By Tim Stevens
After hitting the scene with much critical praise, NYX—the Joe Quesada penned series about teens growing up in District X—wrapped its initial run in late 2005. While District X remained a presence in titles such as X-FACTOR and characters such as X-23 popped up here and there, most of the characters and elements were left alone. That all changes now.
Novelist Majorie Liu and artist Kalman Andrasofszky come together to return NYX to the forefront of the Marvel Universe in a six issue arc this fall…and neither one could be more excited about it.
"Doing this series for Marvel is a dream come true," Liu proclaims. It is a sentiment echoed by Andrasokszky who adds, "having Jo Chen on cover art sweetened an already sweet deal."
Series Editor John Barber feels the enthusiasm as well. He explains: "When [Majorie] sent in the script, I was blown away. She nailed it. The story was fantastic and the characters and dialogue were just alive on the page. Kalman's a superstar in the making, and when his pages started coming in, we knew—yeah, this guy understands the characters and has a great rapport with Marjorie's story."
Fans of the original series will find themselves in good hands. "Almost all the original characters are back. Working hard, surviving, trying to be kids in a world that is making them grow up way too quickly… To be honest, it never crossed my mind to start out with a whole new cast—what had been established was too rich a playground," Liu reassures. Andrasokszky continues, "It's obvious Marjorie has as much respect and affection for these characters as I do."
That said, those looking to visit the world of NYX for the first time should not be worried. "Even if you never read NYX in its original incarnation, you should be able to jump on board and understand the new series," Liu promises.
And what will readers, new and old, find when the books hits stands. Liu pledges, "Betrayal, murder, survival. It's going to be a rough ride. Kiden and her friends are some of the last mutants on earth—just kids—and that makes them targets. Not just from bigots who want to kill them, but from individuals who see them as nothing more than commodities. Everything Kiden and her friends have built for themselves will be destroyed, horrifically and finding out why—and trying to make things right—will be the driving force behind their actions over the next six issues… I want to tell a good story. I want to tell a story about some kids who are doing their best to get by without losing their dignity. I want to explore the bonds of friendship under extreme circumstances."
Barber distills it, "They're teenagers in 2008, in New York, in a world they never asked to be in. They're not going to put on tights and fight crime, but they're going to have to make hard choices and step up and do what's right. We're going to put them through the wringer.
If you ever read NYX—or if you were ever curious, or if you just want to read a cool (maybe the coolest), cutting-edge take on mutants—pick up an issue of the new series. I don't think you'll be disappointed."
For all the Marvel news and updates spinning out of New York Comic Con2008, visit our news hub. And for a great way to kill time in between announcements, check out Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
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