Well, this is it. After five issues, the X-Men are about to move on to their next big status quo, with Wolverine leading one team, and Cyclops leading the other. Before we go, though, it’s time for one last Post-Game on the series with writer Jason Aaron, and X-Men Editor Nick Lowe. So let’s wipe those tears from our eyes, and get right into it!

MTV Geek: First of all, I wanted to thank you guys for sticking with this for the past few months, Schism has been a heck of a ride. On your end, what’s it been like to finally see this to completion? And in a greater sense, were you surprised by any reactions from the fans along the way? Or do you feel like everything fell out as planned?

Nick Lowe: First, thanks for embracing SCHISM so much at MTV Geek. It’s always fun to talk with you guys.

It has been an absolute joy working on SCHISM. I’ve got baseball on the brain, so bear with me in this metaphor… Getting a big series like SCHISM out is like playing playoff baseball. The obstacles to putting out good comics (the insane difficulty of creating a story, telling it well, life getting in the way, scheduling, etc…) are like facing the New York Yankees in a post-season series. I’m from Cleveland so I hate the Yankees. ANYWAY, I’ve edited several big stories and I like to think that the books won the series. Some of them were much closer and went to Game 5 or Game 7. With SCHISM, Jason pitched no-hitters and Carlos, Frank, Daniel, Alan and Adam all hit homers or hit for the cycle and stole bases and such. I, as the manager, of course, argued with the umpires a few times and got kicked out of several games… is this metaphor going on too long? Read more...

Tags Marvel Comics, X-Men: Schism

Now, that’s how you do an event the right way… And all it took was a little focus on the characters. Simple, right? Except what writer Jason Aaron has accomplished with X-Men: Schism isn’t just one of the best event comics in recent memory, it’s one of the best X-Men stories of, possibly, the past decade. Big action, big emotion, and an event that was, in fact a capital “E’ Event.

We’ll have more in our Post-Game on Thursday, of course, but I did have a chance to read the conclusion of Schism, and it delivers – as you can probably guess from the first paragraph – on all cylinders. Last issue, we left Wolverine and Cyclops fighting on the shore of Utopia as a gigantic Sentinel – evil robot mutant hunter – bore down on them. It was their philosophical divide that made them oblivious, though, and it boils down to this: Read more...

Tags Marvel Comics, X-Men: Schism

…And just like that, we now know what that whole “Schism” title thing is about. Issue four of this series finally revealed what, exactly, the philosophical divide is between Cyclops and Wolverine; and just as we talked about way back at issue one, it all comes down to the kids. Though series writer was off in Spain this week, X-Men Editor Nick Lowe gamely (pun intended) took on our Post-Game of issue four. With one issue left to go, there’s no time to waste… So lets get into it:

MTV Geek: Let’s talk about the conversation Cyclops and Idie have at the top of the issue... I think Cyclops saying that what happened at the mutant history museum was his fault is pretty telling of where he’s coming from. Can you talk about that, and how that plays out through the rest of the issue?

Nick Lowe: This sounds like more of a Jason question, but since he’s in Spain and may not get a chance to answer…

Cyclops is a responsibility magnet. Also, a guilt magnet. But he knows the weight of the kind of action that Idie took and would rather carry that weight than let Idie do it (not that he can stop her). So much of the last few years of X-Men publishing have been about this. The X-Men and mutants in general are in an awful position and such a position necessitates a lot of difficult decisions. And he has born the weight of so much. That’s a huge statement about his character and strength, to me.

Geek: So I know it happens off panel, but… How can Wolverine preach protecting kids, when he – potentially – mercilessly guts Quentin Quire? Or am I reading that wrong? By the way, I think I’m on Cyclops’ side on all this, so that’s probably going to color my questions a bit. [Please note the amount of journalistic integrity I put into this question.]

NL: Wolverine certainly didn’t give the kid a soda. As for Wolverine’s view on protecting kids, I think he would add “within reason.” Kade Kilgore, for example. I don’t think Wolverine would have any problem taking extreme measures in dealing with him. That is, if he ever finds out Kade exists.

Geek: 25 pages in, there’s that moment that pushes things over the edge… With Scott and Logan, it always comes down to Jean, doesn’t it?

NL: I LOVE THAT MOMENT! It is that part of an argument where someone takes things up a notch and just goes for what will hurt the other person the most. So awful and so human! But, yeah, it does seem to always come back to Jean! Read more...

