Revolution (comics)
| "Revolution" thematic stories | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Publication information | |||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
| |||
| Formats | Multiple, thematically linked individual issues from multiple ongoing series. | ||
| Genre | |||
| Publication date | May – June 2000 | ||
| Number of issues | 9 | ||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) |
Warren Ellis Chris Claremont Ian Edginton | ||
| Reprints | |||
| Collected editions | |||
| Counter-X: Volume 1: X-Force | ISBN 0-7851-3304-6 | ||
| Counter-X: Volume 2: Generation X | ISBN 0-7851-3305-4 | ||
| Counter-X: Volume 3: X-Man | ISBN 0-7851-3306-2 | ||
"Revolution" was the title given to the May 2000 revamp of Marvel Comics' X-Men-related comic books, timed to coincide with the publication of X-Men vol. 2 #100.
Publication history
In each series, the "Revolution" issue represented a jump of six months after the previous issue's events. In most cases, "Revolution" also marked an attempt to send each title in a new creative direction, and to this end new creative teams were assigned to the titles. Many characters' costumes were redesigned, and a "Revolution" logo was printed along the right-hand side of each issue.
The most publicized of the changes was the return of writer Chris Claremont to the flagship titles X-Men vol. 2 and Uncanny X-Men, after nearly a decade's absence.
The event also included nods to early-1990s marketing strategies such as printing variant covers[1] and including trading cards.[2]
The excitement of the event was dampened by Marvel Comics' timing, as most of the series involved had launched with all or part of their new creative teams a month before the event, even though the "Revolution" logo was still printed on the May issues, and Uncanny X-Men did not join the "Revolution" event until its June 2000 issue. Furthermore, Claremont stated in later interviews that he had ghostwritten several issues of various X-Men titles before the event.
Counter-X
Furthermore, three of the titles involved in the event, (X-Man, X-Force, and Generation X), were rebranded to Counter-X. Writer Warren Ellis plotted the general direction for each of the Counter-X books, and co-wrote each title with Steven Grant on X-Man, Ian Edginton on X-Force, and Brian Wood on Generation X.
Aftermath
The "Revolution" event was poorly received by fans and critics, leading to Claremont leaving X-Men and Uncanny X-Men after nine months. The X-Men line of books were revamped again in July 2001 with Grant Morrison writing New X-Men, Joe Casey writing Uncanny X-Men, and Claremont writing the new title X-Treme X-Men.
Bibliography
The included issues, in order of publication, were:
- Cable #79, with new writer Robert Weinberg and recently arrived penciller Michael Ryan and inker Andrew Pepoy.
- Gambit #16, with recently arrived penciller Yanick Paquette and inker Sean Parsons.
- Generation X #63, with new co-writers Warren Ellis and Brian Wood, new penciller Steve Pugh, and new inker Sandu Florea.
- X-Men #100, with returning writer Chris Claremont, new penciller Leinil Francis Yu, and new inker Mark Morales
- Wolverine #150, with new writer/penciller Steve Skroce and new inker Lary Stucker (with "special thanks to" Larry Wachowski, and limited to a four-month story arc).
- X-Force #102, with new co-writers Warren Ellis and Ian Edginton, new penciller Whilce Portacio, and new inker Gerry Alanguilan.
- X-Man #63, with new co-writers Warren Ellis and Steven Grant and new artist Ariel Olivetti.
- Uncanny X-Men #381 (June 2000), with returning writer Chris Claremont, new penciller Adam Kubert, and new inker Tim Townsend.
- Magneto: Dark Seduction #1 (June 2000), the first issue of a mini-series by Fabian Nicieza, Roger Cruz, and Andy Owens.
Collected editions
The Counter-X run has been collected as trade paperbacks:
- Counter-X:
- Volume 1: X-Force (collects X-Force #102-109, 192 pages, July 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3304-6)
- Volume 2: Generation X (collects Generation X #63-70, 192 pages, October 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3305-4)
- Volume 3: X-Man (collects X-Man #63-70, 192 pages, December 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3306-2)
- Volume 4: X-Force (collects X-Force #110-115, 102; Rough Cut, 176 pages, August 2012, ISBN 0-7851-5973-8)
- Volume 5: Generation X - Four Days (collects Generation X #71-74, February 26, 2013, ISBN 0785167307)
- Volume 6: X-Man: Fearful Symmetries (collects X-Man 71-75, material from X-Men Unlimited (1993) 31, 152 pages, April 23, 2013, ISBN 0785167315) * This volume was solicited for release but cancelled in March 2013 before being published. [3]
See also
- One Year Later, a similar DC Comics event
References
- ↑ X-Men vol. 2 #100
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #381
- ↑ http://www.previewsworld.com/support/previews_docs/orderforms/APR13_Cancel.txt
External links
- Revolution at the Comic Book DB
- "The Six-Month Gap", a detailed review of "Revolution" at uncannyxmen.net