All images: Marvel Comics

Dawn Of X entirely focuses on mutant team dynamics in its first group of titles, but as it enters its second wave, solo characters start to get their time in the spotlight. Wolverine gets a new ongoing series in two weeks, and the following week sees the debut of Giant Size X-Men, a series of one-shots zeroing in on specific mutants. Written by Jonathan Hickman with art by top talent like Russell Dauterman, Ben Oliver, and Alan Davis, Giant Size X-Men launches with one of the most contentious pairs in the Marvel Universe, Jean Grey and Emma Frost, and then continues with Magneto and Nightcrawler stories in March and April. May brings a non-mutant character into the fray with Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex #1, reuniting Hickman with his current New Mutants collaborator, Rod Reis, to explore what the French super-thief’s life looks like in the age of Krakoa.


Cover by Rod Reis

Hickman’s X-run has been deeply indebted to the work of Grant Morrison, and Fantomex is one of Morrison’s most enduring creations. He’s gone through a lot of changes over the last few years, including having his body serve as the host for Charles Xavier’s resurrected mind, giving Hickman a lot to explore as he takes Fantomex back into The World, the artificial, time-shifting habitat where he was created to be a weapon against growing mutant population. The A.V. Club has an exclusive look at Reis’ cover and the solicitation text for Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex #1 along with upcoming pages from New Mutants #7, continuing Hickman and Reis’ thrilling and delightful saga of the New Mutants bumbling their way through space.


“As Jonathan Hickman and I were talking about characters for this Giant-Size X-Men issue, I said I was looking for crazy and weird characters that would allow me to play with panel layouts and do crazy stuff,” says Reis. “So we decided that Fantomex would be the perfect choice. I loved what we did with New Mutants. I had so much fun working with those characters and people can expect this book to be a lot of fun too.” Reis is one of the most imaginative artists in comics when it comes to linework, coloring, and layouts, and taking Fantomex back into The World gives him endless opportunities to experiment with a endlessly adaptive hero in an environment that is constantly transforming and introducing new dangers.



GIANT-SIZE X-MEN: FANTOMEX #1 Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN Art and Cover by ROD REIS The hit creative team of Jonathan Hickman & Rod Reis (NEW MUTANTS) turn their attention to the covert activities of the Weapon Plus program’s Weapon XIII! A bred killer who chose the life of a gentleman super-thief, Fantomex has always defied expectations... For example, who would expect him to break into the World, the artificial realm of his creation? And then again? And then… again?

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