Tags X-Men: Schism

With X-Men Schism #3 just hitting stands this week, it’s time once again to check in with series author Jason Aaron, and Editor Nick Lowe. Spoilers on, of course, but to get you guys caught up to speed… The new Hellfire Club is a bunch of kids, led by the richest little a-hole in the world, Kade Kilgore. They’ve already started a plan that reactivated Sentinels – giant mutant hunting robots – all over the world, and with this week’s issue, decide to take down the X-Men on their home turf.

The surprising part? They win. And then Generation Hope’s Idie goes a little ballistic. Here’s Aaron and Lowe with more, including a little tease about issue four:

MTV Geek: Let’s kick things off talking about Idie… I know we find out a little bit more about this decision in Generation Hope, but what leads her to the point we find her in at the end of this issue? And where is she mentally?

Nick Lowe: She’s certainly had better days. Like you say, we’re getting WAY more in depth in Gen Hope #10 and #11 with Idie and a lot of the events that the main Schism book flies through like a Learjet.

Jason Aaron: Kieron has been doing amazing work with Idie in the pages of Generation Hope, and I think this is really just an evolution of the journey she's been on all along. She's always looked at herself as a monster. Now she's just made the jump from monster to actual killer.

Geek: Cyclops tells her, and I’m paraphrasing here, but that she should “Do whatever she thinks is right.” Does that sum up where Cyclops is coming from right now in general? And if so, where does that leave Wolverine?

NL: Cyclops walks a fine line that Jason completely summed up there. X-Men are called to make tough decisions more than just about any super heroes. Most heroes face impossible odds, but with the X-Men they are impossible odds with no GOOD outcome. And Wolverine, well, he seems really tired of that to me.

JA: Cyclops was caught in a tough situation and made a tough call. He didn't tell Idie she had to risk her life. But he did let her know that she was the only one around who had a chance of saving the day. From Wolverine's perspective, there was no gray area. She's a kid. Get her the hell out of there. This philosophical divide is really at the heart of the Schism, and we'll see the argument expanded upon in great detail next issue. Read more...

Tags Jason Aaron, X-Men: Schism

We’re only two issues into Marvel’s X-Men event Schism, and it already looks like they weren’t kidding: after this, the X-Men will never be the same again. For real this time! To find out more about the second issue, which hit stands yesterday, we talked with writer Jason Aaron and Editor Nick Lowe about where we are in the (multiple?) schisms, what’s up with the new Hellfire Club, and why the new Mutant History Museum won’t be around for very long:

MTV Geek: Let’s talk about the developing (or disintegrating) relationship between Wolverine and Cyclops in issue #2… it seems like we’re steadily moving to the split here. Can you talk about where you feel each character is in issue two, mentally? There seems to be a pretty telling statement from Quentin Quire in particular, when he says, “Bye now, see ya around, Professor!” to Wolverine…

Nick Lowe: Cyclops is very centered and confident about what he’s doing. The man doesn’t hold a lot of doubts. It’s Wolverine who is having to take a hard look around.

Jason Aaron: The bulk of Quentin's interaction with Logan came back at the old Xavier school. That's why he calls him Professor. They have a bit of a history, as Quentin actually kinda kicked Logan's ass back then, during his attempt at a school-wide riot. And yes, we are steadily moving toward the schism here. All the pieces are now on the table, except for one, which comes at the end of issue #3. Scott's position on the world around him or the X-Men's reaction to it obviously hasn't changed. But I think we see that he and Logan don't exactly see eye to eye on everything. And those cracks in their relationship are only going to grow wider as we move forward. Read more...

Tags Marvel Comics, X-Men: Schism

Have you caught your breathe yet, X-Men fans? Yesterday saw the release of the first issue of X-Men: Schism, an event that promises to rip Marvel’s merry mutants in twain, as an ideological split between their leader, Cyclops, and his second in command, Wolverine, turns out to be too much for their pseudo-friendship to bear.

Two weeks ago, we chatted with writer Jason Aaron and Editor Nick Lowe (as well as Marvel EIC Axel Alonso) to find out what brought us to this point – and now, we’re checking back in with Aaron and Lowe to find out where we’re going next. Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, big spoilers for issue one:

MTV Geek: One of the things I thought was surprising – in a real good way – about the first issue, was how laugh out loud funny it was. Given that most “events” are dead serious, was this a conscious decision going in? Or is just because Jason Aaron can’t help being hilarious?

