friendship, so I'm pretty pumped about this.

Hope to see a lot of beer and pool involved!

I do not know anything that you do not but I would not necessarily assume that Rogue is going to be a permanent member of the cast of Wolverine and the X-Men. It is possible that she is just appearing in the first issue.

[Hi-Fi]

I do not know anything that you do not but I would not necessarily assume that Rogue is going to be a permanent member of the cast of Wolverine and the X-Men. It is possible that she is just appearing in the first issue.
Yeah, maybe I jumped the gun here.

Wishful thinking, I guess.

[DownInAHole]

Yeah, maybe I jumped the gun here.

Wishful thinking, I guess.

Well, she might be a core cast member so don't get too down but it's also possible that she just makes a brief appearance. Either way I'm sure she will be featured heavily in at least one book.

[diablo7]

I like how he mentions writers who write characters on team books the same but doesn't mention his bald pal bendis. He takes a shot at Claremont, though. Hmm.

Well he didn't mention any writers by name, so who knows maybe he was talking about bendis among others. The only "shot" he took on claremont was about rogue's accent which I don't remember being that bad but was worse when other writers came on board.

I'm not a big fan of aaron's but after reading the column and with bachalo on art I'll be giving the book a try. Seems like it might be fun and I hope aaron and bachalo introduce some new foes into the x-verse and maybe bring the reavers back.