JOE CASEY
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DF Interview: Joe Casey talks about the team you didn’t even know you were waiting for with ‘Weapon X-Men’ By Byron Brewer Together on their very own X-team for the very first X-time – all in an X-tra-sized first issue! When a high-stakes mutant rescue mission from the ultimate global hot spot exposes the true enemy – possibly from within – an all-new team of all-action icons suddenly find themselves forged in fire. And the official membership policy is...no mercy allowed! Brought to you by returning X-writer Joe Casey and artist ChrisCross, Weapon X-Men from Marvel Comics is the real thing! I chatted with my friend, scribe Joe Casey, about his new limited series. Byron Brewer: Joe, I know you are no stranger to the X-Men franchise, but what was the particular inspiration for the coming super-series Weapon X-Men which you pitched to Marvel… and over a year ago? Joe Casey: I’ve written my share of titles in the mainstream over the last two decades plus, but for some reason last year I got the bug to really swing for the fences with something I thought might be the most commercially viable idea I could possibly come up with for Marvel. First, I thought of the name, “Weapon X-Men”, which was one of those lightning bolt moments when you think of something that you can’t believe no one had thought of before. But no one had. And once I had that name, the concept really started to build itself like it had a mind of its own. I knew pretty much from the get-go who had to be on the team. Byron: Anyone who is not living under a rock is not surprised to see Deadpool/Wolverine books on the stands these days, but this new team featuring fan-favorite marquee mutants is blowing my mind with excitement! There have been teamings of some of these X-oriented members for decades, but I don’t believe I have ever seen this particular combo together. Did you decide its membership, and which character are you particularly pleased to be playing with? Joe Casey: Yeah, I picked the characters. Wolverine, Deadpool and Cable were no-brainers. With all due respect, these are the new “Big Three” as far as I’m concerned. Chamber was another callback for me. Thunderbird was the wild card character, but he’s turned out to be really interesting… and it’s his story, his history, his dilemma that drives the series, at first. Byron: Spinning out of the last question, can you shine a spotlight on all the members of this team and tell a bit about how you as writer see them. I mean, we have some very X-plosive personalities here. Joe Casey: The original tag line for the series was “THEY’LL SAVE THE WORLD -- IF THEY DON’T KILL EACH OTHER FIRST!” To me, this kind of inter-character dynamics is just classic Marvel. In this series, we’re just upping the stakes by gathering a roster of warriors, soldiers, killers, loose cannons, etc. together which creates a truly combustible mix. Wolverine is the one who’s seen it all. Cable is the old soldier with a long-range agenda. Deadpool is a force of nature unto himself, totally unpredictable. Chamber is the one who’s still got something to prove. And Thunderbird is, literally, a man out of time looking to re-establish his identity. Getting these guys to work together is a feat unto itself. Byron: Explain, as you can without spoilers, your overall vision for this limited series. What is the structure of the team? Are there any cooler heads (ala Professor X or Nick Fury, just as examples) involved in its organization and direction? Joe Casey: The dynamics of this team are explosive. In some cases, literally. Cable might have the vision, but Wolverine is the one who possesses the personal gravitas to keep things on track. There’s not a lot of structure, per se, but everyone pretty much knows why they’re there. Byron: As you are able, can you reveal a few of Weapon X-Men’s targets and how those will be decided? And I believe an all-new threat was mentioned in the solicits? Joe Casey: I definitely don’t want to give anything away, but I can say that by the end of issue #3, we’ll have been introduced to the team’s ultimate arch-nemesis. From there, the whole Marvel Universe is our canvas. The whole idea was to pit this team against threats that are often outside the normal, “mutant” jurisdiction that X-books are normally limited to. Byron: Talk a little about the awesome art of ChrisCross. (Having a “Chris” around has always been good luck for any X-team! LOL) Joe Casey: Through the work he’s doing, Cross brings a power and fury to a book that is jam-packed with everything we love about our favorite Marvel Comics. We’re not reinventing the wheel here… we’re just making one that’s sleeker and moves at greater speed. Byron: Joe, what other projects, inside or outside comics, that you are working on can you tell readers about? Joe Casey: Blood Squad Seven is still going strong from Image Comics. For just about anything else, check out my new Substack newsletter: https://thejoecasey.substack.com Dynamic Forces would like to thank Joe Casey for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Weapon X-Men #1 from Marvel Comics is slated to be on sale February 19!
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