Nick Lowe: I’ll let Jason answer the bulk of this question, but it’s true, Jason can’t help being hilarious. Schism fits into the pantheon of great action/adventure stories that deal with intensely serious situations by peppering them with humor, like Die Hard, Star Wars, Seven Samurai, Indiana Jones, Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, etc…

Jason Aaron: Schism certainly has some very dark moments, but I still wanted it to ultimately be a fun ride. Not necessarily fun for Wolverine or Cyclops, who definitely aren't laughing by the end, but fun for readers who get to watch all these big, crazy events unfold. It was also fun in issue #1 to write some good-natured banter between Scott and Logan. I wanted to highlight how these two guys are pretty tight when this series opens, as buddy-buddy as we've ever seen them. That certainly won't be the case as we move forward though. Read more...

Tags Marvel Comics, X-Men, X-Men: Schism

Here’s the bad news: in a few short months time, the X-Men will be no more, irreversibly split into two teams by the sense-shattering events of X-Men: Schism, a five part mini-series written by Jason Aaron, and penciled by Carlos Pancheo (at least the first issue). Cyclops and Wolverine, usually, if not the best of friends, mutually appreciative co-workers, will come to an impasse so huge, The X-Men as we know them will be no more.

Now, here’s the good news: each week after an issue of X-Men: Schism comes out, we’ll be checking in with Aaron, as well as X-Men Group Editor Nick Lowe, and Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso right here on MTV Geek, to get the skinny on what’s going down with the Schism. Note: "Down With The Schism" is the name of my punk/metal band, you should really check them out, you guys.

The first issue hits stands in less that two weeks, on July 13th; followed closely by issue two on July 27th. So to get you primed for the X-Men event of the (admittedly, young) decade, we chatted with Aaron, Lowe, and Alonso about what’s brought the X-Men to this point, what to expect in the series, and just why giant robots are so cool:

MTV Geek: Let’s kick this off talking about the scope of Schism… I believe you guys have said it will be contained in the mini-series, correct? Before, of course, launching the two new X-Men series out of it. Why NOT have satellite series for this, like Shadowland or Spider-Island? I mean, I’m not complainin’, just curious. You guys.

Nick Lowe: Honestly, it was what the story demanded. It’s a HUGE story on one hand, but on the other it’s about two guys- Cyclops & Wolverine. We didn’t want to muddy those waters and lose the focus. We only have two tie-ins (GENERATION HOPE 10 & 11 for reasons that become very apparent when you get into SCHISM) for that same reason. We wanted to make sure that we kept the focus on our two main players and that the debate (and brawl) stays crystal clear. Read more...

Tags Cyclops, Jason Aaron, Marvel Comics, Wolverine, X-Men, X-Men: Schism

Wolverine and Cyclops might not be buds anymore after the events of Schism, but the X-Men are set to have a Regenesis of sorts starting in October. X-Men Regenesis promises to send our favorite mutants " a bold new direction redefining the X-Men franchise."

Two new X-Men titles will debut in October:

* Wolverine And The X-Men #1 by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo

* Uncanny X-Men #1 by Kieron Gillen and artists Carlos Pacheco & Greg Land

Check out the teaser image just released by Marvel below, and then read on for more info about this historic new direction in the X-Men universe!

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Tags Marvel Comics, X-Men, X-Men Regenesis, X-Men: Schism

It looks like the biggest casualty to come out of Marvel's upcoming Jason Aaron-penned event "Schism" will be Uncanny X-Men, which will be cancelled with October's issue #544, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Greg Land. It looks like the beef between Cyclops and Wolverine will be terrible enough to rip apart the very structure of Marvel's publication schedule.

Or maybe it's yet another frightening unintended consequence of Flashpoint.

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Tags Chris Claremont, Greg Land, Jack Kirby, Kieron Gillen, Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Uncanny X-Men, X-Men: Schism

MTV Geek is pleased to provide you with your first look at the must-read X-Men event of the Summer, X-Men: Schism #1!  Jason Aaron, Carlos Pacheco, and Frank Cho are on-board to present you X-Men: Schism #1 starting in July:

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Tags Marvel Comics, X-Men: Schism